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With the first snowfall around the corner, it’s that time again where we brace ourselves for the cold and buy a new winter coat and boots.  Some of us might like to hibernate in the winter time when we can, but others are most adventurous and most have to at least commute to work – this is where the all-season versus winter tire debate begins.

Recently I was invited to a winter vehicle preparation clinic hosted by Canadian Tire.  It was a chance to showcase their new automotive winter products and learn first-hand how all-season and winter tires perform on a local hockey rink.

Safety should always be paramount whenever you use your vehicle, but I don’t believe people understand the vast differences between the two types of tires.  All-season is a catchy name that can make a driver feel safe, but when it comes to winter driving the softer compound on winter tires retains elasticity giving you much more control and traction. While, all-season tires tend to harden at 7 Celsius and lose their grip.

The decision is clearly not just based on which is better – if that was the case everyone would have winter tires, but whether it’s worth it to buy.  Winter tires can be a large investment for some, which would double their cost for tires and add extra charges for making the tire switch twice a year. It’s an individual or family choice and it should be based on how often you use your vehicle and what you use it for. If you use your car very sparingly – I might say it’s not worth it to make the winter tire investment, but if you do travel a sizeable distance or like to drive in the winter time – the Canadian Tire hockey rink experience might help you with your decision.

The two tires being tested were the MotoMaster SE2, Canadian Tire’s best-selling all-season and Goodyear’s Nordic Winter Tire, designed specifically for life in Canada. I was told before beginning that modern winter tires offer up to 50% - or even more – winter traction than all-season tires by Graham Jeffery, Category Business Manager at Canadian Tire. These sets of tires were placed on identical Hyundai Elantra GT’s and they were tested through various skating rink routes and stops.  

Now it was time to see for myself…

I started with the blue Elantra GT which had the Goodyear Nordic Winter tires on it.  It cornered well around the rink, but not too much throttle could be used as I began to head straight for the hockey boards. With an ease off of the accelerator and a steering wheel rotation in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) I was back on track and feeling safe.  After numerous laps and slopes it was time to test out the brakes.  A stop sign was situated just ahead of a large measuring tape in ft. I slowly accelerated up to 15 km and slammed the brakes at the stop sign finally coming to a complete stop 21 ft. away.

Now it was time for the comparison as I jumped into the red Elantra GT with the all-season MotoMaster SE2’s. I felt the difference immediately as I tried to glide it up to 15 km, which was a struggle. The harder compound rubber failed to get any traction for my turn and that was my indication to slow down. I didn’t feel the same comfort level while driving and was overly cautious with any acceleration.  As for the braking test – well it took an extra 14 ft. to stop as I landed on 35 ft. away from the stop sign.

There are various types of winter tires on the Canadian market, and it's important to assess your needs in order to select the right tire for your kind of driving. The Goodyear Nordic Winter Tire was exceptional compared to the MotoMaster all-season tire and you can only imagine what the difference might be in real road conditions while driving in speeds four times more than I was going.  “Goodyear’s Nordic Winter Tire can stop 45 ft. shorter than a regular all-season when traveling at 60 kms,” said Jeffery.  The braking gap between the two was eye-opening and if safety is a concern – you better get suited for some winter tires before the first snowfall.

MISSISSAUGA, ON – Habitat for Humanity is calling on all Canadians to visit their local Nissan dealer over the next month, as Nissan Canada has pledged a donation of $20 to local Habitat for Humanity projects for each test drive in order to help more low-income families access affordable homeownership and break the cycle of poverty.

“Nissan Canada and its employees have been great supporters of Habitat’s work in Canada for over five years,” said Stewart Hardacre, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “Their employees regularly help out on builds and they provide much-needed financial support to help cover hard costs such as land and building materials. We are extremely grateful for their support.” 

As part of Nissan Canada’s “Gift to You” holiday campaign, Nissan will also be donating an additional $5 to local Habitat affiliates for each new Facebook “like” they receive over the duration of the promotion, which ends December 24. Nationwide, Habitat for Humanity and Nissan Canada hope to generate $550,000 in total, which will help several more low-income families realize a safe and decent home they can afford.

“Nissan and our employees have been proud supporters of Habitat for Humanity Canada for the past five years, helping build numerous homes for Canadian families from coast to coast,” said Judy Wheeler, Director of Marketing, Nissan Canada Inc. “Everyone should be home for the holidays and with the funds raised through this campaign, we will ensure many more Canadians have a home to call their own this time next year.” 

Visit www.nissangift.ca for more information on the campaign, Nissan vehicles, and the Nissan dealerships near you.

MISSISSAUGA, ON– The 100th Grey Cup is right around the corner, and Nissan – the official automotive partner of the Canadian Football League - is gearing up for the big game by supporting several fan-focused events this week, starting with the 100th  Grey Cup Festival which commences November 15. For 10 days and 11 nights, the city of Toronto will celebrate the 100th Grey Cup through various events in the downtown core, including the 100th Grey Cup Festival Family Zone hosted by Nissan. Yonge-Dundas Square will be dominated by Nissan with practically all of the billboards in the vicinity promoting Nissan’s new 2013 models. The Nissan Family Zone will be bustling with excitement; offering plenty of activities for the whole family. 

Nissan is providing 30 new 2013 vehicles as official Grey Cup Festival VIP transportation. Included in this mix will be the much anticipated all-new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. The 2013 Pathfinder re-imagines the SUV with new aerodynamics, a new unibody platform and class-leading combined fuel economy. The unibody platform allows for a roomy, comfortable interior without compromising Pathfinder’s strong all-weather capabilities. A long list of new technologies also includes a Dual Panorama Moonroof, Around Viewä Monitor, and 13-speaker Boseâ Premium Audio System and tri-zone entertainment system.

“Nissan  is proud of its association with the CFL and its storied history. This festival is about family fun and Canadians coming together from all across the country to celebrate.” said Judy Wheeler, Director of Marketing at Nissan Canada. “We are thrilled to be a part of such a momentous Canadian sporting event, and can appreciate the high level of excitement that the 100th Grey Cup Festival celebrations will bring to CFL fans.”

Nissan will also feature several new vehicles on display at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and in the Nissan Family Zone at Yonge-Dundas Square. The Nissan Family Zone will feature the all-new Altima, several vehicle displays, a mini-football field for children to learn and play, food stations and live entertainment. On top of that, the legendary CFL player and five-time Grey Cup Champion Warren Moon will be stopping by the Nissan display on Saturday afternoon, November 24, to answer fan’s questions.

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 25th, the Sun Life Grey Cup Fan March will wind its way through the streets of downtown Toronto to Rogers Centre and a Nissan Pathfinder will open this fan march. During this fan march, many participating fans will have the unique opportunity to carry the Grey Cup trophy alongside legendary CFL players from past Grey Cup Games.

On Grey Cup Sunday, the festivities will kick off at 12:30 pm from Varsity Stadium, the site of 30 past Grey Cups, with the Sun Life Grey Cup Fan March leaving the Stadium at 1:45 p.m. Thanks to our tremendous partners at Sun Life Financial, there will be entertainment, marching bands, mascots, cheerleaders and a whole lot of spirited fun throughout the March, which will be featured on TSN’s game day coverage, hosted by TSN’s Cabral ‘Cabbie’ Richards. The March will proceed to Front Street joining the pre-game celebrations at the TELUS Street Festival.

DEARBORN, MI – Ford, the most fuel-efficient full-line manufacturer, introduces the first seven-passenger people mover expected to break the 30 mpg-plus highway barrier with the all-new Transit Connect Wagon, which drives like a car, has the flexibility of a utility and can haul the payload of a full-size pickup.

“Transit Connect Wagon gives young families and people on the go the fun-to-drive and efficient vehicle they’ve been looking for,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s President of The Americas. “It’s an all-new, smaller seven-seater that has better mileage than larger vans and creates a segment of its own. Customers also will love the unique combination of style, adaptability and affordability this wagon brings.”

Transit Connect Wagon is offered in five- and seven-passenger configurations, and in XL, XLT and Titanium series levels. No other wagon in the market today offers the convenience of fold-flat seating, at least a 1,200-pound (540 kilograms) payload and more than 100 cubic feet (2800 litres) of cargo space.

When properly equipped, this versatile wagon is approved to tow up to 2,000 pounds (908 kilograms), 500 pounds (227 kilograms) more than a four-cylinder Toyota Highlander SUV.

Have it your way

Transit Connect Wagon offers customers a choice between two fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines – a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and an optional 1.6-litre EcoBoost® that is estimated to deliver 30 mpg-plus on the highway. This powertrain makes Transit Connect Wagon the gas mileage leader among seven-passenger vehicles.

Both engines come mated to a convenient six-speed automatic transmission, geared for around-town responsiveness and low-rpm highway cruising.

Transit Connect Wagon is available in a wide variety of configurations and series levels, offering unexpected features in a high-value package with low operating costs.

This stylish, contemporary design is offered with a choice of five- or seven-passenger seating arrangements, and offers meaningful options like a full-glass panoramic roof, rear view camera, 6.5-inch touch screen display with navigation, and SYNC® with MyFord Touch® – Ford’s highly acclaimed voice-activated communications and entertainment system.

Transit Connect Wagon’s global design includes premium cues throughout such as available full body-color exterior accents with jewel-like chrome trim and high-gloss interior trim pieces. A range of seating surfaces, from luxurious leather, comfortable cloth and heavy-duty vinyl, is available to suit the specific needs of a wide variety of potential customers.

Commercial-strength DNA in a family versatility vehicle

Transit Connect Wagon’s work-hard/play-hard nature is reflected in cargo-carrying capacity and room for up to seven comfortably seated passengers, wrapped in a high-strength body engineered to rigorous global commercial vehicle durability standards.

The all-new Transit Connect Wagon builds on the foundation of reliability and durability established by the current Transit Connect compact van. Introduced in North America in 2009, Transit Connect has become the must-have vehicle for small business proprietors, thanks to its unmatched combination of payload and cargo capacities, adaptability, fuel efficiency, maneuverability and overall ease of driving.

Transit Connect was recognized as an innovative “white space” vehicle – literally carving out a new category in the market – by the automotive industry press corps when it was named North American Truck of the Year in January 2010 at the North American International Auto Show.

Transit Connect has become a favorite of small businesses, corporate fleets, taxi operators and a few individualistic owners who find its combination of a car-like ride and the cargo capacity of a van just right for their personal use.

“The all-new Transit Connect Wagon will expand the personal-use audience for this versatile nameplate by offering up to seven-passenger capacity across three rows of seating in a fully trimmed interior,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford vice president of Global Engineering, Global Product Development. “It has an extensive selection of comfort, convenience and connectivity options, and a full complement of safety features – making it a modern, family-friendly alternative to oversized minivans.”

All Transit Connect Wagon models feature first-row frontal, pelvis and side airbags, with first-, second- and third-row side curtain airbags.

Ford’s award-winning MyKey® programmable ignition key enables restricting maximum vehicle speed and audio system volume, bringing additional peace of mind to both parents and fleet administrators alike.

Transit Connect Wagon even offers a child observation mirror so parents can keep track of children safely belted in second- and third-row seats.

Infinite adaptability

Inside, the Transit Connect Wagon package is a rolling showcase for adaptability in hauling both people and cargo.

From its 60/40 three-passenger second-row bench seat through fold-flat second- and third-row seating with third-row independent fore-and-aft sliding capability, Transit Connect Wagon quickly adapts to accommodate multiple combinations of people and cargo.

Also available is an electric windshield defroster, making short work of icy windshields in winter conditions.

The versatile Transit Connect Wagon offers far better fuel efficiency than traditional minivans, compact-car-like maneuverability and handling, combined with unprecedented payload and cargo capabilities.

Look for Transit Connect Wagon to appear in North American Ford dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2013. Consumers can get more information and learn more about the Transit Connect Wagon at http://ford.com/transitconnectwagon.