Road Tripping-Toyota Highlander Adventures

Are you planning a road trip any time soon?  We went on a road trip adventure on our vacation last month.  We visited South Padre Island, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio. 

Thanks to Toyota for allowing me to take the 2016 Toyota Highlander on our road trip.  This vehicle was a loaner for a two week long test drive.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Getting ready for a road trip can be hard, especially when you have to plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need.  When you have room, you want to pack everything including the kitchen sink.  We did not do too bad this time around, everyone fit all their clothes and shoes into one bag.

Tip-I let my kids bring a pillow, blanket, and maybe one toy that will help them keep comfortable. 

The Toyota Highlander has three-zone automatic climate control.  This allows the driver and passenger to each control their own temperature.  This is a great feature because I am always cold.  Also the second and third row are on a different control, so the kids don't have to freeze if the hubby decides to turn it to freezing.

Once everything is loaded, I like to make sure we have the address into the navigation.  I like to know exactly where we are going before we get on the road.  My hubby did not realize how far we were

actually going.  He kept saying South Padre Island was only 3 to 4 hours away.  I kept telling him it was further than that.  Our first stop was 6 hours away so I had to get the assistance of cruise control. 

The Toyota Highlander has a button I want on all my vehicles.  It is the vehicle to vehicle distance.  This button keeps you at a safe distance from the cars in front of you.  Should a car jump into your lane, it automatically slows down and puts you back at the safe distance select. (short, medium, long)  This is my favorite feature.  It can be very scary when a car jumps in front of you. 

We did have to make a few stops along the way, either to grab something from the back or to just stretch our legs a little.  This is the most miles we have driven other than that time we went to Disney.  We learned a lot from that trip.

Tip-Schedule stops.  You know your kids.  Do you need to make potty breaks?  We scheduled stops but we did have one unexpected stop.  Trying to find a restroom where there is none.  We eventually did find a restroom and it was a good reason to explore where we stopped.

I like that the Toyota Highlander has this easy to access flip-up rear hatch window.  We would just reach in and grab whatever we needed, no need to open the entire lift gate.

Tip-I filled up a snack bag with our favorites and small cooler for the long drive.  Before we got on the road, I handed each person a water bottle.  They also had their favorite drink available when they requested it.  All the trash got handed back to the front, this way it was easy to throw away when we stopped.  The bag and cooler was kept in between my son and daughter, no need to stop or to have to reach to the back.

We eventually made it to our destination.  This was not our only stop.  We spent a couple of days in South Padre Island and then headed back through Corpus Christi. 

One of my favorite things of leaving the city is that you get to see the sky.  We watched the sun go down, and then were able to see all the stars in the sky. 

The Toyota Highlander has a panoramic moonroof.  Like the song says, "The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas"!  So beautiful.  The kids always enjoy sitting under the stars.

We had a good ole time visiting the different beaches.  It is always good to get away from it all.  At the beach, we were able to just disconnect.  Aside from taking a few pictures of the family, we totally disconnected when we were there.

Tip-Be one with nature.  Dig your feet in the sand.  Let the kids bury you.  We did not let the cold water scare us away.  We walked the beach.  We jumped the waves.  We people watched.

I am so happy we were able to take this road trip.  My husband even mentioned we needed this.  It helps us all reconnect.  We laughed, played, and were able to unwind from it all.  With our ever so busy schedules, this little break is just what our family needed.  I can't wait for our next road trip.

Where do you road trip?  What are your favorite memories? 

2016 Scion iA Review

***Disclosure-I got to test drive the New 2016 Scion iA for a week to review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

My family and I attended the Houston Auto Show 2 weeks ago.  A brand that really stood out was Scion.  You have seen those box looking cars out on the road, right?  If you are not familiar with the Scion brand, the original “box,” the xB and the FR-S sports car are all part of this brand. 

Scion iA is the brand’s first-ever sedan with a sporty look.

It is newly designed for the savvy generation of drivers like you and me.  It comes complete with so many features, lots of space, new technology and cool styling to fit any lifestyle. 

It is up to whatever challenge or opportunity comes your way.  This week I put it up to the challenge of my family, schedule, and it showed us it's true colors.

Challenge #1-Trunk Space

Trunk space is very important to every family.  Latinos have big families.  One meal together could mean lots of extra food and drinks needed.  We don't even need to be celebrating anything.  We love to host all of our family which in our family includes grandma, grandpa, their kids, and their kids' kids.  When we went grocery shopping this week, we did a double take.  We weren't sure all of the groceries would fit.  Was the Scion iA trunk big enough?

It was up to the challenge!  We fit every single item in the trunk, everything.  It passed our test.

Challenge #2-Tech Savvy

The HD Radio Traffic helped me check traffic on every trip.  I normally use my phone to guide me through traffic.  This way I was able to get in the iA and no matter where I went, I knew where not to go.

The Rear-view backup camera was impressive.  It has a wide view.  I have driven cars before and have not felt the rear view camera to be this awesome.  Check out my view-all clear for take off.

Challenge #3 Safety-

How fast is your reaction time?  On pretty days my husband takes my daughter outside to play.  When I get home, I am always on the look out for all the kids on my street, especially my little one.  A normal routine is to open the garage, drive in, and close the garage, right.  My son and I were driving into the garage, as we drove in the iA came to a complete stop.  The car alerted we had hit something.  What was it?  The low-speed pre-collision system is designed to detect objects on the road ahead of you and can, under certain conditions, apply the brakes to help avoid a collision.  We did not hit anything but it was good to know that the car would come to a complete stop.  This time it was a bouncy ball the toddler lost control of as she opened the garage door. 

For drivers who think they live the fast and furious lifestyle, Sport Mode is available with the flip of a switch.  I like the Sport Mode.  But what I liked the most was the affordable price.  Price tag is $15,700 for the 6-speed manual transmission and $16,800 for the 6-speed automatic, redefining “entry level.”

For more information, you can go to:

FB- www.facebook.com/ToyotaLatino

Twitter - www.twitter.com/ToyotaLatino

Instagram - www.instagram.com/ToyotaLatino

Off-Road Adventures #VayamosJuntos

***Disclosure-I drove the Toyota Tacoma for a week for review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Have you ever taken your family on a road trip?  Growing up in a Latino family; road trips, vacations, or get-a-ways were not in our budget.  Summer came and went, and we-we did not go anywhere.  When we returned to school, my friends had stories of all the adventures they went on.  As the oldest, I understood why we could not go.  Our family did not have the money, much less the privilege to take time off.  We also did not have a reliable car, and you can't take a trip, if your current vehicle is not dependable.

Thanks to Toyota for allowing my family to take the Toyota Tacoma on our end of Summer camping road trip.

My husband and I worked around our schedules and managed to find a few days we could get away.   Our adventure took us camping.  But before we hit the road, we need to pack.

We had so much extra room in the Toyota Tacoma.  We were able to pack 3 coolers, 2 plastic bins, 2 tents, 2 family canopies, 4 fold-able chairs,  and so much more.  My husband asked if I wanted to bring the kitchen sink too.  I did not have to worry about our camping gear we tied our gear down using the D-rings, deck rail system, and stored some items in the In-bed storage.

We then were ready to hit the road to the Guadalupe River.  Not before entering the address in the navigation system.  Especially since this was the first time we went to Guadalupe River State Park.

When traveling one of the things I always like to know is the speed limit.  You do not want to get pulled over for speeding just because you are not aware of the speed limit in a city your are traveling through.  The Tacoma displayed the speed limit on the screen right next to the highway name I was on.

Since we were not traveling alone, we were keeping in contact with the other vehicle.  No talking and texting for me.  The Tacoma displayed the text on the vehicle screen.  The text message came up on the screen.  My husband, the copilot/passenger, hit play so I could also hear the message out loud.  

It actually started getting really dark and I noticed lighting in the distance.  My husband checked the weather and it was not looking good for our weekend.

But we did not let this ruin our plans.  We arrived our destination.  Only to find out, we were not there yet.  We had to take the long gravel road to our campsite.   We made it just in time to pitch our tent before quite time.  I was so glad the Tacoma had an outlet in the bed of the truck, so handy.

Our air pump was taking too long to inflate our air mattresses.  We just took our mattresses to the truck, inflated them in a zip, and were ready to hit the hay after that.

Our trip to the park seemed long since we hit the road right at rush hour.  I even think me and husband complained more than our kids did.  This trip was so needed for us to just unwind.  And once we were there, we did just that.  It was a great camping adventure we are ready to do again.  We are looking forward to visiting more state parks, closer ones.  When we checked in, we received this brochure with park information.  Check this deal out:

Unlimited visits to over 90+ state parks for only $70 annually.  What park will we go to next?    

Tips to Test Driving Your Next Car

***Disclosure-I drove the Toyota Rav4 for a week to review.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

In 1995, I was a Junior in high school.  It was exactly when the Toyota Rav4 was on the market in the US.  My friend, a senior, had one and I wanted one really bad.  It was so cool.  They were cute like toy cars.  I did not know about safety features, buttons, etc, all I cared about was it was the latest cool car out on the market.  I wanted one.

Now as an adult, I don't care about the coolest car or the latest and greatest, I care about the car facts.  When I purchased my first car, after high school, I did not make the best decision.  I got a car to take me back and forth.  I thought that was ok.  But a car is an investment.  My investment ended up being a lemon.

I wish I knew what I know now.  I am not an expert but these are the things i would have paid more attention to, then and now.  

Tips to test driving your next car-

1)  Research.  Go to the website.  Go straight to the source.  Don't let the salesperson tell you what car, truck, SUV, or van, you want.

Once you find the vehicle you want, see if it is a good fit for you.

2)  Room/Space.  Decide on what this vehicle is going to be used for.  How much room/seats do you need?  Do the seats adjust?  Does the truck have enough space for your lifestyle?  Need leg room?

My family and I are always on the go.  We love traveling and going on road trips.  We are a family of four but I have a toddler that needs car seat room.

3)  Driver's Preferences.  Will you be the only one driving this vehicle?  Check to see if the vehicle has dual controls for preference buttons like:

seat adjustments-I normally drive my vehicle Monday-Friday but when we are traveling or on the weekends, my husband does the driving.  I hate having to adjust my seat every time it is my turn to drive.  He hates having to move it to his setting.

seat warmers or dual zone automatic controls-I am always cold and my husband is always hot.

4)  Safety Features.  Every vehicle has been tested.  But there are features you must have or want.  

Have you ever had a close call on your blind side?  Imagine if your vehicle alerted you.  There is so much new technology coming out.  I want it all in my next vehicle.  Lane departure alert, bling spot monitor, etc..

5)  Eco?  How much do you care about fuel efficiency?  How great would it be if you could just hit the Eco button?

     Sport?  Does your vehicle need to take you places? 

Well how about having an option that can help keep up with where you are going.  Even if it is just changing lanes in traffic and not driving the Hill Country to a fun place.

Remember, you are the future owner.  Know what you want.  Find the features that suit you and your lifestyle.  Make the choice for your family.  

Thanks to Toyota for letting our family put the 2015 Rav4 Limited AWD SUV to test this past week.  Everywhere we went, we stood out with the beautiful HOT LAVA color.  Our family enjoyed our travels from Hockley to Galveston.  We had plenty of room.  We enjoyed watching the stars when we opened the Moonroof.    My husband's favorite feature was the USB port and aux audio jack.

It even had a space for your cell phone to sit while it charged.  

There are so many great features, like rear view camera, power lift gate, fold-flat second row, cargo area Tonneau cover,and all of the about features..  But I am just a girl, my favorite part of the Rav4 was this empty space on the passenger side for a make up bag, sun glasses, etc...

Do you have any tips?  What is one thing you do at a test drive?  What are must have features for your next vehicle?