Entertainment On The Run

After drooling over so many new devices and gadgets, then watching half of them disappear before I could even oogle them in person, I've had to revise my personal entertainment targets for our single car.  The latest nifty thing we haven't seen in person yet is iTunes Tagging, and yes, I do realize that this isn't entirely late breaking.

iTunes Tagging bridges two of our favorite features-to-wish-for: HD Radio, and iPod control.  Want to know what iTunes Tagging does? When you are listening to an HD station, your radio is reciving not only data to play the music, but also some information about the song being played.  When you hear a song you like, you can hit some sort of TAG button on your reciever and it will store the song information on your iPod.  Later, when you dock out iPod with your computer, iTunes will see the tagged information and find it for you to purchase.  That's pretty handy, even if you don't end up purchasing the song. 

Having a car with no room for a double-DIN multimedia/navigation dynamo, and already having a capable little GPS unit, the only thing I really want to make sure to throw in the mix is Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls.  As of right now, there are a few head units on the market that support all of these, and many more that can support both Bluetooth and iTunes Tagging with just a single added accessory.  The accessory is not always the same.  Some head units need the Bluetooth module added, while others need the HD Radio.

I have found units on the very inexpensive end of the scale from both Dual and JVC, and more costly setups from Alpine, Pioneer, and Kenwood so far.  I'll let you know if we end up with anything, and how well our iPod user likes it.

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I'm excited!

Do you know why?  The economic recession has enabled some differing minds to come together, and forced new ideas to the forefront.  The best part is that the driving public will be able to benefit from the desperation of the the automotive manufacturers.  I'll give you a few examples.

The Chevy Equinox. This vehicle has historically been quite underwhelming.  Other than occasionally popping up with a new experimental drivetrain, the Equinox has not had much to offer beyond sliding rear seats.  For the 2010 model year that will be changing.  Not only will the Equinox be an all new vehicle with a new look (that I haven't quite fallen for yet), but it has turned into a class leader for economy.  Not only has it been fitted with features to use less fuel, but it COSTS LESS as well.  Bravo, Chevrolet!  I can't say that I'm exactly loving the over-accentuated fender rings (which are a poor choice for any car design, hear that Ford?), but I like almost everything else I've seen about this car.  The CR-V and RAV4 better have something good on the way, because I can see this Chevy stealing a lot of their prospective customers.  I say that as a former driver of a 2006 V6 4WD RAV4 Sport, which my whole family LOVED.

The Chevy Volt.  While the Volt isn't yet close to hitting show rooms, it is making great waves every few weeks as details spill forth.  Most recently I have been reading tales of journalists' adventures in the car while riding around GM test facilities.  All the great press is really putting the pressure on other car companies to make sure they keep at least a foot in the spotlight.  After Chevrolet announced the EPA's calculated mileage for the Volt, Nissan announced the "gas" mileage for thier electric Leaf.  Fun stuff here.

The Ford Fiesta.  I've been anxiously awaiting this one since I first saw it in concept form.  Along with all the work Ford is puting into powertrains across their entire line-up, Ford has been working overtime to get this one into everyone's garage.  I can't wait to see it in action somewhere besides Great Britain's Top Gear tv show.  This car is just what the USA needs to start thinking that domestic brands and small cars CAN go together.  I want one for each foot.  Hahaha!

Last but not least, is Fiat/Chrysler.  I'm going to make this short and sweet.  The Dodge Caliber will be getting a whole new underpinning, thanks to Alfa Romeo!  That should be good for at least 4 other MOPAR cars, all of which need some help.

That's it for now.  Happy Carpinionating!

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Another possible storm chaser!!

Introducing the Ford Transit Connect.

Check it out.

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What Makes Your (future) Car Ugly? Cadillac SRX Edition

I used to like the Future/Art designs that Cadillac has been pushing for a number of years now, but when they started applying it to rebadged vehicles shared with other divisions, it just looked wrong.  Case in point? Any Cadillac Escalade you see can't possibly lose the air of Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Avalanchiness that makes them so ermmm... common.  Granted, these vehicles take a lot of work to disguise, but that doesn't mean Cadillac doesn't lose copious amounts of respect for poorly done makeovers.   Today's target is a vehicle coming to a Cadillac showroom soon (if GM lasts that long), instead of a vehicle that has been out for a while.



The 2010 Cadillac SRX truly embodies desperation and lack of monetary resources (which kinda reminds me of the K-car), which I can't really blame the designers for (I'm thinking management here) , but have no problem disliking nonetheless.  It is singularly unoriginal in every way and has no piece it can call its own.

The original SRX (which was completely original for the US market, by the way) may look somewhat pedestrian by the current standards, but has character and individualilty wholly missing from the new model.  Let's examine the sources from which the newfound ugly has been derived, shall we?

Like all the other vehicles in the Cadillac stable, the new SRX has the standard design elements that make them destinctive from GM's other brands.  Unfortunately they put the Stink in distinctive this time, because they decided to borrow the same platform used for the Saturn Vue and new Chevy Equinox.  While I'm not impressed with the Vue, I think the new Equinox got a change for the better, sharing more visuals with the new Traverse and Malibu than the Trailblazer it used to mirror.  At least something good came out of this for the Equinox!

Just like the Equinox, the SRX features strong familial resemblances to other Cadillacs.  In this case the Escaladian features are hard not to see, which only shows what a bad match this bulbous platform is for the hard edges and sharp creases featured across the Cadillac lineup.

One last item to address here is the front fender vents prominently featured on the new SRX.  Where else have I seen those awesome wheel-arch decorations?  Oh yes!!  It was something from Ford... The Focus!!!

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The Search Begins

Having had a few days to think on it, I'm slowly putting together some loose specifications for storm chase vehicles. Here are a few of the items on the wish list:

• Looking for decent traction available at all four corners
• Hoping for a BIG sunroof and windows
  
• Some extra bit of ground clearance for when we have to leave the road temporarilly, or when the road has surprises
• Gas milage in the high twenties (or better) for lots of range
  
• Room enough for four to crash for a short time without rearranging too much gear.

These requirements are pretty hard to meet with any single vehicle, but for right now they are merely a set of guidelines to help compare possible candidates. Most of the vehicles that have crossed my mind for this job fit into various "crossover" categories. Here are some of them, in no particular order:

• Isuzu Vehicross
• Cadillac SRX
• Toyota RAV (3rd gen)
• Toyota Highlander
  
• Chevrolet Traverse
• Dodge Journey
• Lexus RX
• Mazda 5
• Honda CRV
• Honda Element
• Volvo XC70
• Dodge Sprinter
• Nissan Rogue
• Nissan Murano
• Ford Taurus X
• Ford Edge
• Ford Flex
• Ford Kuga
• Ford Escape
• Audi Q5
• Volkswagen Tiguan

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What's New and Hot? Storm Chasing!!

Stay tuned for discussions about choosing the right tornado tracking transportation for your and your loved ones! We'll be ping-ponging it with What the heck is happening here? to bring you the latest!

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New Toys for Old Boys

As I have mentioned before, problems with the world economy in general and the United States' economy in particular are making it hard to make good on new and innovative ideas.

One particular product on its way out is the Dash Express. Dash has decided to become a software solution provider, and no longer sell the Express. I'm sorry, Dash. I truly hope you get to stick around to lend your influence to anyone who might need it.

Just in the nick of time (or so it would seem), Telenav is offering their own Connected Personal Navigation Device, called the Shotgun. Again, this device is capable of some pretty interesting stuff. My favorite feature is "Gas by Price," which is something I've been looking for in a PND. Again, I am afraid for anyone attempting to bring a device like this to market, but at least it has some "good financial support" in Nokia. We'll see how that works out.