Car is so much more than a vehicle taking you from place A to place B. At least to me. My car is part of my lifestyle, and it allows me to live life to the fullest. Here is a sample how car companies communicate us what their brand is all about and how they try to give that warm and fuzzy feeling inside making us feel “this is my car” on the top of all of the rational reasons why one car is better than the other one.

Mercedes-Benz Left Brain, Right Brain Ad Campaign

I love this ad campaign by Mercedes-Benz earlier this year. They created different pictures showing the difference between the left brain and right side of the brain and communicated us that Mercedes-Benz combines the latest technology and superior quality with innovation and emotion. The text in the ads read:

(Left:) “I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realis…tic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”

(Right:) “I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.”

Volkswagen Makes Art You Can Steal

I think VW used some serious brain when they created this fun campaign for Jetta GLI in Canada. VW Canada created several pop-up outdoor exhibits featuring limited edition long-exposure light paintings, created by taillights of the Jetta GLI as it moved. The paintings were hand numbered and VW encouraged people to ‘steal’ them. Soon the paintings started popping back up – but this time on social media networks people showing what they had done with their painting from the pop up exhibit. While I might not agree with the “stealing” message, I love how this campaign was done using both left and right sides of the brain and communicating how much fun VW Jetta is.

I have a lot of friends who wold love to own a Mini Cooper, and we came very close leasing one a few years ago too as a second car, but it does seem a bit pricey for a compact car. But the Fiat 500 is $4,600 less than the Mini Cooper is another option for a compact, fun, European car. The price for Fiat 500 is $15,500 – $19,500 depending on features.

FIAT is taking its marketing efforts in the US to the new level and is hoping to sweep the nation. I know small cars are not really an American thing, but I personally love the small cars for the ease of parking, and for the fuel-economy. Plus they are just cute. Too bad I can’t fit a family of five with the dog and all of our travel gear in one.. otherwise a compact car would be what I’d be driving.

Did you already happen to see Fiat’s new TV commercial “Drive In” that debuted yesterday? (If not, scroll down for the video).

The FIAT brand’s new tagline, “Simply More,” defines the Fiat 500 as everything you need and nothing you don’t. Simple things in life are treasures and living life to the fullest is all about enjoying the simple things in life, and treasuring the every day life. Fiat is a perfect car to express your joy of life, and their mission to encourage people to find simple pleasures in life is just what we all need to hear every now and then.

I love how one of the print ads for the Fiat 500 says “Bigger isn’t better. It’s just harder to park.“, and I certainly would love a smaller car when driving in New York City.

The Fiat 500 combines sassy Italian styling, timeless functionality and innovative technology, and is is compact and fuel efficient making it a perfect four seat city car. The Fiat 500 also has more cargo room than the Mini Cooper.

I haven’t test driven the car, but Automotive Journalist Holly Reich says the car is roomier than the “simply more” suggests:

Actually, this little guy (or girl) has a lot more room than you would think. If you need some urban wheels that have spunk and flair– you can squeeze a family of four in there. BTW, my teens love the Fiat 500. They think it’s super cool.

And the 500c is even more fun– it’s a convertible with a top that will fold back at speed and that automatically folds up when you want to get in to the cargo area.

You can read Holly’s entire review and get more detailed information about the Fiat 500 from her article at AutoTrader.

Now – I could see this as a third car in the family, to be shared among the teen(s) and the mom! My daughter is 11, and we are already thinking of different options when she starts driving. Since we have three kids who all will get their driver’s license within 3 years, there is no way we could buy each kid their own car – I’m already thinking of different car options that could work for me, and the kids, and most likely we will be sharing all of the cars once kids get to that age, instead of all having our own. Unless, we win the lottery of course.

2012 M-Class :: Same Price, More Features

Mercedes-Benz revealed the new M-Class SUV and I had an opportunity to test drive the new generation M-Class in the beautiful setting of Montana and enjoyed a stay at the Paws Up luxury resort while getting to know the SUV better. The 2012 M-Class is a perfect family car for those looking for ultimate luxury with impeccable safety features. Surprisingly, this beauty with an engine of a beast also comes with a very competitive price tag making it a smart choice. You might also like that this German-engineered car is manufactured in the U.S.

Starting for under $50K

Read more about the improved and new technology, luxurious features and how Mercedes-Benz is now offering 3% more value while keeping the price same as the M-Class 2011 models. The 2012 ML350 4Matic starts at $49,865, (same as the 2011 model) and the ML350 BlueTec 4Matic diesel starts at $51,365 (prices include an $875 destination charge but not the tax). Find out why I think the M-Class is the ultimate car for living life to the fullest and why I wanted to take this car home with me.

Mercedes-Benz Luxury :: Because You Deserve It

The sexy look of the 2012 M-Class with beautifully shaped headlights wrapping around the front and the separate daytime running lights turn heads at the car pool. The enhanced aerodynamics and the roaring engine make it easy for you to be the Queen of the Road, and helps you to pass any car when you are in the hurry.

Impeccable Interior

The soft leather seats and the wooden front panel give instantly the feeling of luxury and the soothing ambient lighting, which can be switched between 3 different colors (available as part of the optional Premium 2 package) makes it possible to customize your luxury driving experience. A power glass sunroof, heated front seats, power liftgate, cruise control, rain sensing wipers and an integrated garage door opener are also standard equipment and make the ML350 a joy to own and enjoy. Don’t forget the spacious cargo to fit a stroller or two, or the treasures you found at IKEA or Crate & Barrel.

The (optional) GPS navigation system offers many new features, including a 3D display, a compass overlay, dynamic route guidance, the ability to show alternate routes plus the functionality to record routes while driving. Also optional, a Sirius-XM feature can provide real-time traffic and weather information on the navigation map and the SUV will help you find your destination, no matter what. Nothing is more stylish than finding your way without asking directions or getting lost.

Cup Holders Keep Cool or Hot

The award winning famous Mercedes-Benz cup holders are heating and cooling – keeping the latte or even the baby’s milk bottle warm, and boy could we all use the cooling cup holders this summer! The central console also has two “Favorite” shortkeys allowing quick access to frequently-used functions, especially handy if you have to share the car with your husband.

iPoD Dock

Mercedes hasn’t forgotten the kiddos or friends traveling on the backseat. The 2012 M-Class is nearly an inch longer and a half inch wider and as a result, there’s more room for passengers and cargo. Not just that the backseat has plenty of space, but you can also get the all new Mercedes-Benz iPad® Docking Station and the backseat passengers can watch movies, play games or music, surf the Internet, all from the convenience of their own iPad® without having to hold it in their hands while in transit, also allowing audio streaming throughout the car’s audio system.

M-Class New Safety Features :: Raising The Bar for All Carkind

While I love luxury like anyone else, I would never buy a car that is just easy on the eye and keeps my morning latte hot. And while there was a day that I would have wanted to know more about the V6 engine, as I get older (gasp!) and as a mom, I tend to care more about the safety features. And when it comes to high-tech safety, the M-Class is exceptional in the car industry by offering safety features that come standard, not as option. We were driving on the highway and an incoming 18-wheeler was driving towards as very fast and fairly close to the center of the road, and while there was no scare of us hitting the truck on the upcoming traffic, the car sensed the truck and automatically steered the car to the right gently. Now that you don’t see of feel often. Unless you drive a Mercedes-Benz.

Pre-Safe and Attention Assist

PRE-SAFE senses if your car is about to hit something in the front of you and takes protective measures even before impact; first by warning you, then by slowing down and finally stopping automatically before the impact. This feature could also be called the “saving lives” feature. The Pre-Safe feature will adjust the seatbelt tension and the seats to an angle that is more favorable to the oncoming crash, and will close the sunroof and side windows before the impact. ATTENTION ASSIST detects drowsiness and warn the driver to take a break. This is pretty big news, because falling asleep at the wheel causes more than 100,000 accidents a year in the U.S.

Blind Spot & Lane Keeping Assist

Not just that the car sensors a possible impact or you getting sleepy when driving, but the LANE KEEPING ASSIST also warns if you are getting close to the lane markings and driving off the lane, and the blind spot assists warns if there is a car in the blind spot whenever you use the turn signal. A separate option, they also incorporate an intervention feature, and the system makes the car to correct the car’s course if the driver doesn’t heed the initial warning.

Electronic Stability Program, Active Curve System etc.

The stability in the ML350 is amazing in turns as well as when driving straight ahead, even over uneven surfaces and over snow, ice or gravel, and the car is drives smooth and the Active Curve System prevents the car from tipping over even on the craziest curves, and keeps the passengers from shifting around on the backseat. We put this one on the test by driving an off-road course.. Tech Savvy Mama caught me on video driving this beauty like a beast on the off road driving course in the Montana mountains. The sensors kept beeping and warning us but at the same time even the off-road driving was smoother than a normal gravel road would be with my normal car. The safety features make the M-Class also more comfortable to drive.

Read more about several additional safety and other featured of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV and go and check it out at your local MB dealer this fall. I dare you to test drive the new M-Class. If you are looking for a safe, spacious luxury SUV I know you won’t just like the M-Class, you will love it. Just like I do.

Disclosure: Mercedes-Benz invited me to the press event to preview the new M-Class in Montana and paid my travel. All of my opinions are my own.

More Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes For Mom.

I have exciting news! I’m having an awesome opportunity to test drive the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid this week with a friend of mine, Kim Orlando of TravelingMom.com. And this test drive isn’t your normal test drive – we’ll fly to Dearborn, MI, to Ford headquarters to pick up the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid for a road trip back home to New York.

3 Days. 2 Moms. 1 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

We’ll visit at Ford’s headquarters tomorrow and we’ll drive to Cleveland, Ohio, tomorrow afternoon. We are hosting a TweetUp at the Great Lakes Brewing at 7:30 PM tomorrow, Thursday March 26th. Be there! And if you are not in Cleveland, let your Cleveland friends know about it!

On Friday we’ll drive to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and hoping to meet some people for TweetUp there as well (details to come).

And check out the map – if you are somewhere along the purple line in the map – let us know and we’ll stop and say hi and you can also see the new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

I’m excited about this opportunity, the 2010 Ford Fusion appeals to the techie and green sides of me, and let’s see how it will measure up with the Volvo V70 I drive right now.

Follow our trip on Twitter:
@katjapresnal

@KimOrlando

#fusiondriveNYC

Read my 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid review.