The Right Car for Your Valentine

The Right Car for Your Valentine

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We recently got hold of an interesting press release from Ford’s international media site which we felt too good not to share with you readers out there. Those of you with plans for Valentine’s Day may find this piece useful, as Ford shares with us some important must-have features for the perfect ‘Valentine Car’.

“A person’s car is most definitely an extension of themselves,” said Ellen Fein, dating expert and best-selling co-author of The Rules. “You often get one chance to make a right impression, and your car is one of the first personal things your date sees about you.”

She is right. The realities of logistics mean that your Valentine date is not likely to involve traveling anywhere by public transport. You’ll need a car to fetch your date. It does not need a fancy German badge, but it most definitely should get you from point A to point B as a minimum.

But is that enough? According to Ford, it isn’t. Having the right features in your car helps to set the mood for the night and determine if your progress stops at dinner or goes a bit further.

Cabin Space

According to Ford, ‘cramped, tight spaces can really put a damper’ on a date. Your car should ideally have a good amount of elbow room so as not to feel cramped and boxed in. Ford advocates their all-new Focus as a car with enough interior space to rival the Toyota Camry and Audi A4. It’s not a good idea to have a cabin that is too big either. Take it from us, you don’t want to be separated from your date by a foot-wide centre console.

Panoramic Sunroof

It is said that panoramic sunroofs are a silly feature to have in Malaysia’s hot weather, and in all honesty, it is not a feature which we give too much attention to when reviewing our cars here at Autoworld either. We most certainly won’t recommend you a car solely on the basis that it has a sunroof. It is a feature that we like to have with our test cars, but will not specify when buying our own.

However, if you do have a panoramic sunroof in your car, it then becomes useful at night when you want to let in additional ambient lighting into the cabin when you drive. Additionally, you can also enjoy the view of a starry sky in the comforts of an air-conditioned environment and away from mosquito bites.

Cabin Materials

One usual gripe you’ll read on car reviews when it comes to interiors are hard plastics. We journalists hate hard plastics, and the folks at Ford agree that these are certainly not the best stuff to use in building a ‘Valentine-friendly’ cabin. A well-built interior with the right choice of materials exudes an air of craftsmanship and gives a cabin a good lift in its mood and atmosphere.

Sound System

You can’t create good atmosphere without good music, and this is where a good sound system comes in. Besides good sound quality, the unit also should have a high degree of functionality, with USB, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity being very useful bonuses. Better still if the player enables you with the means to play a customized playlist for you and your date. Any of you out there still on cassette players?

Mood Lighting

Going hand-in-hand with the right music is good interior lighting. Car makers are increasingly embracing the use of strategically placed LEDs to gently illuminate certain regions of the cabin to create the right cabin atmosphere. Some cars are even allow the driver to set the colour and brightness of cabin lighting to create different atmospheres.

For owners of cars not equipped, do not despair, many accessory shops offer fitting of cabin LEDs at reasonable prices. But, here’s a warning though, we have seen some of their handiwork, and they don’t look at all romantic.

Comfort and Refinement

So, your car has an awesome sound system, and the most romantic of interior lighting, but all that will go to waste if ruffling of the wind and roar of the tyres are all you here as you drive. The natural solution for you is to actually drive slower. Your date has agreed to go out with you, you don’t need to prove to her that your skills are on par with Michael Schumacher, in which we are willing to bet that you aren’t.

Having said that, it is even better if your car is naturally well-insulated from noises. A rumbling soundtrack from the engine may be good for the petrolhead’s soul, but it is hardly conducive for a good date. What you really want is a peaceful and quiet cabin with minimal external interference.

It is also a better idea to drive a car with automatic transmission on a date. Manual transmission is no doubt more fun to drive, but when all you want is a gentle cruise with your date, changing gears is not likely to be a task you’re keen to concentrate on.

Finally…

It should be noted that the above ingredients far from guarantee you a successful Valentine outing, but they most certainly won’t hurt. Ultimately, it still boils down to your own personal effort to get the various elements working together for your perfect date.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone. :)

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