Car Reviews
The 2008 Acura RDX Does Not Serve Chicken Soup
My car, a well travelled Acura MDX, is in the shop today, getting new brake pads. So today I have a loaner car; a smaller, springier, and sportier Acura RDX.
For about the first seven miles I spent with the loaner, I felt freed. Like I'd just stripped off a fat suit. Maybe it's all the minivan test driving I have been doing lately but when I accellerated? Woo Hoo! I did not mind for even a minute that I could not drive carpool today for lack of seating.
And then something strange happened. A light flashed on the dashboard. Telling me that it was high time for check up. And then another. Check tire pressure already! Mere moments later a voice boomed over the car's sound system admonishing me to buckle my seatbelt, and as message after message flashed urgently at me, jarring me, I started feeling a little bit less like I was having fun and a little bit more like the spirit of my dear departed and overprotective Grandma, was inhabiting this vehicle.
I'm all for safety. My kids might even say that I am a lot like dear Granny. But there has to be a limit here if I am going to enjoy driving and not be startled into crashing for fear of missing the 10k check up.
Plus if any car is going to nag at me like that, it had better make me great chicken soup and send me $10 checks in a heartfelt card on my birthday.
May 28, 2008 in Car Reviews, Editorial, Quick Picks | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: acura
Conserving Gas with the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Car: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
First Impressions: With the popularity of Toyota's Prius Hybrid, we were excited to try out the family-friendlier hybrid from Toyota, the Highlander. The hybrid engine is a real attractive option for families these days, with gas prices going up over $4 a gallon. While some claim the savings at the pump and increased fuel economy are a mere "feel good" factor, we've found that spending $80 on a tank of gas does not make us feel good. In fact it makes us feel bad, so bring on the SUV that makes us feel good!
Price Point: $34 - $40,000
Mileage: 28/25 - The hybrid model of the Highlander boasts the best mileage of any CUV currently on the market
Best for Families: With three kids or less. Although there is ample access to the third row seating, there is very little storage when the third row seating is in use, making this a better full time vehicle for families who will only want to use the third row as an option for carpooling and occasional trips, not fulltime.
May 16, 2008 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: Highlander, Toyota
Test Drive: 2009 Pontiac Vibe - Fun for Starter Families
I've been driving big cars for so long that it's nice to be reminded of the simple joys of a smaller car. Nimble darting between cars, taking the curves and hills of windy roads, and easy parking is just some of the things missed when an SUV is your everyday car. Well, last week, I had the chance to test drive one of the first 2009 Pontiac Vibes. While the Vibe might not have the charm or cache to be the star of a movie like the Mini Cooper, this product of a Toyota/GM joint venture is just a fun car to drive.
Great for Starter Families
What makes the Vibe interesting for families, especially starter families, is its versatility and pricing. For the price, this car meets a lot of small family needs. Plenty of storage, lots of air bags, three rear seat Latch positions, GM's OnStar standard in all models, and an optional 320-watt booming stereo system. For young parents on the go, the Vibe's versatility includes a fold-flat front passenger seat to let you pack a surfboard to get away, or a ladder to help your buddies paint. If you stop by the dealer to see the Vibe, ask to see the unique Cargo Management system to see how it stores your milk bottles and jumbo pack of diapers for easy organizing and security.
The fun part comes with Vibe's AWD or GT version that comes with a spry 2.4L engine, sportier handling suspension, and 5-speed driver select mode.
Budget Friendly
Best of all, the Vibe is friendly on the budget in terms of price and gas economy. Starting at $15,895 for the base 1.8 L model to $19,895 for the GT and $19,495 for All Wheel Drive model, this is a lot of car for the money. Throw in 26 mpg city/32 mpg highway fuel economy (base model) and what's not to like? My only wish is that the 1.8L engine base model performance was not as fun driving but still a great entry price for a true starter-family friendly car.
Visit our 2009 Pontiac Vibe Test Drive Photo Gallery at Flickr.
Related Pontiac Vibe Links:
2009 Pontiac Vibe Website
First Look: 2009 Pontiac Vibe [Car & Driver]
Sampling the Past To Create the Future [Edmunds Inside Line]
February 11, 2008 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: pontiac, starter family, test drive, vibe
My Date with the Mazda CX-9
The Car: Mazda CX -9
First Impressions: This car is a "he". An attractive and athletic dude. He's well endowed but totally unpretentious, smart but not a geek. He's clearly going to be popular and you can't help but want to hang with him since he's cooler than so many other cars on your choice list. He's still keeping it real though. Did I mention he's very attractive?
Click on the extended post to read all the details and see several photos of the Mazda CX-9 in action
February 8, 2008 in Car Reviews | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (2)
Tags: cx-9, mazda
Upcoming Car Reviews
We're new and we're just getting started. Here's a few upcoming car reviews we're working on:If you have a car you'd like us to review, leave it in our comments section. Thanks!
- Mazda CX-9
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Mazda Tribute HEV
- Pontiac Vibe
January 16, 2008 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (3)
Tags: cx-9, mazda
Carmel to LA: Our Mazda CX-9 Road Trip
One of the reasons we launched Car & Caboodle started with a road trip we took when our daughter was just seven weeks old. We were offered the chance to try out a new 2007 Mazda CX-9 and drive it from Carmel, California to Los Angeles. Despite concern about how our newborn daughter would take to a 6-hour car ride, the CX-9 was one of the cars we were considering to buy, and this seemed like a great way to see if we really liked the car.
You see, since the birth of our daughter, my wife and I were just beginning to consider what kind of new car we should get. Some of the questions we asked ourselves included:
- What is the right size car for us? A bigger car means more room for stuff, but you gotta wonder if all that stuff is necessary to schlep.
- What's the gas mileage? Should we go hybrid? With gas prices over $3 a gallon, this seems important.
- Can we stay hip and how do we avoid a minivan? We're not going to be one of those families, are we?
- Will the car have room for both our baby and Labrador Retriever? Pre-baby, we took our dog to the beach, on hikes, and to dog parks. Is it possible to still do that in one car with our baby?
- Does it have driver side memory seats? For us, this is a highly personal issue, maybe not for you, but we love it when we don't have to readjust the seat, mirrors and steering wheel every time we switch drivers.
- Does the car seat fit in the back row? We found out that in some cars, a car seat in the back meant sacrificing passenger legroom in the front.
As for our road trip, there are reasons why the CX-9 won Motor Trends SUV of the Year. The design details, the power, and the room for lots of baby gear makes this a good car choice for families. With its third row option, there's room for your children's friends, and still some usable storage behind it. My one drawback is that the car's sleek design lines and powerful engine doesn't necessarily match the softer steering feel. When I mentioned this to Mazda, they told me that their smaller CX-7 had a sportier ride while the CX-9 was designed for a more luxurious ride. Overall, we enjoyed our road trip, took longer breaks to feed our daughter along the way, and thought that the CX-9 was a worthy choice to consider for our family.
Best of all, the road trip started the conversation that launched Car & Caboodle.
Related CX-9 Links:
Official CX-9 Website [Mazda USA]
Our Road Trip Photos [via Flickr]
CX-9 lets suburbanites ditch safari dreams [MSNBC]
Rigors of Extreme Camping No Match for Crossover [Mother Proof]
December 6, 2007 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: cx-9, mazda, road trip
Ford Flex at LA Auto Show
One of the more interesting family crossover cars at the LA Auto Show was the Ford Flex (see our slideshow). As an alternative to the minivan or SUV, I found the boxy design of the Flex to be refreshingly different look. At first glance, you can tell the Flex is a big enough car that can accommodate large families. Set to sell in summer 2008, some family friendly features include an interior refrigerator, second-row footrests, Ford Sync™ in-car communications and entertainment system, and a 2,300-song personal juke box. Looks like there's hope yet for those families wanting to avoid the all-purpose minivan.
Related Ford Flex links:
Ford Flex at Ford
Ford Flex Debuts (video) [Autoblog]
Ford Flex Sneak Preview [New Car Test Drive]
Ford Flex Fails to Wow [The Driver's Seat at MSNBC]
November 21, 2007 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tags: crossover, ford, ford flex
Mazda CX-9 Wins Motor Trend 2008 SUV of the Year
At first glance you have to love the styling of the Mazda CX-9 SUV Crossover. Motor Trend just awarded the CX-9 it's coveted 2008 SUV of the Year Award.
The CX-9 reigned supreme out of a diverse crowd of 11 contenders, one of the highest quality fields Motor Trend has seen since it started evaluating sport/utilities. A category once reserved for a few off-road specialists, the sport/utility or crossover class now offers a vehicle for practically any driver, from almost any automaker. Angus MacKenzie, editor in chief of Motor Trend , noted that this year's field, while smaller than last year's, includes significant new entries, including the best Buick in decades-"not just the best Buick SUV, but the best Buick, period"-and a Hyundai that may have car buyers think twice about Lexus.
Mazda's victory, however, was a unanimous decision by the panel of judges.
October 15, 2007 in Car Reviews | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: cx-9, mazda
