• I like to drive.
• I would much rather drive than fly.
• I am much less afraid to drive than to fly.

With that in mind, it’s not much of a choice but to pack up my new Subaru Outback and head from Fort Pierce, Florida to North Conway, New Hampshire. This is a journey of approximately 3,000 miles round trip. The perfect trip for me and my Outback to get to know each other a little better.

This Outback may have saved my life!

It’s not long before

The pre-collision system proves its worth.

Here’s what happened

I started out to beat the traffic by leaving at 4:30 am. It’s pitch black outside and I a in the far left-hand lane on Route 95 North with the cruise control set at 67 mph. All of a sudden I feel the cruise control snap off and the car breaks HARD. I thought there was something wrong with the car. As I stared into the darkness, I realized that there was nothing wrong with the Outback, but that the tow truck in front of me had NO LIGHTS ON and I couldn’t see it. I don’t know if the Subaru saved my life, but it at least saved one heck of an argument with the tow truck driver.

I like to drive

To me, it does not get much better than having my Sirius XM radio churning out the music of the ’60s, ’70s, Beatles, Tom Petty, Classic Vinyl, ESPN, MSBC…the soundtrack of my life at 75 mph.

If I didn’t drive, I’d never know that there is a Horse Stomp, South Carolina, home to the Little Pee Dee River and its big brother, Greater Pee Dee. How would you know that Pedro at South of the Border has all new signs (a breath of fresh air compared to years past).

How would you know that you can stop at Peach World in Georgia or appreciate the same billboards that advertize pecan rolls, pecan pie, pecan candy and peanut brittle? Can you go wrong making a pit stop to see live baby alligators?

Forget McDonald’s. You can go to one back home, it’s  Stuckey’s , Shoneys, andthe Waffle House that make up the dining destinations on the road.

The GW Bridge – New York

The quality of the highway differs from state to state

The roads can go from just okay to okay depending upon the route, road, and state. By far, the best (and most improved after years of doing this trip is The New Jersey Turnpike. Three crisp lanes, crisp white lines, and smooth pavement make driving much more of a pleasure.

The worst and not even CLOSE has to be the George Washington Bridge. Sixteen dollars worth of shaking your dental work and jarring of your bones. I felt terrible putting my little Outback through this torture. Couple that with perhaps the worst, life-threatening drivers you could ever encounter. I am always shocked when I make it through New York without having an accident.

But, all of that is worth it when you turn the corner onto the Spalding Turnpike in New Hampshire and come face to face with the White Mountains as your guide. It feels like a total decompression.

I’ve been coming to New Hampshire or the better part of 50 years…mostly to North Conway…mostly in the winter to ski. But it’s just as beautiful in the summer as it is seeing those white-capped mountains with a chill in the air.

Yes, I like to drive

Most people (like my wife) think I’m crazy, but what I’m going to do is pack my car, place my coffee in the cup holder, set my radio to my favorite tunes, place the key in the ignition and head home.

P.S. In fifty years I have skied at Mt. Cranmore, Attitash, Wildcat, and Loon Mountain, but the best of the best has always been Bretton Woods with its friendly staff, beautiful and friendly lodge, and friendly and forgiving trails. The BEST!

P.P.S. I could tell about all of the different places that I have stayed in North Conway, but after all of these years, there is only ONE that I go back to time after time because it is simply beautiful. Tucked in the woods and overlooking Mount Washington with the BEST food in the area you’ll find the Stonehurst Manor (and yes, it’s dog friendly as well). If you go, tell Heidi I said hello and give Samantha the Rottie a pat on the head for me.

What is it?

The Subaru Outback…let me answer the question right off the bat. It is a crossover station wagon based on the iconic Subaru Legacy. It’s a wagon with SUV capabilities that rides like a luxury car. The fact that it is all-wheel drive just adds to the confusion. All I know is, I have one and I LOVE IT.

The only knock on the car is that it’s sluggish off the line. While it’s no speed demon, I find it more than adequate.  How fast do you need to go in a wagon-crossover-SUV anyway?

With 8.7 inch ground clearance, it’s a breeze to get in and out of. I’m 6’1″ and it is a pleasure not to have to do a squat thrust just to exit the car. At 5 foot tall, Zippy finds getting in and out just as easy as I do.

The Outback is a car that is equally comfortable to drive around town or on the highway. The smooth suspension irons out the roads imperfections and the engine is quiet, unline my wife’s compact Buick Encore that sounds like an egg beater with very little power.

The cabin is roomy and comfortable with plenty of legroom in both the front and back. An 8″ touchscreen Starlink Multimedia System offers Apple Car Play as well as Android Auto Integration and Sirius/XM.

Then there is the safety factor that Subaru is known for. Pre-collision braking, lane departure warning, and active cruise control are just starters.

NOTE: When I picked the new car up at the dealer I noticed an issue with the way it ran on the way home. Since the dealer where I purchased the car was almost 2 hours away, I brought it to nearby Dyer Subaru in Vero Beach, FL. Even though it turned out to be a difficult problem to diagnose and fix (it took them 3½ weeks to get it right), I was provided a top of the line, fully loaded loaner for the entire time at no charge.

To sum up, the Outback is comfortable, stylish, great on gas and worry-free. I am 67 years old and this may be the best car that I’ve had yet.

Let’s Go Places

I just spent a week with the all-new 2019 Toyota RAV 4 Adventure AWD (thanks to the people at Southeast Toyota who loaned it to me) and it wasn’t nearly long enough. I had recently reviewed the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and was curious as to how it would compare.

This fifth-generation RAV4 started its life in 1996. The small crossover SUV is one of the best selling on the market. With a new engine on the inside, AWD, an all-new exterior, and full of macho touches with an aggressive grille, hood, and end-cut tail makes this car ooze charisma. This new model improves what people love about the rugged RAV4.

Driving it is a different story.

This small SUV has manners. In sport mode, the shifts are fast and furious, although the engine seems a bit noisy. In both normal and eco-modes it runs smooth and quiet. I was very happy with the power and transmission. The RAV4 Adventure offers the largest wheel and tire package, which improves handling and works well with the light and precise steering.

The interior cabin offers a clean design.

The seating is comfortable, even on long highway drives. Multiple shelves and bins make up the RAV’s cool interior. The contrasts are well within reach, and the blue flame ice edge paint scheme car that they dropped off for me is hard to miss. While I’m in Florida I was not really able to test the AWD mode (I’d love to take this up into the mountains during winter), the RAV4 Adventure was fun and a pleasure to drive. The concierge picked it up last week and I have to say that I miss it already!

Get ready… with an MSRP of $32,900 and a total of for the tricked out model that I drove at $39,634  it sounds a bit pricey for a RAV4, but this RAV4 with the AWD Adventure Package may be worth it.

The facts stats

MECHANICAL

• 2.5L 4 cylinder engine
• Direct shift 8-speed automatic transmission
• Torque vectoring AWD with multi-terrain select for mud, sand, rock, dirt, and snow
• Eco, Sport and Normal driving modes

SAFETY

• Toyota safety sense 2.0 pre-collision system with pedestrian detection
• Full speed range dynamic radar  cruise control
• Lane departure alert with steering assist
• Auto high beams
• Roadside assistance
• Blindspot monitor with rear cross alert
• 8 airbags
• Downhill assist control
• Anti-theft with alarm

EXTERIOR

• Matte black accented 19 incl alloy wheels
• LED headlamps/Daytime running lights
• Integrated fog lamps
• Adventure roof rack
• Power liftgate

INTERIOR

• Toyota’s Entune 30 audio plus with 8-inch touch screen
• 6 audio speakers
• Hands-free Bluetooth for phone AND music
• USB media port & 4 USB charge ports
• Sirius XM with a 3-month all-access trial
• Apple and Android car play compatible
• Smart key system with push-button start/stop
• Power driver seat
• Soft tex seat material
• 7″ color multi informational display
• Dual-zone automatic A/C with rear vents
• Rear cargo power outlet

OPTIONS

Adventure grade weather package 

• Heated and trimmed steering wheel
• Perforated heated and ventilated front bucket seats
• Rain sensing wipers with de-icer function
• Power tilt slide moonroof

Adventure grade tech package

• Intelligent sonar with cross-traffic braking
• Digital display rearview mirror with HOMELINK
• Smartphone charging with charge indicator lights

ALSO

• Entune 3.0 premium audio dynamic NAV
• JBL sound system including 9 LX speakers
• 8″ touchscreen AM/FM/HD radio
• Audio port, USB media port, 4 USB charging ports
• Dynamic NAV with up to a 5-year trial
• Hands-free phone and music via Bluetooth
• Safety connect with 3-year trial
• Wifi connect by Verizon with 6-month trial
• Destination assist with 6-month trial

Take a spin for yourself in RAV4 ADVENTURE SUV 

• Visit your Local Southeast Toyota Dealer
• Learn more about it at Toyota.com

PS Show me the money

Admission: I used to make fun of my wife for bargain shopping

I come from a time when a bargain = seconds (AKA – the one-armed sweater), but while looking at my options and making arrangements for test drives, I found pop-ups galore when I went to the dealers sites asking me to sign up for a test drive and in return I’d get a $25, $50, $75 or even a $100 gift card.

I was test driving cars anyway

So, why not make a little $$$ while I was at it? I found my pop-up directly on my local Subaru site. I simply clicked on the automobile that I wanted more information and up it came. A small box telling me that if I put in my name and phone number, that I’d get a $50 Visa card just for coming in and driving the car (in my case it was a Subaru Outback), no strings attached. I went into the dealership, took a spin in the car, gave the salesman the coupon, and I had an email in my inbox within minutes offering me a choice between a $50 digital card, or a plastic one to be mailed out.

If there was ONE offer

I figured that there must be more.

So, off I went to google “test drive gift cards” and there they were. Of course while on Google, I found blogs that listed MULTIPLE offers by all of the manufacturers who had current test drive deals, a much easier alternative to having to search for them myself.

Sites with test drive deals

Hustler Money Blog

This was the one that I used to find most of my test drive deals. This site offers primarily finance/bank bonuses for opening accounts, along with the best financing rates. A quick search for “test drive promotions” brought up the latest ones available including

• Subaru – $50 – $65 (depending on region – we were offered the $50 one)
• Jeep – $50
• Hyundai – $50
• and more

Maximizing Money

A similar site helping you to stretch that dollar offered those listed above plus

• Gander Outdoors RV Walkthrough – $25 (check to see if your state is listed)
• Local dealer offers from $25

They offer great tips for keeping on top of those offers by signing up with each of the manufacturers.

There are plenty more, but honestly, all of the deals are duplicates of the ones we found on these sites.

Make money while car shopping

I was car shopping anyway, so this was a great way to put a few extra dollars in my pocket while I was doing my test drives. Maybe we’ll list the offers in the future right here on Cars Bars and Pars. If you’d like us to do that, please let us know.

NOTE: Most of these test drive promotions offered us digital gift cards that came directly into our email. I was able to opt-in for a plastic one (to be used in stores and not only online) with Subaru. My wife did a Hyundai test drive for $50 and when she went to check the plastic card rather than a digital one, there was a $3 fee (so she’d get a $47 gift card instead.

Obviously, these offers vary by state and dealership.