Every Monday evening when I pick my kids up at school I've got a different car in the parking lot. I’m always anxious to hear what their first impression will be when I show them which one it is. Sometimes, in a row of 10 cars, they’ll guess themselves.
So, as the kids and I step out the main entrance of the school this past Monday night and head to my new press vehicle, my daughter instantly shouts: “Oh, that car’s really ugly!”
The vehicle in question was a 2012 Acura ZDX. You know, the thingamabob that looks like something, everything and nothing all at once.
What fascinates me about kid's opinions about cars and trucks is their honest, unbiased point of view.
My kids like the Jeep Wrangler, the Shelby GT500, the Nissan Juke and, for some reason, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. They also like pickups. Actually, they love pickups. Every one of them. Pickups rule.
When my son was 3-and-a-half years old, I picked him up at daycare, and when he gazed upon my ride of the week (a smart fortwo cabriolet) he said, “Was your car in an accident?”
My daughter has a preference for convertibles. She liked the BMW M6 Cabriolet and the MINI Cooper Roadster. She doesn’t like cars with electric childproof door locks, a cool safety feature found in many GM products, as well as in several luxury brands like Volvo.
Toyota Corolla? Yaw.
Nissan Rogue? Meh.
Chevrolet Orlando? Yeah, whatever.
Volkswagen Passat? Bo-ring.
Kids like cars that have character, cars that stick out from the crowd. They like cars with wild paint colours, but ironically (or not) didn’t like the slime green paint of the Mustang GT tester I had.
Obviously, there are features that please them more then others, such as a panoramic sunroof, rear-seat climate controls, a third-row seat and -- of course -- a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.
Yet I’m proud of my kids when they ask questions about how an electric car works, and when they say everyone should be driving EVs to save the planet.
So, whenever you’re unsure about a car’s looks, ask your kids. You won’t get a straighter answer.
So, as the kids and I step out the main entrance of the school this past Monday night and head to my new press vehicle, my daughter instantly shouts: “Oh, that car’s really ugly!”
The vehicle in question was a 2012 Acura ZDX. You know, the thingamabob that looks like something, everything and nothing all at once.
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| 2012 Acura ZDX (Photo: Honda) |
What fascinates me about kid's opinions about cars and trucks is their honest, unbiased point of view.
My kids like the Jeep Wrangler, the Shelby GT500, the Nissan Juke and, for some reason, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. They also like pickups. Actually, they love pickups. Every one of them. Pickups rule.
When my son was 3-and-a-half years old, I picked him up at daycare, and when he gazed upon my ride of the week (a smart fortwo cabriolet) he said, “Was your car in an accident?”
My daughter has a preference for convertibles. She liked the BMW M6 Cabriolet and the MINI Cooper Roadster. She doesn’t like cars with electric childproof door locks, a cool safety feature found in many GM products, as well as in several luxury brands like Volvo.
Toyota Corolla? Yaw.
Nissan Rogue? Meh.
Chevrolet Orlando? Yeah, whatever.
Volkswagen Passat? Bo-ring.
Kids like cars that have character, cars that stick out from the crowd. They like cars with wild paint colours, but ironically (or not) didn’t like the slime green paint of the Mustang GT tester I had.
Obviously, there are features that please them more then others, such as a panoramic sunroof, rear-seat climate controls, a third-row seat and -- of course -- a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.
Yet I’m proud of my kids when they ask questions about how an electric car works, and when they say everyone should be driving EVs to save the planet.
So, whenever you’re unsure about a car’s looks, ask your kids. You won’t get a straighter answer.