Top Interior Accessories for the Jeep Wrangler YJ

New Jeep Wrangler Interiors are being made with sophisticated electronics compared to their older cousins.

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Top Rated Infiniti Q60 Mods

The Infiniti Q60 mods available for this vehicle aim to augment its already superior performance and give owners the opportunity to enhance features.

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Enhance Your Driving Experience with a Dodge Dart 8.4 Touch Screen Upgrade

Deciding on a Dodge Dart 8.4-inch touch screen upgrade to enhance your driving experience and fit your entertainment needs can be a difficult feat.

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Your Guide to The BMW Remote Starter App

On a cold winter morning or a sweltering summer afternoon, you want your car started and climate-controlled.

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Chrysler PT Cruiser Mods That Are Worth Your Money

The Chrysler PT Cruiser isn't a posh automobile, but it's graceful and classy.

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Your Guide to Nissan Altima Mods

Whether you're looking to optimize your engine performance or enhance your vehicle's aesthetic, there are many Nissan Altima mods and accessories on the market to choose from.

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Your Guide to Chevrolet Camaro Mods

If you own a Camaro, you're probably a driver who values both performance and aesthetics.

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Your Guide to Tow Package Installation

Tow package installation may be worth your consideration if you use your SUV or truck for towing on a regular basis.

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Top Rated Touch-Up Paint for Car Scratches

Every vehicle owner knows that car paint doesn't stay flawless forever.

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Top Rated 12-Inch Subwoofer Boxes

A good set of subwoofers can help you turn your car into the best listening space you've ever had.

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Smittybilt Bumper for Jeeps: Buying Guide

Whether you bought a Jeep to live out your off-road aspirations or you're a current owner who has seen a breathtakingly customized model, it's only normal to want to modify your Jeep.

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Tested: 2022 Ford Maverick 2.0T AWD Is Just Enough Truck

The Maverick compact pickup reimagines the simple and small entry-level Ford for the modern age.

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Toyota’s infotainment revolution is (finally) underway

I’ll be honest, whenever I belt myself into a Lexus or Toyota, whether it’s a press vehicle or on a media drive event, I don’t spend too much time thinking about the infotainment systems in those cars.

That’s not an endorsement or a criticism, it’s just reality. Toyota-Lexus vehicles have changed considerably during my decade-plus covering the auto industry, but their infotainment systems largely have not. At least that’s my impression.

In fact, prior to this year, I don’t recall encountering an all-new infotainment system in any of the Toyota-Lexus cars I’ve driven, although some changes have surely been made to underlying software and feature sets.

Two big changes I have noticed, however, is the disappearance of the mouse-like controller for these systems in Lexus vehicles and the adoption of Android Auto across both brands. Toyota was late to sign on to Google’s connected car tech, but Android Auto has rapidly proliferated across the Japanese auto giant’s brands over the past two years.

And now even bigger changes are being rolled out – and they’re quite noticeable.

Toyota is calling it its new Multimedia and Connected Services, and it represents a massive sea change from soup to nuts. New screens, new tech and, perhaps most importantly, new services. Toyota Canada recently conducted a virtual presentation for a group of auto journalists to give us a better understanding of how this newfangled tech works.

Before going any further, I should mention that the new infotainment systems mentioned here are only available currently on the all-new 2022 Lexus NX and all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra.

Toyota hasn’t provided any specific timeframes for their arrival in other Toyota-Lexus vehicles but expect more announcements in the year ahead.

Huge Screens

I was on the 2022 NX media drive in Arizona back in September, and one of the first things I noticed when I opened the driver’s door is the size of the multimedia screen – it’s gigantic. At 14 inches, it is the biggest screen I’ve ever seen in a Lexus vehicle.

Standard on the 350 and 450h+ grades, and optional on the 350h, the 14-inch touchscreen is like that of a smartphone. It has an optically bonded, high-definition display that’s high contrast with reduced glare and a day-night mode. In terms of power, the new system has five times more processing power than the old multimedia units making it faster and more responsive.

The menus and graphical interface have been completely refreshed to make them more intuitive and user friendly. The system uses Cloud Navigation with Google’s Point of Interest (POI) search functionality, which allows information, such as ETA, to be shared with contacts in the user’s phone book. The map also supports zoom, pan, and tilt functions through the touchscreen.

And because it’s cloud-based, system and navigation updates are available “over the air”, much like firmware updates for smartphones and tablets.

Of note, the standard NX multimedia screen for 250 and 350h models is 9.8 inches. The 14-inch touchscreen is standard on 4×4 Limited and Platinum grades for the 2022 Tundra, with an 8-inch screen on SR and SR5 models, 4×2, and 4×4. These smaller screens also benefit from the same enhancements as the 14-inch screen.

Hey Toyota / Hey Lexus

Virtual assistants are prominent features of these new multimedia systems, and they operate on a “natural language” basis, which allows them to be activated with simple voice commands such as “hey, hi, hello or okay Toyota / Lexus”.

From there, users can voice commands to adjust a broad array of settings from audio and climate controls to navigation, ambient lighting, and even memory seats and wipers depending on vehicle spec.

The system uses cloud computing and built-in software for enhanced voice recognition, with multiple in-vehicle microphones. The virtual assistant is native to the vehicle and doesn’t require an Internet connection or subscription and is standard on all grades.

Intelligent Assistant, which works in tandem with Virtual Assistant, can deliver more detailed information such as restaurant recommendations and weather information but requires a Drive Connect service subscription, which I’ll outline below.

No more cables

Say goodbye to USB cables cluttering up the centre console, because the new system comes with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which connect to the vehicle via Bluetooth.

USB ports are still available, however, for device charging and as a wired connection back-up. Wireless smartphone charge pads are available for both NX and Tundra based on grade.

Multiple user support

One of the biggest innovations with the new infotainment system is its ability to pair with multiple devices. Up to five devices can be paired, including two at the same time.

Updated apps, more user profiles

The Toyota / Lexus smartphone apps have also been updated with new features, including remote vehicle starting, locking/unlocking doors, turning hazard/headlights on/off, climate control adjustments and charging station locator for plug-in or battery electric models.

The apps can also store up to three user profiles (primary plus two secondary), which the vehicle will detect upon entry. The primary profile controls access to connected services which any driver can access once they’re activated.

One of the handier aspects of the profiles is they follow the user, so once that person’s profile is paired with their smartphone or the vehicle’s smart key, their settings (favourites, subscriptions, services, etc.) will be enabled every time they return to the car. This is especially handy for a shared vehicle where audio settings and driver seating positions are constantly changing. Changes made to profiles loaded into a vehicle are stored in the cloud, and user profiles can also be transferred to any Toyota / Lexus vehicle that has the new multimedia system.

Connected Services

As mentioned, Toyota offers an array of connected services programs with the rollout of the new multimedia system.

Some that were pre-existing, such as Safety Connect (emergency assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle locator, enhanced roadside assistance) and Service Connect (vehicle health reports, warning light notification), will carry forward with no changes.

Service Connect (five years) and Safety Connect (three years) are standard on all 2022 NX and 2022 Tundra models. Remote Connect (remote engine start, remote lock/unlock, vehicle status, digital key) also comes standard with a three-year trial on both vehicles.

As for Drive Connect (cloud navigation, intelligent assistant, destination assist), its three-year trial is standard on mid-premium grades for the 2022 NX and optional on lower trims. Same story for the 2022 Tundra— standard on premium grades, optional on lower and mid-tier models.

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Your Guide to the Coolest Nissan Juke Accessories

The Nissan Juke has been a polarizing crossover since its launch.

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Your Guide to Thule Roof Rack Crossbars

Thule roof rack crossbars are the prized possessions of more adventurous drivers.

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Your Guide to Accessories for the Porsche Panamera

Buying accessories for your Porsche Panamera is a great way to make your luxury car truly yours.

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Your Guide to Aftermarket Center Consoles

Aftermarket center consoles and console parts allow you to customize and perfect your vehicle for your needs.

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Your Guide to Pintle and Ball Hitches

Pintle hitches, ball hitches, combination pintle-ball hitches — you have several options when it comes to hauling your trailer.

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How to Choose a Toyota Tacoma Exhaust Tip

If you own a Toyota Tacoma, there's a lot you can do to personalize your pickup truck to suit your style.

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Your Guide to Ford Explorer Sport Trac Accessories

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is a terrific choice for a dependable grocery-getter, and with the right accessories, it's also a decent off-roader.

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Your Guide to Aftermarket Cadillac Parts

Aftermarket Cadillac parts can help you to maintain your wheels and upgrade your driving experience.

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Rivian R1S, R1T EVs with Long-Range 400+-Mile Battery Delayed to 2023

The electric automaker will prioritize R1S and R1T trucks and SUVs equipped with the 314-mile 'Large' pack for 2022.

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Tesla Model 3 Recalled Because Trunk Can Cause Backup Camera to Fail

In 2017–2020 Model 3 cars, the backup camera's wiring harness might become damaged after repeated opening and closing of the trunk over time.

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Dyer's 2021: Why All Stellantis Stereos Go to 38, and Other Important Notes

Not all the news from 2021 made it into Car and Driver, until now. Did I mention I sold my Bronco?

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Tested: 2022 BMW M5 CS Hits the Gym

Shedding weight and bulking up in the engine room pay dividends for BMW's top-spec M5 super sedan.

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Published on YouTube: What we know about Porsche Macan 2022

What we know about Porsche Macan 2022
What we know about #Porsche #Macan #2022: Is there a new Porsche Macan coming out? Both the 2022 Macan and Macan S ...
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2022 Tokyo Auto Salon Promises VeilSide Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi Ralliart Concept

The show with the quirkiest concepts is coming in January and bringing with it an assortment of electric kei cars along with the bigger stuff.

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Technology and Focus Keeps Neurodiverse Drivers on the Road

“I know that saying that learning I’m neurodivergent helped my driving is a bit of an odd claim,” said Saira K. Zuberi, “but it is true in that it made me examine the issues that I have as a driver/decision-maker, and in the way I move, how my body and brain connect, or how I communicate non-verbally.”

Getting a licence is a rite of passage for many, but for neurodiverse people the experience of driving comes with unique, heightened challenges. Information overload, ADHD and anxiety can make driving more difficult.

“You experience the world very differently because all your senses are very heightened,” said Anita Lesko, 62.

Lesko is a registered nurse anesthetist who was diagnosed at age 50 with Asperger’s. She has since written extensively about driving with autism, contributing pieces for organizations such as the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.

“I call it living in Dolby Surround Sound, because all your senses are greatly intensified. So, things that other people would not be bothered by, like loud music, touch sensations, problems identifying facial expressions and body language and spatial orientation, tend to be greatly affect autistic people.”

Anne Woods, diagnosed as autistic at age 40, finds getting behind the wheel therapeutic.

“Driving for me is a brilliant way to center and focus and forget everything else,” she said. “It’s a good combination of physical and mental activities that require me to use both hemispheres of my brain.”

Zuberi, 47, who was diagnosed as neurodivergent in the spring, said, “It took me years to teach my nervous system that missing a turn is not cause for panic or a tantrum, because you literally just take the next turn.

“Now I understand I’m not an idiot. It’s actually just an issue with how my brain works. Having GPS is extremely helpful!”

Winnipegger Adam Schwartz started driving at age 18.

“I got my driver’s licence late because I was afraid of driving,” he said. “It got to the point where it was awkward being the only one of my friends who didn’t have a licence. It was awkward always asking people for a ride.”

He’s now been driving for 18 years and said his fear of getting lost or missing his destination still “terrifies” him, but has been partially solved by technology.

“I feel nervous about going to a new place. Even when I have GPS I worry about missing the location. It is scary, especially highway driving, because I end up focusing so much on finding the place but GPS is a lot easier to use than a map.”

Sensory overload is another issue. Sometimes described as a “traffic jam in your head,” it happens when the senses become overwhelmed by any number of triggers, including noise, bright lights and movement.

“I am a good driver,” said Sarah Richardson. “I am a confident driver. My main issue is sensory with the noise my kids generate in the back seat. It is worse due to being in a confined space with them. Aside from driving a convertible I’m not sure what else could be done!”

Veronica Rodriguez said her 16-year-old autistic son is an excellent driver.

“He takes the rules of the road very seriously. He is meticulous with car care. He says his only concern while driving is getting distracted by others in the car, so now he does not allow passengers in his car. I am sure he would appreciate car makers making him an eject button when a passenger gets too chatty or perhaps a silence sign that he can light up with the push of a button.”

Kirk Carson, 35, an autistic person who has been driving commercial trucks since 2006, said he has always been obsessed with cars. He applied for his licence the days after he turned 16 because his father marked down the wrong day on the calendar. Waiting that extra day, he said, was “excruciating. I never let him forget it.”

Like Zuberi, Carson said autism has helped him in the job.

“I’ve always been very good at route planning and time management,” he said. “It’s not really a hyperfocus, but I feel that being able to remember routes and shipper locations is just a lot easier for me than some of my some of the coworkers I’ve had in the past.”

These days Carson has a wife and family and mainly drives locally near his Virginia Beach, Va. Home. However, he also spent years doing long distance drives. One thing connects them, a feeling of independence.

“The independence is definitely a big factor. There’s not a whole lot of face-to-face interaction with people, which can be uncomfortable. You know, figuring out how to load a truck is like a puzzle and there’s a lot of spatial awareness involved so I can just kind of rely on myself to get things done.”

Lesko, who taught her autistic husband to drive, said the key to learning to drive as an autistic person is to take “one little small step at a time. Over and over again.”

“Parents have to understand not to expect autistic kids to learn driving like a neurotypical child,” she said, “because they are pretty much not going to. Once they do start driving, they’ll be fine but in order to get from point A to point B, it has to be much slower.

“Go to a big shopping center parking lot on an early Sunday morning before they open, so there’s nobody there, and drive around so they feel the car and how to handle the vehicle and feel comfortable sitting there behind the wheel. It’s one step at a time and repetitiously doing the same thing over and over until they’re comfortable with that. The person has to get comfortable with handling the vehicle before they can ever go out on the road and contend with other drivers.”

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A truck with skis (with reindeer behind) would be the perfect car for Santa

Newspapers are made up of two subcultures. You have the editors and you have the reporters.

However, the language of journalism is changing and instead of “reporters,” you now have “content

providers.”

You can blame the digital revolution for this strange state of affairs. Once upon a time, reporters wrote “tight” copy, to be able to tell a story with as few words as possible. TV and radio news, and websites, changed all that. Why use one word when two or more will do?

So now, instead of reporters, you have “media members.”

Once upon a time, a reporter’s job was to leave the office and find out what was happening in the world, or the country, or the town and then return to the office to write it up. One time, many years ago, I was walking down a street in Milton and out of the corner of my eye I saw what I thought was a fish jump in a backyard. I knocked on the door of the house and the gentleman who answered showed me his fish hatchery. It turned out to be a great story.

But it probably wouldn’t happen today. Why? Because now, reporters get told what to do by editors. A reporter can say, ”I have this great story about a fish hatchery in a guy’s backyard,” and the editor will say, “Who cares? Go cover the mayor cutting a ribbon. That’s what people want to see in the paper.”

So the reporter will roll his or her eyes and do what they’ve been told. Which is what I did a few weeks ago – rolled my eyes, that is – when my editor at Wheels sent me a note.

“We think you should write a column about what car would Santa drive?”

I rolled me eyes because my editor obviously is not aware that Santa doesn’t drive a car. HE DRIVES A SLEIGH.

But an assignment is an assignment and I am always up for a challenge. Besides, when I was editor of Wheels, we had a similar promotion. We asked kindergarten children in Toronto to draw and colour Santa’s car and we published a bunch of their pictures in the Wheels Section the last Saturday before Christmas. The kids got right into it so the idea that Santa would have a car is not as far-fetched as some of us might think.

Now, Santa has a big job. He has to drive all over the world to deliver presents on Christmas Eve, so size matters. There would not be enough room in a Smart car to fit them all in so I think a Hummer powered by hydrogen might be his first choice.

However, I am not particularly crazy about the Hummer’s styling. I am, however, a big fan of 1930s-era convertibles with lots of chrome so one of those might be right down Santa’s alley. Let’s hope so, anyway.

I seriously considered putting in a call to Elon Musk, who is Time magazine’s Person of the Year, and asking him to dash off something for Santa to drive – the Rudolph EV, for instance – but I didn’t have the nerve.

“Hi, Mr. Musk? I’m a newspaperman whose assignment is to write a story about what car would Santa drive and I need your help.” And he would say, “Listen dummy, HE DRIVES A SLEIGH. I’m too busy designing rocket ships and hyper loops to be bothered by fantasy anyway.”

So I picked up the phone and tapped in the number of my grandchildren. Who needs Elon Musk anyway.

Remi Watson, 7, lives in Kingston with his mom Carolina, dad Lee and sister Soleil.

“I think he would drive an electric truck with skis attached to the bottom,” Remi said. “On the back of the truck, he could carry all his presents. He would have the skis because it would be easier than driving. It would be on autopilot so that Santa could be in the back of the truck delivering the presents.

“The reindeer will be on his sleigh attached to the back of the truck so, if there was a problem with the truck, they can just leave it and continue on their rounds. He would have a charging station at the North Pole. He would recharge at a charging station anywhere in the world and if he runs right out of power, as I’ve already said, the reindeer would take over.”

I asked Soleil, 4, what the Clauses would drive when it wasn’t Christmas. She replied:

“Santa would drive a van with great big snow tire wheels. They would drive around the North Pole to the grocery store and places like that. The van would be powered by electric eels.”

Thank you, Soleil. I bet Elon Musk wouldn’t have thought of electric eels.

So there you have it: out of the mouths of babes.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

Norris McDonald, a past Wheels editor in chief, covers the Canadian automotive and global racing scene for the Star. He is a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.  nmcdonald@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter @NorrisMcDonald2.

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Automakers have stepped up in the fight against COVID-19

“They saved lives. I can’t put it more plainly than that,” said Sulemaan Ahmed.

Ahmed, who is one of the founders of Conquer COVID-19, is referring to Volvo Cars Canada. The automaker gave the grassroots volunteer initiative a fleet of Volvo vehicles in March 2020. Volunteers have since used the vehicles to deliver PPE to hospitals, seniors’ residences and shelters in need. Within two days of initially approaching Ahmed, a fleet of vehicles (including passes for Highway 407) were ready at the Volvo Canada headquarters in Richmond Hill. Over the next six months, volunteers used the cars to make deliveries across the province and into Quebec, with gas and insurance covered by Volvo.

Ahmed himself made several deliveries, often with his teenage daughter, in a Volvo packed to the roof with boxes of masks, gloves and hand sanitizer.

By the time Conquer Covid-19 returned the 18 loaner cars to Volvo Cars Canada, they’d delivered three million pieces of PPE, made 464 deliveries (265 of those in the Volvos), and racked up more than 47,000 kilometres in the loaners.

Processed with VSCO with a7 preset

Natalie Kusendova, MPP of Mississauga Centre, also received two vehicles from Volvo Canada for her team at the constituency office to use during the height of the pandemic. However,  Kusendova had returned to her position as a registered nurse at Etobicoke General Hospital.

“There was a shortage of nurses and with so many people getting sick, my time was better utilized at hospital than sitting at office” she said.

With a new focus, Kusendova turned her office into a hub for distributing supplies.

“The two vehicles enabled my team — young professionals who don’t have cars — to deliver groceries and provide services to seniors in our riding, including filling prescriptions,” said Kusendova.

Volvo Canada isn’t the only automaker who pivoted to join the fight against COVID-19. By May 2020, General Motors Canada built a clean-room environment in their Oshawa facility. They then installed the equipment that enabled them to produce the 10 million face masks the Government of Canada contracted them to produce, which they fulfilled this April.  Over at Ford Canada’s Windsor operations, they went into production of face shields in April 2020. By repurposing their facilities, the automaker was able to produce more than 2.75 million face shields that were distributed to medical personnel and other essential frontline workers.

Hyundai Canada, in the meanwhile, dedicated their COVID-19 efforts to continuing their support of youth across Canada. First, they made a $100,000 donation to BGC Canada (formerly the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada) emergency relief fund.

“In this very scary time that was very isolating, Hyundai wanted to make a difference,” said Rachael MacKenzie-Neill, vice-president of marketing and development at Hyundai Canada.

In addition to the donation, Hyundai furthered their commitment to BGC Canada with the lease of five Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles to help communities across Canada. One of these SUVs went to the BGC Toronto Kiwanis Club.

“For us, it was a real changemaker,” said Greg Gary, the club’s executive director. “The van we had was rusty and not safe. We didn’t have the resources to replace the van, and that’s when Hyundai stepped in and donated the Santa Fe,” he said.

With the Santa Fe, the club was able to deliver the materials kids needed for their virtual programs, including laptops. The Kiwanis Club was also able to transport masks and gift cards for groceries and meals to more than 100 families living in Moss Park, Regent Park, Cabbagetown and St. Jamestown.

“Over the summer, we were delivering up to 60 to 100 meals. These are kids who would be here after school — except we couldn’t have kids in the space — kids who otherwise wouldn’t eat that night,” said Marnie Smith, the club’s director of programs and services.

Besides getting kids meals and kits for their online programs, having the Hyundai Santa Fe has been a morale booster and has helped to elevate the image of the club, said Gary.

“It’s a beautiful vehicle, wrapped in our logo. It gives a positive message to the youth and speaks to our core values,” he said. “Our contract is until the spring, but we hope it’s extended.”

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Things to consider before riding in winter

You spent all summer on two wheels instead of four, but now that the temperatures have plummeted to zero does it mean that you’re stuck on four wheels for the next six months? Not necessarily, even in Canada. Things are a little different though, so we spoke with an industry expert and a longtime winter rider to find out what you need to consider to drive a motorcycle in the winter.

If you’re in Vancouver, you probably don’t need to worry about anything. Winter lows there rarely drop to zero, meaning you’ll need little more than some warm gloves and maybe an extra layer or two. Almost everywhere else is a different story.

Nova Scotian Scott Josey has been a winter rider for decades, even racing motorcycles on ice. He says that heated grips, warm socks, long underwear, a balaclava, and gloves can make things more bearable when you’re exposed to the elements. Motorcycles create their own windchill, and cruising at 100 km/h on a 0 C day can make you feel like it is double-digits below freezing.

His thoughts on winter road riding? “No, that’d be foolish.”

The reason is less about the cold and more about the roads. “As soon as the salt is down? Done,” he said. It’s a sentiment echoed by David Grummett, director of communications for the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council.

“When the salt and the sand gets spread on the road? It’s likely time to put your bike away,” he said. Riders already know that ice and snow leave them with zero traction, but salt can catch the inexperienced off guard.

The salt considerations are twofold. First, motorcycles come with less corrosion protection than cars. They tend to have more chrome, too, which quickly rusts in a salty environment. You can work around this problem, though, Grummett said, by waiting for days when the salt has been washed off of the roads, and by washing your bike immediately after the ride.

What you can’t work around are the effects of salt on traction. Riders already know that bikes have tiny contact patches compared with cars and trucks, so it doesn’t take much to lose traction. White-coated winter roads are slick, and that can put riders in peril. Salt that is still granular on the road, as well as sand and grit, also put riders at risk.

Motorcycles don’t come with all-season tires. Quebec requires proper winter tires in the winter, even on motorcycles, putting many riders there in the garage. Motorcycle tires wearing the mountain snowflake certification exist, but selection is extremely limited in our market.

In the past, riders were likely to cancel their insurance come fall, but Grummett says many companies and riders have streamlined that and coverage is likely in place all year. You should check your policy before riding, but this is probably one less thing you’ll need to worry about.

Josey said that winter riders should test their antifreeze mix to make sure it’s winter-ready. He said that most bikes already have motor oils that are winter-ready and that other lubricants are also good to go. Carburetted bikes might need some tuning to deal with the denser winter air, but fuel injection can compensate.

Off-road riders swap their summer tires for special rubber loaded with metal studs intended for rally cars. A stiff tire with loads of surface area for more studs means more grip. He said that frozen trails and the right studs can give you even more traction than summer riding. Frozen ground means less mud on the rider and easier water crossings (when the ice is thick enough).

Slower speeds and a higher level of exertion from trail riding mean you’ll stay warm, too. Josey said that the same gear used in the spring is enough for the winter.

So if you’re considering riding in the winter, salt is your enemy as much as the temperatures and ice and snow. Wait for bare pavement that’s free of salt and bundle up. Or tow your bike to the trail and find a whole new type of fun.

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GM Files to Trademark Classic Buick Electra Nameplate

The reborn Buick Electra, previewed by a concept last year, might take the form of an electric SUV.

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Tested: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Excites but Falls Short

Ford's top electric Mustang SUV doesn't quite deliver the range and performance we expect from a GT model.

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Published on YouTube: What we know about Tesla Model 3 2022

What we know about Tesla Model 3 2022
What we know about #Tesla #Model 3 #2022: Tesla Model 3 Mid-size car MSRP: From CAN$45009 Warranty: 4 yr/80000 km ...
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These were our favourite cars of 2021

In any given year – even during a pandemic – automotive reviewers may get to test more than a dozen cars a year, putting them through the twists and turns of city, country, and highway driving. And while some makes and models may seem familiar to another, there are always some vehicles that stand out from the others and stick in the reviewers’ mind. We asked five regular car review contributors to Wheels.ca to pick their favourite ride they got to drive in 2021.

 

2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

Starting at $38,899, Hyundai Canada

“Deciding what makes a vehicle the top drive of the year is highly subjective. My colleagues might choose the vehicles that excited them the most regardless of category or cost, but I’m opting to add some relevance to the average Canadian family into the equation and go with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.

It’s an affordable, stylish, and effortlessly fuel-efficient vehicle in a very popular segment where those factors matter most. That said, it’s not perfect: if you like your car to have buttons and knobs rather than relying on touch inputs then you may encounter some frustration here. And the hybrid powertrain is only included on the Tucson’s upper trims, meaning it’s still not truly a budget option. But its pricing does fall in the $40,000 range, which is close to the average amount Canadians are spending on their vehicles these days.

“And with a fuel consumption rating of 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres combined and everything else it has going for it; the Tucson Hybrid offers exceptional practicality and value.” – Stephanie Wallcraft

2022 Toyota GR86

Starting at $31,490, Toyota Canada

“The GR86 is more fun, engaging, and rewarding than any other sports cars I drove this year, including ones with three or four times the sticker price.

“My initial concerns were that Toyota would inevitably ruin what was so special about the outgoing 86 GT by increasing the weight, power, and presence of electronic nannies. Instead, Toyota managed to keep everything that was great about the 86 GT, while addressing some serious quality of life issues.

“The accessible power, superb chassis and steering, low centre of gravity, analogue driving feel, and general tail-out happiness are all still very much present. And amplified. Toyota added just the right amount of performance capability to the GR86 to maximize enjoyment, without spoiling the purity of the experience. Pinning the GR86 though twisty back roads while nailing crisp and clean shifts in the high RPM range is nothing short of driving bliss.” – Chris D’Alessandro

2022 Audi RS 3

Pricing not yet released, Audi Canada

“Picking a car of the year is difficult given the number of deserving entries, but Audi’s forthcoming subcompact missile lingers in my memory. The outgoing RS 3 is fun, but the next-gen car is better in every way: bigger, more stylish, with more tech, and, oh yeah, more power. “From its glorious 2.5-litre inline five-cylinder turbo that now produces an eye-watering 400 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque, to its dazzling LED lighting technology and RS Torque Splitter which can send 100 per cent of engine torque to one of the rear wheels for what the Four Rings calls ‘controlled drifts,’ this little sedan is a true marvel.

“The exhaust baffles make for a crackling symphony of backfires off-throttle, making every downshift more fun than the last, but the biggest grins happen when you get back on the gas and the turbo five-cylinder launches the RS 3 into the next corner.” – Lee Bailie

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Starting at $38,499, Hyundai Canada

“Incredibly cool-looking with turbocharged power and all-wheel drive as standard, the Hyundai Santa Cruz even has a serviceable pickup bed with all sorts of features and the interior digs of a traditional crossover. With the Santa Cruz, Hyundai has answered the question much more traditional small pickup manufacturers have been asking for years: how do we make our pickups more attractive to non-pickup people?

“Turns out, it’s pretty simple: give it the abilities of a truck (like, say, a pickup bed and 5,000-pound tow rating), but put it on a crossover platform so it doesn’t drive like a truck, and is more efficient than a truck. Oh, and in Hyundai’s case, don’t even call it a truck, rather a Sports Adventure Vehicle. With the Santa Cruz, Hyundai has essentially invented, or at least resurrected, an entire segment.” – Dan Heyman

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

Starting at $50,495,  Ford Canada

“Out of all the ground-hugging sports cars, tech-heavy euro sedans, and hulking, leather-stuffed SUVs I drove this year, the car that stands out most was the Mustang Mach-E. It’s about as far from a Mustang as you can get, but it’s my pick because a mainstream automaker finally produced an SUV that makes all others in the highly competitive compact SUV class feel irrelevant.

“The Mach-E looks phenomenal and is a pleasure to drive with competent handling and a comfortable ride. The cabin is pin-drop quiet, the electric drivetrain is seamless, and it’s remarkably efficient for a vehicle of its size.

“Spending time in the Mach-E’s airy cabin makes you feel like you’ve been transported 10 years into the future with its large easy to use centre screen and thoughtful use of sustainable materials. It feels like the biggest leap forward in the last 50 years for traditional auto brands and that’s why it’s my pick for car of the year.” – Kunal D’souza

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Published on YouTube: What we know about Porsche Cayenne 2022

What we know about Porsche Cayenne 2022
What we know about Porsche Cayenne 2022 What is the difference between Cayenne and Cayenne S? for #2022 #porsche ...
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Base Camp: 2022 Toyota GR86

Every week, wheels.ca selects a new vehicle and takes a good look at its entry-level trim. If we find it worthy of your consideration, we’ll let you know. If not, we’ll recommend one – or the required options – that earns a passing grade.

Base Camp is taking a couple of weeks off over the holidays, so look for this column to return bright and early in the New Year. Before heading out the door of 2021, we’d like to present our readers with the gift of cheap performance and the joy of power-on oversteer.

When the gearheads at Toyota introduced what’s now called the GR86 nearly a decade ago, it marked a return to the type of vehicle that tickles the brain of car lovers: affordable, two-door, rear-wheel drive, and available with a manual transmission. It proved the perfect base on which new or aspiring Stigs could hone their car control skills; with a safe number of horsepowers funneled through the rear wheels, there’s a case to be made that this car provided many with their first taste of powerslide happiness.

For 2022, the little scamp is offered in a variety of trims, starting with the base MT at a reasonable $31,490. For that sum, one will find themselves at the helm of a rear-wheel drive car making 228 horsepower stirred thorough a six-speed manual transmission – a gearbox we heartily recommend. Tack $2,400 to that sticker price if an automatic is required. Right now, every GR86 has the same engine, so paying more doesn’t net extra power.

Spotting a base model in traffic is easy thanks to the Premium (+$3,000) trim’s natty duckbill spoiler which turns the thing into something of a mini Supra. Entry-level tires are sized 215/45/17, though upgrading to the Premium only increases wheel diameter, not tire width. In other words, you’re simply adding weight, not traction. LED exterior lighting is standard across the board and Toyota unlocks attractive colours like Trueno Blue and the too-clever-by-half Track bRed even on the base car. Note the latter is a $255 option.

Toyota’s infotainment efforts have always been best described as well-intentioned, and that’s the case here as well. Every GR86 regardless of price is equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen packing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though the Premium adds a couple of speakers bringing the total to eight. Keyless entry, cruise control, tilt/telescope leather wrapped steering wheel, and dual zone climate control are all included. Peep those heated side mirrors as well.

What We’d Choose

Shelling out extra simoleons for a Premium trim GR86 may not bring any extra grunt but it does add certain niceties such as heated seats that some folks are unwilling to do without. Blind spot monitoring and automatic high beam headlamps are also part of the Premium deal. We politely suggest shoppers simply wear warmer pants, check their blind spot when changing lanes, and pay attention to oncoming traffic.

Doing so will place an extra $3,000 in their pocket, cash which can be put towards track day fees or any number of go-fast parts offered in the aftermarket for this car. With a standard active sport rear diff meting out power in appropriate amounts to the cheap-to-replace 17-inch rear tires, not too much of that savings will be spent on new rubber. Sounds like a Happy Holiday to us.

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2022 Tesla Model 3

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Weekly News Roundup: Mercedes adds charging, Sierra Denali EV teased, Canadian Shows Cancelled, More

We reported earlier last week that the Canadian International Auto Show, held in Toronto and set for February, had been cancelled. Now we know that the Montreal and Vancouver auto shows have also been called off over rising COVID-19 spread and counts. Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association, the group that holds the Vancouver show, said that “the constraints on the industry and the realities of the continuing pandemic in Canada have forced us to make the disappointing decision to postpone the 2022 Show until 2023.” Supply chain issues as well as the pandemic lead to the decision. “It is with a heavy heart that we made this decision,” said Luis Pereira, Executive Director of the Montreal show. “Montreal being the first major Auto Show in the Canadian circuit, we feel it would be irresponsible to hold a major public event with Covid cases on the rise again. We are disappointed for the public and for our partners who supported
us.”

GMC, just days before the first customer-ready Hummer EVs rolled off the assembly line, teased the electric Sierra for the first time. The view shows us the headlight signature of the new Sierra EV, including a light-up and closed-off grille. GMC said that the electric Sierra will be launched exclusively as the Sierra Denali, the brand’s top trim. Expect the truck to be unveiled early next year.

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it has added integration with the Hydro-Quebec Electric Circuit charging network into its Mercedes me Charge network. This will let EQS (and other upcoming EQ models) charge at those 3,300 sites without an additional app. Mercedes-Benz says it is the first automaker to add this network, which brings Benz’s total to 1,300 DC fast charge ports and nearly 9,000 total public charge points. Benz also teased the Vision EQXX concept, which it will reveal during the CES show January 3rd. Mercedes calls the sleek coupe the most efficient vehicle the brand has ever built.

Mazda has updated the MX-5 for 2022, adding a feature it calls Kinematic Posture Control as well as new interior and exterior colours. KPC manages multiple on-board vehicle systems to “help the MX-5 behave as a harmonious extension of the driver’s body.” What that means is that KPC can apply slight braking in high-g corners to suppress body roll and improve steering feel as well as to improve the limited-slip effect of the differential. Platinum Quartz paint is new, there is also a new Terracotta-colour Nappa leather and a new dark blue exterior top replaces the previously offered grey top. 2022 Mazda MX-5 starts from $33,300 and runs to $47,000 for an RF GT Grand Sport.

 

Lexus priced the RC coupe and IS sedans for 2022, along with some small changes for the new model year. All models of both vehicles get blind spot monitoring as standard, though there is bigger news for both vehicles. The 2022 IS 500 gets a 472 hp 5.0L V8 and is offered in F Sport Performance ($72,900) and Launch Edition ($77,650) with the latter getting special wheels and paint. The IS 300 starts from $43,800. Lexus RC F, powered by that same V8, adds Track Edition 2.0 with variable suspension, Brembo brakes, and other track-ready changes. It starts from $123,700. The base RC 300 AWD Premium starts from $53,650.

Toyota, showing signs that the ongoing shortages crippling new vehicle production might be coming to an end, announced that it expects to hit 800,000 units built in January of 2022. That’s 60,000 more than January 2021, and up from just 500,000 in September.

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Decorated cars bring smiles for the holidays

In the darker days of the pandemic late in 2020, when holiday traditions like Santa Claus Parades were being cancelled left and right, Leigh Polhill noticed the decorations on her 2012 Dodge Journey – Christmas lights, an inflatable penguin passenger, and her dog decked out in a Santa hat – were breaking through the dreary mood.

“I drove around my neighbourhood and saw people’s faces go from ‘this really sucks’ to smiling and pointing and almost laughing,” Polhill said. “It was something different and happy, considering everything that was going on.”

This hatched an idea. Polhill took to Facebook and set up a group to organize a parade of local cars decorated for the holidays for her small Etobicoke neighbourhood of Alderwood. The event attracted 10 cars, including an ambulance and police car. An estimated 1,000 people lined the streets to join in the fun, all at a safe social distance, while collecting supplies for the local food bank.

“You’ve got the community coming together to try and spread a little cheer during this rough time,” Polhill said. “(Pre COVID-19), it hadn’t happened in a while because everybody sticks to themselves. I feel like this changed things a little bit, for sure.”

One neighbourhood parade turned into four throughout the months that followed, and the Christmas parade ran for a second year in a row in early December with 10 cars signed up again within hours of the announcement. Daniel Antunes entered his right-hand-drive 2005 Honda Acty, which he decorated with lights and an inflatable Santa in a race car. Jamie Ackerman, a self-professed car guy, jumped at the chance to participate with his 2019 Volvo S60. Ackerman’s been decorating his cars for the holidays since he was in college. During the first parade in 2020, he was thrilled to see his son’s excitement.

“He wasn’t in the car with me, he was on the side of the road watching the parade,” Ackerman said. “When I went down the street he was on, he went crazy. It’s just so fun.”

Ackerman and Antunes say they’ll take the decorations off their cars after the parade is done, but Polhill plans to keep hers going through the holidays and likely beyond.

“The lights, I think I took them off last January,” she said. “To be honest, I had garland on my car with lights until October. … I like to see people smile. I grew up in the Alderwood area, and it was very community oriented. If I can help bring it back to that in some small way, even if it’s once a year, it’s worth it.”

Celebrating Chanukah on the Road

The Alderwood parades are just one way Canadians spread cheer by decorating their cars for the holidays.

In the city of Côte-St-Luc on the island of Montreal, the Jewish community has been celebrating the first night of Chanukah for 35 years with cars parading through the streets.

This year’s parade was the largest in the event’s history with more than 100 cars participating, many of which were decorated with their own Chanukah menorahs, said Rabbi Tzemach Raskin of Beth Chabad Côte-St-Luc. The parade started with lighting a large outdoor menorah and then took three hours to reach its downtown Montreal destination, and observers sang and danced along to Chanukah music that played through loudspeakers mounted on some of the cars.

“Chanukah is about adding light to the world,” Rabbi Raskin said. “That’s why, throughout history, the menorah was always something lit outside, at the front door or at the window. … We put the menorah on our cars so that (people see them) wherever we go.”

Making Automotive Enthusiasm Festive

Some automotive enthusiasts want to join in the fun, but the salt and sand used on Canadian roads in winter can play havoc with rust-prone classics. Jen and Jeremy Vasquez of Lindsay, Ont., have found a solution: rather than driving around in their husband-and-wife pair of Honda Preludes and risking damage, they decorated and photographed them in their driveway and shared the pictures on Instagram instead.

“The car community loved it, but when I was doing it in front of the house, my neighbours thought I was crazy,” said Jen Vasquez, who shared the photos on her account @katsumi_bb6. “They were like, what the heck is wrong with this girl?”

The couple shares their passion for their Preludes with a small friend-based enthusiast group they’ve dubbed the Ludatics, and they found the idea for decorating their cars through members of another group based in the United States called Prelude Nation.

“Some people had actually wrapped their whole car and put lights on, and I was like, how come nobody in Canada is doing that?,” she said. “It has the potential to cheer people up – just apparently not on my street,” she added with a laugh.

In our neighbourhoods, communities, or online, it’s these moments of laughter and joy — whether made possible by our cars or otherwise — that make the holidays so special.

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Driven: 2022 Audi R8 Performance RWD

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Autophile: Cara Clairman

Long before the electrification revolution in Canada, Cara Clairman was part of its evolution.

Clairman is president and CEO of Plug’n Drive, a not-for-profit that is accelerating the deployment of electric vehicles to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. She started the company in 2011.

Plug’n Drive operates the Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre, the first facility of its kind in the world dedicated to providing an experiential learning environment for electric transportation. It opened more than four years ago in North York and offers consumers a chance to learn about and drive EVs in a sales-free, no-pressure environment. The EV Discovery Centre is also home to several charging stations.

Additionally, Plug’n Drive operates the Mobile Electric Vehicle Education Trailer (MEET). The MEET is a collapsible truck manned by staff that provides education and awareness, using informational displays and interactive learning tools. Several cars are also available for test drives. It’s essentially like a smaller Discovery Centre on wheels. It has been to Ottawa, the Durham Region and, most recently, Surrey, B.C., which was scheduled to become the second full-time location for Plug’n Drive before COVID-19 put that plan on hold.

In October, Clairman was the recipient of Electric Mobility Canada’s 2021 Al Cormier Award (named after EMC’s first founder and first president). The award honours individuals who have made significant contributions over the course of several years to the development of EVs in Canada.

Clairman’s entry in the EV world came in 2009 when she was working with the Ontario Power Generation as vice-president of sustainable development, specifically looking at ways to improve environmental performance and go beyond compliance. OPG has a facility in Oshawa, right next to the General Motors plant, and around that time she heard that the Chevy Volt was about to hit the market.

“The provincial government had just started its plan to move away from coal, making Ontario’s electricity grid very low in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions,” she said. “At the same time, since Ontario relies on mostly nuclear and hydro which run 24-7, we had and continue to have a surplus of that clean electricity at off-peak times. This surplus is often sold off at a loss to Quebec and New York State.”

Clairman had an epiphany that charging electric cars at night would suck up some of the surplus, helping the province economically. All combined, she realized early on that EVs would be good for the environment, the electricity system and the economy if the public embraced them.

She began with a modest budget, hosting a small conference in Ontario that brought together the automakers, electricity companies, academics and other people interested in EVs. Clairman then devised a strategy to start a not-for-profit organization and persuaded OPG’s CEO Tom Mitchell to provide the initial financial support for her to leave. Clairman — a lawyer by trade who had worked in a law firm and then OPG — had never run a business before, so it was quite a leap of faith.

She initially worked out of office space at a law firm, sharing a small office with a student she hired fresh out of school. Clairman said she soon realized that the best role for a small NFP would be to help educate consumers on the environmental and economic benefits of switching from combustible engines. Education and outreach became the bedrock of Plug’n Drive – and it still is today.

At the outset, they ran some test drives with just a few cars – the Volt, Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV – at festivals, malls, and basically any place that had an event and a built-in crowd.

“People thought it was a novelty item and weren’t really that interested in the beginning,” she said. “However, once they got in the car and drove it, they were usually impressed. Our goal was to get the cars out and about and hope people would go to a dealership and order it.”

Clairman said experience showed that the test drives were the key, and that it would make sense to build a one-stop shop location for people to learn about EVs and their benefits, especially since a lot of dealerships still didn’t have any. She hired an experienced fundraiser, Dav Cvitkovic, who helped her to raise enough sponsorship money to rent and renovate a space in North York, opening in April 2017.

“We were able to show our sponsors that about 35 per cent of the people bought an EV within six months of visiting us,” she said.

The plan focused on Ontario for the first couple of years and then expanded nationally because of interest from cities in other provinces.

Plug’n Drive grew to include more than 15 EVs, and things were going well until COVID-19 forced the centre to shut down for several months and restrict access. The centre is open again, but by appointment only.

She is optimistic about the future of EV sales.

“When we started, we weren’t sure this would take off,” she said. “Now, it would be hard to find an auto analyst who doesn’t think EVs will succeed. It’s a foregone conclusion now. But it’s still not happening fast enough. Given the climate emergency, we definitely need to speed it up.”

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