Wednesday, august 17, 2011

wheel woman

theprovince.com

driving | C3

Accent on carefree simplicity

simple [sim-puhl], adjective 1. easy to understand, deal with, use, etc. 2. not elaborate or artificial; plain: a simple style. 3. not ornate or luxurious; unadorned. 4. unaffected; unassuming; modest: a simple manner. 5. not complicated: a simple design.

While the 2012 Hyundai Accents compact size makes it easy to zip around in, theres ample space inside to haul groceries and tall passengers.

Lisa CaLvi For the provinCe

preview: Hyundais 2012 offering gets around town with ease in no-fuss, no-muss style
The 2012 Hyundai Accent looked slightly forlorn but hopeful. I didnt need to haul, move or load anything. Nor did I have to transport the volleyball team, just Layla and me to dinner. So taking the F-150 seemed like overkill. But, I must admit, that chocolate brown interior and luxurious amenities were somewhat tempting. Annapolis Valley is the verdant valley that feeds Nova Scotia. Its fertile soil bears fruits, vegetables and the all-important grape. My destination was the town of Wolfville, a university town with posh, historic houses, upscale shops and a vibrant cultural scene. And so, the VW CC would be the logical choice with its two-tone cappuccino-and-black leather interior, gorgeous rippled seats (with 12 power adjustments), and large vented sunroof. Id have an oh-so-slick drive and Layla and I would look pretty darned good cruising among the meticulously maintained lawns of Wolfville. But wait, the silver 2012 Hyundai Accent was eagerly offering a fun drive with a six-speed manual. A no-muss, no-fuss car that wouldnt require a 15-minute self-guided tutorial to figure out how the systems work. I could just get in and go. If I wanted to, I could have filled the hatchback with a motherly care package for the starving college student. Heck, I could have loaded the cargo area with groceries for all 43 of the athletes under Laylas charge. But I didnt. I kept it simple. Off I went. Plenty of headroom and legroom for 62 Layla, and cruising around charming Wolfville was a breeze. Finding and manoeuvring into a suitable parking spot in the bustling downtown was a snap. I was loving the simple life. Later in the week, an appointment downtown meant another vehicular decision. I thought: Well Im running a bit late, it will be busy downtown, Ill have to find parking quickly ... better take the Accent. Sure enough, the public parking was jam-packed but there was a slot in the compact-car only row so I nipped that Accent right in there. Backing in, pulling out, not a problem. Simple. My crazy week of logistics and event planning was relentlessly flowing into the next hectic week of event execution. This meant packing up for travel, finalizing details and buying supplies from various places around town. Just when I thought I couldnt possibly get everything on my jam-packed list done, a phone call from husband and business partner, Garry Sowerby, added a todo item, one that I usually avoid at all costs. With a slightly irritating smirk in his voice, he said: You have to wash the bugs off the Hyundai, it needs to be returned today. Vacuum it out too. Grr, no time, no time. But, hold on, Im out in the backyard in the sun, washing a car, I have bare feet and I feel like a kid. Details and deadlines melt. The Accent is clean before I know it. Simple. Follow Lisa on Twitter: @FrontLady and email her at: lisa.calvi@ gmail.com.

ur modest press fleet management business allows us the opportunity to test drive new, not-yet-in-dealership vehicles and it often means that our driveway is full of fancy hardware that has the neighbours wondering if theyre missing out on the party of the season. The other day a chance came up to visit our daughter, Layla. She lives 250 kilometres away, but this week she was coordinating and coaching at a girls volleyball training camp at a university only 90 minutes away and I happened to not be travelling for business. It would be a quick trip, squeezed into my complicated, hectic summer work schedule. I considered my options in our car lot. All were worthy and completely capable of getting me to Nova Sco-

Lisa Calvi
wheel woman tias Annapolis Valley in style and comfort. There was the 2012 Ford F-150, a big, beefy truck, that states, put me to work, yet its luxury features, like front and rear-heated leather seats and authentic wood and aluminum cabin in our Platinum edition tester seem to say, Let them eat cake. There was the Volkswagen CC R-line, sitting there all sleek and elegant, with a hint of smugness, like a cat ready to pounce, sure in the knowledge that I would obviously choose it as my ride for the day.