I’ll be the first to admit I may live in New York City, but I love me a beat up pick up truck. Remember the ones that you actually had to tune in a radio station and roll down your own windows? Yeah – that one. With a few dents from having fun. I’ve always been a little old-school when it comes to automobiles, all this self-driving car technology scares me a little (I am a BIT of a control freak) – but like I’ve always said – everything in moderation, right?
Well, not all technology is bad. In fact, a lot of it is really even doing good for the environment (electric cars!). So, if I could just get that fancy spaceship looking Prius to also come with roll-down windows (and maybe a button that transformed it into a Hummer for those snow days – coming soon??), I might have my dream vehicle of all time. But for now, I wanted to highlight a few advancements we should really be thankful for.
1. GPS Systems
Am I dating myself by talking about AAA TripTiks? You know, those printed out maps with construction stamps on them that your parents would order in advance for a trip? Those things were like gold back in the 90s. In fact, when I moved to NYC, I was in total AWE that anyone ever knew how to navigate this city before GPS. Programming a road trip has gotten so much easier – and my favorite? Looking “along the route” for fun stops, attractions and restaurants. That’s how Max and I found these underground caves – we were just driving back to Pittsburgh from DC when I decided to see what was around. There is so much around you that you can now discover with a touch of a button.
2. Smart Phone Integration
For the person who likes Google maps more than a built-in GPS (me!!!! see above!), this was a real dream send. This new technology actually takes your phone and throws everything up onto the navigation screen. Now you can actually play your favorite music and use maps on the screen instead of looking at your phone. And what else? It eliminates (for the most part) texting while driving. They will pop up on screen and will “read” them to you so you can voice text back. NO MORE TYPING AND DRIVING.
3. Electric Cars (and fast charging)
photo credit: Toyota
I love big trucks, but they just aren’t the best for Mother Earth. Living in a big city like New York, it’s important to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, and cars like Toyota Prius can do that for you. It used to be difficult at first because you couldn’t find a lot of charging stations, and like a cell phone, they took forever. But now, with fast charging stations located almost anywhere (find them here – there’s an app for that!), being electric is the way to go. Did I mention it’s also a LOT cheaper than gas?? So you’re getting on the road faster – that means happy kids, happy moms!
4. Different Driving Modes
Remember when you had to come to a complete stop and then jam your truck into high 4? Then you had to drive a little to hope it caught. This was always fun in a mud puddle or snowy hill. But today, cars like the Toyota Prius allow you to change from driving modes with a click of a button (and no stopping). You can go from total electric mode (eco) to throwing in speed to get to work fast (sport).
5. Push to Start and Keyless Entry
This one is for the moms out there. Nothing is worse that trying to juggle multiple things in your hands while opening a door. I am still waiting for someone to take this technology to my apartment door! Just like floppy discs, keys are becoming a thing of the past. And unless your Nicholas Cage in Fast in the Furious who hotwires and steals cars – we don’t need to worry about technology causing issues without having an actual key to turn the ignition. However, the country girl in me says – that’s not a bad skill to know, you know, just in case!
Really want to dive into what technology these new smart cars, Toyota Prius provide? You can learn all about them here, or follow along on adventures with #drivetoyota on social.
This is a sponsored post by Drive Shop and Toyota Prius. Thank you for supporting Football Food and Motherhood!
