Due to the Corsa really cheesing me off I decide to break the habit of a lifetime and actually test drive a car I was thinking of buying rather than just sitting in it and relying on James & Kate etc reviews.
I expected to be smitten. I wasn't.
The looks are awesome. The stereo is awesome. The concept is awesome. But...
The screens feel too close and the steering wheel doesn't pull out far at all. Seats are very firm. They are well designed and supportive. I was sat too high in the car as well.
The screen mirrors do work really well but if you're a certain age the driver's side one can be just in the area of vision that is in the needs reading glasses distance. I did get used to it but it did make by eyes weird at times.
Ride is also quite firm but it corners flat as anything. Power steering is clever and weights up at higher speeds but it does mean the car sometimes feels weird when you change direction.
Road noise seems quite intrusive in a way I wasn't expecting. It's definitely louder inside than the Corsa.
Turning circle is fantastic. Stereo is so good I almost ignored all the other negatives.
Steering wheel is also kind of sweaty compared to the cheaper feeling Corsa one.
Boot is very shallow which I didn't grasp. I thought it was shallower horizontally but taller (like the Soul EV). It's very shallow in height but a bit longer in depth. I did have the measurements but somehow they didn't translate to my brain.
Range. Hmmm. Did 30 odd miles and it had about 60% battery or so which isn't any good as my usual trip is 55 and all year so it wasn't going to be quite up to it. It was quite efficient at times and once you'd been going for a bit and were bimbling along at 30-40 it did go up quite a bit. Over all was 3.3 miles per kWh on the mixed run. Think the Corsa would have actually done better. With a tiny battery you have to be much more efficient. It needed to have been Kia efficient as I'd reckon one of those would have been about 4 -4.5 miles per kWh doing the same.
One pedal mode is quite good but even on max death the regen feels weaker than I expected. It was weaker feeling than the Corsa which is quite weak. The Leaf had very strong regen in B mode and also with E Pedal. That was neck snapping in comparison.
Other issue was with reversing onto a sloping driveway. It didn't like it. Mine slopes down and it seems to upset quite a few cars. The corsa I just stick in reverse and it creeps in reverse with the brake on happily. I turned off the one pedal in the Honda and it didn't seem to want to creep so you hit the gas, it lurches off you hit the brake and it's at a dead halt so you are making a right hash of a simple thing.
I'm glad a drove one as it's been one of those cars I haven't stopped obsessing over since they came out.
I expected to be smitten. I wasn't.
The looks are awesome. The stereo is awesome. The concept is awesome. But...
The screens feel too close and the steering wheel doesn't pull out far at all. Seats are very firm. They are well designed and supportive. I was sat too high in the car as well.
The screen mirrors do work really well but if you're a certain age the driver's side one can be just in the area of vision that is in the needs reading glasses distance. I did get used to it but it did make by eyes weird at times.
Ride is also quite firm but it corners flat as anything. Power steering is clever and weights up at higher speeds but it does mean the car sometimes feels weird when you change direction.
Road noise seems quite intrusive in a way I wasn't expecting. It's definitely louder inside than the Corsa.
Turning circle is fantastic. Stereo is so good I almost ignored all the other negatives.
Steering wheel is also kind of sweaty compared to the cheaper feeling Corsa one.
Boot is very shallow which I didn't grasp. I thought it was shallower horizontally but taller (like the Soul EV). It's very shallow in height but a bit longer in depth. I did have the measurements but somehow they didn't translate to my brain.
Range. Hmmm. Did 30 odd miles and it had about 60% battery or so which isn't any good as my usual trip is 55 and all year so it wasn't going to be quite up to it. It was quite efficient at times and once you'd been going for a bit and were bimbling along at 30-40 it did go up quite a bit. Over all was 3.3 miles per kWh on the mixed run. Think the Corsa would have actually done better. With a tiny battery you have to be much more efficient. It needed to have been Kia efficient as I'd reckon one of those would have been about 4 -4.5 miles per kWh doing the same.
One pedal mode is quite good but even on max death the regen feels weaker than I expected. It was weaker feeling than the Corsa which is quite weak. The Leaf had very strong regen in B mode and also with E Pedal. That was neck snapping in comparison.
Other issue was with reversing onto a sloping driveway. It didn't like it. Mine slopes down and it seems to upset quite a few cars. The corsa I just stick in reverse and it creeps in reverse with the brake on happily. I turned off the one pedal in the Honda and it didn't seem to want to creep so you hit the gas, it lurches off you hit the brake and it's at a dead halt so you are making a right hash of a simple thing.
I'm glad a drove one as it's been one of those cars I haven't stopped obsessing over since they came out.