Posts Tagged ‘SUV’

Jill Ciminillo

To be fair, I should start by saying that I swapped into the all-new 2010 Toyota 4Runner after being in the Mazda MX-5. But even so, this all-new large SUV seemed a bit super-sized to me.

The knobs and dials. The seats. The center stack. The center console. The door handles The step-in height. Everything was, well, a bit much.

Except the price. That was a pleasant surprise. The test vehicle was a four-wheel drive (4WD) model with a V-6 engine, and the base price rang in at $30,915. Which I thought was very reasonable considering the shear size of this gigantic SUV.

2010 Toyota 4Runner

I would, however, like to see a standard third-row seat in a vehicle of this magnitude, and my test vehicle didn’t have one. It is an option on the Limited and SR5 4WD models ($1,390), but not available on the two-wheel drive or the Trail models at all.

The 4Runner also comes as a base two-wheel drive model with a starting price of $27,500. Even better.

The test vehicle added a bevy of options that hiked the as-tested price to $36,634. And while I liked the vehicle as equipped, I could probably have done without most of the options, including the Premium Package ($2,205) and the Convenience Package ($1,050). These packages included premium features like leather seats, moonroof and power adjustable driver’s seat.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jill Ciminillo

The 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid goes beyond big. It is well into gargantuan territory. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Especially if you live in an urban environment like I do. This tank of a vehicle was kind of like a bull in a China shop with nothing nimble about it.

Petite drivers need not apply.

While I was able to get a great driving position with excellent visibility with the 6-way power adjustable seat combined with the tilt/telescoping steering wheel and power adjustable pedals, everything else about this vehicle was cumbersome for this 5-foot-tall driver.

Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid

Entry and exit was doable with the running boards, but it wasn’t pretty. Especially in a pencil skirt and high heels. The third-row seat is an often necessary feature in growing families who carpool.

But if you need the cargo room over the passenger space, forget about it. The rear seats fold down, but they don’t fold flat. If you need the space, you have to remove these 100-pound suckers from the vehicle. Which is kind of easy as they slide down a track. But lifting them in and out, not so much. Read the rest of this entry »

Jill Ciminillo

I love playing the role of taxi driver when I have a test car. As a single woman, I sometimes have a very singular view of the cars I drive. But you put a firefighter or a mom in the passenger seat, and you get a whole new perspective.

This week, I had a mother or two car-seat-sized children in the jump seat, and she fairly oozed all over the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. The very first thing she pointed out was the amount of rear legroom, which is perfect for a Snap N Go car seat. Or two as the as the case may be.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox

She currently drives a Lexus GX 460, and she said that 3-row behemoth doesn’t have this kind of room.

One downside of the huge legroom, however: It’s really hard to reach the toys if they fall on the floor.

She didn’t check out the rear cargo area, but I suspect the 31.4 cubic-feet of cargo volume is more than adequate to fit a stroller. It was certainly more than enough space for my gym bag, yoga mat and running gear. And the optional cargo cover ($245) is a must if you plan to leave anything in your car and park outside (says the girl who’s had her car broken into twice when a cargo cover wasn’t available).

Read the rest of this entry »

Jill Ciminillo

SAN FRANCISCO—OK. I’m just going to put this out there up front. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the best Chrysler Group product that I’ve driven. Ever.

I know. Bold. But quite true.

When I saw the row of vehicles parked in front of the guest room buildings at Cavallo Point, they were shiny and pretty. So, I did a quick turn before the media presentation. With a strong, stern stance at the front and an elegant, sleek tail end reminiscent of the BMW X5, the exterior package was spot on.

But don’t let the words “BMW” and “elegant” fool you. This sucker is a Jeep with a 7-slot grill, round headlights and the trapezoidal wheel arches. Oh, and the crazy capability that Jeep delivers on pretty much every vehicle it produces. (We won’t talk about the Compass.)

The 2011 Grand Cherokee is a completely new vehicle, and everything except for two elements have been changed: the four-wheel drive system and the Hemi engine. And, oh, boy, did they do a good job.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jill Ciminillo

I have to admit that I’m not typically a fan of SUVs of any sort. They’re big brutish vehicles that overtake the road. And, many times, the people who are driving them are incompetent. I mean, really, just because you’re bigger than a car doesn’t give you the right to take up two lanes on the highway, straddle the line between two parking spaces or parallel park on the curb like an idiot.

That being said, there are a few select SUVs that have a nice sleek shape and drive like a car—even incompetent drivers can manage these. One of the best of that group is the Mazda CX-7.

Mazda CX-7

Straight off, I have to tell you there isn’t anything super special about this little SUV. But in a way, it’s that very lack of whistles and bells that makes this one of the more comfortable, intuitive crossovers I’ve driven.

Read the rest of this entry »