Airstream: The Riveting Plan

Would you like a bit of Freedom?


That is what the Airstream brand feels like: your wishes for freedom granted.

My husband and I will have 2 children out of the house in 5 years. And there is no way I am staying here in my home without them.
Like mothers everywhere, they are my home. I will need to find a new lifestyle, one in which I foster their independence, not wait for them to come visit the proverbial nest.

They thought it was a dumb idea. Until we went to see them.  Not only did they 180 degree their attitudes, my 16 year old decided the Base Camp would be the perfect gap year adventure.

The International Model: A work of art that you bring with you. A tiny house that makes more sense than any tiny house I have seen on a TV show.

Enter the Airstream, the solution to my angst. Their branding and marketing is profoundly effective.

Live Riveted.

>sigh<

You had me at the first rivet, Airstream.

Ok, Let's do This Mazda CX-5

The moment you decide to buy a new car can be tricky. It feels like there are a thousand choices out there, a thousand offers from car companies, a thousand commercials shouting deals at you. When you think, ah yes, this is THE car for me, a concept care is showing at the LA car show, and you think you may want to hold off for the amazing models that are coming in the Spring.

Like technology upgrades, the cycle never ends. And if you are like minded, the opportunity to drive them all is strong and powerful.

If anyone has been following along with my car journey, this is where we were at: An Audi A4 Cabriolet and a Jeep Wrangler 4 door. With good intentions of driving the Audi full time, alas, I have been in the Jeep. The kids need 4 doors. That's pretty much the whole reason. They are 11 and 14 and need space for their knees.

The Jeep is a really solid nice car. I don't want to sound like I am complaining too much. But it felt like camping to me. And I am not un-outdoorsy, I just like to be comfortable. The Jeep felt too rigid, too 90 degree angle in the backseat, and no amenities. No Bluetooth, no leather, no heated seats, a 1 CD player. One.

Plus, I have been getting annoyed with the whole "wave to the other Jeep" thing.....whole other blog post, but the trend is dying out. I better talk to Jeep about it.

But the Jeep has 4WD and space. And as a family of golfers, 4 golf bags is a tall order. And I carry massage tables around. And we live in Vermont where it snows.

I had just driven the 2016 Honda Civic and really liked it, seriously considered it. If you want a well tuned sedan, please go check it out. Total loaded for around $24k. But it's got CVT transmission, which I really don't enjoy.

My husband, in an attempt to put us out of our misery, said " I will go get you whatever car you want." ( rules and restrictions apply).

I said to him, I want to buy a car from Bill at the Mazda place. He is worth our time and energy. Of the cars in their line up, the CX-5 makes the most sense. AWD, adequate trunk space, heated seats, leather, power driver seat, nice home screen, phone connection. And they have really nice lease and buy deals on 2016 models from Mazda USA.

Not wanting to let me change my mind, Chris hustled to the Mazda dealer, found Bill and said. Lets Do This.

So for car salespeople reading and learning about what makes women tick in car buying (or at least this woman) here are 3 tips:

1. The person who sells me the car is important. Work on building trust and an authentic relationship. 
2. Hitting a national deal at the right time. With so many circulating, unless you have loads of cash, you need to be patient and wait for the deal that works. If there is 0%, find it. 
3. Knowing what your absolute must haves are. Sometimes its drive train and HP, but sometimes it's a heated steering wheel. It's all ok, don't minimize what is important for you. But you must look at a whole bunch of cars to know what are deal makers and deal breakers. 

So thanks Bill at PJ's Mazda for being the right person, thanks Mazda' s CFO for running good programs, and thanks to Mazda's Design Team for getting my list of absolute must haves. And thanks to my patient husband for putting up with my car obsession. 

3 Things I Love and Hate About Car Shopping

I spent hours yesterday at dealerships test driving 5 different vehicles. It was hot and exhausting, but as you all know by now, I enjoy the task. As a woman who loves cars and is not afraid of the showroom, let me share my love/hate relationship.

3 Things I Hate About Car Shopping:

1. Advertised Specials: You see an ad for a great deal on a vehicle, and you do your homework to read the fine print. (Be sure to do this before you get there). Once you get to the dealership, the salesman has no idea what national deal you are referring to, has to look it up online, and then tells you he has a better deal than the national deal. The reality: He doesn't have a car on the lot that meets the requirements of the deal (usually a base trim, base car). Instead of telling you that, he tries to sideswipe the issue. 
2. Lame Trade In Values: I had my current vehicle appraised at all dealerships,  and have again done my research on current value of my 2014 Jeep Wrangler. One dealer told me it was worth $9,000 less than everyone else told me. I looked him square in the eye and asked, "Are you confident in that number?" After he said yes, I shook his hand and left. No one should put up with numbers that are ridiculously off. Reality: He doesn't want your business.
3. Asking Financials: Don't give all your numbers away in the first 5 minutes!! There is no need to tell them your payoff on your vehicle, your current monthly payment, your financial life story. Reality: Once you tell them these items, they use it to their advantage, not yours. One guy told me yesterday, "I need to know your numbers so I can help you." No, you tell them, give me your best deal sheet and I will go from there. All you have to do is deduct your payoff and stick the numbers into an online finance calculator. Tell them everything they need to know after you negotiate the final price of the vehicle. 

3 Things I Love About Car Shopping:

1. Test Driving: I know this sounds obvious, but it is the best. And I love when I go alone on the drive. Ask to go alone if you like that, there is no rule you can't. I say it at the beginning: I prefer a solo test run. I tend to drive for 2-3 minutes, find an open office parking lot, pull in and look at the car critically away from the dealership. This allows me to not be wowed by the full impact of 500 new cars on a lot. 
2. Independent Consultant: My independent consultant is my husband. We both love cars, and he knows the stats on all of them. I called him repeatedly yesterday to ask, " How many horsepower?, Which model has the best lease deal?" after the salesman didn't know. He asks me good leading questions that help me figure out what I like and don't like about the vehicles. I don't think that women need men involved to make car decisions, but everyone needs an independent consultant. That could be a dad, a sister, your friend. It's the person who knows you and a bit of car knowledge. 
3. Saying No. I like saying no and walking away. I think it is good practice for life and business. It is in a sense the Michael Jordan principle that you must fail to succeed. You get a chance work on decision making and conflict resolution. It allows you to see how business operates on a very base level. If they want your business they will work for it. 

Yesterday I did not buy a car. I collected information, I handled great salesman and terrible ones. I learned about what I am looking for in a sedan. I met a really cool 55 year old female minister in a parking lot who said me being there and talking about cars for 5 minutes made her feel confident. I acted as her independent consultant. I had goose bumps watching her drive her shiny new Mazda 3 toward home. 

TDO: A new car invention

In a pursuit of the best car experience possible, I came up with the idea of the TDO: top down odometer. I may not be the first to ever think of it, maybe it already exists, all I know is that my car does not have one and I want one.

Here's the skinny:

A top down odometer measures miles driven with the top down. A sensor senses when the top is opened and starts its own odometer reading.

Why is this cool?

It allows you to measure your fun. You could set a goal of 1,000 TDO miles for the summer.
Or you could find out a ratio: " My car has a TDO ratio of 1:3" (the top is down 33% of the time).
You could talk to other drivers about your usage, "My TDO ratio 1: 5 as my daughter hates the wind in the backseat".

You could decide if a convertible works for you: "My TDO told me I used the feature only 5% of the time, I think I will go with the sedan".

For used car sales, you can see how much the top had been used, giving you a way to measure condition.

Car people like metrics. And people who choose a convertible are car people.
Every top down driver would smile and nod their head as the dealership explained the feature, ah yes, but of course.

And the marketing and ad angle the car maker could take with this....brillant. Which is really why they give us cool features in cars. To sell the car to us.

Top Down Odometer. Hopefully coming to your vehicle soon.

Mechanics

It is easy to think that the MEN in your life should be the ones to help you take your car to the shop. The MEN can have a good old boy conversation and you will get your car back quicker and for less money.

I say, nope.

I do all the mechanic stuff. I've got a guy. (I don't have a girl mechanic, but I would love to say I have a girl). Actually I have a few guys. I have the oil change guy and the harder repairs guy. I have the window ding guy and the guy with the computer-thingy to plug into the car to make the engine light stop incessantly blinking. And if I go somewhere and feel like the mechanic is not making a connection with me, I don't go back. It's ok not to go back.

My mechanics are helpful and cheerful. They enjoy the car banter. They really want to take care of the car and me. They take time to explain what is going on and show me the corroded part. I nod. I don't understand, but they give me enough info to process why the bill is going to be what it is.

Best advice I can give to women is to find the garage who can help YOU. Use referrals. Ask on Facebook. Leave a garage you don't feel comfortable at and find one who welcomes you. You don't have to use the import garage, or the dealer garage. Find the independent mechanic who loves what he does and smiles when your car pulls in. And for the best deal? Pay in cash.

Small car minimalism

The small car. Two doors. Tiny trunk. Small cupholders.

I have gone all minimalistic in my Audi A4 Cab.

After having many large, throw 4 golf bags in the hatch vehicle, get the chocolate lab in the back and two car seats,  I am now reduced to a zen approach to manage my car life.

Going to the driving range? Kids, pick two clubs. Thats all we can fit.

Dropping a box off at the post office? Do it now, 'cuz otherwise can't get my child in the backseat.

Grocery shopping? 4 reusable bags fit exactly in the trunk. Choose wisely at the store.

It has been refreshing to not buy 'that rug' as I know it won't fit in my car. It is calming to realize I can say no to energy sucks as I don't have the space. Costco? You are dead to me.

Everyone should try a small car once just as everyone needs to have gone camping. It is a form of "roughing it" that leaves you feeling balanced.

I Now Have my Smooth Jazz Lounge

It was crazy how intensive this search became. With two vehicles up for lease within 2 months of each other, the "what do we do now" factor for vehicles was like a chess match.  I wanted to give up and knock the board over, but my patient and determined husband wanted me to find the car I really wanted. Which was hard as I wasn't clear on what I wanted.

I knew I wanted red leather interior, and I love a nice sun roof. I also care a lot about seating, enjoying all the power positioning I can get. And heated seats. And a sporty engine. And it has to be cool without being too obnoxious. Oh wait, now I sound obnoxious.

And I wanted to spend less money a month.


So here it is, my new car that is more smooth jazz lounge than british cool.

                                                      The Audi 2005 A4 Cabriolet.

Megan listening to a little smooth jazz

Mini Cooper: Wrong car, right salesman

As I am searching for a new car, I am running into a frequent problem. The wrong car or the wrong salesperson.

I had a great match of a salesman at the Mini Cooper dealership. He was accurate, to the point, energetic without being pushy. He really wanted me to like the car.

Unfortunately, I didn't.

The test drive made my head hurt. The suspension was too tight, and I felt like a mom trying too hard to be a rally car driver. It truly is a fun car that will give you an exciting driving experience.

The Mini is like a cool edgy British bar where they name the drinks as puns (the 007 Goldfinger -made with 7up and Goldschalger), and everyone on the waitstaff has a meaningful tattoo.

Sigh. I wish that was was me right now, but alas it is not.

I need a car that can be my sanctuary, a calm oasis of leather and moonroofs, and a little navigation.

I need a car that is a smooth jazz lounge where the lighting is calming, they serve Prosecco in hand blown stemware, and the staff gives meaningful eye contact.

So where do I find that?

Car shopping

My lease on my Honda CrossTour is up in 2 months.

For the first time in a while, I am unclear of what I would like to do next.

I am very fond of the car I have, but then I think this.....

If I live to 80 and starting driving cars at 16, that gives me 64 years to drive. If you get a car every 5 years, that is about 12 cars average. I have had 9 cars registered in my name.

So, I am doing the math......

and I am absolutely going to get the car I want.

Punch Buggy

You know the game....Punch Buggy Red! And then you unexpectedly get punched in the arm.

My kids thought the game was hysterical. But to a focused mom of two kids, the game was horrible.

There is a "don't hit your sibling" rule in my house. So they would punch buggy me.
It always startled me and I felt like they were going to make me crash the car.

5 years ago I said no more punch buggy, find a new game.

So my kids came up with Square Car. Anytime they see a Honda Element, a Nissan Cube, or the like you get a nice gentle squeeze on the arm.

Square Car is the 21st centuries Punch Buggy game. Rules are simple, so go play!

What Mercedes has that I need

Location: Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, NY
Reason: PGA Championship
Car Sighting: Mercedes


The last major of the year was sponsored in part by Mercedes. And could you tell.
Every official car was a gorgeous sleek new Mercedes.
As you entered the course, there was a showroom full of new models, interactive displays and good looking salesmen and women in purple golf shirts.

Here's what they had that I needed: There was a man there whose only job was to continually rotate wiping smudges of the vehicles. We hopped out of the drivers seat, and he was there to wipe the car doors, check the steering wheel for errant fingerprints, clean the glass from any residual moisture as we inhaled and then exhaled the new car smell.

If every Mercedes could come with an anti-smudge protection package like these do, they may be on to something.

I Played a Game Called Guess Your Car

We had a service tech at the spa this week to rewire our sound system. He has spent many hours giving us good ambient music. As he was pulling wire thru a hole in the wall, I asked him what car he drove and then said, no wait let me guess.

I figured I might get it on the first try. He told me he was not that into cars, and preferred to drive his work van. I stuck my neck out and said,
Nissan Sentra.
 Wrong.
Toyota Tacoma.
 Wrong.
Ok, is it an American car?
 No.
Subaru Impreza.
 No.
VW.
 No
Honda, Mitsubishi, Fiat, Kia, BMW...
 Nope.

At this point I am scrambling....and my assistant says, I bet you ride a motorcycle.
 No.

I gave up. I ran out of options that I thought this single 33 year old hipster would be driving.

The answer: Mercedes C300

I was astounded. 

And so was he frankly. He hates the car. Doesn't know why he bought it two weeks ago. 

Wishes he had his BMW back. Gets more looks in this car then the BMW. Prefers to not be so flashy and is not sure what his intention was when he bought it used with 40,000 miles on it. 

It got me thinking.....

Did he buy for the iconic Mercedes symbol?

Texting and Driving

It is time to put the phones down. I get it, in the beginning of the phone craze we thought we could handle it. We have proven that we cannot. Accident after accident is happening with driver texting. I admit that I used to do it a while ago, but no more. Put your phone in the glove compartment if you have to. Use your built in blue tooth. Pull over. Jeez, at the very least just call.

Women, tell your boyfriends/husbands/dad/sons to stop.
Women, set a good example and leave your phones in your purse.
Women, be the best driver you can be.

We need to protect each other on the roads, and the way I can protect both of us is to focus on the road, not on my Iphone. Even Siri would agree.

February Cars

I saw a Jeep Cherokee the other day and said, now that's a nice looking car, and my son replied: Mom, you just like it because it is clean.

He was right.

February in Vermont means that there isn't a car clean for hundreds of miles. The dirt roads, salt, snow, ice create this extra coating of dirt that pretty much stays on until after tax season. It is not that we don't want to clean the car, it is that we physically cannot. There is no need to run it thru the sprayer if we can't stand the cool mist on our faces at 0 degrees. Plus, it's gonna screw up the windshield and get all iced over. Then we are in a bigger bind.

So if you head to Vermont, do not expect to check out the cars. Every car is enclosed in a cocoon of white/gray/brown-ish grim that hides all personality of the vehicle. Some cars get so dirty their entire shape starts morphing. (I didn't know you drove a hatchback? Oh, no, its still the sedan, its just wicked dirty.)

So from now till April 15, I shall be saving my quarters for my spray nozzle at the local DIY carwash. Figure $23 ought to get it clean again.

Visualize your new car

I am a fan of visualization. I think every athlete at every level should perform visualization. I believe that anyone who is successful uses visualization to make their thoughts and ideas more powerful.

My son is 11 and we visualize his Ryder Cup phone call inviting him to St Andrews in Scotland to play golf for the US. He asks frequently if we can visualize together. We talk about the phone call from the captain, the uniforms, who he is teamed up to play with, and what his strengths are that will get him to the match. (It's his putts, he always makes them from 20 feet out and in).

But today, my visualization was a champagne colored BMW. I told my husband I needed the exact info on this car so I could use my subconscious mind to harness all my power. We scouted the BMW website and found it: BMW 328i Convertible in Orion. I closed my eyes and thought about the noise it made as I pulled it out of the dealership, and the thunk the car door made as I got out of my garage. I visualized how the leather steering wheel feels, and how the seats would hug me as I went around curves. I imagined my hand running down the rear trunk line toward the lights, feeling the smooth sparkly paint under my hand.

I had this car in my mind for 15 minutes today. It was mine. And someday soon, I will be posting a photo of me waving at you from the drivers seat.

Family Autophotography

Do you have a baby photo of your child in their first car? The First Car for them, the one you brought them home in, the one with good and bad memories. Being petrified to drive a precious baby on the road, having them ruin your car with dropped sippy cups, and of course the vomit. My son threw up so much in one of my cars from ages 2-4 I thought I would never be able to trade it in.

My 8 year old daughter asked me today in the car what her first car was. I had to stop to think. Was it the Toyota 4 Runner we got to keep the chocolate lab in the way back? Or was it the Mazda 3? No, that was later....could it have been the Camry I had inherited from her great grandmother just before she was born? 

After discussion with my husband who forgets nothing, it was determined. Her first car was a 1999 Toyota 4 Runner. And I was driving a 98 Toyota Camry at the time. My son also came home in the 4 Runner, and I was driving a 1996 Camry then. So, they both have equally mundane first car experiences.  

But it got me thinking. We should all take a quick, semi posed family photo in front of a car once in a while. You know the cool 40 year old photos with the vintage 70s car behind them. It reflects style, personality, and so much more. If we don't have these photos, our kids will wonder.....what car did I come home in? 

And that is a pretty important question we should be able to answer.

The Prius and the Economist

I am in the habit of glancing inside cars to see if I can make connections between the type of car someone drives and their personality. We know that cars are an extension of ourselves, even if we seem to not care what we drive, what we have in our car tells us a lot about our lives.

I drive a Honda CrossTour and let's see what I see as I glance in: a tennis bag with multiple racquets, a pair of golf shoes, and a golf umbrella are in my trunk. The back seat has an empty Snapple bottle, and a Hardy Boys book from the library. Next to the drivers seat you can find a CD book series called The Compound Effect (I love a good self help/success book), and a bunch of jumbled power cords for the phone/ipod/DS/DVD player. And Jane Iredale lip drink....always a quality lip product in the consol. I know I have an updated insurance card in my glove box, but only because I just had my oil changed, and had to make the extra trip back as the updated card had never made it to the car.

My car completely reflects my life. It is obvious I play sports, that I am slightly disorganized (golf shoes, but club aren't in the car), that I have children, that I hate chapped lips.

So when I walked by the Prius today, I sort of expected to see the Economist magazine on the passengers seat. Neat and tidy. Nothing out of place. No food wrappers. Probably had a survival kit tucked under the wheel well. And you know there were towelettes in the glove box. Not only can I put money down that there was an updated insurance card, but I bet there is a 4 x 6 index card with dated gas purchases and miles written down to do the miles per hour math.

It is Difficult to Find New Car Colors....

But this one is original...Ice Blue from Mini Cooper. It is very BMW of Cooper to pick an elegant, nautical, rich color for their Minis. Gorgeous. I would buy a car this color any day of the week. And especially in a sporty convertible Mini.

Hot Car Siteing: Audi R8 Convertible

Date: July 7, 2012
Place: outside a local diner in Saxtons River, Vermont
Car: A gold Audi R8 Convertible
The conversation said outloud: "That is the coolest car I have ever seen in Saxtons River, VT" said my son Sam, 11.
The result: The owner told Sam to sit in it. Which he did willingly, and then his sister Megan slid into the seat next to him.
The moral: When you see an awesome car (MSRP $150,00) or more) and the owner is there, ask him or her about it.They love it more than you do and want to share it. And it helps to get to sit in it if you are young and cute.

The Secret Society of Jeep Wranglers

I am not even sure if this is public knowledge. It may even be so secret only the Harley guys know about it.

Once you drive a Jeep Wrangler, you are forever in the society of Jeep-ites. Jeep-ers? Jeep-ians?
Wrangler drivers wave to each other. Everyday. All the time. In fact, as you read this hundreds of people are driving with the top down perfecting their Jeep wave.

We have a Wrangler, and have had Wranglers for years. I left the church on my wedding day in a black one. My husband drives it mostly, but once in a while I remember that I should take the top of and go for a ride by myself. I call it my mini vacation.

Well, what I don't remember is that you get waved to...over and over again. And frankly, if you want to drive a car that makes you feel good....the Wrangler does. Every other Jeep is your friend. Your coolness factor goes up. You feel glad you too own a Jeep. It is brilliant marketing. Or is it? How did this Jeep wave come to be? In 1941...were they waving in Willys?

Let me know if you have the answer. Until then, I will be watching for my husbands signature two finger left hand raise on the steering wheel as he salutes his fellow Wrangler men and women.