About a year ago, we wrote about a few crossovers – utility vehicles designed primarily for paved roads – that have functional tweaks to enhance their off-road abilities. We’re still not sure if this is a short-lived trend or one that will persist as drivers demand more of a middle ground between basic crossovers and
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Sub-Compacts Crossovers
The market for subcompact crossovers and SUVs has grown quickly in the last couple of years because, quite frankly, some automakers aren’t giving budget-oriented buyers many other choices. Subcompact sedans and hatchbacks are on their way out and being replaced by crossovers aimed at the same shoppers, only with higher prices. Small-SUV competition is so
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Eight Fuel-Efficient Subcompact Crossovers Available today
by Chris Chase If you read OntarioCars.ca regularly, you’ll have seen us mention many times that small cars are disappearing, often to be replaced with subcompact crossovers and SUVs. That’s great for people who like SUVs, and for the car manufacturers who sell them. But what about fuel economy? If you’ve spent decades driving small
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Used European Luxury Compact Crossovers
by Chris Chase For the final instalment in our series of articles about buying a used compact luxury SUV, we’re examining the “other” half of the European slice of this vehicle segment. While BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo helped establish the compact luxury SUV category, later entries from Land Rover, Porsche, Jaguar, and Alfa Romeo
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Used Japanese Subcompact Crossovers
If you want to trace the origins of the subcompact crossover segment, you don’t have to go very far back in time. The Subaru Crosstrek (originally the XV Crosstrek) and Mitsubishi RVR created this now-popular category in the early 2010s. It took a few years for other automakers to catch up, but now, just about
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Crossovers Designed for Off-Roading
by Chris Chase Crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) were originally conceived to capitalize on the popularity of truck-like SUVs while offering car-like fuel economy and driving feel. In the last few years, though, automakers have started building off-road-friendly CUV options that bridge the gap between comfortable daily drivers and rugged SUVs. If a crossover with some
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Cars that Pretend to be Crossovers
by Chris Chase By the mid-2000s, the crossover utility vehicle craze was well underway. Models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 were selling in big numbers to buyers who wanted a car-like driving feel in a rugged-looking vehicle with AWD traction. Those three models helped shape today’s crossover-centric marketplace. Fifteen years ago,
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Good to Drive… Not the most Stylish
The last 20 years have seen a number of car companies’ design departments get adventurous with more affordable models. Sometimes, taking a chance with a car’s appearance works. When it doesn’t work, however, it can kill the public’s interest in a vehicle.
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2018 Auto Industry Trends to Watch in Ontario
Ontario’s auto industry is ready for the global trends of the future. As reported in the Toronto Star, Canada’s auto industry, which is concentrated in Ontario, shows continued strength thanks to an appetite for luxury cars and high-end SUVs as well as better than expected job creation.
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