cars Archives - Emily Roach Health Coach

A week for mama in my electric car

I was inspired by Megan Tietz who writes over at SortaCrunchy when she discussed “A Month for Mama.” As a mom with 6 month old twin boys, and two other girls, she has her hands full with taking care of other family members. As I read through her post about trying to carve out some “me” time, it resonated with me. My little Connor is now 12 weeks old and I was feeling the need to get out a little by myself. When I got the opportunity to test drive the new Chevy Volt electric car, it gave me a little extra motivation to get out of the house for some “me” time.

JJ wanted to go for a drive in the electric car.

Monday night~ Got out after the kids went to bed for a little drive in the car. Couldn’t believe how quiet it was…both the car and the lack of noise from the back seat.

Madison got to go for a ride and tested out a new booster seat for the occasion.

Tuesday~ Snuck out with Madison to Trader Joe’s…just the girls. So easy to get out with just one child, it was a treat! I wonder what cars will be fueled with when she is old enough to drive…

Wednesday~ A haircut. Finally. Connor made the trip with me in the new car and was happy to snuggle with Beth, my hairstylist at Creative Expressions, while I enjoyed some magazine reading under the dryer.

Life gets in the way the other days…but my husband took it out for a spin. Thought it was cool, just a bit small for his 6’4″ frame.

Sunday~ FINALLY got out for pedicure. Hooray!

Time to say goodbye to the Chevy Volt…back to minivan land.

How do you make time for yourself during the week?

I appreciate the opportunity to test drive the Chevy Volt and this is not a paid post. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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August 27, 2013/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

baby, cars, Family, Ford, Ford Escape, lifestyle, shopping

Minivan versus SUV? Comparing the Honda Odyssey to the Ford Explorer.

For months there has been an ongoing debate in our house about our next car: SUV or Minivan. As our family grows, I wanted to make the leap to the flexibility of having a third row. One, to give the kids some breathing room in the car. Two, to give me the space I need to carry a stroller and hit Costco at the same time. We needed to decide on buying a minivan or an SUV. The choice was not an easy one. I asked for advice on my facebook page and got a great response.

We have spent the last couple months test driving cars to decide what will work for our family. We drove the following: Ford Explorer Sport, Ford Flex, Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna.

Minivan versus SUV

I have to admit I’ve been the big hold out when it comes to driving a minivan. Someone could certainly quote me on saying, “NEVER” on more than one occasion. Then I drove one and I realized there were a lot of benefits of driving a minivan for a soon to be family of 5.

Pros

Ease of the automatic doors
7-8 passenger capacity
Grows with our family
Storage room
Good gas mileage
More room in our garage since the doors don’t swing open

Cons

It’s a minivan
Large size
Honda Odyssey doesn’t offer All Wheel Drive

Pros (Ford Explorer Sport)

It’s not a minivan
Super comfortable to drive
Felt very safe driving in a rainstorm
Cool interior and exterior design

Cons

Height made it difficult for my four year old to get in
Heavy doors were a safety concern
Lower gas mileage
5 passenger option since we needed the middle row to be captain’s chairs
Less storage than the minivan

Both the Ford and the Honda had awesome back up cameras. The Toyota Sienna camera was super small in comparison. I really like this safety feature since my kids are often running around outside, and their toys/bikes/shovels/etc. tend to migrate to the driveway.

The only bummer about the Honda Odyssey is it isn’t offered with All Wheel Drive. Living in New England it would be a great option and I’m surprised they still don’t offer it.

As someone committed to living a sustainable lifestyle, some people are surprised I already drive a small SUV (Ford Escape). We love the car and plan to keep it as our second car. We walk into town often to do our shopping and neither my husband or myself use a car to commute to work. Since our cars don’t get too much use, I’m ok with driving an SUV that uses more gas than an average car. Thankfully there are so many new eco-friendly engine options for cars, including the Eco-Boost engine on the Ford models.

So, have we decided? We are nearly certain it will be the Honda Odyssey for us. I think with a new baby, this will just make life a little easier. This will be our third Honda and we are just used to the brand. I would love for the Ford Explorer to be the upgrade to our Escape when the time comes that she needs to be replaced. It is an awesome car and I was sad to turn it in after I drove it for a few days. My friends were surprised when I said a Ford was “cool.” Times have changed and it really has been modernized with the technology details inside and the great driving comfort it offers.

I loved being able to Sync my iphone with the Ford Explorer as soon as I got in.

Which camp are you in? Camp Minivan or Camp SUV?

Disclosure: I was provided Ford vehicles to test drive. This in no way influenced my opinions shared here.

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March 14, 2013/10 Comments/by eroachwellness

cars, Ford, green, technology

Green Power at the New England International Auto Show

Ford Energi presentation

Today I got to check out some of the latest and greatest updates in the car industry. The most exciting thing is all the advances happening in the world of fuel efficiency. At this year’s New England International Auto Show happening in Boston this weekend, there are 20 cars that get 30-40+ miles per gallon. As car companies prepare for the strict standards of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) in the future, they are making great strides now offering hybrids, electric vehicles and more efficient power train technology. Since we are in the market for a new car, it was a fun opportunity for me to see a bunch of brands in one place to do some comparison shopping. I will say it was amazing how many funny looks I got from all the men in attendance as I arrived with my toddler in tow to listen to the green presentation by Ford. Don’t they know the ladies care about what they drive??

It’s amazing to see 47 mpg on the Ford Fusion Energi

I went specifically to the Auto Show in Boston today to hear from Dr. Mazen Hammoud, Ford’s chief engineer of electrified powertrain systems. He is the guy who can talk green. The new Ford highlighted was the Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid. For customers interested in buying a hybrid, fuel economy and mileage are the #1 decision makers. In a recent report, JD Power ranked Ford ahead of Toyota in fuel economy. I love that an American car company is making such an impact in the market, and is able to offer an electric vehicle in a mid-sized sedan. No tiny little electric vehicle here, you wouldn’t even realize it’s electric except for the glowing plug-in spot on the driver’s side. Also, the new Ford Energi charges faster and holds the charge longer than the Prius.

All new Ford Fusion Energi Plug In Hybrid

Dr. Hammoud also taught the audience that in order to maximize your charge, you need to be mindful of your driving habits. Driving over 80 mph is not efficient, but we all know that right? Also, heavy braking also decreases the charge of the car as well. Even if you don’t have an electric vehicle, these are good reminders anyway to maximize your mpg in your car.

The New England Auto Show is taking place now at the Boston Convention and Exhibit Center, located down in the Seaport district.

Here are the hours:

Thursday, January 17, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday, January 18, 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday, January 19, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, January 20, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Monday, January 21, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

While you are there, there are a number of companies offering you a chance to drive some of the models. If you are in the market for a new car, this could be a great opportunity to do some test drives hassle free.

We are trying to pick our next car and having lots of debates about SUV versus a minivan…anyone have a favorite with a third row? I want something with fuel efficiency but some SUVs now have comparable mpg. Would love to hear what car you are loving right now!

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January 17, 2013/1 Comment/by eroachwellness

cars, Uncategorized

Ford Escape Drive Event

Do you have a car that you love? For me, it’s our Ford Escape. It was the first car my husband I bought together after our wedding. We got it in 2005 and thought it would be the perfect car for us as newlyweds, but also carry us through the days when our family grew. I recently got to check out the new 2013 Ford Escape and there were a lot of cool new updates.

The new 2013 Ford Escape

Now you may be saying, hey, isn’t she a green blogger? What is she doing talking about an SUV? Yes, I have to admit, it may not be the greenest choice I make. However, after MUCH debate with my husband, we decided that we are an SUV family. It provides us flexibility for bringing all of our beach gear with us each summer, trash runs to the local “recycling transfer station”, and room for kids and friends. We live close to town and walk to do lots of errands, coordinate trips so we don’t drive too much, plus we don’t use a car to commute. All of these things drastically cut down on our car use so I am comfortable saying I drive an SUV.

Luckily, the Ford Escape has something really cool called EcoBoost engines. The new Escape has two EcoBoost engines, which essentially allows the engine to squeeze the most out of every drop of gasoline used in the car. The engines improve efficiency, leading to better fuel economy and power delivery. It has the fuel economy of a mid-size sedan.

Opened the back without any keys in hand.

There are also some awesome bells and whistles in the new Escape. Hands free driving anyone? Yes, the car can parallel park itself. Check out this video my friend Charlene from Charlene Chronicles took here of me driving. Then there is the Intelligent Access hands-free lift gate. No more fumbling for the keys while you carry a baby and a shopping bag. Just a swift kick under the bumper and voila, the back opens! Here is the video of Charlene in action demonstrating the ease of use.

We are in the market for a new car when our lease is up on our mid-size sedan. I have the opportunity to test drive the Escape, Flex and Explorer in a little more detail to see which one may be right for our family. I’ll be sharing all the pros and cons of each car, from a busy mom point of view. I can’t wait to share the experiences with you. Hopefully it will help answer some questions you have when it comes to deciding on your next family car.

What is your favorite feature in your car?

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