Let's begin with Eve's enthusiastic comments:
"I loved this car! All of its features looked futuristic. Some were really awesome. Like the back seat was sloped to fit your body. Also, it had cool interior colors. All in all it was a REALLY COOL CAR!" That about says it all. The Cougar is a moderate muscle car, especially with the optional V-6. For young drivers, or for those who consider themselves young at heart, the Cougar may be for you. For the rest of us, the vehicle offers a rather difficult ride. My wife, for example, complained about the hard steering, most noticeable compared to the Explorer. I didn't have any trouble with the steering, but I did notice the difference. The Cougar represents a lifestyle choice. I f you want a fast car at a reasonable price, and if want your kids to think you're cool, buy it. Cougar V-6 3 Door Coupe MSRP as tested: $21,270
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My kids are crazy about the new generation of SUVs. I'm not as big a fan. One recent study showed that almost 8 of 10 SUV owners have never been off road -- a rational decision, given the cost of these vehicles. My first car was a 1967 Willy's Jeep, which by the time I got it, had holes in the floor and a clutch so hard my wife to be was not strong enough to engage it. Now that was one off road mama!
The Mountaineer, in contrast, has not only the power needed for snow and ice, but also the bells and whistles and creature comforts of a top of the line sedan. I never strayed off road, and there was no snow to plow through. I did do a fair amount of highway driving, however, as well as the standard suburban drill -- kids to school, and assorted errands around town. In all these tasks the Mountaineer performed well, plenty of power on the highway, easy to maneuver in parking lots -- all the while cruising to the six disc CD player. The sense of security one feels behind the wheel of these larger than life vehicles is, more than any four wheel drive capability, the key to the popularity of the Mountaineer and similar SUVs. The feel of command of the road is instantly transmitted. The field of vision from the high perch of the driver's seat was a real comfort for me and my wife as well. Eve's Comments "I loved the Mountaineer. It smelled good, it made me feel bigger (which happens rarely) it was comfortable, fairly roomy, everything worked electronically, and it was pretty. It had a pretty big trunk, and I like the noise it makes when it drives. The only problem was the seat belts. Not the belt itself, but the thing you attach it to; the thing you attach it to was too much under the seat." Mountaineer 4x4 4 door ,V-6, with auto overdrive, $32,600 MSRP as tested, including $1750 fleet marketing credit I hadn't driven a Ford Taurus since trading in my 1989 Taurus wagon a few years ago.
The 1998 Taurus sedan is a far peppier, more "European" vehicle than the staid old Taurus, both in design and in overall ambiance. But along with its new styling, the new Taurus feels and looks smaller than its predecessor. Looks can be deceiving however. My family of five put the Taurus through its paces. We made the five hour drive to New York without a complaint from the three kids in the back seat --one of whom-Josh- is still in a car seat. The bucket seats up front were quite comfortable. And I was able to easily fit a good week's grocery shopping for five in the trunk. I was impressed with the power of the engine. Acceleration onto the highway was fine, and in general, when I was at the wheel, I felt as if I were driving something much sportier than the car-for-all-season's Taurus. Eve's Comments "I liked the Taurus cause the seats were very comfortable, and the car was very aerodynamic (round). It's sorta ugly on the outside cause of the lights in the back, but it's pretty cool inside. It heats and cools fast and the seats are pretty roomy unlike the stupid Volvo." I recently tested the two door version of this vehicle--one of the most popular SUVs on the market today.
The two door version was surprisingly small inside, as is the cargo area. The back seat seats only two, adults or children. There is no room for a third, middle seat belt. These drawbacks aside, the Explorer performed like a charm in a variety of city and suburban environments -- the kind of terrain most buyers nowadays frequent. It would be difficult carrying lumber inside the vehicle, but I had no problem with a week's groceries and a number of small bushes from the nursery. During a particularly hot and humid week, the Explorer's AC system, including a separate set of control in the rear, kept four passengers quite comfortable. The two door version is more economical than the four door, but after a while, securing young kids in the back seat becomes a tiresome and awkward chore. The two door version, then, is most suitable for families with children who are no longer in car seats or special harnesses. Eve's Comments This SUV was pretty much the same as the 4-door. Though, it was really annoying to push the seat up and down to get into the back. Also, I don't see the point of it being so expensive if it's smaller than a little infinity G20! I mean the Explorer only has 4 seats! This full-size passenger van is the passenger version of the Ford's Econoline series. Our vehicle featured a new V-10, but V-6 and V-8 versions are also available. Although the Club Wagon has dual airbags and ABS, it is formally considered a domestic light truck that carries passengers.
We used the Club Wagon for both suburban chores and destination travel. I found such a big vehicle a bit of a chore to drive to the supermarket or the YMCA. Parking, backing up, and turning in tight spots were not difficult, but more burdensome than in ordinary vehicles and even dedicated passenger vans like the Mazda MPV I found that I was avoiding using it for everyday errands. According to Ford, the Club Wagon's most dedicated customers are those in the for 45-60 age group who want "a family room on wheels." Baby boomers also figure prominently among Club Wagon owners. After a weekend trip to Virginia's Homestead Resort, a four hour drive from our home near Washington,DC, it's easy to see why. My two girls aged 7 and 11 frowned when they first laid eyes on the Wagon, which from the outside looks no different than the commercial van. My three year old Josh was more enthusiastic, exclaiming, "a big, strong, red truck!" Once inside however the girls changed their tune. "Cool," and "Awesome," were heard escaping from their mouths as they traveled around the back seats, checking out the cup holders, and the useful rear ventilation system. The inside feels very roomy, all the more so when I removed one of the two stand-alone captain's chairs in the second row. The kids enjoyed the real sense of space and therefore so did I. The girls had space to themselves and were even able to read for extended periods. When necessary my wife was able to make her way easily to the passenger area There was plenty of room in the rear storage area for skis and luggage for a family of five. The Club Wagon handled well on the highway, with plenty of power for acceleration and cruising. I made my way through some fairly winding Virginian country roads as well. On this terrain, the Club Wagon performed adequately, but I missed having a real sense of the road, particularly when the rain started coming down hard. MSR Price as tested $30,810.00 Our family car was showing signs of old age. Always an uncomplaining workhorse, after four years of family abuse my confidence in its reliability had begun to falter.
As anyone who has opened a search for a new car knows, there are a bewildering array of makes and models competing for consumer affections. For those looking for a family-friendly vehicle, these choices can be consolidated into a few particular styles and sizes. Vans/MPVs Multipurpose passenger vehicles are to today's families what the station wagon was to parents of Ozzie and Harriet vintage. The Caravan and Voyager models built by Chrysler, the Toyota Previa, the Nissan Quest and its sister the Mercury Villager, and Ford's Windstar are the most favored in a crowded field of entries. The popularity of these vans has obscured their fundamental flaw: strictly speaking they are trucks not cars. For families, this means that they do not always meet the minimum safety requirements established for cars -- from sturdier bumpers to dynamic side impact standards. Mazda's MPV is smaller than its competitors, and when configured with the third row of seats, the trunk space is little bigger than that of a small sedan. We were, however, able to move easily throughout the vehicle, which boasts a passenger side door[not a slider] that my four year old effortlessly opened. Like the Mazda, Toyota's Previa offers easy access to the middle two seats, where kids usually sit, and a larger storage area behind the third seat. My wife, sitting in the passenger's front seat, was able to walk, crouching of course, to the back seat area to tend to our toddler, a real advantage over traditionally configured vehicles when dealing with young children on long trips. 4X4s The Jeep Cherokee established a family niche for four wheel drive vehicles. The market it claimed all but to itself for years is now studded with challengers from all major manufacturers. The Cherokee, Nissan's Pathfinder, Ford's Explorer, and entries from Honda and Izuzu each offer the accouterments of passenger cars with the high driving capabilities of the trucks that they are. For most families, these vehicles are glorified station wagons, with the benefit of on demand four wheel drive, a large storage space [although smaller than traditional wagons], and an elevated driving vantage point. Station Wagons Station wagons divide according to size and safety features. Ford's ubiquitous Taurus and Sable wagons, along with the Volvo models are the top choices among the larger vehicles, with seating for six as well as an optional pull up third seat in the cargo area. The Volvos offer a renowned safety record, plenty of room for passengers and cargo, and leather seats, which offer the utility of vinyl[spills are easy to cleanup]. They were, however, the most uncomfortable vehicles to drive of all that I tested -- difficult to enter from the driver's side {I've got a bad back} and their boxy design translates into a ride and steering regimen that took me back to my first station wagon driving experiences in the early seventies. The Taurus, like the Volvo wagons, has plenty of room to seat three in the back seat. The crushed velour seats can pose clean up problems. In all of our cars I have taken the precaution of spreading out a thin green camping tarp over the entire seat. The Toyota Camry and Subaru Legacy wagons occupy the middle rung of popular family vehicles. Both offer significantly less room than the Taurus and Volvo in the critical back seat and storage areas. In this respect they are more like the Ford Escort, which seat three in back with difficulty. The Camrys are statistically among the most reliable of cars, an important consideration for trekking families. Subarus generally receive lower marks. Slightly smaller than their more expensive siblings are Toyota's Corolla, the slow selling Subaru Loyale, and the Ford Escort, now styled by Mazda. Reliability, price, and resale value rather than size and family-friendliness are what set these cars apart from each other. Although it sometimes seems that way, there is no commandment requiring families to buy station wagons. Many of today's sedans, including the new Nissan Sentra, offer plenty of room. Our family of four travelled recently from Washington to Philadelphia. There was plenty of room for us and the luggage, stowed out of site in the trunk. And for city dwellers, the smaller wagons and sedans make for easier parking and urban orienteering. On one occasion, five of us loaded up a Honda Accord for a three week summer stay in New Hampshire, 9 long highway hours from our Gaithersburg home. My two kids and a babysitter sat with reasonable comfort in the back seat and there was plenty of room in the trunk. I for one was happy to have our assorted bags, cases, water wings, pails, and bike helmets thankfully hidden out of sight. The wall that has divided wagons from minivans is now crumbling. The recent introduction of the Honda Odyssey -- "the first minivan that is built like a car" -- reflects the attempt to marry the advantages offered by each auto style ... and bring both MPV and wagon enthusiasts to the showroom. |
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