Auto Talk

Finding an honest, basic-equipped pickup truck on any dealer's lot would be a real challenge. Almost all pickups available to the consumer are well-optioned.

The Yaris media car was dropped off at my house. As I walked up to it the next day my upbeat mood soon changed. On this grey, cloudy day, the dark grey Yaris made it all the more sombre.

The big news at Ford this year wasn't just the new Mustang. It was the aluminum bodied F-150 pickup. Loyal customers of the larger Super Duty might be wondering when a new, lighter model is coming.

The Volkswagen Golf was a fresh design that replaced the archaic Beetle in 1974. Volkswagen made use of Auto Union's experience with its Audi front-wheel drive cars and had famed Italian designer Giorgio Giugiaro do the styling of the Golf.

Although SUVS and CUVs are the must-have vehicles in North America these days, there are people who still prefer the traditional mid-size sedan. And within this market segment are some very good cars.

I recently had the opportunity to test drive not one, but two Toyota Highlander models. One a hybrid, the other not. For the 2014 model year the Highlander is longer and wider than the previous generation.

The styling of this funky looking little crossover is polarizing. Some like the block-of-ice shape and others simply don't. Styling aside, the Soul has a lot of fans starting with automotive writers in Canada.

When Ford announced several months ago that it would be introducing a tiny 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine in the Fiesta, I was skeptical.

I like simple and simple is good, although in this technically hyped 21st century, what is simple anymore? I like to think that the Hyundai Tucson CUV is a simple, uncluttered example of somewhat stylish, dependable and easy to use transportation.