February 18, 2001: 2000 Mercury CougarClick image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato The year 1999 marked a major departure for the Mercury Cougar. After a one-year absence, the Cougar named appeared again, but this all-new model was nothing like the immediately previous Ford Thunderbird-based Cougar that retired at the end of the 1997 model year (there was no '98 Cougar). The '97 Cougar was a lumpy and ponderou... Read Article

February 17, 2001: 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-ClassClick image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato It was the fall of 1995 and Mercedes-Benz shocked the world. How so? With the styling of the then-reinvented 1996 E320 sedan. Shocking. The quad-eyed headlights and the pontoon-style fenders jumped out in Jaguar-esque fashion. Yes, the '96 E-class took the world by storm with its many curvaceous bulges. So many bulges, in ... Read Article

February 17, 2001: 2001 Mazda 626Click image to enlarge Chrome trimmings made a big return when in the fall of 1997 Mazda introduced an updated version of its 626 family sedan. But an abundance of chrome, along with styling cues from the upscale Mazda Millenia, were not the only major changes Mazda had on tap for the 1998 626. The interior and trunk were made substantially bigger, thanks to an extra 5.1 cm... Read Article

February 16, 2001: 1998 Lincoln Town Car, Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Ford's luxury division, Lincoln, recently introduced a redesigned Town Car, the first major update since 1998 of this favourite of chauffeurs everywhere. Back then Lincoln trotted out an old automotive buzz word to help describe the 1998 Town Car remake -- "tumblehome." No, that's not what car stylists do after a wild night... Read Article

February 16, 2001: 1997 Lexus ES300Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato Last fall, Lexus launched a reinvented ES300 executive sedan. That means the previous remake of the ES300 came just more than four years ago, in 1997. Just as the latest ES has been improved over the previous model, so too was the '97 ES300 when compared to the 1992-96 version. The '97 car arrived with more room, a stiffer body an... Read Article

February 16, 2001: 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport. Click image to enlarge. By Jeremy Cato It's not overly refined and it's of modest size, but there are at least two good reasons to consider a late 1997 and newer Jeep Cherokee: big off-road muscles and an affordable used car price. Truly, the Cherokee was a solid design when it had its debut in 1984 and until it was replaced last year by the Liberty, it rema... Read Article

February 15, 2001: by Jeremy Cato 1999 VW Jetta GLS, Click image to enlarge The arrival of the then-new 1999 Volkswagen Jetta signalled the end of a complete VW lineup overhaul that began with the Passat and was carried over into Volkswagen's lineup of luxurious Audi models. Regardless of model, critics and industry analysts have been a chorus of praise over the direction VW's products took ... Read Article

February 14, 2001: 2001 Honda Prelude. Click image to enlarge By Jeremy Cato The sporty Honda Prelude went away this model year, after a long run. But then that really isn't a great surprise. The last few years Honda hasn't sold many Preludes in Canada. That despite the excellent build quality, crisp handling, lively performance, advanced technical features and sharp styling of the 1997-2001 Prelude. ... Read Article

February 14, 2001: 2001 Honda CR-VClick image to enlarge by Jeremy Cato The first time I road tested Honda's CR-V (comfortable runabout vehicle) back in the fall of '96, I said to myself, "Now this makes a lot of sense. What took them so long? All it needs is a little more horsepower." Which came along in '99 in the form of a 20 horsepower boost to a solid 146 horsepower. That means, of course, that the... Read Article

February 14, 2001: 1998 Honda Accord The redesigned 1998 Honda Accord was slightly wider and had a longer wheelbase than its arch rival, the 1998 Toyota Camry. Buyers of this good looking family-sized car tend to be just as appreciative of this car's good handling and performance traits as much as its reputation for dependability. Although the Accord also has an excellent track record for superior resale... Read Article

February 14, 2001: 1996 Toyota Previa LEClick image to enlarge They were well built, safe, roomy, versatile, reliable, a bit underpowered and a tad pricey as minivans go. I am referring to the Toyota Previa minivan, which when on sale in 1990 as a 1991 model, both rear- and all-wheel drive versions. While I'm at it, let's give the Previa the Avant Garde Award for courage in styling and creative, if expensi... Read Article

February 5, 2001: 2000 Ford Windstar SEL, Click image to enlarge Ford had to play 'minivan catch-up' in '98 when the competition got a 4-door jump on its top-selling people mover, the Windstar. Although not ready to add another sliding door on the left side, the short-term compromise was to make the driver's door larger and allow access to the rear seat, via a tip-and-slide forward driver's seat. It actu... Read Article

January 29, 2001: 2000 Intrepid, Click image to enlarge Back in the fall of 1997, leading auto analyst Joe Phillippi put it this way: "Chrysler has a five-year edge in styling and these cars are exceptional. They've taken cues from their concept cars and turned them into production cars. You see one of these things going down the road and you'll know what it is; it's the new Chrysler." Phillippi was refe... Read Article