The least-expensive car in Canada right now is the 2012 Nissan Versa sedan, which starts at the attractive price of $11,798. As I discovered, it pays to consider just what you’re getting for the low, low MSRPs that automakers advertise. Getting the features you want can cost significantly more than that bargain price, which is often little more than a marketing gimmick. Click here to learn what the five cars with the lowest starting MSRPs actually cost once they’re fitted with what many Canadians consider basic necessities in new cars.
Monthly Archives: August 2011
What I think: Buying a used Mini Cooper
Click here for my opinion on buying a used BMW-built Mini Cooper. Arguably the best-looking and most entertaining car in its price range when it debuted in 2002, it’s too bad it’s had more than its share of mechanical problems, both major and minor.
What I think: 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid
If you’d gone around Porsche headquarters 30 years ago muttering things about SUVs and hybrids with the sports car maker’s name on them, you’d probably have been booted out of Stuttgart faster than you’d have been able to say achtung, baby.
What I think: Buying a used Chevrolet Malibu
Click here to read my take on buying a second-hand Chevrolet Malibu, a vehicle transformed in a 2008 redesign from a forgettable family sedan into a competent sedan with real appeal.
What I think: 2012 Honda Civic coupe
Click here to read my review of the new Civic coupe, a car that represents a Honda spooked by the cool reception to a number of its recent new products. Not much changes compared to the car this 2012 replaces. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but Honda has to watch it doesn’t get left in the dust by competitors that have already caught up to the Civic in the areas of reliability and fuel economy.
What I think: Buying a used BMW 5 Series
Last week, I told you how much I like my in-laws’ lovely near-vintage 5 Series; today, my used car column at Autos.ca looks at what it’s like to own a newer 5 Series. The short answer is that you’ll likely get to know your mechanic really well. Read the full article here.