2006 Minivan Buyer's Guide, plus a review of the 2005 Suzuki Reno and 2005 Kia Spectra 5 Review : ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5

Cruise Tips from AAA
Choose your ship carefully; Investigate your health care coverage; Alert staff to special needs… AAA offers these tips and more to make your time aboard your cruise ship as safe and pleasant as possible. [CRUISE TIPS]

Flood Damaged Cars
In addition to the obvious damage done to upholstery and carpeting, flood water is a corrosive and abrasive mixture of water and dirt that forces its way into every seam and crevice of an auto-mobile. [STAY DRY]

Omni Offers Fit Tips
Omni Hotels has the perfect antidote for the frustrating post-trip squeeze, and it works for leisure and business travelers alike. [PUMPED]

Don't Neglect Car
This time of year finds many Americans enjoying vacations; but that doesn't mean it's time to take a vacation from regular car maintenance. In fact, neglecting your vehicle during extreme weather could be costly. [CAR CARE]

Roughing-It RVing
Picture yourself sitting beside a deluxe RV at a scenic KOA campground, enjoying wine and cheese by an outdoor fireplace, with wireless Internet and cable TV at your fingertips. [ROUGH]

Dashing HOT Cars
Extreme heat, direct sunlight and closed windows can turn your parked car into a virtual oven with dashboard tempera-tures reaching up to about 192� F. [HEAT]

Booze: You Lose
Impaired driving is one of America's most often committed and deadliest crimes. More than 1.4 million people nationwide were arrested in 2003 for driving under the influence. [BE SMART]

Kids Want Cool Cars
Arecent poll revealed that 43% of drivers ages 16-25 would prefer to drive sporty vehicles, while 41% of parents of young drivers would rather see their kids in safe sedans. [SAFETY]

ATV in Tennessee
My fingers tightened and the engine roared. The ATV leapt ahead, sending up a spray that splattered over the machine and me.
[OFF ROADING RIOT]

RTM BACK ISSUES

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As with other automotive segments, minivans were bound to evolve beyond the tried and true classic. And they have. Some have grown larger, others smaller. Some remain subdued, but others have edgy looks. All seem to have discovered a myriad of ways to add surprising elements that make one a pleasure to own. In true comfy fuzzy-slipper style, they define what multi-talented is all about. [MINIVAN GUIDE]

Like square dancing and strip-club promo-wear, many of the locals' enthusiasms sit poorly with their health-conscious, politically correct kinfolk elsewhere: eatin' vittles such as fried catfish and buttermilk biscuits. Huntin' and fishin'. Teasin' rattlesnakes. Boilin' kettles of 100-proof white lightening in illegal backwoods sills, protected by juju charms: dead turtles or crude manikins of gourd and corncobs. [MINING, MUSIC & MOONSHINE]

Reno has four doors for passengers and a hatch lid at the tail to access the aft cargo compartment. Its cabin is spacious with room for five on comfortable seats and lots of convenience features aboard. And the shapely body appears slick and sophisticated, thanks to sensuous styling by Pininfarina, the Italian design studio responsible for some of the most beautiful cars in the world for exotic brands like Ferrari. [SUZUKI RENO]

In many ways, America's favorite pastime was the catalyst Durham required to enter the 21st century. You could say baseball is to Durham, as mustard is to a hot dog. Without it, the flavor of a foot long ballpark frank is still a culinary treat to be savored. But add the tangy tasting yellow condiment to the top of a wiener and you have an instant all-American gastronomic experience par excellence. [DURHAM]

The concept mixes spry road manners of a small four-door front-wheel-drive (FWD) sports sedan with the cargo-hauling capability of a pint-size sport-utility vehicle and the miserly fuel efficiency and attractive price points of an economy car. So it's partly a sporty car styled like a street-racer hatchback, but also partly a small wagon as well as a thrifty runabout that's practical to use but fun to drive. [KIA SPECTRA]

Italy has been lagging in that department. With the hordes of tourists, interminable lines for historic sights, and impossible-to-navigate streets, it's hard to imagine the good ol' days, when groups of gorgeous boys loitered in the alleys and gondoliers serenaded passersby. [ITALY]

ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine

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Fall Foliage Follies
Whether it's a leisurely hike beneath colorful canopies or a visit to the pumpkin patch, here is a list of places to celebrate the season. [FALL COLORS]

New 'Pet Travel' Gig
Due to a significant increase in people traveling with pets, RTM launches new Pet Travel section. [PETS]

Cleanest or Dirtiest?
What's the cleanest big city in the U.S.? How about the dirtiest? Reader's Digest decided to find out, by analyzing data to score each of the 50 largest cities on air quality, water quality, and industrial pollution. [CITIES]

Top Tires Save Gas
Gas prices continue to climb, and according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national monthly average reached a record $2.89 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline this week. [GAS]

Predictable Crashes
About 8,000 deaths and more than 1 million injuries occur each year on rural roads. The crashes aren't occurring haphazardly. Many happen in predictable locations and involve predictable sequences of contri-buting events. [GO]

Know When to Go
The official visitor website of the Florida Keys & Key West, has established new information sections designed to protect the health and welfare of travelers to the Florida Keys. [KEY WEST]

Kids & Car Care
American students are jumping in their cars and driving back to class. What better way to send your students back to school than to arm them with proper car care knowledge and a well maintained vehicle? [SAFE]

Credit Card Travel
Traveling these days is often a juggling act of luggage, boarding passes, identification cards, passports and a gauntlet of security measures. [SPEND]

Good Deal or Lemon?
Late-model used cars are plentiful and less expensive than ever. With all the choices available, though, how can you tell the difference? [GO]

Wrong Side of Road
In search of adven-ture, I spent a week driving on the wrong side of the road. Well, truth-fully, I was a passenger -- but that only amplified my experience. [DRIVE]

Private Beaches
It's a challenge steering clear of the maddening crowd when you're looking for a quiet part of the world, one where you can recharge your batteries. [PRIVATE]

Next Issue

'06 Model Buyer's Guide
Africa's Mountains
Entry-Level Luxury Cars
Georgia Coast
'06 BMW 3 Series
Private Jet Buyer Guide
Fuel Additive FAQ's
Dooralong Resort
'06 Subaru Tribeca
Dining Out with Fido
Driving with Dyslexia