PAGE 1


10 of 137 DOCUMENTS

Copyright 2001 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.

Chicago Sun-Times

February 15, 2001, THURSDAY, Late Sports Final Edition

SECTION: AUTO SHOW; CLICK & CLACK; Pg. 2

LENGTH: 528 words

HEADLINE: If you are what you drive, what are you?;


BYLINE: Tom Magliozzi; Ray Magliozzi

BODY:


Here's a look at some of the top cars for families with kids:

Cadillac DeVille: Room in the truck for four dead bodies. Oh, that's not the
kind of "family" car you're talking about?

Chevy Suburban: A great family vehicle, assuming you never have to squeeze
into only one parking space, and your nuclear family includes a mother-in-law
and a couple of steers.

Chrysler Minivans (Voyager, Caravan, Town and Country): The working
definition of "dowdy." Women all over America say they can feel their hair
turning blue while they drive these things. Although they certainly do the job.

Ford Explorer: Has taken the place of the "family station wagon." Except dad
will happily drive it now, because he doesn't know it's the family station
wagon.

Honda Odyssey: The Honda of minivans. Reliable, fun to drive . . . for a
minivan. Given a Certificate of Achievement by the National Society for the
Proliferation of Nooks and Crannies.

Honda Accord: The classic family sedan. We hear they're working on an
expandable version for growing families . . . the Honda Accordion.

Ford Taurus Wagon: If you thought a Dodge Caravan was boring, try this. But
it also gets the job done.

Toyota Camry: The Oldsmobile Cutlass of its generation. The right size, the
right price, and reliable as death, taxes and dead people voting in Chicago.

VW Passat: A family car for the family that doesn't want to be as mainstream
as a Camry. A little more fun, a little less reliable, but no less practical.

Volvo V-70: The classic, safe, family wagon. Says "I bought a safe car
because I'm not planning to pay that much attention to my driving . . . so get
out of my way."

Some of the best for the rest of us:

Audi TT: Fun and cute. Of course, you can't see out of it, but if you were
that practical, you'd probably have a family by now, right?

BMW 330i convertible: The ultimate narcissistic driving machine. Comes with a
bottle of Grecian Formula in the glove box.

Ford Focus: Tells a potential mate that you just don't care that much about
your car, which many people find an appealing characteristic.

Mazda Miata: If driving a Miata on a summer day with the top down doesn't put
a big smile on your face, you're either hopelessly pessimistic, or you've had a
few too many face-lifts.

CLK 430: Tells people you don't have kids and don't intend to have any kids.

Ford Escape: Makes you look outdoorsy, yet sensitive and environmentally
concerned. After all, you bought a non-gas-slurping, non-forest-crunching,
non-Toyota-mashing SUV.

Porsche Boxster: Says "I've got more money than brains -- or, at least I did,
until my stock options became worthless last month."

Subaru Outback: Sends a practical, outdoorsy, active lifestyle message. And
sends the message that "I've forgiven Japan for WWII."

Toyota Prius: Says "I'm a tree hugger, but not a wacko tree-hugger. A
practical, grown-up tree-hugger."

VW Beetle: Whimsical without being stupid. Says "I'm a free-spirit, but I pay
my Visa bill on time."

Click & Clack runs Sunday in AutoTimes. The Magliozzis can be heard on "Car
Talk" from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday on WBEZ-FM (91.5).

 

i can see out just fine :P heheh.. the placement of the A-pillars really throws ppl off..

 

Mazda Miata Got A Nice Blurb...TTR puts an even bigger smile on the face!!!

 

Pontiac Asstek not mentioned ?? Now there's a surprise :-)

 

Love that TT comment. Love Click and Clack.