If you haven't been paying close attention, Ford has been working hard to change their image and their focus to meet the demands of a new world and a new market.  They have done this by releasing a handful of fuel efficient vehicles under the moniker ECOnetic.  In particular, this includes the Ka, Focus, and now the Fiesta, which have a combined 65.6mpg.  It is currently only available in Europe, particularly in the UK.  I wonder why it hasn't taken root here in the US.  Hello Dearborn? 

If you are into small cars, or work for the circus, this is a great series of articles on the 26 different models out there, everything from the Ford Fusion to the Proton Satria Neo.  

 

 

 

Jeff Foxworthy shows us how to change a car battery.  

 

 

When on a long road trip it is important to plan your stops.  This becomes even more crucial as you add children into the equation.  Stopping with one kid isn't so bad, but the more you add, the more difficult a stop becomes.  For example, stopping for us is pretty difficult, because all three kids want to get out and walk about the store and buy everything their eyes come across, especially my son who is always drawn to the model hot rod section of the truck stops.  Emergencies aside, then, it is crucial to minimize your stops in order to make for an efficient and less stressful trip.

One way to cut down on the number of stops is to eliminate one of the most common needs for stopping, namely, food.  To do this, you need only pack a cooler full of delicious snacks and refreshments.  Here are some suggestions to help you do this:

1. Get a cooler that can fit in the car - this is key.  If you have to stop to get the cooler out, you are eliminating half of the need for having one in the first place (though you will still save money). 
2. Pack a mix of snacks, not just a bunch of granola bars.  Include something like Gold Fish and fruit.  Make it fresh fruit though, as anything else gets too messy.  Don't be afraid to have a couple of treats in there that aren't necessarily healthy in mass quantities.  Also, sandwiches are a good way to go as well.  Having a mix will give your kids different snacks to look forward to.  
3. As for drinks, avoid sodas, and have water or some kind of juice.  However, be sure to monitor drink consumption or you could find yourself stopping even more for potty time. 
   
4. Avoid ice (contra the above picture) and opt for cold packs.  Ice gets messy as it melts. 
   

With a well packed cooler you will be able to maximize your road time, which will in turn make for a much smoother, and faster, trip.  The longer you are on the road, the quicker things will go.  Of course stops are not all bad.  I would suggest making regular stops in fact.  But packing a cooler will keep you from making more stops than are necessary.  

In the spirit of presidential vehicle investigation, I came across this presidential SUV, which apparently used to trail President Bush's motorcade.  Its not NEW news, but worth mentioning nonetheless, if nothing more than to give you an opportunity to see hot death emanating from the barrel of a mounted chaingun.  I hate war, violence, and the like, but man are machine guns cool.  Watch the video here and witness molten destruction.  This is something straight out of G.I. Joe. 

Following up on a previous article, here is more on President Obama's Caddy.  "Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, the limo is based on a number of GM platforms and shares components with several different vehicles." The specs on this thing are truly outrageous, but as it turns out, the President will not be making milk runs in this monstrosity, instead using it for public appearances up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.  See the article here. 

Having three children and one on the way, relatives 5 hours away in Houston and other commitments many states away, my wife and I have been no strangers to the long road trip.  We have learned a few tricks along the way to make the runnings a bit smoother, and so I have decided to open the vault of my vast wisdom and experience and bequeath it to you, Joe and Judy Generic Driver. 

Right off the bat it is important to say that this list must be realistic.  In other words, I think we would all agree that a flying car would be nice for making long road trips into short puddle jumps, but that is not going to happen for awhile.  Something else important is the reality that people have been making long road trips for thousands of years without these necessities.  For example, my Dad didn't have what I would deem the number one most important necessity, the iPod, when he drove us in our Aerostar from Dallas to Orlando.  He couldn't escape into an audio book or his favorite music, but instead had to put up with chirping kids or Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, my brother's awkwardly favorite band at the time.  Realizing that we are not as tough as our forbears, I am not going to forego these luxuries just to be "old school."  Finally, not all of these necessities are for the children themselves, but for helping the parents cope with said children as well.  

With that said, here is the list accompanied by a short explanation of each one.  The next few posts will go into more detail. 

5.  Snacks - this seems obvious, but many folks neglect to do the hard work of packing a fat cooler full of fruits, crackers, the ever present yet surprisingly unhealthy Goldfish, and drinks.  

4.  Pillows and Blankets - this helps the trip seem like one giant and ridiculously cramped camp out for your kids.  They love that kind of stuff.  

3.  "I Spy" - it seems ridiculous, but younger kids love this game.  It is the perfect thing to do when they get restless.  WARNING: Use sparingly, because this game will likely be very boring for you.  

2.  DVD Player - if your vehicle doesn't have one, drop a hundred bucks or much less at Best Buy and pick one up.  Many come with multiple headsets.  The trick is figuring out where to set it up, as fights will break out over who gets to hold it.  

1.  iPod - ah the sweet iPod.  Never has there been a greater invention.  Find an audio book and listen for hours while everyone else is occupied or sleeping.  This helps the time pass much more quickly.  

Buckle your seatbelts and stay tuned for more detailed information on each one.  

In a day where color is not supposed to make a difference, that apparently is not the case when it comes to cars.  According to researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, "silver cars are 50 percent less likely to be involved in a crash resulting in a serious injury as compared to white cars."  Find out some more interesting research about car colors here. 

In my search for the perfect family vehicle, I ran across the VW Routan.  Nice looking car.  What got us even more pumped was the fact that it was Volkswagen, home of superior German engineering and craftsmanship.  Then we read this article, and now we aren't so sure.  As it turns out, the VW is not German after all.  From the article:

The 2009 Routan isn’t engineered by Germans, unless you count the ones who used to work for DaimlerChrysler. It is merely a rebadged, slightly rebodied, mildly retuned Chrysler minivan.

Volkswagen changed only the exterior lights, rear glass, front grille, select parts of the interior and some settings for the suspension and steering. And yet, as if to obscure further the Routan’s provenance, VW exhorts Web users to “have a virtual baby for German engineering” at a dedicated minisite: vw.com/vwhype/babymaker/en/us/.  Yikes!

 

Yikes indeed.  More like Zoiks!  What do we make of this sleight of hand?  I guess the world of minivans will remain uncool and unGerman.  Thats okay.  After two weeks with my kids marking on it with sharpies it wouldn't look cool anyway.