Mother Tested and Approved: MotherProof.com Names 2010 Toyota Venza the 'Mother of All Cars'

CHICAGO, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- MotherProof.com, a website dedicated to helping women and moms navigate the automotive world, announced its 2010 top cars for families.  

"There are so many automotive options available to today's mom," says Kristin Varela, chief mom at MotherProof.com. "Our awards are unique in that evaluations are based on our own experiences with test vehicles - taking our kids to school, loading up groceries for the week, commuting, even heading out for date night. We put each car to the test the way real families use them in their daily lives. Our award categories reflect the wide range of families."

Launched in 2006, the MotherProof.com Family Cars of the Year Awards recognize several of the best new vehicles on the market for families across nine categories: minivan, three-row SUV or crossover, two-row SUV or crossover, wagon, sedan, fun, overall value, hybrid and best Latch connectors.  This year, MotherProof.com introduced their Mother of all Cars award to recognize their favorite car from the list of award winners.  

"The 2010 Toyota Venza is our Mother of all Cars because it embodies everything a family car should be," says Varela.  "The Venza helped me become Super Mom, with tons of storage and room for friends, but it doesn't scream mommy-mobile."

Award winners are selected based on criteria deemed most important to families by the MotherProof.com mom-reviewers, including ease of entrance and exit for all passengers, Latch connector usability, ease of seat belt use for kids in boosters, and other relevant family-friendly features. The same criteria are taken into account in every MotherProof.com vehicle review.

2010 MotherProof.com Family Car of the Year Award Winners

Minivan: 2010 Mercedes-Benz R350 Bluetec

Mama says: OK, it's not officially a minivan, but the R350 diesel crossover is a luxurious, clean-burning family-mobile that will turn heads. Did we mention its four sets of Latch connectors as well as its massive dual sunroofs?  Get with it, minivans; this is your wake-up call. The world is going green, and you're getting left in the dust.

SUV/Crossover (3 rows): 2010 Buick Enclave

Mama says: Sassy-looking hood vents give the Enclave a touch of speedster sex appeal. The 19-inch chromed aluminum wheels on our test model added some serious bling; gotta love the shine! In the second row, captain's chairs kept the kids from knocking each other around and provided enough room to easily access the third row. Lemme hear a hallelujah!

SUV/Crossover (2 rows): 2010 Volvo XC60

Mama says: Volvo is known for its automotive safety innovations, and that continues with the XC60. Volvo's City Safety accident avoidance system is standard in the XC60; it's nothing short of having a guardian angel fly above your family car at all times. Our reviewer called it "a mom's best friend in vehicle form."

Wagon/Hatch: 2010 Toyota Venza

Mama says: With room for five and a huge cargo area, the Toyota Venza is flexible enough to handle your life. Our absolute favorite thing about the Venza is when we got the kids out of the car we didn't feel like our name was still Mommy. We fell in love with the Venza. When it was time to let it go, there wasn't a dry eye in the driveway.

Sedan: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Mama says: The Genesis coupe certainly isn't built as a typical mom-mobile, but there are plenty of atypical moms in the world looking for their automotive match; this might fit the bill. It's sporty and sexy yet has enough seating and cargo capacity for your brood when necessary. The Genesis coupe resembles other uber-expensive, flashy sports cars out there, but without the guilt of dipping into your kid's college fund for a sports car. Keep your 529. Buy a Genesis coupe.

Best Overall Value: 2010 Kia Soul

Mama says: This funky Soul-ful box on wheels by Kia offers fun, function and frugality. Gen Y-ers demand safe, affordable transportation with a heavy emphasis on technology, design and personalization. With a slew of standard features and a low base price, you won't have to sell your soul for a Soul.

Best Latch Connectors: 2010 Audi Q5

Mama says: Audi has some of the best Latch connectors we've ever tested. They're easy to find and have plastic covers that pop right off of them. No digging, no crowbar and no broken fingernails. What more could we ask for?

Best Hybrid for Families: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Mama says: The Fusion Hybrid lives up to the saying of the "whole is more than the sum of its parts." It gives us the features we like the most and wraps them up in a sharp-looking, green whole. The quiet cabin and engine are phenomenal. It's a true pleasure to drive this car because silence is something we rarely get at home.

About MotherProof.com:

MotherProof.com (http://www.motherproof.com) is a mom's guide to life in the car that offers opinions and practical information about cars and car life, written from one savvy mom to another.  

MotherProof.com was born in 2004 when young mother and entrepreneur Kristin Varela needed a new car to meet the growing demands of her family, and found that a short test drive didn't deliver mom-relevant information. While women purchase more than 50 percent of new cars and influence 85 percent of all car sales, most automotive advice speaks to men and automotive enthusiasts. Varela saw the need to deliver automotive information to moms, an important and underserved niche.

SOURCE MotherProof.com