Sweet Ride 2015 * 2015 Hyundai Genesis

Our first Sweet Ride of 2015 is the 2015 Hyundai Genesis and it IS Sweet! We are so impressed with what Hyundai has done with it's mid-size luxury sedan. The look and design is a nice blend of contemporary and classic elegant design that is all about comfort and luxury.

Starting with the panorama glass roof we love the details in the Genesis cabin. The sunroof expands your feeling of room in the cabin but it's not just a feeling the Genesis brags one of the roomiest cabins in it's class at 123.0 cubic feet. We enjoyed driving the Genesis up the canyon with a full view of the waterfalls and mountains unobstructed by the roof over head. Though the view is good it did not let in too much light during the day making it a very nice feature.

Just look at this amazing interior. You are seeing real wood and metal features. The center console is arranged intuitively with arm rests, hidden drink holders in a comfortable position to place and remove your drink. The joystick style Nice armrest drink holders are in the back with a center arm rest for the rear seat. "Real" back seats are formed for comfort for all the passengers in the car. The options for matte look like shown above or a more classic shiny interior cater to all style tastes.

Favorite Features:

• The In Cabin CO2 monitor that makes sure you are safe on the road. This is only found in Hyundai and I hope other manufacturers follow suit.
• At night when you unlock the Genesis a very fun feature appears on the road just outside the door, an approach lamp that shows a lighted logo reading Genesis lights up the road for you to step into the car.
• The trunk opens for you! Just walk up to the back with the key fob in purse or pocket wait 3 seconds and pop it's open for you when you need an extra hand. LOVE IT!
• Heads up display. This means that you don't have to take your eyes off the road to check your speed and other display features.

BONUS: 
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis offers all the luxury seen in Lexus, BMW or Mercedes- Benz and with a price tag thousands of dollars lower. I am so impressed with Hyundai stepping up to the luxury plate.


NEW this year I'm including a checklist of things I find as a must have in a new vehicle. You know those things you just expect a car to in 2014. We will be including them in all the 2015 Sweet Ride reviews. 

My 2015 Sweet Ride Check List:

The Basics

• USB Ports......................................................  Done and Done!
• Center Armrest..............................................  Done and Done! Both front and back
• Ample Drink Holders {we like our drinks!}.. Done and Done and Done!
• Automatic Seats............................................  Done and Done!
• Automatic Windows { For everyone. Done!
• Good Gas Mileage {because we don't like to feed our paychecks to the tank}16/25 mpg Done
• Keyless {no need to look for those keys just have your fob in your pocket or handbag} Done!
• Rear backup camera{I am amazed some markers are still excluding this feature} Done!
• Full media and navigation systems {it's a must have in 2015} Done! includes SiriusXM® Radio, HD Radio, and iPod/USB auxiliary media input  

Worth Getting

• Heated Seats................................................... Done!
• Cooled Seats................................................... Done!
• Heated Steering Wheel..................................  Done!
• All Wheel Drive............................................. Done! HTRAC® AWD
• Rear Auto Window Shades............................ Done! Manual side and auto back
• Eco Sport and Normal Modes........................ Done!

Over all we want the 2015 Hyundai Genesis and we didn't want to give it back and would love it if Hyundai wanted to drop one off for us for Christmas. Go give it a test ride and you will see what I mean!

2014 Nissan Versa Note * Sweet Rides 2014

The 2014 Nissan Versa Note is leaving us hot and cold, yes and no when it comes to the features this little car brings us.

We really like the flexibility of the seats and folding capabilities. With a small vehicle and experience as a young driver in college it's nice to be able to haul around your stuff from apartment to apartment without having to find someone with a truck. I remember the days dating an art major hauling around his big canvases. This would have been a great car.

Are far as get up and go the 2014 Nissan Versa Note is a dud. BUT it's great for a college student to run around town in. I wouldn't how ever want to take it on a long trip. It feels more like the power of a scooter and should be left for around town driving. It boasts a fairly good 27/36 mpg which is good for a student budget. With an average price of around 15k the cost of buying isn't too bad either.

 

All in all we are as we said and hot and cold on the Nissan Versa Note. It's nicer looking than most in it's class. It's a pretty basic vehicle. It has 5 doors and a tight seating for 5 which brings us to... yes, we would put it on our list for teen/college student cars but not for the grownups.

2014 Volkswagen Tiguan * Sweet Ride 2014

The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan sports a nice new quality interior but with the other Volkswagens we have tested this year leaves us wanting to like it more.

With beautiful quality of it's premium interior styling and materials the Volkswagen Tiguan is a bit tight for a vehicle in the SUV category.  This compact crossover is a bit too compact with very little cargo space and cramped back seats.

The 20/26 mpg does not impress us. We would like to see better gas milage for this smaller SUV. Another thing we noticed is that rear view backup camera is NOT standard which surprises us on any 2014 make or model. In 2018 a rear view camera will be mandatory by law.

With the lack of good gas milage, rear view backup camera and no USB ports and the extra space you need for gear, groceries and other goods we will have to pass on the 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan. Hopefully the 2015 model will show some improvements. 

2014 Nissan Altima * Sweet Ride 2014

The 2014 Nissan Altima Sedan is a comfortable ride with plenty of user friendly tech savvy extras to make the carpool lane or road trip easy. 

 With the introduction of the NissanConnect Apps and the smart phone integration platform listening to your favorite Pandora station as well as keeping up with your Facebook feed is easy when wanting for the kids in the school carpool lane or while on a long road trip to visit mom. The a six-speaker sound system keeps you jamming to the kids Disney Pandora station or your favorite throwback tune from high school. I hear some Simple Minds 'Don't You Forget About Me' and remembering the time I went to see Breakfast Club which was my first R rated movie at the movie theater. 

The intuitive features such as the auto dimming rear view mirror, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alerts and a lane departure warning system all makes you feel more in control of your ride on the road.
 

The Altima's interior cabin has a beautiful upscale feel with quality materials and design. There is great drink holder placement, a nice armrest console and a touch screen control panel.
The 38-mpg fuel economy rating is a respectable number and one of the important number I look at with all vehicles. Who wants to waixs time and cash at the pump. No thanks not me. 

Overall we put it in our would buy it list for comfort, intuitive and tech functional - Sweet Ride 2014.

Sweet Ride 2014 * 2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport Built for the Family

The 2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport is nicely designed, roomy, easy ride with a comfortable passenger space. From the large trunk space to the ample rear passenger foot room. It's a really nice looking vehicle inside and out.

As a mid-size sedan I was very impressed with the interior room especially in the back seat. My tall teen boys could sit comfortably without their knees in their chest even when a taller friend was in the seat in front of them. The 39.1 inch rear legroom delivers. Seating is perfect for a small family of 5.

Loves include the climatic manual single-zone climate control with pollen filter and rear passenger ventilation in center console and the Bluetooth with audio streaming. I have allergies most of the year with exception for the month of July I am pretty much sneezing. The pollen filter is genius. One of my favorite things is getting into a vehicle that is intuitive and requires I do as little as possible to be productive and comfortable. The Bluetooth with audio streaming is just that thing. Get in without having to plug in and play your play list, audiobook or podcast- easy peasy.

Two luxury loves are the heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals and the heated windshield washer nozzles. Perfect for the super cold New England winters. Again both giving you the luxury of not having to do something you would rather not do.

Two wishes are...

Wish they included USB ports. This is a must in a new vehicle. We noticed them missing right away when going to plug in our phones.
Another wish is an option for cooled seats. We love them on some of the other vehicles we drove and feel they are a must with leather seats in the summer months.

Overall we would buy the 2014 Volkswagen Passat Sport. It's comfortable, stylish and roomy.

2014 Lexus GX460 * Sweet Rides 2014

The ultimate 2014 Sweet Ride starts with the 2014 Lexus GX460. Lexus knows how to do luxury AND reliability. We love that Lexus thought of everything a mom could want in a family vehicle in the 2014 Lexus GX460.

Let's start with the cargo space. From sports equipment to a new dress for the girl's room.

With thicker glass there is a nice reduction on driving noise which is nice because we all know how loud kids can get in the car.

Going on a family camping trip or taking the scouts out? The 2014 Lexus can manage off road with a powerful V8 engine and towing capability.

One of our favorite luxury items is the Lexus Remote Touch interface infotainment system. It' a cross between a mouse on your computer and a joystick for a gaming systems that lets you navigate your information and entertainment while in the drivers seat.

Leather interior with smooth lines and wood details adds to the luxury a mom has earned. Isn't that steering wheel just pretty. The wood is my favorite.
Luxury options include headlight washers. You ask yourself do you really need headlight washers? Yes, you do. Why? because when it's late at night and there is a heavy snow or a wet muddy night you will not believe how much it those little washers do to make visibility so much better.
Another visibility feature we like is the rain-sensing wipers. One time I was driving in the snow in Vermont and a big truck coming the other direction covered our vehicle in wet slushy snow. I couldn't see anything and was heading towards a sharp curve. Though they are handy during any rain or snow storm this is when you need the rain-sensing wipers.

The 2014 Lexus GX460 is our favorite 2014 Sweet Ride second only to the 2014 Lexus LS460.

2014 Lexus ES300h and ES350 * Sweet Ride 2014

2014 Lexus ES300h and ES350 are the Lexus full size sedan for the Lexus lineup.
The h in the ES300h stands for hybrid for us it stands for great gas mileage and lower emissions. 40 miles per gallon is where we find a big winner with the ES300h.  Along with great gas milage you are assured reliability of the Lexus name. The ES is the second only to the RX in sales because it offers all the goodness and comfort we are looking for in a sedan.

Heated and cooling seats are now available on the ES and it's one of our favorite features in a vehicle. As much as you don't realize it if you've never had them once you do you will never go back to a plain old seat again.
Another favorite is the heated steering wheel. A must have in cold weather.
Roomy back seats provide a comfortable ride for all.
The ES also includes our favorite Lexus Enform App Suite.
One more favorite is the rear window power shade.
The overwhelming theme when driving the 2014 Lexus ES300h and ES350 was a comfortable, quiet and smooth ride.
For the lovers of Apple products a new feature this year on the ES is the Apple's Siri Eyes Free a great safe way to use technology while driving. There are also standard USB and iPod inputs for charging while on the road as well as access to your playlist.
The luxury options include a Mark Levinson premium sound system.

Between the ES300h and the ES350  in my opinion you are sure to find the full size sedan you're looking for in 2014. It's on our list as are all of the Lexus vehicles of must buy for 2014.

2014 Lexus GS450h * Sweet Ride 2014

We love a good hybrid midsize sports sedan. It gives us good gas mileage, comfort and the size we like. The 2014 Lexus GS450h delivers with the luxury the Lexus brand provides.

Just look at this interior. The wood detailing, beautiful stitching, smooth lines and classic analog clock, we are feeling the luxury in the drivers seat. 10 way power seats allow both you and the front passenger to get into that perfect seat for a comfortable drive around town or on a long weekend trip.

We love love love the Lexus Enform App Suite. The navigation system, access to yelp pandora and other apps make driving the 2014 Lexus GS450h more than just a ride. It's a resource of luxury living on the go.

The ECO, Normal and Sport settings give you flexibility of get up and go or full ECO mode to save gas. The average 29 mpg city- 34 mpg highway keeps us happy and away for the gas station.

The new feature we love in the 2014 Lexus GS450h is addition of the Blind Spot Monitor. As a parent we need this feature along with the standard back up camera. 

Another feature we love is the all wheel drive option. When we are in the middle of winter this is such a handy feature to get us to the kids school or our important meeting during the slick winter weather.

We put this on our will buy it list the 2014 Lexus GS450h.

 

2014 Scion FR-S * Sweet Ride 2014

It's been a while since we've been in a manual (shift) transmission car. The 2014 Scion FR-S was a great place to get us back to the stick and enjoying the control it brings to a sports car.
Our first impression of the FR-S is that woah this car is s.e.x.y. The design has beautiful sporty lines in a candy apple red that gets you excited seeing it on the road. It also comes in a smooth white. Behind the steering wheel you will be having fun taking control of your ride.

The interior of the 2014 Scion FR-S boasts a sporty look with contrasting stitch and sport style seats that form around the driver.
You might recognize the look of the FR-S because Scion teamed up with Subaru and between them created the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ both sporty little affordable coups.
If you looking for some fun on the road while taking control and driving around a sexy little coup the Scion FR-S is for you.

2014 Toyota Highlander XLE * Sweet Ride 2014

The 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE Muppets campaign has been everywhere. I'm sure you have seen it at least once. We wanted to try out the new Highlander to see for ourselves if it works for our family and if we wanted to "go places" in this new Toyota Highland XLE that has "no room for boring."

Interior details that we loved include the center console with room for all the little things you need when on the road from wipes to gum to an extra stick of deodorant. If you have teen boys you know why we carry deodorant in our vehicles.
Drink holders are perfectly places throughout the vehicle with water bottle holders in the door.
The navigation system will help you out when you forgot the directions to the kids playdate or your girls getaway trip which may or may not happen more than we would like to admit.
The new in dash shelf is perfect to hold a cellphone or an iPad. You will love this new feature. It came in handy more than I thought it would.

We really like the seating for 8. If you have a big family or if your kids and their friends need rides there will be room for everyone. Do you see those drink holders in the back and the way way back! Yep, I love those too.
The power liftgate that adjusts to your height- yes please.

Over all favorite feature is the Driver Easy Speak which is standard on the XLE allows the driver to be heard by those who are in the third row. This means no getting away with craziness for the kids in the way back and they can hear you when you need them to.

It's definitely on our will buy it list of family vehicles for 2014.

Toyota Avalon Limited Hybrid * Sweet Ride 2014

We enjoyed the 2014 Toyota Avalon Limited Hybrid for many reasons from the great gas mileage to the stylish luxury appeal.

Being a full size sedan the hybrid brings the gas mileage down to that typical of the compact sedans of 40/39 mpg. You can't argue with those numbers. With gas prices as high as they are these days. The nice thing is you don't have to sacrifice the room and luxury for the great gas mileage. With the Avalon's 17 gallon gas tank you can go 680 miles before needing to fuel up again.
The touch navigation screen and controls are easy to use with very little time need to learn what they do and how you will use them.

The sleek design was imagined by the Toyota American design team out of California.  As you can see above the long lines across the dash give a feel of a horizontal movement that lends itself to a feel of wide room and comfort to the senses.

The room back seats are ready for work on the road. There is plenty of room to pull out the laptop and comfortable back seating with a nice center fold down arm rest console with drink holders to keep you happy while getting some work done while in the carpool lane or on the way to the airport. 

We love, love the 2014 Toyota Avalon Limited Hybrid and are putting at the top of our buy it list for Sweet Rides 2014.

Sweet Ride 2014 * Luxury & Full SUV * 2014 Lexus LX570

If  I could choose any vehicle that I had to drive for the rest of my life it would be the Lexus LX570. I love it from tip to top. This full size SUV is driving luxury with options, beauty and function.

Side note: I just had to add this extra photo for you all to see the 2014 Lexus LX570 against the snow so you can imagine yourself riding up in it to your favorite ski resort. Pretty dreamy.

Luxury standard comes in full time 4-wheel drive for those tough winter roads or off road camping adventures. Quad-zone climate control for full comfort for everyone in the vehicle. The power moonroof, a leather interior with mahogany wood trim and a 14-way driver's seat create the ultimate luxurious cockpit.

Luxury extras are everywhere, leather heated and ventilated seats, contrasting stitching, roomy and comfortable seating for 7 and beautiful wood trim.

With both a light and dark interior option we chose the lighter Parchment Leather Mahogany as our favorite.
Although we do like all 6 of the color options for the exterior the Silver Lining Metallic is our wish list color favorite with black as a close second.

Add on luxuries we love includes surround camera system(love love love this option) and high quality Mark Levinson system with 19 speakers to go with the a dual screen DVD rear seat entertainment system.

The LX 570 is quiet and refined but has powerful 5.7-liter V-8 engine powerful enough to pull your boat or trailer for a weekend trip.
We list is a our top pick for our Sweet Ride 2014.