Women and Wheels
women's motoring & cars & car reviews for women
Ford Ranger
May 24th
Just an hour before clambering into Ford’s strongest vehicle, the Ranger, we had been pottering around the Cambridgeshire countryside in a Ford Anglia. Chalk and cheese, although both shared a noisy drive! I reminisced about my childhood (not that we ever had a Ford Anglia) with memories of tense holiday journeys, three kids squashed in the back and home made sandwiches and cakes in a carefully prepared picnic basket – again possibly imagined rather than real - but you get the general idea.
So back to clambering into a Ford Ranger and my first thoughts being, who would buy such a monster, and my finishing thoughts were…rather nice if you have the matching lifestyle – and off my mind went yet again into fairy tale world of living another life. Or maybe I’m just fickle. Show me a bit of nice paint work and a pleasant car to drive and I can convince myself it’s what my life is missing. Mind you, husband would love it, not for any adventurous activities that he takes part in (because he doesn’t), but for the maleness of it all.
Once you’ve banished thoughts of those dusty trucks so prevalent in the Mid-West, with supped up wheels and men in cow boy hats, and actually driven one, I can understand the need for such a vehicle for certain businesses and lifestyles. And what makes it all the more appealing, setting it worlds apart from other 4 x 4s, is the fact that you can’t label this car as having kerb appeal or as a status symbol.
This is a true work horse, a dressed up truck with no illusions of grandeur, yet with a fair amount of comfort and one that’s easy to drive and manoeuvre, to the point where I kept forgetting I was driving a truck apart from when glimpsed in the huge wing mirrors!
Fiat Doblo – love the sliding doors
May 5th
One of my neighbours has an old Fiat Doblo van. He’s an occasional painter and decorator but seems to spend most of his time titillating his own home rather that driving around painting other people’s. Very neat and tidy though. So this was my mental image of the Doblo – a working vehicle for messy things, like pots of paint. And once such an image has planted itself inside your head, it’s very hard to shift.
But step inside the passenger version of the new Fiat Doblo, and the image changes to family outings and adventures done in comfort and a certain amount of style. With no worries about the car being ruined with muddy wellies and bikes, due to it’s van-like utilitarian interior, children can be returned home filthy after a secret seven-type of adventure.
Fiat describe it as an honest, credible car with great driving characteristics. Despite the name, this is a brand new car. No up-gardes, no facelift and no collaboration – it’s all Fiat. It has a new Chassis, engine, suspension and transmission and while five seats come as standard, for those adventures, seven seats are available.
Peugeot 5008 in Covent Garden
Mar 20th
Really enjoying getting the most out of the Peugeot 5008 we have at the moment.
Whizzing into town is a breeze as it’s not too big, and then this weekend six of us girls (of varying sizes) are going away for a break. That’ll be the true test, both of the car and of our friendships!
We’re testing the turbo petrol version which is incredibly refined (perhaps we’ve been driving too many diesels recently?) but at first glance seems to enjoy a drink…
Peugeot 5008 Out-takes
Feb 20th
Just to prove that the Women and Wheels cameraman has a tough job after all. Our full Peugeot 5008 First Drive Story coming later this week…
Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion 1.9 TDi
Feb 6th
The Look
If like me you remember the Golf the first time round there will be no surprises in the looks department as seemingly very little has changed over the years – this is still recognisably a Golf. However, for those unfamiliar with the look it is one of understated elegance and design with the detailing of the headlamps and tail lights in particular blending in beautifully. Closing the doors gives the reassuring thud of a well-made car. In fact, everything you touch gives the impression of being very solid and well-made…