|
Car of Choice: Volvo's Extra Comfortable XC90 SUV
Point A: DTW - Romulus, Michigan 4:45 p.m.
Point B: Congress Restaurant and Lounge, Downtown Detroit 7 p.m.
The traffic was backed up as I-94 looked like a headache of California highway quake proportions. Good thing the leather upholstered seats were equipped with lumbar support, as I eased in for the long crawl. It’s official; Detroit roads double as a giant parking lot that give outlet malls a run for their money.
So now that I’ve established the Motor City is not fun to drive in, it’s hard to say that all that matters is horsepower. In times like these, it’s about easing the pain – comfort with a big C, of a rush hour that rivals Mid-Town Manhattan’s ride or die scrum for the Lincoln Tunnel.
Even at a slow speed, avoiding the Dearborn potholes was unavoidable, and I appreciated the front independent strut suspension with anti-roll bar and anti-dive geometry, meaning that the car sailed over winter’s leftover highway blemishes without falling down. That’s Volvo making good on their rep for safety -- they’ve got your back.  
Sprawl has indeed crept upon the Motor City, as yesteryear’s policies of no public transportation befuddle the roadways, but as this phenomenon sweeps the nation, there are two distinct camps — the comfort-seeking kind and those more conscious of the gas budget. Safe to say that while it feels good to know your gas tank will not put you in debt if you’re driving a Toyota Prius, you are giving up riding in style in the name of the environment. While someday we may be forced to acknowledge gasoline woes, for now, let’s face it, owning a comfy SUV makes for a more tolerable way to spend a day stuck in traffic. Against the mid-size competition (sorry Acura MDX fans) Volvo makes a great pitch. Why? It’s trusty, with little maintenance required (according to Intellichoice), and the interior is more pleasing to the eye. As far as fuel efficiency goes in SUV territory, it fares decently. Resale values are pretty good too.
Sitting slightly elevated, I could see past the sea of cars ahead. I longed to open up the 4.4-liter, 8-cylinder DOHC alloy engine. With the vixen V8, the SUV is capable of popping 311-horsepower. While the XC90 comes with different engines, the get up and go of the V8 adds flavor to the driving experience. I knew my time would come to go full throttle. Yet, I was patiently soothed by the XC’s sleek, tawny cabin.
As the clock ticked, a bit of rage began bubbling as the horns blared louder. I thought safety features like the whiplash protection system would protect me as I fantasized about taking matters in my own hands -- jutting out into the median to escape the chaos. Everyone knows Volvos are at the top of the game when it comes to safety, which adds a little bit on the pricing.
I glanced at the clock. It was 6 p.m. and we were going nowhere fast. I was still in sweatpants, needing to change into my night gear. The gig started at 7 p.m. No time to check in, which brings me back to the finer points about Volvo over other brands of SUV. It’s a comfortable vehicle to get mad in. I pulled off the freeway into a real parking lot. Sometimes a girl’s gotta pull it together. With an ample third seat, I made a quick costume change without getting any wrinkles in my sundress and tossing on my pumps. When all was said and done, I neatly tucked away my mess in the discreet trunk space that held everything in with the standard cargo net.
Only a few short miles from the party, I was good to go. And when that moment popped up, when the stretch of road opened up before me, it was with great satisfaction that I engaged the V8’s throttle. If you’re going to guzzle, why drink your power responsibly?
|
|