It's all about the Journey not the destination?

Dodge Calibre



Chrysler/Dodge Journey

For the stylish , athletic and maverick man who's moved on to having a couple of kids.

What used to satisfy his independant , rough and tumble needs with the Dodge Calibre cross-over SUV, he now needs more space for the kids and family dog (and the occasional furniture and annoying grandparents) , and yet , he is not at the high-and-might executive-end (meaning old) with lounging-needs for a business class seating of the legendary Chrysler Voyager, he now has the Chrysler Journey.

Chrysler Voyager

A very effective mid-point for his driving needs for the car possesses the brutish charm of the Calibre with almost the space and luxury of the Voyager.

Don't expect sports car-like performance and handling .

This is a giant willowy SUV-MPV to cruise effortlessly and non-excitedLy , eating the miles with no fuss or thrills.

Yes, the family can who needs to move on but hopelessly clings to his macho Calibre-days.

Perfect.

Q... clearly not a Subaru Exiga GT/ Ford S-Max/ Honda Odyssey rival. Just simply a good ole American ride.

S-Pace : The Jet set family

When it comes to cars, the laws of physics ring loud and clear.

You want the physical foot print on the road to match King Kongs because you have a similarly sizeable apean family to lug around (or tug along) , you 'll have to sacrifice your thirst for the sleek , fast and furious.

Unless of course, you're earning a movie star's pay cheque (like the real King Kong) . There's always the Audi Q7, Mercedes R-Class, Land Rover Discovery, Lexus LX et al to choose from.

Where sheer brute force of their mega engines compensate their even bigger bodies at the expense of Gia.

The Toyota Fortuner and Hyundai Starex can lug around half a 1st World country as well but they too suffer from fast-food obesity all the same.

But for the rest of us mere mortals who earn only enough to feed our huge families (procreation and longevity aren't cheap), and still stubbornly want the compromise between space and pace, thank bullsh*t that 3 manufacturers have been listening to their Customer Service department (they mostly just pay people to sit there and nod).

The Subaru Exiga GT: Subaru's legendary symmetrical AWD system matched to its even more iconic turbo-charged engine for an astoundingly blistering performance that'll shame many a sports car whether on the straights or around the bends. The fastest and most road-capable MPV in the world. Amazing.


The Honda Odyssey : One the world's biggest selling premium MPVs because it's really a sports car masquerading as a people mover. Low slung and stealthy matched to Honda's legendary performance. Trully a Manga-hero translated to four wheels. Bullishly Fierce.


The Ford S-Max : European Car of the Year 2008, for a reason. Dynamic and sporty. Swoon-some.


With any of these three, the space and luxury afforded by their upper-mid market positioning is a given.

Their pace on the road , however, is a huge bonus.

Q ... Proving that space and pace can be done with less.

1 for the Bashing?

I've read a lot of negative reviews about the BMW 1-Series.

I mean these journalists need to give it a break.

It's a BMW for gawd sakes.

It can't ever possibly be all bad. At All for that matter.

It's got the good pedigree of a Champion Horse.

The athleticism. The pace . The legendary rear-wheel handling.

The face with the infamous Kidney-grille.

The viper-esque front end and that sporty cab-back cabin compartment all conspire to give it a purposeful prowl not since the BMW 6-Series or the iconic Dodge Viper.

So yeah, it may not be the most well-equipped car in its class not anywhere near being the most spacious, but a BMW is what it is.

A BMW. A car for the driver .

The Ultimate Driving machine.

If I'd wanted a hell lot of space, I'd get a Ford S-Max or Jeep Compass or something.

Or a truck.

Why da hell will I be getting a BMW and talk about ferrying a small nation anyway....

Duh? :0)

Q

To win, you have to be MAX

"This award confirms what we dared to believe - that Ford S-MAX is different, and creates a new vehicle segment in which elements of a sports car and a multi-activity vehicle combine together to deliver a dynamic and stylish family vehicle that you really want to own,"

- Roelant de Waard, Chairman and Managing Director, Ford of Britain

The Ford S-MAX ... with ,er, someone important (Roelant?) .

What do you get when you may not be the best in any one particular area but is doing good in so many?

>Swoon-worthy with its much-hyped about 'Kinetic design'.

> On the inside, the fit-and-finish that's fit for a king.

> The space to fit 7 in total comfort and convenience.

> The 6-speed transmission that is the envy of even Sports car owners

> A robust Duratec engine that hauls it to speed efficiently.

So there you have it, the Ford S-MAX , the first MPV to win the ...

EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD (2007) .

" The Car of the Year is an international award, judged by a panel of 58 top motoring journalists from 22 European countries. Its objective is to acclaim the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the 12 months preceding the date of the title. It is organized by a group of seven leading European publications: Auto (Italy), Autocar (Great Britain), Autopista (Spain), Auto Visie (Holland), L'Automobile Magazine (France), Stern (Germany), and Vi Bilagare (Sweden).

The Ford S-MAX was declared the winner following a closely fought competition in which 41 contenders for the award were reduced to a shortlist of just eight - the Citroen C4 Picasso, Fiat Grande Punto, Ford S-MAX, Honda Civic, Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 207, Skoda Roomster and Volvo C30."

Q