Today is the start of the Detroit auto show. At the show the Hyundai Elantra was awarded Car of the Year. It’s very hard to beat the price and features of the Hyundai cars these days.

A lot of new cars now come with push-button start. This feature, usually combined with keyless start, allows the engine to turn on without the use of a key. However, the NHTSA in the USA has found that many owners do not know how to turn off the car in an emergency – for instance if there is a loss of control in the gas or brakes. The problem is that the power-down procedure differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some require you to press the start button again. Others require you to hold it down for 3 seconds.

If you have push-button start, have a look at your manual and figure out how to turn your car off in the event of an emergency.

This video below shows how Porsche tested the new 911 before it’s public launch at the Frankfurt Autoshow this fall. While focused only on the 911, these tests are similar to those done by all car manufacturers.

I’ve written a lot about my favorite new transmission technology – dual clutch transmissions. Well before they came out, and still soldiering on, are Continuously Variable Transmissions. Whereas DCT deliver performance first and economy second, CVT’s deliver economy first. CVT’s allow give your car an infinite number of gear ratios, not just 4, 5 or 6 like most girls. This allows the engine to always run at the most economical gear ratio all the time. CVT’s have been in cars for quite a while, but the next generation of CVT’s have started to arrive. Nissan outlined their improved CVT in the following video:

This question is asked a lot by car buyers. The Toronto Star asked the local new car dealer association to list top 5 years for buying new, and the used car dealer association to buy used. One thing to note, the majority of new car dealers sell used cars.

Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Used Car:
1. Depreciation
2. Road-Tested
3. Reliability
4. Kick the tires
5. Insurance

Top 5 Reasons to Buy a New Car:
1. Financial incentives
2. The latest technologies and safety features
3. Longer warranties
4. Personalized options
5. New cars last longer

The individual category winners for AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year have been picked. One of these will be selected Car of the Year during the Toronto International Auto Show early next year:

Korean cars won 5 of the 11 categories. The only domestic car winner was the Dodge Journey.

Best New Small Car Under $21,000: Hyundai Accent
Best New Small Car Over $21,000: Hyundai Elantra
Best New Family Car Under $30,000: Kia Optima
Best New Family Car Over $30,000: Kia Optima Hybrid
Best New Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class C350 4Matic Sedan
Best New Sports/Performance Car Under $50,000: Hyundai Veloster
Best New Sports/Performance Car Over $50,000: BMW 1 Series M Coupe
Best New Prestige Car Over $75,000: Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
Best New SUV/CUV Under $35,000: Dodge Journey
Best New SUV/CUV $35,000-$60,000: Volkswagen Touareg TDI
Best New SUV/CUV Over $60,000: BMW X3

No, not the ability to read minds, but “Electronic Stability Programs” – a computerized system of monitoring steering wheel input, wheel speed, car speed and car direction and make corrections should the car be “out of control”. In Canadian winters everyone has experienced oversteer or understeer, and the ESP will allow for the car to intervene and fix those problems, preventing many accidents. While many sports cars and premium cars have the ability to turn this off, most people should leave it on in their day-to-day driving.

Source: Toronto Star

Ontario’s Drive Clean is becoming a lot less annoying. This program will now require less testing, specifically:

• Vehicles will need a test for registration renewal at seven years of age, instead of five.
• Light-duty vehicles no longer require a test for family transfers and lease buyouts by the lessee.
• No test is required for licence renewal if your light-duty vehicle passed the test in the previous calendar year.
• Vehicles plated “Historic” no longer require testing.

There’s a lot of arcticles on the most likely stolen cars, however the Toronto Star came up with this list of least likely stolen cars:

• Audi A6 4WD ($16,882)
• Mercury Mariner – 2009-10 model years ($1,970)
• Chevrolet Equinox – 2010 model year ($2,069)
• Volkswagen CC – 2009-10 model years ($7,098)
• Chevrolet Equinox 4WD – 2010 model year ($4,870)
• Lexus RX 350 – 2010 model year ($6,084)
• Saturn Vue ($3,747)
• Chevrolet Aveo – 2009-10 model year ($7,642)
• BMW 5 series 4WD ($12,200)
• Mini Cooper Clubman mini ($1,883)

Car and Driver broke the cars into five price categories and put all the cars around the track. LL1 is the cheapest category, and I’ll be buying a car from the LL4 or 5 category if I win $50million tonight.