Road & Travel Magazine's Blog

2013 Honda CR-V Road Test Review

by Martha Hindes

For someone trying to beat traffic running across a street, hope the vehicle you're dodging is a 2013 Honda CR-V crossover. This recently revised crossover utilityvehicle (CUV) was designed to prevent injury to pedestrians wanting to play bumper tag in mid-street with a few thousand pounds of moving sheet metal and parts.

Honda has been astute about keeping a clean safety record for the cars and trucks it builds, as evidenced in its longstanding record of high star safety ratings. The new, 2013 model year is no different. This CR-V (its name originally derived from Comfortable Runabout Vehicle)  was redesigned a year ago, and includes a safety system Honda calls “pedestrian injury mitigation,” to reduce injury to those on foot if hit by a car. (We expect the system has had lots of real world validation in Honda's Japan homeland and other countries worldwide where people tend to go on foot more than Americans do.)

The CR-V for Americans is purposely built in the U.S. for contemporary buyers whose lifestyles can vary from city dwellers to the beach crowd to those who love the countryside or wide open spaces. In true CUV fashion, according to Honda, it is meant to morph from comfortable daily driving, shopping trips and package carrier duties to light purpose off-roading if the occasion calls for it. For full review, click here.

2013 Acura RDX Road Test Review

by Martha Hindes

When technology goodies on cars was an emerging trend, a junior technology buff complained it all went on “older people's cars.” Well yes. They were the ones who could afford it at that time. Fast forward a score or so and biting edge technology is now the domain of the brash and under-aged Twilight genre. It's been softened a bit for the rest of us, if the newly redesigned 2013 Acura RDX crossover is any indication.

At Road & Travel Magazine, we remember our first turn around the block in the original RDX a half-dozen years ago, fast, agile and unapologetic; its lux credentials muted enough to balance its turbo-charged performance gusto. That was something we loved as driving geeks. But RDX buyers were hinting they wanted something more, like enhanced ride quality, more pampering, better fueleconomy and maybe a shade less in- your-face on the technology side.

Back to the drawing board. To continue review, click here.

Holiday Air Travel Tips

Don't Get Caught in a Holding Pattern

by Courtney Caldwell

Anyone who has traveled during the holiday season knows how challenging it can be with crowds, security and possible weather delays. Being prepared is the best way to prevent what can be a very stressful situation. Here are a few holiday travel tips to help you through the chaos:

• If at all possible, avoid traveling on the Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving. These are known as the busiest travel days of the year. Also, put some distance in days before and after Xmas... the weekends before and after are not only the busiest but also most expensive.
  

• Go online to confirm your seat assignment. This will save you from waiting in a long line at the airport. Most, if not all, airlines offer check-in services online so you can easily print out your boarding pass at home. Once you get to the airport, just check your bag curbside and you're ready to go.
  

• Another way to save time is to use a kiosk check-in when you arrive at the airport. These lines move much more quickly than waiting in line for an agent at the counter. Everything is automated but there are agents to help you just in case you need them. While you can add checked luggage to your boarding pass you will have to stand in line to give it to an agent at the counter, however.

• Arrive at the airport two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart to allow for long lines and delays. Rushing will only cause more stress and ruin your holiday. Click here for all tips
  

2013 Crossover Vehicle Buyer's Guide

2013 Crossover Vehicle Buyer's Guide - Our Top 10 Picks
by Martha Hindes

With Contributions by Tim Healey and Bob Plunkett

When sport utility vehicles lost favor with a lot of American consumers a few years back and sedans didn't fill the need for flexibility and more space, auto makers came up with a new package to offer the best of both worlds. No one knew for sure what to call it until someone suggested “crossover or CUV” for crossover utility vehicle. The name stuck. For drivers ready for a new, more adaptable driving flavor, the idea also stuck. And the vehicle that some think of as a softened SUV or a wagon on steroids became a hit.

Since the CUV emerged as its own sub-classification it has continued to evolve, adding flash and dash to its utilitarian underpinnings, zip to its performance, comfort despite its expanded character and in many cases coddling its drivers with luxury details normally found in a premium auto. Let’s face it; the flexible CUV is getting lots of attention from the people who develop them and the people who buy them.

That transition has resulted in a number of new entries and redesigned vehicles for 2013 that are teasing potential buyers for attention with a deliciously appealing variety. At Road & Travel Magazine we chose our Top 10 CUV Picks for 2013, presenting those along with some other new or revived models that we expect to become “gotta haves” this coming year. Read on...