Used vehicle buying checklist
Avoid common pitfalls associated with purchasing pre-owned by following along with our used vehicle buying checklist.
Clean Energy Vehicle incentive program returns to B.C.
St. Paddy’s day may have been a couple of weeks ago, but folks in B.C. have another reason to go green again with the start of phase two of B.C.’s Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) program on April 1.
About $7.5 million in electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sale incentives will be available from now until March 31, 2018, or until the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
“With the Clean Energy Vehicle program, we’re providing incentives that will make electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles more affordable for British Columbians, and expanding the charging and fuelling infrastructure to make it easier to ‘fill the tank,” says Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines.
Consumers thinking about purchasing or leasing a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle are eligible to receive up to a $5,000 rebate, and up to $6,000 if the power is provided by a hydrogen fuel cell, like the new Hyundai Tucson FCEV.
Bennett says phase one of the CEV program — that expired last spring — encouraged over 900 electric cars to find new homes and also spurred the installation of more than 1,000 charging stations across B.C., resulting in the reduction of approximately 57,000 tonnes of vehicle emissions.
Some quick stats: vehicles are responsible for nearly half of the province’s household greenhouse gas emissions; a CEV reduces emissions by 5.6 tonnes per year when compared to a conventional 2000 model year or older vehicle; a CEV reduces emissions by 3 tonnes per year when compared to a new gasoline-powered vehicle, according to a news release by the provincial government.
For drivers who hadn’t considered an alternative-energy automobile previously for whatever reason, manufacturers now offer several options that would appeal to even the most die-hard fan of traditional internal combustion. Here are some examples of what’s available.
BMW i3
Type: battery electric vehicle (with optional gasoline Range Extender)
Form factor: five-passenger hatchback
Base MSRP: $45,000
Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid
Type: plug-in electric hybrid vehicle
Form factor: five-passenger mid-size crossover SUV
Base MSRP: $86,600
Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid
Type: plug-in electric hybrid vehicle
Form factor: five-passenger sedan
Base MSRP: $110,000
Toyota Prius Plug-in
Type: plug-in electric hybrid vehicle
Form factor: five-passenger hatchback
Base MSRP: $35,905
Read more about the CEV phase 2 program on the website.
2015 AJAC EcoRun practices green driving on Vancouver Island
The 2015 AJAC EcoRun took place on Vancouver Island for the first time in its four year history. The event evaluates the newest alternative-energy vehicles promotes green driving habits.
British Columbia’s luxury car boom is in full swing.
British Columbia’s luxury car boom is in full swing. The Globe and Mail interviews The BMW Store, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Vancouver & MINI Yaletown’s General Manager Dimitri Kotsalis.
360 degree Surround View Cameras prevent parking mishaps
The rate at which technology is changing personal transportation is astounding. But the rate at which it is accelerating is even more impressive.
Just a few short years ago, rearview cameras were optional extras reserved only for luxury cars. These days, you can even get them on inexpensive compact sedans.
As auto manufacturers rush to cram in more premium features into their entire vehicle line-up (including Bluetooth audio streaming, collision mitigation braking), cars that are only five years old might as well feel like they are ten years old from a technical features standpoint.
Automotive camera technology
Camera technology, in particularly, has jumped leaps and bounds. Just a few years ago, even the highest end luxury vehicles had low-resolution, grainy images from a single perspective.
These days, the latest camera systems boast high quality images in day or night and even from multiple angles.
In this article we’ll take a closer look at 360-degree panoramic camera systems, the next evolution of active safety camera technology.
What is it?
360-degree camera systems create a virtual all-around view of your vehicle in order to show any obstacles surround it in order to ease fears of parking.
The key to these systems are four fisheye cameras that are mounted at the front , rear, and in the rearview mirrors to provide a complete perspective, also known as a bird’s eye view.
Special software then stitches all of the images together into a single video feed displayed in the vehicle’s infotainment system, giving the impression that there is a camera mounted 50 feet above the roof of your vehicle pointing downwards.
Advantages
The development of intelligent surround view systems for cars and trucks makes parking in tight spaces a cinch, and practically guarantees a perfect parking job each time. More importantly, these systems help to prevent collisions with pedestrians.
Many systems offer the driver the ability to zoom into a specific perspective, such as the curb-side view or rear view, which is particularly useful in dark and rainy nights.
360-degree camera systems also take the upcoming US federal mandate to a new level. This mandate specifies that all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds have to have backup cameras by mid-2018. While Transport Canada has no such regulations as of yet, Canadians still get to benefit from in-line changes that many vehicle manufacturers have implemented.
The US Congress called for these rules in 2008 after a spate of highly publicised accidents in which parents driving cars or trucks backed over their young children, tragically killing them.
Who has them?
Infiniti and BMW have both been leaders in surround camera systems. Infiniti introduced the world’s first Around View Monitor system back in 2007, and virtually all Infiniti models now have them as standard or optional equipment.
Infiniti’s latest version has been further enhanced with Moving Object Detection, alerting the driver to moving objects detected within the display image. A rear cross-traffic detection system called Backup Collision Intervention (BCI) also helps to detect crossing vehicles and can brake to help avoid a collision.
BMW arguably has the highest quality cameras and video processing hardware in the business, with photo quality-like video integrated with its Surround View system
Like Infiniti’s system, BMW’s also provides a 360-degree panoramic view around the vehicle with help from cameras in the exterior mirrors, a wide-angle camera in front, and the rear view camera. The system is activated when the car is put into reverse or at other predetermined activation points.
BMW’s Cross Traffic Assistant further assists the driver by first displaying yellow bars on the side edges of the image as well as a yellow warning triangle in the presence of crossing traffic.
The Side View function is automatically deactivated when the car reaches 15 km/h. The driver can then choose to activate the Rear View camera, Top View or Panorama Side View.
Top 5 Luxury SUVs at the 2015 Vancouver International Auto Show
The 2015 Vancouver International Autoshow is bigger than ever before this year. Now in its 95th year, the show boasts 25 per cent more floor space and even more vehicles at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
If you’re in the market for a new luxury SUV, here are my Top 5 Luxury SUV Picks for you to visit before the show shuts down this Sunday at 6pm.
2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
The new Land Rover Discovery Sport makes its regional debut at this year’s Vancouver autoshow. It stands out from its posh compact-ute rivals for one simple and moderately compelling reason—it can actually go off-road, at least sometimes.
Based on the same platform as the wildly popular Range Rover Evoque, the Discovery Sport can’t match the ground clearance of its LR4, Range Rover, or Range Rover Sport siblings for pure wilderness-challenging ability.
However, the Disco Sport’s 8.3 inches of ground clearance is more than respectable for the occasional jaunt to the campgrounds or the country cottage. Land Rover also claims approach, departure, and breakover angles of 25, 31, and 31 degrees for the Sport, plus a wading depth of 23.6 inches.
In other words, that’s better offroadability than your typical BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK competitors.
Land Rover is also setting the Discovery Sport against its German rivals with the option of “5+2″ seating, with the ability to carry up to 7 passengers. No other compact luxury SUV offers such a feature. The “+2” is essentially a child-only fold-down third row that slides beneath the cargo floor when not in use.
2016 BMW X5 M / X6 M
The BMW X5 has the distinction of being not only one of the first true luxury SUVs, but also one of the first seriously fast SUVs.
Now BMW is launching the second iteration of the X5 M, which is based on the third-generation X5, alongside its less practical X6 M Sport Activity Coupe sibling.
With a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 rated at 567 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, the X5 M (and X6 M) is even quicker to trot than its predecessor with its official 0 to 100 km/hr sprint taking just over four seconds. That’s faster than many pure two seater sports cars!
Like the X6 M, the X5 M wears massive 285/35 tires up front and 325/30 rubber in the rear; 21-inch wheels are standard equipment.
As is usual in the latest BMW M models, the driver can fettle with the adjustable shocks, steering, transmission program, and throttle mapping through multiple modes using dedicated buttons for each.
Inside, the X5 M and X6 M both feature bespoke M-specific bits from the steering wheel and seats to the onscreen M Drive menu.
The exteriors of both vehicles also wear unique M front and rear styling cues, setting them apart from their more pedestrian non-M models.
2015 Lexus NX200t / NX300h
And now for something smaller (and more affordable).
With the new Lexus NX, Lexus is looking for a younger demographic than its RX mid-sized SUV.
The mid-sized RX is too big and pricey to attack the growing number of compact luxo utes and this is where the NX fits in.
Instead of the rounded and conservative silhouette associated with the RX, the NX breaks through with its brand-identifying Lexus “spindle” grille and aggressive body creases and folds.
There are two models available, the NX200t and the NX300h, available with front or four-wheel drive.
The 200t marks Lexus’s first turbocharged gas engine, in this case a 235-hp 2.0-liter four. It also will be available in mildly sportier F Sport guise.
The 300h is a hybrid with a gasoline 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and an electric motor combining to deliver 194 horsepower. You can even test drive the Lexus NX300h yourself in the Green Drive program running outside the Vancouver Convention Centre till this Sunday.
2015 Infiniti QX80 Limited
The Infiniti QX80 was substantially updated for the 2014 model year and remains as one of the few full-sized SUVs on the market with the ability to tow up to 8,500 lbs while still being able to transport 7 or 8 passengers in luxury.
Recently introduced is the QX80 in a new “Limited” trim level, offering subtle exterior upgrades and a sophisticated interior evocative of an executive boardroom.
Available in limited numbers only starting from May 2015 and exclusively as a 7-passenger model, the QX80 Limited’s exterior features dark finished, 22-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, dark chromed exterior trim, and unique stainless steel running board caps with rubber grips.
This vehicle certainly takes the word “premium” to another level.
The luxurious interior includes semi-aniline Truffle Brown leather appointments with an exclusive quilted pattern, open pore matte finish ash wood trim, an Ultrasuede headliner and pillars, leather-appointed grab handles and speaker grilles, unique floor and trunk mats, and unique silver switchgear trim on the centre stack.
2016 Audi Q7
Among three-row vehicles, few can match the Q7 in terms of style. It is as chic as it is spacious.
The 2016 Audi Q7 debuts as an all-new vehicle with Audi’s next generation styling and impressive weight savings to the tune of 717 pounds. This should pay dividends when it comes to fuel economy and performance.
Even though the 2016 Q7 is virtually the same height as the old one, clever visual tricks like the matte-aluminum trim surface between the front and rear wheels, the gently tapering roofline, and the powerful fender flares make it look lower, wider, and longer. In fact, the new Q7 looks more wagon-like than ever.
The low-rider vibe isn’t merely visual though. Audi’s relocation of the engine lower in the chassis has yanked the Q7’s center of gravity down by a claimed 2 inches, helping to improve its driving dynamics.
Audi has been well known for its impressive use of the latest lighting technology and the 2016 Q7 continues on with that trend. The headlights’ LED daytime running lamps now form pairs of arrow-shaped elements, as do the LED tail lights out back.
As you would expect with most luxury SUVs, there is a load of the latest active safety technology to compliment the latest in driving dynamic enhancements.
Carried over from Audi’s sports cars are systems such as a brake-based torque-vectoring system and an electronically controlled center differential. The latter can vary the all-wheel-drive system’s torque split from the standard 40/60-percent front-to-rear to 70/30 or 15/85 as conditions dictate.
Optional rear-wheel steering promises to enhance stability at higher speeds by slightly turning the rear wheels in concert with the fronts. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn opposite to the fronts to greatly improve parking lot agility on such a large vehicle.
Run-flat tires explained
Almost as long as cars have had wheels, they’ve also had spare tires stashed somewhere onboard for the eventual inevitability of a flat tire. In some of today’s luxury vehicles, however, manufacturers like BMW and Infiniti have traded the donut spare for more cargo space by using run-flat tire technology. How does it work? Find out below.
Purpose
Run-flat tires allow you to do exactly that: continue running on them even after you’ve experienced a flat. But it’s not meant to be a permanent solution. The idea is that you get to a service shop or garage as soon as you can to have the tire repaired* if possible, or replaced entirely.
Once punctured, run-flats have limitations on how fast and how far you can continue to drive. Every model is different, and it’s best to consult your owner’s manual or the tire maker’s specifications. For example, on the BMW 3 Series sedan, drivers can continue on for up to another 150 kilometres.
Design
Not all run-flat tires are created equal —on the BMW 3 Series, the tires feature reinforced sidewalls. The thicker rubber provides the extra bit of support needed to allow you to get you safely to your destination. Click here to watch a short video.
Another type of common run-flat design utilizes what is called a support ring. Rather than thicker sidewalls, there is a ring comprised of a hard material underneath the tread capable of temporarily bearing the weight of the vehicle even in a reduced air pressure situation.
Regardless of the design, all run-flat setups require a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in place, which are a series of sensors that communicate with the vehicle’s computer to alert the driver of a puncture. This is critical so that you don’t continue driving without realizing a flat tire has taken place.
* Repair of a punctured run-flat tire should only be undertaken after inspected thoroughly by a professional and deemed safe to do so. Generally, repair is only possible with a puncture of less than six millimetres in depth, and on support ring equipped models, if the ring hasn’t sustained excessive damage.
Car safety technology package comparison
Like computers and cellphones, vehicles have been leaping forward in the area of tech within the last few years. A lot of the modern electronic innovation has to do with safety, whether it’s making an existing function like cruise control safer by automating part of the process, or trying to prevent accidents by giving the driver tools such as blind spot monitoring to increase awareness.
Every automaker offers some kind of safety feature suite, although they do vary somewhat from brand-to-brand and are sometimes only available on higher-level models, or as part of a larger package. Here is a comparison of what you can get from three popular manufacturers.
Toyota
After driving a vehicle with conveniences like parking aids, it’s hard to go back to doing it the old fashioned way. On the 2015 RAV4 crossover in the AWD Limited trim, customers can opt for the Technology Package (plus $2,135) that includes backup sensors that beep when you get too close to another object, helping avoid bumper dings or worse. It also comes with automatic high beams, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure alert.
Infiniti
The new Q50 sedan is one of the most technologically advanced cars in the market right now. For $4,300 more, Infiniti has a Deluxe Touring and Technology Package chock full of goodies like their Around View Monitor.
Using a series of strategically positioned wide-angle cameras, this system provides a 360-degree picture of the vehicle’s surroundings from a bird’s-eye view. Other additions include intelligent cruise control and front seat pre-crash seatbelts that utilize motors to ensure passengers are properly restrained.
Mazda
We all know rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of accidents, and Mazda says 60 per cent of those occur at speeds of 30 km/h or less. That’s why a lot of their safety focus is around braking. The Mazda6 GT with the $2,800 Technology Package adds Smart City Brake Support.
At low speeds, a laser sensor mounted on the windshield monitors the vehicle in front. If the computer detects a collision risk, the brakes are preloaded for maximum efficiency. If the driver doesn’t intervene, the brakes are automatically applied and engine output isreduced.
Lexus F family tree: GS F, RC F coupe and IS F
Lexus is keen on adding more vehicles to its F portfolio of factory-tuned vehicles, like the new 2016 Lexus GS F.
Regular vs. premium gas — which octane is right for you?
The cost of gasoline is all but predictable these days. Even though the cost of crude oil crashed and burned a couple of months ago, prices at the pump have recently stabilized again. One of the biggest things customers can do to keep cash in their pocket is analyze whether they’re buying the right grade of fuel.
Regular vs. mid-grade vs. premium
Most Canadian gas stations carry three main octanes of fuel: 87, 89 and 91/92. These ratings measure performance, and a higher number means the fuel can withstand more compression without igniting. In a standard combustion engine, air is mixed with the fuel before being compressed and then ignited by a spark plug.
Things can get tricky for motors that are tuned for higher performance, such as ones used in sports or some luxury vehicles. The fuel used may be subject to higher compression or temperatures, and a lower octane gasoline could prematurely detonate causing what is commonly referred to as “pinging” or “knocking.” This is in reference to the sound heard when you step on the throttle and premature ignition is taking place inside the engine’s cylinder.
Pick your octane
The first thing you should do is consult your owner’s manual, or sometimes the fuel cap or lid, to see what the manufacturer suggests. Despite a common urban myth, using a grade of gasoline higher than what is recommended will not give your car extra performance or clean out your engine. The only difference between premium fuel and others is a slightly different chemical mixture making it less prone to the premature ignition discussed earlier.
Nothing bad will happen if you decide go that route, besides making your wallet lighter. On the other hand, repeatedly using a lower grade than what is designed for your model can potentially cause damage or, at the very least, make the vehicle slower. Let’s take a Porsche Macan for example. Porsche recommends 91 octane — using a lower octane might not necessarily cause the small crossover to explode, but performance will certainly be inhibited.
Modern marvels
Automobiles made nowadays are equipped with all kinds of fancy sensors and mechanisms to detect knocking and prevent much of the undesired detonation from using a lower grade of gasoline. That said, if, using the Porsche Macan example, 87 is fed, the motor won’t be able to perform as intended and acceleration will feel slower.
Sensors can also only do so much, and under high duress, like with the pedal mashed to the floor, engine knocking can still occur which can wear out delicate components over time.
Bottom line
Follow your manufacturers advice and fill your car with the appropriate gas. If premium isn’t required, save yourself some dollars and use regular. On the flip side, if you drive a higher-end vehicle that calls for something like 91, it may be more prudent and cost-effective in the long run to make that little extra bit of investment.