Women and Wheels
women's motoring & cars & car reviews for women
From then to now – the Volvo S60
Aug 11th
I bet if you asked a group of woman what they thought about Volvos, safety would be the first thing they came up with.
Now while Volvo has moved forward in leaps and bounds with their styling (think about the very sexy looking C30), having left their boxy image far behind, one image they don’t want to change is their world-renowned reputation for safety.
So their all new S60 is not only stylish – a coupe with sporty overtones, extremely comfortable and a joy to drive, it also has some amazing safety features. So even if you might not be able to afford one for yourself, you’ll be hoping that other people might.
Pedestrian detection: In the ideal world, people would actually adhere to speed limits, especially around town, but should the unthinkable happen and a child runs out in your path then often our reactions are too slow. This is when pedestrian detection comes into play.
Kia Venga with the ECO touch
Jun 18th
I can only now fully appreciate the sheer space provided by Kia’s new mini MPV, the Venga, after watching it being driven away and me getting into our next test car (it’s a tough life). Lovely though the new one is, it felt rather dark and claustrophobic inside in comparison to the high ceiling of the Kia with its amazing panoramic roof and enough head room for a gorilla – or indeed my husband!
The Mojo Honours List awards and the art of map reading
Jun 11th
When I get lost in a car I never get too concerned as I know eventually something will look familiar, or a road sign will materialise and point me in the right direction. Yet when I feel disorientated on foot, I panic, as normally it means I should be somewhere at a certain time, and I’m not!
That was the situation I found myself in last night where Ford had kindly invited me to join them at the Mojo Honours List awards in EC1. I arrived at Moorgate tube station with hand-drawn map only to find that none of the road names coincided with what I had confidently sketched earlier.
Help was at hand in the form of a street map and a guy minding his own business standing next to it, who, when asked, took out his phone and searched the address for me. Not only was I struck at how kind and helpful this guy was, but the fact that when the map appeared on his phone he did the girlie thing (or at least I’m told it’s girlie, whereas I just think it’s the obvious thing to do) and turned his phone around so the map was pointing in the right direction!
Two myths in one thrown out the window. People are amazingly kind and helpful (I’m a great believer that what goes around comes around), and reading maps up-side-down is for those people just trying to be clever.
I walked up the red carpet into the awards with a spring in my step and not a care that all the paparazzi never even glanced in my direction!
And as for the awards evening? All rather bemusing but great fun with lots of oldies up there getting their awards. Made me feel young again. And my kids started today off well with a gift from Ford in the form of one of their iconic transit vans – scaled down of course!
Peugeot RCZ
May 30th
A beautiful, sports car that has a practical side? Now that’s just being silly. And quite frankly when I actually first set eyes on the extraordinary Peugeot RCZ, any thoughts of a practical nature went straight out of the window. Except that is, what could I do to own one!
Often photos can give a false impression, so that you end up being slightly disappointed and let down when you see the real thing. But although the RCZ looks stunning in the press photos it doesn’t flatter to deceive: it’s even better looking in the flesh, trust me.
Skoda Yeti
May 25th
With the recent winters that the UK has experienced, are we going to see a huge demand for 4 x 4s? From the many conversations I’ve had with women responsible for getting their kids here, there and everywhere, their thoughts are definitely turning that way. Yet there is a reluctance for the traditional monsters we see in Chelsea and a desire for a useable family car that isn’t too heavy on the gas, but can get you out of trouble and gives a feeling of safety.
The Skoda Yeti could be the answer. It’s such a pleasing car on so many different levels. While zooming around town (as the 1.8 petrol TSi does) it’s hard to believe that this easy to drive and manoeuvrable car can actually cope with very rough and unpredictable terrain. While it vaguely has the looks of a four-wheel drive in a cheeky, urban type of way, it certainly doesn’t scream at your 4 x 4 coming through, move over or else!