Mommy/Daddy Driver
Dad Plays in a Pontiac: Part One - The G5
Pontiac recently treated me and a few other writers to test five of their current models at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, AZ. I learned today’s Pontiac brand is both performance-driven, and rather practical. Over the next few days I will be sharing my experiences as a work-a-day father of four pushing Pontiac’s G5, G6, Vibe, Solstice and G8 models on the racetrack and in high-intensity safety drills.
Full disclosure:
- Pontiac/GM paid for my 2-day excursion – and a very nice dinner to boot!
- In nostaligic memory of my very first car, there is a ’64 Pontiac Catalina-shaped soft spot on my heart – it wasn’t hard to get me excited seeing what the modern Pontiac has to offer.
I’ll tell you about the Pontiac G5 first. This is Pontiac’s entry-level model, in a class with the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and Scion tC. Pontiac states the standard 148 hp engine achieves 35 MPH (highway), while the G5 GT has 171 hp and gets about 32 MPH. I would call the dash and interior trim design “stylish” and “conservative” – nothing jarring, everything in the expected place, consistent and re-assuring. It had an unexpectedly roomy back seat, with plenty space in the rear bench for this leggy 6 footer. It probably could seat 3 adults across without awkward elbow-tucking or thigh rubbing.
I took the G5 and the G5 GT on a short autocross track set up for us. Autocross is a short, flat course with tight twists and turns marked by cones, keeping the whole thing inside a small parking lot-sized plot. Most impressive in the G5 was experiencing GM’s StabiliTrak in action – I never once felt even slightly out of control despite auto-racing-newbie choppy turns effected while my foot flew between full-tilt gas and brake. Before coming to the event I had joked with the wife about how sorry Pontiac would be when I rolled one of their cars, but after a lot of hard driving I never so much as fishtailed.
With the large back bench, great gas mileage, responsive and powerful engine, I can imagine a family's G5 the the role of a dad’s commuter car. Zippy in traffic, only sipping gas on the home/office route, and Dad would know the kids are safe and comfortable in the roomy back seat when he's got them.
October 27, 2008 in Car News, Editorial, Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Minivan Wars: My Odyssey
In my last two installments of this series, I tried to bring you both sides of the Minivan Wars and introduce you to real moms who loved their minivans and moms who wouldn't drive a minivan if they could at all avoid it. I learned a lot from these moms but I was still torn as to what car to buy for my family of six.
Ultimately my crew made the decision for me.They were fed up with the status quo and it was either a minivan or a big old Partridge Family bus, for us. I went quietly, no fight left. Four months of driving an Acura MDX with my four children, and groceries on everyone's laps (no room for groceries when the double stroller is in the back) had taken the fight out of me. We worked with an excellent broker and placed an order for our very own minivan. We got the Honda Odyssey Touring in black, with the black interior. It looks either sleek, goth, or like Shamu sans white stripe, depending on your perspective.
I will say this, since driving a minivan my life has gotten considerably easier. Cushy almost. I could get used to this! Some of my favorite features thus far:
- The Doors and Liftgate. It's hot here and I worried about a black on black vehicle. It's never been a problem, partly because of the ability to open up the car from a hundred yards away.
- The Space: No more "Quit touching/crowding me!" screams from the back seat. I have all four kids sitting with noone next to them. The double stroller is still in the back of the car. Along with the groceries. There's room for it all.
- The Versatility: My husband has removed the seats twice now. All that stuff in the garage waiting to go to storage? Gone. The mountain of things for Goodwill? Spreading cheer to those in need as we speak. These things tended to pile up and knowing it would take two or three trips in the MDX was enough to put it off till next weekend.
- The DVD system we have not used: I'm glad it's there but I am also glad that my kids have not asked to watch it yet. In the crowded MDX tv was like a sedative, dosed out at every trip in order to keep the masses silent. In the Odyssey we actually listen to (XM) radio. And converse. How novel!
Do I love my minivan? Well despite the convenience, I can't say I love it - yet. It's getting there but a part of me misses driving a vehicle with major horsepower and a complete disregard for where to put a sippy cup. Which is why I already have my sights on something else in place of the MDX. I
If I had not had a fourth child, I doubt I would have taken the plunge. I would have stuck to an SUV or more eco friendly car for transporting the family. But now that I have it, I have to admit, there's worse things in the world than being a Minivan Driving Mom!
July 14, 2008 in Editorial, Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (1)
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How One Dad Makes His Minivan Cool
For dads who feel like their minivan needs some manly personality, check out how Gear Dad from DadLabs adds some spice to his family minivan.
June 3, 2008 in Editorial, Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: dadlabs, minivan
Mommy Driver: Military Mama on a Mission
Name: Anne Rogers
Family Car: Chevy Uplander
Number of Kids: 3
Ages: 4.5, 3 and 9 months
Geographic Region: Eastern North Carolina
Thing I love most about my car: DVD player with headphones and automatic sliding side doors.
Thing I hate most about my car: No LATCH hooks in the third row?!?
I don't leave home without: The list is pretty long considering I have an entire tool chest loaded up with goodies that lives in my car (I like to be prepared for just about anything), but the number one items are my cell phone, sunglasses and the travel potty.
Longest road trip with kids: We have pretty much covered the eastern US between Florida and Upstate New York with one or all of the kids...and the dog.
Favorite driving music with kids in the car: High School Musical soundtracks
Favorite driving music without kids in the car: No music. I savor silence and talk radio on NPR.
Worst car moment: Each and every time one of the kids has thrown up all over the backseat.
Oldest food item found in car: We have recently sent a sippy cup to the CDC for analysis. We are still waiting on their findings.
My next car will really be: A completely refurbished Jeep Grand Wagoneer complete with wood paneling. (Yes, I'm serious)
You can check out what my family and I are up to at our blog, The Rogers Family
Car and Caboodle welcomes Anne, our new writer and "In the Bag" expert extraordinaire!
May 18, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Anne | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tags: Chevrolet, chevy, uplander
Mommy Driver in the Southeast Suburbs
Name: Shani Gilchrist
Our Family Car: 2003 Mercedes ML320
Number of Kids: 1 *Ages: 18 months
Geographic Region: Southeast
Thing I love most about my car: It’s a toss up between the unprecedented number of cup holders for a German car and the super-tight turn radius.
Thing I hate most about my car: No automatic lift gate
What we call the car: “The Truck” (boring, I know)
I don't leave home without: My iPod, BlackBerry, and my son’s “ball ball” (I think he’s destined to be a jock!)
Longest road trip with kids: 9 hours
Favorite driving music when alone: Wyclef, Regina Spektor, Jaymay
Favorite driving music with kids in the car: Jack Johnson, Lisa Loeb, Will Smith
Worst car moment: Driving 45 minutes to my parent’s house with a sore throat and a screaming baby who was using his hand, cheek and forehead as Kleenex... just to find that they weren’t there and I had to do it for 45 more minutes all the way back.
Car snack of choice: My son- Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. Me- Tall 4-pump caramel latte.
Most embarrassing thing you have ever done in a car: Pumped breast milk with my Medela Pump-In-Style... while driving.
Weirdest item in the family car right now: A stick of deodorant in the center cup console
My next car will really be a: Realistically- A Honda Odyssey. Hopefully- Mercedes GL320 CDI.
Welcome to Shani, our newest Car and Caboodle writer. Shani will be bringing us the latest family friendly car gizmos, gadgets and decor with her "Pimp my Ride" posts
May 5, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: mercedes, mommy
Daddy Driver: Urban life with the Honda Civic
Name: Kyle Pike
Location: Baltimore, MD
My Family Car: 2005 Honda Civic sedan
Number of Kids: 2
Ages: 2 and 4
Thing I love most about my car: The engine
What we call the car: The Daddy Car or The Grey Car
I don't leave home without: My iPod
Longest road trip with kids: Baltimore to Cape Hatteras, NC
Favorite driving music when alone: Widespread Panic
Favorite driving music with kids in the car: High School Musical soundtracks
Worst car moment: When i was in high school, students took my 1979 Civic and put it on top of the stairs blocking the front doors.
Last car before kids: Suzuki Swift GT
Drive thru dining?: Never
Funniest fight between your kids was: They argue over who is happy. "No, me happy!" "No, I'm happy!"
Oldest food item found in the car: The liquefied remains of a chocolate bunny. My wife's car, on the other hand, has apple juice that has fermented to 90 proof.
My next car will really be: Able to carry 8 passengers and 5 sheets of plywood!
Welcome to our new writer Kyle, a true car enthusiast, car seat installation expert and dad extraordinaire.
April 30, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Kyle Pike | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Daddy Driver: Lost in Austin with DadLabs' Clay Nichols
Name: Clay Nichols
Where I live: Austin, Texas
Our Family Car: 2003 Mazda MPV
Number of Kids: 3
Ages: 9, 6, 3
February 13, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: dadlabs, mazda, minivan, texas
Mommy Drives: Michelle Cowan of My Little Ducks
Name: Michelle Cowan
Location:Florida, USA
Our Family Car: 2002 Mazda MPV
Number of Kids: 2
Ages: 5 & 3
Thing I love most about my car:The automatic sliding doors
What we call the car:
I call it "The Bus" as in,"Hurry up, The Bus is leaving right now"
I don't leave home without:
Sunglasses
Longest road trip with kids:
Orlando, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina
Favorite driving music when alone:
80's radio
Favorite driving music with kids in the car:
Jimmy Buffet (or as my 3 year old says: Jimmy Buffalo), the Cars Soundtrack
Worst car moment:
Dead battery at 8:00 at night after coming out of a restaurant. Husband left the lights on, just for the record.
Car snack of choice:
Pretzels
Last car before kids:
Nissan Altima
Weirdest item in the family car right now:
A pile of vacuum-resistant glitter from a school project brought home several months ago.
Drive thru dining?:
Sort of. We use the drive-thru, but I make them wait until we get home to eat.
Funniest backseat fight between your kids was:
Whether the words to the Laurie Berkner song are "Drive Your Truck" (yes) or "Drag Your Troll" (uh, no)
Oldest food item found in car:
Petrified raisins
My next car will really be a:
Vehicle with a sensor that tells me who actually started the backseat fight. Oh, and something with a DVD player would be nice.
Visit Michelle's online store specializing in clothing for boys at www.mylittleducks.com.
January 28, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Ciaran Blumenfeld | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: mazda
Mommy Driver: Four Kids and a Caravan - It's GRAND
by Teresa Fernandez
As a mother of four girls, I some times feel like I spend all day on the road. Taking the kids to and from school and running errands is just the half of it. Fortunately I love my Dodge Grand Caravan.
Great Entertainment Package
My day starts early, but it's after breakfast is over, the two oldest are on the bus, and my "to do list" is written, that my day of driving begins. Loading the baby in her infant seat into the van is easy as I don't have to stoop down, and the size of sliding door gives me plenty of space to get the carrier into and out of the van without banging it about. My four-year-old joyously "calls for" the remote as she has no one older to contest with. Having a DVD player in the vehicle is wonderful and the six disc changer gives the kids a variety without the annoyance of having to insert disc after disc. It is especially nice when we make the long trek to the grandparents only having to swap out the DVDs once, instead of the 10 times it used to take. Also, when I get tired of listening to cheesy cartoon dialog and dreamy princess love songs, the wireless headphones affords me the luxury of alternative rock while the kids are still pleasantly entertained.
January 24, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: dodge, dodge caravan, minivan
Daddy Driver: Nothing Is More Uncool...
by David Yorkin
I live in a town where your whole being is judged by what you drive. Los Angeles is a place where you have to be cool, while simultaneously appearing not to be trying to be cool.
Let me give you an example: to the enlightened Angelino, a brand new road-chomping one-hundred-fifty-thousand dollar Porsche Carrera is merely of a manifestation of an insecure ego, whereas a sluggish old four-cylinder Porsche 912 speaks of... well, effortless coolness coursing through your bloodstream. Forget performance. Image is everything. The difference between the two vehicles could cost you a second date with the uber babe of your dreams.
Okay, I hyperbolize. Truth is, I haven't had a second date with an uber babe during the last ten years I've been married to my wife. Except her, of course. Still, even though my hair has disappeared and paunch expanded, I'm still acutely conscious of my slowly waning cool factor.
January 18, 2008 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (1)
Tags: chevy, los angeles, mini cooper, minivan, twins
Mommy Driver: Boon's Rebecca Finell Falls for Her GMC Acadia
I knew when I got pregnant with Luke that the two-row car was out. It was time for the lovely family car. We all cringe when we hear "family car" because it usually means minivan with crumbs and kid paraphernalia all over. I had to find a better solution. I was excited to hear of several new, smaller SUVs that had a third row, so I decided to check them out. Unfortunately, I found that the third row usually means there is trunk that converts into a space where very small children can squeeze into as long as they have very short legs. Another big issue is that the kids would need to move or fold down a seat in order to climb in. I know my girls didn't have the strength required to move the seat and I would be stuck with the task every time we got in the car, in addition to getting baby Luke in his car seat.
Audi Option
I really fell in love with the Audi Q7 because it is beautiful and it offers captain chairs, creating a path for getting to the third row without moving anything. I tried so hard to make it work, but once we fit the family and gear in we couldn't even go grocery shopping.
Please NOT a Minivan!
So, it looked like I could have a huge gas guzzler or a minivan. I checked into the large SUVs to see how much gas they really guzzle...I wasn't about to drive a van! If only VW would remake the bus, vans could be cool again.
December 18, 2007 in Mommy/Daddy Driver | by Robert | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tags: acadia, audi, gmc, mommy, q7, review
