7/22/08

Cool Car Features Can Be Addictive

By: Lori Hindman

Part of the fun of this job is getting to try out all the new car tech features out there. The downside is that when I get back into my own (not too shabby) car, I really miss some of them.

I get pretty comfortable riding around in shiny, clean cars with nifty features such as auxiliary ports, adjustable pedals and secret storage bins. I’ve experienced air-conditioned seats (clammy), tri-zone climate control (superfluous) and voice recognition (unreliable). There are cars that check your tire pressure, cars that beep at you for drifting out of your lane and cars that can check movie times. I’ve even seen a car with a refrigerator. Some of the features are entertaining, some are confusing, but some are really addictive.

So, what can’t I live without, in my admittedly spoiled state? Because safety comes first at MotherProof.com, I’ve gotta say that I need a rearview camera. I’m now paranoid when I’m backing up my car without that little screen reassuring me that I’m not running over the neighbor’s cat or into a shopping cart. The car sensors that beep when you get close to something don’t help me; I want a color screen and a picture, thank you very much.

In the area of entertainment, an auxiliary port is no longer enough. Of course, a car without even that (like mine) is a monument to a backward, cultureless society, but a simple port no longer thrills me. I want an iPod interface that puts my playlists at the tip of my fingers and charges my iPod while I drive. Getting into my ’04 van and plugging my iPod into the (gasp) tape deck is an exercise in degradation. I don’t know how much longer I can take it.

Of course, satellite navigation is something I never thought I’d need, as I rarely go out of my comfort zone and I’m pretty good with directions. My husband needs nav to find his way home, but I have always been rather proud of my superiority in that quarter. So imagine my surprise when navigation hooked me by tapping into my other addictions. The ability to locate the nearest Starbucks in under a minute is now a necessity in my life. On a recent road trip to Grandma’s house, a route I know quite well, I was stumped as to which exit on our 200-mile journey would provide me with the requisite caffeine to complete the drive in good spirits. I also spent more time than I would have liked trying to find the particular fast-food restaurant requested by the backseat. A good nav system is quite an enabler.

So, I’m spoiled. And lazy. And addicted to lattes. I admit these things. While I’m not about to sell my car over it, I’m gonna whine sometimes. I mean, I can’t be entirely alone in this, right? What tech has you in its thrall?

7/18/08

It’s a No-Brainer That Can’t Be Said Enough

By: Courtney Messenbaugh

Never, ever leave your child alone in the car. This seems like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating after two recent incidents of parents leaving their infants in the car while they were drinking in a bar.

Earlier this week, a Clarksville, Tenn., couple left their 5-month-old baby in a pickup truck with the windows rolled up for three and a half hours while they were in a bar. Fortunately, a police officer heard the baby’s cries and rescued her before it was too late. The baby is OK and, needless to say, the parents are in police custody, charged with child abuse and neglect. It’s uncertain whether these parents will get their child back. I hope they don’t.

“I could use a drink.”

Most of us have said it, but we didn’t immediately go to a bar in search of a drink — especially if there was a baby in the car.

Sadly, a 3-month-old baby died last week after her mother left her in a car for six hours while she went to a bar. I’ve been going (mentally) postal on these people, and my new hero Nancy Grace, the feisty former prosecutor and mother of twins, tore them apart on her show “Nancy Grace” on CNN.

I’m judgmental about this because I’m in the opposite extreme. I’ve never left my son alone in the car for even a minute because I’m a paranoid freak. Whatever, I’m a freak. Better that than the subject of “Nancy Grace.”

The fabulous Janette Fennell, president of the equally fabulous nonprofit Kids and Cars, was on Grace’s show Wednesday night and said, “Was there a problem obtaining child care? Not when both parents are found inside the bar drinking! Could they not afford child care? Not when they could have saved plenty of money by purchasing drinks from a liquor store and staying home to drink!” As always, Janette is incisively on point. These people simply aren’t thinking about their kids, they’re putting their own desires first.

So, for all of you out there who think you need a drink, either count to 10 and wait for the feeling to pass or open up a bottle at home (and only have one drink, for crying out loud; things aren’t that bad — you’re not on “Nancy Grace” ... yet). No matter what, don’t ever, ever, ever leave your baby alone in a car, windows up, down or sideways, for even a minute!

7/16/08

Carmaker to Build Innovative Elantra Hybrid

By: Courtney Messenbaugh

Here at MotherProof.com, we're fond of Hyundai and its affordable, reliable, often stylish cars. Now we have reason to like it even more: The automaker has plans to sell its first hybrid car in July 2009.

Initially, the car will be sold in the Korean domestic market, but we have high hopes that eventually we'll get our hands on some in the States. Or you could move to Korea if you're dying to have one, which you might be after learning about this car.

While you're weighing your moving options, I can tell you that this car will be officially known as the Elantra Liquefied Petroleum Injected Hybrid Electric Vehicle. It'll be the world's first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas and to adopt advanced lithium polymer batteries. Huh? I know, too much techie jargon. Put another way, the Hyundai Elantra LPI HEV will be powered with LPG and Li-Poly batteries. OK, OK, that makes even less sense. In short, it's an innovative hybrid capable of delivering some very competitive fuel economy. To simplify even further, this means you can save a bunch of cash that would otherwise go down the gas tank.

Li-Poly batteries are more robust and have higher energy density than the old-school lithium-ion batteries that are used in most hybrids on the road today. (I had a sneaking suspicion that ion batteries were becoming totally passé.) While the Elantra LPI HEV will be slightly more expensive than its non-hybrid sis, buyers can expect to recover the car's extra cost in about two years because of its fuel savings, said Meeyoung Song, Hyundai's global public relations manager. Greased lightning turnaround!

Are you jealous of the Koreans yet? I am. I mean, they can keep crazy Kim Jong-il and his funky shades in the North, but they'll have the Elantra LPI HEV. Meeyoung told me it's too early to discuss export plans for the LPI HEV to the States or elsewhere. So, all we can really do is be excited about Hyundai's hybrid in hopes they bring it here in the future. Hip, hip, Hyundai!

7/11/08

Salty Pepper Takes ’Iron Man’s’ Supercar Out on the Town

By: Kristin Varela

In “Iron Man,” Tony Stark drives the Audi R8, one of the hottest cars ever made, but what would his super-savvy assistant, Pepper Potts, do if Tony left her with the car keys for a weekend? In order to make the story as realistic as possible, I decided to put myself in Pepper’s shoes and create an R8 weekend. Wow, my job is rough!

The underappreciated Pepper first would sneak the car out for a pre-weekend night on the town with her gal pals. Pepper would revel in the attention the car got on the way to meet her friends. Men would follow her and propose marriage, and on the highway other drivers would circle the R8 to peek into its exhibitionist clear rear-engine compartment, which houses a powerful V-8.

The savvy Pepper would choose a swank restaurant with a kind valet willing to take pictures of people’s reactions to the car for Pepper’s scrapbook while she chatted with the girls (you know — men, marriage, babies and lip gloss, of course).

The next day, Pepper would pick up her sweet, overworked, not-seen-enough date for a weekend getaway (when you work for Tony Stark, your personal life goes down the drain). She’d choose a twisty mountain road to put her nerves of steel and the vehicle’s cornering abilities to the test. In my case, a drive down Independence Pass on the way to Aspen, Colo., did the trick (after all, Audi is a sponsor of the U.S. Ski Team in Aspen).

Once in Aspen, Pepper would turn her attention away from the car and to her date. She’d spend the weekend walking hand-in-hand through town, shopping and dining at local hot spots, then return to the five-star St. Regis Aspen Resort for romance under the stars.

Before returning to her real life, Pepper’s date would treat her to a morning at the amazing Remede Spa in the St. Regis, enjoying champagne and truffles, a relaxing massage and a lingering soak in a waterfall pool. On her return to the real world, Pepper would have one last hurrah at the top of a mountain pass, watching as passers-by gawk at an amazing supercar in an awe-inspiring location.

As all good things must come to an end, Pepper would dutifully return the car and re-enter her role as Stark’s assistant. So too must I end my dreamy weekend. Real life sucks!

7/2/08

Sports Car Fits Like Cinderella's Glass Slipper

By: Courtney Messenbaugh

There was some doubt among my esteemed MotherProof.com colleagues as to whether my baby bump would fit into the Audi R8. Much like Cinderella's glass slipper, the R8 fit me and my bump perfectly. Just as the glass slipper allowed Cinderella to fulfill her destiny of becoming a beautiful, gracious queen, the R8 paved the way for me to fulfill my destiny of driving a beautiful sports car while being a gracious, pregnant queen of the road.

Truth be told, this car would fit someone twice my size -- it's surprisingly comfortable, and spacious enough to accommodate any body type. The only thing the R8 didn't fit was my son, who needs to ride in a child-safety seat in the backseat. Since there's no backseat on this baby, he missed out.

In my gracious-super-pregnant-hot-mama-queen-of-the-road mode, I decided to stick to my routine with some (OK, a lot) of extra driving. On my way to the dry cleaner -- my dry cleaning bag fit nicely into the mesh pocket behind the seats -- two young men offered to marry me for my car. They weren't really my type and, oh yeah, I'm already married, so I smiled, flashed my wedding ring and drove on. As I left Whole Foods (never fear, my reusable shopping bags helped balance my carbon footprint, which this speedy, gas-loving car put slightly off-kilter), three men were circling the R8. Their jaws dropped when I, in full maternal glory, approached the car, and one man uttered, "This is yours?" You bet it is, gents. With another smile and a nod, I drove away. I could go on, but despite the attention, the best part about the R8 was opening it up on the highway.

The R8's look, feel and power are addictive. From the minute I got in this car I had a smile on my face. It was pure bliss to drive. Don't let its $132,000 price tag slow you down, just go faster. This car is truly only happy if it's going fast. As Cinderella's moral goes, beauty is a treasure, but graciousness is priceless. That's the moral of my R8 drive, too. It's a beautiful car, but with a pregnant, gracious driver, the looks on people's faces really were priceless.

6/27/08

Agent Provocateur Revs Engines With Sexy Mini

By: Courtney Messenbaugh

Here at MotherProof.com, we love the Mini. What do we love more than a Mini? A Mini auctioned to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. And what do we love even more than that? A Mini outfitted by Agent Provocateur from head(light) to tail(light) that benefits charity.

Consider me head-over-high-heels for this idea. A Mini Clubman designed by none other than Joseph Corré, the mastermind behind AP, was auctioned on eBay earlier this month for nearly $70,000, and all of the proceeds benefited HIV/AIDS research and projects. The auction was part of the Life Ball, a posh charity event held in Vienna, Austria. Perhaps I should be sent on assignment to the Life Ball next year to report firsthand on the Mini auction.

But I digress. For the past four years, Mini has teamed up with a fashion superstar, including Donatella Versace in 2005, to create a one-of-a-kind Mini to be auctioned for the Life Ball. More than $400,000 has been raised for the Life Ball charity, which is a nice chunk of change. This year's Clubman reminded Corré of old-fashioned British police vans. The AP Clubman is "an Agent Provocateur-styled interior that you really would want to get arrested in," Corré said. The Life Ball Mini 2008 features a pink and black interior, a pink flashing light, handcuffs on either side of the vehicle and blacked out windows with prison-like bars across them; it sounds like a high-class brothel on wheels. There's no word on who won this car, but I would love to meet them and hear about their other hobbies.

If you aren't familiar with Agent Provocateur, do yourself a favor and get to know it. Think of it as Victoria's Secret, but sexier, higher-quality, more alluring and slightly more expensive. The AP website, www.agentprovocateur.com, proclaims, "A woman wearing a scrumptious pair of turquoise tulle knickers promotes in herself a sexy superhero feeling which exudes itself as a confident and positive sexuality." How can you argue with that? Turquoise tulle isn't exactly my speed, but if you want the key to my heart, buy me the Matinee kimono. It's a little pricey ($630), but it's so beautiful that I think it's a bargain. That kimono would help me find my sexy superhero groove. If only I could befriend the person who bought the AP Clubman, I'd be right at home.

6/26/08

Forget the Laundry and Enjoy a Sweet Escape in Your Dream Sports Car

By: Sara Lacey

We here at MotherProof.com aren’t just fans of minivans and crossovers. We love a good sports car, too, but we don’t get many to test drive. What if we were graced with a supercar — an ultra-hot sports car that absolutely refuses to stop at Costco? Where would we go? What would we do?

Chief Mama Kristin Varela says she’d use the car to escape from her piles of laundry, dishes and unanswered email. She’d simply drive with no destination in mind. But let’s get real; she’s more of a planner than that. So she’d carefully plan what to wear, and she’d likely consult every person she knows about where to take her hot date for a swanky night out (maybe even drive three hours from Denver to Aspen just for dessert — of the chocolate variety, no doubt). She’d want to know if there’s valet parking, a patio, and whether the bottled water is Perrier or San Pellegrino.

Mom-Reviewer Courtney Messenbaugh says she would combine date night with girls' night out so that as many folks as possible could get a glimpse of the sexy car. They would sigh as she drove away at the end of the night (hubby in tow, of course). But before her big night out, she might test the supercar by taking it to the grocery store, perusing area boutiques and hitting the open road. She’s so loyal to MotherProof.com, isn’t she?

I would take my husband out for a speedy, twisty drive in the mountains. The sun would be shining, and the sound of the engine would be the only ambience we’d require. It would be a joy for both of us work-from-homers to play a bit of hooky and enjoy the restless freedom of a hot car for a day.

We understand why car manufacturers probably don’t want to send their precious babies our way to cruise with our kids in tow. But who better to trust your babies to than moms?

What about you? What would you do with a hot sports car (and a baby sitter for the kids)? Would you hit the big city, take to the open road? We want to know.

6/23/08

Stand Out From the Crowd in Luxurious Flex

By: Lori Hindman

The highly anticipated, well-equipped, seven-passenger Ford Flex Limited stretches the boundaries of modern family driving. Ford calls it a Flex because it does just that -- it flexes. It's not the flexing that muscle-bound guys do in front of their mirrors; the Ford Flex is flexible.

You'll either love this car or hate it. The Flex has an urban look with a surprisingly retro feel, reminiscent of the "woody" from 1950s surfer movies. Or maybe it's just a spiffed-up version of the station wagons from my youth, which wasn't that long ago. An optional two-tone roof and chrome accents and rims defy any lingering memories of boring, fuddy-duddy Fords.

Inside it only gets better; the fabulous designers behind the Flex tip their hats to the fashion world with rich houndstooth cloth or quilted leather seating surfaces. The luxurious styling continues with a polished wood trim that travels across the dash and steering wheel with liquidlike grace. Delicate chrome rings surround instruments and controls. Wow, this is a Ford. Who knew?

The front seats are heated and air conditioned -- oh yeah! Folks in the second row are comfy too, with captain's chairs, angled footrests and their own moonroof. Even in the third row there's enough room for grownups and enough space to eliminate the claustrophobic feeling of so many crossover third rows. An easy-to-use mechanism turns the rear seats into a flat cargo space, and there are bins, cargo nets and all sorts of stuff to make life in the fast lane less of a train wreck.

The ride is really quiet because the Flex's windows are coated with an acoustic film to dampen road noise. The Flex is bigger and heavier than it seems. Even though the hefty brakes make it seem light on its toes, a simple press of the gas pedal doesn't deliver the necessary oomph. There are multiple driving modes, including one for hill-climbs, but nothing short of flooring it gives the Flex a leap in speed.

Features abound in the Flex, but the winner is the built-in, honest-to-goodness refrigerator. Yeah, you heard me. Of course, it only works when the car is on, so don't expect to put a quart of milk in the fridge in the morning and find it chilled upon your return in the evening. But since it is insulated, drinks will stay cold for a few hours. How cool is that? (Forgive the pun, I couldn't help it.)

If you're not the type to go for a minivan and you'd like better gas mileage than a SUV, as well as something a bit more unique, the Ford Flex might just sway you. I'm looking forward to more time to stretch out in the Flex.