Some of us like cars that talk, sing and do the parking for us, whereas others like to travel low-tech, relying on driver’s judgement and old-school family fun. What type of road-tripping family are you? Take this quiz to find out!
1. Entertainment:
Gone are the days of playing Monopoly in the trunk of the station wagon. Nowadays, you have to restrain children in the car! But a seatbelt doesn’t stop them from complaining, fighting and asking “are we there yet” every six seconds. What do you do to keep the backseat happy?
a) I load up some apps and let the kids plug in to their i-pads
b) We sing along to the kids channel on Sirius radio
c) We play I-spy and tell knock-knock jokes
2. Food:
The Ford Edge we took on our last road trip had an awesome little drinks cooler in the middle console, between the driver and passenger seats, and it kept our water and Smarties cold throughout the entire week. (The car even had in-seat air conditioning – like heated seats, but cold!) What’s your snacking solution on a family journey?
a) In-car coolers. They’re awesome.
b) We just stop at the gas station or Tim Horton’s
c) An old fashioned cooler in the back, with healthy sandwiches.
We love in-car snack coolers for keeping the Smarties chilled…but we never go anywhere without ‘Super Oscar’/2016 Ford Edge/Photo: Helen Earley
3. Safety:
On our recent trip, the 2016 Ford Edge actually warned us about driver fatigue. I still haven’t a clue how the car calculated this… but it was definitely correct! To stay safe on the road do you:
a) Take advantage of the ‘Big Brother’-style safety systems
b) I use the parking camera for backing up, that’s about it.
c) I don’t trust the technology; Safety is about being a good driver.
4. Comfort:
Yippee! The kids have finally fallen asleep in the back of the car. But what’s their level of comfort?
a) High: they’re using fancy airline-style neck pillows
b) Home comforts: they’ve got a big pillow from home
c) Nothing. We don’t have room for pillows. They’ll survive.
Yippee! They’re asleep!/2016 Ford Edge/Photo: Helen Earley
5. Pit Stops:
It’s important to get out and stretch your legs every once in a while. What’s your family’s pit-stop protocol?
a) Stay in the car, unless you need to pee.
b) Stop for a few minutes to breathe in the local air
c) “This place looks nice. Let’s stay for the afternoon”.
6. Scenery:
One of the beautiful things about a road trip is the stunning scenery: farms, towns, beaches and forests. To capture the scene, does your family:
a) Do nothing. They can Google it later.
b) Poke selfie-sticks through the sunroof.
c) Make frequent photo-stops to capture those perfect memories.
Are you a Selfie-stick-out-the-sunroof type of family?/2016 Ford Edge/Photo: Helen Earley
7. Navigation:
Good navigation is important for a family road trip. A wrong turn at the wrong time of day can spell disaster! To make sure you’re on the right track, what type of navigation does your family use?
a) In-car GPS
b) My phone.
c) There’s this thing…it’s called a map!
8. Power:
There’s nothing worse than your camera battery running out…unless it’s your i-phone dying. To keep your devices charged, do you:
a) Use the in-car AC and USB chargers
b) Our car only has those lighter thingeys, so we charge at the hotel.
c) Do nothing. Our phones stay off when we’re driving.
Do you charge up in the car, or at the hotel?/We were camping, so the in-car 12V and 110V chargers in the 2016 Ford Edge came in very handy./Photo: Helen Earley
9. Street Cred
Becoming a parent means trading in your 2-door convertible for a kid-friendly SUV or (horror!) a mini-van. To what degree have you managed to stay sexy on the road, now that you have kids?
a) I still have my pride. The Mustang is in the garage.
b) I drive a shiny crossover that just screams “adventure!”
c) I’ve got a third row of seats and I don’t care who knows it.
10. Reason for Road-Tripping
Finally, why does your family choose to take a road trip, over other means of transportation?
a) We can’t afford to fly
b) It’s a fun way to enjoy a family vacation
c) It reminds me of my own childhood
Grocery shopping on our Family Road Trip. How sexy./2016 Ford Edge/Photo: Helen Earley
ANSWERS
Mostly A’s: High-Tech Happiness
The destination is your final goal and you’re going to arrive there on schedule, and in-style! You’ve got all the gadgets, including GPS, I-pads with in-car charging stations, and fancy neck pillows for bedtime. Living life in the fast lane, you’re a professional road-tripping family.
Mostly B’s: Middle of the Road Mama
In terms of gadgets, you’re doing your best with what your current ride has to offer; hoping to get a few more years’ mileage, before you have to trade it in! Having fun, playing I-spy and stopping every once in a while for a break is OK with you, because your family’s trip is more about the journey than the destination. You’re “middle of the road” road-trippers– and you love it!
Mostly C’s: Relaxed Road Trippers
You can hardly see through the windscreen of your minivan for the tears of nostalgia that are coming thick and fast, as you think back to your 1980’s family road trips. You’re doing everything you can to re-create these fun, family vacations, without the high-tech hassle. Sweaty sandwiches, sing-alongs, and hands flapping out the window are par for the course for your relaxed road-tripping family. There’s no rush. Memories are made of this.
Ford Canada allowed the author to test-drive a 2016 Ford Edge during her Family Road Trip
