http://www.motherproof.com/ Stay on top of the latest car reviews, tips and trends from MotherProof.com with our RSS feeds en editor@motherproof.com Copyright 2010 2010-09-09T04:01:56-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/2011-Honda-Odyssey-Preview/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/2011-Honda-Odyssey-Preview/#When:04:01:56Z There’s a huge population of moms who don’t want to be labeled with that dreaded term of “minivan mom.” But what if someone took a minivan and gave it a complete style makeover, making it look sleeker, sportier and more modern while also raising the bar on interior flexibility and functionality. Would you reconsider buying a minivan? After driving the 2011 Honda Odyssey, you might very well. Because families spend so much time catching up on their day while in the car, the new Odyssey was specifically designed to make it easier for people in the first and third rows to talk to each other. The cabin was designed to be as quiet as possible by improving aerodynamics outside the car, including adding an acoustic windshield in upper trim levels, and decreasing noise inside the cabin that might interfere with the specific frequency at which humans speak. Unfortunately, Honda hasn’t figured out how to get teens to actually speak to their parents, so I recommend utilizing this improvement as much as possible while your kids are young enough to want to talk with you. The new Odyssey is surprisingly easy to drive. I still stereotype minivans a bit and think of them as oaflike and cumbersome to maneuver, but the 2011 Odyssey is just as easy to handle as a midsize sedan. The electric power steering has been redesigned. It now feels comfortable and solid in highway driving, which leads to high-speed confidence, and it has a light feel for easy maneuvering in and out of a curved driveway. I think they definitely accomplished their goals. I drove the Odyssey for several hours and could have kept on driving. It was that easy and dare I say … fun? Yep, I said it. As a parent, I really appreciated the Odyssey’s thoughtful use of interior space. We’re talking about a flip-up trash bin in the second row that’s sized specifically to reuse your plastic grocery store bags, a cool box under the center stack that routes cold air off of the evaporator to keep six soda cans or four 20-ounce bottles cold while driving, and up to 15 cupholders. In the second and third rows, there’s a 16.2-inch widescreen video display for the rear entertainment system that can be used as one screen or split into two for those with differing tastes and the world’s first high-definition multimedia interface outlet in a car (imagine your teens filming a road-trip video while driving and watching it on the big screen). Where the Odyssey really shines, however, is in its ability to be flexible and customizable with its interior seating configuration. More on that tomorrow… From Honda designers to engineers, everyone on the 2011 Odyssey team has children and has owned several Odysseys, and it shows in this family-focused minivan. Together, the team has decades of combined family time in an Odyssey, including hundreds of thousands of car pool runs, tons of accumulated snacks remnants and food wrappers, and uncountable temper tantrums (by the kids) over any number of issues. Using their own experiences, they’ve redesigned the Odyssey from the ground up for today’s American family. As one of those moms who has never wanted to own a minivan, I’m looking forward to an extended stint at home in the Odyssey with my two backseat test drivers. 2010-09-09T04:01:56-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/Feature-of-the-Week-Panoramic-Moonroofs/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/Feature-of-the-Week-Panoramic-Moonroofs/#When:20:00:30Z The allure of sunroofs has always eluded me. Maybe it’s because I live at altitude (6,220 feet to be exact) and put a lot of effort into protecting myself from the sun. I use SPF 45 sunblock lotion on my face and hands daily, wear a hat when I’m at the park or pool, and I never step outside without sunglasses on, in part to protect my eyes and in part to protect my skin from the wrinkly effects of constant squinting. The last thing I want while driving is more sun damage. However, while I was driving the 2011 Mercedez-Benz R350 with dual panoramic sunroofs I may have changed my tune. The tinted glass sunroofs kept the sun’s harmful rays at bay, while the open-sky view had my daughters peering at the world with a renewed innocence and wide-eyed eagerness. That was priceless. Do you have a sunroof in your car? If so, do you use of it? Tell us in the comment section below 2010-09-08T20:00:30-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/motherproof.com-reviews-the-2010-cadillac-srx/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/motherproof.com-reviews-the-2010-cadillac-srx/#When:18:00:00Z The 2010 Cadillac SRX is well-suited for family road trips, according to MotherProof.com reviewer Sherrice Gilsbach. With its turbocharged V-6 engine, this crossover easily kept up with traffic, and the cargo area handled all of her family’s suitcases, beach gear and cooler. While Sherrice found plenty to like in this five-seater, her boys had problems climbing into the backseat. Even Sherrice had a difficult time when she gave it a try. Was it enough of a problem to turn Sherrice and her family against the SRX? Read Sherrice’s full review to find out. 2010 Cadillac SRX Review 2010-09-08T18:00:00-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/21-booster-seats-named-best-bets-by-iihs/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/21-booster-seats-named-best-bets-by-iihs/#When:04:00:59Z The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is taking the stress out of buying the right booster seat for your child with its latest list of recommendations. Out of 72 booster seats tested by IIHS, 21 are Best Bets and seven are Good Bets. Eight booster seats aren’t recommended. To be named a Best Bet or Good Bet, a booster seat must properly position a three-point seat belt over a 6-year-old testing dummy. IIHS engineers measured seat-belt fit in a variety of vehicles and used high-back and backless booster seats as well as combination child-safety seats, which can be used as a booster. However, these ratings do not take into account any type of crash tests. Children ages 4-8 who ride in booster seats are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children using only seat belts, according to IIHS. Thankfully, parents don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a booster seat that’s a Best Bet. The Evenflo Big Kid Amp costs about $25 (depending on the retailer), and the Graco TurboBooster Crawford is about $44. If money is no object, the Britax Frontier 85 and the Recaro ProSport – both combination car seats – cost around $280. The lists of IIHS’ Best Bets, Good Bets and seats not recommended are below. For a full list of model numbers, go to IIHS.org. Best Bets Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback) Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback) Clek Oobr (dual highback) Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback) Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback) Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback) Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless) Evenflo Maestro (combination highback) Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback) Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback) Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless) Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback) Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless) Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless) Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback) Recaro ProBooster (highback) Recaro ProSport (combination highback) Recaro Vivo (highback) Recaro Young Sport (combination highback) Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback) The First Years Pathway B570 (highback) Good Bets Britax Parkway SG (dual highback) Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless) Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback) Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback) Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback) Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback) Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback) Not Recommended Eddie Bauer Deluxe (combination highback) Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (highback) Evenflo Express (combination highback) Evenflo Generations 65 (combination highback) Evenflo Sightseer (highback) Harmony Baby Armor (dual backless) Safety 1st All-in-One (3-in-1 highback) Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (3-in-1 highback) Note: Thirty-six boosters are in the middle range. They may provide adequate belt fit for some kids in some vehicles. Safety 2010-09-08T04:00:59-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/recall-alert-20692-suzuki-trucks-suvs-and-crossovers/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/recall-alert-20692-suzuki-trucks-suvs-and-crossovers/#When:18:09:27Z Suzuki Motor Co. is recalling certain models of the 2008-2010 Suzuki SX4, 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2009-2010 Suzuki Equator, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected models are equipped with a factory-installed Garmin navigation system that can overheat and cause a fire. This recall is related to Garmin’s recall of 796,000 navigation systems that could overheat and cause a fire. Suzuki is the only automaker to factory-install the Garmin system. Suzuki will notify affected owners on Sept. 13. Garmin will repair the GPS units for free by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery. Owners can contact Garmin directly at 913-397-8200 or Suzuki at 800-934-0934 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236. Recalls 2010-09-07T18:09:27-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/which-is-the-best-car-for-college-age-drivers/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/which-is-the-best-car-for-college-age-drivers/#When:13:00:11Z If you’re tired of hauling your college student – and all her stuff – to college every year, take at a look at the latest Cars.comparison. This month, the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2010 Honda Fit and 2010 Scion xD face off to find out which car is the best for college-bound students. Keep reading to find out which one earns an A. Cars.comparison: Off-to-College Cars Teen Driving 2010-09-07T13:00:11-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/motherproof.coms-latest-reviews/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/motherproof.coms-latest-reviews/#When:13:00:03Z From the 2011 Kia Sorento to the 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, MotherProof.com reviews cars that appeal to all kinds of families. We put cars through real-life test drives, subjecting them to carpool, daily errands and maybe even a date night (minus the kids). Here are our latest car reviews: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STi  2010 Nissan Maxima 2010 Buick LaCrosse 2010 Nissan Murano 2011 Kia Sorento 2010-09-05T13:00:03-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/most-read-stories-of-the-week5/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/most-read-stories-of-the-week5/#When:13:00:18Z Parents know that a car’s rear entertainment system is a life-saver on long trips, which is why our Feature of the Week post on these entertainment systems is MotherProof.com’s most-read story of the week. Just behind it is our post on the 2011 Toyota Sienna’s hilarious rap video. It’s a must-see video. In our Hot or Not post, we look at Ford’s Warriors in Pink program, which benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Here are our most-read stories of the week: 1. Feature of the Week: In-Car Entertainment Systems 2. Toyota Rocks the ‘Swagger Wagon’ With Rap Video 3. Hot or Not: Ford’s Warriors in Pink 4. Feature of the Week: Sliding Side Doors 5. Weekend Warrior: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R350 2010-09-04T13:00:18-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/Get-Ready-for-Extra-Car-Time-This-Weekend/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/Get-Ready-for-Extra-Car-Time-This-Weekend/#When:14:00:19Z If you’re road tripping to Grandma’s with the family this holiday weekend, get ready to spend a little extra time in your car. As our friends over at KickingTires pointed out, AAA expects a 10.3 percent increase in traffic this Labor Day weekend compared to last year. Because of the (slightly) improving state of the economy, families are willing to spend about $50 more this holiday, bringing the average cost of the holiday weekend up to about $697. To prepare for a little extra time in the car, pack plenty of in-car entertainment: DVDs, an iPad, and books on tape are all good options. And on behalf of everyone in the car, please don’t forget the car-friendly snacks. I’ll be staying home this weekend and avoiding that fun traffic jam, but I’ll do my part to stimulate the economy by spending a little extra dough on a round or two of golf and some shoes! I’m a woman after all. 2010-09-03T14:00:19-06:00 http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/recall-alert-2011-kia-sorento-and-2010-kia-soul/ http://www.motherproof.com/news-rants/story/recall-alert-2011-kia-sorento-and-2010-kia-soul/#When:17:00:55Z Kia Motors is recalling 23,972 2010 Kia Soul and 11,213 2011 Kia Sorento (photo above) vehicles over faulty installation of an ambient lighting system in those vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Soul’s speaker lights, which are standard equipment on the Soul Exclaim and Soul Sport and optional on the Soul Plus, and the Sorento’s optional accent lighting in the front and rear door trim panels on the EX trim may have been improperly soldered. When the lights are illuminated in certain conditions, an electrical short may occur and cause a fire. Owners will be notified this month. Kia dealerships will replace the wiring harnesses for the lighting systems free of charge. Owners can contact Kia at 800-333-4542 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236. Recalls 2010-09-02T17:00:55-06:00