2020 Toyota Corolla HybridHandout / Toyota Electrification, thanks to Tesla and Toyota, has become mainstream. What was once futuristic and Jetsonian — i.e. the incredibly awkward Honda Insight of the 1999 — has now become commonplace — as in the goofy, bulbous profile of the Prius. Instead of being asked “Why did you buy a hybrid?” you’re now more likely to be pressed as to why you didn’t. In other words, what was once unique has become conventional.What hasn’t changed is that hybrids still command a premium. Oh, the price bump isn’t as big as it used to be, but with extra electric motors, batteries and gearboxes, it’s little wonder you have to pay more for their fuel-sipping ways.How much of a premium you need to pay then is the question. So Driving.ca investigated the most cost-effective electrified vehicles sold in Canada, taking into account everything from MSRP to long-term fuel cost savings to pricing compared with their non-electrified siblings. Here then are the most cost-effective hybrids (and I don’t think we need to post a spoiler alert regarding the fact that Toyota figures prominently).Overall best valueIt’s hard to go wrong with a Corolla, the world’s best selling car of all time, and it’s equally hard to find serious fault with Toyota hybrids, so the combination of the two would seem pretty hard to beat. At $24,790, the new Corolla Hybrid is the simple grafting of the Prius powertrain to compact Corolla, lending a mainstream look to a futuristic technology. As for a value comparison, conventional Corollas start at $18,990, but that’s hardly a fair contrast since base gas versions — powered by a 132 horsepower, 1.8-litre four — come with a manual transmission. Comparing apples to apples, the Hybrid is a $4,000 uptick from the Corolla L CVT. What one gets from that four grand is a combination of 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle four and an electric motor that’s good for 121-hp, a combined 4.5L/100 km in highway and urban cycles all of which will cost you, according to Transport Canada, $1,170 a year in fuel. Compare that with the aforementioned Corolla L — 7.1 L/100 km and $1,846 annual fuel costs — and you have a payback period of around six years. If that seems like a long time, it might help being reminded that the Hybrid is actually closer to the LE CVT in trim bits. Said gas-powered LE costs $21,790 and the Hybrid would require a four-and-a-half year payback if you opted for it over the mid-priced conventional version. One thing’s for sure, this electrified Corolla, like other Toyota hybrids, will last a lot longer than that.Quickest payback periodIn terms of smallest increase in price over its conventional gas-powered, or the shortest amount of time needed to payback the premium paid for hybridization, it’s tough to beat Toyota’s RAV4. A 2.5-litre LE AWD RAV4 will set you back some $30,690, for instance, while the Hybrid version of the same LE AWD package costs $32,090. That’s a paltry $1,400, which, considering all the hardware needed to convert from gas to hybrid propulsion, is a pittance. Meanwhile, Natural Resources Canada says you’ll spend $1,693 fueling the gas-powered version but only $1,224 for the hybrid. Do the math and that’s but a three-year payback period, an amazing bargain for any kind of electrification. The electrified RAV4 proves an even more impressive bargain when you consider that Hybrid is actually more powerful — 219 horses versus 203-hp — than the gas car. No wonder Toyota Canada says that they had sold 9,591 RAV4 Hybrids so far in 2019, fully 22 per cent of all its RAV4 sales being electrified. Most cost-effective family of electricsThe reason I like the Kia Niro is that, not only is the Kia’s cute little electrified crossover cheap but it’s offered in three flavours — traditional hybrid, plug-in PHEV and, at the top of the range, a fully battery-powered EV. The base hybrid starts at $25,495 and, for less than a grand more than the Corolla Hybrid, you get a larger cargo area and 139 horses while sipping just 4.8 litres of gas every 100 kilometres. Move up to the plug-in version and Natural resources Canada says the Niro’s annual fuel costs will be but a paltry $753, making it the most frugal of hybrid crossovers. That’s not necessarily a bargain, though, since it starts at $33,965, that’s an $8,500 jump for a $206 annual savings compared with the bare bones Niro Hybrid. However, considering what the competition charges for similar vehicles, that should not be considered so much a slag against the PHEV, but as a compliment to the base Hybrid. And if completely eliminating greenhouse gasses is your foal — and yes, I do remember that this is supposed to be a hybrid comparison — the Niro EV offer 385 kilometres of electric-only range for $44,495, still competitive amongst battery-powered offerings.The people’s choiceNow, considering its $43,498 base price, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV may seem an odd choice for an “affordable” hybrid. But the electrified SUV is
Origin: The most affordable hybrids that will save you money
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Save up to $20,000 off these three luxury sedans
2019 BMW 7 SeriesHandout / BMW On the last three Fridays of every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at deeply discounted luxury sedans with all-wheel-drive. The hot deals are on the 2019 BMW 750i xDrive and Mercedes-Bens S 450 along with the 2018 Lexus LS 500. BMW 7 Series 2019 BMW 7 Series Handout / BMW Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $117,750 Manufacturer Incentive*: $20,000 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $21,500 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $3,215 Total Before Tax: $99,465 — lick here for exclusive local pricing Seldom do you see a discount exceed $20,000, but that’s the case with the 2019 BMW 750i xDrive, as the revamped 2020 model is already sitting on dealer lots. As luxury cars go, the big 7 Series has always been one of the sharper — the secret is it blends a luxurious ride with some decidedly sportier undertones. As such, it can be almost anything to just about any prospective owner. The cabin is marked by its quality and lengthy amenity list. Key is the revamped iDrive infotainment system — it features a 10.2-inch touchscreen that recognizes hand gestures using a 3D camera. Twirling a finger counterclockwise reduces the audio volume; the opposite increases it. The driver can also accept or reject incoming calls with a hand swipe. It works with Apple CarPlay, but sadly not Android Auto. Once too complicated for its own good, iDrive is now much easier to use. The rear environment is as opulent as up front, boasting one of the largest back seats in the business with just about a metre of legroom. Behind is a 515-litre trunk. Blind-spot monitoring, front/rear sonar parking sensors and automatic high beams are standard. The Advanced Driver Assistance package ($2,200) adds lane-departure warning with keep assist, dynamic cruise control with stop/go functionality, park assist and forward cross-traffic alert. Given the 750i’s price tag, this should all be standard. The 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is good for 445 horsepower and 479 lb.-ft. of torque. The upshot is a broad power curve that never leaves the driver wanting. It works with an eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Under normal circumstances the systems sends 40 per cent of the power to the front wheels and 60 to the rear. The split varies according to road conditions, and also uses the stability control system to quell under- and oversteer. It’s one of the better systems around. The combination sees the 750i xDrive run from rest to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, complete the 80-to-120 km/h passing move in 3.1 seconds, and it’s rated to deliver an average fuel economy of 11.5 L/100 kilometres. BMW’s self-leveling air suspension and adaptive dampers are standard. The air suspension adjusts the ride height to suit the drive, while the adaptive dampers control body roll and the steering obeys input with unerring accuracy. The result is a sharp-handling car that is not out of place on a racetrack, yet it is supremely comfortable when cruising the highway. The BMW 750i xDrive arrives with a staggering $21,500 combined Unhaggle discount and a sticker of $99,465. Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Handout / Mercedes-Benz Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $108,100 Manufacturer Incentive*: $10,000 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $11,500 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,810 Total Before Tax: $99,410 — lick here for exclusive local pricing After last year’s refresh and the introduction of the new S 450 model featured here, the 2019 S-Class remains unchanged. The cabin is slick with everything from heated 16-way front seats, and a choice of 64 colours for the cabin’s ambient lighting, to a 13-speaker, 590-watt Burmester sound system. The highlights are two 12.3-inch screens for the instrumentation and infotainment system housed beneath a single pane of glass. The COMAND infotainment is operated through a central controller with a rotary knob and one-touch keys for major functions, including navigation. It also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Move rearward and the short-wheelbase S-Class has 947-millimetres of rear seat legroom and a 464-litre trunk. While blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beams and rain-sensing wipers, among other safety features, are standard, the S 450 requires the Intelligent Drive package ($2,300) to get adaptive cruise control, active/evasive steering assist, congestion emergency braking, active lane keep assist and active blind-spot monitoring among other things. The package gives the S 450 a Level 2 self-driving capability. Again, this should be standard fare considering the price tag. The S 450 is powered by a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 that makes 362 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque, anywhere between 1,600 and 4,000 rpm. The early entry of peak
Origin: Save up to $20,000 off these three luxury sedans
How to properly slam into wildlife with your car — to save your life
You may have seen a meme a few years ago, decrying how you’re more likely to be killed by a moose in Canada than by a terror plot. The implied message is that terrorism isn’t a big deal. But actually, it’s because moose are crazy-dangerous to Canadians. Between 2000 and 2014, 236 Canadians were killed after their car smacked into a moose. Add in collisions with deer, elk, bears, cougars, bison and coyotes, and in the last nineteen years, we’ve lost about as many Canadians to wildlife crashes as died in the Korean War. If you don’t want to be the next driver killed by a wayward ungulate, follow the tips in the video above to avoid wildlife collisions and, if that fails, how to properly smash your car into majestic Canadian fauna. You can also read a transcript of the video, below. Tip Number One: Don’t Speed We’ve all been there. You’re on a wide, dry, empty country road, and you wonder “why does it have such a low speed limit? I’m a good driver, I’ve got good tires, I can speed through here without any problems.” Well dingus, maybe traffic engineers set the speed limit low not because of the road design, but because this is an area where deer keep diving through windshields. That slow speed limit is there so you have enough time to scan the bushes for suicidal deer, and stop in time if one wanders into the roadway. Deer and moose are like giant drunk toddlers. They’ll leap in front of your car for seemingly no reason: So woe betide the driver who thinks he can speed by some roadside deer without them going all kamikaze on his weekend plans. Also, the faster the speed, the worse the collision. Hit a deer in a school zone, and the only damage done is to your pants. Do it at 120, and your funeral is closed-casket. Crash victim Michelle Higgins’ car is seen May 23, 2012, at the local bodyshop in Gander, Newfoundland, following a visit to the crash site where she hit a moose. Doctors told Higgins she went into shock, explaining why she continued to drive to work oblivious of the damage. Victoria Higgins / Supplied Anyone who’s driven from Edmonton to Vancouver knows that Highway 16 slows from about 110 km/h to 80 km/h as you pass through Jasper National Park. The reason they do that is because they don’t want you ploughing your BMW through mountain goats. So, if you don’t like getting moose antlers stabbed into your heart, pay attention to your speed, particularly at night. The majority of wildlife collisions happen between 9 pm and midnight. And those wildlife crossing signs aren’t there for fun: If you see one of these, it’s because you’re entering a stretch of roadway that’s slick with deer blood a lot of the time. Tip Number Two: Don’t Swerve Here’s a sad thing that happens a lot: Someone sees an adorable animal in the middle of the road, so they swerve their car to avoid it, and they end up killing someone. In November, a 24-year-old Regina woman was killed after she swerved to avoid hitting an injured deer, and ploughed into the back of a semi truck. Two months before that, a 27-year-old Halifax woman swerved to avoid an animal in the middle of the road, causing a crash that killed her passenger. That’s why: Never swerve. By trying to save an animal’s life, you could end up causing infinitely more carnage than a dead squirrel. After all: An animal isn’t a telephone pole: You might swerve just to have it jump in front of you anyway. Besides, you just polished off a bacon Whopper, and suddenly you’re St. Francis of Assisi? Don’t risk people’s lives to save a duck. If you’re a collision course with an animal, just brake as much as you can and blow the horn. The one possible exception is if you’re about to hit a moose. Moose are particularly deadly for drivers because they’re basically 600 pounds of meat on toothpick legs. In a crash, your hood goes through the toothpicks and the animal flies through your windshield; so swerving can potentially ward off a direct hit. But here again, you’ve got to be careful. If swerving around a moose means steering into oncoming traffic, don’t do it. And if you’re driving a truck or SUV, you probably shouldn’t do it either. Vehicle safety analysts have a test, appropriately called the moose test, in which a car driving at high speed swerves around a stationary point designed to mimic a moose. Even with a professional driver behind the wheel, a surprising amount of cars don’t pass the test and end up rolling over. If you hit a large animal and your car is low enough, the animal itself can slide up the hood and smash through the windshield if it’s fast and heavy enough. Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press Tip Number Three: If Collision Looms, Release the Brakes at the Last Minute In most vehicle collisions, particularly fatal ones, you usually don’t see the animal before it slams into you. That’s why, as I mentioned in the opening, the best way to keep bear fur out of your grille is to slow down, stay alert and continually scan the ditches for glowing eyes. But
Origin: How to properly slam into wildlife with your car — to save your life
Save up to $12,000 on these three full-size pickups
This weeks hot Unhaggle deal includes the Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500.Handout / Ford / GMC / Ram On the last three Fridays of every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at 44 pickup trucks from the Big Three. The hot deals are on the 2019 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew, GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab and Ram 1500 Tradesmen Crew Cab. 2019 Ford F-150 2019 Ford F-150 Handout / Ford Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $48,799 Manufacturer Incentive*: $10,664 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $12,164 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,040 Total Before Tax: $38,675 — lick here for exclusive local pricing The thirteenth-generation of Canada’s best selling pick-up truck continues with some minor changes — the largest is the top-line Limited now shares the radical Raptor’s 450 horsepower high-output EcoBoost V6. The XLT featured here is more modest in all departments. It gets the usual power items plus FordPass Connect with a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices along with Sync3 with an eight-inch touchscreen. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the XLT arrives with a 5-feet 6-inch short box, the XLT still has the requisite capability — the rear seats fold up against the back of the cab, which opens up a large lockable storage area with a flat floor. The box also features the needed tie-downs and a payload rating of 762-kilograms. While pre-collision assist with auto braking is standard, blind spot monitoring is a $650 option, but only after adding the 302A package, which drives the total cost to $6,800. Myopic packaging at its best! The XLT’s 3.3-litre V6 twists out 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. It drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with Normal, Tow/Haul and Sport modes. The 44 system is part-time with two- and four-wheel-drive high as well as four-wheel-drive low. The 44 side should only be used on loose or slippery surfaces, as it winds-up when steering in dialed in on dry pavement. The combination delivers a posted average fuel economy of 11.6 litres per 100 kilometres, a run from rest to 100 kilometres an hour of 8.1 seconds and a tow capacity of 3,357-kg. The F150 takes a balanced approach to ride and handling. On smooth urban roads and on the highway it is comfortable. Again, on a smooth twisty road there is minimal body roll and the steering delivers decent feedback. However, when a rough section of road is encountered mid-corner the back-end has a tendency to washboard out of line. This is a common trait with trucks with a solid rear axle and leaf springs. The Ford F150 XLT SuperCrew has a generous combined Unhaggle discount of $12,164, which leaves a pre-tax sticker of $38,675. 2019 GMC Sierra 2019 GMC Sierra Handout / GMC Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $47,100 Manufacturer Incentive*: $6,050 Unhaggle Savings: $1,500 Total Savings: $7,550 Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,035 Total Before Tax: $41,585 — lick here for exclusive local pricing The next-generation GMC Sierra is new for 2019. The restyled rig is handsome and the SLE featured here comes with the right amenities including an eight-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth audio streaming for two devices along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and OnStar. There is now a degree of cohesiveness to the layout. It also arrives with Teen Driver. It can limit certain vehicle features and automatically turn on safety systems meaning no more smoky burnouts. It also gives an anxious parent a report card gives on junior’s driving habits. One of the big improvements is the increased rear seat room in the crew-cab. Out back there’s a 5-feet 9-inch box that comes with the needed tie-downs and a payload rating of 940-kg. Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and front/rear park assist are part of the Drive Alert I package. It is priced at $1,095, but requires upgrading to SLE Convenience package first. This bumps the combined cost to $3,960. Again, with these features rapidly becoming standard it is regressive thinking. The features SLE arrives with a 2.7L turbocharged four-cylinder that was designed for truck use. It uses variable valve lift to produce 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission to drive all four wheels. The featured model has a part-time single-speed 44 system. For those not intending to go off-road or visiting a construction sites on a frequent basis this system is enough. To get the set-and-forget system with a low-range gear set requires going to the larger 5.3L V8 engine and a package costing $3,745. The featured SLE with the 2.7L engine has a posted average fuel economy of 11.8 L/100 km, a run to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and a tow capacity of 3,000-kg. The latest Sierra is certainly more compliant than the outgoing model,
Origin: Save up to $12,000 on these three full-size pickups
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