Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a Jetta GLI, and that’s money well-spent on a budget-priced sport sedan. Read my Autos.ca Test Drive here.
Category Archives: Compact cars
What I think: 2012 Buick Verano
The hits keep coming from Buick, a brand trying to reinvent itself as hip and relevant after decades of selling stodgy, dull sedans. Its biggest engineering success so far is its smallest model, the compact Verano. Click here to read my Autos.ca Quick Spin of the 2012 Verano.
What I think: 2012 Toyota Yaris
The 2012 Toyota Yaris takes the idea of a basic car to new levels. Overall, it’s easier to like than its predecessor, but the redesign doesn’t address a couple of the old car’s key flaws. Read my Autos.ca review here.
What I think: Buying a used Subaru Impreza
This third-generation Impreza is a better all-around car than the versions that came before it, and, in some ways, it’s better than the redesigned 2012 model that replaced it. This car gets good reliability ratings from many sources, but continues to be haunted by the possibility of head gasket problems in its horizontally-opposed engine. Read my Autos.ca review here.
What I think: 2012 Kia Rio
There’s a lot to like about the 2012 Kia Rio, including its sharp looks and fun handling. My main complaint are the optimistic fuel consumption estimates, which are nowhere close to what the car is capable of in real-world driving. Read my full Autos.ca review here.
What I think: Buying a used Hyundai Elantra Touring
Canadians seem to love compact SUVs and hatchbacks, but neither of those vehicle types can rival a small station wagon’s combination of utility and affordability. The Hyundai Elantra Touring, sold in Canada from 2009 through the 2012 model year (and due to be replaced in 2012 by the redesigned 2013 Elantra GT), is a great example of a simple, solid and (surprisingly) fun-to-drive wagon. Click on through to Autos.ca to read my opinion on buying a used one.
What I think: Buying a used Toyota Yaris
Toyota is in the midst of a cost-cutting campaign aimed at keeping this Japanese juggernaut competitive against aggressively-priced Korean cars, and the result is lower-quality vehicles in some cases. While the Internet suggests there are a few common flaws with the Yaris, organizations like Consumer Reports think Toyota’s smallest car is still a good choice for a budget-priced used vehicle, and I tend to agree. Read all about it in my latest used car review at Autos.ca.
What I think: 2012 Subaru Impreza
A redesigned car product is expected to be better than the one it replaces, and it usually works out that way with new cars. It’s a different story for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, a car that, at best, is as good as its predecessor, but is a move backwards in many respects. Click here to read my review at Autos.ca.
What I think: 2012 Chevrolet Volt
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the beginning of the end of gas-electric hybrid passenger vehicles as we know them.
What I think: 2012 Kia Soul
The mid-cycle refresh is a proven way for an automaker to prop up flagging interest in a car that’s been on the market for three or four years. A nip here, a tuck there and a few new features, perhaps, are good at helping revive interest in an existing design that’s losing traction to newer models in the sales race.
Chris Chases Cars 