2023 Kia Soul LX

Distance: 25 kmDate: 5 January, 2025Location: Toronto Up front: The interior width of the car is much wider than it seems from the outside. The small armrest is just sufficient for comfort, seat adjustment range is adequate, and the interior of this base model is well-appointed for its $25,000 tax-inclusive Read more…

2025 Toyota Rav4 LE

Distance: 2,183 kmDate: 13-17 February, 2025Location: Ontario, New York Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Up front: LE used to mean Luxury Edition, but there’s nothing luxury about the base model of the Rav4. The seats are cloth, the steering wheel is made of rubber and there’s no lumbar support. But the Read more…

2022 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

Distance: 99kmLocation: WinnipegDate: December 10-11, 2022 Up front: It’s pretty shitty for an upmarket family van, but pretty good for a $40 a day rental. The fully-loaded model lacks a sunroof but has nappa leather-faced seating meaning that cloth is still used on the sides your body doesn’t touch. The Read more…

2025 Chevrolet Silverado LT

Distance: 448 kmDate: 20-21 December 2024Location: Ontario, Quebec Up front: The cavernous first row feels cozy once the middle seat is folded down. The leather armrests and steering wheel are a nice touch to the otherwise economy interior. An option to get leather-trimmed edges on the seat instead of all-cloth Read more…

2023 Nissan Armada SL 4WD

Distance: 663kmDate: 12-14 October 2024Location: Alaska Up front: In its class, the Armada competes with the Chevy Tahoe and Jeep Wagoneer and it’s the most stylish on the outside. But after having spent time in all three, I found the Armada’s interior lacking. Nissan carried the second generation from 2016 Read more…

2024 BMW X4 xDrive30i

Distance: 1,495 kmLocation: Illinois, IowaDates: 31 Aug – 2 Sep, 2024 Up front: The layout and size is largely familiar to the X3, with which it shares a platform. Heated seats and a heads-up display are optional, but Apple CarPlay comes standard. As usual, I have only had a few Read more…

2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce

Distance: 1,261 kmLocation: Germany, LuxembourgDate: 2-10 Aug 2024 Up front: The leather seats and leather-wrapped control surfaces feel luxurious. The digital dashboard has minimal glare at a comfortable brightness, but the centre information screen is too short for useful navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay is unavailable. The gear shift annoyingly Read more…

2025 Audi A5 S-line 45

Distance: 513kmDate: 25-29 December, 2024Location: Pennsylvania, New Jersey Up front: Heated and powered seats are standard but the steering wheel adjustment is manual. The genuine leather available even on the base model is a plus when compared to Mercedes’ fake Artico and BMW’s fake Sensatec. The leather control surfaces are Read more…

2024 Genesis G80 2.5T Advanced

Distance: 538 kmDate: 22-23 November 2024Location: Ontario, New York Up front: The interior looks stunning at first glance, the stalks and buttons have muted clicks, and the genuine leather is supple. But a closer inspection of the materials reveal lots of plastics and the aluminium-looking plastics stain easily. The four Read more…