The Best Interior Designs

Ward's Unveils Their Top Auto Interiors

Never underestimate the appeal of a good car interior.  Comfort, ambience, functionality.  All important things that can make a good ride better.  Kia stepped their interior game up

Since we all love a good ranked list, Ward's recently put in hours of research to discover which cars have the best interiors.  We're focused on 5 today.  Take a look:

Chevy Cruze

We've covered the Cruze extensively, and Ward's just drives our point home even further.  "Soft-touch surfaces, high-grade plastics, properly bolstered leather-appointed seats and great attention to noise reduction make the Cruze a wonderful value at $22,910."

Dodge Charger

Ward's said it as well as we could, "in any interior color, the Charger would look stunning, with its 1-piece matte-finish metallic trim and sporty gauges lending an eye-catching flourish to the dashboard."

Honda Odyssey

The only minivan on the list, and why not?  

"Perfectly suited to cast an air of calm over any road trip with multiple children under the age of 6, the Odyssey impresses with premium features such as 2-tier storage bins in the front doors, a “cool box” refrigerator below the center stack and a third row that is comfortable for adults and easily accessible."The Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit

"The boldly stitched deep-grain tan leather seats instantly conjure images of a highly crafted saddle from the wild west. The rich material carries over seamlessly to the instrument panel and door trim, making this V-8-powered SUV the ultimate comfort-mobile for the Rubicon Trail."

Kia Optima EX

"With the new Optima, the auto maker demonstrates its uncanny ability to connect with midsize buyers in the U.S.  Finely finished with perforated leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, navigation, premium audio and heated and cooled front seats, the Optima is an impressive package." 

So there you have it.  If you have any other suggestions for the list, let us know.  Enjoy! 

Child Auto Safety Tips You May Not Know

Child safety week is September 19-25.  Forbes.com has offered up some tips for parents on auto safety they may not have otherwise known. Here are some of the key points:

• Face babies backward in their car seats. And keep them that way for as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until the age of 1 and until they weigh at least 20 pounds.
• Keep toddlers in forward-facing car seats until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular car-seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
• Keep young children in booster seats--in the back seat--until they are as old as 8 years or at least 4'9'' tall. One way to tell if they're positioned correctly in the booster is to look at the seat belt: It should fit with the lap belt laying across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fitting easily across the chest.
• When pregnant, wear the seat belt low across the belly, with the center portion placed firmly along the breastbone. Contrary to some myths, it's always safer to wear a seat-belt, even when eight or nine months pregnant, than to not wear one for fear of crushing the unborn child in the event of a crash.
• Always walk around the car to check behind it before putting it in reverse. Teach children to stay away from cars when in the driveway. Most importantly, do not rely solely on backup cameras or radars in the car--sometimes the sensor cannot detect a small child or beloved toy that might attract a child to run in front of the backing vehicle.
• Watch your windows. According to NHTSA, many kids are injured when a window closes on their finger, wrist or hand, and some kids have even been strangled by power windows. To prevent this, activate the power-window lock so that they cannot play with the windows, and never leave the key in the ignition or in the "on" or "accessory" position when leaving the car.

For more safety tips, revisit our post on car seat safety from a few months ago.

Buffalo Charity Honors Dedicated Service

Child and Family Services Names New Award After Exemplary Western New Yorker

At the recent Child and Family Services Celebration of Friends event, Chief Development Officer Susan Siwiec had no idea she'd be taking the stage.  She was pleasantly surprised when she found out a new award was being named after her.

Siwiec is moving on after 13 years of hard work and dedication at Child and Family Services.  The organization felt this was a fine way to honor her services.The Susan T. Siewec Distinguished Donor Award

"Everyone who knows Susan knows that she is a vibrant, energetic woman," said board member Kevin O'Leary in his presentation speech.  "Her passion for our agency and its’ mission is evident to each person she meets"

Siewec created the agency's Development Department from the ground up and has worked to develop it ever since.  O'Leary praised Siwiec's ability to establish and maintain relationships with individual and corporate donors in Western New York and beyond. 

The West Herr Auto Group is honored to be the first recipient of the Susan T. Siwiec Distinguished Donor Award.  Vice President Bill Loecher, also a new Child and Family Services board member, was there to accept.

"West Herr stepped up to the plate and provided additional gifts and food for families, ensuring that each and every person received a gift to open this past Christmas day," O'Leary said. 

As members of the Western New York community, we thank Susan Siwiec for all her hard work and the Child and Family Services for their award. 

To make a donation to Child and Family Service's Buffalo chapter, visit them online today.