went to the dealership after work today to check one out...took a loaded top of the line model for a test drive...the drive is quite good in terms of the "feel" of the vehicle...there is a minor amount of turbo lag when pulling away from a start, but honestly, most people probably wouldn't even really notice it that much, so i wouldn't even really mention it (power really kicks in about 2000 rpm, which isn't far from when you start to pull away)...the CVT "shifted" well (i had it in sport mode where it simulates a conventional automatic transmission feel) and from 0-100 km/hr, the engine pulls strong and this little thing is quite quick...the torque vectoring AWD system seems to do well to elinimate any issues, as it was raining quite heavily here tonight and i took it to a newly paved road on the edge of town to see how it handles at speed and where it can get slick...there are a ton of controls, buttons, dials and knobs, and i can see how it offers a lot of features/adjustments, although, in my limited time in it, i didn't play with much...the premium sound system sounded great, the backup camera is a nice feature...NAV worked well...the seats were very supportive and comfortable...overall, the vehicle has a "high tech" feel, great fit and finish, a fantastic powertrain, great front seats (didn't sit in the back) and is a (somewhat) practical, realistic and attainable fun vehicle.
ok, so now you are probably wondering "what didn't you like?"...well, the "complaints" were minor, but may be big issues to some...for one, the back seat room...the sales rep started off early in the conversation about it, to qualify me right away before we get too deep into talking about it, in case it was an issue...for me, personally, probably not a huge deal, but having extra room can certainly be a bonus...also, because of the steeply sloping rear hatch line, the actual amount of space in the "trunk/hatch" when the rear seats are up is quite small...again, if you don't carry passengers, or lots of stuff often, neither of these is really an issue...a couple of minor things really might bother me though...for one, there is no center armrest...i don't know why, but it feels weird NOT having it...also, the controls for the windows/locks are not illuminated at night...i had to turn the map light on to get out...and that brings up another weird thing...when the doors are locked (i think they auto lock when you drive away), you can't open the door without unlocking it first...standard fair for the rear doors (that often have child safety locks on them), but i shouldn't have to fumble around to open the drivers door if i want to...the last point might be minor, as the car was running (but stopped) when i tried to open the door to quickly speak with the salesrep...perhaps when in park, or when the car is turned off, the auto unlock, i don't know...but still, if i open the door, open it.
all in all though, a great little "car"...i can see this aimed at young people with no kids (singles or couples) who want a neat vehicle, loaded with great features (obviously gets better as you move up the trim lines) that is good on gas and affordable to buy...starting at $20k for the base model and topping out at $30k for fully loaded, i think it is well priced and would be a great car to own (of course, this is all based on my 20 minute test drive
).
