Automotive reporting for metro-Detroiters from the streets of metro-Detroit.

No gear-head, tech-babble here friends, just what you really want to know about a car before you sign your life away...or at least the next 36, 60, or 72 months of it.

I know you want style, comfort and fun. Moms, I know you don't drive a minivan because you want to! I'll tell you which cars will make your commute along 696 more comfortable, which ones are destined to become Dream Cruise favorites and which rides will keep your kids entertained so you don't have to.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Hot Honda Experience to Spurr 2011 Baby-Boom?


The Ride:  2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite
The Price:  $44,030.00
Seats: 8

I'll be the first to admit, my adoration for the 2011 Honda Odyssey was not love at first sight.  In fact, I have yet to meet a minivan I would call attractive. Truth.  However, as soon as I snuggled into the plush, leather heated driver's seat, and listened as my kids buckled themselves in quickly and peacefully engaged themselves in a couple of hours of sinfully-silent movie-watching, Odysseys sultry seduction scheme began.

Here are just a few features that had me begging for more:
Built in trash bag holder!

Place for the purse! And room to store it
in the center console too!

Slim screen can play two movies/games at once
without disrupting your view from the rear-view mirror.


Cup holders everywhere!




 


 
 



  





Room to roam.  No kicking the back of
 Mama's seat in the Odyssey.


Count 'em four sets of LATCH connectors here...
that means four car seats can be buckled in safely
in Odyssey.

Shades on all four rear windows - all four!

Roomy third row - even for adults.  Notice the cup-holders and
accessory plug-ins?


Easy to use headphones for when you
 DON'T want to hear their movies and games.
And they turn on automatically when the kids put them on.

Remove the center seat from the second row and voila!
Instant pass-thru.

Loads of space - LOADS! This extra-deep cargo area
held unbelievable amounts of stuff.



To add to my adoration, the Honda Odyssey was as comfortable as

it was convenient. Automatic heated and adjustable seats with ample

lumbar support made this Mama feel right at home - better than home actually,

my couch isn't heated.



Ahhhh, heated seats. The one thing that can mirror the warm-rosy feeling you

get from that happy glass of wine at the end of a long day. Great for

those aching muscles.



With comfort and convenience covered, let's talk performance - what

does it feel like to drive the Odyssey? Perhaps my husband would

be a better person to ask since HE is the one who tacked a speeding

ticket onto our turkey-day travels. Yep, Odyssey is quick, but smooth-

quick, not roller-coaster-quick. Braking was also smooth, but what was

most refreshing with Odyssey's drive feel was the handling. Odyssey

cornered very well with little to no top-heavy tilting during sharp or

never-ending corners. That is new and notable in the minivan class.



Now, I know this review may seem "gushy" to some. But the 2011 Odyssey

is truly fantastic. Some may even be so inspired by it they decide to

start a family just for an excuse to buy one. Now, I am not predicting the

2011 Honda Odyssey will start a baby-boom or anything.

What I am promising, however, is that any hubby who manages to

produce this stunning piece of metal over the holidays will certainly be getting

a lil' extra himself this season. Just sayin'...





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Monday, November 22, 2010

Even Oprah Makes Mistakes...


As cool as the 2012 VW Beetle will be, why didn't Oprah take this opportunity to shine some light on one of our domestic automotive brands?  I was really surprised this partnership was made with VW and not with one of the big three for several reasons:

  1. Oprah, having been such a huge supporter of Mr. Obama during his campaign and beyond, must be aware of his efforts to save our automotive industry.  Perhaps she forgot - those "favorite things" episodes can get pretty insane.
  2. With Chicago so geographically close to the Motor City, there would certainly be an economic benefit to boosting domestic auto-sales - right?
  3. The products! GM's Volt or Cruze, Ford's new Focus, and perhaps even Chrysler's nearly hatched Fiat 500 would have been just as exciting as a VW- even the Beetle.
Like many people, I adore Oprah and have followed her show religiously since I was a kid.  I have always been impressed by her ability to give, inspire and draw attention to important issues.  While I loved watching most of today's episode, the ending could have been so much more powerful - at least from a Detroiter's perspective.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Mazda 5 at LA Auto Show

Awwwww, Lori from MotherProof.com is right - this one is ADORABLE and always one of my favorites. Can't wait to see the new model for myself...

http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/2010-L.A.-Auto-Show-2012-Mazda5-Makes-Most-of-its-Microvan/

LA Auto Show 2010

Since I can't be there this year, I am sharing the best posts from my fav friends/sources at the show. Check out what Micah Muzio and Micheal Delano have done with the Camaro -fun stuff!

http://social-gen.com/chevy/?u=fA7