First impressions?


JOHN:         Every new car that pulls into the driveway for us to review gives us an immediate ‘first impression.’   Sometimes it’s “Wow!”  Sometimes it’s “Hmmm,” and sometimes it’s “What?”  When the bright red Fiat 500 pulled into the driveway, my first thoughts were “The British are coming! The British are coming! No, wait…it’s the Italians!”  It was, after all, a catchy commercial.

I also thought that was a great commercial when the Fiat drives into the ocean and pulls up on some beach somewhere.  I gazed down at the pond below our house and thought, ‘About a hundred yards down, I could get in pretty easy and come out right by the golf cart path.’ Then Laurie called for me.  I don’t know if it would work, but commercials shouldn’t show those things if they don’t want people to try them. Just saying…

LAURIE:      So, I go out to the mailbox to see if the morning mail’s arrived and there’s John, standing on the seventh tee—we live on a golf course—gazing down at the pond with this “look” in his eyes.  “Johnny!”  I call out.  “What, are you doing?” “Nothing,” he says sheepishly. Then I notice he’s got the keys to the Fiat in his hand.   When you’ve been married as long as we have, a wife gets good at “reading” her husband.  So I shout, “Are you thinking about that commercial where the Fiat drives out of the ocean onto the beach?  Don’t you dare!” Gosh men can be so transparent.

John, you once owned a Fiat.  What are some of your early memories?

JOHN:         It was a white Fiat 600 with suicide doors.  It had two seats, a top speed of 55 mph unless you were going downhill, and you opened the hood to fill the gas tank. We didn’t worry about mileage back then as gas was sixty-cents a gallon, so six bucks filled up my car.  It was the first car I ever owned.  I still have a soft spot in my heart for that wonderful little car.

LAURIE:      I had a Fiat “moment” once, a long time ago.  I rented one in France, a stick-shift, and I hadn’t driven a manual much.   There was this darling antique shop on the way from Paris to Normandy and naturally, I pulled in.  Well, when I went to leave, I couldn’t figure out how to put the car in reverse, and the manual was in French, so I got out and pushed.

John, what differences do you see in the Fiat since you owned yours? 

JOHN:         Except that they have roughly the same footprint on the road, there is no comparison. The new Fiat 500 is sporty, with paddle shifters or automatic transmission, corners and handles well, and the doors are big and roomy so even a big guy like me can get in an out with ease.  The Fiat 500 gets great mileage, over 30 mpg driving around Pinehurst. That is really good. It rides well, is quiet, and I really like the thinking that went into the GPS. While most new cars have it built into an onboard screen, Fiat has a removable unit that slides into a specially designed slot on the dash. It sets up just below and to the right of the driver’s field of vision, so it’s easy to see the routes and turns at a glance. It can be safely stored in the glove compartment whenever you want. Getting in and out of the back seat would be tough for a big person, but for kids, no sweat. The Fiat 500 doesn’t strike me as a long haul vehicle, but a handy one for short distances, and the stop-and-go driving that’s the norm in cities and suburbs, and where parking is tight. It has a great sound system and comes with a satellite radio. A lot of thought went into the 500 by Fiat’s engineers.

Do you see a trend toward smaller cars?

JOHN:         Absolutely. We have become a nation very conscious of the environment, particularly as it relates to cars—lower emissions, better mileage, hybrids, electric, car longevity, all move us toward smaller, more efficient cars. The family SUV is great for so many things, but is very inefficient if you need to run to the store for milk, or go to the bank or post office.

LAURIE:       Small cars are nothing new. The first car ever made, the Benz Patent motor car, was a two-seater with a ¾ hp engine. Emotions, not common sense, drive car sales. Sports cars, which can be gas guzzlers, became the rage because of the James Bond movies. Even my dad had a “racing green” Jaguar, to emulate Sean Connery. And while the Environmental Movement was the impetus behind California Emission Standards and catalyst for fuel-efficient cars, SUV and truck sales still continue to soar. At the end of the day, people choose vehicles to fit their lifestyle, not their conscience. If you have an SUV or truck and can afford to, buy a Fiat 500 as your get-around-town car. Then you have the best of both worlds.

Final thoughts?

JOHN:         The Italians are coming!

LAURIE:      Ciao, bella!

*          *          *

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Lurie are a married couple in their “sensational sixties” who talk about today’s hottest, newest cars—and still manage to go to bed without getting angry at night.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: Fiat 500 – “Italian Ice” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

2015 Nissan Versa Note SR: The companion vehicle to the popular Versa sedan, Versa Note celebrates the unique qualities of its 5-door hatchback design. It shares its advanced platform and drivetrain with the Versa sedan, yet Versa Note has its own distinctive look and feel inside and out.

“Not Really That Small”


First Impressions?

LAURIE: Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man”— about halfway between the Second Age, the “whining schoolboy,” and the Third Age, the “lover, sighing like furnace.” That’s the impression I got when I first saw the Nissan Versa Note, that this car would appeal to—18 to 25 year-olds. I bet Shakespeare would agree.

JOHN: If there is one thing my wife is good at, it is making me feel like a Plebian—Shakespeare? Wasn’t he English? Isn’t Nissan Japanese ? Laurie can lose me faster than a torn dollar bill, and I’m married to her. This review ought to be interesting…

LAURIE: Men are so impressionable.

JOHN: What ever happened to just “Nissan Versa”? Aren’t there too many words in the name—Versa? Note? SR?

2015 Nissan Versa Note SR front end interior cabin.

What did you like about this car?

LAURIE: The one we drove was metallic blue with a charcoal interior that looked and felt like suede. I liked that.

JOHN: At first I thought just another compact car with great gas mileage that will be too small and too uncomfortable for a guy with my girth. I was wrong. The Versa seems wide; with a 5½ foot-wide wheelbase. The doors are gig for a small car, and I didn’t hit my head or have any problems getting in and out. Electronic seats, adjustable steering, and side mirrors with turn signal lights built in; which I like.

LAURIE: Johnny was at the wheel when I tried the back seat on for size. The Nissan versa Note has a roomy interior and as Johnny said, it’s easy to get in and out without ducking or smacking your head. You can seat four comfortably and still get two weeks’ groceries in the rear, or two large suitcases, or a medium-side dog crate.

2015 Nissan Versa Note SR’s front end interior cabin.jpg

Do you see a trend toward smaller, more economical cars, like hybrids, in the U.S.?

LAURIE: That’s nothing new. Since the Gas Crisis of ’79, auto manufacturers have produced more efficient, economical cars. But people have family and lifestyle needs and that’s why SUVs continue to grow in popularity and land yachts like the Cadillac Escalade and the diehard Chevy Suburban are exempt from the question of gas consumption. By the way, did you know that Chevrolet debuted the Suburban in 1935?

2015 Nissan Versa Note SR’s body-color side spoilers and redesigned side mirrors with integrated turn signals complement Versa Note’s 40:60 rear seat configuration permitting multiple needs and convenience within the cavernous rear space.

JOHN: A Trend? The answer is, Yes, Yes, and Yes. Americans want more miles per gallon. The Versa Note gets 31 mpg around town and 40 on the road— good stuff. (Laurie, isn’t this about Nissan? First Shakespeare and now Suburban’s – have you eaten breakfast? I think your chemicals are out of balance.)

What about the ride?

LAURIE: Historically, the less expensive a car, the tighter the suspension, the harder the ride. That’s not the case with the Nissan Versa. It’s got a smoother ride than either of us expected. And terrific pick-up for a four-cylinder car.

JOHN: There are certain things I look for in a car, no matter what it is or how much it costs…but I agree with Laurie. The first thing I consider is how smooth it rides. Smaller cars tend to be lighter in weight and your ‘bum’ is closer to the rear wheels. Bounce, bounce, bounce… Not so much in the Versa Note. Surprisingly, the ride is comfortable driving around town, but not long distances— for me, at least, though forty years ago, I would.

2015 Nissan Versa Note SR’s standout styling starts with the modern, sculpted look of the second-generation Versa Note and adds a wide range of exclusive features. In front, a unique fascia and grille combine with a dark headlight treatment and standard fog lights with black and chrome accents to provide an aggressive, sporty character. Body-color side spoilers and redesigned side mirrors with integrated turn signals complement Versa Note’s distinctive “squash line” side profile.

Did Nissan cut any corners to keep the price below the $20,000?

LAURIE: There’s no GPS system, but there’s optional NissanConnectTM, Nissan’s version of Bluetooth, and Sirius XM. Still, a lot of car for the money.

JOHN: I think you left out ‘style’. We buy cars that ‘say something’ about ourselves—I mean, do you really ‘need’ a Rolls, Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Bugatti?

LAURIE: I do…

JOHN: No, honey! You don’t.

Nissan Versa Note SR revealing a ¾ view from the rear passenger side perspective.

Final thoughts?

JOHN: Our test car had the Comfort & Convenience Package, which ran the cost up to $19K+. In the scheme of car costs today, that doesn’t seem like much, but I come from the old school where I think you should get quite a bit of car for $19K—and you do with this one. Oh, and one last really positive thing. The Versa Note SR is just the right height for drive-through ATM’s. Trucks and SUVs are too tall and most small cars are too low. The Versa is just right. (Sounds like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”—sorry).

LAURIE: Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. I wrote about “The Three Little Pigs” when we reviewed those three Hyundais. Anyway, folks, here’s the link to the 2015 Nissan Versa Note commercial and what it tells you is, yes—this car is for young people. But it also appeals to the young-at-heart—like us. Because as a car for all ages, it’s not a question of “to be or not to be”—it would be just fine.

*          *          *

John and Lurie are a married couple in their “sensational sixties” who talk about today’s hottest, newest cars—and still manage to go to bed without getting angry at night. 

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Related articles

• DRIVING ME CRAZY: Buick LaCrosse – Premium 2-1SR By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY 2014 Porsche Cayman By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY: 2015 Audi A3 Sedan 2.0T Quattro S tronic By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY: The HYUNDAI Elantra, Azera Ltd., and 2015 Genesis – “Three Little Pigs” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
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The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: The 2015 Nissan Versa Note SR By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

2015 Audi A3 Sedan front-end grill.

First Impressions?

JOHN:
1. “I’ll get you, Quattro…” Okay, that is my first impression. Who can forget the iconic tow truck driver who never gets to tow the Quattro because it is so good in the snow? Not me, that’s for sure. They have some new ones too. One is about ‘taking corners, not cutting them’, http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7yVZ/2015-audi-a3-hugs-corners-cuts-none, and that one is a 30 second summary I believe. I like it.

2. It is easy on the eye, meaning I like looking at it.

3. Those little circles in the grill make me think of the Olympics. What, Laurie? Well it does, and subtle marketing is as good as direct marketing sometimes, too.

LAURIE: The 2015 Audi A3 Sedan won the 2015 World Car of the Year award for design, craftsmanship, and performance—and it’s obvious why. This is an absolutely gorgeous sedan. Inside, the glove leather seats, streamline dashboard, and outside, elegant lines and superb panorama sunroof with retractable shade makes this a deserved winner in the luxury sedan class. Well done, Audi!

2015 Audi S3 side / rear.

The ‘sedan’ is often thought of as a family car, how about this one from that stand point?

JOHN: Okay, a small two person family that wants to be seen as sporty, yet practical? That family? I grew up in the Yuppie generation – Young Urban Professionals. The A3 reeks of “yuppie-ness:” I love it.

LAURIE: I’d like to think of this as The Reward Car—you know, the car you reward yourself with after (1.) your youngest child has finally flown the coop for college or career; (2.) you’re spinster great-great aunt has included you in her will; (3.) you reached your weight-loss goal. This is not a family car. This is a grown-up car, meant to celebrate life’s milestones.

JOHN: I want to celebrate, but it can’t be weight loss.

Besides four doors, what are the great selling features for this car?

JOHN: It is like a big sports car. It has a panorama sunroof for Pete’s sake! It has rain and light sensing – how cool is that? 12 way adjustable leather seats that are heated – Hello! And navigation you can talk to – are you kidding me? “Take me to Papa John’s!”

LAURIE: There’s a marvelous Navigation/Control screen that is mounted on top of the dashboard. It stands straight-up, is in just the right position, and is really user-friendly, unlike many. That’s one. Next, Audi xenon plus headlights and taillights w/LED DRLs are as close to daylight as it gets and makes night driving less daunting.

2015 Audi S3 interior.

How about individuals as opposed to families purchasing this car? Good idea or no?

JOHN: If I were single, 25, moving up and wanted a wife – I’d get the Audi. Cars say a lot about us. Don’t believe me? Look at your car. No, I’m not kidding. The old saying that “people look like their cars” is a lot closer to being true than most of us are willing to admit. A single guy with an A3 Quattro says “I am moving up and would like the right girl to move up with me.” At least that is what a guy thinks.

LAURIE: Like I said, this is a singles or couples car, not a family car. I mean, when your grownup son and his wife come to visit and you go out to dinner, sure, they can be passengers—or more likely, your son will want to drive. But there’s too much luxury in the Audi A3 Sedan for a family. Hey, you’ve waited a long time to focus on luxury in a car and on yourself. The days of buying a car to accommodate a children’s car seats/kid’s sports equipment/dog crates are behind you. This is your time, and this is your car. So, enjoy.

2015 Audi S3 engine compartment.

How would you rate this car overall against all the similar cars you have driven or owned?

JOHN: That is a good question and not one so easy to answer. It appears smaller in size than some of the other sedans we have had, but from a driver and passenger point of view, and I have been both, there is plenty of room and comfort – provided Laurie hasn’t adjusted the seats to her, in which case the seat has to come all the way back before I can even attempt to get in.

LAURIE: My six-foot-tall XL husband’s just complaining that I adjust the driver’s seat higher and further forward than he, so when he gets into a car—any car—after I’ve driven it, he generally hits his head on the ceiling before he can wedge himself in and readjust the seat, that’s all. I found the 2015 Audi A3 Sedan to be exceedingly quiet, smooth, responsive to handle, and like I said, that panorama sunroof gives a sensation of roominess to the car. As to appearing smaller—and putting aside John’s height and build—I may be mistaken, but I always get the sense that German-built cars run a little smaller than most.

2015 Audi A3 Sedan

What about value, comfort, and safety?

JOHN: Value – At $37K, it is quite a bit of car, not a bargain, but a very nice car. Comfort – I thought the ride was more sports car oriented. At 25, I think I wouldn’t have notices the bumps in the road as much as the blond copilot. “Ow, stop that. That was 40 years ago.” Now my 66 year old butt finds the ‘pea in the mattress’ (The Princess and the Pea, a fairy tale for those of you who are lost at this point). Yes, dear, I know I am digressing. I can do that now. It’s okay. Age has its privileges. Safety – There are no government safety ratings, but it does have all the air bags and safety curtains you would want, 3 point seat belts, and an anti-theft alarm system.

LAURIE: Again, really comfortable, really quiet, and as for safety, full of features—driver and front passenger advanced airbag with a supplemental restraint system, knee airbags, seat-mounted thorax side airbags, sideguard ® inflatable curtain airbags, 3-point driver safety belts with automatic pretensioning and force limiters, and more…and that’s just the driver and front passenger seats.

Final thoughts?

JOHN: Standing in the front yard, yelling “Quattro!!!” at the top of my lungs, fist in the air, as it disappears down the lane.
“What do you mean that isn’t what you wanted? It is my final thought. Deal with it, woman. Ow!”

LAURIE: Well, actually, this is sort of a funny story. John and I were driving home from the Richard Childress Vineyard, near Charlotte, NC, where we were attending a banquet for the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation. Now, there’s a center console between the driver’s and front passenger’s seat, which houses the car’s controls. It was fairly late, around nine o’clock at night, and we were on a rural road when suddenly, this booming men’s voice hollers, “Feces! Vomit! Urine!” Well, I was driving and nearly cracked up the car! We thought someone was sitting in the back seat, the voice was so clear. Turns out, there is a nob on the front passenger side of the center console that turns on the sound system. Johnny had hit the nob with his knee and inadvertently turned on the radio, which was turned to a health station. The guy we had heard was discussing how Ebola is transmitted. This rather bizarre story, I guess, is a lead-in to mention the Audi Bang & Olufsen sound system, and how realistic the sound is!

JOHN: It woke me up. That was for sure. I couldn’t figure out if it was the cell phone gone mad or a ghost in the car. Scary! But quite funny once we figured it out. Gotta move that button.

LAURIE: Anyway, in closing, the 2015 A3 Sedan starts at $32,900 and for that price, you get a lot for the money. The one we drove was fully fitted at $37,200, and that included the optional Audi MMI Navigation plus system, which we highly recommend, plus some other options. With 25 mpg city and 33 highway, this is a sweet ride—and a luxury car you deserve.

 *          *          *

John and Lurie are a married couple in their “sensational sixties” who talk about today’s hottest, newest cars—and still manage to go to bed without getting angry at night.

“Driving Me Crazy” Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Related articles

• DRIVING ME CRAZY: The HYUNDAI Elantra, Azera Ltd., and 2015 Genesis – “Three Little Pigs” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY: Buick LaCrosse – Premium 2-1SR By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY 2014 Porsche Cayman By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
• DRIVING ME CRAZY: 2015 GMC Yukon 4WD SLT “B-I-G” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES

The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: 2015 Audi A3 Sedan 2.0T Quattro S tronic By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

2015 GMC Yukon 4WD SLT

What was your first impression of the GMC Yukon?

JOHN: B-I-G. Really big…huge…monstrous…road hog…wonderful!!! Back off roller skate; don’t mess with The Man! I want a chauffeur. Tell Don Corleone he can ride with me.

LAURIE: My first impression was, Wow! I’ll need a leg up to get in; or a hoist. Some experience in pole vaulting would be helpful.

Is the Yukon gas efficient?

JOHN: Define ‘efficient’. The Yukon runs very efficiently from gas station to gas station, but you need to breathe deeply into a paper bag when you fill it up and watch the numbers on the gas pump spiral.

LAURIE: I ask you, what is MPG but a number? Today, it’s all about numbers: phone numbers, bank account numbers, credit scores, health insurance subscriber numbers, the number of friends you have on Facebook. Life should not be lived by the number, but by the experience. We drove the Yukon a whole week on a tank of gas (okay, so the fuel capacity is 31 gallons.) Phooey to the number of miles per gallon! Remember, life’s a journey. And age is just a number.

John, where would you drive the Yukon?

JOHN: I would drive it anywhere I wanted to look good, where there is plenty of room to park, and on long-distance drives. Probably not the car for the opera, even with its luxurious interior, though seven professional football players in tuxedos could ride easy in this wonderful vehicle. Even on the interstate, the vehicle is whisper-quiet and you can converse without raising your voice.

LAURIE: Wherever our grandchildren want to go. We can strap the three who need car seats in the second row and the two older ones can sit in the third seat. Standard with the GMC Yukon comes peace of mind, which makes this such a desirable family car. And safe: front-seat center air bag, head-curtain side air bags and seat-mounted side-impact air bags, a rearview camera system, StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology are all
standard. Optional (and I would exercise this option) is a side blind zone alert, lane change alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control with crash imminent braking, and safety alert seat that vibrates when a potential crash threat is detected. Slip a Disney movie into the rear-seat Blu-Ray entertainment system with 9-inch-diagonal screen and you won’t hear a peep from the grandkids until the final credits roll.

LAURIE: In layman’s terms? GMC describes it as a “logical, intuitive interface” with “functionality” and “multiple infotainment options.” Johnny, what is a “logical, intuitive interface” anyway?

JOHN: It’s seven o’clock in the morning. I don’t even know what my interface is. I need a logical cup of coffee.

LAURIE: You were an English teacher. Is “infotainment” a word?

JOHN: Not the last time I checked, but neither was ‘googling.’ Who makes these words up?

LAURIE: All you have to do is spend a little time going through the driver’s handbook to understand what’s going on. Oh? Is it dinnertime already? Funny how ten hours flies by when you attempt to understand these “easy to use” devices that are meant to simplify your life.

JOHN: I like technology that allows me hands-free working with the vehicle. The natural-language voice recognition works well for the modern-day traveler. I can make phone calls, get driving directions, and find gas, food, and places of interest. The truth is, I do a lot of business on the phone when I’m driving (as long as Laurie’s asleep) and you can control the Yukon’s functions from the steering wheel—so your attention stays on the road, where it belongs.

LAURIE: This car has an 8” screen with Smartphone apps that people who have Smartphones “get”. Advanced voice recognition is like speaking to a secretary—you can ask her to call people in your phone book and there’s Bluetooth. The concert-quality, premium Bose surround sound system allows you to save and play on demand your favorite tunes, and you can pause and rewind those live radio shows on Sirius SM you enjoy so much. The navigation system is easy to program and access, and stores your frequent destinations. We adore the keyless entry, push-button start, and RainsenseTM front wipers that gauge rainfall. The rear vision camera is essential for a car this big.

Final impression?

JOHN: I am a big ‘bells and whistles’ guy, first for comfort, but especially for safety. I take comfort in a car that’s loaded with airbags. I hope I never need them, but if that unforeseen occasion arises, I want my wife, my passengers, and myself to have the best chance of survival. The Yukon has lots of airbags; I like it. I like daytime running lights. If you have trouble seeing this thing, you probably shouldn’t be on the road, but if lights is the key to keeping someone from running into me—thank God for daytime running lights. I like OnStar automatic crash response. Again, I hope no one ever needs it, but if there is an accident, I want it.

The 2015 Yukon 4WD SLT with a 5.3L V8 Ecotec3 Engine and six-speed automatic transmission we drove got 18 mpg and cost just shy of $65,000 fully loaded. A lot of money; but a lot of car.

LAURIE: Kudos to GMC for making an American car in America. My old grandfather used to say, “Buy American—or bye-bye, America,” and tragically, time has proven him right. The Yukon is made in Arlington, Texas, by Americans.

*          *          *

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

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The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: 2015 GMC Yukon 4WD SLT “B-I-G” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

The 2015 SS Camaro convertible features a 6.2L V8 engine, offering up to 426 horsepower.

Married couple in their “sensational sixties” talk about today’s hottest, newest cars—and still manage to go to bed without getting angry at night.

First impressions?

JOHN: Can you say NASCAR? Varoom, varoom! Talledega? Jeff Gordon? I am not even a NASCAR guy, but the low, sleek styling of the Camaro had me strapped in, talking to my crew chief, holding the curves at really high speeds—on the racetrack in my mind. For some reason, the words ‘moonshiners’ and ‘revenuers’ came to my mind too, but that is probably from my youth in East Tennessee. Good looking car!!!

LAURIE: My first impression was—Oh, no! Bet Johnny’s channeling James Dean! Sure enough, he slicks back his hair and I overhear him muttering, “Where’s my black leather jacket.” Geez, he hasn’t had a black leather jacket in a quarter-century!

I imagine this car took you back to your youth…

JOHN: I admit there was some salivating to the point of drooling when I got the “feel” for this American muscle car baby. The Camaro SS is low, wide, and aerodynamic, with a long hood complete with hood scoop. When you look at it, you think ‘bad’, ‘fast’ and ‘dynamic’—the very essence of a muscle car.

LAURIE: Not for me. The Camaro is Johnny’s era.

JOHN: My “era”? What am I from, another century? Oh, wait, I am. My ‘era’ was really in the 60’s when ‘muscle cars’ were ‘the thing’. I am sure I attract a lot of ‘gear heads’ to our column because at my age, I am more interested in safety and comfort than raw power and drag racing efficiency. BUT in the 60’s, my older brother bought a Pontiac GT just before the GTO’s came out and became the household authority on ‘muscle cars’. He still has that car fully restored and sitting in his garage. There was a real love affair with cars in those days and lots of ‘young people’ then were ‘into’ their cars. Chevrolet came out with the SS’s, first in the Chevelle, then the Monte Carlo, and then the Impala, if I remember correctly. My generation had the Plymouth Road Runner and the Duster. I remember the Oldsmobile 442 and the Dodge Charger, I think. They were big, mostly engine, sucked down gas at .35 cents a gallon, and I am pretty sure they were without seat belts, and certainly there was no law about seat belts; and there were certainly no airbags. We didn’t realize we were taking our life in our hands every time we floored one on a long straight away, passing the bus and beating the tractor trailer headed our way. We were young and stupid, and thank God, most of us lived to be old, though not much smarter. They were good times. How does the Camaro rate as a “muscle car”?

JOHN: The speed limit is 25—35 mph around Pinehurst. My ‘test’ drive amounted to driving around the traffic circle at 30 mph and when I could, I’d tell Laurie, “Let’s step on the gas and see if this baby jumps!” She screamed, which kind of took the edge off the thrill. It’s definitely a muscle car by today’s or previous day’s standards. The V8, 426 HP engine even sounds like the muscle car when you ‘fire it up’. It has a beautifully smooth 6 speed automatic transmission and Stabilitrak with traction control. It has a 5 star safety rating across the board – gotta’ love that.

LAURIE: The Camaro came out in 1966, Chevy’s answer to the Ford Mustang. In 2002, after four generations of Camaro (1967—1969, 1970—1981, 1982—1992, 1993—2002), the plug was pulled on the model. My guess is a muscle car couldn’t carve out enough of a market niche at a time when the SUVcraze was in high gear. Then, in 2010, the Camaro had a comeback, the sixth generation—kind of like when the TV series, Dallas, which aired from 1978—1991, returned in 2012 with a new generation of the Ewing family.

JOHN: Dallas? The Ewing family? How does she come up with these things?

Is this a car you’d want to own?

JOHN: No, I’m too old; it’s too fast; I can’t drive it like it is meant to be driven, and if I did, Laurie would be planning my funeral arrangements, I’m sure. However, if I were a young executive working in the West or Midwest where speed limits are high, or if I could let it loose on the beltway around Atlanta or DC, I would probably think seriously about this American eye candy.

LAURIE: No. This is a “Johnny car.” It’s not that I didn’t enjoy driving the Camaro—I did. And it most certainly can be a woman’s car—just not this woman’s car.

Final thoughts?

JOHN: Want to be known as the ‘American race car fan’, the ‘local lug nut, the ‘boulevard bullet’? Then this is your car. By the way, did I say, “Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?” The base price is about $23K and that seems like a really good bargain for an eye candy ‘muscle car’ of today. Ours had a MSRP of $36K, and $41K with all the options. That is getting pricey, but the old saying, “You get what you pay for” probably applies here.

LAURIE: The 2015 Camaro 2SS Coupe has an MSRP of $36,755 with a ton of options as standard. Fully loaded, it’s $41,080. It sweeps the Government 5-Star Safety Ratings—full marks for Overall Vehicle Score based on combined ratings of frontal, side and rollover; five-stars for Frontal Crash/Driver Passenger, for risk of injury in a frontal impact and five stars for front and rear seat side crash. And finally, five stars for rollover based on a single-vehicle crash. You sense this yourself. The Camaro rides low, hugs curves. There’s a lot of metal in this car. It’s heavy, it’s solid. It gets 18 mpg combined highway/city—not the greatest. But then again, this ain’t your average soccer mom’s car. The people who’d buy a Camaro pull on a pair of designer jeans on a Friday night and meet up with friends at caviar bars and drink Singapore Slings, wear topsiders without socks, get a pedicure once a week, and subscribe to Match.com. At least, that’s my take.

*     *     *

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including “The Hardscrabble Chronicles” (Penguin Putnam) and “The Giant Book of Dog Names” (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

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• DRIVING ME CRAZY: The HYUNDAI Elantra, Azera Ltd., and 2015 Genesis – “Three Little Pigs” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES
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The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Coupe – “Can You Say N-A-S-C-A-R?” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

First impressions?

LAURIE: Well, bundling three Hyundai’s into one car review reminds me of the “Three Little Pigs”.

The First Little Pig—call him Pepe—was the youngest so naturally he wanted to get the job out of the way.  He built a beach cabana out of bamboo, blended himself a Smoothie, and went surfing.  Roger, the middle brother, constructed a stick-built house with three bedrooms and a large backyard in a pleasant commuter’s suburb and after he was done, picked up a latte on his way to dropping the piglets off for soccer.  The oldest brother, Mike, built a mansion on the end of the island after a successful career trading corn on the Pork Exchange, and when it was done, mixed himself a Martini.

Pepe drove a Hyundai Elantra, Roger drove a Hyundai Azera, and Mike owned a Hyundai Genesis.  And the moral of my story is, Hyundai offers a car for every pig in the pen.

JOHN: Is this my wife talking? Who is this woman?  I am checking the liquor closet.  Three little pigs?  And Pepe? Who’s Pepe?   Actually, my first impressions were—Azera— “hmmmmm”, Elantra— “that’s better”, and Genesis — “I want one!”

Which one did you like best?

2015 Hyundai Genesis.

LAURIE: The Genesis.  Ever since I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I realized it was okay to surround yourself in luxury so long as you don’t get fixated by a green light shining from the end of a pier on Long Island Sound at night.

JOHN: Okay, call me a pleasure snob. The Genesis is a luxury package without a luxury price tag.  There’s the “Signature Package, “Tech Package”, and “Ultimate Package,” which add to the car’s MSRP of $38K. The Signature and Tech Packages add features I like, maybe ‘need,’ at my age: HD headlights, blind spot detection, Rear Cross traffic alert come with the Signature Package. The Tech Package adds lane departure warning, Smart Cruise, auto emergency braking, and front and rear parking assistance.  The 9” display screen is good for older eyes.

Besides ‘Pepe’, who will buy the Hyundai Elantra?

2015 Elantra Sedan.

LAURIE: The Elantra has some stiff competition in the compact sedan class.  It’s up against the Honda Civic, the Mazda 3; the Toyota Corolla, the Chevy Cruze, the Ford Focus, and the Nissan Sentra.

JOHN: Cars this size and price range come down to, “who likes this style?” Laurie’s right—there is a lot of competition in the $25K price range. Look into resale value, MPG, and operational costs and try to make an informed decision is key to car buying.

And besides Roger, who will drive the Azera?

2014 Hyundai Azera.

JOHN: The Azera Limited we drove had all the ‘bells and whistles,’ the interior was very nice, and if you follow our column, you know I like comfort. I don’t like to drive long distances anymore and I like being comfortable whatever distances I do. With a V6, it has good acceleration. I like that. A little jump, however, can get some not-yet- savvy young, and older people, as well, in trouble—but if you are a competent driver, ‘a little jump’ can get you out of trouble too—like on the highway behind a stop-and-go driver. Who would buy the Hyundai Azera? People who want an economical ‘big’ car.

LAURIE: The Elantra rocks with 34 miles per gallon highway, compared with 29 for both the Azera and the Genesis.  And of the three, the Azera comes with proportionately more standard features than the other two, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.  This is a great car for empty nesters; take the $12,000 price difference between the Azera and the Genesis, fly to Europe, and take an eight-day river boat cruise on the Danube.

Final Thoughts?

JOHN: The big winner is the Genesis. Every now and then, you drive a car that speaks to you—kind of like a fine painting, or a beautiful woman…Ow! Laurie, what was that for?…and you just want to take one home…Ow! What are you doing? It’s a car for Pete’s sake!

LAURIE: Depending upon my time in life, I would have loved any of these three —but now that I’m in the “autumn of my years,” as Frank Sinatra crooned, the 2015 Hyundai Genesis fits me like a kid glove.  You know, the elbow-length kind that Grace Kelly wore in To Catch a Thief when she planted that kiss on Cary Grant outside her hotel room door and then there were lots of fireworks outside (and between them, too.)

Johnny and I want to close this week’s column on a serious note, for a change.  There are many cars we love, and the 2015 Hyundai Genesis RWD 3.8 is one. It’s the first rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan to earn the Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with optional Automatic Emergency Braking, and a 5-star Overall Safety Rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. J.D. Powers ranks the Genesis No. 1 for the second year running in the Midsize Premium Class.  There’s good reason. By a quirk of Fate, in a sliver of a moment, this car might very well save your, or a loved one’s, life.  Log onto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPTIXldrq3Q and understand why.

Bravo, Hyundai! Full Marks!

*     *   *     *     *

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: The HYUNDAI Elantra, Azera Ltd., and 2015 Genesis – “Three Little Pigs” By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

2015 Buick LaCrosse with Baroque Red Metallic exterior color and 19-inch€ alloy wheels.

 First Impression

JOHN: I love a car that says “quality.” I expected the Buick LaCrosse would be a quality car, so my expectations were pretty high. But when I too a close look and got in, I thought about those great Buick commercials, “If you haven’t seen the LaCrosse, you don’t know Buick”. They (whoever they are) are correct. I thought this is going to be fun.

LAURIE: My first impression was, I WANT ONE!  And it was my last impression, too. This would be my “BCF”—“Best Car Forever” (I made that up.)

2015 Buick LaCrosse with Ebony, offered with Soleil Keisel leather seats and Cellini Wood decor.

You both seem to have strong reactions to this car.  Why this one, more than others?

JOHN: Like a fine painting, a car gives an impression and evokes emotions. The LaCrosse has ‘style’, nice lines, luxury details, and when you appreciate that with the eye, you want to believe the ride and handling will prove you right.

LAURIE: It’s a legacy thing for me.  My grandfather drove Buicks.  He swore by them.  He’d trade out every three or four years, not because he racked up the miles, but because he loved Buicks.  After he died, my grandmother drove his last car until her own death—twenty years later.  It was a blue Riviera.  If that’s not a testimony to Buick, I don’t know what is.  Buick, thanks for the memories!

2015 Buick LaCrosse next generation IntelliLink 8 inch screen.

The LaCrosse is Buick’s top-of-the-line. Why this four-door sedan?  

JOHN: Luxury cars usually come with ‘sticker shock’ prices. The LaCrosse has all the bells and whistles for about half the money of a car in its class. Let’s put luxury aside and discuss the most important feature of any car—safety, my divining rod. The LaCrosse has lots of air bags, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, forward crash alert, rear vision camera, heated outside mirrors, and a power rear sunshade that lowers when you back up. It is wonderfully comfortable, and so road-quiet that I could whisper “sweet nothings” to my lovely Laurie, handles smoothly and has nice appointments (like my wife.)   I have to agree with Laurie. This is a car I would be very happy owning for a long time.

Laurie: I’m not vain, not really…

JOHN: (coughs)

LAURIE: …but for me, the car’s sleek looks on the outside and elegant, rich appointments on the inside attract me like Bergdorf Goodman’s semi-annual clothing sale.  Granted, the car we were driving had the Ultra Luxury Package—Sangria Opus leather seating, leather-wrapped center console and door armrests.  But the thing that excites me about the LaCrosse is its real-wood instrument panel: it’s easy to reach, easy to see, and you don’t need a college course to learn how to program the radio or adjust the climate controls.

2015 Buick LaCrosse with Midnight Amethyst metallic exterior color and 19€-inch alloy wheels

 What about the mileage?

JOHN: Generally, when you get to be my age, you mostly drive to the store, out to eat with friends, maybe a day trip somewhere, and an occasional long drive. If you aren’t filling up very often, then 21 miles per gallon, which is what this car gets on average, is very satisfactory to me.

LAURIE: John’s right. Pinehurst is a very compact village.  Anything you need is within a five-mile radius of home. That’s not to say we don’t take long treks—we do; but we’re past the day-to-day commute chapters in our lives.  But if we craved breakfast at Brennan’s, one of New Orleans’ treasured restaurants in the French Quarter, it would cost $104.55 in gas—a pricey breakfast, but an affordable, luxurious, twelve-hour road cruise down to “the Big Easy.”

 Final Thoughts?

JOHN: As Shaquille O’Neal once said, “If you don’t know the LaCrosse, you don’t know Buick.”

LAURIE: Yes. The Buick Intellilink Infotainment System allowed Johnny to the car.  All the time. “Hi, LaCrosse.  Play ‘Hotel California,’” and the eleven-speaker Bose surround-sound system pounds out the acoustic guitar intro, and Johnny’s rockin’, and I say, “Why don’t I drive?”  Then he says, “Hi, LaCrosse. Go to the Full Moon Oyster Bar,” and “she” guides us to our favorite restaurant. You can’t beat the fresh-shucked oysters at the Full Moon.  And you can’t beat the Buick LaCrosse.

Learn about Buick’s Intellilink Infotainment System at http://www.buick.com/owners/intellilink-radio-guide/2014.html

MSRP for the standard LaCrosse—which is loaded by most standards—is $39,755; fully loaded, $48,735.  The Buick LaCrosse sweeps the Government 5-Star Safety Ratings with full marks across the board.

*     *     *     *     *

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Related articles

• DRIVING ME CRAZY 2014 Porsche Cayman By JOHN and LAURIE WILES

The post DRIVING ME CRAZY: Buick LaCrosse—Premium 2-1SR By JOHN and LAURIE WILES appeared first on Yonkers Tribune.

2014 Cayman S

What was your first impression of the Porsche Cayman?

LAURIE: When I got my first glimpse of that eye- popping, metallic sapphire blue Porsche Caymen two-door sports coupe with red leather interior, and heard the wild, leopard-like purr of its Boxer 325 hp, 7400 rpm engine driving that sleek, ground-hugging chassis, I thought, “How the heck am I going to get into that car? And how am I going to pry myself out?

JOHN: My first impression? Wow!!!!!!!! Followed by, “Are you kidding me?” I’m sixty-five and live in a village where the speed limit is usually 25 mph, 35 tops.” Followed by, “Thank you, God!”

What did you think about the way the Cayman drives?

2014 Cayman S – Interior.

LAURIE: Not much because Johnny wouldn’t give me a chance to drive it. Well, that’s not quite true. I drove to the post office and back, but that’s a distance of about a thousand yards, round-trip… Anyway, he made up excuses just so he could go out for a drive in the Porsche. Like, yesterday we went to the grocery store and when we got home, he said, “We forgot to get the carrots.” Carrots! Johnny hates carrots. He just wanted to drive the Porsche some more! But I called his bluff and said, “You don’t eat carrots!” And he says, “I meant, chocolate cake.” So I said, “Okay, maybe you’d better go back to the grocery store,” even though I knew chocolate cake wasn’t on the shopping list. So I let him go. I mean, marriage is about give and take, right?

JOHN: You want to know what I think about the Porsche Cayman? It is a road-hugging, curve-loving, built-for-driving, fantasy-making machine. I loved it. We have lots of circles and right-hand turns around here and I could do them so easily, with no braking. Gearing down for sharp turns brought back the James Bond image of my teens and twenties. When you get to be my age, it is good to dream a little.

What about the Porsche Cayman’s acceleration?

2014 Cayman driven within speed limits; it feels naughty even at such mundane speeds.

LAURIE: Sure, sure…I know. Believe me, I know. The Porsche Cayman can go from zero to sixty miles per hour in 6.7 seconds. John kept trying to do it in 6.6. Like, going home from the grocery store. Or the time we pulled up in front of the church for the eleven o’clock service, and the Choir began singing “All Hail the Power.”

JOHN: Let me reiterate, I live in an area where the speed limit is 35. Occasionally, rarely, hardly ever; okay, once in a while, I had to improvise, like going around the circle to a long straight away with no one in front, beside, or behind me. I might have, might have I say, pressed down on the accelerator while in third gear just to see the acceleration. It only lasted a second as Laurie’s screams drowned out any joy I perceived. It will jump. Again, living in Pinehurst, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t exactly offer any test track type of opportunity for a car like this beauty.

Did you know the Porsche Cayman can reach a top speed of 175 miles an hour?

LAURIE: See this swelling on my neck? That’s where my heart got stuck in my throat. I freaked out. I thought Johnny was going to break the sound barrier. One night, we were coming home from dinner with some friends on a long stretch of road and Johnny put the pedal to the metal. I prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let there be a policeman hiding behind some longleaf pine.” Thankfully, the Lord heard my prayer.”

JOHN: Perception is a part of the driving mystique. I never got the car past seventy-five miles an hour…

LAURIE (interrupting): Oh, really? You’ve got to be kidding…

JOHN (ignoring Laurie): …and that was on Route 1, where the speed limit is seventy in the open stretch between here and Raleigh. When you are low to the ground in what we called in the Sixties, a “pocket rocket,” you appear to be going much faster than you really are. I don’t know how fast it will go, and don’t need to know. It goes plenty fast for a guy my age, and just being seen in a car that people know can go real fast is something in and of itself. That’s my story.

What do you think about Porsche Cayman’s looks?

Two 2014 Cayman parked alongside an inland sea route.

LAURIE: Oh, no question—it’s a beautiful sports coupe. The lines are elegant and the red interior in the car we drove made a real statement. As it happened, we got the Porsche Cayman during the week of the Concours d’Elegance last May at the Pinehurst Resort, here in Pinehurst, North Carolina, you know, where we live. The security at the Resort thought we were one of the special cars meant to be displayed the exhibition grounds and kept trying to wave us onto the field.

JOHN: We drove over to the Resort to look at the Porsche-sponsored event, and they had probably six different Porsches parked out front for people to drive. They were all silver or white, and, compared to what I was driving, pretty drab. I stopped by the sign-up tent and told the manager in charge that I would loan them mine if they wanted to add some color to their grouping. Somehow he missed the humor. The car was a stunning, eye catching, metallic sapphire that really draws attention when you roll by. It is exquisitely handsome. “Clothes,”—and in this case, the car— really “do make the man.”

Do you have one final thought about the Porsche Cayman?

2014 Cayman.

JOHN: If I get below 200 pounds, Laurie has told me she will buy me one for Christmas. Having your mouth sewn shut might seem drastic, but some things are worth the price. Get back to me on this one at Christmas.

LAURIE: I told Johnny, he’s going to have to be very, very good if Santa’s going to bring him one…

Driving Me Crazy Columnists Laurie and John Wiles.

John and Laurie Wiles have a combined driving history of ninety-five years. Laurie is one of only thirty-six journalists who are members of the prestigious New England Automotive Press Association (Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of National Public Radio’s “Car Talk” among them.) Since 1998, Laurie has test-driven and reviewed over eight-hundred new model cars, trucks, and SUVs. John, a lifelong car enthusiast, has owned more than forty vehicles (so far.)

John and Laurie recently got the idea of combining on a weekly car review. Laurie explains. “One day, a gorgeous blue Porsche Cayman pulled in the drive. Johnny slides behind the wheel, cocks an eyebrow, and says, ‘The name’s Bond. James Bond,’ like he’s Sean Connery or something. The next week, a Chevy Camaro rolls in. Johnny gets one glimpse of that muscle car and shouts out, ‘Can you say N-A-S-C-A-R?’ Once I realized he wasn’t speaking in tongues, I realized his voice, together with mine, might be fun. After all, ‘sixty is the new forty.’”

John adds, “Men and women have very different opinions about cars and I think it’s good for people to get an understanding of what a couple think about a car, and what they like and don’t like. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have to agree on everything—you know, like the way it is in a marriage.”

Laurie, whose professional name is Laurie Bogart Morrow, is the author of a dozen books, including The Hardscrabble Chronicles (Penguin Putnam) and The Giant Book of Dog Names (Simon and Schuster. John is a retired program manager in the National Defense contracting industry and a teacher in the public school system. They live happily in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

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