thanks guys (and gals).
i haven't really had a big chance to give a full driving impression yet (i can perhaps do that after a week, kind of like a "Day by Day Review")...the drive home from the dealership was about 20 kms...i reset the fuel economy gauge and when i got home, it was at 5.4L/100kms with a mix of "outskirts" driving in the 60-80km/hr range with few stops (think of the route home as a ring road, kind of)...of course, when i got home, my wife wanted to take it for a spin, and it now sits at 6.8 (damn women drivers
).
the professional pictures (seen online) of the interior looked good, so i was hoping for it to look decent, with the understanding that it is still a rather inexpensive car, but i have to say, i am quite impressed with the interior...i'm not saying it looks like a $60k Audi, but it does look very nice, especially for its price...everything looks like it fits together quite well, the soft touch materials are pretty much everywhere where it seems appropriate (arm rests, dash top and front facing of dash except for the trim around the radio/NAV) and there are no squeaks and rattles (the kind you get when panel gaps are too tight, and trim pieces squeak against each other from minor body flexing over bumps)...the HVAC controls are simple and nice...the switches are a nice touch...i'm not sure if i would ever use the folding mirrors, but they are there...the moonroof also has one of those cloth "screens" that goes up (not sure what they are for, to catch things from flying into the cabin, like bugs and/or perhaps somewhat of a wind deflector?)...the LED lights help make the car very visible and add a "premium look" to the car (at least, i think they do)...i didn't bother using the ActiveECO mode, since the fuel economy number was looking pretty good to me to begin with, so i'm not sure how different it feels with it on...i would say that the power feels "adequate" for the class...it's no race car, but i never found it lacking...i would imagine it is "competitive" in the class in terms of that part of it, which is fine for me...sure, the Turbo is nice, but it adds to the cost, complexity and perhaps fuel consumption, and since i realistically would rarely use the power, i might as well save some money.
i will have to play with some features and figure out how to use the NAV (never used one before) and get my phone synced up along with my nano...i did listen the radio a bit on the way home and found it sounded just fine to me...no, not a Harmon Kardon or Lexicon system, but i liked it...i have read some reviews that really trashed the radio, but i am unsure as to why...maybe this model has a better radio speaker/system than the base/UVO model??....i don't know, but it sounds pretty good to me, and i'm pretty picky about that sort of thing.
steering feel (to me) felt pretty solid and planted...i never experienced the "ride issues" mentioned in that review (was it MT?) regarding "vague steering" and "jarring ride, all over the place over the bumps", and every other review i read didn't mention that either, so i'm not sure what was up there...does it "feel" like a GTI?...of course not, but it's almost half the price of a loaded GTI...seriously, it is almost half the price.
the smartkey system is pretty cool, and it is nice not to have to fumble for a keyfob (especially in the rain, etc).
anyway, i'll try to get some better pictures during the day tomorrow...sadly, i'm not as good with the camera as one of our resident experts in here (nor is my camera a pro series device), but hopefully i can snag a few better pics.
