Perhaps the “shopping gene” is carried on the X chromosome.  We have two “X’s”; thereby we are twice as efficient and productive.  Or perhaps it is an environmental part of our upbringing.  At an early age, wise mothers pass along two key concepts to their daughters: 

1. You get what you pay for  2.Never pay full price

With the New Year come new resolutions.  Perhaps one of yours is to add a new car to your life.  If so, I have a tip:  Bring your better half to the shopping process! 

A sales manager at a Seattle area Honda dealership, who didnt want to be identified,  told me how he has stressed to his staff that major buying decisions used to be controlled by men, women are now taking a more active, if not equal, role.  Maybe it’s a reflection of society as whole, but many women are commanding higher incomes than their spouses. and thus have a bigger role in major purchases.  Sales people are focusing both people equally, regardless of which person is seeking the new ride.  I’ve been told the number#1 tip in reading a female customer is by being attentive to nonverbal cues like eye contact and body language.  

 “Once I see a woman cross her arms, I know the sale is lost,” explains the local Honda sales manager.    

Recently on vacation from the Seattle drizzle, I had a chance to soak in Southern California sun while helping a friend buy a car. In the process I saw some sweet rides, including a replica of the Bumblebee Camaro from Transformers II, the new Audi R9 being used in the Ironman sequel.  While “shopping” (read:  “dreaming”), I had several other conversations with sales managers, at a variety of dealerships, and was pleased to have several hypotheses confirmed regarding the differences between the way men and women shop for vehicles.  They include, in no particular order:

Women prioritize a car that fits their lifestyles. 

• Are there enough seats to meet passenger requirements? 
• The more “hands-free” the better.  Mothers in particular love the convenience of power-operated doors/lift gates, folding seats and seat/pedal adjustments.  Remote starters for engines, heaters and air conditioning are highly coveted and could make lovely last-minute holiday gifts.
• Safety first!  Women typically ask more safety-related questions than men.  

 Women are often more cautious on what they spend than a man.  This is not a blanket statement and clearly does not apply to items like cosmetics and shoes, but in my observations and experience when it comes to cars, practicality reigns supreme for ladies. 

• Women will ask important questions about key elements to budgetary savings like gas mileage and interest rates on loans or leases.

 Men seek “the look.”  According to an eastside GMC/Pontiac sales manager, men are “appearance driven, hands down.”

• Electronic gadgets like navigation systems and touch screen-based radio/temperature controls hold definite appeal but even more alluring are exterior add-ons like upgraded tires, trim and grills. 
• Power is also a critical factor for the male buyer – finding the right combination of acceleration and speed without sacrificing gas mileage.

Motivation for bringing a member of the opposite sex on the shopping excursion can be starkly different (shocker, I know).  

A Seattle area Toyota salesperson told me,  “women tend to bring men (as shopping partners) to get more respect” on the sales floor.  And “9 out of ten times a man brings a woman to shop for vehicles to show her what a great business person he is.” 

He also added, “I’ve been married thirty years and have learned that you never buy what the wife doesn’t want,” he says. ”I wouldn’t even buy a pair of pants she didn’t like.” 

Now those are words one can live by.

Cara Capuano has worked in television, mainly in sports, for over a decade, spending the last four years covering the Northwest Sports Scene for Fox Sports NW and before that on ESPN News. A dedicated storyteller, from time to time she’ll be lending some “female perspective” to SeattleAuto.net.

In terms of which vehicle gets stolen and ripped off the most, there’s something about the early 90’s and Hondas. The most stolen vehicle in Washington State was the 1992 Honda Accord followed by the 1995 Honda Civic. Those are the exact same #1 and #2 from 2007, apparently when car thieves like something, they really like it.

Check out the full 2008 Hot Wheels Report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Here are the Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Washington State

1.     1992 Honda Accord

2.     1995 Honda Civic

3.     1990 Toyota Camry

4.     1995 Acura Integra

5.     1994 Nissan Sentra

6.     1995 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

7.     1994 Saturn Sl           

8.     1995 Nissan Pathfinder

9.     1994 Ford Explorer

10.  1993 Dodge Caravan

For tips on vehicle theft prevention check out the Northwest Insurance Council website.

You don’t live in Southern California. You don’t live in Florida. You live in the state of Washington where it rains a good 200 plus days a year (give or take some crazy summer). So when it comes to looking at buying a convertible car in Seattle, you ARE taking a chance. Rag top or hard top? The answer is simple, considering the convertible will be closed most of time, better make it a hard top. The last thing you want is to have a slight rip and you find a puddle in your passenger seat in mid January.

So if you must have a convertible for the summer months, here’s a list of some stylish ones that will make you the envy of Seattle, for at least 2 and half months.

2010 Ford Shelby GT-2dr Convertible (5.4L 8cyl S/C 6M)-The quintessential muscle car

2009 VW Beattle-2.5L Blush Edition 2dr Convertible (2.5L 5cyl 6A)-Not REAL manly, but gets the job done in the “fun” department.

2009 Smart Fortwo-BRABUS cabriolet 2dr Convertible (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)-Could offer the best MPG of all convertibles.33/41 MPG

2009 Porche Boxster-S 2dr Convertible (3.4L 6cyl 6M)-A classic.

2009 Mazda Miata-Sport 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl 6A)-It’s small but feisty

2009 Mini Cooper-S 2dr Convertible (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)-You either love it or hate it

2010 Honda S2000-CR 2dr Convertible (2.2L 4cyl 6M)-Honda reliability in a convertible

2008 BMW Z4M-2dr Hatchback (3.2L 6cyl 6M)-Can’t go wrong with this one.

2009 Cadillac XLR-Platinum 2dr Convertible (4.6L 8cyl 6A)-A head turner.

2009 Maybach Landaulet-4dr Convertible (6.0L 12cyl Turbo 5A)-Had to have a ridiculously expensive one. At $1.3 million… it is.

Everyone knows the basic rules of renting a car – return it with as much gas as was in the tank when you were handed the keys…  don’t light up in a non-smoking vehicle…  take the free map in an unfamiliar locale, even if you think you don’t need one – but there is so much more to the process.   

WHEN AN UPGRADE IS A DOWNGRADE

• There’s nothing I love more than a complimentary upgrade.  Extra spot in First Class for this frequent flier?  Why thank you, I’d love a cup of coffee before we take off.  HOWEVER – be very wary of a common occurrence at the rental counter during this era of a challenging economy – the “free” upgrade. 
• If you have heavy miles to rack up during a trip, don’t be persuaded away from the vehicle size you requested.  That SUV might look spacious and boast a better stereo than the compact car on your reservation, but you’re going to lament those luxuries at the gas pump.  The bigger the ride, the worse the mileage – and it’s your right to rent what you’ve reserved.

THE UNEXPECTED DOWNGRADE

• Flights are late.  It’s inevitable.  But what happens to your rental reservation if you saunter up to the counter several hours beyond when you were supposed to pick up your vehicle?  If you have my good fortune, you could end up with a wee three-cylinder death trap that smells like a dirty ashtray instead of the clean, cozy intermediate-sized ride you reserved months ago (intermediates are VERY popular – first to fly off the lot!)  What are your rights in this case?
• Depends on both the company you’re renting from and your active participation in the process.  Some companies, for example, will ask you to provide them with your flight information so that they can monitor its progress.  If you have supplied the flight number and they can see it is late, they WILL save the ride you requested, anticipating your eventual arrival.  However, this is not a global policy for all companies and you cannot expect the helpful ones to guess where you’re coming from.
• It is on you to do a little research, otherwise, you can only blame yourself for rolling off the lot in a vehicle better served to be in Sanford and Son’s yard (and I’ve been there – more than once).

Check out Part 2 on Car Rental Nightmares

Cara Capuano has worked in television, mainly in sports, for over a decade, spending the last four years covering the Northwest Sports Scene for Fox Sports NW and before that on ESPN News. A dedicated storyteller, from time to time she’ll be lending some “female perspective” to SeattleAuto.net.

The Capri had an eight-track player in it, and I managed to acquire an adaptor that would allow me to play cassettes — the height of technology at the time. “Rust” could be used to describe the color of the car as well as the makeup of much of the exterior by the time I got it. Mechanically, it had seen far better days.

Still, for the year or so I managed to keep it running, I loved that car in the way you can only love your first. I washed it more often than was necessary or practical and cruised through the parking lot of my high school certain that everyone was impressed. They weren’t.

I think every teenager should start with a clunker. It’s a rite of passage, and it gives you great stories about the door you had to hold shut with bungee cords or the time your muffler fell off during your homecoming date. I had a friend whose first car wouldn’t go in reverse, and when we went places we were always hunting for places to park that wouldn’t require backing out later — otherwise as the passenger I was stuck having to push it.

I think I’ve owned nine cars since the Capri, cars of all shapes and sizes. There was the Honda Accord I drove until it had almost a quarter of a million miles, and the Jeep Wrangler I rolled in a snowstorm at Snoqualmie Pass while trying to get to a football game. There was the Datsun 510 hatchback that kept going despite all my abuse, and the Nissan Pathfinder everyone said stunk of wet dog — probably because it had a wet dog in the back seat most of the time.

For 17 years, up until the closure of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in March, I was a sportswriter. I covered baseball for the P-I, which meant a lot of time on the road and a often driving a different rental car every three days. More than a few times, I arrived in a city late at night, drove to the hotel, then the next morning walked out of the hotel and couldn’t remember which car was mine.

I got to drive a lot of different cars, and there were often surprises. I’d get into a car that had an impressive reputation and find that I didn’t like it at all. Or discover a car that was a joy to drive even though it was a make or model I would previously never have even considered buying. Sometimes I’d get a model I’d never even heard of before.

Those experiences have given me a good idea what I like and don’t like in a car, and the little things that make a car the right fit for me. In the end, that’s what matters — having a car that just feels right.

Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can find a 1979 Mercury Capri?

Dave Andriesen is a former Seattle P-I sports reporter. His stories can been seen on SeattleAuto.net as a contributing writer.

“When weather hits here in Washington it’s pure chaos,” says Cook. “Most folks don’t want to change their tires when the weather is bad, it’s easier to use AAA. We offer an all encompassing emergency service. If you’re locked out we’ll send out a locksmith, we can replace a battery if needed, we even deliver gas.”

While most Seattle drivers know AAA for jumping a dead battery or changing a tire, their services go way beyond the tow truck, as long as you know what you’re buying.

“AAA Washington is so much more than just our emergency road service,” explains Jennifer Cook, the spokesperson for AAA Washington. “We offer full leisure travel services and personal lines insurance as well. And our discount programs can save you more in a year than it actually costs to be a member.”

There are a number of money saving discounts to take advantage of. Card holding members can receive discounts all over the state and across the nation.  While most people are careful how they spend their money these days, AAA can be an untapped resource to just about any Seattle area driver.

Who Doesn’t Love a Deal?
Here are a select few discounts AAA Washington offers:

• 30% off for eye wear (Lenscrafters, Pearlevision, Sears Optical)
• 20% off Sirius Satellite Radios
• 20% off at the EMP/Science Fiction Museum
• Up to 20% on Prescription Drugs
• Pay $20.09 Jiffy Lube Signature Oil Change

Considering the low annual price on just the basic service, using AAA just once or twice a year is well worth the cost.  If members utilize the services and discounts, AAA could be worth every penny. It’s all in one shopping for your road traveling needs. Plus, you never have too many maps!

Check out the automotive section for AAA Washington

We tried to do it all, from taking up to Snoqualmie Pass to shopping downtown. In the end, the Forester handled it all like a champ. It was very comfortable.

I happened to park next to an elderly couple at the grocery store who owned a 2008 version of the Forester. They noticed the newer version was bigger and asked me about it. In turn, I asked them what they liked about theirs and the husband summed up the Forester in a nutshell:

“It’s not the most exciting car in the world, but we didn’t want an exciting car. It [the Forester] does a lot of things well, and we love it because of that.”

My thoughts exactly!

Handling 

The first thing I noticed was how well the symmetrical all wheel drive system works. A run along Interstate 5 didn’t tell much, but taking it through some steep downtown Seattle hills in the rain had the car begging for more. You really do feel the Subaru Boxer engine and the power it delivers to all wheels. For a SUV, it handled much better than I thought it would. Whether it’s city or long distance driving, the Forester’s handling is crisp and outstanding.

Power

The Forester feels like a V6 with it’s 224 horsepower turbo engine. In actuality, the power comes out of a surprising 2.5 liter 4 cylinder Subaru Boxer engine. In fact, it’s one of the more powerful 4 cylinder I have ever driven. The Forester had no problem going up a steep hill with a fully loaded car with passengers, as well as accelerating past smaller cars on I-90.  Unofficially, it went 0-60 in about 7 seconds, and that was without redlining. 

Cargo

The 2009 Forester has a total of 63.0 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded down. While it can hold a load of groceries in the trunk, it wouldn’t necessarily do well with moving furniture. So for for day to day tasks, the trunk provides more than adequate space. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Features

The dashboard and seats are somewhat plain, but they get the job done. The car we had offered Sirius radio –  which was nice – but like all satellite radio, cuts in and out when going thru tunnels and heavily wooded areas. The steering wheel transfered inputs well and offered easy to use buttons for the cruise control and stereo system. The red/blue color scheme on the display was unique and easy to read.

Motor Trend named the Forester the Sports Utility Car of the Year for 2009. Does it live up to that billing? Yes and no. No, in that there are more luxurious and more fuel effcient vehicles out there. Yes, in that it performs well in just about every other area. So for the do-everything Seattleite, the Forester may truly be the car of the year.

2009 Forester 2.5XT Specifications

Engine-2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged aluminum-alloy 16-valve 4-cylinder horizontally opposed SUBARU BOXER engine with Active Valve Control System.

Power - 224 hp @ 5,200 rpm

Fuel Efficiency - 19 City /24 Highway MPG (EPA estimate)

Chasis- 4-wheel disc, ventilated front. 4-channel, 4-sensor ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

Wheels - 17 x 7.0-inch 5-Spoke aluminum alloy

“People are passionate about this car,” claims Phil Soholt, sales manager at Toyota of Seattle. “I’ve seen people sell their 2008 car just to get into a new Venza. They’re willing to even take a loss, just so they can have the newest thing on the market. I’ve sold all of our AWD units.”

I put this new addition to the Toyota family through a true Seattle test. I went up Queen Anne hill, parallel parked downtown, got stuck in traffic more than once, cruised onto the Alaskan Way viaduct and picked up speed on my way to Greenlake.

The results; the Venza was more than up to the challenge.

Here’s what I found.

Handling

The version I drove was a LS FWD V6. The Camry based chassis on the Venza managed downtown driving like a charm. It certainly felt more like a sedan than an SUV, in fact it didn’t have that big looking down on people feel to it that many SUV’s have. Parking on a hill wasn’t bad either, the version I drove had the panoramic sunroof that seemed to make visibility and lighting excellent. The 189 inch body is identical to that of the Camry and handles tight spots just like it. The Venza also does a nice job of handling bumps on the road. Instead of rattling after the shock of a pothole, the vehicle absorbs it, like many luxury vehicles.

Acceleration

The Venza’s V6 pumps out 268 hp and going up Queen Anne hill was no problem. It tackled the incline with ease and it never felt forced. Managing the freeways and highways was no problem either for the Toyota cross over.  It went from 0-60 in five seconds without pushing it too hard. In terms of acceleration the 2009 Venza has plenty of get up and power for the streets as well as the freeways.

Interior

The only time the Venza actually feels like an SUV is when you’re sitting in the back seat and loading the trunk. While it drives like a Camry, the cargo capacity feels more like a Highlander. The Venza owns a 70.1 cubic feet of cargo space while the Highlander is slightly higher at 95.4 cubic feet. But for the versatile northwest driver it has plenty of room for soccer balls, grocery bags, ice chests or snowboards. The dash is sleek and vibrant with a blue and red color scheme on the displays. However the clock and climate control is feels far on the vast dashboard. A nice added feature was the panoramic sunroof that offered plenty of light to the leather interior. It made the vehicle feel bigger.

Exterior

In terms of looks the best example would be the head turning by those walking around downtown Seattle. Many didn’t know what kind of new Toyota we were driving, and I even saw a lady point while waiting at a cross walk and say, “what kinda car is that?” The 2009 Venza doesn’t look like anything else in the Toyota family. And if people are literally pointing and asking about it on the streets, it tells you the general public is interested.

Check out the 2009 Venza specs.

Locally, word of the 2010 Prius is already at loud buzz, with many potential buyers waiting for this new Toyota hybrid rather than saving thousands now on the 2009 version, by using the Washington state tax exemption. Lets consider the numbers on that, people would rather pay a premium price a new hybrid technology car(maybe $27,500 loaded), rather than save thousands of dollars(over $2500) on a new 2009 Prius.

“People are excited about it(2010 Prius),” claims Matt Page from Toyota of Bellevue. ”The people who asking about the 2010, are sure they want to buy it. It’s supposed to be more efficient and they want that new hybrid technology.”

The 2010 will supposedly get better mileage than the older generation model, by 4-5 miles per gallon. If that’s true, that will be close to 50 mpg. The 2010 is reportedly bigger than in years past as well, 3-4 inches longer and an inch wider. Even with the increases capacity and efficiency,  the 2010 will also have more horsepower, rumored up to 160hp from 110hp.

But of course, Toyota didn’t just stop at the 4-door sedan. News out of the Detroit unveiling, is that later in the year, the Prius will come in a wagon and/or mini van model. There will also be newer upgraded versions(think iPhone) where buyers will have the option of buying the Prius with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, that would allow drivers to plug-in their vehicles.  

In the Seattle area, the 2010 will be available around spring time, expect the price tag to start around the mid-$20,000 range. But you’ll just have to wait and see on everything else.

“Unfortunately I have to be vague about them(2010 Prius’), ” says Page. “They’ll be here no later than May, but other than that, all I can tell you is there are plenty of people asking about them.”

Being that they’re reportedly bigger, stronger, and saves more in fuel, it’s no wonder that Toyota’s Prius is the world’s top-selling hybrid. From all accounts, the 2010 version will do things even better and thus, living up to the hype.

According to Consumer Guide Automotive here are the preliminary specs for the 2010 Toyota Prius

Drivetrain
Drive wheels: front
Engine: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with battery-driven electric motor
Horsepower: 100 gas engine, 160 combined
Torque: NA

“It drives like a car with the utility of an SUV,” says Ken Thompson of Doxon Toyota of Auburn. ” But with the Venza you don’t have the stigma of having a big bulky SUV, yet it has all the features that you’d need in a utility vehicle, most notably having the carrying capacity of an SUV.”

Toyota based the Venza, not on a RAV4 or a Highlander, but on it’s most popular car. The Venza’s chassis is based on that of a Camry, in theory making it very maneuverable. What’s the most impressive could be the efficiency of the engine. The 6 cylinder AWD will get  roughly 18/25hwy while the front wheel drive 6 cylinder will get 21/29hwy. With a 1000 lb. towing capacity and 268 horsepower, the numbers are impressive.  Toyota dealerships are getting in a few at a time, starting with the 6 cylinders followed by the 4 cylinder sometime in January.

Looking at it, and considering all the cross features like gas mileage and the sleek lines, the Venza was built for the Seattle driver. It handles like a sedan, has the Star safety system for security on those long trips over the pass, and has the efficiency for everyday use. Since it’s a true crossover, you can drive it like a car or SUV, it has versatility for almost anything.

“Wow is the word I hear from people who ask about,” claims Thompson standing by the Venza display at the Seattle Auto Show. ” I just heard one guy say to another, ‘looks like Toyota came up with another winner.’ ”

The folks at Toyota call it a crossover sedan, not an SUV. It’s similar to that of the Nissan Murano and Subaru Tribeca. Starting price for a new 2009 Toyota Venza is between $25,000-$29,000 based on FWD or AWD.

Toyota may have taken it’s time to enter into the true crossover category, but it’s Venza may end up of being the best of them all. 

Check out the specs

• 2.7-liter double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve dual independent VVT-i 4-cylinder; 182 hp @ 5800 rpm, 182 lb.-ft. @ 4200 rpm    
• 3.5-liter double overhead cam (DOHC) 24-valve dual independent VVT-i V6; 268 hp @ 6200 rpm, 246 lb.-ft. @ 4700 rpm
• Seating Capacity for 5 Adults
• 1000lb Towing Capacity
• 70.1 Cubic Feet of Cargo Capacity
• P245/55R19 Tire Size – 4 Cylinder
• P245/50R20 Tire Size- 6 Cylinder

See the full 2009 Venza specs

(The test drive feature article is coming soon. Dealerships are just having a hard time keeping them in stock.)