News Roundup: Toyota’s ‘least satisfying’ car, plus Kanye’s new dad-van

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Consumer Reports names Toyota C-HR ‘least satisfying car’ in owner survey

One surefire way to test ‘satisfaction’ among vehicle owners is to ask them if they’d buy the same vehicle again. When Consumer Reports did that for its list of “least-satisfying” cars, it was the Toyota C-HR that came out the biggest loser, with only 29 per cent of owners saying they’d purchase another in future, despite more positive commendations in the magazine itself.

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The second biggest loser was the Ford EcoSport, which was able to win over just 30 per cent of owners, followed by the Chevrolet Trax with a return-shopper rate of 37 per cent. Read the full breakdown here to find out what else to cross off your potential-next-vehicle list. 

Toyota intros the next-gen three-row 2023 Sequoia

The largest three-row SUV in the Toyota stable bowed in its new iteration this week as the 2023 Sequoia. A First Look at the Tundra-based people mover reveals a larger, more powerful, and less gas-greedy vehicle with a 437-horsepower hybrid setup (also from the Tundra) and a towing capacity of 4,080 kg.

Should you be towing such a large load, the Sequoia now also comes with the brand’s Trailer Backup Guide and Straight Path Assist when it comes time to back it into the driveway. All five available trim options come in three-row form, starting with the TRD Off-Road; and moving up to the range-topping Capstone. Pricing has yet to be released. 

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Germany wags finger at Czech millionaire’s 414-km Bugatti Autobahn blast

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Germany’s Autobahn highway has no speed limit. This is fact. Yet, somehow, a Czech millionaire and God-fearing Bugatti owner recently went too fast for the European nation’s transit authority’s liking.

Following the stunt’s release on YouTube – wherein the 33rd richest person in the Czech Republic steers his Bugatti Chiron down the unlimited highway at speeds up to 414 km/h, passing multiple other drivers in the process – the German Transport Ministry issued a statement saying “anyone participating in traffic must behave in such a way that no other person is harmed, endangered, or obstructed or inconvenienced more than is unavoidable under the circumstances.” 

Trucker convoy heads across the country to protest vaccine mandate

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The Convoy For Freedom 2022 left British Columbia on Sunday and set off heading east toward the nation’s capital. The group of truckers are protesting the government’s federal vaccine mandate, and plan to “be loud” when they arrive in Ottawa this weekend, where they’ll likely be met by police preparing for the potential of violence. A GoFundMe page raising capital to assist with the truckers’ cost of fuel, food, and lodgings has raised over $560,000. 

Kanye West’s US$400,000 Benz gives new meaning to the term “dad van”

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Rapper Kanye West was out on the town in his new whip this week: a customized Mercedes-Benz ‘Executive Style’ minivan from RD Whittington of Wires Only in Los Angeles. Costing an alleged US$400,000 according to TMZ, the van looks like a comfy and cool place to be, with reclining seats with footrests and their own trays, TV-style screens, and an audio system fit for a multi-platinum artist. You can catch a glimpse of the silver, kitted-out dad-van in the video above.