Vehicle recalls affect Ford, GM, Hyundai, & Toyota

There have been a few significant recalls announced in the past few weeks affecting Ford, GM, Hyundai, and Toyota. If you own any of the vehicles listed below, you will be contacted by the manufacturer with the information on what you need to do.

2005-2006 Ford F-150 & Lincoln Mark LT

Ford is recalling over 605,000 F-150 and Lincoln Mark LT pickups equipped with the 5.4-liter, 3-valve engines due to a problem with a hose in the braking system, which could swell over time and become detached. Once the hose is detached, the braking system will continue to work with power assist, but eventually the fluid reserve will be depleted.

Owners will be notified by mail or they may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Dealers will begin to replace the hose in early July.

2006-2008 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai is recalling over 393,000 Hyundai Sonatas due to a defect in the passenger air bag. The system is supposed to disable the right-front passenger seat air bag when it detects the presence of a child restraint or child seated there, but a misclassification may cause the air bag to not inflate if a small adult is occupying the seat.

Dealers will verify the malfunction, then remove the right front seat cushion and send it out for evaluation and repair.

The recall will begin around May 26, 2008. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Matrix

Toyota and GM are recalling over 660,000 Vibe, Corolla, and Matrix models due to a problem with the power windows. Bolts in the driver and front passenger-door may loosen and cause the glass to separate from the window and possibly shatter during operation.

Dealers will replace the door glass bolts with new ones free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371.

2008 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid

Toyota is recalling over 90,000 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid SUVs due to a problem with the seatbelt in the third-row seat. When using a rear-facing car seat, the seat belt cannot be properly secured and may spool out during normal driving.

Owners will be notified by mail or they may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Dealers will install a new seat belt component free of charge.

To see if your vehicle has been involved in a recall, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety database at www.safercar.gov.

—Liza Barth

Grand openings—Hatchback road test and videos

For our test group in the June 2008 issue, we drove small hatchbacks. These vehicles provide good fuel economy, practicality, and versatility. And one has all-wheel drive.

The full road tests from the magazine have been posted at ConsumerReports.org, along with videos from our staff auto experts. These videos highlight our tests of each vehicle, plus they demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of each model.

"Grand Openings" features the Mini Cooper Clubman, Saturn Astra, Scion xD, Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, Toyota Matrix, and Volkswagen Rabbit. Ratings for all small cars we have tested can be found with our dynamic New Car Selector tool.

Check out the video of the Mini Cooper Clubman, plus see the rest of our hatchback videos.

Pressing matters - Toyota wasn’t alone in receiving government assistance

The automotive press was abuzz earlier this month as corporations flung around statements related to the development of hybrid vehicles, suggesting Toyota may have received an unfair advantage by receiving government funding for research and development. However, Toyota isn’t the only automaker to receive government assistance. More than a decade ago, American tax dollars supported an auto industry initiative to develop a marked advance focused on developing a marketable, 80-mpg family car.

This conflict flared up recently after Business Week magazine published a quote from Jim Press, former president of Toyota’s U.S. division: “The Japanese government paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius.” In September 2007, Press left Toyota to become Chrysler’s vice chairman and president.

While Press’s statement may not sound earth shaking, the news rocked Detroit. The impression left is that Toyota received an unfair advantage (i.e., government support), when some captains of the American car industry have long justified their delay, both on and off the record, in developing hybrids by claiming that such complex vehicles can’t make money due to huge development costs. They may be right. Even if the Japanese government did help pay for the development of the Prius, that doesn’t necessarily make it profitable. (Jim Press is shown here at  the 2001 New York International Auto Show with first-generation Prius prepped for the transit authority.)

There is some dispute about the veracity or the details of Press’s claim. Toyota has refuted it. Chrysler has clarified the statements in a media-focused blog with “He said the Japanese government strongly supported R & D (research and development) investment in battery development, and the Prius and other Japanese models benefited from that investment in industry.” Yet, in testimony in 2007, Press told Congress that the Japanese government did not pay for any Prius research and development.

Whatever the truth may be, all the attention this story has generated may have left a false impression in readers’ minds. It implies that if only the U.S. government supported Detroit the way the Japanese government does Toyota, Detroit might not have lost the race to develop efficient, advanced hybrid cars.

A quick history lesson debunks this myth:

From 1993 to 2000, the United States did spend about $1.2 billion helping the American auto industry develop hybrids just like the Prius. The program was called the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). It was a joint effort between the Department of Energy, national laboratories, universities, and the Big 3 U.S. automakers (through a research consortium called USCAR). The goal was for each of the automakers to build a prototype family sedan that could achieve 80 mpg and cost no more than a similar conventional car.

Chrysler, Ford, and GM each produced prototypes that got at least 70 mpg: the Chrysler ESX3, Ford Prodigy, and General Motors Precept. All three were diesel-electric hybrids. But none of the companies have built such cars, as the original program mandate had envisioned, after PNGV was replaced by the fuel-cell focused FreedomCAR initiative in 2003.

According to a 2002 article in Issues magazine by Daniel Sperling, founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis and a member of the California’s Air Resources Board (commonly known as CARB), the PNGV had one other lasting effect: The prospect of the world’s richest country teaming with some of the world’s (then) largest automakers spurred Japan and Europe to develop similar task forces: the European Car of Tomorrow Task Force and the Japan Clean Air Program.

And unlike the U.S. companies, the fruits of Toyota’s participation in those efforts are visible on our roads every day.

—Eric Evarts

Discuss Hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles in the CR forums.

Toyota Sienna buying challenges - take a seat

My parents were in the market for a new minivan to replace their aging Nissan Maxima. One of the models they were considering was a Toyota Sienna. After going through the details on the company Web site, it looked like a Sienna XLE would be perfect. You could add leather, a sunroof, and—according to the Toyota Web site—a memory driver's seat.

That memory seat is important to my parents; my mom is a foot shorter than my dad, and they love having the feature on their 1999 Chrysler Town and Country Limited. Configuring the Sienna in this way works out to be considerably cheaper than buying a $36,000 Sienna Limited. Honda forces you into a $40,000 Odyssey Touring to get the memory seat, and Chrysler requires a Town and Country Limited that stickers at $37,000 (with a sunroof to equal the configuration).

Then it came time to buy the Sienna. On its Web site, Toyota says the Sienna is available with a "Convenience Package," which includes the memory seats. Various online price guides and a bimonthly pricing reference book that we have in the office list an option package "SR" with that feature. So, add the value package #1 (which gets you leather) and either one of these packages, and we're in business. 

Not so fast. Go to the Toyota "build your own" section of the Web site and you find that the configurations available match those limited configurations ordered and stocked by your local Toyota distribution network. None of those configurations had the memory seat package, and most had a DVD player—something my parents didn't want.

Toyota's Web site isn't lacking disclaimers about this. At the bottom of the detailed options page is this basically-ignore-everything-you'll-read-above-about-the-options note:

"Toyota strives to build vehicles to match customer interest and thus they typically are built with popular options and option packages. Not all options/packages are available separately and some may not be available in all regions of the country. If you would prefer a vehicle with no or different options, contact your dealer to check for current availability or the possibility of placing a special order."

So we did what the disclaimer said: we contacted dealers to check on the "possibility of placing a special order." The folks contacted their local dealers while I tried mine.

One dealer told my parents that it was "no problem" and they'd have the van in a few weeks. Another dealer said, "You'll wait eight months to get that van." I had a very helpful salesman at a third dealer search through all of the Sienna XLE's available. He found none with the desired package, a sign to him (confirmed by the sales manager) that it wasn't likely we'd get one. A fourth dealer told me they "could order almost anything Toyota sells," asked for some time to confirm, and then didn't get back to me.

After a week of this, my dad was livid, basically swearing off Toyota. It doesn't really matter that, with incentives, a Sienna Limited works out to be the cheapest way to get a minivan with that memory seat. On the flip side, the dealer who sold him his Chrysler was willing—and able—to special order him a Chrysler with any available option. No hassle, no calling four dealers.

A brief search on Siennaclub.com confirmed that my parents aren't alone in their frustration. Funny thing is, Toyota knows they have a problem. Jim Lentz, the president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., in the February 18th issue of Automotive News addressed the discrepancy between various parts of Toyota's Web site: "We create different names for the same thing."

He admitted that Toyota is as guilty as other automakers of stressing out consumers, according to the Automotive News article.

Thing is, Honda doesn't stress out Odyssey buyers; you either buy the trim level that has what you want, or you don't. Chrysler doesn't stress them out either; once you select a trim level, you can pick and choose the options you want.

We'll probably see a redesigned Sienna for 2009, I just hope it includes a redesign of the options structure. In the end, my parents didn't buy anything—the Maxima is still chugging along.

—Tom Mutchler

Discuss Toyota in the Cars forums.

From the logbook: Toyota Prius Touring

History shows that Toyota made the right decision when their designers made sure that the second-generation Prius looked like nothing else on the road. Most buyers wanted the world to know that they were proudly piloting a hybrid. Unlike the Honda Civic and Accord Hybrids—which looked nearly identical to the non-hybrid models and sell in much lower numbers, so much so that the Accord version was dropped—the latest Prius silently screams, "Here I am! And I'm burning less gasoline than you."

Actually, because the car is so quiet when moving on battery power alone (except when you put it in reverse and an annoying beep reminds you to be careful backing up), it makes its biggest statement at the gas pump.

This time around we're testing a Touring model with stability control ($23,220) to see if it improves the Prius' handling. What have we learned over the past few months driving it? Is the Prius just a rolling science project or is it a real car? Read on for our test teams' initial feedback:

"First impression isn't too hot, but this car grows on you."

"Switching from electric power to gas makes the engine shudder to life; I don't remember our last Prius doing that."

"Not impressive to drive (stiff ride, poor steering feel)."

"This car was more amazing when we tested it in '04."

"Transmission selector makes you push forward for reverse and pull back to go forward? (I remember complaining about that arrangement in another vehicle with the initials 'B.M.W.')"

"One display screen for all secondary functions is ridiculous."

"I spent too much time switching from screen to screen when I should be looking at the road."

"All this software to calculate 'instant' and 'overall' fuel economy but no 'distance to empty?'"

"Sub-par driving position - plenty of room, but the [steering] wheel is too far away and the dead pedal is badly angled and too close."

"Visibility is OK, but there are lots of pillars and that odd back window."

"Great packaging for four people and lots of luggage space for what is a small car."

"Good rear-seat room for kids."

"40+ mpg is still amazing."

As you can see, while the Prius doesn't deliver an engaging driving experience, it delivers fuel economy in spades. ("A genius of a car, but too bad it's not fun to drive" said one engineer.) There's enough substance here to help you understand why this car continues to be all the rage for environmentally-focused people. And I think this line really sums up what we feel about the Prius thus far: "An impressive, ground-breaking product, but far from perfect."

—Mike Quincy

Toyota Sienna AWD run-flat tires: No worse for wear

Lots of tire life left based on our extended tread-life test.

We’ve had a series of blog reports on our Toyota Sienna following the tread life performance of its run-flat tires.  (See the links below.) Now, at just over 30,000 miles, (30,247 miles to be exact, as shown) we’re impressed with the wear performance of the tires, which are projected to wear out at no less than 54,000 miles—comparable or better than conventional all-season tires.   

For those of you just joining us, we purchased a new 2007 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD with the Dunlop SP Sport 4000 Self-Supporting Technology tires (DSST)—run-flat tires. After the road test was completed, we purchased a new set of Dunlop SP Sport 4000 DSST tires for a tread-life evaluation on our Sienna. The evaluation started at the end of March 2007 and now, one year later, the tires still are trucking on.

To be fair to the tires, we have been checking inflation pressures religiously; checking alignment, rotating the tires, and measuring the average tread depth in tread grooves (four grooves) across the tire’s tread width and at four places around the tire for a total of sixteen test points. In the course of the 30,000 mile test we measured tread depth of the new tires, and then eleven times throughout the test, most at 2,000-mile intervals.   

Some readers/subscribers have griped that nobody checks tires as often as we did and most certainly do not check alignments that often. To that end, we checked the tire’s inflation pressure just about every month, just like you should do. As for wheel alignment, we did check it routinely but never had to readjust the wheel alignment settings at all. And then there were our drivers, a sorted bunch of car enthusiasts, office administrators, and maintenance staff who drove the minivan all those miles. 

Minivans don’t excite many employees here with all the cars that we get to drive at our Auto Test Center, but with the enticement of free fuel, people were fighting over the use of the van, especially for long vacation trips. And so the van has been all over the New England region, and it enjoyed more places than I will ever see, from venturing into the deep-south of the United States to traveling across a wide swath of Canada.

At just over 30,000 miles, the tires still have about 25,000 miles or more left based on the fastest wearing groove, before they are worn-out to the tread wear indicator of 2/32” depth. On average, just two tires were about 50 percent worn out, one was just over 40 percent worn out, and a fourth tire had to be replaced after the previous tread measurement point due to an encounter with a large pot hole.  The tires were wearing faster at their shoulder grooves with a slight cupped shoulder. That continued to be the case at the last measurement, but the wear progressed more evenly across the width of the tire ensuring many more miles of happy travel. 

The bottom line: Our test doesn’t guarantee that you will get the same mileage. As they say, results may vary, as the total tire range depends on how and where you drive. But given the variability of our test with different drivers, roads, and seasons driven, we feel that with proper maintenance you can enjoy a long relationship with your Sienna’s run-flat tires.   

Background
Toyota Sienna all-wheel-drive owners clearly have a beef with the short tread life of the standard run-flat tires and continue to share complaints in letters and Cars forums posts, especially in Tire Talk, the online-subscriber-only tire forum at ConsumerReports.org. We've also covered the frustration of Sienna owners regarding fast-wearing tires here in the Cars blog.

As we’ve said before, most owners were pleased with the overall performance of their AWD Sienna—one of the top-rated models in Consumer Reports tests—but few are satisfied with the run-flat tire tread life, cost of replacement, and limited models from which to choose (two original-equipment suppliers). Some even have psychological fears about not having a spare tire on board.

Many owners have complained that the run-flat tires wear out much quicker than expected or unevenly—often within 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Some owners found themselves facing an aggravating annual tire replacement, costing $700 or more. Toyota finally addressed the issue last year with an extended warranty on 2004 to some 2006 model-year vehicles, mostly addressing the irregular wear condition. Later-model vehicles came with a revised tire intended to eliminate the wear condition.

—Gene Petersen, Jen Stockburger, Ryan Pszczolkowski

Related blog posts:
Update: Toyota Sienna AWD run-flat tires
Toyota Sienna AWD run-flat tires wear well for us
Toyota Sienna AWD tires - patience wearing thin
Toyota extends run-flat tire warranty
Toyota Sienna run-flat tires? Spare us.
Run-flat tires go flat with our readers       

Research tires with our expanded tools. Discuss in the Cars forums, especially in Tire Talk, the online-subscriber-only tire forum.

Is the best-selling car the best car?

As expected, we received quite a few comments about our domestic-brand-only American Top Picks 2008 blog. Reading through the oft-feisty responses, I noted that two readers questioned why the Ford F-150 didn't make the cut—or even get mentioned—in the pickup truck category. One wrote:

Not only is it the best-selling full-sized truck for over 30 years...but when was it listed as the truck pick for a model year by CR? Not only does it outsell every truck in the U.S. but every CAR as well! Shouldn't it receive at least honorable mention every year? ...Why does that work for Camry every year and not the F-150?

Since the issue of vehicle sales vs. the ranking of a vehicle in CR's Ratings comes up on occasion, let's take a look.

No doubt, the F-150 has been the top-selling single vehicle nameplate for many years. Even with the recent drop in truck sales, Ford sold over 700,000 F-150s in 2007. Sales figures make great ad copy or fodder for Internet forum discussions. After all, people love to cheer (or boo) for a winner, and sales numbers set up clear winners and losers. But does that matter to the owner?

Topping the sales charts doesn't mean that a vehicle tops its class. After Ford redesigned the F-150 back in 2004, Toyota and GM completely redesigned their trucks and Dodge made substantial improvements to their Ram. As a result, in our last pickup truck test, the Tundra and Silverado handily outscored the F-150. The F-150's engine was strained; the seats uncomfortable; and stability control (a requirement for being a Top Pick) is unavailable. (A 2009 freshening aims to address these complaints.) The F-150 has been a Top Pick in pickups - but that was back in 1999. (See our video reviews of the current full-sized pickup trucks.)

Let's look at the car side of the market. For the last several years, the Toyota Camry has outsold all cars, selling about 470,000 cars a year. But despite what many people think, the Camry hasn't been a CR Top Pick since the 2000 V6 model. (That said, the Camry scores much closer to the top of the family sedan heap than the F-150 does in the pickup segment.) Sometimes the figures and our rankings line up; the Honda CR-V is the top-selling small SUV for 2007, and it ranks very close to the top of our ratings for four-cylinder SUVs.

It would be naive of us to think that all consumers bought products solely based on how they score in our tests. For example, we don't factor styling in to our scoring. The Ford Five Hundred (now Taurus) is a better all-around car than the Chrysler 300, but while one of them is flashy enough to star in rap videos, the other is more likely to be featured in insurance company ads with its badges removed as the amorphous Generic Car.

Brand image also plays a role in some buyer's minds. Sometimes when we're asked for buying advice (an occupational hazard), sometimes our more affordable suggestions are shunned for the sake of status. (Never mind what happens when we suggest buying a minivan or station wagon.)

There's more to it than that though. Typically domestic brands have many more dealers and are represented in more rural areas, easing sales and service for some buyers. Massive spending on commercials gets those vehicles into the public eye. Car companies have resorted to putting heavy end-of-year incentives on cars to "win" a sales race for bragging rights. Some companies spin their accounting, like Toyota's counting the Matrix in Corolla sales and including the Solara in Camry sales. And car companies can dump excess inventory into rental or other fleets to count as sales.

Motivation to sell a lot of cars runs deep in the industry. There is overhead—plants and labor—that is better utilized when kept busy. Selling more cars can translate into economy of scale of production, ideally increasing profits (unless you have to plunk heavy incentives on the cars to move them out of inventory.) While it might be hard to find parts for an esoteric car down the road, most mass-production cars sell in enough volume and have enough factory support to make this a non-issue.

But when it comes to spending your money, none of these issues has anything to do with how good a car is to drive, how it helps prevent (or protect you in) an accident, or how reliable the car is to own. As American Idol's Simon Cowell would say, this is a talent competition, not a popularity contest - and we're scoring cars based on talent.

See our true list of overall Top Picks for 2008. Watch the Top Picks videos.
Also, read "Who makes the best cars?"

—Tom Mutchler

Play time at the NY auto show

I spent the press days at the New York auto show writing, editing, and posting our coverage of the show.  So, I thought I should take a (short) break to have a little fun. All work and no play would be a shame, since there are a lot of things to see and do at the Javits Center.

The show opened to the public on Friday March 21st and runs until Sunday March 30th. Besides checking out the latest vehicles coming soon to a dealer near you, here are highlights of some other activities you can enjoy at the show.

Tucked in the corner on the first floor, Toyota trucks and race cars are displayed.  If you've ever seen the Toyota Pit Pass commercial, you can take a photo in a similar chair and simulate the ride above the zooming cars on a race track.

On the third level, Toyota has a live talk show where there is trivia, games, and prizes as well as an old-style curtain photo booth where you can make more goofy faces and print pictures with various backgrounds.

At the VW, Subaru and Volvo booths there are driving simulators. The Volvo simulator shows how the safety features in the new XC60 work.  You can feel the seat shake and seat belt tighten as you try out the City Safety feature.  You can also test other safety features such as the lane departure warning and driver alert control.

Subaru offers two simulators, one of the STi rally car and the other of the Legacy for those looking for a more relaxed ride. Both simulators vibrate and shake like you're actually taking a turn on the road.

For those visitors who didn't get the hottest video games for the holidays, here is your chance to try them out (beware, they are addicting). Visit the Chrysler booth to play Wii on two large screens and test your musical skills with Guitar Hero.

There were plenty of other things to see and do, but my tired feet told me to call it a day. Every major new-car show provides much more than just vehicles in a non-sales environment, making window shopping for your next ride—or merely indulging your enthusiast interests—fun for the whole family.

If you have a chance to attend the New York or similar auto show, be sure to plan enough time to have some fun.

—Liza Barth

See the 2008 New York auto show coverage.

New York auto show - Random thoughts

The keynote speaker for this morning's breakfast was Bob Nardelli, President and CEO of Chrysler. In his introduction, it was said that he knew the company's products well, since he used to own a PT Cruiser, Prowler, and a Jeep. No word as to whether or not he used Stanley hammers or DeWalt drills when he headed Home Depot.

Everything seems to be moving at the speed of sound these days. Decisions, according to Mr. Nardelli, are made at Chrysler with either a "quick yes or a quick no, but no more slow maybes." Acura, too, is coming up to speed as they touted the expression "say no to slow." Judging by the rather dull appearance of its redesigned TSX, I don't think the company will get a "say yes to best dressed" anytime soon.

With all the talk about going "green" I still find it curious that Mercedes calls its cleaner diesel engines "BlueTec." Why not go "GreenTec"?

It's amazing to me that "adults" have to be reminded to turn down the ringers on their cell phones before the start of a press conference.

The rear styling of the Saturn Flextreme concept is revising the look of the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette split-window. Nope, can't see out of the back of this one, either.

Toyota is really taking the "green" theme seriously. It has signs posted all over its display saying, "The fabric panels and overhead canopies in the Toyota display are made from post-industrial and post-consumer content using non-toxic inks." Hmmm. The company must be trying to ease its guilt or counter-balance the Land Cruisers, Sequoias, and Tundras it has on display.

My colleague Jake Fisher made this pronouncement: the new Acura TSX is said to be wider and longer but sporty and agile, and the new Nissan Maxima is claimed to be smaller but sporty and agile. That, naturally, reminded me of a commercial for the AMC Pacer which claimed that its wide stance helped give it a stable ride. It also could also be counted on to help you make a mean sandwich.   

—Mike Quincy

See the 2008 New York auto show coverage.

Consumer Reports' Top Picks 2008

This year's Top Picks in 10 categories include four new models. For the first time since 2005, a U.S. model, the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado, made the list as our choice in pickup trucks. And for the first time ever, a South Korean automaker is represented: The Hyundai Elantra SE and Santa Fe are our top small sedan and midsized SUV, respectively. The fourth new entry is the Lexus LS 460L, the highest-scoring vehicle we've tested and best among luxury sedans.

Choosing the Top Picks
Our Top Picks are the most well-rounded models in their categories. Each must meet these stringent requirements:

• Road tests: Each Top Pick scores at or near the top of its category among more than 260 vehicles we've recently tested at our Auto Test Center.
• Reliability: Each has an average or better predicted-reliability Rating, based on the problems subscribers reported on almost 1.3 million vehicles in our Annual Car Reliability Survey.
• Safety: Top Picks have performed adequately in overall safety if tested by the government or the insurance industry. Starting this year, they also must provide a critical safety feature, electronic stability control (ESC), either as standard equipment or as a readily available option. That's why the Honda Accord, for example, is the Top Pick in family sedans over the Nissan Altima. The Altima scored slightly higher in CR's testing, but offers ESC only as a pricey option on the V6 and standard on the hybrid model.

"All the vehicles in Consumer Reports' Top Picks list are standouts for performance, versatility, reliability, and safety," says David Champion, senior director of automotive testing, Consumer Reports. "CR's Top Picks list is a great place for consumers to start when they're looking for a new car."

Consumer Reports' testing procedures are the most comprehensive of any U.S. publication or Web site. More than 50 individual tests are performed on every vehicle, including evaluations of braking, handling, comfort, convenience, safety, and fuel economy. Around 6,000 miles of general driving and evaluations are racked up on each test car during the testing process.

Here, by category, are the Top Picks:

Green car - Toyota Prius
Small sedan - Hyundai Elantra SE
Family sedan - Honda Accord
Upscale sedan - Infiniti G35
Luxury sedan - Lexus LS 460L
Fun to drive - Mazda MX-5 Miata
Small SUV - Toyota RAV4
Midsized SUV - Hyundai Santa Fe
Minivan - Toyota Sienna
Pickup truck - Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab

Read the full story and watch the Top Picks videos.

Consumer Reports' Annual April Auto Issue is on sale from March 4 through June 4, and it is available wherever magazines are sold. Visit the April Auto Issue special section.

Vehicles crossing over

Last month, Toyota unveiled a new model to add to its lineup, the Venza, at the 2008 Detroit auto show. Toyota describes it as a “crossover sedan,” although “crossover wagon” would probably be more accurate. Toyota hopes the Venza will launch a new segment and claims that it will provide the comfort of a Camry, the functionality of a 4Runner, and the luxury of the Avalon. Wow. That really covers a lot, doesn’t it? Yet I highly doubt the Venza could scale our rock hill with anywhere near the proficiency of a four-wheel-drive 4Runner. Besides, Subaru could arguably claim owning the sedan/crossover segment this decade with the recently retired Outback sedan.

This so-called “new category” got me thinking as to what exactly is a crossover. The original Subaru Outback wagon and Toyota RAV4, for example, sparked this revolution, using car components to create a soft-roader SUV. The Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and others soon followed, with car-based vehicles with SUV looks dominating the compact and mid-sized SUV segments from 1996 on.

Likewise, when the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix appeared early in the decade, these twins were termed crossovers, combing a small hatchback package and soft-roader pretense, like the RAV4. Although, with their puny ground clearance (only 5 inches in our last tested model) meant that dirt roads were as far off-road as they went. Today, we’re seeing more crossovers with car-like unibody structures (rather than body-on-frame construction) and increased versatility. This approach has lead to the development of vehicles that tend to be more fuel efficient and ride better than traditional, truck-based SUVs like the Ford Explorer.

The crossover category continues to grow and become broader, now with large vehicles like the Saturn Outlook offering a milder alternative to the Chevrolet Tahoe. Both offer three-row seating, but the new Outlook (and similar Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia ) are easier to drive and get better fuel economy. Americans are known for wanting everything and more in their purchases, and this is reflected in the popularity of crossover vehicles today.

The Venza is splitting hairs to find its place, being a cross between the original Highlander (itself Camry based) and a Camry. Will this truly be a new segment, or just another means to challenge our staff in establishing ratings categories? Marketing messages aside, it will be the car shoppers that define the segments. What will be cross-shopped with the Venza? A Mazda CX-7, Subaru Outback, or Volvo XC70?

Regardless of what you call it, can the automotive buying public really accept another SUV-like vehicle? Probably so. Models like the Venza can be smart alternatives to larger, rougher, less efficient vehicles. Even if you don’t know how to classify it, crossover whatchamacallits may be worth a drive.

If this trend continues, we may be seeing crossovers establish, or re-establish, more categories soon—a crossover pickup anyone? Remember the Chevrolet El Camino? Well, cue the GMC Denali X/T concept from Chicago…

Liza Barth

Behind the wheel: fuel-cell vehicles

We recently had the chance to drive some fuel-cell vehicles that aren’t for sale to the general public, giving us a behind-the-wheel view of the possible future. Many of these research vehicles  impressed us and show the promise, and appeal, of electrically powered cars, in this case through fuel-cell technology.

A potential alternative to gasoline-engine-powered cars, these electric vehicles produce their energy on board via a chemical reaction in a fuel-cell stack. Hydrogen is consumed in the process, with water as the only tailpipe emission.

In spring 2007, we drove the impressive Honda FCX sedan. It has since been renamed the FCX Clarity, and was shown at the Detroit auto show. Since then, we drove a hydrogen-powered BMW 7 Series, which is propelled by an internal combustion engine rather than an electric motor.

This past fall, we hosted an unusual guest here at our track in Connecticut. For a few hours, we got to experience the Chevrolet Equinox FC fuel-cell vehicle. It looked like a regular Equinox, except for the slightly raised floor that was concealing three hydrogen tanks and a symbol of a blue water drop on the shifter. The tanks hold 4.2 kilograms of compressed hydrogen at 10,000 psi. The claimed range is 200 miles. That translates to about 48 mpg in terms of gallon-of-gas-equivalent (gge) consumption. (One kg of compressed hydrogen is about equal to one gallon of gasoline in terms of energy density.) With the electric propulsion, the Equinox FC was much quieter than a regular Equinox V6. There was a noticeable, but unobjectionable, whine when accelerating on a highway ramp and the vehicle felt responsive. The car kept making all sort of whirrs and fan noises after we parked it and left a small puddle of water under its tailpipe.

Late last year, at the EVS23 (Electric Vehicle Symposium) in Anaheim, CA, I drove several electric vehicles. Also on hand, were several other fuel-cell vehicles.  I sampled them on a short driving loop and some of them were quite impressive:

Nissan X-Trail: The X-Trail is a small SUV that was never offered for sale in the United States. This fuel-cell version had a tank of compressed hydrogen at 10,000 psi and a relatively long claimed range of 300 miles. The tank holds about four kilograms of compressed hydrogen, which translates to 75 miles-per-gallon-of-gas-equivalent (mpgge). The X-Trail was quiet and refined. From a standstill, it launched decisively and kept accelerating smoothly. It handled and rode soundly. All that was happening underneath was rather transparent without intruding into the cabin. The car was free of strange and unpleasant noises.

Toyota Highlander FCHV: Based on the previous-generation Highlander, this fuel-cell vehicle is able to propel itself only on battery power, without drawing directly on energy from the fuel-cell stack and depleting the hydrogen. That’s the reason for the H (for hybrid) in the FCHV name. It has a claimed range of 350 miles, and Toyota says it can sprint from 0-60 mph in 10.5 seconds. The compressed hydrogen is stored in two tanks under the floor at 10,000 psi. With a little more than four kilograms of compressed hydrogen, it would consume 88 mpgge. It drove like a Highlander hybrid, which is quite slick with a comfortable, quiet ride and smooth acceleration; The hum of the traditional V6 engine was conspicuously absent.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class: The A-Class is the smallest Mercedes (not counting the Smart-branded products) and was never offered in the United States. The company boasts that through its fleet of 60 A-Class fuel-cell vehicles, it covered over four million test miles in four years. The A-Class stores 1.8 kilograms of compressed hydrogen in two tanks at 5,000 psi. It has a claimed 100-mile range, which translates to about 55 mpgge. The design of the A-Class fuel-cell research vehicle dates back to 2002. From behind the wheel, it  felt rather slow and noisy. The stiff ride was probably inherent to the A-Class. The slow acceleration and noisy whirs and swooshes, however, were attributable to the fuel-cell conversion. Mercedes is now in the midst of phasing its fuel-cell efforts into the larger B-Class. (Read the B-Class first look. Our B-Class road test is available to online subscribers.) The B200 we tested is sold in Canada but not in the United States.

Hyundai Tucson: The Tuscon fuel-cell vehicle has three tanks of compressed hydrogen at 5,000 psi and it holds 3.5 kilograms of the gas. This small SUV has a claimed range of 190 miles, which translates to 54 mpgge. Kia also featured the same technology in the essentially identical Sportage. The Tucson didn’t feel as slick as the Nissan or Toyota but better than the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. It drove pretty much like a regular Tucson, which is pleasant enough. Acceleration wasn’t quite robust and the vehicle was considerably noisier that a regular Tucson.   

Bottom line
In the effort to wean us off petroleum and slow global warming, at this point, it is safe to say that in the long-term future we will see vehicles powered by either hydrogen or electricity (or some combination of both). Automakers are reluctant to put all their technology eggs in one basket and are developing more hybrids and plug-in hybrids, which are likely to proliferate in the short-term. For now, electric vehicle development is mostly relegated to the aftermarket or specialized manufacturers.

Before these cars of tomorrow reach consumers, there are several obstacles to each technology as they race to go mainstream. For example, hydrogen lacks storage and delivery infrastructures; the fuel stacks (which use expensive platinum) are costly and may not last as long as gasoline engines; and the public remains skeptical. Further, batteries for plug-in hybrids or electric cars are still too expensive, and effective thermal control strategies have not been verified.

At this year’s Detroit Auto Show, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said he expects fuel cells to be the long-term solution, while plug-in hybrids will fill the gap in the medium term. Some electric-car advocates and environmentalists, however, have suggested that fuel cells are just a distraction from development of battery electric vehicles.

It’s too early to tell who is right. But we’d like to hear your opinion on fuel-cell and electric cars. Let us know what you think by posting your thoughts in the Comments section below.

—Gabe Shenhar

Learn more about fuel cells and alternative fuels in our fuel economy special section.

Update: Toyota Sienna AWD run-flat tires

The extended tread-life test on CR's Sienna AWD continues.

For those who have been following our saga of run-flat tires on our 2007 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD, we've been raking up the miles faster than you can say "minivans are the best family vehicle EVER!" After hearing many tales of premature wear of the original-equipment Dunlop SP Sport 4000 Self-Supporting Technology tires (DSST)—run-flat tires, in layman terms—we decided to do a long-term test to see for ourselves. After the traditional road test of our Sienna was completed, we purchased a new set of Dunlop SP Sport 4000 DSST tires for a tread-life evaluation. The evaluation started at the end of March, 2007, and is ongoing.

We've been checking inflation pressures religiously; aligning the wheels, rotating the tires, and measuring the average tread depth in no less than 16 test points around each tire at nearly every 2,000 miles. Admittedly, most consumers are not likely to follow our frequent alignment and rotation schedule, but we're giving the tires the best opportunity to wear optimally. So far, the results suggest that there are benefits in taking good care of your tires.

After some long vacations stints around Northeast parts of the United States and Canada, we've accumulated just over 22,000 miles. Our comprehensive tread-wear measurements tell us the tires still have plenty of life left. The tires are at least 32 percent worn out and some are closing in on the 40-percent mark based on the fastest wearing groove. Keep in mind that a tire is legally worn out when any one groove depth is flush to the tread wear indicator of 2/32 inch. Our Sienna's tires are showing more rapid tread loss at the shoulders, which is not uncommon for a radial tire, but we also observed a stepped wear condition to the inboard shoulder rib that started to appear around 19,000 miles. In addition, a cyclical tire whine is becoming very noticeable as the miles have accumulated.

We'll continue our put on the miles to see how the wear proceeds, including the step-wear condition.

—Gene Petersen

Related blog posts:
Toyota Sienna AWD run-flat tires wear well for us
Toyota Sienna AWD tires - patience wearing thin
Toyota extends run-flat tire warranty
Toyota Sienna run-flat tires? Spare us.
Run-flat tires go flat with our readers       

Discuss in the Cars forums, especially in Tire Talk, the online-subscriber-only tire forum.                                                                                                   

Detroit auto show - Personal picks

The Cars team reflects on the 2008 Detroit auto show, selecting their personal picks for the most memorable, significant, or simply favorite cars at the event.

Audi R8 V12 TDI:
Last week, I gushed over the brilliant Audi R8 V12 TDI concept (see blog). The intoxication of it has stuck with me like a bad cold...I can't seem to shake it. The look is mean. The headlights squint at you like Clint Eastwood. The engine looks like it should be in a museum of modern art. And while Audi also had a "standard" R8 on display, it was one of only a few cars people were waiting in line to sit in. This car could reside in my garage forever.—Mike Quincy

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1/Hummer HX:
These pure vehicles push American icons to new reaches. The ZR1 is history in the making. It is an amazing performance machine that will fuel my automotive fantasies for quite some time, and is certain to be chronicled for generations to come. The Hummer HX represents the long-rumored H4, a Jeep Wrangler alternative intended to provide an attainable entry to the off-roading brand, and, now it may also represent a potential production savior for a brand that has become the pariah of the Green movement. Make it affordable, with a traditional square back and a thrifty diesel, and watch the Hummer "jamborees" flourish. Granted, the Corvette and Hummer are quite  different vehicles, but each represents extreme fun, and who doesn't want more of that?—Jeff Bartlett

Fisker Karma:
Designed by custom car designer Henrik Fisker (who also penned the BMW Z8, one of my favorite cars ever), the Fisker shows that hybrids -- even futuristic advanced plug-in hybrids that will run all day on electricity -- aren't just for environmentalist ninnies. It looks great and reportedly goes fast. (A top speed of 125 mph and 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds are as fast as any mere mortal should need to go on land.) In short, it should give even the most jaded car enthusiasts an environmentally friendly hybrid they can lust after.

In terms of affordability, however, I've got to name the Honda CR-Z as my runner up. It marries hybrid efficiency to sports-car fun just like the Fisker. It isn't as advanced, and it is limited by being a two-seater. But it has the fun-to-drive element sorely lacking in Honda's last mileage champ, the Insight. And best of all, most car shoppers should be able to afford it.—Eric Evarts

Jeep Renegade/Cadillac CTS coupe:
This was my 15th time attending the Detroit auto show and, overall, it was a relatively boring event. There were no outrageous introductions such as a Chrysler minivan landing on stage, no retro chic surprises like the Volkswagen New Beetle, or first-time viewings of highly anticipated significant vehicles.

That said, I'd have to go with styling features that caught my eye. The Jeep Renegade concept, for example, was eye candy that I hope someday becomes a modern beach buggy. Forget the electric drive. Cash-strapped Chrysler is busy enough trying to survive. Not to mention the paradox of"go anywhere" marketing and getting stuck with an empty battery. A much more realistic and closer to production styling statement was the Cadillac CTS coupe. Even though I'm not much of a coupe fan, it looked spectacular.—Gabe Shenhar

Honda CR-Z:
I really liked the Honda CR-Z. With styling that is a dead-ringer for the old (and beloved CRX), the CR-Z's possible hybrid powertrain looks to vault this little runabout to the top of the fuel economy mountain... just like the original CRX. Honda is also disciplined at keeping weight low and suspension tuning interesting, so I imagine driving one will be a ball. Let's hope it's affordable.—David Champion

Toyota Venza:
Over the course of the show I was consistently drawn back to one car: the Toyota Venza. But not because I'm wowed by its styling, price, powerplant, or features. It's because I have no idea where it will fit in the Toyota lineup. Between the RAV4, Highlander, Avalon, and even the base Sienna, how many 5-passenger people movers are needed from one manufacturer? This odd vehicle certainly drew my attention each day... and the resulting quizzical stares as I tried to determine its niche.—Jon Linkov

Also read Cliff Weathers' pick for best in show.

See our complete coverage of the 2008 Detroit auto show. And discuss the event in our auto show forum. 

                                                                                                           

                   

Toyota jumps ahead in battery development

No sooner did Congress mandate dramatically higher fuel economy standards by 2020, than Toyota quickly threw down a second challenge to Detroit. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe announced that Toyota will raise its fleet average fuel economy to 35 mpg before the 2020 deadline. The company is attempting to keep the lead in the public perception of fuel efficiency. (Read the results of Consumer Reports' Brand Perceptions Survey.)

In addition, the company announced that it will begin producing its own lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles through its joint venture with Panasonic. This is a key breakthrough, and it may put Toyota ahead in the race to produce plug-in hybrid vehicles. Plug-in hybrids can drive for short distances on electricity only, without starting their gasoline or diesel engines. If the batteries are large enough, they could allow people to drive all week without using gasoline, since 78 percent of Americans drive less than 27 miles a day. Conversion companies and universities have been modifying the current Prius to a plug-in for some time.

Today, automakers say there are no commercially available batteries with enough capacity to power plug-in hybrids. Most automakers agree that getting enough battery capacity on-board a car, without making the car too heavy or taking up too much space, will require lithium-ion batteries, rather than the nickel-metal-hydride batteries currently used in hybrids. Other automakers are working with suppliers to develop them and buying custom-made individual batteries for their demonstration vehicles.

While U.S. automakers and technology companies are still looking for breakthroughs in lithium-ion batteries, Toyota looks set to have batteries available for plug-in hybrids commercially available by 2010. Like General Motors (see "GM invests in cellulosic ethanol"), Toyota may position itself to be both an automaker client and a supplier for the next-generation energy technology, expanding its profit potential and competitive advantage.

Every major manufacturer is working on advanced automotive technologies, and it appears that for the foreseeable future, a reduction in gasoline consumption on the national level will come from a variety of energy and powertrain strategies.

—Eric Evarts

See our complete coverage of the 2008 Detroit auto show. And discuss the event in our auto show forum.

Consumer Reports Car Brand Perceptions Survey names top brands

Automakers spend billions of dollars to promote their vehicles and build brand awareness. Yet, marketing alone does not shape consumer perception without a clear connection to the vehicles in the showroom. In the latest Auto Pulse survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, Toyota and Honda brands ranked first and second, respectively, by dominant margins over all others. Likewise, the vehicles from those brands have consistently performed well in our testing, often ranking among the best in their classes, and have been mostly at the top of our reliability ratings over the years.

This CR's random, nationwide telephone survey focused on how consumers perceive and rank car brands in seven crucial areas, including safety, quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design, and technological innovation. It also looks at which of those factors are most important to people when buying a vehicle. The Consumer Reports National Research Center contacted 2,037 adults, and the survey data was collected from the 1,720 adults whose households own at least one car. (Consumer Reports Auto Pulse surveys track current opinions, perceptions, and buying trends. They are not a direct reflection of CR readers or subscribers, but rather a randomized sample of the American consumer automotive marketplace.)

Major findings from the survey include:

• Among new-car shoppers, safety (63 percent) is the most important consideration, followed by quality (58 percent).
• Consumers consider friendliness to the environment (35 percent) to be more significant than styling (23 percent).
• The category "technology and innovation" (15 percent) scored as least important to car buyers.
• Toyota and Honda rank in the top five in six of the seven surveyed categories, with design/styling being the exception for each.
• Chevrolet and Ford are the only U.S. brands that rank in the top five in three categories. 
• Consumers overwhelmingly perceive Volvo as the leading safety brand. Its 77-percent score gives it a dominant lead over second-place Toyota's 20 percent.
• Toyota (49 percent) and Honda (26 percent) have, by far, the strongest images for environmental friendliness. Their scores are significantly higher than third-place Ford (16 percent).

Read the full report "Consumer Reports Car Brand Perceptions Survey," including the best and worst overall, and the leaders in each category.

—Jeff Bartlett

Toyota passes Ford for second spot in U.S. sales

Toyota Motor Corporation has broken Ford’s 75-year history to become the #2 auto sales leader in the United States for 2007, according to the Associated Press. This is the 12th consecutive year of record-breaking sales for Toyota.

According to 2007 manufacturer-supplied figures, General Motors retains the top position selling 3.87 million vehicles, down 6 percent from the previous year. Toyota sales were 2.62 million, up 2.7 percent over 2006. Ford sold 2.57 million vehicles, down 12 percent.

Toyota’s rise to the second seed in the United States was helped by a surge in sales of a number of popular models. The Prius hybrid, despite the fact that its design isn’t new (it was last redone in 2004), saw an increase of almost 69 percent amid rising fuel costs and increasing environmental awareness. The all-new Toyota Tundra boasted a 57 percent increase and, in our tests, ranked second only to the Chevrolet Avalanche. It’s clearly a strong competitor. The redesigned Lexus LS460/600h luxury sedans had an 80 percent boost in sales.

Even though Ford posted an overall decline in sales from last year, a few vehicles, such as the Ford Focus, Ford Fusion, and Mercury Milan, enjoyed an increase in sales over last year. The Ford F-150 was still the best-selling truck in America for the 31st year in a row.

Worldwide sales figures are due to come out later this month and the race is tight between GM and Toyota to win the coveted title of world’s largest automaker.

—Liza Barth

First Looks: Latest SUVs and wagons undergoing testing

Every month, we buy several vehicles to put through our comprehensive program of more than 50 tests. As the models progress through our months-long test process, we present our First Look on popular cars based on partial testing. These reports are presented as free, standalone stories and they are also integrated into the detailed model overview pages for online subscribers. The most recent examples include the 2008 Jeep Liberty, Nissan Rogue, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and Volvo XC70. The full tests of all these vehicles will be published in the months to come, but in the meantime, we offer our initial driving impressions.

2008 Jeep Liberty: The Liberty has established itself as an inexpensive vehicle with off-road capabilities. However, for everyday driving, the Liberty falls short behind other small SUVs. Read the complete First Look.

2008 Nissan Rogue: The Rogue is Nissan’s first entry into the crossover SUV category and will compete with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. We found the compact size refreshing, the ride pleasant, and the handing responsive. Read the complete First Look.

2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: The Hybrid Highlander quickly follows the release of the redesigned 2008 Highlander, our top-scorer in the class. The Hybrid version offers improved fuel economy, but it’s at a premium price. Read the complete First Look.

2008 Volvo XC70: The new XC wagon version is derived from Volvo’s flagship S80, rather than the midsized S60 sedan as with the previous generation. Boasting the latest in safety gear, this new car is longer than before and again a bit taller than the similar V70 wagon. The good size and versatility make the XC70 an appealing alternative to car-based SUVs. Read the complete First Look.

Every month, we add new First Looks to ConsumerReports.org. These can be found linked on the main Cars page and secondary New Cars page. Older first looks can be found in the model overview pages until they are replaced with a final road test.

We’re interested in knowing what models you most like to see covered in a future First Look. Post your suggestions in the Comments below.

—Liza Barth

Three-row SUV tests and videos

For our test group in the January 2008 issue we drove 3-row SUVs. These vehicles, designed to fit seven or eight passengers, have become the popular choice among families. They also come with all-wheel-drive.

The full road tests from the magazine have been posted at ConsumerReports.org, along with videos from our auto staff experts. These videos highlight our tests of each vehicle, plus they demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of each model.

"People movers" features the Buick Enclave, Ford Taurus X, Subaru Tribeca, and Toyota Highlander. Watch the videos.

We also look at the redesigned Chrysler minivans—the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.

—Liza Barth

2008 Toyota Sequoia pricing--up from last year

Toyota is hoping that bigger is better for its second-generation Sequoia. However, bigger also means pricier. The 2008 Sequoia prices will start at $34,150 for the rear-drive SR5 base model, climbing to $48,450 for the Limited 4WD and $55,600 for the top-level Platinum 4WD edition.

Two engines are offered for 2008: the carryover 4.7-liter V8 (good for 276 hp) and the monster 381-hp, 5.7-liter V8 from the Tundra. The 4.7 is hooked up to a five-speed automatic transmission; the 5.7 gets six speeds. Maximum towing capacity is 10,000 pounds.

The Sequoia has grown in length, width, and height inside and outside. Second- and third-row rear seats are adjustable for easier access and rear doors open wider than before. The third-row seats now fold into a well in the floor, afforded by the move to an independent rear suspension - a first for a truck-based Toyota SUV.

Standard safety features include includes side air bags, three-row roll-sensing curtain air bags, stability and traction control, and ABS with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. Unlike the Tundra, the Sequoia comes with selectable full-time 4WD, rather than a part-time system. Other noteworthy features include standard tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and available Bluetooth and backup camera.

Toyota's green image has taken a hit with the introduction of this large, powerful SUV, which is aimed at competing against the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Nissan Armada. A possible concern is that Consumer Reports subscribers have reported problems with the drive system in the 5.7-liter V8 configuration of the Tundra. Time will tell if this problem has been sorted out for the Sequoia.

The redesigned Sequoia is scheduled to go on sale in late December.

—Liza Barth and Mike Quincy

For more photos, see our LA Auto Show coverage.
Discuss Toyota in the Cars forums.

Run-flat tires do have their advantages (and fans)

We received many responses to our story on the pros and cons of run-flat tires.

People often indicated that we'd missed the mark and that, in their opinion, the safety benefits of run-flat tires certainly did not outweigh the problems. Our reader/subscriber letters agreed that run-flats have issues:

• Difficult to find replacements in certain areas
• Limited number of replacement models
• Inability to repair run-flats
• High replacement costs

Some even said that these issues were greater concerns than most were willing to live with -- even with extended the mobility run-flats offer. However, after suffering a flat this past Thanksgiving eve, I'm still convinced that run-flats do, indeed, offer a safety benefit.

Let me explain.

Much of the pre-Thanksgiving traffic was in full swing, as many businesses closed on time (if not early) to allow their employees to get home early. I'd signed out our Sienna AWD minivan (equipped with run-flat tires) for the long holiday weekend to travel to Vermont with my family and to add miles to the tires for our ongoing long-term wear evaluation. I picked up my children from daycare—two kids ages three and eight—and put them in their child seats. The van was also full of all the stuff I needed for the weekend: cocktail party supplies; a movie screen for entertaining the children during the party; folding chairs that I borrowed for additional seating on Thanksgiving and for the party; and a mix of food and beverages... You get the picture.

As we're traveling on a rural—and particularly narrow—Connecticut roa