Lee Bailie

Canada

Freelance Writer at Metroland Media Group

Freelance Writer at AutoGuide

Automotive scribbler. Avid traveler. Long-suffering Toronto sports fan. Opinions mine.

Articles

Your car is probably not stolen. Probably.

1 week ago | pasmag.com | Lee Bailie

You likely don’t give it a second thought, but there is a remote chance the car you’re driving – the one you paid for and completed reams of paperwork to plate, insure and legally own – is stolen. Now, don’t worry – odds are the car you bought either online, or through a friend, or from a dealer is, in fact, completely legal and above board. So don’t expect a knock on the door from the police anytime soon.
A newcomer from Vietnam joins the EV SUV ranks. Is it any good?

1 week ago | thespec.com | Lee Bailie

As I cruise along silently in the VinFast VF8 EV, conflicting thoughts cross my mind. It’s smooth-riding, comfortable and well equipped. All good things. But, it also has oddly placed controls, smallish range and average driving. Not so great. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, in other words. Lots of good. But there’s some that’s not so great. But then I remember that VinFast, a Vietnamese automaker that’s only been around since 2017, is relatively new to the auto industry.
A newcomer from Vietnam joins the EV SUV ranks. Is it any good?

1 week ago | flamboroughreview.com | Lee Bailie

As I cruise along silently in the VinFast VF8 EV, conflicting thoughts cross my mind. It’s smooth-riding, comfortable and well equipped. All good things. But, it also has oddly placed controls, smallish range and average driving. Not so great. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, in other words. Lots of good. But there’s some that’s not so great. But then I remember that VinFast, a Vietnamese automaker that’s only been around since 2017, is relatively new to the auto industry.
First Drive Review: 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 2-Door

1 week ago | autoguide.com | Lee Bailie

NEW! by Lee Bailie (IC: employee) Like others in the MINI family, the John Cooper Works (JCW) Hardtop is all-new for a fourth generation in 2025. Available in both two and four-door variants (three and five-door in Canada), these MINIs receive a load of changes covering everything from styling to tech to power output. AutoGuide recently traveled to Savannah, Georgia, to sample the JCW Hardtop 2-Door—here’s what we learned.
First Drive Review: 2025 MINI Cooper S And JCW Convertible

1 week ago | autoguide.com | Lee Bailie

NEW! by Lee Bailie (IC: employee) The MINI Convertible family is all-new for a fourth generation in 2025, with three distinct models for North America: Cooper (Cooper C in Canada), Cooper S, and John Cooper Works (JCW). These cars come with fresh styling that’s still recognizably MINI, with bug-eyed LED lights, a big open-mouth front grille, and more body and accent color combinations than you can shake a stick at.
Will Genesis build these stunning concepts?

2 weeks ago | pasmag.com | Lee Bailie

Story by Lee Bailie If looking at the latest Genesis X Gran Coupe and X Gran Convertible concepts gives you a feeling of déjà vu, don’t worry, it’s a perfectly normal response. You’re not hallucinating. No need to see your doctor. The fact is Genesis has been showing variants of these two since 2021 and 2022, when the X Concept and X Convertible Concept, respectively, were shown for the first time. Since then, Internet speculation about production potential for these two has been intense.
Toyota discontinues GR Supra

2 weeks ago | pasmag.com | Lee Bailie

Story by Lee Bailie I’m not saying we here at PASMAG are going to dive head-long into the prediction business, but we really nailed it when we said on the latest episode of our Factory Fresh YouTube show that we thought Toyota might discontinue the GR Supra. And guess what? They did. A few hours after we recorded, a press release from Toyota announcing the GR Supra MkV Final Edition, a 2026 model that will wrap up GR Supra production, landed in my inbox.
More than meets the eye, this whisper-quiet Mitsubishi produces magnificent audio inside

3 weeks ago | therecord.com | Lee Bailie

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.—As I wind along canyon roads in the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, I’m struck by the very hushed nature of the drive. For a non-EV, this is one of the quietest cabins I’ve ever experienced. What do I hear? Not much, save for the muffled sounds of the Outlander’s four-cylinder engine, and even when I press the accelerator, the sound doesn’t rise much above a muted thrum. Wind and tire noise is almost imperceptible, which is intentional.
More than meets the eye, this whisper-quiet Mitsubishi produces magnificent audio inside

3 weeks ago | mykawartha.com | Lee Bailie

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.—As I wind along canyon roads in the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, I’m struck by the very hushed nature of the drive. For a non-EV, this is one of the quietest cabins I’ve ever experienced. What do I hear? Not much, save for the muffled sounds of the Outlander’s four-cylinder engine, and even when I press the accelerator, the sound doesn’t rise much above a muted thrum. Wind and tire noise is almost imperceptible, which is intentional.
Acura expands its lineup with a compact SUV. Is it any good?

1 month ago | therecord.com | Lee Bailie

ENCINITAS, CALIF.—As I climb up a steep and twisty canyon pass that folds back on itself, I press harder on the Acura ADX’s accelerator and the four-cylinder turbo responds admirably, making short work of a road that even a sports car would find challenging. But I’m not in a sports car. I’m in a compact SUV.