We got there at the appointed time, and were told—there’s a glitch. They want to reapply the protective film on the nose to get it right.
Sigh.
An hour (and much bad coffee) later [Jane sensibly sticks to water]—it finally appears.
And finally…it is beautiful. The color is a pale greyed green that goes to a bluish tone in sharply slanted light; the moon roof is smaller than the Subaru’s, but perfectly adequate; the customer service is like Triple A for life (the American motoring association) within 25 miles of the dealership, which we are. And we have the other AAA, so we’re good. It drives like a dream. And the interior is roomy, which you don’t associate with a hybrid. It has cute little triangular windows up on the side of the dash, reminiscent of the old vent windows on cars, but not openable, of course; side curtain airbags, heated seats (another new install), and a backup camera, which has its moments. Pushbutton start, keyless admission: you merely carry the key on your person and *don’t* leave your purse in the car, eh?
We opted for dark seat fabric, and dark carpet: we have a black cat. But we’re still going to carry a fur-removal roller because of Seishi.
It has the control panel in the center of the dash, has 2 (one over the other) glove boxes, which is very nice. It has a lower center console, so we are going to have a discussion with Shu about that, we’re sure.
It has a door beep if you leave a door open. And another for the backup camera. Jane has a controllable but definite panic reaction at a highpitched repetitive sound: we are going to ask the dealer to do something about that.
I’m not sure about the backup camera: we have to back up into arterial traffic, and it’s not a matter of missing tricycles on the drive: it’s a matter of having to swing rapidly to stay in our lane and not to hit a passing semi, so I’m not sure it will ever substitute for having a look while you back up…I find that thought terrifying, where we live.
But it’s quiet, and has, once the seats are folded, a very adequate cargo compartment: not bad, even before you fold the seats; and it has a whole back window, not that split window of earlier Priuses.
You cannot see your nose: the front slope is extreme. You have to learn otherwise where your wheels are.
The car sits very low to the ground: anybody who has issues getting into a car would like this. The Subaru Forester could ignore curbs at will. This one…I wouldn’t recommend that.
Color us very happy.
I had a courtesy car for a week last week while mine was getting some work done — I instantly knew I hated the reversing beep. It thought it was giving me information; I knew (a) it was a distraction and (b) wrong about how close I could get to the obstacle behind. If it had been mine, I would have had it silenced asap.
Interesting about people who have issues getting into a car liking one that’s low to the ground. I (and several friends) have a different view: getting out of a car that’s low to the ground is pure misery. We all prefer a high seating position — getting in might be a little more difficult, but getting out is simplicity. I could not (for example) get out of the coupe they originally offered me as a courtesy car — didn’t even bother trying.
As does my sister, who had a hip replaced last year. She has a perfectly servicable Honda sedan old enough to be in the “economic sweetspot” and young enough to still be reliable. But she’d prefer a Rav4. Doesn’t mind getting in and out of my Ranger.
Yes, my 90-year-old friend (who’s had both hips replaced and has bad osteoporosis in her spine but still gets around carefully and slowly with two sticks) much prefers climbing in and out of a Range Rover to a ‘normal’ car. She needs a little boost on her way in, but gets out without help; and it’s much less uncomfortable for everybody that way than trying to pull her up out of a car-seat.
That’s true, on the effort getting out. But if you’re small of stature, it’s a help. I’m not small. But we have a friend, Joan, who has a large dog that is really having trouble with the height of the van they’re about to replace…he’s getting up there in dog years. I think Joan should consider one of these. He’s a Wheaten Terrier. And I think this car could accommodate a Dane.
I suspect that too many people rely on the backup camera to substitute for actually looking. While it’s probably a nice thing to have, I don’t believe it to be any different than looking in the rearview mirror while you back up. (I’ve had my minor collisions with telephone poles, etc., doing that.) So, now, even though it’s painful and difficult on a specimen that’s getting as advanced in age as I am, I still twist around and look, because the Mark I, Mod 0 eyeball is still the best tracking system I have.
Even looking isn’t foolproof as we’ve probably all gotten those, “Where did YOU come from?” moments as another vehicle suddenly appears in the exact spot where we were intending to go.
I’m glad you got your car and hope you enjoy it. I’m taking a road trip to Idaho this week so I won’t be on much. Enjoy yourselves, all!
If you swing close to Spokane, give us a shout, Spence.
Very good wishes on the new car. That sounds really good. (Also a handsome color.)
Getting in and out of a car or van — That can differ with height and age and ability a lot.
When my parents first got a van, my mom was skeptical of driving it, due to the height, weight and momentum, range of view, etc. So she did practice runs one summer vacation to get used to it. Once she did, she was fine driving the van anytime.
The other result was that it was sometimes easier for her, with iffy ankles and knees, to get in and out of the van. At least this was so while she and dad were younger. (40’s, 50’s). (Ouch, that’s where I am now….) Later, she had more trouble (and was heavier) and a car was better for her, if it wasn’t too low. If it was too low, it was the opposite problem, hard to get up out of the darn thing.
Now my grandmother, on the other hand, was a petite, thin, wiry woman. (Picture the lady Ilisidi with a much milder, sweeter personality…but equally independent-minded.) She could get in and out of a van fine until her 80’s or 90’s. But thereafter, she needed a boost or a lift. She could do a car fine. When she began having severe trouble with her hips, knees, and ankles in her 90’s, moreso later on, she too needed a boost or lift for a van, and sometimes help in and out of a car, mid or low height.
My grandmother always, always, had moved in a hurry and was fit. But in her late 80’s and early 90’s and after, she began having trouble. She would never look where she was putting her feet. Her feet were supposed to go right where her mind said she was putting them. Only…she began having trouble that her feet did not always go where her brain said they had, and since she didn’t always look, well, it got problematic. — She did *not* want to use a cane. She didn’t need that. 😉 She did not want to use a walker (frame). But she eventually conceded to the walker. (She went through a period of falling, ankle and knee and hip injuries.) She had a hip replaced in her mid-90’s, and much to everyone’s surprise (and my great relief) she recovered very, very well and walked thereafter, but with a walker, typically. — However, the hospital stay, with the pain and the pain meds, was not fun for either of us. Whew, the things imagined (hallucinated) were…quite, ah, extraordinary, from the descriptions. — She did amazingly well. I attribute her health to overall good genes and to growing up a farm girl, working hard, and taking care of herself all her life. — This is the same woman who did yoga in her 60’s. Heheheh. — Oh, and she would’ve gotten a great kick out of Ilisidi, too. Quite different in personality in some ways, very much the same in others. So I get a kick out of Ilisidi for many reasons. Change happens to all of us, of course.
I have, so far, not had effects from the ankle, knee, and hip problems that seem to run in my grandmother’s family (and my mom) but I know full well to watch for them when I get older, as it’s at least 50/50 whether I inherited them from my mom, or lucked out with my dad’s genes there to modify.
Couple of things: the height is fabulous. Not low, but not high, either. The Firenza is a bit lower, the Subaru a bit higher.
The other: the backup beep is optional. It defaults to constant, but can be switched to a single beep when put into gear (like the drive mode) Problem is, the consumer can’t reprogram it. (Earlier ones they could by an arcane punching of mode buttons.) It was supposed to be done before we picked it up, but considering all the other chaos around there all week, it was apparently overlooked.
The other thing I REALLY want zapped (if possible: it’s not listed as an option in the manual) is the CONSTANT loud buzz if a door is open when the car is running. Probably it’s a good idea, but it sure puts a damper on a Chinese fire drill!
Congratulations on the new car!
Can you grit your teeth for a while and tolerate the beep-beep-beep until it is convenient for you to have it changed? It sounds akin to the old “The door is ajar!” voice warning on some mid 80s cars, that eventually made you want to screech “No it’s not! It’s a door!”
The new Fit I’m getting is a bit taller than DH’s Civic and slightly narrower; it’s as if they took the Civic and compressed it about 6″ sideways, so it bubbled up at the top, then lopped the last foot and a half and installed a hatch instead of a trunk. It is also about 3 inches taller in seating, which strangely makes it easier for me to get in and out. The dealer has assured me it will be on the barge arriving Tuesday; one hopes their numbers are correct. Now I just have to contact the barge office and find out how I will know when it is ready for me to pick up.
I too hate electronic things bitching at me. Good luck getting that eradicated. However, would it be possible to back into your driveway so you’d have a clear shot getting out? It might be useful until you get all particulars of backing into the garage second nature.
Our neighbor does that…with a 20 foot drive and a 10 foot van…He parks on the arterial, and then backs into the drive.
But it’s not too bad going the other way, so long as you just look: the traffic has a rhythm, and if you just wait, you’ll get a clear spot to back out, which by me is easier than trying to back in. There are only 2 drives that exit onto the arterial in our area—ours and his—so it’s not too much disruption of traffic in either case.
Spokane has many virtues, but coherent planning is not one of them. I come from the land of cities on grids (even if the Land Run didn’t miss a survey and join downtown lines askew: OKC fixed that by building their convention center over the mistake) —Spokane grew up on a river, with many streets ending in a cliff. It was dominated by several wealthy familiees, had a major fire (like Chicago), rebuilt every which way, originally with a rail yard where ciy center now is, and still can’t manage a sane zoning decision. They’re a lovely city, with gorgeous, much-used parks, but they still can’t get the overgrown lots cut and they finally got around to organizing a downtown police precinct. Hello? Yes, it’s cut downtown problems.
congrats on the new car, it sounds great! in regards to the backup camera, my daughter ended up with a new vehicle after her fiance tried to fit the baby stroller in the altima’s trunk the first time ;P and it has the backup camera – yeah, only good for what is directly behind you, NOT a substitute for looking to the sides ;P overall it sounds great and i think y’all will enjoy it greatly 😉