NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

It’s not like I am a nosy neighbor, but we do all look out for each other. We notice if there is something different, or out of the ordinary in our neighborhood. We know when someone’s relative is visiting (Who owns that Ford Focus?), when there are plumbing problems (What’s with that GMC panel van?), and certainly when someone buys a brand new vehicle. This is a newsworthy event that is fun and exciting for everyone on our street. Such was the case recently when my neighbor took delivery of their new Saturn Outlook.

Everyone knew it was coming. It had been ordered weeks before, but one day it just magically appeared in their driveway. A large, beautiful Midnight Blue profile suddenly dominated their landscape. Now I am going to be nosy! Just when I got up the nerve to move from tactfully peering through the curtain, to blatantly going out to explore, another neighbor beat me to it. Darn, missed my chance.

GM seems to have gotten it right. The Outlook is Saturn’s new crossover vehicle (along with its sisters, the GMC Acadia and the higher end Buick Enclave), auto manufacturers’ replacement for the frumpy van of yesteryear. A crossover is to be that perfect blend of SUV and van; functional for a family, but cool like an SUV, all with the ride comfort of a car. The lines and components of the Outlook are striking both inside and out. As a result, sales have taken off and the reviews have been glowing (Motor Week just named it their Best Crossover Utility for 2007). I knew that I had to dig deeper. I had to check out my neighbor’s new Outlook.

My first close-up was at a state soccer championship game. After a night of torrential rain, the parking lot by the fields was a sea of mud. My little Scion TC had to carefully jump from island to island, dancing around the sea of puddles. Then the Outlook arrived taking a straight shot to its parking spot, demonstrating its confidence and comfort in any situation. The Outlook stands tall at nearly 6 feet, giving the driver a commanding view of the road, just like an SUV. The exterior’s lines are stunning with angles and curves just where they should be. The interior is also attractive with a logical dash and comfort throughout, even way back in the traditionally throwaway third seat. Reports are that the access to the third seat is as easy as pulling a single lever on the second row seat which slides it forward, and up, positioning the seat against the front backrests. GM calls the design Smart Glide.

While I shared my approval with my neighbor, I had to settle with admiring the Outlook from afar. However, a month later my son lucked into a ride. It was on a snowy night, but I knew that my son was safe. I remembered that the Outlook has, “…dual-stage front airbags, front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain airbags that provide head protection for all three seat rows.” As envy set in, I could not wait to get home and debrief him about the ride. How about the 270-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, the six-speed automatic transmission? He said that he didn’t know, but he did get to ride shotgun and he thought sitting up that high was really cool. I dug for more details. How did it handle the curves and the pot holes? How firm did it feel at speed?? How did the lumbar support feel in the seats??? He wasn’t sure about any of these probing questions, but he did say that the best thing about the Outlook is that it talked. My son had experienced OnStar, GM’s navigation/diagnostic/hands-free calling service.

My neighbor has had the Saturn Outlook for several months now. Snow, kids and muddy parking lots behind it, the Outlook is now broken in. Even so, its profile is still impressive as it sets in their driveway, and it is still “new” to the neighborhood. GM and Saturn did get it right with the Outlook, and so did my neighbor. Maybe someday it will be my turn to ride shotgun.

GPS: The Key to the Highway

This is the age of information technology: the internet, cell phones, iPods/iPhones, the Blackberry, Bluetooth, OnStar, the list goes on and on. Some of these are helpful, others are just plain annoying. All cost money for their initial purchase; some require ongoing service fees that add up to real dollars over years of service. With all of these choices, it takes a wise consumer to avoid an unnecessary, impulse purchase. For me, a GPS (global positioning satellite) unit always seemed to be an unnecessary luxury, but has now turned out to become a great tool (and toy). The GPS unit for your vehicle is now affordable, and portable, providing a real value for its owner. My first exposure to GPS technology in automobiles was several years ago with my brother-in-law’s Acura. They initially appeared in vehicles as a permanently installed luxury item, a $2000+ option. GPS units provide the comfort and convenience of accurate, real time mapping information for the driver, and depending on the unit, so much more. I was immediately intrigued when I saw it used very effectively in the Acura, but then thought, “Why would I pay $2000 for what a $2 map could provide?” That was then and this is now.

This past holiday shopping season, GPS units were offered in just about every store and they were on many shopping lists. I was still intrigued, but disciplined (the $2 map). However, the more I thought about all of my family’s out of state trips, travel soccer games and hockey tournaments, the more GPS seemed to make sense. After extensive research, I gave into temptation and bought one. There are many manufacturers, but I went with the well known, name brand of Garmin, and bought their NUVI 350 for less than $300 (starter units go for as little as $150). What $2 map can give you maps for the entire Continental United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; fits easily in the palm of your hand, portable enough to use walking about town; has an Mp3 Player; and the ability to download additional software for travel reviews/information, language translation, and books on disk?

Unlike other techno gadgets, the NUVI 350 is easily mastered in minutes. Its bright display and sensitive keypad makes it a breeze to use. In addition to providing the driver point-to-point directions, its data base includes points of interest including restaurants, theatres and gas stations along the way. The maps are accurate, and the verbal commands are even better. Many units do not include the actual street names in their verbal presentation. I think that this is a must and worth any extra that you may need to pay. It is easy to navigate by verbal commands alone and there is no need to even take your eye off the road to reference the maps. The female voice is very patient and compassionate, even when you miss a turn and she has to “recalculate.” The download into the Mp3 player is as simple as plugging the unit into the home computer. I spent the extra $51 for the language translator and my son finds it to be very helpful with his Spanish homework assignments.

How the unit mounts in your car is a matter of personal preference. The general method is a suction cup to the windshield or the dash. I do not like the idea of either. I found that on the windshield the unit was in my way affecting my visibility for driving. Mounting an adhesive disk to the dash was out of the question since I needed the flexibility of moving the unit between cars. The solution was the purchase of a $30 “friction mount” which lays securely on the dash and is easily moved from car to car, or placed in the trunk for safety.

My whole family is now sold on the value (and fun) of the portable GPS unit. It is entertaining and educational no matter how long the trip; getting lost is a thing of the past. Not an essential item, but it sure is a lot of fun. Buy one and let it guide you to your favorite dealer for that next automobile purchase. Use the $2000 saved for another option. How about the Sport Package that you always wanted?

Spring Fever

I find this to be an exciting time for the auto industry. Maybe it is the beginnings of spring fever, but the idea of a new, hot car as the seasons change is an exciting prospect. This is the season of auto shows and the buzz this year is all about the new hot car from Dodge; the return of the Challenger, to premiere simultaneously at the Chicago and Philadelphia shows in February. The reemergence of the Chevrolet Camaro is soon to follow.

I refuse to be discouraged by the doom and gloom that is so prevalent in the media. Sure, the domestic manufacturers are going through a period of adjustment. They once again must reinvent themselves in order to cope with foreign competition, more government emission and mileage requirements, and the ever changing tastes of the consumer.

This is nothing new. The domestic auto manufacturers went through similar changes in the late 70’s when the oil embargo and federal emission requirements killed the muscle car. The consumer discovered the economy of Honda and Toyota; their cheaper purchase price and better gas mileage. Now these cars are the main stream. The Accord and Camry are just like any other car. They are expensive to buy, not all that great with fuel economy and they all look alike. Eventually, the consumer tired of being main stream and flocked to SUV’s. The domestic manufacturers were rediscovered in a niche market of trucks and the SUV. Profits were made as the buyers’ tastes changed.

Buyers are there if there is a product the customer wants to buy. Ford began a successful transition in 2005 when they captured the spotlight with their retro redesign of the Mustang. The buzz was immediate. A beautiful car retaining the best of the styling cues of Mustangs past, but with present day state of the art technology. Once again, buyers streamed to the showrooms…and the quality was there too, winning Mustang (and Ford) the 2007 JD Power Award for Best Initial Quality, even beating out the Toyota Solara. Foreign and domestics found that, “What is old is now new again”, and that it sells cars. Foreign manufacturers continue to succeed with BMW’s return of the Mini Cooper, along with VW’s new version of the Bug.

Domestic and foreign manufacturers have proven that they can deliver exciting, well made cars that the consumer wants to buy. While I have always been more of a Mustang fan, the buzz around the Dodge Challenger and the eventual Chevrolet Camaro is loud, and they will find buyers. The first Challenger off the line sold for $400,000. The price at the gas pump won’t matter; these cars will sell proving again that if manufacturers design and deliver a product the public wants to buy, money can be made.

As cabin fever sets in during this long, hard winter, fantasies of a summer drive in the latest and greatest car design takes over. Spring brings a change in seasons, and the premiere of the new Dodge Challenger will bloom into showrooms. I am excited about what lies ahead for the auto industry. Maybe this is a good time to finally think seriously about a Mustang for me. The only question is what color.

Enjoy the ride!