Archive for December, 2015
Driving Home For Christmas (And Surviving)
Driving Home For Christmas (And Surviving)
“Driving in my car, driving home for Christmas…” Hands up if you’ve had this one piped at you recently on the radio or through the store sound system. At least it’s one of the least toe-curlingly cringe-worthy Christmas ditties that get hauled onto the playlist at this time of year (unlike “Let It Snow”, “It’s Lovely Weather For A Sleigh Ride Together With You” and other tracks that are singularly inappropriate when it’s sweltering and the streets are full of sweaty people in sunnies; just don’t get me started… rant over). At least this one raises a point and talks about a bit of what really goes on – long-haul driving to visit the rellies and crowded roads where you’re “top to toe in tailbacks” and get “red lights on the run”.
It can be a bit of a nightmare, trying to load the kids in the car and head off on a long drive interstate to the home of whoever is hosting the family Christmas this year. Haven’t we all been there and done that, either when we were kids or when we got kids of our own.
To make sure that you arrive in one peace and reasonably sane, it pays to plan ahead. To help you with this process, here’s a few handy hints that will get you through that 8+-hour haul.
- Be prepared to take the trip in two bites. If the trip requires more than 12 hours of driving, it could be wisest for everybody’s safety and sanity to spread it over two days. This may mean a stopover at a camping ground or motor inn unit in some obscure little town so everybody can sleep. Attempting to have the entire family sleeping in the car is probably not going to work unless you have a small family and a large car. The only time that I’ve managed to get a decent sleep in the car when accompanied by the family was when (a) both the children were under 10, (b) we owned a van and (c) my husband slept underneath the van. If your trip is going to take three or more days of travel, consider flying instead of driving unless you’re really keen on driving and have a very tolerant family.
- Allow for breaks. And we don’t just mean a quick whip into the dunny when you’re stopping to refuel. It’s better for your back and for your alertness (and will tire the kids out more quickly) if you actually get out and move around a bit.
- Share the driving. If you have more than one driver in the family, then make sure that everyone gets a turn. This includes the L-plater, who could probably do with the experience of driving at night. Don’t forget to pack the L plate and/or the P plate if applicable.
- Audiobooks are a wonderful way of passing the time – possibly better than music in some circumstances (might not be the best in very busy traffic, as they may distract the driver, especially if you’ve got to the big showdown between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort just as you negotiate that spaghetti junction). On the whole, children’s stories are a lot easier for adults to tolerate than cheesy children’s songs. If the worst comes to the worst and you really can’t agree on the book or the music, get separate devices and headphones for individuals – but not all the time. Learning to share and tolerate each other’s tastes is an important life lesson. You may want a session where you pre-load your MP3 player, iPod or phone with a playlist for the journey where every family member makes a contribution.
- Have some time when the music isn’t playing and use this for old-fashioned “quality time” conversation, telling Dad jokes and playing silly story-telling games. Or singing.
- Choose food and drink wisely. It’s best to be flexible here and pick food that can be eaten in the car if needed or taken out as picnic food – it’s all very well to plan a nice picnic where you make your own filled rolls from the ingredients in the esky but this is horribly fiddly and messy if a heavy downpour coincides with your planned lunch break. Beware of too many drive-through takeaways, as all the additives, caffeine and sugar in the soft drinks and/or food, as these will make everyone more frazzled and energetic. They also get pretty pricey if you do it every time. Bring your own in lunchboxes or have a “supermarket special challenge” where you set a dollar limit and see what you can find in the nearest supermarket. Stick to water for the kids (and possibly for the driver), as this doesn’t make your upholstery sticky when it gets spilled. Freezing a bottle of water the night before helps the water stay cold; adding a splash of herbal tea (e.g. peppermint or one of the fruity ones) makes it a bit “special” for the kids. Don’t overdo the water or you’ll have billions of toilet stops, but don’t underdo it either.
- Swap positions around. This means the passengers as well as the drivers. This is more feasible if your children are in the booster seat stage or older but is a bit of a hassle in the case of a more substantial baby or toddler seat. Possibly have some sort of competition (which the parents rig to ensure that everyone gets a turn at winning) with the winner getting the most coveted seat.
Aagh, now I’ve got an ear worm and can’t get that Chris Rea song out of my head.
Safe and happy driving,
Megan
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Volvo XC 90 Inscription versus 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro
A Wheel Thing was fortunate enough to have the stars align and be given the keys to two new range toppers: from Sweden comes the 2016 spec Volvo XC90 Inscription and from Germany the 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro. Similarly priced, similarly sized and similarly specced, it’ll come down to personal preference for a potential buyer and certainly the end decision as to which A Wheel Thing would keep is a personal choice.
What’s on offer are two very well kitted out SUV’s, ostensibly with off road ability, luxury trimmings and plenty of room. Yet, at their heart, two totally different approaches on how some basics are delivered…
Up front is how these two get their get up and go. The Volvo goes slimline with a turbocharged four cylinder petrol whilst the Audi squares its shoulders with a brawny V6 diesel. Capacities are different; two litres vs three and the end power/torque numbers tell the story. Volvo offers up 235 kilowatts at 5700 revs, with 400 torques on tap across a plateau flat 2200 to 5400 rpm.
Being a one litre bigger, naturally torquey V6, Audi says you can have 200 kW from 3250 to 4250 revs but if you insist on out twisting a tornado, Sir says thank you for 600 Nm from 1500 to 3000 revs. Both get self shifters with eight ratios; Audi’s gear selector is a super easy to use rocker lever style with Park selected by pressing a button embedded in the back of the lever.
Consumption from the oiler? Audi says around six litres per one hundred klicks on a combined cycle. The big Swede drinks a little more heavily, at 8.5L/100 km. Even the dirty stuff has the Audi cleaner, with 163 grams of CO2 per kilometre versus the petrol’s 199.
Stood side by side, there’s bugger all between them. Volvo: 4950 mm in length whilst the the German heavyweight goes 5052. Width? Sir can choose 2140 mm (including mirrors) for the blue and yellow flagged entrant or 2212 mm for the Audi. Height wise it’s 1776 mm for the Volvo vs 1740 mm. Interior room, as a result, is within cooee; Volvo says 1465 mm for front shoulder room, Audi 1512 mm. Wheelbase comes into play as well, with the Q7 just under 3 metres at 2994 mm whilst the XC90 is almost lineball at 2984 mm.
In profile they’re almost identical, with the Volvo having a slightly larger area for the rearmost window and a touch more upright in the nose. It’s at the front that the XC90’s dramatic makeover gets shown off. Think two pick axe shaped LED inserts, laid T outwards in the headlights. Sun bright when looked at head on, they provide a high level of safety during the day by providing oncoming drivers a clear signal the Volvo is on its way. Hidden away at the bottom corners of the front bar are normal globe lit lights, almost redundant they are.
Audi have LED lit headlights and a similar but less intense design philosophy for the driving lights. The massive hexagonal grille dominates the front and both, leaving the Volvo’s grille feeling diminutive in comparison. Both cars come with forward collision alert and cameras hidden within the front ends, with rear reverse parking and sensors an/or cameras for lane avoidance, blind spot alert and cross traffic.
There’s power tail gates, folding third row seats and LED lighting for both at the rear, with both exhibiting an evolution of the previous design in regards to looks and lights, with the Volvo’s looking more streamline and lithe than before. Inside, mid and rear seat passengers get aircon controls, with Audi allowing four zones of climate control, controlled from the front.
Staying inside, there’s two noticeable things: both have classy looking trim, featuring wood, carpet, slide and folding mid row seats, easy to flip & fold rears and high end audio with Bose for Audi and B&W (Bowers and Wilkins) for the Volvo. For the front seat passengers, here’s the divergence: Volvo’s gone with a large, almost laptop sized touch screen for the control system, whilst Audi has eschewed that tech, staying with touch sensitive flip buttons for the aircon and their proprietary push button/jog dial system for car/audio/drive settings.
The Volvo system immediately presented a conundrum: at the top of the screen was a warning note about one of the parking system options. This note covered a little touch tab which allows the driver to access the Settings tab….but without clearing that warning and not knowing it hid the tab, access to items such as changing the driver’s display screen was blocked. By staying with their system, Audi’s was straight up easier to use. A simple thing, yes, but for people that may not be of a technological bent, it’s a speed hump.
The multi-function display or MFD isn’t as intuitive as other Volvos but info on how to use it can be found here: Volvo XC90 user manual
The issue A Wheel Thing found wasn’t huge, in the greater scheme of things, but hints at the needless complication of what’s intended to be simple. The centre console screen is now the main home for things such as changing the look of the driver’s dash screen.
So a whole wealth of information hidden by an ultimately unneccessary warning message which could have been fixed by simply including the Settings and manual on the Applications section of the appropriate screen….Simplicity, overlooked. The Audi’s system, although not perfect, is simpler to use in its “click, twirl, push to select”.
Also, in the Volvo, the electrically assisted steering does feel too light and the lane keeping assistance is perhaps a little too violent in its helping for the more dour driver in one setting. It tugs, not gently, to tell you you’re off line. Audi’s system had the driver feeling almost as if autonomous steering was on board; there’s four external cameras on the side of the car, tracking the white lines and was mostly bang on, with the occasional exception of when the cameras lost sight of the lines of the lines faded. Couple that with the forward collision avoidance system (which both have and sometimes set off false positives) when cruise control is engaged, and it’s almost drive by itself ready.
Speaking of driving; there’s a substantial difference in how they get under way, with the diesel’s low end thump matched nicely by the turbo four once under way. Getting under way is the difference, with the turbo suddenly coming on song versus the diesel’s more linear delivery. Although the Volvo offers less torque, it’s across a more useable, in real terms, rev range. Acceleration, once the throttle has been feathered to avoid the lightswitch, is decently rapid as to be almost frightening in its pace. On road manners, regardless, were impeccable for both.
The Audi, with more torque but a slightly lesser range, does feel as if it runs out of serious urge whilst the Volvo is still ready to strap on the gloves. When the torque rolls off from the Volvo, it runs straight into the peak power and lends the Volvo a feeling of near unstoppability. The diesel’s rev range simply doesn’t allow it to continue the wave to the extent the Volvo does. Having said that, the Volvo feels almost dainty in its presence, ladylike, compared to the Audi’s broad shouldered, axe swinging assertiveness.
Both cars were taken onto some flat, compacted, gravel roads to test their off road traction, acceleration and braking. The Q7 had Pirelli Scorpion rubber, at a relatively low 255/55/19 size. Volvo went bigger at 20 inch wheels, with massive 275/45 Michelin rubber. For both, on road grip was stupendous, as expected and offroad, in the situation used, held on nicely, with the Volvo perhaps a touch, a touch, skatier. Braking pulled both of the cars up in similar distances, with the ABS and traction systems audible as they did so.
The Audi’s variable drive system also involves airbag suspension, so to select the off road mode you can feel and see the car rising and lowering itself. Volvo also offers variable drive modes such as Comfort and Eco. Air suspension is available as an option. One thing the Volvo had and, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion, should be more widespread, is a HUD, a Head Up Display.
Volvo YouTube interior of XC90
Looking through and ahead from the driver’s position, the display is intuitive but, more importantly, utterly non distracting. It’s adjustable for info, height and brightness, via the central touchscreen. It’s surprising just how unobtrusive a HUD is yet how useful it becomes without realising.
Soundwise, there’s little between the B&W system versus the Bose, with perhaps the Volvo’s system displaying a touch more separation in the notes, a sense of airiness and clarity to the ears.
The Wrap.
Buying a car has, largely, been a matter of preference, allegiance too, such as a dedicated Holden or Ford supporter. This pair comes down, in this case, to personal preference and the Audi takes the chequered flag.
In A Wheel Thing’s opinion, touchscreen technology has its place in cars. Some minor layout tweaks and refinement for the Volvo’s would make it more user friendly and, with the presumption that the majority of buyers will have a measure of tech savvy that won’t reach the Volvo’s level of sophistication, may broaden the appeal somewhat.
The Audi’s tried and proven interface isn’t perfect, but for A Wheel Thing, it’s better.
The Audi drive modes, the feeling it’s a more capable soft roader and that torque, which in a real world driving scenario felt easier to live with, and offered to A Wheel Thing a more blokey handshake, wins the election on preference votes.
For info on the Audi Q7, click here: 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro
And for the Volvo: 2016 Volvo XC90 range
For A Wheel Thing TV:
‘Tis The Season To Avoid Drink Driving*
Merry and jolly are words that crop up in only two contexts: Christmas and indulging in a drink or two, and by “drink”, I don’t mean a cup of hot chocolate. Tis the season when work parties, sports and other club breakups and family dos are pretty thick on the ground. This usually means that wine, beer and cider will be in evidence somewhat. So will the cops with their breathalyzers.
We’ve all heard the horror stories and seen the safety campaigns, yada, yada, so I’m not going to go on about all the reasons why you shouldn’t drink and drive. However, one question that a lot of us have is how much you can actually get away with having before you get slapped with a great hefty ticket and/or become a menace to yourself and others.
The answer is, of course, it depends. It will depend on what sort of licence you have, what you’re driving and who you are. It will also depend on what your preferred tipple is and what you’ve been eating.
The easy one to explain is the rules for L and P platers: zero. Nada. Zip. Zilch. You even have to steer clear of mouth wash and sherry trifle. Technically, you should even avoid participating in Mass/Communion/Eucharist if you belong to one of the churches that use real wine in the ceremony. However, in New South Wales at least, if you do get caught with a bit on your breath or in your bloodstream on your way home from the church, this is considered legit but you’ll still have to go to court and prove that you were actually at church that morning, etc. If your blood alcohol content (BAC) is over 0.2 mg/mL, however, you won’t get off even if the Pope himself came in to swear that you’re the altar boy.
While we’re on the subject, there have been instances where priests and vicars have ended up driving with a BAC over 0.2 mg/mL. This is because, thanks to a heap of rather dry theology we won’t go into here, they have to get rid of all the leftover communion by drinking it. Communion wine tends to be the cheap red fortified plonk that’s about 14% proof, so if the vicar’s really overestimated the amount needed, there’s a fair bit there to drink that a couple of chocolate chip biscuits and a coffee after the service aren’t going to soak up (plus see below re soaking up). Add in the amount of church services that tend to go on in the lead-up to Christmas and the chances that the cops are going to catch the vicar out get a lot higher. This is the point where Baptist ministers and Muslims look smug, as this doesn’t happen to them, given their avoidance of alcohol.
However, the vicar is unlikely to be over 0.5 mg/mL, which is the limit for those of us who aren’t driving on a P or L plate, or driving a heavy truck or a taxi. If you are in charge of a vehicle that’s over 13.9 T, handling dangerous goods or ferrying fare-paying passengers around (bus or taxi drivers), the limit is 0.2 mg/mL.
Unfortunately, it’s rather hard to calculate your own BAC. You can try keeping count of standard drinks but this is really inaccurate. For one thing, drinks don’t always come in standard sizes – I’ve got about four different sizes of wine glass sitting in my cupboards, for example, so “just one glass” can range from about 100 mL to pretty close to 125 mL. For another, you don’t always get the chance to see the label telling you how much of that particular tipple is a standard drink. Sometimes, in the case of home brew (which includes Granny’s home-made ginger ale), there is no label and no real way of telling the true alcohol content. You can’t always tell by the taste how strong it is, either. Mixing alcohol with something bubbly gets it into your bloodstream quicker, too.
How many drinks it takes to reach your BAC will depend on a lot of factors. Your weight is one thing that affects it and is the one most often talked about. Your fitness and the state of your liver will also play a role. So will your gender and even your stress levels.
It is widely held that eating will slow the rate at which the alcohol goes into your bloodstream. This is true… as long as you eat the food before having the alcohol. Attempts to “soak it up” afterwards by downing a plate of nachos are doomed to failure.
Nothing but time alone will get your BAC down if you suspect that you’ve overdone it. Coffee will not fix it. Nor will a cold shower. Nor will throwing up. Even getting some sleep won’t do much if you’ve really gone overboard, as you can still have a post-bender BAC over the limit up to 18 hours afterwards.
So what’s the answer? It’s safest if you avoid drinking alcohol altogether if you’re the driver and save your moments of indulgence for when you’re the host. However, the following rules may help you negotiate the next party safely:
-
Non-alcoholic, every last one of them.
Eat first. Proteins are best for slowing down the alcohol absorption rate, which explains traditions like cheese, peanuts and salami to accompany wine and beer.
- Do your drinking early on so you’ve got time to process it.
- Moderation. You don’t HAVE to drink alcohol all the time or at all, and there are a lot more options out there than orange juice and soft drink (I’m rather partial to a Virgin Mary).
- Don’t be too proud to call a taxi or ask to sleep on the sofa if needed.
Volvo fans can also consider the Alcoguard, an option where you have your own little device to breathe into – and you have to breathe into it before you can start the engine. If you fail the test or don’t take it, the engine won’t start and you can’t drive. This is available on post-2008 S80s, V70s and XC70s from Europe or the US, at least at the moment. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us here Down Under (someone tell Volvo Australia, please?).
Safe and happy driving,
Megan
* OK, it’s not the only time of year you have to watch out for this.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Hyundai Tucson Elite
A Wheel Thing is lucky to be part of a team that Hyundai Australia contracts to deliver a dealership model launch experience. Earlier in 2015, it was the new Tucson, a reinvigoration of the ix35, itself once called Tucson. There’s a four model range, a mix of engines and gearboxes and slightly different headlights for the top two, the Elite and Highlander. Originally booked for the top of the range Highlander, a bingle saw that car taken out for a repair break and the Elite subsequently handed over.
A new buyer has a choice of Active, Active X, Elite and Highlander, with a combination of 2.0L petrol with either multi-point or direct injection, a 1.6L petrol turbo and a brawny 400 Nm 2.0L diesel; the Elite came with the diesel. 
Choosing the diesel gives you all wheel drive as well, along with a sole gearbox option, a six speed auto (the others have either a six speed manual or 7 speed dual clutch auto for the turbo petrol). The donk is a typical, low revving, load lugger, with that 400 Nm on tap from 1750 to 2750 revs.
The second or so that it takes to fire up the engine once the starter is pressed is disconcerting, and unusual in today’s crop of diesel engined cars, which are alive in a blink after twirling the key or hitting a stop start button. Another question mark is the lack of brake bite when the pedal is pushed. There’s no real sense of grab and it really does need a firm shove down to feel any retardation. Given there’s no less than 1622 kilograms to haul down, using 305 x 25 mm vented front discs and 302 x 10 mm solid rears, it wasn’t confidence inspiring.
Of real note with the Tucson, is the overhaul of the exterior compared to the ix35. It’s physically a bigger car yet still compact at 4475 mm x 1850 mm x 1660 mm (with roof rails,) compared to 4410 x 1820 x 1690 mm for the ix35 and rolled on 17 inch diameter wheels, with 225/60 rubber. There’s some carry over in the look, with the rear window line not dissimilar to the outgoing ix35 but there’s a dramatic difference at the front.
Gone is the laid back headlight cluster and solid horizontal bar in the grille, replaced by Hyundai’s new corporate look and a slimmer, dual headlight (for Elite and Highlander) cluster with LED technology, bending and self levelling tech as well.
It’s a full five seater inside, with plenty of leg room for the driver and passenger thanks to a 2670 mm wheelbase, at 1053 to 1129 mm, whilst passengers on the rear pews get a more than decent 970 mm, sitting ahead of a 488L (1478L, seats down) cargo space. There’s LED lighting, curtain airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, ten position electric driver’s seat, dual zone aircon, satnav, Hill Start Assist but only the Highlander gets the higher safety package systems such as Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, four sensor Front Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Cross Traffic Warning.
All Tucsons also miss out on an important feature; a dash and console that’s visually appealing. It’s not unattractive but there’s a distinct lack of cachet, bling, “look at moi, look at moi”. Yes, it’s clean to look at, ergonomically laid out but seriously lacking in eyeball pulling power.
Having said that, there’s two 12V sockets, power tailgate, puddle lamps in the wing mirrors and door handle lights, comfortable cloth trimmed seats,an eight inch touchscreen, rain sensing wipers, steering wheelmounted audio and phone controls and the Tucson comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and 10 years’ roadside assistance to sweeten the deal even further.
On road manners are impeccable; the Australian engineering team worked hard and hand in hand with their Korean counterparts and have endowed the Elite with some of the best handling characteristics you’ll find in a mind size SUV. On a flat road, with the expected little bumps, dips and undulations, there’s nothing that appears to faze the Elite Tucson. It’s firm yet with just enough give to not rattle teeth, settles nicely from quick moves and shopping centre bumps. The steering is well weighted enough in Normal mode, as Hyundai persists in its three mode steering assault, and is best left in that mode as anything else simply enhances the feeling of unnatural feedback and response.
Engine response is as expected; off boost there’s hesitation; under way there’s that mountain of troque to keep the Elite bubbling along and makes overtaking a doddle. It’s reasonably quiet, with plenty of insulation keeping the noise at bay and economical enough. Hyundai quotes around 6.5L per 100 kilometres for the combined cycle but, as its natural home will be suburbia, the 8.2 to 8.9 (depending on wheel size) seems more realistic.
The Wrap.
Lack of dashboard pull aside, the Tucson Elite ticks a lot of boxes. Missing out on some of the safety features the Highlander has is neither here nor there, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion. The range covers all the bases and with the size increase moves up to compete with Mazda’s CX-3 AND 5. Toyota has just released a facelifted RAV4 and, of course, there’s the Tucson’s sister vehicle to consider as a competitor, the Sportage.
It’s a handsome looking beast, well and truly at home on tarmac, is HIGHLY unlikely to see any off road action (even with 18 cm of ground clearance), has some of the best ride and handling characteristics you’ll find in its class. The range kicks off at $27990 plus ORC’s, with the Elite well priced at $35240 to $40240 plus costs. Click here for detailed information: Hyundai Tucson range brochure
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