Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

iluv, Where we live in Southern Ontario I see only the brightest stars.......not very many.
It was such a surprise to me when I look up into the sky in Florida, 1000s of stars and the sky is so clear.
You forget about stars when you don't see them, can even see the Little Dipper and that guys belt

berri

I've heard from several friends who bought one that it takes a few weeks to adjust to them, but then you don't want to go back. Aba - if it doesn't work out, you can always open up that fine liquor stash you have

andres3

sb55 said:

andres3 said:

that's the problem with modern yellow cars, all the owners/dealer/buyers of them seem to think it has to look like a bumble bee with all black and yellow.

This was my 1st new car. 1972 Open Manta. I thought that the black hood over yellow was cool when I was a teenager.

You'd have to go with a black carbon fiber hood to be cool nowadays. Serves a function though, carbon fiber is very light.

roadburner

sb55 said:

andres3 said:

that's the problem with modern yellow cars, all the owners/dealer/buyers of them seem to think it has to look like a bumble bee with all black and yellow.

This was my 1st new car. 1972 Open Manta. I thought that the black hood over yellow was cool when I was a teenager.

I always like the Manta and the Ford Capri. Bright spots in what was the mostly dismal automotive landscape of the '70s.
And you can still get at least one new car with a black hood:

berri

I agree. The Mantra and Capri were nice, clean lined cars for their time. Maybe today's stylists should look back at them and realize you don't have to bring out cartoonish video game looking vehicles to sell them.

sda

The Capri with the V6 was quite sporty. I have yet to see one of those Fiats on the road around here and Charlotte is a car town.

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

abacomike

I finally broke down today and bought a new mattress.

I thought you were going to say "CAR"!

Whewwww, you had me nervous there. When we tried out a memory foam mattress in the store I was going to take out my set of keys, which are fairly chunky. The saleslady said, no, keep them in your pocket and lie on them. The keys sink into the foam and you don't feel them.

If you can afford memory foam, it is well worth trying.

Well he could sleep in his car--it's pretty roomy.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

I finally broke down today and bought a new mattress.

But it hasn't even had its first oil change, has it?

Oh. Wait. I reread it. It's not a new car. It's a mattress. Whew!

imidazol97

I was thinking about Driver100 the last several days as I drove our new I75 through the City of Dayton. I've been seeing some of the snow birds heading south already. It's not even Fall yet for another 30 minutes or so (4:02 pm EDT).

When I remember Driver will be flying over instead of joying our new concrete.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

I finally broke down today and bought a new mattress.

But it hasn't even had its first oil change, has it? Oh. Wait. I reread it. It's not a new car. It's a mattress. Whew!

And the 740i has had its first oil change already! 

isellhondas

My close friend installed a 327 in his early Vega along with a Turbo 350 transmission. The car was (for me) terrifying to ride in! He had to install some bracing because the first time he got on it the body twisted enough to break the windshield! The stock brakes didn't get the job done either!

ab348

I bought a TempurPedic a couple of years ago, big mistake. It felt firm enough in the store but after living with it for a while I discovered that they respond to the warmth of your body after you lay on it for a time and you sink into it. It effectively acted like sleeping on a plush mattress and I had mornings where I could barely get out of bed because I was so stiff (I have a bad back) because I pretzeled up into the thing during the night. Had to fight with the store to get it taken back because the sales guy assured me it was firm since that was what I went in looking for. I have something better now but still not ideal and still wake up some days with a stiff back, though not as bad as the foam. I have to think that foam mattresses are about 95% pure profit because there isn't much to them. If I could find one that is truly firm or extra firm I might be tempted to try one again though.

I noticed just this week that it seems that these adjustable beds have really taken over the market over the last year or so. They are very much the norm now.

andres3

On the subject of beds, my 3 year old daughter, soon to be 4, needs her first real bed (crib was modified into toddler bed).

She seems to be taking after me (6'3" tall, not my wife 5'2" tall). Should we just get her a Twin XL now and be done with it? I think a Twin bed would be a mistake.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

driver100 said:

abacomike

I finally broke down today and bought a new mattress.

I thought you were going to say "CAR"!

Whewwww, you had me nervous there. When we tried out a memory foam mattress in the store I was going to take out my set of keys, which are fairly chunky. The saleslady said, no, keep them in your pocket and lie on them. The keys sink into the foam and you don't feel them.

If you can afford memory foam, it is well worth trying.

Well he could sleep in his car--it's pretty roomy.

For what he paid for it...he should be able to sleep in it.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

I was thinking about Driver100 the last several days as I drove our new I75 through the City of Dayton. I've been seeing some of the snow birds heading south already. It's not even Fall yet for another 30 minutes or so (4:02 pm EDT).

When I remember Driver will be flying over instead of joying our new concrete.

Some snowbirds leave in late September to start their monthly rentals Oct 1st. This has been an unusually warm end of September here though, temperatures in the high 80s all week and going into next week. Snowbirds who planned on leaving will stay with their plan.

Good memory imid, we are flying down on October 25th, one week early. I want to go to a big Halloween party on the Friday before. I have my costume almost ready to go, a chicken hat, feather boa, angels wings made out of feathers that look more like chicken wings, and a mask over eyes that looks like a chicken face with feathers and a beak.

(not really me....real actors were used in commission of this picture)

driver100

I have a question for the technically capable.
When I was buying my 2008 bmw they had an option called active steering I believe. I think the idea was if you were turning while going slowly, it would take fewer turns to make your turn. It compensated by allowing you to do fewer turns of the wheel. A review I had read said it was a worthwhile option.

Personally, I didn't like it....it felt phony to me. The turning ratio was different than what I expected it to be. It was less turning....but, I had to think too much, it was different.

I was reading an article about the new Genesis which praises it highly, and the reviewer really liked the variable ratio steering.

Are these the same thing? Do I understand the concept correctly? Fewer turns of the steering wheel at lower speeds. Possibly more feel at higher speeds.

suydam

sda said:

The Capri with the V6 was quite sporty. I have yet to see one of those Fiats on the road around here and Charlotte is a car town.

We had a Mercury Capri. I think it was early 70s. Completely a bomb the time we got it for $300 in 1980. Ended up putting a sign on the street -- "Take this car if you can get it to start!" Somebody finally did. It did look nice and the MT worked fine.

driver100

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

abacomike

driver100 said:

I have a question for the technically capable. When I was buying my 2008 bmw they had an option called active steering I believe. I think the idea was if you were turning while going slowly, it would take fewer turns to make your turn. It compensated by allowing you to do fewer turns of the wheel. A review I had read said it was a worthwhile option. Personally, I didn't like it....it felt phony to me. The turning ratio was different than what I expected it to be. It was less turning....but, I had to think too much, it was different. I was reading an article about the new Genesis which praises it highly, and the reviewer really liked the variable ratio steering. Are these the same thing? Do I understand the concept correctly? Fewer turns of the steering wheel at lower speeds. Possibly more feel at higher speeds.

Driver, the option you are talking about is called “integral active steering” which allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels.  I other words, if you turn your steering wheel to the left, it turns the rear wheels to the right - providing better response to turns at slower speeds.  The faster your speed, the less the rear wheels turn left or right.

ab348

driver100 said:

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

Apparently (I discovered later) the Tempurpedic that The Bay sold me was the softest one they make, though the sales guy didn't know that or didn't want to tell me. The thing is those all feel about the same firmness when you test them for a few minutes in the store but after being on it for a long time they respond differently to your body warmth, so mine let me go deep into it. Others may be much firmer but you can't tell that for sure in the store.

After the switchout finally happened (I had to write to the CEO of The Bay to get action) I ended up with a Marshall mattress, made in Toronto, which is quite firm but the traditional flip-style pocket coil construction. Word is that Marshalls last for a long time. I might want to get a memory foam topper for it though.

When I was originally trying them all, the one that was runner-up in the store test was a Serta i-Series which had that gel Mike mentioned along with spring construction. By the time the switchout got approved they were no longer available at The Bay, so maybe they had problems too, I dunno. It's interesting to see these online companies like Casper that sell you a memory foam mattress in a box and ship it to you. Not sure how you can tell if what you're getting is suitable.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

My new mattress has no box spring either.  It lays on an adjustable bed frame.  What was most important to me was the ability to raise the head of the bed for watching TV or reading a book while in bed.  Then, when I go to sleep, the ability to level the bed.  The firmness seemed just about right.  I just hope it stays that way over the years.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

I have a question for the technically capable.
When I was buying my 2008 bmw they had an option called active steering I believe. I think the idea was if you were turning while going slowly, it would take fewer turns to make your turn. It compensated by allowing you to do fewer turns of the wheel. A review I had read said it was a worthwhile option.

Personally, I didn't like it....it felt phony to me. The turning ratio was different than what I expected it to be. It was less turning....but, I had to think too much, it was different.

I was reading an article about the new Genesis which praises it highly, and the reviewer really liked the variable ratio steering.

Are these the same thing? Do I understand the concept correctly? Fewer turns of the steering wheel at lower speeds. Possibly more feel at higher speeds.

Driver, the option you are talking about is called “integral active steering” which allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels.  I other words, if you turn your steering wheel to the left, it turns the rear wheels to the right - providing better response to turns at slower speeds.  The faster your speed, the less the rear wheels turn left or right

.

Mike, thanks for the explanation. Does your car have that feature and would you recommend it? What difference does it make to you when driving?

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

Apparently (I discovered later) the Tempurpedic that The Bay sold me was the softest one they make, though the sales guy didn't know that or didn't want to tell me. The thing is those all feel about the same firmness when you test them for a few minutes in the store but after being on it for a long time they respond differently to your body warmth, so mine let me go deep into it. Others may be much firmer but you can't tell that for sure in the store.

It's interesting to see these online companies like Casper that sell you a memory foam mattress in a box and ship it to you. Not sure how you can tell if what you're getting is suitable.

The trouble with buying something like a mattress in a store like The Bay (large department store for U.S. friends) is the salesman often don't know or care about what they are selling. Often, they are really just clerks. In a mattress store they are often knowledgeable and you can try them out....some will even give you a return guaranty.

I have seen ads for Casper and the whole idea makes sense......save money, buy direct from warehouse, they ship etc., but, how could you possibly know how much you are going to like it? I wondered how you get it into the house and how do you get rid of the old mattress....I like the stores that come and do all that and wear the little booty's.

Retail stores are struggling, now Toys r Us............but, some stores still work...shoe, mattress, furniture stores to name a few.....but, most just can't compete with the internet.

abacomike

driver100 said:

driver100 said:

I have a question for the technically capable. When I was buying my 2008 bmw they had an option called active steering I believe. I think the idea was if you were turning while going slowly, it would take fewer turns to make your turn. It compensated by allowing you to do fewer turns of the wheel. A review I had read said it was a worthwhile option. Personally, I didn't like it....it felt phony to me. The turning ratio was different than what I expected it to be. It was less turning....but, I had to think too much, it was different. I was reading an article about the new Genesis which praises it highly, and the reviewer really liked the variable ratio steering. Are these the same thing? Do I understand the concept correctly? Fewer turns of the steering wheel at lower speeds. Possibly more feel at higher speeds.

Driver, the option you are talking about is called “integral active steering” which allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels.  I other words, if you turn your steering wheel to the left, it turns the rear wheels to the right - providing better response to turns at slower speeds.  The faster your speed, the less the rear wheels turn left or right

.

Mike, thanks for the explanation. Does your car have that feature and would you recommend it? What difference does it make to you when driving?

I do not have that option - I have a large luxury car that is not designed for tight cornering and sports-car-like handling.  On the other hand, a BMW 4 series coupe, 3 series coupe, or any “M” vehicle like the M5, M6, would benefit greatly from that “integral active steer” option.  The 7 series is available with that option, but I would not order a 7 series with active steer.

venture

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I was thinking about Driver100 the last several days as I drove our new I75 through the City of Dayton. I've been seeing some of the snow birds heading south already. It's not even Fall yet for another 30 minutes or so (4:02 pm EDT).

When I remember Driver will be flying over instead of joying our new concrete.

Some snowbirds leave in late September to start their monthly rentals Oct 1st. This has been an unusually warm end of September here though, temperatures in the high 80s all week and going into next week. Snowbirds who planned on leaving will stay with their plan.

Good memory imid, we are flying down on October 25th, one week early. I want to go to a big Halloween party on the Friday before. I have my costume almost ready to go, a chicken hat, feather boa, angels wings made out of feathers that look more like chicken wings, and a mask over eyes that looks like a chicken face with feathers and a beak.

(not really me....real actors were used in commission of this picture)

Now that's a funny hat.

Here's one of the kids who plays in our Miracle League at last years Halloween party.
Chicken Little.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

Apparently (I discovered later) the Tempurpedic that The Bay sold me was the softest one they make, though the sales guy didn't know that or didn't want to tell me. The thing is those all feel about the same firmness when you test them for a few minutes in the store but after being on it for a long time they respond differently to your body warmth, so mine let me go deep into it. Others may be much firmer but you can't tell that for sure in the store. It's interesting to see these online companies like Casper that sell you a memory foam mattress in a box and ship it to you. Not sure how you can tell if what you're getting is suitable.

The trouble with buying something like a mattress in a store like The Bay (large department store for U.S. friends) is the salesman often don't know or care about what they are selling. Often, they are really just clerks. In a mattress store they are often knowledgeable and you can try them out....some will even give you a return guaranty. I have seen ads for Casper and the whole idea makes sense......save money, buy direct from warehouse, they ship etc., but, how could you possibly know how much you are going to like it? I wondered how you get it into the house and how do you get rid of the old mattress....I like the stores that come and do all that and wear the little booty's. Retail stores are struggling, now Toys r Us............but, some stores still work...shoe, mattress, furniture stores to name a few.....but, most just can't compete with the internet.

I’d never buy a mattress or furniture or an Ultra Hi HD TV without first seeing it or trying it out “up close and personal!”  I tried out st least 10 mattresses in the mattress store.  I wanted a firm feel.  When I tried out this gel foam mattress, I literally fell in love with it.  The salesman I worked with was the store manager and had worked at that store for 6 years.  Thus, he knew his products very well.  I did not want to spend $1500+ on a mattress, frame and box spring.  What he was able to do was give me a 25% discount on the adjustable frame with electric motor and found a floor sample he sold me for $250 less than a new one.  He guaranteed the adjustable frame for 3 years.  The mattress is guaranteed for 10 years.  He also included delivery and removal of old bed at no charge.

qbrozen

I love our tempurpedic but have been tempted lately by the thought of an adjustable one.

tjc78

andres3 said:

On the subject of beds, my 3 year old daughter, soon to be 4, needs her first real bed (crib was modified into toddler bed). She seems to be taking after me (6'3" tall, not my wife 5'2" tall). Should we just get her a Twin XL now and be done with it? I think a Twin bed would be a mistake.

My son (same age) is going straight from the crib turned toddler bed into a full size.   I bought the rails that use the crib parts to make a bed.  

Im hoping this actually makes him sleep in his room the whole night.  He usually runs into ours around 2-3 in the morning.  

stickguy

if you get the twin XL, will save money come college time. They tend to use SL twin beds in dorms, so will already have sheets!

abacomike

I now have 9868 miles on the odometer on my BMW 740i.  I cannot remember owning a car with 10,000 miles+ in many years - at least 20 years.  I have not had an itch to buy a new car which is beginning to worry me - I actually still love this car. I mean - what else is there that is sufficiently better in any way than what I drive now?  Nothing!  I love this car!

suydam

Our oldest son wouldn't sleep in brand new bed! I think the crib slats felt secure. The younger ones had no problem. You just never know. I wouldn't figure one bed would last from age 4 to 18, so just get what seems reasonable for the next few years. For example we wound up switching to bunk beds for awhile when 2 brothers shared a room.

stickguy

when our daughter got out of the crib, we bought a bed frame that matched her bedroom set (that we got for our 1st kid) and a twin mattress. We still use it in our guest room, almost 20 years later. Pretty comfy too!

abacomike

stickguy said:

when our daughter got out of the crib, we bought a bed frame that matched her bedroom set (that we got for our 1st kid) and a twin mattress. We still use it in our guest room, almost 20 years later. Pretty comfy too!

But do the bedbugs still bite? 

berri

I think mattresses are more poorly made today. Maybe it is quality of materials. Plus you can't flip them so have to replace them more frequently.

stickguy

I think they are down to about 5 years and looking to replace, but at least the prices have come down. Just like TVs now.

driver100

venture said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

I was thinking about Driver100 the last several days as I drove our new I75 through the City of Dayton. I've been seeing some of the snow birds heading south already. It's not even Fall yet for another 30 minutes or so (4:02 pm EDT).

When I remember Driver will be flying over instead of joying our new concrete.

Some snowbirds leave in late September to start their monthly rentals Oct 1st. This has been an unusually warm end of September here though, temperatures in the high 80s all week and going into next week. Snowbirds who planned on leaving will stay with their plan.

Good memory imid, we are flying down on October 25th, one week early. I want to go to a big Halloween party on the Friday before. I have my costume almost ready to go, a chicken hat, feather boa, angels wings made out of feathers that look more like chicken wings, and a mask over eyes that looks like a chicken face with feathers and a beak.

(not really me....real actors were used in commission of this picture)

Now that's a funny hat.

Here's one of the kids who plays in our Miracle League at last years Halloween party.
Chicken Little.

Too bad I can't rent that kid and take him with me to the party. My wife got bunny stuff, rabbit ears, fur wrist bands, fur choker and a bunny tail.....sounds more like an Easter party (chicken and a bunny)

berri

Where's the Nittany Lion outfit

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Ab, we have foam mattresses....no box spring....kind of a Scandinavian thing. Since they are on a flat board ( a Tempupedic) or on slats (IKEA mattress) they are quite firm, and have been perfect for us.....though we didn't have any real back issues before. I don't like a spongy mattress or a spongy driving car!

Apparently (I discovered later) the Tempurpedic that The Bay sold me was the softest one they make, though the sales guy didn't know that or didn't want to tell me. The thing is those all feel about the same firmness when you test them for a few minutes in the store but after being on it for a long time they respond differently to your body warmth, so mine let me go deep into it. Others may be much firmer but you can't tell that for sure in the store.

It's interesting to see these online companies like Casper that sell you a memory foam mattress in a box and ship it to you. Not sure how you can tell if what you're getting is suitable.

The trouble with buying something like a mattress in a store like The Bay (large department store for U.S. friends) is the salesman often don't know or care about what they are selling. Often, they are really just clerks. In a mattress store they are often knowledgeable and you can try them out....some will even give you a return guaranty.

I have seen ads for Casper and the whole idea makes sense......save money, buy direct from warehouse, they ship etc., but, how could you possibly know how much you are going to like it? I wondered how you get it into the house and how do you get rid of the old mattress....I like the stores that come and do all that and wear the little booty's.

Retail stores are struggling, now Toys r Us............but, some stores still work...shoe, mattress, furniture stores to name a few.....but, most just can't compete with the internet.

I’d never buy a mattress or furniture or an Ultra Hi HD TV without first seeing it or trying it out “up close and personal!”  I tried out st least 10 mattresses in the mattress store.  I wanted a firm feel.  When I tried out this gel foam mattress, I literally fell in love with it.  The salesman I worked with was the store manager and had worked at that store for 6 years.  Thus, he knew his products very well.  I did not want to spend $1500+ on a mattress, frame and box spring.  What he was able to do was give me a 25% discount on the adjustable frame with electric motor and found a floor sample he sold me for $250 less than a new one.  He guaranteed the adjustable frame for 3 years.  The mattress is guaranteed for 10 years.  He also included delivery and removal of old bed at no charge

.




When it comes to personal items and if you need knowledgeable salespeople...a good store can't be beat. I get my tennis shoes from a specialty tennis store nearby. He can tell me what kind of shoes to buy and he knows the science behind the different models. I might pay $140 instead of the $120 I would pay online, but, it is worth it to me to be getting the benefit of his knowledge, and to keep him in business so I can go there if I need something at the last minute.

He is doing pretty well too, he has a red 2015 Corvette.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsjSCmYc2Q

roadburner

suydam said:

Our oldest son wouldn't sleep in brand new bed! I think the crib slats felt secure. The younger ones had no problem. You just never know. I wouldn't figure one bed would last from age 4 to 18, so just get what seems reasonable for the next few years. For example we wound up switching to bunk beds for awhile when 2 brothers shared a room.

Once our son started climbing out of the crib we bought one of these:

stickguy

did he take it to college with him?

roadburner

I think he slept in it till he was four or so; the he got a bunk bed setup.

28firefighter

Funny. I want to get Sam a race car bed when he's ready. And by Sam, I mean me. 

driver100

roadburner said:

suydam said:

Our oldest son wouldn't sleep in brand new bed! I think the crib slats felt secure. The younger ones had no problem. You just never know. I wouldn't figure one bed would last from age 4 to 18, so just get what seems reasonable for the next few years. For example we wound up switching to bunk beds for awhile when 2 brothers shared a room.

Once our son started climbing out of the crib we bought one of these:

I'd like one of those beds!
Or, maybe more like this one.....

driver100

28firefighter said:

Funny. I want to get Sam a race car bed when he's ready. And by Sam, I mean me. 

Maybe that will be the Porsche that is in your future...

abacomike

The mattress company substituted a brand new bed frame for the floor model that was broken.  The new adjustable frame moves the head of the bed up and down as well as the bottom is the bed up and down at no additional cost.  It will be like a hospital bed - can’t get more comfortable than that - but with a queen mattress.  Got lucky on that - for sure.

houdini1

qbrozen said:

I love our tempurpedic but have been tempted lately by the thought of an adjustable one.

I think all you have to do is buy the adjustable base. Use it with your current mattress.

roadburner

We bought a Royal Pedic years ago; no complaints.

ab348

abacomike said:

The mattress company substituted a brand new bed frame for the floor model that was broken.  The new adjustable frame moves the head of the bed up and down as well as the bottom is the bed up and down at no additional cost.  It will be like a hospital bed - can’t get more comfortable than that - but with a queen mattress.  Got lucky on that - for sure.

One thing I forgot to mention about my foam mattress was how hard it was to get out of bed in the morning because I sunk into it so far. Maybe your frame will eject you.

Other thing to note about most foam sets is that they make sitting on the edge of the bed to put socks/shoes on more difficult because they do not usually have edge support.

sda

I had some good seat time in a '17 CRV LX. It was a loaner while the Pilot was having the timing belt service completed. The 2.4 CVT is well matched to this vehicle. It was smooth, pretty quiet and never felt lacking power. It moved out briskly and gave good mpg. I drove it 140 mi, in varying traffic conditions and got 30+mpg. I found road noise still to be an issue, mainly on coarse road surfaces. Otherwise it was decently quiet with little engine noise and muted wind rustle over the windshield at highway speeds of 65+. At first I found the seats uncomfortable as they didn't support me between my shoulders. The lack of power adjustment didn't help. After some fiddling I was able to find a sweet spot where the seats were comfortable but not outstanding. The 4 speaker stereo sounded better than I thought, but at highway speeds the sound gets lost unless it is turned up higher and then it gets fatiguing to the ears. A six speaker set up would make a huge difference. The lack of lighted vanity mirrors and variable intermittent wipers was surprising. It handled with a nice crispness and stability and rode firmly but not uncomfortably. I would love to drive a 1.5 turbo EX to compare. Overall I was pleasantly impressed and understand why they are so popular.