KeriBlog

Cars, Security and a Peek into my Life

Why All Bumpers are Starting to Look the Same

It’s not that our tastes are changing.

It’s because safety regulations now say a car’s front end must better protect a pedestrian in case of an accident, thereby limiting design and styling possibilities.

Read it online at Autonet.ca

Favourite line:

Put the phone down while crossing the street. Or use my trick and make eye contact with the driver. Because regardless of how the bumper is styled, it wins the showdown every time.

Cars hurt guys.

This all-new 2015 Chrysler 200, is a good example of such bumpers.

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Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

A Test: Use only Voice Recognition to Control a Car

This week I conduct an experiment:

Automakers are touting, “control the car using just Voice Recognition, so it’s hands on always!”

So for 1 week, try to drive without removing my hands from the steering wheel, ever.

Rely solely on the wheel’s buttons to operate the cabin controls, and infotainment system.

(Conclusion: can’t)

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Regardless of how you’re operating the infotainment system, your focus and attention are still taken elsewhere. 

Test conducted in a 2015 Chrysler 200.

About pairing my phone to a car for the 1st time – here

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Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Paired my Phone to a Car for the First Time

Ever.

Why never

I don’t think Chrysler (or any manufacturer) is going to do anything nefarious with my information, nor will the following auto journalists to test this car, but…

1 – Your contacts database is one of your most precious files, and ideally, you have a copy on an external drive, that’s been backed up in the last couple weeks (if you say you store all your contacts in Facebook, please leave my blog.) So why be careless about where that file ends up?

2 – I don’t know what information the car copies, then saves, from my phone. Nor do I know that the data is fully deleted when I un-pair the phone. Not-knowing means not-happening.

3 – I’m still undecided if I trust the cloud, and so I don’t use it. And pairing the car means I’ve dipped my toe into the cloud.

4 – pairing usually requires Bluetooth, which I don’t use. I’ve been attacked via Bluetooth before, so I quit using it (that’s why you never see me anymore, in my beloved hands-free headsets)

So why now?

I’m conducting a test for an upcoming ‘Keri on Driving‘ column…

The test is: automakers say we’re now able to fully control our car, without removing our hands from the wheel. Okay then, let’s see.

I set up for success and chose Chrysler because their ‘UConnect’ infotainment system is one of the best available.

How I paired it

I did not pair my own phone, not a chance.

Instead, I got a pre-paid SIM card from TELUS (talk & text only, no data), and put it in the Android they gave me. I saved the contacts I chat most with, and fired it up.

What happened

1 – the car now has saved all my contacts list, and my call history 
2 – the car can now access my text messages, and can send as me

So to word it dramatically – the car now knows all your friends, whom you speak with most, and can text them. This is why you always delete your phone from a rental car, and don’t name your phone your name.

Because a possible attack: return the rental car > next guy gets in > your phone is your name > look up home address for that name > guy now knows where you are not

That’s pretty high-level, and the guy would have to be quite skilled, but still, why chance it.

Let the test begin

Figured out voice command navigation this afternoon, and how to send texts but only using the screen (think I’m doing something wrong there), audio is easy, and not sure if climate controls are even a possibility…

How nice did this photo turn out

When it launched, I reviewed this car for the paper, click here.

Short review – the 200 went from barely competing, to the one to compete against.

 

Chrysler’s 2015 All-new 200 Sedan

It’s Chrysler’s 2015 all-new 200 mid-size sedan.

Read my full review on Autonet.ca.

Short review:

With its upscale interior and exclusive 9- spd. transmission, in the mid-size sedan segment Chrysler just went from barely competing, to the one to compete against.

The launch was in Louisville, Kentucky.

Here’s the post about that, and what driving in Kentucky looks like [video].

It’s quite different from the model it’s replacing, which was known as a rental car (think of the Sebring), so therefore, not popular with the average consumer (because who wants to buy a car known for being a rental).

This new model ought to change that.

The interior is where Chrysler bests the competition, mainly because of the spacious, open centre console, thanks to the addition of an E-shift.

That E-shift is something we’ll start to see much more of, all automakers are moving to them.

It was a well executed launch, here’s a video still that wasn’t good enough to edit.

Not all launches have neat stuff, like this interior cutaway.

Engine/transmission: 2.4L 4-cylinder & 3.6L V6 / 9-spd automatic

Power/torque: 208 hp/ 258 lb-ft (4-cylinder) & 295 hp / 262 lb-ft (V6)

Starting at $22,495

Oh, and the 200 will not only parallel park itself, it’ll perpendicular park too.

 

 

Driving in Kentucky Looks Like This

Kentucky is quite pretty, too bad it’s all grey and not showcasing that.

I was there a week ago with Chrysler, and their all-new 200 mid-size sedan.

Read my full review on Autonet.

Short review: the 200 went from barely competing, to the one to compete against.

Driving in the video is Jeremy Sinek, not me.

We are a Road-Test-Mega-Team.

Jeremy: why are you making us pose with our heads down?
Me: because you always say you don’t like your photo taken. Even though you have a whole blog section here :|
Jeremy: ugh Keri fiiiiine
Keri: Road-Test-Mega-Team unite!

 

 

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