Canadian Mom Blogger - Product Reviews, Travel, Recipes and Parenting
Three years ago, I attended the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on a special blogger trip with Ford Canada. I had the chance to see into the past of the Ford Motor Company while exploring the Henry Ford Museum, and then glance into the future as the Ford’s newest vehicle was unveiled for the first time. Of course, I also spent a bit of time admiring the many other gorgeous vehicles at the auto show too!
I recently had the opportunity to visit the Canadian International Auto Show held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. The Auto Show has been a tradition of mine for years as I never miss the chance to spend a day (or two!) eyeing all the hot new cars manufacturers have lined up for us to ogle. With nameplates like Ferrari, Maserati, McLaren, and Porsche all on display, it’s easy to start thinking about buying a few more lottery tickets or selling a body part to make a down payment.
But as much fun and excitement the exotics offer, a good portion of the show’s 600,000 square-foot floor is dedicated to everyday cars and trucks purchased by Canadians daily. With over 1,000 vehicles on display, it’s the best place for visitors to comparison shop without any pressure or hassles. Having checked out various makes and models, here are a few of my favourite picks for Canadians:
At the show Mazda won 2014 Canadian Car of the Year for their mid-sized Mazda6 sedan. While the floor was buzzing with excitement over the win, I found myself just as excited by its smaller brother the Mazda3. With gorgeous flowing lines, the bold grill and swept-back headlight assembly completes a package that says, “Hey! Let’s go someplace fun today!”
Inside I found controls to be within easy reach, while its BMW-esque dashboard (particularly the center display unit) gives a sense of premium styling and features. Fuel economy is also a key feature with Mazda’s Skyactiv suite of technologies delivering impressive results while maintaining Mazda’s peppy drive characteristic. With a choice of sedan or hatchback, there’s plenty of options and trim levels to appeal to a wide array of buyers (personally I love the GT hatchback with the larger 2.5L engine). I wasn’t too thrilled with the overly sized center tachometer, but that’s a minor detail I’m willing to overlook given how terrific the rest of the car is. [Read more…]
One week ago I had the tremendous honour of being chosen as one of 200 bloggers around the world to head to Detroit for the #FordNAIAS Digital Summit. The event was overwhelming and to me, it embodied ideas of past and future that I believe are cornerstones of the entire Ford brand. The first idea (the one that I’ll be focusing on today) is that moving forward can only be achieved with an understanding of, and respect for, the past.
We received our first glimpse into that past at the opening night dinner at the Henry Ford Museum. The rich history of this Detroit treasure was evident as soon as we walked through the door and I, like many others, was blown away by just how many amazing exhibits the museum contained. From the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to the hilarious Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, the exhibits had my emotions jumping.
So far, my family has had a great time testing out the new technology and incredible comfort of some of the brand new 2012 Ford vehicles from Ford Canada. But one of the things that Ford is best known for is not its passenger cars but its trucks! Most men have lusted after a Ford F-150 at some point in their lives and my husband is no exception, so he was delighted when he learned that we would be test-driving the 2012 Ford F-150 SuperCrew FX4.
A truck is not what springs to mind when one thinks about a family vehicle, but the F-150 was incredibly comfortable even with all four of us aboard. With four doors and the extended SuperCrew cab, getting the boys into their seats was easy and there was just as much leg room as if we were in a car or van.
