WomanOnWheels.ca

2013 Dodge Dart: Chrysler goes from zero to hero

It might have nailed the truck segment with the Ram, and the rear-drive 300 is a great car, but Chrysler has never been much of a player in the compact segment. All that changes with the 2013 Dart. Based on an Alfa Romeo platform, this thing drives great and looks good inside. Quite an improvement over the 1966 version we have in the garage. Read all about it in my review in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Mercedes-Benz design: It takes a village to raise a car

You might think of a car as coming from the hand of a single designer, but that's not the case. It's a complicated process that takes hundreds - even thousands - of people. I spoke with Hans-Dieter Futschik of Mercedes-Benz about the process for the Toronto Star. You can read all about it by clicking here.

A website for cars - by women!

Some of my colleagues have banded together to create a new website, Auto-Venus, "built for women by women." But it's not just about grocery bags and child seats (although you'll find information on that, too) - it's smart, informative, well-written and just plain good. Take a visit by clicking here.

Designing tires: from drawing boards to three dimensions

I recently visited Bridgestone Firestone's new technical centre in Akron, Ohio, where I saw how tires are designed. That picture is of the way it used to be done - with pencils on a drawing board, and then cast in plaster. Now it's all done by computers, including the test pieces, which are created in plastic by 3D print machines. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Hood ornaments: Birds, planes and gods out front

Although they're almost extinct, hood ornaments and radiator mascots were among the coolest parts of the car in days gone by. I have a slide show of ten antique ones at Sympatico Autos; find it by clicking here.

Autofile: A new site for car fans

Three of my colleagues have put together a new Canadian automotive website, Autofile, with all sorts of reviews, news, features and information. It looks really good, too! Check it out by clicking here.

Ten bad driving habits - are you guilty?

Of course there are more than ten, but these are the ones that I notice so often on the road, and which can range from annoying and inconsiderate, to downright deadly. Do you hook the wheel, crowd the crosswalk, let your children ride with their feet on the dash? Check out my list at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Mazda CX-7: Alive in Canada, doomed in the U.S.

With the introduction of the all-new CX-5 - a model that's only slightly smaller but far more fuel-efficient - the Mazda CX-7 is being phased out in the U.S. at the end of the 2012 model year. Mazda Canada still believes there are enough buyers for both, though, and so it will continue in showrooms up here. Read my impressions at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

All hail the taxi!

While many people may think of them as an extravagance, taxicabs are actually a huge industry in most cities - in Toronto, they're second only to the TTC transit service as a means of getting the public around. Read all about taxis - including how the system works, and some tips for taking them - at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Daydreaming behind the wheel? Stop it, for safety's sake!

"Distracted driving" is generally thought to involve cell phones these days, but the reality  is that anything that takes your mind off the task is distracting - and that includes daydreaming. I asked an MIT researcher about the dangers of being lost in thought behind the wheel. Read the results in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Mazda CX-5: Good mileage, but there's a downside ...

The one thing a lot of drivers seem to forget is that if you get really good fuel mileage, you have to give something up. In the case of the all-new Mazda CX-5, you get great handling, a nice interior, a comfy ride ... and somewhat of a slug when you hit the throttle. Read all about it at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Never say never, Lamborghini ... !

That's Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, and that's the Lamborghini Urus, which just made its debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Handsome little devil, that. (Oh, and the vehicle's not bad-looking, either.)

I'm getting a chuckle out of this, because some five years ago, I sat beside Winkelmann at dinner on an event for the Gallardo Superleggera. The Porsche Cayenne was tearing up the sales charts, and someone asked him if Lamborghini would also make an SUV - especially since it had already produced one, the odd-and-boxy LM002.

"That was strictly for the military," Winkelmann sniffed. "Lamborghini is all about sports cars. Lamborghini will never make an SUV!"

Spring's here - and how clean is your car?

Just like a house, a car can benefit from a thorough spring cleaning. I tackle two tasks at Sympatico Autos: how to give your car that complete deep clean, and how to get salt stains out of your carpet and floor mats.

Women drivers, charcoal briquettes, and a Subaru that wasn't a car ...

... and I managed to tie them all together, albeit loosely, into my latest compilation of auto trivia for the Toronto Star. That's Bertha Benz to your left, by the way, the first person to take a long-distance journey driving a car. You can read all about her, and more, by clicking here.

Update: I was pretty confident on the charcoal briquettes, having numerous sources that said Henry Ford's company was the first to produce them (including the Kingsford company itself!). A reader corrected me. Long before Ford, Ellsworth Zwoyer held a patent on them. Ford knew Zwoyer, so there's some question of how it all came together, but credit where it's due. You can read a fascinating history of the barbeque, with some really cool scans of contemporary ads and cookbooks, by clicking here.

You never know until you ask ...

I've been collecting taxicab memorabilia for many years now (you can see the results by scrolling down almost to the bottom of that blue band to the right), including taxicab plates. But the one that always eluded me was the famous New York City medallion.

Most taxi plates go on the trunk, or are incorporated into the vehicle's state license plate, but New York cabs have theirs screwed to the hood. I wanted one of these, but despite wandering miles of flea markets, I never found one. "They're just not available," one vendor told me. "And if they do go on the market, they cost hundreds of dollars. Collectors just don't part with them."

Well, he might be right about the collectors, but the city certainly parts with them after they've expired. I found the New York City Store, which sells off the old plates, along with all kinds of other stuff associated with taxis and the city. As for the "hundreds of dollars," well, these are twenty bucks.

I bought three plates by mail order, but I simply must get to the store in person one day ...

HID headlights: They're a gas!

Those ultra-bright headlights that you see on some cars are high-intensity discharge, or HID. Instead of a filament, they use a gas, most commonly xenon. And if they're also your high-beams, there's a neat trick to them. Find out all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Evoque: The Women's World Car of the Year

The votes are in ... and the 2012 Women's World Car of the Year winner is the Range Rover Evoque.

The women's what, you say? It's an award given by a panel of female auto writers worldwide - I'm one of the two in Canada - for the vehicles we feel are the best in their categories.

It's a little different from some "women's awards," where grocery capacity and child seat latches are a major factor. We go well beyond that. We also look at how the car drives, how it handles, its appeal, and how well it meets its audiences' expectations. To be eligible, a vehicle has to be sold in at least ten countries.

There were category winners as well:

Family Car: BMW 3 Series (1st), Audi Q3 (2nd), Ford Focus (3rd)

Luxury Car: Range Rover Evoque (1st), Jaguar XJ (2nd), Audi A6 (3rd)

Sports Car: Porsche 911 (1st), Jaguar XKR (2nd), Mercedes-Benz SLK (3rd)

Economy Car: Honda Civic (1st), Volkswagen Up! (2nd), Ford Fiesta (3rd)

Congratulations to all the winners! This year, the trophies will be made in The Netherlands and presented at the Paris Motor Show. For more info on the Women's World Car of the Year, click here.

If cars are no fun ... we're to blame

After I wrote about an online driving test where the same score was a pass in Ontario and a failure in Germany, my brain went into overtime. And so I came up with a rant about driver responsibility, which I then put forth on Sympatico Autos. You can read it all by clicking here.

Could you pass a driving test?

There's a new website, Driving Tests 101, which gives you an opportunity to answer questions that will show up on the written portion of a driving test.

It's free and it covers numerous countries, including Canada. Even if you've been driving for years, it's a neat place to check your knowledge. Check it out by clicking here.

(It's also neat to see what's required in other countries, especially if you drive in them occasionally, as many of the auto journalists do ...)

(And as an aside, I scored 80% on the Ontario test, which meant I passed. I scored 80% on the German test, which meant I failed. Ever wonder why Europeans are better drivers?)

What I love, and what I hate ...

I have a love/hate relationship with cars: I love some things on them, and I hate some things. So naturally, I wrote a story about it. See what gets the trophy and what doesn't in my blog at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Auto lighting: Not just pretty colors

The colors that automakers use for interior lighting aren't just randomly selected. Depending on what's used, the effect can calm you, or bring your attention to important information. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Washing your car: How "green" is it?

You probably think that taking the hose to your car in the driveway is more environmentally-friendly than running it through that long tunnel at the automatic car wash.

In many cases, the opposite is true. Find out why in my Sympatico Autos story by clicking here.

The Autotrac: A cheap tractor conversion for Canadian farmers

Tractors are faster and can work harder than a horse, but during the Depression, many farmers couldn't afford them. A number of companies sprang up, offering conversion kits that turned old cars into tractors.

A Canadian company wanted to get in on the action, and approached an American firm about licensing. Nah, was the response: buy one, take it home, make as many copies as you like. And so Canadian farmers got the Autotrac. You can read all about it in my story at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Is it worth it? Vote on videos to find out!

There's a competition going on, called Is It Worth It?, which asked high school students to produce videos warning about the dangers of distracted driving. I was one of the judges on the first round, voting on 59 videos that eventually narrowed down to ten.

Now it's up to the public to pick the top three. Get over there, look at the videos, and cast your vote. Some of these are extremely well done. I have a couple of favorites, including a rap video that's incredible. Get over to the viewing-and-voting site by clicking here.

Max Wolff: A new designer, a new direction for Lincoln

I've started a series for the Toronto Star on auto designers, and the first one is a look at Max Wolff, who now heads Lincoln. He has quite a task in front of him: he needs to move the styling away from Ford and make the brand distinctive. Read all about it by clicking here.

Tires: Here's what you need to know

Are there differences between tires? There are, and it's important to know what to ask a retailer when you're in the market for new ones. I went to Las Vegas with Bridgestone to drive on a few. You can read my report in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

The snake returns!

I'm at the New York Auto Show right now. Every show always has a star, andfor this year,  this is it. After being discontinued and almost sold to another company, the Viper returns. It's now badged as an SRT rather than a Dodge. Designer Ralph Gilles kissed it when it came out. I would, too.

Timing chain or belt? Which do you have?

It's important to know, because if you have a belt, you'll eventually have to change it - or potentially face some serious engine consequences. Find out why they're different and what you need know in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

The most famous woman in motoring ...

Her name was Eleanor Thornton, and even today, she is possibly the most famous woman in motoring. You've seen her in her more familiar guise, either in person or in photographs, and you'd recognize her in an instant no matter where you saw her.

Not sure who she was, or why she's important? Check out my story on her at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

You can, but you shouldn't ...

People, please ... two-sided tape is not your friend. And less is more. Remember this: the last time Cadillacs looked good slathered in too much extra chrome, they also had fins.

If you love writing ...

Not the newspaper or pixel kind, but actual writing: ink on paper, preferably with a fountain pen. I'm a pen collector and occasionally I posted items here on my obsession love of the handwritten word, but I finally decided to create a separate blog just for fellow stylophiles. You can find it at Pens and Paper by clicking here.

Redline: What it is, and why it matters

It's not as much of an issue as it used to be, since cars today keep an eye on the tach and shut down the throttle if you get too close to that dangerous red line. What's redline, and why is it important? Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Why do you need to tighten your fuel cap?

Your vehicle's fuel cap probably contains a warning that you need to turn it until it clicks. Ever wonder why? You can read about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

(It's a PDF - the story didn't end up online as it usually does.)

Pushbutton start: Too lazy to turn a key?

Some people love pushbutton ignitions. I don't. They disappeared in the 1950s in favor of the smarter turn-a-key style, and I don't see why we're going backwards. Read my rant in Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

2012 Nissan Frontier: One very nice little truck

It's not perfect - it's pricey, and its fuel consumption is higher than its competitors - but of the few small/midsize pickup trucks still on the market, I think the Nissan Frontier is the best overall. Find out why at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

What's way-cool? These cars!

A horse you can drive, tires that don't skid, and a fire truck for children - now this is way-cool motoring! Take a look at my gallery of oddball automotive oddities at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

It's spring ... time for cleaning!

I attended a preview of the new spring products at Canadian Tire, including several that will come in handy when it's time to spiff up the auto for the season. You can read about them in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

Ten tips for spring maintenance ...

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz ... time to get my car ready, it is. You can read my ten tips for prepping your car for spring in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Public car auctions: They may be right for you

If you don't want to pay dealer prices, or risk the potential headaches of buying from a private seller, there's another option for finding a used car: public auctions. You need to do your homework and lots of it, but you could potentially find a decent car at a fair price. Read all about it in Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

"Phoning in" red lights, green lights

It's still in the development stage, but researchers at MIT are working on a program that uses your cell phone to determine when a traffic light is about to change - potentially giving you the opportunity to gauge your speed so you don't have to stop. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

(Photo courtesy Patrick Gillooly, MIT)

2012 Honda Insight: Fuel-efficient, but not much else ...

The Honda Insight was the first hybrid to reach our shores, more than a decade ago. The company recently resurrected the name on a compact sedan and sent it out to do battle with other gasoline-electric models on the market, but unfortunately, it comes up short. Find out why in my Sympatico Autos review by clicking here.

The world is not your garbage can!

I was coming home the other day when I spotted something that is, sadly, all too common: someone throwing an empty coffee cup out of the car window. Why do people have such little respect for others - especially when they're probably going home and putting their own trash bags neatly to the curb, and separating their cans and bottles in the blue box? You can read my rant at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

Canadian cars: How many do you remember?

Thanks primarily to high import duties imposed prior to the Auto Pact in 1965, automakers made several "Canadian" models to get around the extra fees - most of them American models with different trim. Check out my gallery at Sympatico Autos by clicking here and see how many you know.

Put down the phone and drive!

I was recently at a conference, Driven to Distraction, which drew experts from around the world to look at the growing problem of people who won't put down the phone or stop texting when they drive. You can read my report at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

A look at the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL

I love convertibles, and I love Mercedes-Benz's newest one, the upcoming 2013 SL550. It has some faults - the steering could be tweaked a bit better, for example - but I thoroughly enjoyed the drive nevertheless. Read all about it in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

You Can, But You Shouldn't ...

Another beauty from the Malaga Auto Museum in Spain, designed and built by the museum's team. It's called "La Bomba" and, according to its sign, is "an example of power and strength, as well as beauty." Truly in the eye of the beholder.

You Can, But You Shouldn't ...

A gem from the Malaga Auto Museum in Spain, built by customizers there and apparently commissioned by the museum's owner. It's a 1934 Ford with "widening of the fenders that give the car strength and elegance," according to its sign.

A "hand" hood ornament and crystal-swathed windshield complete the look. I remember when this style of hot rod - basically a Ford body dropped onto a chassis, with fenders to cover the frame - was popular over here. It wasn't for long. There's a reason for that.

How to be happy with your car? Buy what you want

Every woman wants an antique tractor ... well, I did, but of course that's not true for everyone. Likewise, the thing that makes you happy with your car might be something that has your buddy rolling his eyes. So what? Read why you should ignore him in my Sympatico Autos piece by clicking here.

You Can, But You Shouldn't ...

A gem from the Museo Automovilistico Malaga, an auto museum I visited in Spain. While it houses a remarkable collection of restored vehicles (a surprising number of them American models), it also contains several cars built by Spanish customizers, apparently commissioned by the museum owner. These are also remarkable, but for different reasons.

This "Formula Ford," according to its sign, is a "junior race car" that was "made for the training of talented drivers who aspire to compete in Formula 1." Oooookay...

You Can, But You Shouldn't ...

If the reindeer antlers and red noses at Christmas aren't enough ... now we have the Easter Bunny.