Cars for Gals
RIDE & DRIVE
Experience high speed and performance driving without the annoying violation tickets and demerit points!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Canada Olympic Park, CalgaryCost
$250 for one driver
2 drivers for $300.00, 2 friends/2 vehicles $400.00 Fees include lunch.For more information please visit the . For other upcoming events, visit our Events page.
FOR SALE
The 2002 VW Turbo Jetta 1.8 Fully Loaded - Collector's Item
Directly from the VW plant (original invoice) with 80,000 highway miles. Additional security features such as special alarms, and tinted, specially treated windows. One owner - only female and non-smoker. All maintenance up to date including oil changes (high grade synthetic) - records available. 5 speed manual and fully loaded: high performance tires, steel rims, dual exhaust, heated black leather seats, two-way power sun roof and power windows, CD stereo. MUST SEE 403 880 6385.
10 Keepers, 10 Losers
10 Vehicles that show Detroit (finally) gets it ... and 10 for the junkyard
Posted December 17, 2008 - Globe and Mail
The Keepers
Buick Enclave - An elegant design, quiet ride and reasonably fuel efficient crossover.
Cadillac CTS - Bigger than the BMW-3 series, and feature for feature a better value.
Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Hybrid - The Malibu is stylish and innovative, and the mild hybrid system is a first step toward integrating fuel-saving technologies in affordable cars.
Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid - This advanced hybrid system, developed jointly with BMW and Daimler, works to cut fuel consumption and emissions, and will migrate to other models.
Dodge Ram - A pickup with great looks, smooth suspension and an aerodynamic design.
Rounding out the top ten are the Jeep Patriot, Ford Focus, 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid, Ford F 150 and the Ford Flex. The Ford Ranger Pickup earns an honorable mention.
The Losers
Chrysler Sebring - Hodgepodge design and sub-par quality.
Chrysler Aspen - Never had a chance as a luxury SUV.
Jeep Commander - Ugly and undersized.
Ford Expedition - Giant SUV's are just so yesterday.
Lincoln Town Car - A little investment would make this a money maker.
The other losers include the Hummer, Pontiac G8, Saturn Outlook, Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Avalanche.
Get all the details at Globe and Mail.
Sex and the Showroom
Posted December 11, 2008 - Globe and Mail
Female car buyers care about safety and fuel economy, but guess what? They also wanna have fun!
According to market researcher Maritz Canada, women are involved in approximately 66% of all household car buying decisions in Canada. This includes women not only buying the car, but being involved in some way in the buying decision, either with a spouse or helping a friend.
Although this number is lower than the 80% put forth previously, what is interesting about the latest Maritz New Vehicle Customer Study is the emergence of "fun to drive" as a significant driver in the purchase decision of women. More women cited "fun to drive" than men (almost 13% among women, under 12% among men), and road holding/handling were also cited as more important to women (7.7% among women, 6.8% among men).
So forget about myths and stereotypes - the research says they are no longer valid, if they ever were.
Find out what else women want in a vehicle at Globe and Mail.
A Case Study in What Women Don't Want
Posted December 10, 2008 - Globe and Mail
The 1955 Chrysler La Femme was the very picture of patronization.
In the spring of 1955, the then-Chrysler Corporation introduced a special version of its Custom Royal two-door luxury car - the La Femme. "The first and only car designed for Your Majesty, the modern American woman", boasted one magazine ad for the car.
The La Femme had two tone Heather Rose and Sapphire White paint, pink wheel covers and gold-plated La Femme badges on the front fender. But the car's most unusual features were the accessories stored in compartments behind the front seats: a matching rosebud-patterned rain cape, rain hat and umbrella. A rose-colored vinyl shoulder bag held its own emergency gear: a makeup compact filled with pale pink powder, a gold-toned cigarette lighter and case, a lipstick holder, imitation tortoiseshell comb, vanity mirror and silk change purse.
Although Dodge had received positive reaction to a similar concept car the year before, the production model became La Sales Fiasco. Fewer than 1,000 La Femmes were produced before Dodge pulled the plug following the 1956 model.
The lesson: build good cars that do not insult and patronize buyers, especially women.
Visit Globe and Mail for more information on La Femme.
3 Row SUVs; Ford Flex and Mazda CX-9 Among the Best
Posted October, 2008 - ConsumerReports
Three row SUVs have been popular in recent years. They have seating for up to seven or eight people, so many families now choose them instead of minivans. But the third-row seats often have limited space, are cumbersome to access, and are best suited for children.
The Ford Flex wraps a versatile, cavernous interior in a distinctly boxy styling. It is also lower and more wagon-like than other vehicles in this class.
The Mazda CX-9 is one of the sportiest SUVs, and has a roomy, quiet well-crafted interior.
Visit Consumer Reports for the full review of these and other three row SUVs.
2008 CanadianDriver 50-litre Challenge™
How do compact cars compare to hybrids?
Posted June 23, 2008 - CanadianDriver
CanadianDriver, along with Motoring 2008, Canada's longest-running automotive TV show, rounded up 13 compact cars, filled them with 50 litres of fuel, and drove them on a circuitous, mostly highway route to see how far they'd go before running out of gas and what kind of fuel economy they could offer. The top performer was the Toyota Corolla which traveled 1,017 km on 50 litres of fuel for an amazing fuel consumption rating of 4.9 litres per 100 km.
CanadianDriver's 50-litre Challenge™ demonstrated that compact cars are among the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road. But how do these fuel efficient small cars compare to hybrid vehicles, and will a hybrid work out to be cheaper to own in the long run?
The British Columbia Automobile Association recently did a detailed comparison of five-year ownership costs between 13 hybrids and their comparable conventional models. The BCAA concluded that, at current gas prices, most hybrids would end up being either less expensive or within a few hundred dollars of comparable conventional automobiles.
One factor will soon reduce the financial competitiveness of hybrids: the federal government is phasing out its Eco-auto rebate program for 2009 models, which currently offers up to $2,000 in savings on some 2008 hybrid models. However, it is expected that as more hybrids come on the market, hybrid technology improves and competition becomes more intense, the price of hybrids will come down.
Read more about how compact cars compare to hybrids and CanadianDriver's 50-litre Challenge™.
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