August 31, 2010

Sharon DeVellis is Editor Extraordinaire at the Yummy Mummy Club.  Her ever-growing list of responsibilities includes: working with our writers and managing our Editorial Calendar, maintaining client and partner relationships, interviewing celebrities for yummy articles, helping design our fab website, writing newsletter/contest/Shop Yummy content, writing her own, very popular & hilarious blog The Inside Scoop, and generally just keeping YMC machine running smoothly.  And because Sharon isn't busy enough, we had her review the 2010 Lincoln MKT!

I got to do my second test-drive which *whew* because I thought when I mentioned in my last review how I may have possibly broken the Ford Escape, my test-driving would come to an end.  But Ford was up for the challenge and sent me off to drive a 2010 Lincoln MKT for a week.

It was a sunny Monday morning when I picked up my new vehicle with Son No. 2 in tow.  I went in to the reception area where the nice security man gave me my keys.  A bounce in my step, I headed off to the parking lot.  It wasn’t until I got outside I realized the keys had no key.  The little metal part you insert into the ignition and turn to start the vehicle?  That whole part wasn’t there.  I turned around and went back to the front desk.

“Uummmm...... the keys you gave me have no key”, I said holding it up.

He grinned and said, “It’s a remote ignition.  You don’t need a key.  Just keep “that” (the technical turn for “that” is a fob) on you somewhere and press the starter button when you’re in the vehicle.  But be sure to have your foot on the brake when you do it”.

In a million years I wouldn’t have figured it out.

I get out to the parking lot and set about getting the car seats from my van into the Lincoln.  This turned into a strike against the Lincoln.  Putting in the car seats was very difficult.  And when I say very, I mean I spent a good 45 minutes in the parking lot putting in just one (with a not very happy Son No. 2 starting to lose it at minute 25) and it took my husband another two hours in the garage to get the seats in tight enough so they were safe.  In a nutshell, it was difficult tightening the tether straps as well as accessing the latch connectors behind the second row seating.   Having said that, we aren’t a family that switches car seats around often so in all honesty, it wouldn’t affect us that much.  But if you are a family who partakes in the car seat switcheroo on a regular basis, I can see it being a hassle.

Car seats safely-installed, I was feeling quite tech-savvy with my new remote ignition starter until I got the phone call I needed to come to the Ford parking lot because I had forgotten to turn off the hazards on my van.

This is who they let test-drive a vehicle.

First Impression
I didn’t like the look of the Lincoln MKT (MSRP $49.950), it was boxy and the front grill made it look like it was grinning at me, and not in a friendly sort of way.  But the interior?   I’ll use a word my son made up for anything that’s cool and fancy – the Lincoln MKT was zanzy.  I FELT fancy when I was driving this roomy vehicle.  The interior was first class, from the heated and cooled leather seats and overall roominess, to the easy to navigate dash with all the bells and whistles (SYNC system, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, GPS). We even had neighbours come over to check it out.  It was, in fact, such an incredible vehicle my husband asked if he could drive it.  

No way.

What I Loved About It
Remote Starter:  It was nice not having to search for my keys.  Even if the starter fob thingy was in the bottom of the blackhole I call a purse, I’d just press the button and go.  Loved this.  The remote trunk open came in a close second.  When you’re juggling two kids, a purse and a cart full of groceries in a parking lot on a rainy day... to be able to open the trunk remotely is nothing short of magic.

Adjustable Gas Pedal:   I’m short and I sit on a pillow when I drive.  Don’t judge... it helps me, okay?  The Lincoln had an adjustable gas pedal.  Press a button and you could raise or lower it.  Both me and my short body LOVED this. 

Smooth Ride and Gadgets To Make Life Easier:  The gas and brake pedals weren’t overly sensitive so I wasn’t lurching about and the ride was smooth.  The cruise control was magnifique.  It monitored traffic ahead and adjusted accordingly.  It had a Blind Spot indicator for when you changed lanes and a cross traffic alert for when reversing out of a parking space. I will say it scared the living daylights out of me when the windshield flashed a light at me out of the blue.  Turns out the Lincoln MKT has a Collision Warning and Braking system which warns you if there’s slow moving traffic ahead.  If you don’t respond, the system will pre-charge the brakes to prepare the vehicle for a more “aggressive” stop. 

Parking Features:  The automatic parallel parking feature (technical name: Active Park Assist) was by far the best feature.  I learned how to parallel park for my driver’s exam and haven’t done it since.  I would rather circle a block five times than attempt parallel parking.  The Lincoln MKT changed that.  With Active Park Assist, it does it for you. We spent two hours one afternoon driving around and parallel parking.  The first time my boys saw me parallel parking without my hands on the steering wheel, they freaked out.  After that they couldn’t get enough.  I don’t know how it works but it parallel parked perfectly Every. Single. Time.  Plus it had a rear camera for backing up.  This will be a must-have feature in any future vehicle I own.

Storage:  At one point we had in the back: foldable chairs, soccer equipment, a hockey bag full of equipment and groceries – with room to spare.  Storage would never be an issue in this vehicle.

The Not-So-Good
We have two children in car seats and when the car seats are in the second row, you can’t tilt the seats forward to access the third row seating.   That means if you have more than two kids or want to have anyone else in your vehicle, the car seats either have to be in the third row or your guests will be doing some climbing.

In the end not being able to access the third row of seats when our car seats were installed in the second row would have been the deal breaker for me but if you’re a family with older kids? 

I think my husband would have preferred to give back the kids at the end of the week instead of the Lincoln. 

Just sayin'...
 

Labels/Tags: test drive, test drive mummy, car review, automobile review, review, lincoln, mkt, mkx, ford, crossover, suv

Posted by TestDriveMummy at 22:32:19 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

August 06, 2010

Eric Novak is a successful broadcaster, video producer, publisher and speaker as the owner of media consulting and production firm Modern Media Perspectives.  Eric blogs for the YummyMummyClub from a Daddy's perspective as he is the father to three sons and brand-new baby daughter.  He is always on the move, and enjoys driving and reviewing vehicles for YummyMummyClub.ca.  You can follow Eric at his blog here, or on Twitter at @MMPerspectives.

For some time now General Motors and Toyota have been battling it out, trying to be the #1 auto maker in the world, in terms of overall sales.  Despite the obvious competitive nature of the fight, there have been notable examples where the two have worked together.  One such example lies in story of the Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix. 

The two auto giants collaborated with each other to create a car plant in California that manufactured both models.  This arrangement began in 2003 and continued until 2009 when General Motors announced it was eliminating the entire Pontiac brand.  The last Vibe was produced in August, of 2009 while the Toyota Matrix continues on.  The Toyota Matrix is now exclusively manufactured in Canada at one of Toyota’s two assembly plants in Cambridge, Ontario.

When I was offered the chance to test the 2010 Toyota Matrix, I was looking forward to conducting a unique personal comparison.  Back in 2008, I had the chance to participate in the media launch of the next generation Pontiac Vibe.  If you want to watch the video of that review, please .  The chance to take the Matrix out for a week would give me a first hand opportunity to compare notes and thoughts about the two different branded versions of the same vehicle.

FIRST IMPRESSION

While I have never been a huge fan of hatchback models, there are some attractive styling elements to the newest generation of the Matrix (MSRP $21,930 as tested).  This vehicle would compete directly against a number of different other models including The Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Ford Focus, VW Rabbit, Honda Fit and even the Chevrolet HHR.  Of these competitors I find the styling of the Matrix to be a bit more sleek and stylish, with sharper lines and a more visually appealing hatchback design.  I think the look of this latest generation of Toyota Matrix is an improvement over its original designs.

Inside the vehicle, my eyes were immediately drawn to the unique shapes that made up the instrument cluster.  The Automatic transmission was situated par way up the middle console as opposed to lower down which also caught my eye.  Otherwise the interior was rather indicative of what an entry to mid range hatchback would look like. 

DRIVE

The Toyota Matrix is a smaller and lighter vehicle than what I’m used to driving.  With both a minivan and a mid-sized sedan typically sitting in my driveway, I was immediately struck by how different the Matrix felt to drive.  This seems to be a much easier car to drive than would be something larger which makes me believe this is a great car for someone who isn’t a fan of driving.

Under the hood one will find a basic 4 cylinder engine that puts out about 132 horsepower.  Given that the vehicle is rather light, I never got the sense that it was under-powered.  That said, one would never suggest that this vehicle is quick either.  Toyota does offer a 158 horsepower engine on its upper end versions, so if you need it to be quick, be sure to look at all the options available.

The Matrix is built on the same platform as the incredibly popular Corolla, so anyone with prior experience in one will likely feel right at home in the other.  This isn’t a luxury car so you will feel bumpy roads more than you would in higher end vehicles, but I didn’t read anywhere that the Matrix was claiming to be a luxury car either.

GADGETS AND GIZMOS   

I’ve always found vehicles in this category to be a bit frustrating when it comes to Gadgets and Gizmos.  I say this because you tend to not get much with a base model, especially when compared to base models of higher end vehicles.  My tester came with a CD player with MP3 inputs and a very basic speaker package.  Cruise control was absent (upgrade, I guess) as were other things I guess I’ve come accustomed to such as a compass and power lumbar/seat controls.  While various options exist with higher end versions of the Matrix, one should not be purchasing this vehicle if they are looking to be all decked out with the latest techie car toys.

INTERIOR COMFORT

Fabric or Sport Fabric are the two interior seating options that are available in the Matrix.  Leather is not available nor is it expected.  Cup holders were plentiful with options being found on the console as well as in the door side panels.  I found that anything larger than a typical take out beverage would need to go in the door side panels as my stainless steel travel mug wouldn’t fit in the console holder.

Front seats are not spectacular, but comfortable.  My suspicion though is that larger individuals may not find the front bucket seats particularly wide enough.  I stand 5’11” and found myself fitting in the seats with little room to spare.  The back seats however seemed a bit more spacious than one might have expected.  With a higher rooftop there seemed to be ample head room and leg room would be sufficient for anyone under 6 feet tall.

STORAGE

The Toyota Matrix offers just less than 20 cubic feet of storage space in its hatchback design.  In real terms my guess is that it would easily fit groceries for a family of 4 or 5.  It would also be suitable for 2 or 3 sets of golf clubs (4 sets if you are really good at packing them) or a couple of hockey bags.

Storage is above, as is typical with hatchback designs, and can be concealed by a Tonneau cover which is kept below the hard floor of the storage area, near the spare tire when not in use.  The storage area is covered in a hard plastic with some traction strips and would seem quite resilient to a fair amount of use and abuse.

IN THE END

The Toyota Matrix, with a 7 year history of production has been a valuable and popular member of the Toyota line up of cars.  I think to their credit, the designers at Toyota have not tried to blur the lines with what the Matrix is designed to be and what its not.  This is an entry to mid level car that is reliable and good on gas, with extra space for cargo and families that need it. 

To my mind, this is a car better suited for urbanites than it is for those residing in more rural settings.  It’s also not designed for larger families, so for anyone with more than 2 children, I would think you will need to look beyond this vehicle if you are looking at the Toyota line up.  I think this would also make for an excellent second car for a family where one car isn’t always enough and the first is well suited to family use.  It’s likely not to be considered the star of the driveway, but perhaps a reliable and economical stable mate instead.

As for the comparison I noted at the beginning between the Pontiac Vibe and the Matrix, with some small preferences here and there between the two, I’d say that I’ve have to render that contest as a tie.

Test Drive Daddy’s Ratings

Style
Comfort
Features
Storage
Drive
Overall

Labels/Tags: test drive, test drive mummy, car review, automobile review, review, hatch, hatchback, compact car, economy car, toyota matrix, toyota

Posted by TestDriveMummy at 17:48:01 View Comments | Click Here to Comment

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