We had some pretty good family road trips in the Nash Rambler station wagon. Dad put the seat down in the back and we could stretch out and read our comic books. They didn't worry a lot about seat belts in those days, I guess.
Posted on 05/22/2008 2:33:10 PM PDT by Cagey
A family road trip can be a great way to bring everyone together. However, it can also lead to squabbles over seat space, fights over how to drive and the wrong kind of family interactions. But the right vehicle might ease some of those tensions. Gabriel Shenhar, auto program manager for special publications for Consumer Reports gives a sneak peak at Consumer Reports' annual list of the top 10 vehicles for family travel.
Shenhar said he and his colleagues compiled the list based on test scores which identified certain characteristics that would make the perfect family road trip vehicle. A high priority was placed on autos that rated the best in comfort, noise, safety, reliability and fuel economy.
The list is also a mixture of luxury cars and more affordable ones
"We tried not to just (limit) it to high-end cars because clearly, the more comfortable seats and quieter cars are in those kinds of autos," said Shenhar.
Audi A6
The Audi A6 has a roomy trunk and is also available as a wagon.
"It has really comfortable seats and a nice ride, a big trunk and relatively good fuel economy for such a car with all-wheel drive," said Shenhar.
BMW 5 Series
Like the A6, the BMW 5 Series is a luxury car that is also available as a wagon.
"You can drive it all day long and cover one state after another without really feeling any fatigue," said Shenhar. "It's got comfortable seats, high quality interior and an effortless powertrain."
Cadillac STS
The Cadillac STS is a new addition to the list this year, replacing the Cadillac CTS.
"The difference is size, basically, and price," said Shenhar. "But the cars are based on the same chassis and have similar driving characteristics … (The STS) has really comfortable seats and a smooth powertrain and a comfortable, controlled ride. The same things that apply to the Audi and the BMW apply to the STS."
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is Consumer Reports' top-rated family sedan.
"It's roomy, it's comfortable, it has ample storage spaces in the cabin, really easy controls, excellent driving position, the handling is pretty agile and the riding is nice and controlled," said Shenhar. "Also, the fuel economy is pretty good and the crash test results are impressive."
Honda Odyssey
For families with a lot of kids or a lot of luggage, the Honda Odyssey comes highly recommended by Consumer Reports, and not just because of its practicability and roominess.
"As odd as it sounds to say about a minivan, it is a delight to drive, actually," said Shenhar. "It seats eight. It's got all your family entertainment things. Its got a DVD player in the back and you can have the kids listen to a different audio source as well. And it scores points for safety and reliability."
Infiniti M
The Infinity M was Consumer Reports' top pick in '07 for luxury sedans.
"It's a really nice car," said Shenhar. "It has easy controls and it drives comfortably. It handles well. It had a roomy cabin. You kind of sit a little higher and have a good view of the road. It's easy to get in and out of."
Lexus RX
Surprisingly, only one SUV made the list, and that was the Lexus RX.
"It's like a mid-sixed luxury car, only elevated and with more utility," said Shenhar. "But it drives. It's very quiet and it's very refined. It rides comfortably. It has a quiet engine and gets pretty good fuel economy, too."
Lexus LS
The LS, a full-size luxury sedan with a V8 engine and rear-wheel drive, is Lexus' flagship auto.
"The LS is the ultimate in terms of cruising on the highway," said Shenhar. "You feel like you are traveling first class. It has a roomy cabin, quiet interior, and effortless acceleration. You can't go wrong here, but the price is not for everyone."
Toyota Avalon
For those that cannot afford a Lexus LS but are sill looking for a top-rated sedan, the Toyota Avalon could be a great car for a long road trip.
"The Toyota can do a lot like the LS, but for a fraction of the price," said Shenhar. "You get really roomy interior and a quiet, comfortable ride. It's smooth, quick, with a V6 engine, a big trunk, and limo-like rear seats. It's a nice long-distance cruiser."
Toyota Sienna
The Toyota Sienna is the second minivan to crack Consumer Reports' top 10. The Sienna can also seat eight people, so it is an ideal choice for large families. Shenhar said it is quieter and rides more comfortably than the Odyssey, but doesn't have the same agile handling.
"It's really a delightful car for long distance, and I can attest to that because it's one of our favorite vacation cars here among our staff, especially those of us with kids," said Shenhar.
We had some pretty good family road trips in the Nash Rambler station wagon. Dad put the seat down in the back and we could stretch out and read our comic books. They didn't worry a lot about seat belts in those days, I guess.
My Honda Odyssey Mini-van is very nice to drive compared to my dad’s Suburban. The mini-van drives more like a car, and the Suburban drives more like a truck.
His suburban holds more things, but I like the mini-van better. It’s easier for lots of people to get in and out of the mini-van and it’s comfortable for all of them to sit in. The suburban is hard to get people in the back, and it’s not very comfortable back there.
They are every bit as biased as CNN and the New York Times.
No IRS = it sucks. :D
I remember towing a glider across most of Texas with a Rambler wagon. Every time we got over about 50 mph the rig would start weaving. Pretty slow trip. But otherwise I guess they were durable old cars in their day.
Not only is the Mercury Sable a well built automobile, it is built on the Volvo platform. Since Ford owns Volvo, they are using this platform for the 2008 Sable. The engine is a 263 horsepower V-6 coupled with a proven six speed automatic transmision. We have the all wheel drive version with all the goodies. This car is priced well below a similarly equipped Lexus. You should take a good look at this car before making a decision on a new vehicle. Looks are cheap, value is for real.
It’s so good that Ford is now SELLING Volvo because they’re making losses now.
Oh, and the 6 speed? It’s not proven, it’s all new.
Also, the Sable isn’t a Lexus competitor, not really. That’s what the Lincoln MKZ is. The Sable is “near-luxury”, not luxury class.
>>A good list would be what is the best road trip CD/music?
XM40, Deep Tracks. You can listen for a few days, and never hear the same thing twice. Plus you get the Tom Petty and Bob Dylan radio shows, if you’re driving at the right times. If you’re not, they replay them the next day, all day, on one of the lower channels (02?).
I know one of their guys in their auto group. I’d bet serious money he has more driving event track time than you do, and I don’t mean in CR test cars.
“Largely based on the VOLVO-sourced platform that underpins the Ford Taurus, the 2009 Lincoln MKS’ fully independent rear suspension is all-new in design.”
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2007/112_0711_2009_lincoln_mks/index.html
Best or most boring?
Who said anything about the Taurus/Sable/MKZ rear suspension?
No, the gearbox is new and unproven and the rest of the car is, well, blah. My old Jaguar XJ6 is more interesting, cheaper, and gets about the same gas mileage as the AWD version.
Lots of room, very comfortable, gets me anywhere I need to go (on or off road) -- and with a cap on the back, I can even pull into a campground for a good night's sleep without setting up a tent!
Now have I stated I have more driving event time?
How much more can you twist this?
The comparison was between the lame testers at Consumer Reports and C&D or R&T is a joke.
I'd bet my 80 yr. old uncle who raced at Daytona could still put them to shame.
The police love their cousin, the Crown Victoria. TONS of room, as comfortable as your couch down the road (you can drive for 8 hours and feel perfectly fresh), huge trunk, good power, and I get 27-28 MPG at 85 MPH between LA and LV, with four large (6 feet, 250+ pound) guys in it.
The best part is that you can get white rentals. People tend to move out of your way when you're in one, because from 200 yards away you look EXACTLY like a policeman.
You’re the one starting with the unsupportable comments. I’m thinking you’d soil your pants riding shotgun with my buddy at the wheel of, say, a C6 or a 911.
CR is geared towards the Middle America non-enthusiast driver, and works very hard at producing an impartial test.
C&D, R&T, and Automobile are all geared towards enthusiast drivers and, perhaps more importantly, their advertisers.
You’d have to expect some differences in output. Slamming CR because of that, with pure ignorance about their testers, is foolish. Both magazine types have their place.
That would be a nice car if Ford ever advanced their engineering to the modern era. That much power with a live axle is death on wheels.
The car pictured is the GT500KR. Here is the Car and Driver review:
2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR - Auto Shows
The “King of the Road” returns to rule over all of Mustangdom, or at least until the next special edition comes along.
BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED HOLSTEIN
March 2007
With the successful launch of the Shelby GT behind it and retiree GT-H Hertz rental Mustangs selling as high as $90,000 at auction, the Shelby leviathan continues to chug forward and spew forth special-edition Mustangs. In New York, Shelby launches the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR, a special-edition GT500 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the original “King of the Road.” The GT500KR is the second product—after the GT500—to wear the almost-defunct SVT badge, reminding us that Ford still claims it has a performance division.
In 1967, the New York auto show played host to the launch of the original GT500KR, a version of the Shelby Mustang powered by a 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8 rated at 335 horsepower. With the ‘08 model’s supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 underhood wearing a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack (revised ignition timing and throttle calibration, plus a cold-air intake), the 2008 KR outdoes its predecessor by 205 horsepower—a margin greater than the entire output of some V-8 Mustangs of the 1980s—with 540. That herd travels rearward through a six-speed manual with a short-throw shifter to a shorter 3.73:1 rear end (stock is 3.31:1) for quicker giddyap, while snorts and whinnies get an extra edge from a revised exhaust system.
The King knows that some of its subjects wind and dip, so the GT500KR gets a unique Ford Racing suspension tune. “The production Shelby GT500 was maximized to deliver the perfect balance between ride and handling,” says Jamal Hameedi, chief nameplate engineer, Ford SVT. “In that same ride-versus-handling continuum, the KR will lean heavier toward all-out handling while still making it drivable on the street.”
Beyond the yawning hood vents and racing stripes already in place on lesser GT500s, the GT500KR gets the signature hood, reminiscent of the original KR, in carbon fiber with two forward-looking mail slots at the leading edge of the hood feeding the blown 5.4’s appetite for air and twist-down hood pins for a more secure racer flair. The stick-through pins on the Shelby GT we tested recently actually vibrated out of their posts on rough roads. The Cobra badges in the grille and on the fenders add wings proclaiming them as the badges of not just any Shelby Mustang but the 40th-anniversary GT500KR. Rocker stripes on the Shelby mimic those on the original car, right down to the typeface used for the lettering.
The Triton engine uses four valves per cylinder (versus three in the iron-block truck version) and the cylinder heads from the Ford GT, which has an aluminum block.
Ford will begin selling the new Mustang in the spring of 2008 and will only build 1000 examples. We figure the S-word on the hood and the slight power bump below should be good for about a $12,000 premium, putting the King of the Road solidly into the mid-$50,000 arena. Prepare your checkbooks now, Shelby enthusiasts, or gird them for a bigger hit later, for all things Shelby appreciate.
Carroll Shelby and Ford officials smugly say, much as they did 40 years ago, that with the introduction of the GT500KR everybody else will be trying to catch up again.
Hermann Salenbauch, director of Advanced Product Creation and SVT, says the Shelby GT500 is the most successful vehicle SVT has ever done—by almost every parameter including profit and performance.
There still will be a 2008 GT500. The KR is in addition.
And for those who can’t snag one of the 1000 GT500KRs up for grabs by starting to make nice now with their local dealer, aspects of the King will be available to those with a Shelby GT500 through Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles.
There will not be a convertible King, but the convertible version of the Shelby GT-H, customized for Hertz, is to be unveiled this weekend. Like the first GT-H, the car will be shipped to Shelby in Las Vegas to be modified.
And Ford officials still promise the return of the Bullitt.
Autoblog does address the live axle issue this way:
For the most part, the live axle configuration of the S197 is among the best of it’s type ever created. For a relatively simple hardware configuration, Ford engineers did a great job sorting this one out. That’s not to say it’s perfect. There are limits and the GT500 does exhibit some axle tramp under maximum acceleration.
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