Planning a Road-Trip for the Holidays? Cars.com Shares the Top 10 Features to Get You There in Comfort
October 18 2007 - 11:37AM
PR Newswire (US)
CHICAGO, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Americans will hit the
road for the upcoming holidays, which means lots of time spent
behind the wheel, sharing precious space with siblings, parents and
in-laws. Having the right features in your car can mean the
difference between arriving at your destination refreshed and
longing for home before you reach the freeway. "Fortunately,
manufacturers have thought of almost everything when it comes to
offering cool features to help your road trip run as smoothly as
possible," said Cars.com managing editor, Patrick Olsen. "Whether
it's a navigation system or Chrysler's new satellite television,
there are dozens of cool features to keep you and your family
comfortable for the long haul." Cars.com editors have driven
hundreds of cars this year, and here are their 10 favorite features
for road trips: 1. Navigation system and trip computer Nav systems
can make child's play out of the most convoluted trips. Many of the
latest systems offer real-time traffic reporting, and nearly all
have voice-guided directions that can route you back to the main
road should you get lost. Virtually every nav system includes some
kind of trip computer that keeps tabs on gas mileage, miles until
your tank is empty and more. 2. Music flexibility Sun-visor CD
jackets hold maybe a dozen albums -- which means you're out of
tunes once you've crossed three states -- and those 10-pound CD
booklets put nearby drivers at risk when you thumb through them at
highway speeds. Advanced stereo systems to the rescue: the vast
majority include auxiliary hookups for MP3 players, and some take
integration a step further, allowing you to see your iPod's
playlists and choose tracks with the stereo controls. Want more?
Satellite radio broadcasts commercial-free music, and onboard hard
drives can rip and store songs from CDs. 3. Cruise control Consider
cruise control your right foot's savior. It's an old dog, but it
can do some new tricks. Many luxury cars now offer advanced cruise
control systems that can accelerate and brake -- within reason --
to maintain a comfortable, safe distance behind the car you're
following. Even if you have a more basic version of cruise control,
your feet will still thank you at the end of the day. 4. Multizone
climate control Separate climate settings for different passengers
often go unused in daily driving, but they can really come in handy
during long drives. Front, and sometimes even rear, passengers can
set their own temperature independent of the driver, staving off
complaints of being too hot or cold. Available a decade ago only in
luxury cars, dual-zone controls now come in everyday cars like the
Honda Accord and Ford Escape. 5. DVD entertainment systems DVD
players are the holy grail of minivans and SUVs, affording parents
hours of peace while the kids watch cartoons -- in silence, too,
thanks to wireless headsets. Models like the Nissan Quest offer two
drop-down screens, one for each row in back. Chrysler's latest
minivans offer two screens with satellite TV and dual programming,
so one row can play video games while another watches Nickelodeon.
6. Smart cupholders If your cupholder was designed to accommodate a
44-ounce Slurpee, plugging in a 20-ounce Evian could make for quite
the spill when you hit the off-ramp. Smaller cupholders, meanwhile,
leave the soda chuggers among us high and dry. Smart cupholders are
an effective solution: They're big, but they have padding inside
that clamps skinnier cups or gives way to accommodate the larger
stuff. Buy whatever you want at the rest stop -- it's bound to fit.
7. Heated and cooled storage units Once exclusively found in
expensive luxury cars, climate-controlled storage has finally made
its way down the affordability ladder. A number of Dodge and
Volkswagen models have cooled glove compartments, and the Dodge
Avenger and Chrysler Sebring sport heated and cooled cupholders.
These features won't turn lukewarm soda ice-cold, but they can help
frosty beverages stay chilled for a few hours or keep the java hot
a little longer. 8. Lane-departure warning systems Lane-departure
warnings technically go in the safety column, but we included them
because when you're on the highway, few features are handier.
Infiniti was an early pioneer of the system, and now Cadillac
offers one on the STS. Lane-departure warning systems use cameras
to scan the road for lane markings and chime an alert when you
drift too close to the next lane without signaling. The system is
no substitute for drivers who pay attention, but it's nice to have
as a second line of defense. 9. Household power outlets Anyone
who's ever had portable electronics run out of juice on the road
will appreciate the in-car two-pronged household power outlet. With
voltage typically running between 110 and 120V, household outlets
accommodate most devices that plug into a two-pronged socket. Most
cars with a utilitarian bent should have one -- that means
everything from a Toyota Matrix to a Volkswagen Touareg. Remind
everyone to pack their household chargers, and complaints about
drained batteries will become a thing of the past. 10. Reclining
rear seats Here's betting no one really gets any sleep using a
U-shaped neck pillow. With reclining rear seats, you can leave
those at home. Backseat passengers will be snoozing in no time,
though drivers will want to keep them from reclining too far, as
that can pose a safety hazard. A few models are still holding out,
but most SUVs and minivans have them in the second row, if not the
third as well. About Cars.com Cars.com is the most comprehensive
destination for those looking to buy or sell a new or used car. The
site lists more than 2 million vehicles from more than 15,000
dealer customers, classified advertisers and private parties to
offer the more than 8 million unique visitors who log on to the
site each month the best selection of new and used cars online, as
well as the content, tools and advice to support their shopping
experience. Cars.com combines powerful inventory search tools and
new-car configuration with pricing information, photo galleries,
buying guides, side-by-side comparison tools, original editorial
content and reviews to help millions of car shoppers connect with
sellers each month. Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division
of Classified Ventures, LLC, (http://classifiedventures.com/),
which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo
(NYSE:BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), The McClatchy Company
(NYSE:MNI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB) and The Washington Post
Company (NYSE:WPO). DATASOURCE: Cars.com CONTACT: Media, Jackie
Brennan, Public Relations Specialist, +1-312-601-6229, mobile,
+1-219-577-6106, , or Steve Nolan, Public Relations Manager,
+1-312-601-5163, mobile, +1-630-310-2468, , both of Cars.com Web
site: http://www.cars.com/
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