Size does matter

If I didn’t have kids, I would still drive a mini-van, in fact, I drove a mini-van in high school and for a brief period during college. True story. Of course, it was my parents’ vehicle in high school and I inherited it after moving away to school.

It was the party van when I was behind the wheel – only because it fit so many passengers that I quickly became the official designated driver for every occasion. Of course, that meant I had to spend the night wherever we were if alcohol was involved but that was fine with me. I could sleep in the back comfortably with the seats down. I’d use blankets and a sleeping bag to stay warm so it was perfect for me for so many reasons.

My snowboard fit perfectly in the back as well, so the seats usually remained folded down. I’d use the back to get dressed and undressed after a day on the hill.

For a small period after this mini-van stage, I did drive smaller cars. I drove a Plymouth Horizon, a 1967 VW Beetle and a 1999 Honda Civic. The Civic was what I was driving when my first son was born. It didn’t take too long to realize that it wasn’t the most convenient vehicle to get a car seat in and out of after having a c-section. I hit my head one too many times backing out of the back seat after getting him settled into his spot. It got old really fast, although I do wish I had the luxury of having my mid-life crisis car on hand as well.

The third generation Nissan Quest came out in early 2004 and with its unique design (at the time), it appealed to me in many ways. I purchased a brand new SL edition when my son was just 4 months old. It was the perfect upgrade for a new mom. The features were great, especially the automatic doors and the fact that I could sit in the back row seat to breastfeed, change his diaper and easily store the stroller along with groceries and large boxes of diapers without compromise.

When I moved (two times in the last two years), the seats folded down to reveal the massive space where I was able to fit dozens of boxes, furniture and pretty much every single one of my possessions. And now that I have a new baby, I’m revisiting the back row to breastfeed and change his diaper. And, once again, the Costco trips are much easier with the automatic back door that allows room for the big boxes of items we stock up on every month.

Recently, I had the opportunity to test drive the new 2011 Nissan Quest and although I didn’t have my kids with me at the time (I was pregnant with Baby #2) I fell in love with the new features that make this 4th generation mini-van even more appealing than my current vehicle (the 2004 Nissan Quest).

The back seats go down now with the touch of a button and the windows roll down in the second row where my kids would be. My oldest son would love this feature. He always complains that his window doesn’t open. I know we’d all appreciate the dual opening glass moonroof. The Clean Air System is also an exciting feature since it filters out the cigarette smoke coming from the car in front of you (my biggest pet peeve while driving).

The body of this mini-van stands out again as it does not look like a mini-van nor does it look like a boxy SUV. Driving it was a dream. It felt like a luxury vehicle and (maybe because my kids weren’t in the back) it did not feel like I was driving a big car with room for 7 passengers.

My family is visiting soon and I’m eager to put the 2011 Nissan Quest to the ultimate test. I’m waiting to find out if we’ll be able to have an extended test drive in March so that each of the seats can be utilized and we can truly check out all of the features and get the full experience of having the car in our possession for more than a few hours.

If I didn’t have kids, I would still drive a mini-van and the 2011 Nissan Quest would be the one I would choose if I could.

Nissan provided me with a spa treatment and lunch on the day of my #NissanQuestDrive experience.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Nissan Design Center

Last week, I attended the Nissan 2010 Full Line Sedan Media Preview here in San Diego. During breakfast at the W Hotel, I met the editor of Nissan Sport Magazine as well as other journalists there for the test-drive.  Afterward, we made our way up to the Nissan Design Center, each behind the wheel of a different Nissan model.

While at the Design Center, we heard from many Nissan execs and were provided with details of their 10-year journey after new ownership took over in 1999 and their campaign to “Look Closer” at the “Quality You Can Love.” We even got to see a new commercial featuring the song, “Love Hurts,” which will appeal to those who adore their cars as much as any other member of their family.

I currently drive a third-generation Nissan Quest (2004 mini-van) and have always loved the power behind the V6 engine, the same one that powers the Maxima and Altima. I got to drive the 2010 models of these sedans, along with the Versa and Sentra.

My favorite new features in these most recent models include the lowest priced ($400) in-dash navigation system, and a USB port with iPod connectivity.  When I got inside the Versa, I took advantage and plugged in my iPhone so it could charge as I drove along the coast. Another awesome thing about the Versa is that it has the most ear leg room  in its class. Because I’m used to my big mini-van that’s high off the ground, I was pretty impressed with this little car that did not make me feel like I was driving inside a small box.

After driving the four Sedans, I have to say that I was definitely blown away by the Maxima. The dual panel moonroof with power retractable sunshades made me feel like I was driving in a convertible and with the power, comfort, and sleek design, I felt as if I were in a little sports car instead of a Sedan. The Nissan Maxima is definitely on top of my list of vehicles to “grow into” when the time comes.

While we were there we also learned about the Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle with zero emission. Although mass production won’t begin until 2012, the Nissan Leaf will be on the road in some states as early as next year. It accelerates like a V6 and can reach speeds of up to 90 MPH and can travel up to 100 miles under normal driving conditions on a single charge.

Nissan is all about quality, durability and reliability. Since I’ve been an owner for just about 6 years (since my son was an infant), I can attest to their dedication to customer service as well. Each time I visit the dealership I receive a phone call from the person I worked with to make sure I was satisfied with my experience. I was definitely impressed with their line of Sedans and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for the Nissan vehicles.

I invite you to “Look Closer” at this line of vehicles. They’re bound to surprise you.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

How I really feel about GM: The ultimate test-drive

I purchased my ticket to BlogHer at the end of February since I knew that it would eventually be sold out, like it had been in the past. I was able to get in before the price went up but I had no idea how I would get to Chicago or who I’d end up hanging out with. All I knew is that I had to be there this year.

Money is always an issue for single moms, but this year, especially, I’ve been watching my spending and limiting any unnecessary expenses. So, when Rockin’ Mama contacted me about joining her carpool, I said, “Yes,” right away. I mean, I agreed so quickly that she had to ask me several times if I wanted to think about it.

These are the sorts of things that one should not think about for too long, or all of the negative aspects of driving cross-country in the middle of the summer start to take precedence above all other thoughts. For example, stinky feet and armpits at 80 MPH is worse than slow-moving BO. Trust me - I’ve driven across the country before.

Exactly ten years ago this June, I picked up and moved to San Diego with my girlfriend. The two of us and her sister drove from Western Wisconsin to San Diego with a 17′ U-Haul truck. My friend’s Mustang was pulled along behind on a lift.

I’ll share the whole story another time but for now, just know that after that experience, I vowed to never again drive cross country in anything other than a car, truck or mini-van.

Mommy Mandy will be joining Rockin’ Mama and I (aka Hip Mom) as we trek from Southern California, through NV, AZ, UT, CO, NE, and IA before reaching our final destination. in IL. Traveling in such tight quarters with people we barely know is bound to create a bit of drama and, although I don’t consider myself high maintenance (all of the time), it should definitely make for an interesting ride.

It is expected to take us a few days to get there (2,065 miles) and we’ll be blogging on our respective sites about the journey. If you know of some good places to stop in the cities and towns we’ll be driving through, please let us know. We’ll be looking for some great little restaurants to make us some yummy and healthy meals. We’ll also be recruiting volunteers to invite us to their house for dinner, or inside for potty breaks.

As for our vehicle, GM is, once again, the sponsoring carpool provider for this year’s BlogHer conference, so we’ll be able to test drive one of their Chevy vehicles – in every sense of the word. We’ll also be testing each other’s limits so stay tuned for more details on when we’ll be leaving and how we plan on surviving the drive without killing one another – or ourselves.

No matter what you think of GM and their role in the economy, we ask that you support us as we leave our kids behind, jump in the driver’s seat (we’ll be taking turns, of course) and make our way to the Windy City in, hopefully, an SUV or something big enough to carry us and all of our equipment (ie. shoes, make-up, clothing, food, beverages, reading materials, laptops, etc.).

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering – YES – we do plan on stopping in Vegas and Denver for some fun. Sponsors interested in helping us with the cost of gas, snacks or meals & lodging should contact us ASAP. Since there’s three of us recruiting, we’re bound to have some pretty major investors helping us get across the states, safe and sound.

Who’s in?

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home