2010 Ford F150 Harley-Davidson Edition
Deluxe H-D Design: And good for picking up big Craigslist items
By Dean Adams Curtis

"A Ford F150 Harley-Davidson edition," said the woman walking with her child through the Home Depot parking lot as she gazed at the vehicle. "Who knew?"

Who knew? Probably you, our regular readers.

Next a scriptwriter button-holed me asking for details about the H-D edition and gazed all around it at design elements planning to include them in his future Academy Award winning screenplay.

The F150 Harley-Davidson edition welcomes you to a deluxe ride. It offers you an automatically deploying step up as soon as you open the door -- as well as a step up in luxury from standard issue F150s. Comfort comes in many forms in the F150 H-D, including the form-fitting temperature-controlled leather seats. The Harley-Davidson edition's Harley logo displays on the monitor as a greeting as you soon as you turn on the engine.

Impressive ride, and looking too. It's also good for hauling those Craigslist finds!

2010 Toyota Sienna
Perfect for families on the go
By Alan Gell, www.CarColumns.Net

The 2010 Toyota Sienna. Yes, I know. It’s a mini-van and many people think that nametag means dull and boring. Maybe for some vehicles that is true, but the Toyota Sienna offers so much.

When my test drive vehicle was delivered for the week, I was slightly disappointed at first glance. I had hoped for a flashy sports car or a luxury sedan because it was Easter week and Judy and I would be driving to various events, church functions, and family gatherings. It is always fun to show off a special vehicle. But, instead, we had the standard mini-van that looking almost like all other mini-vans on the road. It isn’t unattractive. It just doesn’t stand out in a crowd.

But once inside and driving, my opinion changed. Opening and closing doors and rear hatches can always be a problem, whether hands are full, handles difficult to pull, or the height of tailgates. The powered side doors and powered rear hatch were all very convenient. There were push buttons on the key fob, push buttons near the doors, and a simple pull of the handle – each worked effortlessly to activate the power door opening and closings.

If comfort is important in a vehicle, the Sienna seating is terrific. I like the second row seating in this new Sienna, especially the lounge-chairs that recline and have leg rests. It is more like being in the living room of a small home. There are several configurations. The seven passenger models provide captain’s chairs. The second row has a long-slide feature that opens the second row or third row. The seat cushions are thickly padded and can be tipped up so that they can go forwards or backwards easily. This is different than the popular seats that fold and stow in the floor area. The eight passenger style seating has a stowable second row middle seat. It is has a couple of pull rings and simply lifts right out. It is not heavy or bulky and there is a molded place in the back for it to be carried. But the captain’s chairs with the lounge chair style and long-slide feature combined are my favorite. They are almost like being in your favorite recliner, leaning back, having armrests, and those extendable leg-rests. It is very relaxing and you can’t find that as easily in a flashy sports car. Longer trips make this feature very attractive.

The rear area features a flipdown DVD screen, a remote control, and wireless headphones. For long drives, this is a great feature to keep backseat passengers occupied watching their favorite action movie or cartoon characters. Our test model Sienna was powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine and matched with a five speed automatic. The all-wheel drive models are rated at 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. The front wheel drive models do only slightly better at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. The “Eco” economy feature was non-obtrusive, but a benefit to increase fuel economy. A small green leaf emblem showed up on the display screen when you optimized the driving. Instead of pushing the pedal to the metal, I tended to keep the Sienna in the Eco mode as often as possible, and the mileage savings for the week were definitely above average. The driving experience for the week was wonderful. The steering is precise and direct. Handling is easy. Parking is not a problem. It actually drives much like a medium sized sedan and unless you turned around and looked at all the spaciousness of the cabin, it was easy to drive down the highway thinking you were in a large car.

The base price for a 2010 Sienna is in the $24,000 range, but options push the price rapidly upwards. The more advanced models, All Wheel Drive, DVD navigation system, leather trim, heated seats, moonroof, and other items can easily push the sticker price to over $30,000 or more. But in comparison with other minivans, it is very competitive. It is the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”

Judy and I had a minivan for many years and well remember the flexibility when we had little ones and all their stuff that had to be loaded in and out. The Sienna is definitely convenient for families. We certainly enjoyed our test model for Easter week and wished we had had an extended driving period to enjoy it more.

Check out the 2010 Sienna at a Toyota dealership yourself and see if it might be the ideal vehicle for your family’s needs

With seven speaker surround sound
Chevrolet's Cobalt Catches
Young Eyes (and Ears)
By Dean Adams Curtis

At first I missed the power seats that I had become accustomed to in vehicles I'd test driven in prior weeks. But moments after dropping into the manually-manipulated driver's seat of the Chevy Cobalt 2-door LT coupe I realized something.

Once upon a time, cars hadn't been loaded with all sorts of extra goodies and they were still great fun to drive. Certainly I had been happy back in younger days driving Comets, Fairlanes and VW Beetles without the benefit of a single amenity. Soon I came to feel at home zipping around in Chevy's Cobalt. Today it's refreshing to navigate city streets in a spunky small car like the Cobalt that delivers plenty of pep and doesn't load on the goodies.

Cobalt moves it, moves it, using a 2.2 liter, dual overhead cam engine. You control the power transmitted to your tires using a 5-speed manual transmission, for a standard price tag of just $16.5K.

As you may know, the Cobalt is a favorite among younger drivers, who love its price and seven-speaker surround sound system. In contrast, some drivers may prefer to turn the sound system off. Cobalt features a sound-dampening metal called “Quiet Steel.”

Because the Cobalt doesn't weigh a great deal, you are estimated to get between 20 and 30 city miles per gallon and between 30 and 44 highway miles per gallon.

For safety's sake the Cobalt protects occupants with head curtain side airbags for the front and rear seats that complement standard dual front airbags for the driver and front seat passenger.

While it might be harder getting child protective seats into and out of the back seat of the 2-door Cobalt, this coupe could be a perfect vehicle for your family of three or four.

And to be honest, when you're in a Cobalt its a far cry from driving a 1960s antique. You enjoy fantastic speed-sensing electric power steering, premium ride suspension, power front disc breaks, as well as power mirrors, windows and door locks.

Take a turn down the road toward “Cool”
Sedans and More Sedans
By Keith Turner

Don’t look now, but something has happened to the family sedan.

The loyal, four-door family hauler has often taken the second spot in the driveway or garage, relegated to daily work commuting mixed with an occasional parent’s night out. The sedan was never fancy or flashy, and it often looked just like the one next door – but it nonetheless served an important role as second fiddle for an active American family.

Boy, have things changed. Today’s sedans are coming out of the garage and turning some heads in the neighborhood as they roll down the street with some style and sass. Today’s sedans seem to have undergone a serious makeover in the past couple of years. Now instead of copying each other’s looks in a game of “Who can out-plain Jane?” many of the sedans that have come on the market in recent years carry a look that’s distinctive and, dare we say, daring.

Here’s a look at a slice of today’s sexy and sassy sedans:

Nissan Maxima – It used to be that the Maxima was the more moderate model in the Nissan lineup. Whereas the Altima was considered the “ultimate” Nissan sedan, the Maxima was left picking up the pieces. For those who pick or couldn’t afford the Altima, there was always the Maxima.

But today’s Maxima clearly shines on its own merits. Now in its seventh generation, the Maxima sheds its conservative image by combining thrilling performance with premium sedan comfort, quality and amenities. It features all-new sports styling, a driver-oriented interior and an enhanced 290-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine – offering 35 more horsepower than the previous generation Maxima and fuel economy (EPA estimates) of 19 mpg City/26 mpg Highway.

To be sure, every time I approach the new, sporty Maxima, I am impressed by its curved lines and unusual appearance. At night, I was especially impressed with the small LED lights that outline the tail lamps in an art nouveau design.

As Nissan puts it, the Maxima truly is a “Four-door sports car.”

For more on the Maxima, visit Nissan North America.

Honda Accord EX – For decades, the Accord has been the nation’s No. 1 selling family sedan. Traditionally, the Accord has provided the best comfort, fuel mileage and reliability than just about any other model in the category price and economy. Those benefits are still true, but you can add eye-catching style to that list now.

The new Accord EX offers a smooth and powerful ride, with available 271-horsepower V-6 (19/29 mpg) or four-cylinder (22/31 mpg) engines, the Accord wastes no time getting around. The road-grapping suspension provides parental confidence behind the wheel.

But it’s the styling that gets your attention. Gone are the dull, rounded edges that helped the Accord blend into the mainstream mid-size sedan world. Today’s Accord is smooth and sexy, providing a sense of movement even while standing still.

For more on the Accord, visit the Honda website.

Audi A4 – It’s almost not fair to put the Audi A4 in the same conversation as the other sedans because the A4 is a true luxury sedan with a style and price tag ($46,675) to match. But it’s important to see where the new sleek and sporty designs of the other sedans may be coming from.

The A4 has many new and unusual features that truly make it an instant classic. From the LED running lights in the headlamps to the cockpit-like driving experience, the A4 is a pleasure to drive. It even has a full-color information system that provides weather forecasts and a satellite view of the weather ahead.

See it for yourself at www.audiusa.com.

Acura TL – We conclude this round of sassy sedans with model that is the sassiest of them all. Even the front grille seems to be grinning slyly as the Acura TL comes toward you. This is one modern and mean vehicle, ready to tackle any road that dares to grace its tires.

With a 280-horsepower. 3.5-liter V6 engine, the TL is the largest and most powerful of all the sedans on this list, and there’s a bigger version as well. Pricing ranges from $34,955 to $43,235.

It’s the price you pay for style and grace.

See www.acura.com.