car review

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2013 Toyota Rav4 Review, From The Dad’s Perspective

December 3, 2013 at 12:05 am , by 

3 years.

Dear Jack,

Last Tuesday when the nice man came to take back the Toyota Tundra (which we used for your monster truck road trip in to celebrate your 3rd birthday), he randomly replaced it with a new 2013 Toyota Rav4. I was totally not expecting that!

But, I’ve learned that sometimes in life, it’s just best not to question things…

With that being said, for the past week now, our family has got to drive around in our 3rd Toyota. (The 1st was the Sienna minivan.)

Therefore, I suppose, by default, I am becoming a car reviewer; analyzing cars from the dad’s perspective, as I see how the vehicle works for the whole family, not just the driver.

I will start out by saying this, the Rav4 is definitely my favorite Toyota I have driven so far in my small list of reviews. The Rav4 is a perfect physical and pscyhological fit for me.

At 5’9″, which happens to be about the height of the average American man, I found the vehicle to have the ideal amount of space for me. If I were an SUV, I think it’s safe to say I could very easily be a Rav4.

Small SUVs have always been my personal preference as far as the actual car I drive: My first car was a 1988 Ford Bronco II and my current is a 2004 Honda Element.Basically, I love a good “commuter SUV.” I don’t need a big engine or a lot of power, but I do like a little more cargo room and height that an SUV offers compared to most cars.

Plus, most importantly, getting good gas mileage is very crucial to me. The 2013 Rav4 gets 24 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway, for an average of 26.

Something else I should point out about the new, 4th generation, 2013 Rav4 is this: It’s feels plenty masculine enough for me. I had always tagged Rav4s as a “girl SUV,” like the Nissan Xterra. (I don’t know why that is, but that’s what I’ve always thought.)

But this newest rendition of the Rav4 looks a lot different than its predecessors, so I want to say “good job” to the people who designed this one. I would very proudly continue driving the Rav4; again, it’s a perfect fit for my lifestyle and personality.

So, what did you, the 3 year-old little boy who is obsessed with cars think about the Rav4?

Well, you said out of the 3 JToyotas (Sienna, Tundra, Rav4), your favorite was actually the Sienna minivan.

You didn’t give me a reason, but I think it’s because the Sienna is “all windows” and you were better able to see all the other cars on the road during the drive to and from school each day.

But of course, you were satisfied simply because of the fact that the Rav4 is an SUV… and that our model has a moon roof. (You love SUVs!)

The Rav4 was our vehicle for Thanksgiving weekend so we definitely had a lot of family fun in it.

Mommy got to drive us to Starbucks on Thanksgiving to buy the newspaper with all the ads in it. She accidently wore your bear hat inside the store and didn’t realize it until she came back to us in the parking lot.

Plus, the Rav4 became the 1st vehicle to transport you “diaper free” to a public place, where you successfully didn’t have an accident. More on that tomorrow; I’m not completely finished talking about the Rav4 yet.

Okay, so, tomorrow the nice man is supposed to pick up the Rav4 and take it back to Atlanta. We’ll either be back in my Honda Element… or we’ll both be surprised and I’ll end up writing another car review about a different Toyota.

Maybe I’ll do this car reviewing thing enough to where people actually start seeing me as a serious family car reviewer?…

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Disclaimer: The vehicle mentioned in this story was provided at the expense of Toyota, for the purpose of reviewing.

 

P.S. Here’s a collection of my Toyota reviews so far; just click on title to read the full story:

Tundra

Dad Gives 3 Year-Old Son A Monster Truck For Birthday… Sort Of

Nashville Dad Introduces 3 Year-Old Son To Country Music

3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Build-A-Bear

3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Little River Falls, AL

3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Mountain Driving

3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Land Park

3rd Birthday Monster Truck Road Trip: Canyon Mouth Park

Sienna

We’re Ready For A Family Road Trip… Minivan Style!

It’s Officially Cool To Drive A Minivan Now

 

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2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h Sedan: Family Friendly Car Review

I guess the idea of the existence of a hybrid electric luxury car had never crossed my mind…

2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h Sedan: Family Friendly Car Review

But this week’s featured family friendly car review is on the 2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h Sedan.

The concept is pretty simple: If you liked the Toyota Prius which I reviewed a month ago, but have a larger budget and taste for the finer things in life, the 2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h is probably what you’re looking for.

It gets an average of 40 miles per gallon, as compared to the Prius which averages 50. But still, I’ve driven the Lexus for nearly a week and the gas hand is just now finally beginning to budge off the “F” for full on the gas gauge.

Lexus 9040A ES 300h

Unsurprisingly, the Lexus 9040A ES 300h drives very smoothly and has plenty of power for a sedan: 200 horsepower. Like the Toyota Avalon Hybrid which I reviewed last Christmas, you wouldn’t know it’s a hybrid except for the lack of the sound of an engine.

I’ll never complain about the size of any car I review because I recognize that people have different tastes and I don’t want my opinion getting in the way of that. With that being said, I love the size of the Lexus 9040A ES 300h and the way it handles.

By the way, ever heard of a “knee airbag”? I surely had not. But the 2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h has it; as seen in the picture collage above.

2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h

As far as the “family friendly aspect” of it, this car fits our family perfectly. I can’t say that for every car I’ve reviewed, but I can easily say it for this one.

So let me sum it up for you: Are you planning on purchasing a luxury sedan? Would you like one that is a hybrid electric vehicle that gets 40 miles per gallon?

If you answered yes to both questions, then I think it’s safe to say you will not be disappointed in the 2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h.

Let me close with some stats for you:

2014 Lexus 9040A ES 300h

Total price, as featured: $48,542.00.

2.5L Dual Cam In-Line 4-cylinder Engine with High Output Permanent Magnet Electric Drive Motor/200 Total System Horsepower

40 MPG combined/40 city/39 highway

Annual fuel cost: $1,300

Thanks for checking out this week’s family friendly car review. Please come back next week to see which car I’m reviewing next; I never know what it’s going to be either!

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2014 Toyota Prius: Family Friendly Car Review

Welcome back to the official “family friendly car review” by Nick Shell, the daddy blogger of Parents.com’s The Dadabase. On the side, I review cars.

This week’s featured vehicle is the 2014 Toyota Prius.

2014 Toyota Prius Family Friendly Car Review

Let me go ahead and address the elephant in the car showroom:

Yes, I am a vegan and I am married to someone from California. By default, I realize that pretty much automatically means I have to like a Prius.

But… the thing is, how can anyone not love a car that averages 50 miles a gallon!

That’s right: 51 highway, 48 city, and 50 combined. (The tank holds 11.9 gallons of fuel.)

We drove the Prius from Nashville to Atlanta and back on the same tank of gas. That made the road trip so much more enjoyable for a dad who is super “budget conscious.”

Just for the record, I am super serious when it comes to saving money.  In our household, we have no smart phones, no cable or satellite TV, and our electronics are so old they are laughable.

2014 Toyota Prius car review

So for me, one of the most important things about a vehicle is how much I save on gas.

As I’ve been doing these reviews since September, something I have observed is that, loosely, for every mile per a gallon better one vehicle gets, it saves about $200 per year in fuel costs.

In theory, if your vehicle gets 20 mpg, compared to your friend’s vehicle that gets 21, your friend would spend $200 more in gas in the year 2014.

So imagine a car that gets 50 mpg! That’s a lot of money saved. In a year’s time, that’s $1,100 compared to the average new vehicle.

Toyota Prius family friendly car review

As for my 3 and a half year-old son’s favorite part of the 2014 Toyota Prius, he proclaimed: “Daddy, the thing I like about this car the most that I can see out the windows!”

(It’s interesting that I never prompt him to give his opinion; he just automatically gives me his imput within the first 5 minutes of the drive!)

In closing, I personally am a huge fan of the Prius. But then again, as a vegan married to a California girl, I’m supposed to think that, right?

Decide for yourself. Here are the fuel facts, courtesy of fueleconomy.gov:

X

2014 Toyota Prius
   
1.8 L, 4 cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios)
MSRP: $24,200 – $30,005
EPA Fuel Economy Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG:50 MPG
City MPG:51 Highway MPG:48
combined
city/highway		 city highway
2.0 gal/100mi

EPA range: 595 miles

595 miles
Total Range
Unofficial MPG Estimates from Vehicle OwnersLearn more about “My MPG”
Disclaimer
User MPG estimates are not yet available for this vehicle
You save or spend*

Note: The average 2014 vehicle
gets 23 MPG
You SAVE
$6,500

in fuel costs over 5 years

compared to the
average new vehicle
Annual Fuel Cost* $1,100
Cost to Drive 25 Miles $1.84
Cost to Fill the Tank $44
Tank Size 11.9 gallons

*Based on 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15,000 annual miles and current fuel prices. Personalize.

MSRP and tank size data provided by Edmunds.com, Inc.

Range on a tank and refueling costs assume 100% of fuel in tank will be used before refueling.

 

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2014 Hyundai Santa Fe LTD FWD: Family Friendly Car Review

Thanks for coming back! Hi there, I am Nick Shell, the daddy blogger of Parents.com’s The Dadabase, but on the side, I review cars.

This week’s featured vehicle is the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe LTD FWD, which my wife said might possibly be her favorite car I have reviewed so far. She really like how the seats had heaters and “coolers” built in to them.

2014 Hyundai Sante Fe LTD FWD family car review

As for my 3 and a half year-old son, these were his words during our first drive in it:

“Daddy, this car: awesome. This car is awesome!”

He particularly loved the panoramic sunroof. Basically, the entire ceiling is glass, and the front half of it opens up.

At one point, he explained, “Daddy, the sun is getting in my eye- and it’s getting in my chip’s eye too.”

But it sure was cool to have that feature as we took our mini-road trip a couple of hours away to my hometown in Fort Payne, AL for Memorial Day Weekend.

2014 Hyundai Sante Fe car review

One feature that I particularly found helpful was how I was able to see in real time, how many miles per gallon I was using. During my road trip, which was mainly Interstate, I averaged right over 25 miles per gallon, which is exactly what the “window sticker” said it gets.

I would have never given the Hyundai brand a second thought had I not reviewed two of them now, but I am officially impressed by Hyundai. They actually make really nice and impressive cars!

And that’s not even mentioning their amazing warranties…

Well, don’t just take my word for it- check out these stats and pictures and form an opinion for yourself.

As for my family, I can honestly say we truly loved driving the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe.

family friendly car review

Standard Features:

5 year/60,000 mile New Vehicle Warranty

10 year/100,000 mile Powertrain Warranty

7 year/Unlimited mile and Perforation Warranty

5 year/Unlimited mile Roadside Assistance

Advanced Safety Technology:

Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with Traction Control

ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution & Brake Assist

Blind Spot Detection System

2014 Hyundai Sante Fe

Powertrain Technology:

3.3 L Gasoline Direct Injection V6 Engine

290 Horsepower @ 6,400 RPM

Fuel Economy:

21 MPG average: 18 city/25 highway

Annual fuel cost: $2,500

Catch me again next week when I review the 2014 Toyota Prius!

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Family Friendly Car Review: 2014 Hyundai Azera Limited

2014 Hyundai Avenza

“This thing doesn’t drive, it hovers.”

That’s the first thing that ran through my head after driving the 2014 Hyundai Azera Limited today.

Until this week, I had never even been in Hyundai. But now I know, driving a Hyundai is sort of like driving a cloud.

I guess that idea is only reinforced by the fact this one comes with a panoramic tilt-and-slide sunroof. So it’s almost like having a convertible; since, in essence, the walls and ceiling are made of glass and can all be opened.

2014 Hyundai Avenza

Another phrase I would like to use to describe the 2014 Hyundai Azera is “user friendly.”

I have reviewed cars in the past where it took a day or so to really get a feel for where everything is and how everything works.

Not in this car. Everything just makes sense. I liked that there were plenty of easy to access compartments to place the keys, my phone, my camera, and my son’s snacks.

It’s also very easy to fold up the back seats to access the trunk. That’s a feature my 3 year-old son holds very dear, because he likes to crawl through it.

2014 Hyundai Azera

So bottom line, this is a fun family car to drive. Our family loves it. Nice and easy, but also fancy too.

I always got Hyundai mixed up with Honda. Not anymore. Based on this particular one, the 2014 Hyundai Azera, I have a very high opinion of the company.

It’s got a different feel to it all together. Interesting… in a good way, is how I want to phrase it.

2014 Hyundai Azera

Standard Features:

3.3L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) V6 Engine

293 Horsepower @ 6,400 rmp/255 lb-ft Torque @5,200 rpm

Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing

6-Speed Automatic Transmission w/SHIFTRONIC

Active ECO System

18-inch Hyper Silver Alloy Wheels w/P245/45R18 Tires

This vehicle has not yet been rated by the government for overall vehicle score, frontal crash, side crash or rollover risk.

Fuel Economy: 19 city/29 highway; 23 combined

Annual Fuel Cost: $2,300

Total Price as Shown: $37,905.00