User:Hellom2014

February 2014: Press Day of the 2014 Canadian International Auto Show A major theme for 2014 is carmakers stretching the boundaries of their brands. Instead of creating new premium makes like Toyota did with Lexus, or new budget makes like BMW did with MINI, manufacturers like Kia and Hyundai are moving upmarket and Mercedes-Benz is moving downmarket by shifting the idea of what their brands are. | Read the full report

January 2014: APA at the 2014 Montreal Salon d'Automobile Press Day Held at the Palais des Congres in Montreal, the Salon de l'Auto runs until January 26th. Overall, this year's trends are positive for the consumer. U.S. and Canadian fuel economy mandates are bearing fruit, and a new vehicle made this year will use about 20% less fuel than a comparable 2007 or earlier model. Backup cameras and intelligent safety features that will brake the vehicle to avoid a collision or warn the driver of a vehicle in their blind spot are migrating into affordable vehicles. | Read the full report

October 2013: APA's Winter Tire Ratings APA's updated winter tire reviews for the 2013-2014 season are now online for passenger vehicles. Tires in this section are suitable for front-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive passenger cars and minivans. Be sure to consult the APA's reviews to assist you in your decision on winter tires. | Read APA's Tire Reviews

October 23, 2013: Put the brakes on Drive Clean The program is... costing Ontarians $30 million per year in fees... A rising star in the PC caucus, is out to end Drive Clean through a petition. You can find it on his website, montemcnaughtonmpp.ca [pdf] ... It has been the subject of studies by the Fraser Institute, the Automobile Protection Association and the media, which found it delivered inconsistent results based on a shaky premise... Read More »

September 2013: Preview of APA's 2014 Lemon Aid New Car Buyer's Guide The 2014 model year is upon us and there are quite a number of significant new vehicles already on sale or about the launch. | Read the APA's preview of 2014 models

July 2013: APA at the Concours d'Elegance of America APA's Staff Writer Ron Corbett paid a visit to Plymouth Michigan's Concours d'Elegance of America. Like Pebble Beach, which started small but ballooned into a leviathan of automotive indulgence on the California Coast, the Concours d'Elegance of America consists of not only the car show itself, but also an RM auction and numerous private events for owners of the vehicles on display. | Read the full report

April 2013: APA at the New York International Auto Show We're pleased to bring you this report from APA Staff Writer Ron Corbett who attended the New York International Auto Show. The Show provided a first-look at several significant models. | Read the full report

March 2013: CTV W5: APA's Annual Investigation of the Used Car industry The Automobile Protection Association released the results of its latest undercover investigation of used car retailing today. Posing as ordinary consumers, APA mystery shoppers visited 18 used car dealers and two curbsiders in the Greater Vancouver area to look for used vehicles. Visits were recorded by W-5’s hidden cameras...Read the full report | See APA's investigation overview | View the CTV W5 website

March 2013: APA's 2013 New Car Ratings now online The Automobile Protection Association released its Lemon-Aid 2013 new car ratings today. The APA’s reviews feature Canada's most complete information on reliability, automaker incentives, options, financing versus leasing, and safety features. Read More | Read the reviews

November 2012: Hyundai & Kia restate fuel consumption on 2011-13 models and compensate owners Hyundai and Kia Canada will be compensating owners of several 2011-2013 models that were advertised with overstated fuel economy ratings. Hyundai/Kia also revised the published fuel consumption for these models to reflect an increase from the figures originally provided. | Read More

November 2012: Update in APA’s Class Actions over price fixing in the retail sale of gasoline In September 2012, Justice Dominique Bélanger of the Superior Court of Quebec authorized a new class action to cover price fixing in the sale of gasoline in Quebec. The decision significantly expands the existing case filed in 2008... The new class action covers extensive areas in Eastern Quebec including Quebec City and the Lower Saint Lawrence. The overcharges cover four years during which price fixing is alleged to have occurred. If the case is successful, this would be the largest class action in APA’s history. | Read More

November 2012: OMVIC Bulletin - Beware of Flood Damaged U.S. Vehicles The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) issued a warning about flood-damaged U.S. vehicles entering the Canadian market. The registration systems in a few U.S. states are inadequate, and it is possible for a flood write-off to transit through that state and have its title "washed". It can then be exported from that state, possibly to Canada as an ordinary used vehicle. | Read More

October 2012: APA Review of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles After spending time behind the wheel of various battery powered and hybrid vehicles, including the Volt and Leaf, the APA has come to realize that battery range is not the major limitation. By way of example, motorcycles typically will not travel more than 200 km on a tank of fuel -- that range is not much farther than the better EVs -- but motorcycle riders can fill up in a few minutes and be on their way. An EV driver is faced with multi-hour charge times before continuing their journey, so it's recharging time, rather than battery range that is the major obstacle. | Read More

April 14, 2012: APA Investigation of Used Car Dealing in the Toronto market The Automobile Protection Association released the results of its latest undercover investigation of used car retailing today. Posing as ordinary consumers, APA mystery shoppers and an expert mechanic visited 13 used car dealers and seven curbsiders in the Toronto market to look for a used vehicle. Visits were recorded by W5’s hidden cameras, and a video report on the investigation can be viewed on the W5 website. Although the majority of dealers received failing grades, the APA found some signs of improvement in the Toronto marketplace... | Read More | Watch the Video

April 2011: Majority of shops unable to pass a simple test in the latest APA auto repair investigation Thirty percent: that’s the percentage of repair shops that passed a simple test submitted by the APA in its latest auto repair investigation. Using three specially prepared vehicles and hidden cameras, the APA visited 31 repair shops in Toronto and Calgary for the correction of a simple problem