August 25, 2005: 2003 Toyota Echo sedan. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase; photos by Grant Yoxon Sometimes you have to wonder about Toyota. For years, they've adhered to a strict function-over-form mantra, pumping out generation after generation of plain Corollas, Camrys and Tercels along with a few minivans and the oddball sports car. But every once in a while, Toyota introduces something that s... Read Article

August 11, 2005: 2002 Toyota Sienna. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase Over the years, Toyota has established itself as a manufacturer of some of the best road-going appliances you can buy. Excitement is reserved for a select few sporty vehicles, while the rest of their cars and trucks are predictably durable and efficient mainstream vehicles. But Toyota has, periodically, come out with some real ... Read Article

August 4, 2005: 2002 Ford Taurus SEL. Click image to enlargeNot everyone's perfect. And certainly not every auto manufacturer is either. After all, if they were, the world would be a pretty boring place, so in that sense, it's a really good thing the Ford Taurus exists. The Taurus has been a strong seller in the mid-size sedan field, competing against the likes of class benchmarks like the Toyota Camry and... Read Article

July 28, 2005: 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase Mitsubishi, eh? That's that new car company that showed up a few years ago, right? Well, not quite. Mitsubishi's been around for years - lots of years - but the company only expanded its dealer network north of the 49th parallel in 2003. Its products are no strangers to Canadian soil, however. Through a close relati... Read Article

July 14, 2005: Photo: Nissan/Infiniti. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase Here's a question: how do you tick off a whole bunch of people who just bought the final examples of the first generation Infiniti Q45 luxury sedan in 1996? Easy - introduce a totally redesigned Q45 in 1997 and price it $7,000 cheaper. That's no hypothetical question, either; it's exactly what Infiniti did when it launched... Read Article

July 7, 2005: 2004 Kia Sedona. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase Like any new auto manufacturer, Kia started out small when it brought its first cars to North America and tempted us with cheap prices and long warranties. But an automaker can't survive on a vehicle line-up consisting only of small cars (the Rio and the larger Sephia and Spectra) and a lacklustre compact SUV (the original Sportage).... Read Article

June 23, 2005: 2002 Saab 9-5. Click image to enlarge Sweden's known for a few things: blonde-haired people, meatballs and a crazy Muppet chef. Abba too, of course, and if you're really into cheesy pop music, then you'll remember Roxette, Sweden's "other" big-name pop group. This Scandinavian nation is also home to two storied car manufacturers, but like the Abba/Roxette situation, one is better known than t... Read Article

June 16, 2005: 2003 Chrysler Sebring LXi sedan. Click image to enlarge The mid-sized sedan field is vast, so in order to compete, manufacturers' offerings in this class have to offer something the others don't. While Chrysler's Sebring will never be accused of being particularly unique, it did present itself as a classy-yet-affordable alternative to the Accords, Camrys and Tauruses that have traditionally b... Read Article

June 5, 2005: BMW 540i. Photos: BMW. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase I was trying to think up a witty way to start this week's used car review, but after pondering a couple of ideas that just didn't work, it occurred to me that I'm writing about a car that really needs no introduction. In 1996, BMW began selling the third generation of its mid-size 5-series sedan. Dubbed the E39 in BMW chass... Read Article

June 2, 2005: 2000 Mazda Millenia. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase As is the case with people, some cars are better suited to a long-term commitment than others. They're generally the ones that are best described as dependable and trustworthy, maybe with a fun-loving side for good measure. Oh, and physical attraction always helps too. Right from its introduction in 1995, the Mazda Millenia ha... Read Article

June 2, 2005: The Miata (known outside North America as the MX-5) was a modern car by all standards when it was introduced, but was inspired by the two-seat roadster formula created by European manufacturers like MG, Triumph and A... Read Article

May 19, 2005: 2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase When General Motors announced a few years ago that it planned to shut down its Oldsmobile division, the decision raised a lot of difficult questions among car enthusiasts. You were (and still are) probably more likely to discover who built the pyramids, or why the chicken crossed the road, than you are to find a logical answ... Read Article

May 12, 2005: 2002 Hyundai Sonata GLX. Click image to enlarge By Chris Chase; photos by Grant Yoxon Avid readers of Canadian Driver will notice that Hyundai's been getting a lot of bandwidth around here lately. Long regarded as "the other H car," Hyundai is finally getting some respect from the automotive press, while some of the most discerning enthusiasts are finding themselves casting second glance... Read Article