March 18, 2003: 2003 Volkswagen Golf GTI VR6. Photo: Russell PurcellClick image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato This past February Volkswagen AG mishandled an issue with faulty ignition coils and that gave the latest generation Volkswagen Golf something of an undeserved black eye. VW voluntarily recalled some 850,000 VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars globally - primarily 2001 and 2002 model cars with four-cylinder... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato The Oldsmobile Silhouette is one of three General Motors minivans all built on identical mechanical components. The others? The Chevrolet Venture and the Pontiac Trans Sport. Of the three, the Silhouette was the last to arrive in the Canada, about a year after the Chevrolet Venture and Pontiac Trans Sport were introduced i... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2003 Honda Insight. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Has it really been three model years since Honda introduced its Insight gasoline/electric hybrid car? The one that can travel as far as 31 kilometres or more than 19 miles on a single litre of gasoline.. That's right. I said litre of gasoline, not gallon. Three years is more than enough time to get a good feeling about the ... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2000 Chrysler Neon. Click image to enlarge The former Chrysler Corp. (now the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG) launched its Neon compact car in 1994, then remade it and renamed it for the 2000 model year. Then they renamed it again for 2003, calling it the Dodge SX 2.0. The Chrysler people had hoped to move the Neon slightly up-market for 2000, but it was not a particularly succes... Read Article

March 18, 2003: C-Class models - coupe, sedan and estate. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Mercedes-Benz, the luxury division of DaimlerChrysler AG, invested nearly $2 billion to design, engineer and fully develop a completely new C-class for the 2001 model year, and apparently the money was well spent. The truth is, this used car report had a tough time finding confirmed, documented evidence o... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2003 Honda Civic sedan. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato The best-selling car in Canada since 1998 has been the Honda Civic. What a run of success! Last year Honda Canada sold 63,898 Civics in this country. Sales of the number two Toyota Corolla were 24 per cent lower (at 48,676). Not bad for a Honda Civic in its fourth year since a 2001 model year renovation. Obviously the Civi... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2001 Acura MDX. Click image to enlarge Even though the Acura MDX was named North American Truck of the Year for 2001, this sport-utility vehicle has continued to be a work in progress. Not to fix things, per se, but to keep up with all the action in the luxury ute segment. So for 2004, Acura has upgraded the MDX's styling, added more power and features and added a new "Tech Package." P... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Chrysler is now launching a convertible version of the PT Cruiser, the little car/truck/utility vehicle that took the market by storm when it hit showrooms three years ago as a 2001 model. The retro-style PT Cruiser has been around long enough to get a firm handle on where it stands in both the new and used car market.... Read Article

March 18, 2003: 2004 Kia Rio shown. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato If you want to know why so many established automakers are closely watching Korean-based car companies, take a quick look at the Buyer's Alerts for the 2001-2003 Kia Rio. You'll only need to take a quick look because there isn't much there for a used car buyer to be overly concerned about. The great albatross hanging over Korean a... Read Article

February 20, 2003: 2003 Toyota Avalon XLS. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Few used cars are as likely to be trouble-free as the Toyota Avalon, which last received a complete makeover for 2000. Some have called the Avalon a Lexus with Toyota badging, and I think it's a relative bargain. With a little work, you should be able to find a three- or four-year-old Avalon for about half its original sti... Read Article

February 19, 2003: 2003 Porsche Boxster S. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Since Boxster production began in late 1996, Porsche has documented a number of niggling issues - from clicking noises in the instrument panel to cranky door locks, seat cushion covers that become uneven, cracking oil filler hoses, vibrating rear windows, scratchy clutch pedals, and so on. Yet the fundamentals appear to have... Read Article

February 19, 2003: (model, year) Click image to enlarge For the 1999 model year, Pontiac made sweeping structural changes to its top-selling car, the Grand Am - including a wider and stiffer body platform with a longer wheelbase. The structural changes allowed more interior room, especially for rear passengers and improved its ride and handling characteristics. Used car shoppers can pick up this sporty look... Read Article

February 19, 2003: 2001 Pontiac Aztek. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato It had been three years since I first drove the Pontiac Aztek, so when the chance came to take the wheel I jumped. And you know, the oft-maligned Aztek is not a bad new vehicle at all. It's spacious inside, quite versatile, delivers a reasonably comfortable ride, offers good towing capacity for its class and the 3.4-litre V6 en... Read Article