Gearheads to test Canada’s new cars
I’m getting set to test drive some of the newest vehicles in Canada and cast votes for the Canadian Car of the Year Awards.
From Oct. 26 to 30, I will be taking part in “TestFest” in Ajax, Ontario, just east of Toronto.
The event is put on annually by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), to provide consumers with comparative information about what’s new on the market.
I’ll be one of 70 or so automotive journalists from across Canada who will sample the latest cars and trucks in the country.
We’ll be evaluating the vehicles, and then our votes are tabulated. There will be nine category winners announced later this year, and then the overall 2016 Car of the Year and the Utility Vehicle of the Year will be announced at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto next February.
This is the first time I’ll be taking part in TestFest. There’s more to it than simply driving a bunch of cars and trucks then just picking which one I happen to like the best.
There will be 21 separate elements to evaluate — such as acceleration, braking and maneuverability — and each element is scored on a 0-to-10 scale.
There’s a secret ballot, the results will be tabulated by an accounting firm — and kept confidential until the awards news conferences.
Once the winners are declared, the comparative test data, and vote results are posted to the AJAC website for use by consumers. The idea of TestFest is to help people when they go shopping for a new set of wheels. This annual event has an impact on manufacturers because being able to say one of your products is “Canadian Car of the Year” attracts people to showrooms.
“Receiving accolades is definitely beneficial when it comes to driving traffic in our dealership,” explains Leon Dyck, new Vehicle Sales Manager at Wheaton Chevrolet in Regina.
The Chevrolet Cruze won AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year title back in 2011 and Dyck says “We are able to use the awards that Chevrolet has received over the years to illustrate the brand’s commitment to excellence.”
The Mazda 6 was named AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year in 2014.
“Having ‘AJAC’s Canadian Car of the Year’ on the Mazda 6 really highlights the fact that we do indeed build world-class and classleading vehicles,” says Kristy Gaudry, sales manager at Regina Mazda.
“The AJAC awards are a fantastic way of highlighting what makes a car worth considering,” adds Gaudry.
For 2015, the Subaru Legacy was named Canadian Car of the Year, and the Ford F-150 was named the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.
Trevor Boquist, owner and president of Bennett-Dunlop Ford in Regina says, “The AJAC awards represent an important voice in Canada.”
Not every vehicle on the market is tested, only those considered to be new or significantly changed.
Rather than trying to drive all 41 vehicles in the nine categories, participants are asked to select three categories. I had to pass on driving some cars (such as Prestige — Performance over $75,000) because one needs a high-performance licence to get behind the wheel of such vehicles.
I have a regular licence, so the three categories I selected, and the vehicles I will be testing, are:
SMALL CAR:
■ Honda Civic Sedan
■ Scion iM AT
■ smart fortwo coupe
■ Toyota Yaris Sedan
■ Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI
SUV - CUV ($35,000 TO $60,000)
■ BMW X1
■ Ford Edge
■ Honda Pilot
■ Hyundai Tucson
■ Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electric
■ Kia Sorento
■ Lexus NX 200t F Sport
PICKUP
■ Chevrolet Silverado ■ GMC Canyon, Diesel
■ Toyota Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab
Once the testing is completed, the votes tabulated and the results announced, then consumers will have additional information to help them decide what to buy.
And dealerships with winning products will be putting up new “AJAC Winner” signs in their showrooms.
“It’s a great tool for the sales and marketing staff to use every time we receive an award on any of our product line. We have a strong belief in all of our vehicles and it is nice when other knowledgeable groups recognize their quality,” says Leon Dyck at Wheaton Chevrolet.
Trevor Boquist at Bennett-Dunlop says, “Everyone wants to feel good about what they are selling and this just builds upon that. It is always great to have your products be recognized. Third-party endorsements are important in our industry, for it is not the just the manufacturer or dealer saying why it is great.”
Kristy Gaudry at Regina Mazda says what sets the AJAC awards apart from others in North America is that they’re Canadian. “The biggest difference is that the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada is comprised of people who live and drive in Canada’s climate. This is a group of Canadian automotive professionals saying that this is the best car in Canada. There really can’t be a better referral than that.”