MY SAVVY NAVI APP!

Written by: Sindi Wasserberg Lash

Are you still printing directions from Mapquest and wasting trees? Shame on you!

My 2007 VW Eos does NOT have built-in Navi, but I do own an iPhone. iPhone=apps=several navi apps to choose from. I chose TomTom. I've had it for 3 years now and absolutely love it! It was worth the $49.99. I did not opt for the traffic update for $20/year and I'm questioning myself as to why I didn't.

TomTom always gets the job done. The quality of the maps are excellent and the routing is good.  All of the map data is stored on your phone so an internet connection isn't needed for routes to be calculated. So if you're in the boonies, this comes in handy.

The TomTom app also ties into local Google listings which is a totally awesome feature (data connection is needed for this).

Another nice feature is the "night mode". The color automatically switches to a darker shade when the calculated local sunset occurs. This makes the app much easier to see during the night.

There's a lot of info to view on such a small screen. On the bottom, starting at the left, you can see your current speed along with the road's speed limit (i find this very handy since I tend to have a lead foot). The arrow depicts the shape and path of the road that you'll be taking. You can see the distance to your next turn (i.e. in 1.7 miles). And finally, off to the right, you can see how much time remains on your trip along with a display of the local time.

The only disadvantages I've experienced are: 1) the updates must be installed from your computer due to the file size, 2) the app is slow to load and 3) the app sucks the life out of your battery. PATIENCE is a virtue and good things come to those who wait, right?

Before you hit the road, you'll need 2 very important accessories.

1) CHARGING CABLE - This app (and probably most others) literally sucks the life out of your battery. Oh, didn't I just mention that?!

2) WINDSHIELD MOUNT - A must have. You'll need a line of sight and have your phone as close to the sky as possible. Placing your iPhone on the passenger seat or even inside your drink holder is NOT a good option. I recommend and use the Kensington Windshield/Vent Mount.

And finally, the TomTom gives turn-by-turn instructions in 38 languages. I chose English AU. Olivia, along with her Aussie accent, has been my traveling BFF for 3 years now and I'd never leave home without her.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE PICK-UP TRUCK OBSESSION?

Written by: Sindi Wasserberg Lash


When I first moved to Southern California four years ago, one of the first things I noticed was the overwhelming abundance of pick-up trucks. Coming from a big city like Chicago where pick-ups are pretty rare, I was quite taken aback with this obsession, and I do mean obsession.

I asked myself, "did I move to a farming community where hauling hay and towing Deere equipment is commonplace?" Don't think so. "Are these pick-ups owned by young surfer dudes so they can transport their surfboards?" For some, yes. But why not install a board rack on your economical and green vehicle? Gas mileage isn't that great for these trucks. You'd think that California drivers would be more conscientious about conserving gas.

I also noticed plenty of middle-aged, suit and tie wearing men driving these monsters, decorated with various decals like TAPOUT. Perhaps they'll be hauling their ATV's to the desert for the weekend.

So what's with the pick-up truck phenomenon? I just don't get it. If you're not a farmer, you're not a surfer dude, you're not in construction and you don't have ATV's to haul, please enlighten me.

Here in my neighborhood, I've seen trucks rigged out with pricey rims, enormous tailpipes, special paint, fancy running boards and lift kits, to name a few. Are these owners (who just dished out thousands of dollars on after-market parts) taking their pretty, pimped-out monsters for some off-roading? Highly doubtful.

No matter what people use their pick-ups for, one thing for sure - they're just oozing with testosterone (which leads me to another question, "why on earth do I see so many women driving them too?). This vehicle screams, "I am manly, I need to be noticed and I require steroids and stilts". Is this a version of the Napoleon syndrome?

2011 HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CHIX AND CARZ! (Sindi Wasserberg Lash)

Here's a list of some of my favorite holiday gift ideas for the car buff...

1) Car Care Gift Basket ($70.99) http://www.giftbasketsfordelivery.com/The-car-care-gift-basket.aspx

2) Driving Experience Gifts ($95-$580) http://www.cloud9living.com/driving

3) Roadside Safety Bag for CHIX ($49.95) http://www.cookiepots.com/Roadside-Safety-Kit-For-Woman.htm

4) USB and 12V Heated Mug ($19.95) http://www.cgets.com/USB-and-12v-Heated-Mug.html

5) Booster Seat for your Dog ($54.95) http://www.x-tremegeek.com/kurgo-skybox-booster-seat-for-dogs.html

6) Accutire Programmable Digital Tire Pressure Gauge with Flashlight ($18.99) http://www.vat19.com/dvds/accutire-digital-tire-pressure-gauge.cfm

7) Interior Fishing Rod Holder ($34.99) http://www.drivingcomfort.com/interior-fishing-rod-holder.cfm

8) Passport 9500ix Blue GPS Enabled Radar Detector (499.95) http://www.escortradar.com/store/passport-9500ix.html

9) Heated Electric Ice Scraper and Lock Deicer Set ($16.95) http://www.gadgetbargains.com/ps-ps1674uv.html

10) Instant Power Jump Starter ($64.92) http://www.toolking.com/schumacher-ip-125-instant-power-jump-starter-with-12-ah-internal-battery

11) MotorOKR T505 Motorola Bluetooth Car Kit ($69.99) http://store.hermanstreet.com/electronics/motorola-motorokr-t505/?&ICID=pin-Motorola%20T505%202011-05-19&ofm

12) Safe Drive Keychain Breathalyzer ($21.95) http://www.cgets.com/SafeDrive-Keychain-Breathalyzer.html

13) Personalized Car Mat Set ($24.95) http://www.impressionslast.com/Personalized-Car-Mat-Set_p_258.html

14) Customized CarToon ($70) http://www.giveamasterpiece.com/eShop/10expand-cartoon.asp

15) World's Coolest...Parking Sign ($19.99) http://gifts.personalcreations.com/gifts/worlds-coolest-parking-sign-30039774

16) Local Car Wash Gift Certificates

17) iTunes Gift Certificate for Navi apps

18) Local Oil Change Gift Certificates

19) Local Auto Detailing Gift Certificates

20) A New Car!!!!!

The Fiat 500c Lounge Test Drive

Written by: Sindi Wasserberg Lash

I first set eyes on this vehicle at the LA Auto Show two weeks ago, although I did see the J-Lo commercials prior to my visit. From that moment on, I wondered how this baby would handle on the road and if I would love it as much as I do my VW Eos. I'm always drawn to convertibles/open-air vehicles and this one drew me in.

So off I go to the first Fiat Studio (that's Fiat lingo for dealership) in Orange County - aptly named Orange Coast Fiat. As Jeff and I pulled into the lot, we were surrounded by hundreds of baby Fiats - all different colors and models (with the exception of the Abarth and the Gucci). They all looked cute as a button, I just wanted to give them all a hug.

While we were bouncing from car to car, we were warmly greeted by a very pretty and young Lila Jahangiri. Lila is not a car salesperson. Lila is a Fiat Specialist and rightly so. After I singled out the silver Lounge model, front wheel drive with body side, red racing stripe decals and 6-speed automatic (27mpg city, 32mpg hwy), Lila quickly returned with keys in hand.

Because this is a very small car (smaller than the Mini Cooper), less than 140" in length, we felt it would be best that Lila sit in the backseat since she is much more petite than Jeff! Before I entered the car, I did a slow once-over of the interior, stroking the seats and playing with the knobs and dials. I was very impressed with the two-toned leather interior of red and black (a $1,250.00 option). It added a lot of pizazz and the color combo was a perfect match to the exterior. When I first sat in the driver's seat, it immediately felt comfy and cozy. After manually adjusting the seats (not a big fan, but hey, they had to cut costs somewhere), I noticed that the instrumentation and controls were all in convenient locations. The sharp and snazzy styling was quite appealing, something I don't usually see in American autos.

And of course the Bordeaux (cloth) electric roof is down. Which, by the way, can be operated while the vehicle is in motion at up to 60 mph. Good thing Jeff didn't have his hat on!

Time to take 'er for a spin! I pulled out of the lot, made a right turn onto somewhat of a busy street, cruisin' at about 40 mph and so far it's feelin' pretty good. The steering isn't as tight as I'd like it to be, but it is in the "sport" mode, which gives the vehicle tighter steering and tighter suspension. We hit a red light and I immediately feel the ultra sensitive brakes with just a tap. The light turns green and I step on the gas. Surprisingly enough there was plenty of pep in her step! I anticipated a snail-like reaction off the line (kind of like "the little engine that could"), but she really pulled through for me. Not bad for a 1.4L, 4 cylinder, 101 hp engine. She knew she couldn't let me down and she didn't.

While crusin', Lila reminded me to turn on the Sirius Satellite radio because, after all, the Bose premium audio system is standard, another wonderful surprise. Because we essentially drove on flat terrain, I didn't really notice the tight suspension. But all in all, the Fiat 500c was fun to drive and the smallness didn't bother me one bit. The ride was smooth and she handles turns and lane changes with ease. The price point - low to mid 20's. But one thing for sure, this is definitely a CHIX car.

After we pulled in the lot, Lila invited us in to see the "Studio". It's ultra modern, sporting a snack/beverage bar, lounge looking chairs, a display of wheels and Fiat clothing.

She then introduced me to a very nice guy, Robert Kamarzarian, the studio Manager. Robert wanted to make a sale and who can blame him. I told him that I'm interested in the Abarth model (160 hp, turbo) which won't be available in their studio until March 2012. He offered to let me purchase the Lounge and trade it in when the Abarth comes in, with no cash lost. I told him that I appreciated the offer, but will wait the 3 months and see how I feel then. Because as of now, I'm not ready to part with my Eos (which only has 36K miles).

CRAZY CAR FACTZ

These Crazy Car Factz were researched and compiled by Sindi Wasserberg Lash.


1) An airbag deploys from the steering wheel or dash at 200-300 mph.

2) The first competitive car race took place on July 22, 1894 between Paris and Rouen, France.

3) The first land vehicle to break the sound barrier was a Thrust SSC with a speed of 763 mph.

4) The most produced car: Toyota Corolla. It was first sold in 1966 and had 10 re-designs since. Honorable mention goes to the Ford F-series trucks.

5) The most cars per capita: The U.S. at 765 cars per 1000 peeps. Second place: Luxembourg, third place: Malaysia.

6) The first electric car was built in Iowa in 1891 by William Morrison.

7) Recyclable cars (building cars with reusable materials) -  The following cars are 85% recyclable:
Volvo, Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 250hp hybrid sedan and the Bentley Continental.

PORSCHE EXPERIENCE CENTER COMING TO CARSON, CALIFORNIA

Porsche plans to build a Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California (about 17 miles south of LA, off the 405 freeway) in the summer of 2012, assuming no delays. I'm sure my son Ryan will be thrilled to pieces -  he's a proud owner of a sexy, black Panamera. My husband Jeff owned a Porsche 911 in the late 1980's. No doubt the two of them will pay a visit here just as they did the BMW Performance driving school in Greer, South Carolina in 2005.

This facility (2nd in the U.S., 5th in the world) will have the following features:

* Driving Skills Course
* Off-Road Course
* Test Track
* Driving Simulators
* Restaurant
* Fitness Center
* Porsche Showroom

Porsche already signed a lease with the Watson Land Company. Currently most of the space is a golf course, which was once a landfill. Because it was once a landfill, the EPA will have oversight of the land redevelopment.

A formal application was submitted to Carson's planning department. Once they approve the plan, the nine-member planning commission (made up of local residents) will then review. The city council will have the final approval. Topics to be reviewed: noise pollution, local traffic impact, air quality and the environment in general.

I'll have to download the Porsche Newscast App on my iPhone to get updates on this exciting, new facility. I can say with almost certainty that my family will be spending a lot of time here!

Sindi Wasserberg Lash

J-LO's FIAT COMMERCIAL

Fiat sure invested a lot of money in advertising, but understandably so. They're back in the U.S. with a vengeance and they wanna be heard!

After acquiring a percentage of Chrysler (as of now it's 53.5%), Fiat wanted to re-enter the US market in exchange for providing Chrysler with the technology to build more fuel-efficient and smaller vehicles. Chrysler couldn't do it on their own. Enter the Fiat 500.

The 500 is considered one of the smallest cars in America. Although I drive a pretty small car (VW Eos), I don't think I could drive anything smaller. Looking for one to test drive - and not having much success.

The Fiat 500 is cute, it's funky and it's got personality! There are 3 different models:  The Pop (manual transmission), The Lounge (no pkgs offered) and  The Abarth (sports version with a turbo 1.4L, 4 cyl.) The 500C comes with a cloth sunroof (not a big fan). It's definitely a CHIX car, can't imagine any guy drivin' this one.

 J-Lo is a superstar. She can sing. She can dance. She was voted (don't know by who) as the most beautiful woman on the planet. Fiat was smart. J-Lo can now sell cars.  But what's all the ruckus about? Big deal, so she didn't shoot the scenes in the Bronx like the commercial depicts (they used a body double). Is that the first time we've ever seen a commercial where the star shot the scenes from an LA set instead of on-location? Clearly the answer is NO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deNRiBQiQ3Q

Anderson Cooper even included this commercial on his Ridiculist! He claims he just doesn't know who or what to believe anymore. Seriously?  Does Anderson know that CSI Miami is filmed in Long Beach? Why are we singling out the Fiat commercial?

This too shall pass...

Sindi Wasserberg Lash