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Cars
 If you must sip and go, and you must, be sure your coffee is secure
By Craig Fitzgerald, Globe Correspondent | November 7, 2004
Safety advocates say we should pay a lot more attention to our driving than to our drive-through orders, but since the mantra of most New Englanders is "Have coffee, will travel," it's probably safer to at least have a decent cup holder in the car.
Not long ago, cup holders were flimsy plastic discs that hung from the door panel, leaning perilously to one side, dripping your "large regular" onto your left knee. It wasn't until the 1990s that manufacturers began to wise up to the fact that people drank coffee while driving, and made the holders standard features. Dodge Grand Caravan boasted an astounding 15 cup holders throughout the vehicle. Chevrolet featured an ad bragging that the new Z28 had six speeds, and a cup holder large enough to hold a Big Gulp. European manufacturers resisted the trend until the last minute. Today, 56 percent of drivers say it's important to have cup holders, according to Car and Driver Magazine. Here are a few models with cup holders worth toasting: 2005 Ford Five Hundred -- The slick rear fold-down armrest of this sedan hides cup holders for rear-seat passengers. Ford's cup holders are generally of the rubberized, gripping variety that fold to squeeze the sides of cups. 2005 Chevrolet Corvette -- "Performance driving" and "hot Chai sipping" don't usually go hand in hand. Yet, since the cup holder has become as ubiquitous as the vanity mirror, a car just isn't complete without one. The Corvette's, hidden behind a roll-top-style door, is big enough for a couple of soda cans or coffee cups. 2005 Maybach -- If you're in the market for a Maybach, you probably have a uniformed driver. The '05 Maybach's back seat features custom titanium champagne flutes that clip into little "cup holders." Considering its spaciousness, the Maybach's back seat is a better makeout spot than your studio apartment. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company. |
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