Car Tune

My dad always used to say, "More extra gadgets just means there are more extra gadgets that can break down." He might be right, but at this moment, I'm loving me some gadgets.

Today marks Day One of my week-long test drive of the brand spankin' new Lexus RX 450h (hybrid). I decided to take Lexus up on their generous offer to let me try it for a week because a) I'm interested in how the hybrids work. As a dedicated SUV lover, my wallet takes a pretty hard hit every time I pull into the Shell Station. And b) as a dedicated SUV lover, I'm also intrigued by this new "crossover" genre (not as big or hard to park, etc.). So I'll be running it through its "mom" paces to see if it's good for the loading and unloading of all sticky, hairy and sandy passengers, handles well while I'm refereeing Kate vs. Jack arguments and overall presents a nice family package. Here's what I know so far:

• Loved: The camera mounted on the passenger side gave me an excellent view of my backside for exiting the driveway, an excellent tool on my kid-heavy street. The car also has beautiful curb appeal, so go ahead and stare with envy, neighbors!


• Not Sure About: My first trek out today was to deliver my father-in-law and his paramour to The Huntington in San Marino from my home in the San Fernando Valley. I looked a bit goofy sitting in the driveway as my father-in-law stared on in wonder while I poked at the "on button" (keys are so 2009, apparently). But we eventually got 'er out onto the street. I'm also new to the quiet "Is this thing on?" hybrid engine.


• Need to Get to Know: The navigation system looks amazing, but it wasn't easily navigable itself. I fiddled and futzed with the buttons to try to figure out how to chart a course from The Huntington back to the Burbank office, but I ended up using my "guess and hope" internal navigation, which worked just as well (it was a no U-turn trip).

Stay tuned!