Driving

When the 2012 Honda Civic emerged as a new, less expensive, decontented model, the critics were unequivocal in their denigration. "This isn't a proper Civic!" they cried, and scurried to their keyboards to ladle out the vitriol.

Dog is my co-pilot. Well, not my co-pilot exactly, but possibly yours. On the North Shore, we love our furry friends, and most of them love to go for a ride in our cars (unless it's to the V-E-T).

A biweekly roundup of automotive news, good, bad and just plain weird: Using the mobile phone to prevent accidents As we all know, thanks to a constant media barrage and messages from local law enforcement, cellphones and cars don't mix.

Remember the Nissan Stanza? Well of course you don't. Sure it was pretty reliable, but it was also so boring just thinking about its boxy shape is ... *yawn* ... suddenly I need a nap.

The concept of the corporate grille, as far as I can make out, is that it should allow passersby to immediately know what brand you're driving, no matter whether sedan or SUV.

Four decades ago, on March 29, 1974, the first VW Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg, Germany. Nobody shouted Fore!, but they should have.

While waiting politely for a pedestrian to clear the intersection, this car received a wide grin and a giant wave from a woman wearing industrial welding goggles. She looked a bit like a bee. So does this.

Dear Editor: My letter is in regards to Brendan McAleer's column " Capilano Onramp Drives Driver Over the Edge," March 7, where he describes the many annoying and dangerous things that occur at this very dangerous on-ramp.

Here's the difference between Canada and the United States: Americans are the only ones to get the Chevy SS, which is basically a four-door Corvette; Canadians are the only folks to get one last go at a 132 horsepower four-cylinder hatchback.

It was the finest two minutes of motorsports ever seen. And, in the end, nobody really won. Formula One is the pinnacle of motor racing, or at least it's supposed to be, but it's occasionally a Byzantine mystery to the casual observer.