LEARNING TO DRIVE 101

My son is learning how to drive. I never thought that the day would come, or maybe I hoped it wouldn’t. The day of a teenage driver in our house has arrived. My son has been driving with us for over a year with his learner’s permit, but his road test and license is soon at hand. Getting a driver’s license is an auspicious day. It’s a right of passage, a sign of adulthood, a milestone that brings with it serious responsibility, as well as access to the entire world. For the child, it’s exciting, for the parent, terrifying.

Getting my driver’s license was one of the biggest days in my life. It ranks as one of my most cherished moments. For me, it was an excruciating wait to reach the age of 16, and access the key to the highway. Every day until then was in preparation for that fateful day, the day of the road test. The first memory in my life was when I was very young; maybe three years old, I got in my parents’ car and pretended to drive. Somewhere in this practice session, I decided that it would be a good idea to release the emergency brake. I coasted down the hill, through my neighbor’s fence and into the side of their house.

Mistake #1: releasing the brake.
Mistake #2: jumping into the back seat and hiding on the floor instead of applying the brake.

Oops! I guess I needed a little more practice.

Undeterred, I continued my practice through the years playing with my toy trucks and cars for hours at a time; driving, parking, K-turns, I covered every move. When I was in the eighth grade, I would drive my grandfather’s bright red Farmall tractor around his barn and back again, sunrise to sunset. At 15 and not quite street legal, I would drive my parents’ car up and down the driveway, practicing everything that I could muster within the confines of the area. When I finally took my road test, I remember waiting for what seemed like eternity for the results to be delivered in the mail. When my license arrived and I learned that I had passed, my life long dream had finally been realized.

After I got my license, I drove any and every time that I had an excuse. I would pick my sister up at school, take my other sister to her job, chauffeur my father and mother to anywhere they might be going. I took advantage of any and all reasons to drive. I still love to drive. My problem now is, so does my son. Every time that we go anywhere, he wants to drive. I tell myself that it’s good practice for his road test. We drive just to drive, we practice parallel parking, and we dodge rogue drivers, many of whom should never have received licenses themselves. There is the occasional white knuckle moment, but basically, he is already a very good driver.

After all of the years and the thousands of miles that I have driven, I have never taken driving for granted. It still holds the same thrill for me that it did at age three, although I have decided that it’s better to stick to the road instead of driving into the side of a neighbor’s house. It feels good to see my son’s excitement as he discovers the joys of driving, but I still want my turn behind the wheel.

Enjoy the ride, we are!

MaineAutoMall.com Auto Blog

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2010 CAR REVIEWS: Spring Fever in Full Bloom

I love driving, it’s as simple as that; that’s why I love cars and that’s why I write about them here. The fluid interplay of the mechanics, combined with the sensory experience of the drive itself, makes every aspect of driving exciting to me and down right therapeutic. Whether I’m on the open highway, or navigating the twists and turns of one of New England scenic back roads, I love it all. Nothing helps me decompress after a hard day better than pressing the pedal to the metal and leaving my cares behind.

Enjoying a drive on my way to work the other day, it was only 39 degrees outside. Despite the brisk temperature, the VW Bug in front of me had his convertible top down. Taking the hint, I cracked open my sun roof, and then quickly sealed it again. Too cold! Regardless, spring fever was in the air. Spring is the time to rekindle the passion of driving. For that reason, spring is the time when auto manufacturers entice us with their marketing blitz of auto shows and new model marketing.

It’s no wonder that people can’t wait to celebrate the rebirth of spring, especially this year. After driving through a long dark tunnel, the auto industry is finally officially on its rebound. For the first time in too many years, Ford holds the number one sales position, outselling not only GM, but even the once invincible Toyota. People are buying cars again. I bought a car recently, as did several of my friends. I know even more people that are planning on buying soon, and now there are now some really exciting cars from which to choose. Here’s a quick overview of what’s available for 2010, and beyond.

The recent reintroduction of the Ford Taurus as a full sized, near luxury car was greeted with glowing reviews and has been selling well. The redesigned Ford Mustang of 2009 (sold as a 2010) has faced stiff competition from the successful launch of the recently resurrected Chevy Camaro. Ford is fighting back this summer with a reinvigorated V6 Mustang as a 2011 model. An all new 3.7-liter engine will deliver a whooping 305 HP, even more horsepower than what used to come out of the V8 of the signature Mustang GT. Preorders are hot. The icing on the cake is that this engine is EPA rated at 31 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city with the available six speed automatic transmission. To conquer the muscle car wars, Ford is also releasing as a 2011, a new V8 in the GT which is expected to produce 412 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. With this assault force, Ford hopes to retain its leadership crown as it battles the Camaro SS’s 426 HP and the Dodge Challenger’s SRT8’s 425 HP.

Speaking of Ford, its much anticipated European inspired Ford Fiesta is due to hit our shores this summer with a spunky 1.6L Ti-VCT Duratec® I4 engine and an expected 40 mpg highway figure. A spirited “pocket rocket” that should deliver a lot of fun for its drivers in town and on the highway. Close behind is a makeover for the slightly larger Ford Focus, due in early 2011. This too is expected to be an economical and a more exciting performer.

GM is raging a valiant fight to stay alive with the critical and sales success of its redesigned mini-SUV, the 2010 Equinox. Its four cylinder front wheel drive model comes with a standard 2.4-liter engine, producing 182 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. The Equinox can handle any road and still deliver an amazing EPA mileage rating of 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway/26 mpg combined. For even more power with a little less mileage, there is an optional 3.0-liter V6 with 264 HP and 222 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come with a nice six-speed automatic transmission. Word is out about the Equinox, as GM is having trouble keeping up with demand.

My favorite addition to the GM line is the new and improved Buick La Crosse. Its picture is worth a thousand words: this is one beautiful car. The stodgy heritage of a floating, bloated Buick has now been replaced with this beautiful image, with sporty handling to boot. If the new La Crosse drives half as well as the reviews claim, GM will have a sales leader on its hands. Building on this momentum, Buick plans to launch a similar but smaller design in its 2011 Buick Regal. Billed as a “sports sedan”, GM is optimistic that it can capitalize on this European inspired design, satisfying a new niche for Buick.

Chrysler’s struggle to survive relies on its new relationship with Fiat, and new models that they can pool together from both sides of the Atlantic. Jeep is to be pared down to only essential models, the Mercedes influenced Chrysler 300 will be refined with new verve and the Fiat 500 will return to our market as an economical alternative. Of the Big Three, Chrysler’s direction (and future) seems a bit tenuous, but the jury is still out.

The Japanese are not about to sit back and watch the domestics steal their thunder. The introduction of the Honda Cross Tour has taken the cross over in a new direction. Is it a car, or is it a truck? Isn’t that what a cross over is supposed to be anyway? Honda also added pizzazz to its line with the return of the iconic Honda Civic Si. Talk about a “pocket rocket”, this Civic moves with its well refined 197 HP, 2 liter Honda engine, but still retains mileage of 21 city/29 highway.

Nissan is attracting attention with their unique Cube, Subaru continues to perfect its line of sturdy 4x4s and Hyundai is following it successful launch of the near luxury Genesis with a more luxurious Sonata for 2011. This list of exciting choices could go on forever, but it’s more fun to drive them.
Spring fever is here, and so it the lust for driving and the cars themselves. What better way to enjoy the road than in a new set of wheels, especially when there are so many good choices?

Enjoy the ride!

MaineAutoMall.com Auto Blog

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