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2013 Mazda MX-5 review: still a classic

Benjamin Yong
May 14th, 2013

The Mazda Miata first debuted in North American showrooms in 1989; image courtesy of Mazda Canada.

We don’t need to wait for the Borg from Star Trek to take over the human race before human and machine become one. That can happen simply from sitting inside what is arguably the best open-air sports car made in the last two and a half decades: the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

I recently tested the 2013 MX-5 GS — with a six-speed manual transmission in red, of course — and did a little new versus old comparison with my own 1990 Classic Red Miata.

Aesthetics

2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek review: the Impreza-UV

Benjamin Yong
Apr 18th, 2013

The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek; image courtesy of Fuji Heavy Industries.

Subaru has, for once, introduced a new model to their lineup that doesn’t leave a first impression of shock and amazement (remember the 2005 Tribeca?) For all intents and purposes, the XV Crosstrek — known simply as the XV in other parts of the world — looks like a natural fit in-between the popular Impreza and the modern soccer-mom AWD favorite the Forester.

2013 Acura ILX review: enter the hybrid

Benjamin Yong
Apr 7th, 2013

The 2013 Acura ILX hybrid; Image courtesy of Honda Canada.

With the introduction of the Acura ILX for 2013, the luxury car manufacturer is offering a few firsts: its foray into the hybrid market, and an upscale entry vehicle that isn’t just a dressed up Honda Civic.

The ILX hybrid shares a 111-horsepower 1.5-litre engine with the Honda Civic hybrid and is still based off of the Honda platform, but the similarities end there. Featuring a completely new design, the ILX is immediately recognizable as a member of the TSX/TL/RLX family that wasn’t the case with the CSX it is replacing.

Aesthetics

2013 Mazda2 review: a go-kart for five

Benjamin Yong
Apr 1st, 2013

The 2013 Mazda2 in Spirited Green; Image courtesy of Mazda Canada

Size doesn’t matter — especially when it comes to the smallest vehicle in Mazda’s lineup: the 2013 Mazda2. The tiny fuel-sipping subcompact won’t wow you with special features or exceptional looks, but you’ll swear you were driving a go-kart that can seat five people comfortably.

Aesthetics

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo review: full of surprises

Benjamin Yong
Mar 12th, 2013

The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo photo courtesy of Hyundai press release images

Hyundai Veloster

With the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, the ever-evolving Korean car manufacturer proves that economical doesn’t have to mean slow or boring. It’s certainly full of surprises, and far from a bore to drive — if you can get past its looks. 

Mazda6 review: like a European luxury sports car

Benjamin Yong
Feb 26th, 2013

The brand new 2014 Mazda6 has managed to do something that no Mazda6 has been able to do before: turn heads, all the while being more energy saving and fuel-efficient than ever.

Looking more like an expensive European luxury sports saloon (think Jaguar) than a mid-size family sedan—particularly the flagship Grand Touring model which we tested featuring goodies like massive 19-inch alloy wheels—the latest offering from the Japanese manufacturer features a completely redesigned platform following Mazda’s recent split from Ford. The car embodies Mazda’s “KODO — Soul of Motion” design, first introduced in 2010 and inspired by the type of movement seen in animals, as evidenced by the car’s swooping body lines, pointed headlamps and aggressive front fascia.

UBC Line options discussed at morning's blogger breakfast

Press Release
Mar 30th, 2011

UBC Line Rapid Transit Study Situation Analysis, YouTube uploaded by 

Thanks to everyone who came out to the blogger breakfast this morning.
For those who didn't make it, Jeff Busby and Margaret Wittgens from TransLink's planning division led us through a discussion of the UBC Line options presented in phase two of the study.

They answered questions about the routes, station locations, design considerations, evaluation considerations and more.

As of today, you can now go here to see detailed info about each of the seven alternatives in the study.

And as we sadly didn't have the evaluation summary in the breakfast packages, please do take a look at the evaluation information online. The evaluation summary on the site can be found here, and the evaluation summary as a nice print PDF is here.

Businesses see bike lane benefits, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition says

Press Release
Feb 10th, 2011

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The creation of separated cycling lanes in Vancouver's central business district are not only the talk of the town locally, but have been noted elsewhere, with praise.

"Just last week one of my colleagues based in New York told me that Vancouver has a great reputation as a place for creative, fresh thinking. He thought it was a benefit in our marketing positioning that we come from here." says Jason Mogus of Communicopia, a local communications and digital design agency serving a global client base."I was proud to hear that, as Vancouver is not usually even on the radar of a big center like NY. Those are exactly the kinds of things that this city needs to become more known for: innovative ideas, real solutions, and leadership on the biggest global issues of our times. Having dedicated bike lanes - some of the first in North America, helps prove the point that Vancouver is a global leader, worthy of being listened to."

How to make walking to school with your kid fun

Linda Solomon
Nov 21st, 2010

Many adults love walking.  But how to make it fun for a kid?  Here, the VO Team takes a walk in a photo by Kris Krug.

Many adults love walking.  But how to make it fun for a kid?  I've been exploring how to do this by going on foot to school with my youngest son. We cover fifty blocks a day together each day---sometimes more---and I've found it's a healthy, fun and surprisingly wonderful alternative to driving.

I've been living without a car for three months now. It's an experiment. I wanted to see if a single mother with two school aged sons could survive without a vehicle. I believed my life would be better without a car. I live near the Canada Line and thought that if I can't do it, who can?  My older son rides the city bus to school, but until I let go of the car, I drove my Grade Three son. 

But now, we walk to school. It takes us a half an hour. Then I walk another half an hour to work. At pick-up time, I walk back to his school and then home with him, which means another hour of walking for me. That's two hours of walking. Two hours of being outside. And two very special hours of alone time for me and my kid. Our dog enjoys all of this, too.

Bringing cyclists out of the business blind spot

Graham Anderson
Oct 18th, 2010

I don’t get angry at motorists anymore.

My daily bike commute used to include road rage conflicts with drivers who cut me off, honked incessantly or drove-by too closely. Things could escalate into self-righteous exchanges of profanity and contempt, followed by embarrassment. The stakes seemed high, my flesh and blood versus tonnes of metal.

But my rage has abated without enrolling in an anger management course, because I’ve been using the new separated bike lane on Dunsmuir street. Cyclists and motorists now have our own space, so there’s no longer any cause for conflict or frustration. Not only do I feel safer and more comfortable, but I’ve noticed many new cyclists on the route who fall far outside the “MEC jacket” stereotype.

To my surprise, this and other improvements in the cycling network have been met with passionate clusters of opposition.

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