Topic: Top Five: Best Cars Made in Canada

[Autos_Editor]

We take a look at some of our favourite - and not-so-favourite - cars built in Canada.

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[JohnM]

Most of these cars are retro-tech - the legacy of a sector bailout with no vision of the future. 

Surely the Civic and Corolla platform vehicles are much more relevant.  Instead of reviving the pony car and the Hulk 300, the government should have spec'd cars with a future like the 500 or Fit or Prius models for assembly on the rescued production lines.

BTW, while I'm on an anti-retro rant, I saw a new Rolls for the first time in years yesterday.  The thing looked absolutely huge.  (ok it also looked beautifully finished) Who would actually want to drive one of those?   Where would you drive it?  Park on the street or in a Costco lot?  I don't think so.  You'd need a football field to make a three point turn.

Just get a Hummer and gold plate the bumpers if you want to show off your money.

Cheers,
John M.

[jyarkony]

Most of these cars are retro-tech - the legacy of a sector bailout with no vision of the future. 

Surely the Civic and Corolla platform vehicles are much more relevant.  Instead of reviving the pony car and the Hulk 300, the government should have spec'd cars with a future like the 500 or Fit or Prius models for assembly on the rescued production lines.

While I agree that the Civic and Corolla are far more relevant, they don't even qualify as good, competitive cars in their segment—if anything, those two are a legacy of their companies' stellar reputation for reliability and efficiency that they are banking on and coasting along without developing segment-leading cars anymore. but we'll see if the upcoming Corolla reverses that trend, and if, as some rumours suggest, another all-new Civic is already in the works.

and I don't really see how the government could have insisted that Chrysler and GM start building Fits and Priuses... The issue with Corolla and Civic may be that the high labour costs because of our high dollar here are impacting those companies' ability to source premium quality materials for the interiors... just a random theory I'm throwing out there.. Build a 500 here instead of Mexico, and they'd be selling it without radios or roof liners just in order to make their price point...

[CanuckS2K]

Most of these cars are retro-tech - the legacy of a sector bailout with no vision of the future. 

Surely the Civic and Corolla platform vehicles are much more relevant.  Instead of reviving the pony car and the Hulk 300, the government should have spec'd cars with a future like the 500 or Fit or Prius models for assembly on the rescued production lines.

While I agree that the Civic and Corolla are far more relevant, they don't even qualify as good, competitive cars in their segment—if anything, those two are a legacy of their companies' stellar reputation for reliability and efficiency that they are banking on and coasting along without developing segment-leading cars anymore. but we'll see if the upcoming Corolla reverses that trend, and if, as some rumours suggest, another all-new Civic is already in the works.

and I don't really see how the government could have insisted that Chrysler and GM start building Fits and Priuses... The issue with Corolla and Civic may be that the high labour costs because of our high dollar here are impacting those companies' ability to source premium quality materials for the interiors... just a random theory I'm throwing out there.. Build a 500 here instead of Mexico, and they'd be selling it without radios or roof liners just in order to make their price point...

What is the Camaro's excuse for such a low quality interior?  IMHO, the interior of the Camaro is every bit as cheap as the Civic.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the Camaro alot, just sayin' though.   

[Arthur Dent]

Lada built Nivas near the Volvo plant too!

[The Mighty Duck]

BTW, while I'm on an anti-retro rant, I saw a new Rolls for the first time in years yesterday.  The thing looked absolutely huge.  (ok it also looked beautifully finished) Who would actually want to drive one of those?   Where would you drive it?  Park on the street or in a Costco lot?  I don't think so.  You'd need a football field to make a three point turn.

If you have the money for a Rolls, you have someone to drive you. So parking and turning it is not your problem.

[JohnM]

Way off thread now but I just wanted to finish up on the Rolls.  The Rolls is 3 feet longer than an Odyssey and 1500 pounds heavier.  I wonder it they have an eco mode?

The woman I saw driving it was not a chauffeur unless they are immaculately quaffing 50 year old females, paying them $12 an hour and sticking them behind the wheel.

Cheers,
John M.

[nlm]

Who would actually want to drive one of those?   Where would you drive it?  Park on the street or in a Costco lot?  I don't think so.  You'd need a football field to make a three point turn.

Just get a Hummer and gold plate the bumpers if you want to show off your money.

Q1: Me. I'd also want to sit in the back.

Q2: Wherever my appointments take me, and if I felt like taking the Rolls. Some days I may prefer the Maserati. If I feel like slumming it I will take the Jag.

Q3a: Lol. No no silly boy. There will be a parking stall for me if I am taking the Rolls. Likely the valet will deposit it there.

Q3b: Are you daft? I don't shop and if I did I certainly wouldn't be going to CostCo (I do have investments within the company though). No my staff shop for groceries typically at Nature's Emporium. I think.

Yes, I have been thinking about buying my own team.

[Soram6275]

Way off thread now but I just wanted to finish up on the Rolls.  The Rolls is 3 feet longer than an Odyssey and 1500 pounds heavier.  I wonder it they have an eco mode?

The woman I saw driving it was not a chauffeur unless they are immaculately quaffing 50 year old females, paying them $12 an hour and sticking them behind the wheel.

Cheers,
John M.

If I can afford a Rolls, I don't give a sh*t about shopping at Costco nor the eco mode, but I'm glad you do.  For you there is the Prius.

On another note, while not a Chrysler fan at all, the 300 looks amazing.  Thanks also for teaching me something new - I didn't know that Volvos were ever manufactured in Canada.

[JohnM]

"I wonder it they have an eco mode?"

This was sarcasm or tongue in cheek.  Whatever it was, it was too subtle apparently.  Will stick it more in future.

Pretty obviously, if you drive something like a Rolls (or are driven in one), you don't give a week old crap about the environment or anything or anyone else beyond the outer skin of your cosseted sphere of existence.

Also, something is really motivating you to loudly proclaim the fact that you have money.  It is possible to buy or lease an older Roller cheap but to drive a new one, you really do have to have money.

Cheers,
John M.

[Scaerio]

The Lancia Thema is also built for the European market alongside the 300...