2008 Toyota Corolla CE

2008 Toyota Corolla CE - While other Toyota vehicles such as the Camry and RAV4 have recently received sleeker, more eye-catching redesigns, and something like the Yaris adds some youthful life into the automaker, the Corolla sits, year after year, gathering dust seemingly even while it's still in motion on the road.

For 2008, it once again comes in three trim levels (CE, Sport and LE), but adds a 20th anniversary package that includes such features as power doors and windows, keyless entry and a power moonroof. All nice additions, but keep in mind that the package is a little pricey, adding an extra $3,115 to the cost of the car. In fact, you really can't choose individual options on the Corolla CE; only three expensive options packages are available (ranging from about $2,000).

I would never accuse the Corolla of being a track-bred race car, but it handles well enough around corners and is tailor-made for zipping in and out of traffic on busy city streets (another reason why quick acceleration from low speeds comes in so handy). Despite how small and light it is, it also stays quite composed in adverse weather conditions. I've been blown around quite a bit on the highway while driving a Kia, but I never suffered from frayed nerves in the Corolla. Old reliable, indeed!

On the other hand, an area in which the Corolla is absolutely spectacular is fuel economy. In fact, it's even eligible for a new fuel efficiency incentive program started recently by the federal government. The list of vehicles eligible for the incentive program is full of hybrids and subcompacts, but the Corolla is one of the few compact cars that makes the grade. If there's one thing you can always count on with the Corolla, it is long stretches between visits to the gas station.

The 2008 Corolla isn't so much "bang" for your buck as it is "bore" for your buck. To be fair, it is one of the most durable vehicles on the road and it epitomizes the term "gets me from Point A to Point B." If your top priorities when considering a vehicle are its reliability, simplicity and affordability, consider this your dream car.

2007 Nissan Maxima SE

2007 Nissan Maxima SE - At the heart of every 2007 Maxima is a 3.5-litre, DOHC, 24-valve V6 that makes 255 hp and 252 lb.-ft. of torque and is connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This powerplant makes Maxima one of the fastest midsize sedans on the market. Great bursts of energy are instantly available, giving Maxima the ability to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. With an 80-120 km/h time of just 5.4 seconds, passing slower traffic is a shockingly quick exercise.

And you can count not only Passat and BMW 525i in that slower traffic, but Saturn Aura, Lexus ES 350, Infiniti G35X and Acura CSX Type S, according to acceleration tests conducted by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Lots of good stuff comes as standard equipment across the Maxima lineup: heated front seats, cruise control, speed-sensitive variable intermittent wipers, automatic dual-zone climate control, power locks/windows/mirrors, a 320-watt Bose eight-speaker audio system with auxiliary input jack, fog lights and leather-wrapped steering wheel with illuminated switches. I really like the keyless ignition ? just turn a switch on the dash with the fob in your pocket. And for valet parking, the key that locks the glove box can be removed from the fob at the press of a button.

The optional leather package (see data box) adds more good stuff and is almost worth the money just to get the power assist that automatically slides the driver's seat back and forth for graceful entries and exits, and that also comes with two memory settings so your optimum driving position is there every time you fire it up.

Our test car also came with the optional GS-based DVD navigation system. By now, regular readers know how I feel about such expensive devices. I'd rather invest a few bucks in some maps. However, I did turn it on in heavy traffic to try to find a different route to Nissan Canada's Mississauga headquarters. When I did, the pointer showed the vehicle in a blank spot as if that stretch of Matheson Boulevard didn't exist. The position of the Nissan building was indicated on a side street — you just had to find your way through a lot of nothingness to get there.

This is a good looking car, especially when seen from the rear, where its kicked up deck with trunk-mounted spoiler and dual exhausts, each with twin chrome tips, warn trailing traffic that this is one serious sedan. Extensive styling changes have been made to Maxima's front end, including a new grille, hood, bumper and headlamps with built-in cornering lights.

The interior also has been extensively reworked with upgraded materials that include real aluminum accents, a new gauge display for better visibility and a redesigned centre stack. The low dash gives a feeling of spaciousness while contributing to good outward vision.

Although more expensive than some competing midsize sedans, Maxima nonetheless offers a lot of style, luxury and performance. It's the kind of car that makes you feel on top of the world when you're behind the wheel, and as another TV spot airing during the hockey playoffs might say, such a feeling is "priceless."

Chrysler 300 SRT8 version

Chrysler 300 SRT8 version - Then when it had the expected success, it started tinkering with the formula to make the car more powerful and handle better. It's that line of thought that has brought us to the most recent addition, the 300C SRT8.

The SRT8 version is powered by a 6.1-litre HEMI V8 that is 400cc larger and 85-horsepower better than the regular 300C's HEMI V8, for a premium cash outlay of only $7,000 (ouch!).

The results speak for themselves: zero to 100 km/h in about 5.5 seconds, and zero to 100 mph and back to zero in less than 17 seconds. The power comes on quickly and vocally, turning the 300C SRT8 from a Dr. Jekyll like meekness into a brute of Hyde proportions.

The ride is well maintained when it needs to be, belying the full performance potential of the beast until it is unleashed. Once the speed climbs and the road kinks up, though, the true potential of the SRT8 quickly comes to light. Nine-inch wide tires set on 20-inch rims help keep a tenacious grip on the road (Chrysler claims it can withstand 0.89g or lateral force on the skid pad).

And inside grip is handled through the innovative use of suede inserts in the unique seats. The wide-back front seats are well bolstered for support, while the rear seat is rather flat but grippy all the same. The positions are not as well defined back there, but the comfort level is pretty good. As in most sedans, the center position is best left for children, though in this case the floor drive-hump makes for uncomfortable legs.

And if the price tag doesn't give it away, the 300C is very much a Mercedes model (it is based on the E-class, albeit loosely) and the SRT8 adaptation gives it more sport while retaining the comfort and civil ambience of a family sedan, and at the same time creating a car whose competitors are considerably more costly.