Hot Momma-mobiles

Moms that are Incredibly Lovely & Fabulous (M.I.L.F.) nowadays are no longer rare species; in fact they are dime a dozen.  We now live in a society that it’s a sin not to look your best. Due to the onset of technological advances in dermatology (both non evasive and invasive), fitness (Zumba on Wii, child bonding and exercise in one) and tools to help you manage your time (tablet, smart phones and unlidata, or unlimited data), being “loshang” is already passé.

Same with cars, the stereotyped mom-mobile are no longer those unsexy utilitarian vehicles that can withstand a soccer team’s dirt, grime and tantrums. Now, hot mom-mobiles can still withstand a soccer team’s dirt, grime and tantrums, but with grandiose, grace and style. The M.I.L.F. mobiles help us mothers’ transition to our other roles without breaking a sweat.

Below are some cars that I test drove that are good “M.I.L.F. mobiles” suitable for both high-end and mid-range budget.

Mercedes-Benz B Class

The Mercedes-Benz B Class was first launched in 2005, as a bigger version of the A Class. The B Class in the Philippines comes with a turbo charged four cylinder engine plus all the goodies of a typical “Chedeng,” which includes seven airbags, ATTENTION ASSIST (detects the onset of drowsiness on the basis of steering behavior), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Automatic Skid Control (ASR), Active Park Assist, Brake Assist (automatic recognition of emergency braking situations), tire pressure monitoring, hill start assist, and crash responsive emergency lighting.  It is basically aimed to the young set as an entry-level Benz with a price range around P2.5 million with options.

Look

With its compact size and sporty look, the B Class is a cute car.  It’s a great preppy car; it does not scream for attention,  having a simple and classic vibe to it. The B Class does look like a shrunken minivan in a good way and the added height gives flexibility as well in terms of storage. It gets a chicdriven Christmas raffle rating due to the sheer number of items it can accommodate, given its compact classification.

Ride

On regular runs (office, mall, house and/or school) the B class is comfortable and stable. For our “day and night makeup” application, the B Class scored  25 minutes flat from our average 24.43-minute controlled testing.  It scores a 3.5/5 for both liquid eyeliner and false mascara application. Anyway, the owner of the B Class probably just wears lip gloss and powder on her perfect porcelain skin.

Interior space

The interior is modern, spacious and luxurious.  The  seats are comfortable and offer perfect back support, especially the front seats.  The back seat feels a little bit short on the leg support.  I like the placement the seat adjustment button on the door where it can be easily seen, making seat adjustment easier.  There is enough compartments for your phone, wallet, etc., on the center console due to the fact that the transmission lever is behind the steering wheel.

Accessories

The dashboard of the B Class offers the same luxe feel and is aesthetically well-designed, especially on how the three circular aircon vents draw attention. The screen looks like a small tablet docked on the top of the dash. The instrumentation and display all complete the modern look.  There is an option to upgrade to a parking camera which, I think, will make it a good babe car. I would however wish for a bigger vanity mirror.

Things I really like with the Mercedes-Benz B Class:

1.    The luxe interior feel

2.    High headroom and boot space

3.    Really easy to drive

4.   Automatic headlights

Things I am not so cool with the Mercedes-Benz B Class:

1.    On faster speeds, the ride tends to be bumpy

2.     Limited use on the display

Honda CRV

I had the first generation CRV, which experienced all sorts of drama: being “carnapped” and recovered, etc.  So when Honda Philippines called me to test-drive this car, I wanted to see the new one drives.

The all-new CRV comes in  2 and 2.4, and  in automatic and manual variants.  Standard features include Eco Assist system, which lets the engine components of the CRV work together for a fuel-efficient drive.  It is actually cool when their eco-coaching light (on the instrumentation) goes green telling you are driving ecofriendly way. The top of the line CRV that is the 2.4-liter SX AT retails at P1.525 million. For my test unit, I drove a 2.0L S.

Storage

We give the CRV a rating of “Doomsday Preppers” with the special mention on their one-pull, fold-down rear seats, which I think are very convenient especially for hot moms that do their shopping alone.  The size of the back on its regular stand is already very spacious; being able to do that just kicked up a notch in terms of the storage wars.

Ride

The CRV is a driver’s car, it’s very easy to drive; the feel at the steering wheel and response are very seamless.  Perfect for moms who will need a couple of more brain cells to plan their multi-tasking day.  It scored a 25.3 on the make-up test, with a 3.5 out of 5 on both false eyelashes and liquid eyeliner test. Riding in front of the CRV is fine, but for some reason riding in the back takes a bit of a toll.  This version gives more emphasis on going green which can how explain, somehow the tapering of power available.

Look

Honda who produced some of the most aggressive-looking cars in history seemed to have changed directions and now opt for safe looking cars.  The interiors of the CRV are what you would expect from Honda: leather seats, utilitarian dash—everything having a purpose but none of the nice to haves.  The buttons on the steering wheel for cruise control is well-placed and much appreciated.  The placement of the transmission lever needs getting used to however.

The CRV is perfect for the hot moms who just want a perfect driving companion without the frills.

What I like about the Honda CRV:

1.    The light coaching for fuel efficiency

2.    Easy to drive

Things I am not so cool with the Honda CRV:

1.    A little bumpy in the backseat

2.    Very utilitarian

Kia Sportage

From a rounded predecessor comes a sleeker Kia Sportage; my test unit was a petrol-version 2.0 EX A/T 4X4 that retails for about P1.258 million.   With a really modern look, the Sportage’s signature grill, edgy black accents, highbrow lights and higher stance successfully completes the sporty image. The interior is very similar another Korean cars; it has the same big, down lighted vanity mirror, sunglasses holder, and extendable visors with an improvement on material choices. It also comes with a really high-tech looking dash, a 6-speaker music system with controls on the steering wheel.

Storage

The Sportage, like the CRV, is very versatile; it can be a chic mom’s errand car or a disgruntled dad’s handyman mobile, even a carpool vehicle. We give it a rating of “doomsday preppers” because of its fully collapsible second row seats.

Ride

The Sportage scored very well on the make up test, out of our average 24.3 minutes it did 24.05.  The ride, indeed, was surprisingly comfortable.   We were able to put our liquid eyeliner and false eyelashes in just 2 attempts so we give it a score of 3.5 out of 5.   In terms of power, there is a bit of lag when you step on the throttle on this gas version unlike its higher-specs diesel brother.

Interior space

The hug and feel of this 5-seater, taking to consideration the price point is quite good.  Inside, aside from the big Kia emblem on the steering wheel, you might forget that you are inside a Korean car.  The seats at the back have the right angle and the spacious legroom allows you to slide back and cross your legs for a comfortable nap

Things I really like with the Kia Sportage:

1.    Have lots of goodies inside

2.    Nice vanity mirror

3.    Modern instrumentation

Things I am not so cool with the KiaSportage:

1.    Small side mirrors

2.    The petrol version is fast  on its juice

For comments and suggestions, please email me at jnt@chicdriven.com; like  us on Facebook/chicdriven or follow us at twitter @chicdriven. Check out our blog www.chicdriven.com/wordpress for behind the scenes and other topics.