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TORONTO - With gasoline prices at the pump near record highs, some Canadians are rethinking whether car ownership is worth the soaring cost.

But for those who simply can't sacrifice their vehicles, a few smaller changes can save hundreds of dollars.

Julian Jean-Pierre, a 36-year-old landlord who moves a lot of furniture around Toronto to his rental apartments, says high pump prices have him wishing he could walk or use public transit more often, but that's just not realistic for him.

He says a big squeeze from high pump prices in the past few weeks is forcing him to cut back in other areas.

"I have less money to spend with my family and stuff. It seems like everyday I'm paying more and more," Jean-Pierre says.

"I'm saving my change more, collecting more pennies and emptying my pocket and trying to put that toward my disposable income."

Consumers in central Canada recently saw gasoline prices spike and analysts say that's not the end. Prices are expected to push higher to as much as $1.50 a litre before the summer.

That has budget-minded and debt-loaded Canadians worried about how cope with not only a spike in pump prices but the related effects on grocery, taxi and flight prices — among other changes consumers will have to deal with.

Here are some tips from Jim Davidson, gas savings expert and author of 75 Ways to Save on Gas:

— Reduce the number of trips taken by car: try cycling, taking public transit or an auto sharing program that includes the price of gas.

— Rethink the time of day you're travelling, is it worth the gas to sit in rush hour traffic for a bag of milk?

— Slow down! Most vehicles get maximum fuel efficiency around 93 kilometres per hour. "Every ten kilometres you go over 93, you're burning 10 per cent more fuel," Davidson says.

—Turn off the air conditioning/defroster unless it's completely necessary — it can use up to 20 per cent more gas.

— Service your car regularly, vehicles that are out of shape can use between 10 per cent and 35 per cent more gas.

— Pay attention to your tires, each underinflated tire can waste up to five per cent more gas. "Last time I tried to ride a bicycle with underinflated tires, It was really tiring, so it's the same concept," Davidson says. Make sure they are properly inflated, but don't overinflate either, he advises.

— Don't idle. Get off your car seat and walk in for that early morning coffee rather than sitting in the drive-through line.

Jason Toews, co-founder of gas price complication website GasBuddy.com, adds these tips:

— Do your research before you fill up. Gas prices can vary by as much as 10 cents a litre even within the same city. Websites like GasBuddy and others can point out the cheapest stations in a given region. "It's a huge savings just knowing where to fill up," Toews says, adding choosing the right station can save $20 or more each time.

— Plan a road trip route that goes through the U.S. "You're going to save money on gas by driving through the U.S. because it's roughly 33 per cent cheaper in the U.S. right now," Toews says.

— Flying is not necessarily the better option. Air fares are also affected by higher prices for jet fuel. Calculate the costs, which can be cheaper if you find a seat sale or book before new fuel surcharges kick in.

— Choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. Many Canadians are trading in their old gas guzzlers for smaller, more fuel efficient choices. Although a new car may seem extravagant, a decade-old pickup truck could be too costly to keep.

For example, he says, a round trip from Vancouver to Toronto (about 8,800 kilometres) in a Chevy Silverado pickup truck costs about $1,044. He says the same trip in a Toyota Prius car would cost about $438.

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO - The SUV with the driving fun of a sports car is entering its second generation. Indeed, Porsche is celebrating the world premiere of the new Cayenne GTS at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. Its concept: concentration on sporty performance. Its recipe: a more powerful engine, more dynamic power delivery, a tauter chassis with lower ride height, and emphatically sporty equipment. In the process, the new Cayenne GTS doesn't just fill the gap between the Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo but also differentiates itself clearly from the other models with its own special character.

The Cayenne GTS's hood conceals a 420 hp uprated V8 engine, based on the Cayenne S power unit. Power transmission is ensured by the
eight-speed Tiptronic S with integrated auto start/stop function. An especially dynamically tuned engine and transmission design reinforces
the unequivocally sporty characteristics. The Cayenne GTS sprints from a standing start to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, reaching 160 km/h in 13.3
seconds. The top track speed is 261 km/h.

The specially tuned chassis ensures thrilling driving dynamics. It is more tautly tuned, equipped with Porsche Active Suspension Management
(PASM), air suspension, and a 20 mm lower riding height relative to the Cayenne S. As a result, the new Cayenne GTS is even closer to the
road and moves with the sports car's trademark composure and agility.

The Cayenne GTS's looks openly proclaim its pronounced sportiness with eye-catching features such as the front-end borrowed from the Cayenne
Turbo, frames and trims in high-gloss black, prominent side skirts and wider wheel arches as well as a distinctive roof spoiler with twin-wing profile. The prevailing ambiance of the interior is sporty elegance and the GTS features a standard leather interior with Alcantara elements. Front sports seats with eight adjustment options are also featured as standard in the new Cayenne GTS.

Offered at a starting price of $93,600, the Cayenne GTS is expected to arrive in Canada this fall.

Demonstrations intend to educate public and create awareness of laws

TORONTO, ON - Ontario Provincial Police are partnering with Volvo of Oakville to offer a car seat installation clinic for area residents. The initiative will provide awareness of proper installation techniques and clarification of current laws.

The local initiative between the Burlington OPP and the Volvo dealership will offer demonstrations on how to correctly and safely secure infants, toddlers and young children, stressing the importance of having children of all ages and sizes properly restrained while in the vehicle. A roll-over simulator will be on site in order to demonstrate the reality of what can actually happen in the event of a collision. Officers will also recommend proper car seat adjustments for any interested members of the public who attend the clinics with their own vehicle regardless of make or model and will even be providing child seat recall notice information. Refreshments will also be provided.

"Volvo prides itself on its reputation for building safe, reliable vehicles and there should be no higher priority than the safety of our children," says John Martins, President of both Volvo of Oakville and Hamilton Volvo who is pleased to welcome Burlington's finest to his dealership, "We are honoured to be involved with an initiative that creates awareness of this important cause."

Pet Restraint Systems will also be discussed with the assistance of a representative from M & G Pet Foods who will demonstrate various pet restraint products for vehicles. An unsecured pet is in danger of injury not only to itself but of other occupants in the vehicle as well.

The child seat safety clinic times are as follows:

Date: April 10th, 2012 @ 8:00am - 6:00pm

Location: Volvo of Oakville - 770 Pacific Road, Oakville, ON

TURIN, ITALY – Consolidated vehicle sales for Fiat-Chrysler rose 8.2 percent in the first two months as strong Chrysler demand in North America offset Fiat's decline in Europe.

Sales increased to 616,800 compared with a year earlier, Fiat said.

The Italian automaker, which owns 58.5 percent of Chrysler Group, began releasing consolidated results for the two automakers for the first time on March 31.

Fiat-Chrysler sales in North America, the largest market for the two carmakers, rose 35.8 percent to 281,200 in the first two months, Fiat said. Overall, the region accounts for 45.6 percent of global sales.

In the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA), Fiat-Chrysler's second-largest market, sales declined by 18.7 percent to 181,800. Passenger car sales fell 13.8 percent to 149,700, while light commercial vehicles dropped 23.9 percent to 32,100.

Car sales in the EU and EFTA countries fell 16.5 percent to 135,100 while light commercial vehicle sales dropped 17.4 percent to 32,300.

The EMEA markets account for 29.5 percent of global sales.

Sales in the No. 3 market, Latin America, grew by 2.3 percent to 135,600, rising 9.8 percent in Argentina, but remaining flat in Brazil. Latin America represents nearly a quarter or 22 percent of Fiat-Chrysler global sales.

Growth in Asia Pacific (APAC) showed the biggest increase, but the region remains the smallest market by sales volume for the two automakers. Sales grew by 27.2 percent to 16,200, with Jeep sales of 6,900 in China and sales of Fiat-branded models reaching 3,800 in India. Asia Pacific accounts for 2.6 percent of overall global sales.

Fiat's high-end sports car brands, Ferrari and Maserati, grew global sales by a combined 6.7 percent to 1,900 in the first two months.

In January, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne forecast that the alliance, which has been operating as single company since September 1, 2011, will sell between 4.1 and 4.4 million vehicles this year, up from 4.0 million in 2011.