max225 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 6:41 pm
Where the fk are the thoughts ? We know dis already... need more info.
Ride quality on freeway
Engine feels
Quirks?
Some initial thoughts in no particular order:
I really like the color. It's hard to capture in photos, but in person it's much more of a metallic orange in most lighting. It's almost more orange than red. 5/7.
Throttle and steering response are perfect - if I didn't know that they were both electronic, I'd never have guessed. This is how you do DBW and EPS programming.
The steering ratio is slow compared to the MR2 but the response is quicker and the actual feeling is better (thank you rigid chassis and better geometry).
Power feels better than I expected for a "slow" car, it's certainly not fast and you definitely need to keep it in lower gears to accelerate but the engine being so smooth makes it feel more reasonable to be cruising at 4000+ RPM. The Vibe/MR2 feel extremely coarse in comparison. The downside to that smoothness is that it's really easy to go WAY over the speed limit. Cruising at 6000 vs 3000 feels almost the same.
Ride/handling in stock form with the shitty hard 2010-vintage tires is significantly better than I expected. The absolute limits are obviously low, but it is extremely neutral and handles bumps better than anything I've ever owned. It reminds me in many ways of my modded
but with lower limits. I had the ass end step out unexpectedly 3 different times yesterday due to the shitty tires, but it was totally progressive and easy to control (there's no traction or stability control, the only nanny is ABS). Impacts at speed make more noise than anything, they don't upset the car - I'm guessing this is a tire issue.
I'm really surprised at how comfortable it is, I knew it would beat the Vibe/MR2 but it probably beats anything else I've owned too. The suspension works well, the cloth seats are fantastic (I was in the driver's seat for 10 hours yesterday, it's both comfy and supportive), and it's not too loud. It's about as loud on the highway as the Vibe - definitely loud compared to most new cars, but not as loud as the
and nowhere near as loud as the MR2. The stereo is OK which is better than I expected, it's not great but is better than the stereo in the wife's 2014 Mazda3 for example.
Back seat is a real back seat. I fit OK behind the driver's seat set to "comfortable to drive for 10 hours" position which is further back than I'd normally drive. Anyone 6 foot or under should be fine back there.
MPG sucks, I got 20 mpg yesterday. That might improve a little bit after I do plugs+wires+coils, but I don't expect to see over 22. Power felt fine and hot start was instant, so I'm not worried about the engine but it does need a tune up. I noticed some misfiring at idle. Plugs are due at 30k miles or 30 months according to the manual and AFAIK these are original so they're overdue.
The dash/gauges look really nice. The whole interior feels nicer than I expected, I'd driven one but it had been a few years and I didn't remember that part. The tach itself is apparently optimistic, it reads 9500 at the rev limit when AFAIK the limiter kicks in at 9000. Outward visibility is also really good, especially to the sides and rear. It's way easier to see out of than our Mazda3, the C5, or the MR2 with the top up. Headroom is also much better than the C5, I'll be able to wear a helmet without my head hitting the roof or having to lean the seat back.
Other random
bits from the
include:
Car came with no floor mats.
Both key fob batteries were dead.
Glove box was stuck closed, I had to break it open with a pry bar and will likely have to replace some parts to fix it.
The entire interior and engine bay were covered in oily+shiny Armor All.