ECONOMY CARS: Shaken, Not Stirred

I’m just back from a good old fashioned road trip. Our family of four drove 1200 miles in our new RAV4, safely and economically. Safely in that we had no “incidents”, economically in that we went from the 20 mpg of our old Windstar Van, to nearly 30 mpg with the RAV4. Thanks to last summer’s Cash for Clunkers, we drove in the near luxury of a relatively new vehicle, and saved precious dollars in fuel expense. We felt good about having helped the economy and the environment. So everything was peachy, right? Well, not quite.

On this extended trip, we experienced first hand the sacrifice that is made by trading to economy. We were shaken and stirred. Regardless of design and technology, the short wheelbase that comes with economy vehicles translates to shortcomings on the highway. At the end of our 500 mile drive, mostly on interstate highways, the whole family was exhausted. We were shaken by every expansion joint, stirred from each frost heave, and swayed after hours of wind buffeting. We realized that we had sacrificed comfort for fuel economy.

Another sacrifice also became evident. Our “greener” vehicle needed to stop to refuel. In the past, our Windstar’s 26 gallon gas tank would take us door to door, with some gas left over. Now, despite the RAV4’s more miserly manners, its comparatively miniscule 16 gallon tank could only manage half of our 500 miles. Valuable travel time was needed to refuel, at inflated interstate gas prices. It seems like a small thing, but it’s a sacrifice just the same.

Is there a vehicle that can deliver the best of both worlds; fuel economy and smooth highway driving? Mid-sized, four cylinder cars like the Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry would probably offer compromise with less sacrifice. On the other hand, we’ll be passing them next winter with our four wheel drive engaged.

We have no reservations about our decision to downsize. After all, how often do we drive 500 miles in one day? With normal driving, we get to enjoy the fuel and operating savings throughout the year. The RAV4’s tighter suspension, shorter wheelbase, and lighter weight; all of the items that contribute to the jostling on the highway, are actually the things that make the RAV4 so much fun to drive and park around town. So, we’ll shake a bit on an occasional road trip, but we will not be stirred from the handling and dollar savings that our RAV4 offers. We think that the good far out weighs the bad. We may have been shaken, but we are certainly not stirred.

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CELEBRITY CARS: Don’t Buy Flash, Buy to Drive

You would if you could, I know I would. They can, so they do; and boy, do they. I’m talking about celebrities and their cars. With money to burn, and the desperate need to flaunt their good fortune, celebrities have the cars and trucks that you and I can only dream about. From rapper to rocker, to sports heroes and Hollywood’s elite, they all say who they are through their cars.

It seems that the majority of this privileged nouveau riche buys for flash, to show that they’ve made it. I bet that few are actually car people, or have any idea of what they buy and drive. They buy image, without a clue of what’s under the hood and chassis. Do you think that Kim Kardashian knows what she’s really driving when she climbs into her custom Bentley? She knows that it attracts attention, costs a lot of money, and has a prestigious name. On the other hand, a true car guy like Jay Leno knows exactly what he’s driving when he gets into his Bentley.

Leno’s Bentley:


There are celebrities that do buy and know what they drive. In addition to Leno, I think of fellow comedians Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman, along with guitarist Jeff Beck and the late actor Paul Newman. These are (were) genuine car people who live and breathe cars. While they buy exotic because they can, they buy the car, not the image. Jay Leno has been into cars since his days growing up in Andover, MA. His collection now includes some 200 different cars of all kinds, shapes and sizes, many stored in his private climate controlled southern California garage. Jay does not collect these cars to show them off as a museum, but he tinkers with them, along with his staff of professional mechanics. The cars don’t sit around and collect dust; he drives them for the fun of driving. Check out some of his toys:

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/jay_leno_garage/1302826.html

Jerry Seinfeld is another genuine celebrity car guy. He is reputed to own and drive well over 40 unique Porsches. He has many 911s from a variety of years, at least 10 different colored Boxsters, and a choice 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, the same model and color that James Dean was driving when he died. Seinfeld has so many cars that he used to rent an aircraft hanger to store them at Santa Monica’s airport. When he moved back to New York, Seinfeld built his own multi-million dollar climate and security controlled garage in Manhattan to store some of his collection. Like Leno, Seinfeld is not collecting cars for show; he buys and drives, because he knows and loves them.

Seinfeld’s Manhattan Garage:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0527041jerry1.html


Guitarist Jeff Beck leaves the stage for years at a time, to stay home and play with his custom hot rods. He has been a car guy since his youth, just about as long as he has been playing guitar. Jeff Beck is not buying cars to show off. Beck works on them, and drives them. His has the history of accidents behind him to prove it. Jeff Beck is a car man through and through.

Jeff Beck:
http://www.carcrazycentral.com/VideoResults.aspx?query=jeff%20beck

David Letterman and the late Paul Newman were cast from the same mold: celebrities that buy to drive. They love cars to the point of buying ownership in professional racing teams, all for the love of cars. Off the track, nothing is more conservative than a Volvo station wagon. The story goes that Newman talked Letterman into buying a Volvo station wagon from the Maine company, Converse Engineering. Converse converts stock Volvos into screaming street machines by adding performance engines inside Volvo’s conservative facade. Check out David Letterman’s bittersweet telling of the story, all in memory of Paul Newman.

Letterman's detailed Newman story from You Tube (Cue in to 3:42)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCO22jxMrrQ

The Letterman/Newman story:
http://www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Features/printer_33.html

Letterman telling the story to Jon Stewart:
http://daddytypes.com/2008/10/05/all_i_smell_is_raw_power_and_speed.php


If I was a wealthy celebrity with money, I wouldn’t buy flash. I too would buy to drive. I would have an Aston Martin V12 Vantage for around town, a Maybach 62 for the highway, a BMW Z4 for sunny summer days, and my wife’s RAV4 to be safe in the Maine snow. With an inventory like that, I would certainly enjoy the ride.

Follow these links to see what other celebrities choose, some for flash, and some for the drive:

http://www.celebritycarsblog.com/
http://www.ridelust.com/50-celebrities-their-cars/
http://www.driverside.com/auto-library/top_10_surprising_cars_that_celebrities_drive-540
http://www.myride.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_page_order_int/1/article_id_int/4004

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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!

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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!

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MY DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS

Driving home from work in the dark the other night, I noticed a glimmer of movement ahead. I quickly pulled the stalk for my high beams, and right in front of my car were two large eyes staring back at me. Yikes, a deer…then two, then three. As I shifted my manual transmission to neutral and braked hard to a complete stop, I flashed my high beams to oncoming traffic to warn them. As the three deer casually crossed the road, several thoughts raced through my mind. First, I thought how lucky I was that I hadn’t smashed my car into one of the deer, for their sake as well as mine. Secondly, I thought of how instantaneous my response was as I multitasked through the process. Steering, clutch, brake, gear shift and high beam stalk; all simultaneously involved, all operated by intuitive reaction. It was pitch black, but I was able to reach each component effectively, successfully completing the task at hand. Everything in my Scion TC was placed logically, right where it needed to be, allowing me to escape unscathed.

Coincidentally, moments before this close encounter of the venison kind, I had been thinking about high beams. Driving home, I was constantly raising and lowering my headlights. My drive includes long stretches of dark country roads that require high beams, but the traffic is heavy during rush hour which requires low beams. As I drove, my hand repeatedly left the steering wheel to raise and lower the beams. It was annoying, not to mention potentially dangerous, as my left hand repeatedly left the steering wheel. I then remembered the ease and convenience of the old floor mounted high beam switches. A driver could just leave his/her foot on the switch, then raise or lower the beams as needed without the driver’s hand ever leaving the steering wheel. It was safe and convenient.

This raises the question: why is it that the floor mounted high beam switch has been eliminated in virtually all vehicles? Is it because the switches corroded and failed due to moisture from wet, slushy boots? Is it because it took too long for a driver to find the switch on the floor, making it a safety issue? Or is it simply a cost saving measure for manufacturers i.e. is it cheaper to install one complete switch assembly on the steering column, rather than running a separate line from the floor to wherever?

My research has yet to come up with a clear answer as to when and why the floor mounted high beam switch disappeared. But following my close call the other night with my three deer, I was thankful for the stalk mounted high beam switch. There’s no way that I could have operated my clutch and brake, as well as warn the oncoming traffic with a “flash”, if the switch was on the floor. I guess that I just answered my own question, the stalk is safer, at least for a manual transmission.

TOYOTA RECALLS

While at this writing, it seems that my new RAV4 and old Scion TC may not be victims of recalls, Toyota's saga is still unfolding with a new chapter breaking every day. From floor mats, to gas pedals, to brakes, if you own a Toyota, it's important to keep up on the latest. Follow these helpful links for more information:

http://www.toyota.com/recall/

http://www.autoblog.com/toyota_recall/guide

http://www.edmunds.com/industry-car-news/toyota-recall.html

http://www.autonews.com/

VIDEO OF INSTALLATION OF ACCELERATOR SHIM:
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/04/fixing-toyotas-recalled-pedals-the-video-starring-doug-the-mas/#continued

We will see what tomorrow (and Toyota) brings.

WINTER DRIVING, AND LIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT

Our recent series of winter storms proved the obvious once again: snow and ice makes for tricky driving. On my short drive home during the storm the other night, I saw a tractor trailer jack knifed into a snow bank, a car down an embankment and another car stuck in a snow drift. These drivers proved that snow and ice are slippery, and driving on them requires special driving techniques. Obviously! If it’s so obvious, then why do drivers feel the need to test these physical limits regularly, much to the delight of tow trucks and body shops throughout the area? Winter driving is not impossible. It just requires some discipline and a little common sense.

The first rule: SLOW DOWN! Obvious, but how many tractor trailers or SUVs have whizzed by you on the Turnpike, only to end up off the road a few miles later? Think about it, tires are rubber and so are hockey pucks. The difference between your car navigating safely and sliding across a winter road like a puck is the traction gained from the tread of the tire. The slower the vehicle travels, the more chance the tire has to disperse snow or moisture out of its tread, and grab for more. If the tread does not clear whatever form of moisture, it’s just rubber floating on the surface. Your tire is now a hockey puck with no traction. Slow down and let the tread work for you.

As you start out on a winter’s day, begin slowly to get a feel of the road conditions; to learn what the appropriate, safe speed may be. Winter driving experts advise drivers to double their distance to other cars, as compared to dry conditions; that’s two car lengths for each 10 mph. Also, keep alert, looking ahead for changes in road surfaces and conditions. Always look for an out in case of a collision or a slide. If you do need to stop quickly, remember not to pump your ABS brakes. Allow them to work as designed by applying steady, firm pressure. While ABS brakes and stability control are handy inventions, they don’t replace common sense when things get slick. Slow down and stay alert.

When driving in the winter, beware of the false confidence of 4 wheel drive. 4x4 can help you get out of a jam, but it can also put you in one. 4 wheel drive only helps if a drive wheel is slipping, like if you are stuck in a drift. Once your vehicle is underway, traction is a factor of tires, not how the wheels are being driven. A state trooper was interviewed during our last storm, and he said that nearly all of the rescues for that storm were a result of SUVs going too fast. His comment, the braking ability and stopping distance of vehicles are the same, regardless of rear wheel drive, front wheel dive or 4x4. Need proof? A friend’s 4x4 SUV slid through a red light during that storm because the tires were on ice. 4x4 did nothing to help him. The fact that he was driving slowly is what saved him.

Final bit of advice: prepare your car properly for driving. Clean the snow and ice off of the entire vehicle, not just a peep hole through the windshield. You don’t need a chunk of snow sliding from your roof to your windshield, obscuring your vision as you brake to a stop. Meanwhile, the car behind you doesn’t need a huge boulder of snow flying off your car and into his. Defrost your windshield and windows fully before your drive, to ensure that you can see around all 360 degrees of the vehicle. It’s hard enough to see when driving in rain, sleet and/or snow; you don’t need to add to the danger by peering through a peephole.

As proud Mainers, we know that snow is a fact of life. With a little common sense and discipline, drivers can stay safe all winter long.