Ins & Outs of Auto Interior Design
Results of Study Drive Women-Focused Product Development
October 17, 2008
By Renae Pippel, Consumer Research Manager, North America, Johnson Controls, Inc.
Special to SmartWoman Online
Today’s women are more autonomous than ever before. As their lives evolve, it’s clear that their vehicles need to transform with them. Read more »
Tiny Cars, Big Message
Companies take to the road
August 22, 2008
By Martha Thomas
Photography by Bryan Burris
Kitchen Gadget
“People are always waving,” says Jenifer Gately, who drives a Mini Cooper, the urban, eco-friendly automobile du jour. “I’ll be at the gym and someone will say, ‘Are you the one with the Mini?’” Read more »
Automakers See Green
Small Innovations Add Up
July 29, 2008
By Martha Thomas
In the early 1970s my father joked that the ubiquitous Volvos of southern New Hampshire came with factory-installed McGovern stickers. That was a vehicle that seemed to say something about its drivers back then: tweedy professorial types, conservative only when it came to safety. Read more »
What Do Women Want?
Car Makers Bet On Luxury Crossovers
March 15, 2008
By Martha Thomas
The question of what women want has puzzled men — and marketers — ever since the first woolly mammoth bone was whittled into a necklace.
Minivans live!
The Minivan: Still In There Pitching
January 14, 2008
By Martha Thomas
In 2001, Ford created a minivan with the works: temperature-controlled cupholders to heat or cool, a refrigerator with a
see-through top, a microwave, a built-in vacuum cleaner and, to the wonder of soccer moms everywhere, a Maytag washer and dryer. The Windstar Solution, alas, never went into production. Of its many features, only the electronic gadgets — the navigation system, video monitors and Gameboy hookups — made it into the mainstream.
The Star-Spangled Saturn
A Season of Saturns
November 15, 2007
By Martha Thomas
“Does this thing come with its own derrick?” Dan asked after he’d pulled up to the cottage. My partner had just filled the SUV’s 22-gallon tank, putting a $50 dent in his credit card. But I was impressed: He’d driven all the way from New Jersey to Maine on a little less than a full tank of gas. Read more »
Testing Volvo’s Convertible in Hawaii
August 4, 2007
By Martha Thomas
I’ve never been a big fan of convertibles. They were popularized in the days before autos had air conditioning, when 40 miles per hour was considered fast. Convertibles are for motoring, not for running errands or commuting in stop-and-go traffic on a humid day. Read more »
Downsizing: Compacts With Big Ambitions
Compacts from Nissan, Honda and Suzuki
May 31, 2007
There’s increasing talk about living small these days, but it’s challenging to shed excess when all around we still hear the mantra of “more.” And, when it comes to cars, concern about the amount of fuel we burn — be it worry for the pocketbook or the planet — is sometimes trumped by the number of seatbelts. We want it all. Read more »
Gingerbread - Sweet and Spicy Heaven
Easing Down I-95
Online Shopping Takes Off
Overcoming Holiday Overload
Tilghman’s Winter Tranquility
Petters, Ponzi & The Scheme Scene
Cool To Clip!
For Baby Boomer Women, Social Networking is Essential
The Mossy Greensward
Holiday Cheer
Allergy-Free Season’s Eatings