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Christmas Company Returns

11.18.11

The Christmas Company, a longtime annual tradition for many Orange County shoppers, returns to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa Thursday through Sunday. It’s a four-day shopping extravaganza with more than 100 unique vendors, as well as daily special events to benefit the Junior League of Orange County's supported charities.

Highlights from the special events include Girl's Night Out on Friday night from 6 to 9 p.m.

Guests will enjoy libations by Gallo Family Vineyards, delicious tacos and appetizers exclusively by Rasta Taco, exclusive shopping, and pampering. And get this, the first 200 guests to arrive will receive an incredible gift bag full of treats valued at over $450. Cost is $45 per person.

On Saturday, it’s PJs & Pancakes, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Enjoy a plate of fluffy pancakes from Francesca’s OC Catering, arts and crafts, and a photo sitting with Santa. Cost is $15 per adult/$25 per child.

On Saturday, attend a cooking demo and book signing, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Zov Karamardian, owner of Zov’s Bistro, will demonstrate the preparation of delicious dishes from her latest book “Simply Zov.” Samples will be served with wine pairings by Gallo Family Vineyards. Cost is $35 per person.

And lastly on Sunday, attend a Fancy Nancy Tea Party from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 to 4 p.m. Don your frilliest tutu and shiniest tiara at this English tea party for moms and children age three and up. Author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser read their latest book in the Fancy Nancy series, and guests will take home a Special Edition Fancy Nancy book and other treats. Cost is $28 per adult, and $39 per child.

General admission tickets good for multi-day entry for shopping at the Christmas Company cost $10 per person and will be available at the door and online at www.ShopTCC.com. Special event tickets can also be purchased at the door or online.

The OC Fair & Event Center is at Fair Drive and the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa.

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New Gear

GREEN CAR COMPARISON: 2012 CHEVY CRUZE ECO VS. 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID

11.16.11

By Sheryll Alexander

We weren’t surprised when Costa Mesa-based NADAguides announced today that the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze won the association's prestigious Car of the Year Award. Presented at this year’s LA Auto Show, which runs through Nov. 22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the award brings even more clout to this near luxury mid-sized sedan.

As professional road test reviewers, we recently tested the 2012 Chevy Cruze and the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid. Although we love the Kia brand and especially love the Optima Hybrid, we discovered The Cruze won in our comparison test.

Why did Cruze win overall? Value for the money. Period.

Plus, your family can feel good about buying American. Don’t think you can give up the status of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz for a Cruze? Think again. Chevrolet and Kia are making fuel efficient cars with hot Euro design and fun-to-drive performance.

Price Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has a base MSRP of $19,245. However, this model comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. The $26,500 base MSRP 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid has a standard automatic transmission. For this comparison, therefore, we gotta tack on the $925 automatic transmission option on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco for a total of $20,170. That’s $6,330 less for the automatic 2012 Cruze Eco! Sure, the 2011 Optima Hybrid may be somewhat more luxurious, but the Cruze Eco is crammed with loads of good design and near-luxury features for such a value price. (The 2012 Chevy Cruze Eco comes with the same interior package as the mid-level Cruze LT.) Also, the Kia Optima Hybrid’s optional technology package with way cool (and worth it!) UVO auto infotainment system costs a whopping $5,000 extra (for a total of $31,500). The 2012 Cruze Eco’s “infotainment” system comes standard on the base $19,245 manual tranny, has no graphic screen and is more like a patchwork of wireless services (such as using OnStar for voice-activated turn-by-turn navigation).

Fuel Efficiency Winner: Kia Optima Hybrid

The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid wins the fuel efficiency test over the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze by only two mpg combined. That’s good news for those new car buyers who want to save money both at the dealership and at the pump. Here’s the breakdown:

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

40 mpg hwy, 35 mpg city, 37 mpg combined

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

1.4-liter four cylinder six-speed manual transmission: 42 mpg hwy, 28 mpg city, 35 mpg combined

1.4-liter four cylinder six-speed automatic transmission: 39 mpg hwy, 26 mpg city, 33 mpg combined

Exterior Winner: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Sure, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has hot exterior design, but the 2011Kia Optima Hybrid’s exterior is just way more sporty. It starts with the wide wheelbase in the Optima, which makes this car feel beefy. Kia designers did a great job combining the luxury feel of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz as well as true racing inspiration in the open-mouthed matte black and shiny chrome grille. Other sophisticated and sporty features on the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid include 16-inch alloy wheels, low front fender, fog lamps, rear lower bumper and sleek sculpted side sills. The optional all-glass panoramic sun roof (comes with the $5,000 technology package) makes the Optima Hybrid look even more modern from the outside.

Interior Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Pitting these two well-designed interiors in this competition was challenging. The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid’s interior is hot and reminds this auto journalist and pro road test reviewer of a highly modern BMW. Still, there’s a bit of bling missing in the textures of the Optima Hybrid. On the other hand (and for more than six thousand dollars less!), the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has chromed-out trims, cool black fabric inserts, a sporty built-in-control steering wheel and a luxury-minded central console. On my weeklong road test, I discovered the driver’s cockpit in the ’12 Cruze Eco is a paradise of comfort, design and seeming control. If you are looking for the latest auto infotainment system, however, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid with optional UVO tech package is the way to go for $31,500.

Performance Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco & 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Yes, it’s a tie. Both the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco and the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid have fun-to-drive and even thrilling performance at times. On my road test of a 2012 Cruze Eco with 1.4-liter four-cylinder “Ecotec” engine with six-speed manual transmission, I loved the overall performance on this hot mid-sized sedan. The manual tranny is easy to shift and delivers above-average acceleration as well as highly responsive handling, steering and braking. The 2011 Kia Optima is certainly a fun-to-drive hybrid sedan and is worthy of this title too. However, Kia’s new lithium-ion battery system has not yet been tested long term and the hybrid version of this cool sedan doesn’t have the super quick acceleration as gas-powered Optimas.

Overall Green Value Sedan Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Honestly, both vehicles are real winners when it comes to buying, owning and driving a more fuel efficient green car. For those truly seeking value, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco is the way to go for keeping the monthly payment as low as possible. And although the auto infotainment system on the Cruze doesn’t have a screen and isn’t an integrated system, it works well enough for basic wireless needs while on the road. (With the thousands of dollars you are going to save, buy a TomTom portable navigation device with HD Traffic). If price isn’t such a big concern, however, look hard at the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid with UVO auto infotainment. You won’t be disappointed when driving this hot green sedan with the best integrated voice recognition technology and on-screen graphics.

Cruze Eco or Optima Hybrid? Either one of these green rides is a top pick for a brand new fuel-efficient sedan.

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer and automotive journalist based in coastal Orange County, California. GM and Kia provided vehicles for this review.

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