Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2007)
*>007 7 Features Cars deemed safe, reliable for student drivers u C hris G arfield _____________ Page Editor O w ning a reliable, cool and safe, bu t m ostly cool car, is great for the m o d em high school student. It's a w ay of getting around and the best w ay to avoid riding the "lo ser cruiser." H ere are five cars that are the w hole package: dependable, secure and slick. H onda Civic, no doubt, is the m ost popular car for teenagers. H atchback or sedan it can be seen everyw here. W hat m akes the C ivic so appealing is the price, m iles per gallon and the look of the car. The new H onda Civics gets betw een 30 - 40 m ile per gallon, w hich is not bad for any car. Som e teenagers have to pay their ow n gas so a non-gas guzzler is required. Be careful, though, H onda C ivics are often stolen a lot, so keep your doors locked. The C ivic has a reputation for perform ing w ell having good gas m ileage and for handling smoothly. It also has lots of safety features like anti lock brakes and air bags. A Toyota C orolla can take you from high school to college and then to your first hom e. It's a sim ple, safe car that still looks pretty | weet. If you're technology challenged, this is the car for you as it is equipped w ith big knobs and labels. You w on 't get lost trying to find out how to turn on the air conditioning, like som e other new er cars. Even w ith its great m iles per gallon, it supports a pow erful engine, a plus that you w ou ld n 't expect. The Corolla is decked out in tons of safety features like a tire pressure m onitor, rear head restraints and dual air bags. The next sw eet ride is a Volvo w hich com es from a car com pany know n for safety. They m ake classy cars that run w ell for a long period of time. Som e of the Subaru Forrester older cars that Volvo m akes are lem ons, bu t overall Volvo has a pretty good rap. The Volvo S60 is a perfect car for a student. It is slick Toyota Corolla • Reliability: 4/5 • Safety: 5/5 • Cool: 4.5/5 i ? .. ..... ”1 like my Forrester because it has all-wheel drive." — Jeff Bändel, senior j • Reliability: 5/5 • Safety: 4/5 • Cool: 4/5 "The best feature of my Corolla is the windshield cleaner. It cleans very V o lvo S60 Ik ! • Reliability: 4/5 wel1'" • Safety: 4/5 • Cool: 3.5/5 —Anneliese Sytsma, junior "I got my Volvo about a year ago and I love it. It runs great and I haven’t had any problems with it," —Christopher Thompson, junior Honda C ivic Volkswagen Jetta • Reliability: 3/5 • Safety: 4.5/5 • Cool: 3/5 • Reliability: 5/5 • Safety: 4.5/5 • Cool: 5/5 "I love my Honda Civic, and I don’t have to fill my tank twice going up to the mountain." —Brynn Hayes, junior "I just got my Jetta and it’s great. It gets good gas mileage and has lots of features like heated seats and a sun roof." —Erin McCauley, junior Photos by Chris Garfield looking and also very safe. The S60 is offered in all w heel drive, w hich is great for driving up Mt. H ood safely. The Volvos are safe and are equipped w ith side and head air bags, plus it has four w heel anti-locking brake system . Volksw agen Jetta's are the classic girl car. They have been around since 1980 and w ill be driving around for aw hile. They have a boxy shape w hich drops their cool status a little b u t overall it’s a quality car. They are know n for driving sm ooth and getting great gas m ileage. Safety is also not a problem w ith the Jetta w ith air bags every place im aginable. Volksw agens also tend to be easier to w ork on. The last car on the list is the Subaru Forrester, an SU V shrunk into a sm aller car. It offers the sam e pow er and safety as an SUV, plus it's unique looking. The Forrester can get aw ay w ith the boxy look because it is aim ed for a m ore sporty crowd and m ade to drive hard. If you're looking for a car to go up the m ountain in, this is the one for you. It has a pretty pow erful engine and all-w heel drive, all the tim e, so there is no need to w orry about losing control. A lso, you don't have to w orry about getting hurt in this car since it topped every com pact sport crash test according to the Insurance Institute for H ighw ay Safety. Looking for a car that is cheap and reliable? You can find these cars and m ore on craigslist.com , autotrader, com and at used dealers. break brings relief, fun vacations 5§ftfl! i f « ® u continued from page 5 "I’m looking forward to the warm weather, meeting cute boys and getting a great tan," Michelle Francis, sophomore, who is going on a week-long cruise to Mexico during the break, said. Many of the destinations that have for years been popu lar places are slowly fading, Krislip explained in her article. Lake Havasu, Ariz. and Las Vegas, Nev. are no longer in the top ten, whereas places like Paris, France are quickly gaining speed and moving up in the list as Europe becomes a hot spot for U.S. tourists. "I'm just really excited to experience a new culture," Ari- ana Harris, junior, who will be visiting France over the break, said. Recently, the amount of travel-to destinations outside the United States has increased im mensely. Travellers have developed a yearning to visit places where they can find cul tural diversity and new, exciting activities. How do these places become so popular? For som e reaso n they possess som e sp ecia l q u a lity th a t keeps travelers coming back year after year. Since the break comes right at the be ginning of the spring season, many people try to go some where sunny and warm to find a reprieve from the cold and a kick-off for the summer. Places like Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida offer heat, sun, beauti ful beaches, and lots of tourist- friendly activities. "From the Northwest, any place warm is a desired destina tion," Cindra Gero, travel agent at Sun Connections in West Linn, said. Some people begin planning for their Spring Break vacation far in advance; many for at least a year. There are many w ays to plan trips, either by booking each p art in d iv id u ally, purchasing a package, or using a travel agent. However, booking sooner usually means better prices. "If you and your family want to go someplace warm during spring break, starting to plan as early as November or December of the previous year is not un usual," Gero said. If you have not already made plans for spring break, it may not be too late to make accommodations. "Planning in advance will give you more flexibility of flight schedules and the best available room category at the best rates. But if you need last minute help, we are here to help you," Bates said. It is important that when making plans for a vacation, especially outside of the United States, you plan far in advance and research where you will be staying and visiting so that you can be prepared. If a passport is needed for where you are going, it is important to apply for one as soon as possible since they can take anywhere between one day and two months to arrive. For students, there are many safety tips to keep in mind. If going across the border, such as traveling to Mexico, be sure to get the proper immuniza tions, get to know the language enough so that you can get help if needed, keep any cash in a safe place, and be aware of your surroundings at all times. 'Travel agents can help with all the legalities of teen travel and we also have access to many tour companies," Gayle Cole, travel agent at Sun Con nections in West Linn, said. And since most travel agents work with wholesale com panies that sell packages at a bulk rate, they can usually plan your trip for a much cheaper price, and are very knowledge able and helpful. In future travels, not only spring break, make sure to keep these tips in mind, and consider using a travel agent if you want to get the best deal. But no matter what plans you have for this Spring Break vacation, be sure to get in lots of relaxation and rejuvenation. And most of all, have lots of fun!
