I’ve owned several Ford vehicles and the reason is simple. My family found a dealer who was honest, respectable and always did his best to correct any situation. Their business did not advertise free plane tickets with purchase or set up a kids carnival in their parking lot. They don’t haggle on price. What they tell you is what you’ll pay and they always give you a fair price for trade-in (usually close to Kelley Blue Book).

I admit that I’ve noticed that there is an absence of new style and cutting edge technology on the Ford line-up. When I was invited to the General Motors Lifestyle Product Preview, I was excited to check out a different brand. (A trip that was paid for entirely by GM.)

First, I must state that all the GM employees I interacted with were very friendly and more than accommodating. This is always a good sign of things to come. My group was labeled the “lifestyle bloggers” and it was interesting to meet others from the internet world.

The first afternoon consisted of completing an Advanced Driving Techniques course on safety. I was nervous to get in a vehicle and induce a situation which requires quick thinking, but it went very well. The instructors were not only patient but extremely knowledgeable. I definitely walked away having learned more in that four hours than the entire semester of driver’s ed in high school.

The bloggers group had a dinner with several GM executives that evening. The table conversation was orchestrated by Mr. Ed Peper, Chevrolet General Manager, answering questions from us. For the most part a few auto-bloggers dominated the group with their questions regarding specifics, but overall it was good to hear from the technical side of the automotive industry.

Mr. Peper seemed very genuine and honest in his responses. My only issue was that he repeatedly stated that GM’s top concerns were dependability, reliability, quality and fuel efficiency. It was not until the very end of dinner that he mentioned safety as a priority for their company.

In my opinion, safety should rank first because honestly who cares how many MPG a vehicle gets or how long the engine lasts if they’re not alive? Having been on the other end of a car crash in which safety features saved my life, I’m interested in the advancement of protection.

The population is living longer and with that comes concern with senior citizens driving. Our response and reaction timing certainly slows with age. My concern is that having all these advancements in safety may give a false sense of security to those who have lost their driving skills.

The test-driving event took place on the Milford Proving Grounds where all the GM vehicle testing takes place. With over 4,000 acres they’ve recreated everything imaginable and I was able to drive their vehicles through many of the road tests they use.

Part of the event included an advanced driving techniques course in which we were put into situations and challenged to react. The obstacles included ABS braking and learning about Stabili Trak where the instructor showed us the difference between losing control with and without it.

Trust me when I say having it is a much better option. By 2010 this will be a standard feature on all GM vehicles and that impresses me. GM has the upper hand on innovation and meeting the current issues facing their customers.

The GM models I tested:

Pontiac Solstice (OXP Turbo) - It was what a sporty convertible should be - fun & fast. Being a tall girl I practically fell into the drivers seat, but did find it had plenty of leg room. My comfort was compromised a bit due because the steering wheel didn’t move up high enough. The Solstice accelerates and stops quickly. My biggest complaint was that the inside rear view mirror blocked my view through the front window of the road.

Hummer 2 - If you like being the “big man on campus” this is your vehicle. The features and controls were all very streamlined and in order on the dash, except that the driver temperature controls were difficult to reach over the gear shift. With a 3rd row of seats and a small rectangle shaped rear window, it was difficult to see out the back window. Despite the loud interior noise when driving over bumpy road conditions, it handled surprisingly smooth. Bottom line is that if you like driving a cement block choose the Hummer.

Buick Enclave (CXL) - A four door SUV with 3rd row seats that fold down made this classy vehicle a luxury crossover. The computer screen dash controlled most of the vehicles functions and appeared sleek. I felt the accelerator, braking and steering were a little bit touchy and loose. Overall, it drove smoothly and was easy to navigate on the roadway. It was an impressive combination of style and performance. The only design flaw I noted was an oddly placed circular analog clock in the middle of the dash.

Saturn Outlook (XR) - This was my favorite vehicle to drive. Saturn has defined the family SUV. It offered plenty of room (7-8 passengers) and lots of legroom for everyone. All rear seats folded flat and there was a covered storage area within the floor behind the 3rd row. In fact it featured over 24 storage places all strategically placed to be built into the vehicle. As far comfort, I felt it was the most comfortable SUV I drove there (even against it’s more expensive competition, the Enclave). I asked more in-depth questions regarding this model as I could honestly see us purchasing the Outlook. A GM representative spoke highly of the 5 star safety rating and 6 standard airbags (including head curtains that reached the 3rd row of seats). This was a well-thought out vehicle.

Cadillac (STS) - If you are looking for a luxury sedan that will allow you to watch DVD’s from the driving seat, look no further than this Cadillac. I had never seen a key-less start vehicle, so it took me a moment to figure out the buttons. It offered everything imaginable - heated steering wheel, projected mph in the windshield, electric steering column and pedals, etc… Despite the comfort it is definitely a model that has to fit your lifestyle.

GMC Yukon (Hybrid) - This new model has stirred up quite a bit of excitement because it’s a large SUV that offers better fuel economy than others in its class. I have never driven a hybrid vehicle and wasn’t sure what to expect. Overall the engine was quiet and smooth. You only heard a slight humming noise when you accelerated from the stopped position. Even at high speeds it handled well, drove smoothly and cruised silently. The hybrid certainly does not compromise anything and allows you to gain 25% in fuel usage.

In theory I would be driving a tiny Prius and doing my bit to save the planet, however the reality is that I have to haul stuff and haul people. It wasn’t easy finding a vehicle that fit my needs, and I have to admit, I was stunned to find out that it was a Jeep.

My needs are a bit unique, but not completely unrelated to many people I don’t think. I needed to be able to carry up to four people and an 88 key keyboard with all accessories. For reference, the keyboard is just over 5 feet long. In January, we are hoping to add a car seat to that list of needs. Making the selection of vehicles even smaller was the requirement that it weigh over 6,000 pounds in order to meet tax requirements for use in self-employment.

We began looking at Volvo C90’s, Honda Pilots, Ford Expeditions, and Land Rover LR3’s. The Volvo and the Honda turned out not to meet the weight requirement, so they were crossed off the list. The Land Rover was just too freaking expensive to justify, but it was so very nice. The Expedition? Huge. Fantastically and wrongly huge. I cannot even begin to describe how dangerous I felt driving that mammoth beast down the road.

That left the Jeep Commander. A vehicle that wasn’t even on our initial list because we didn’t know about it.

The Commander has three rows of seats. The back row folds down in two parts, and the middle row folds down in three. Not having to remove the seats and being able to choose which seats folded down was a priority for us. We can fit all of my music gear, our luggage, my stepdaughter, my father-in-law, myself, and my husband comfortably for out of town gigs. All while getting relatively decent gas mileage while cruising on the highway.

The Commander comes with a variety of options, including a Hemi engine. We skipped the Hemi because my gas guilt was already maxed out for this purchase. We did however opt for the comfort perks and the extra airbags that will come down in curtains all along where you might have passengers. I have back up sensors which work well, but unfortunately did not save the poor bunny that I still couldn’t see in my driveway last week. The sunroofs in the two forward most seats are wonderful, and I love that the driver’s seat, mirrors, and pedals reset themselves according to whose key unlocks the car, mine or my husbands.

My only gripe about the Commander is the in town gas mileage. However, it is a giant SUV, and I knew that before we purchased it. I try to pool all of my errands into one trip and stop and start slowly to save gas. Even so, taking my stepdaughter to school in some hefty traffic plummets the gas mileage to about 12-13 miles per gallon. In fact, we are looking at fixing up my old Volvo for in town trips just to keep our gas consumption down.

We purchased our Commander from Smithfield Chevrolet Jeep. They had excellent prices and terrific service. If you are in proximity, I would highly recommend them.

And if you really need the space, I would highly recommend the Commander. I really do love mine.