OnTheHoist.com

According to The Economist.
Why waste agricultural land growing crops for cars instead of people and driving up food prices?

From the article at
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10250420

In every country, the least well-off consumers are hardest hit when food prices rise. This is true in rich and poor countries alike but the scale in the latter is altogether different. As Gary Becker, a Nobel economics laureate at the University of Chicago, points out, if food prices rise by one-third, they will reduce living standards in rich countries by about 3%, but in very poor ones by over 20%.

Not all consumers in poor countries are equally vulnerable. The food of the poor in the Andes, for example, is potatoes; in Ethiopia, teff: neither is traded much across borders, so producers and consumers are less affected by rising world prices. As the World Bank's annual World Development Report shows, the number of urban consumers varies from over half the total number of poor in Bolivia, to about a quarter in Zambia and Ethiopia, to less than a tenth in Vietnam and Cambodia.

But overall, enormous numbers of the poor—both urban and landless labourers—are net buyers of food, not net sellers. They have already been hard hit: witness the riots that took place in Mexico over tortilla prices earlier this year. According to IFPRI, the expansion of ethanol and other biofuels could reduce calorie intake by another 4-8% in Africa and 2-5% in Asia by 2020. For some countries, such as Afghanistan and Nigeria, which are only just above subsistence levels, such a fall in living standards could be catastrophic...

There has got to be a better way.

Link source from TheTruthAboutCars.com. TTAC link

The number of vehicles imported into Canada in the month of November was 30,002 which is THREE TIMES higher than last year.
What does this prove? The automaker generated FUD in Canada about new deals, fair deals and price parity are falling on many deaf ears. It also shows that the import process is NOT that complicated despite their great efforts to use non-tariff barriers such as declaring vehicles inadmissible due to the immobilized regulations (they lost that one) and threatening their US dealers franchises to hinder the free flow of vehicles from the US.

Let us be clear. You can save thousands buy purchasing in the US..even tens of thousands (look at Corvette pricing).

For more information the following sites are leading the anti-FUD charge against automakers

http://www.carburner.com - An excellent resource on the import process
http://www.carburner.com/index.php?title=Wall_Of_Savers - The Wall of Savers - real examples of how much Canadians can save buy buying south of the border - Several Subaru purchasers report saving $17-18000!
http://www.carswithoutborders.com/ - Cars Without Borders
http://www.ataleoftwoprices.com/ - Compare CDN and US pricing
http://www.apa.ca - Automobile Protection Association - recommends that buyers in the $25,000 and up category should consider buying in the US

Happy Shopping!

If you are looking to buy a vehicle in Canada instead of the US, Mazda has some decent rebates for the month of October.
Please keep in mind that even though they are new cars and trucks, they are from last year's model year so if you plan to resell the value will be affected as well. You can negotiate even more than these posted rebates as they are from the manufacturer, not the dealer.

2007 Mazda3 $2,800-$3400
2007 Mazdaspeed3 $4000
2007 Mazda6 $6000-$6400
2007 Mazdaspeed6 $7000
2007 MX-5 $3500-$4250
2007 RX-8 $4400-$5200
2007 CX-7 $3500-$4000
2007 CX-9 $5000-$5600
2007 BSeries $3500-$5000

You've heard about it. You've seen it on TV. You may even have seen the guides you have to PAY for.
You too can import a vehicle from the US into Canada in just a few easy steps.

User Alysomj over at RedFlagDeals.com forums compiled a detailed How-To guide for our benefit. A big thank you to him and all the others who contributed material in various threads on that site.

Two thumbs up!

The intro blurb on this new site reads:

Americans are concerned about high gas prices, the environment and our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. An increase in fuel economy standards — making sure new autos get more miles to the gallon — could help Americans save money at the pump, reduce global warming pollution, and enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. So, it is disturbing to hear Toyota talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to increasing fuel economy.

If this interests you, visit the site at

The Truth About Cars has just launched it's second annual Ten Worst Cars Today (TWAT) nomination process.
Last year's winners as voted by the readers were in order:
10. Chevrolet Aveo5
9. Lincoln Mark LT
8. Saab 9-7x
7. Subaru B9 Tribeca
6. Chevrolet Monte Carlo
5. Hummer H2
4. Chrysler Aspen
3. Buick Rendezvous
2. Jeep Compass
1. GM Minivans

There's not much to argue about the vehicles that made the list last year.
Cast your vote for the 2007 TWAT of the Year and read the rules and regulations here.

Happy 75th Birthday to the Autobahn.
A roadway where people know how to drive and respect each other - seems impossible on this side of the pond.

From the HealthyCar.org website:

Concern about the impact of the use of toxic chemicals, primarily used in plastics, in vehicles continues to grow. As both the number of cars in use and the time people spend in vehicles increases, the impact on the environment and human health from chemicals contained in materials grows. These chemicals have impacts during production, use and final disposal of vehicles. Of particular concern to vehicle purchasers are chemicals contained in materials that they routinely touch or chemicals that are released into the air inside the vehicle causing the “new car smell”.

The site has a list of best/worst of class as well as a model search. The full report can be downloaded as well.
Too bad about the Versa. It's a versatile little car.