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A decade ago, diesel would have been part of almost every powertrain conversation. Today, it's largely absent from Canada's passenger vehicle market. Our latest analysis explores how Dieselgate, stricter emissions standards, rising costs, and the rise of hybrids transformed diesel from a mainstream choice into a specialized one.

Fuel prices tell part of the story: diesel's premium over regular gasoline widened from roughly 18¢/L at the start of 2026 to more than 65¢/L by September.

🔗 rates.ca/resources/diesel-how-mainstream-powertrain-became-niche-option-canada

The difference between regular and premium gas adds up fast. ⛽ Depending on the vehicle, drivers could spend $404 to $703 more every year filling up with premium fuel. If your owner's manual recommends rather than requires premium, it may be worth doing the math.

📊Read the full analysis in bio or by pasting the link: rates.ca/resources/how-much-more-does-premium-cost-than-regular-gasoline

EVs won on fuel costs.⚡They didn't always win on total ownership costs. Our latest research compared 12 vehicles across four segments over five years and found purchase price often has a bigger impact on costs than fuel savings alone. But over time, the math can shift: in our luxury sedan segment, an EV became the lowest-cost vehicle to own by year five.

📊 Read the full report: rates.ca/gas-hybrid-ev-car-ownership-costs-report-2026

Your mortgage renewed. Your rate went up. Now what?

For 45% of Canadians who've renewed since January 2025, housing costs now take up half or more of their monthly budget. Younger homeowners and newcomers to Canada are feeling it hardest.

And the wave isn't over yet.

Ontario's priciest home insurance? It's all up north.📍Cochrane leads at $3,322/yr—48.6% above the provincial average—up 16.3% in just one year.

Remote locations mean fewer contractors, higher rebuild costs, and longer timelines. Seven of the top 10 most expensive cities are repeat entries from 2025.

Southern Ontario dominates the most affordable list.📍 Newmarket leads at $1,709/yr—23.5% below the provincial average of $2,235.

Four cities on this list—Concord, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Waterdown, and Aurora—held their spot from 2025. Save this if you're house hunting.

Full data: https://rates.ca/home-insuramap-report-2026

Crime (theft) risk shows up in 267 of 517 Ontario FSAs but it's one of the smallest drivers of your premium. Wind/hail hits 35.4% of Ontario postal codes.

System backup—water damage from sewage backing up through drains or sump pump failure—threatens another 32.5%.

And where both overlap, insurers price the whole FSA—even neighbours who've never filed a claim. The weather risk on your street is everyone's problem.

Link to full report: https://rates.ca/home-insuramap-report-2026

Over 95% of Ontario neighbourhoods have a low-risk profile—but the 5% that don't tell a striking story. Where wind/hail and system backup—damage caused by backed-up sewer pipes or sump pumps—overlap (about 7% of FSAs), costs compound.

The provincial average is $2,235/yr in 2026. High-risk areas like Cochrane sit 48.6% above that. How does your postal code compare?

Your postal code carries more risk than you think. Ontario home insurance premiums are up 6.2% in 2026—with prices rising in 82.2% of Ontario cities. Flood, wind, wildfire, crime (theft): 5 risks, mapped across every neighbourhood in the province.

See where yours stands. Link to tool: https://rates.ca/insuramap/home

Self-driving cars? Not just yet 🚗🤖

Only 13% of Canadians say they’d consider buying an autonomous vehicle in the next two years, while 65% aren’t interested. Safety concerns, a preference to drive, lack of trust, and cost are what's keeping adoption slow, even as real-world data shows fewer serious crashes.

So, what will change minds? Experts say driverless tech may come first as a service, not a purchase.

Link for the full story: https://rates.ca/resources/try-you-buy-canadians-choose-autonomous-vehicles-service-ownership