![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Thoughts on the xB after owning it for a week.
Overall:
After a week of owning it, I am absolutely certain this is the right car for me. I love driving it, and just seeing it in the parking lot makes me happy. This hasn't happened to this degree since The Cat died. It's fun to drive and feels zippy & nimble. Plus getting 30mpg from the first tank was even better.
Interior:
I'm getting used to the mroe upright taller driving position. It still feels a bit odd, and makes me unsure in bad weather as I'm still unsure of the car's limits. But when I have pushed it, I've never felt like I was at a serious risk of losing control. I kinda wish the steering wheel was about 1" closer and the shift knob was 1" taller, but I'm getting more used to where they are now, and it is bothering me less and less. I do think once the weather is warm enough I'm going to tear out the interior and add some additional sound deadener. There is a bit more road & engine noise than I like, but the sound deadener should help that a lot.
Coolest feature I didn't know I had is the radio's ability to play mp3 data cds. This means I can pack a dozen+ CDs worth of music onto one disc, which makes it like having a multi-disc changer, but with less hassle. I'm going to have to finish ripping my CDs to MP3 now.
Driving:
The engine is nice and zippy, and it never feels as slow as I know it actually is. The gearbox isn't quite as smooth as I'd like, but I'm going to swap out the fluid in it for some Red Line synthetic which from what I've heard will help immensely.
It bounces a bit more than I'd optimally like (stiff suspension + short wheelbase), but not terribly, and new softer rear shocks should help that as well. Another upgrade planned for warmer weather.
Overall:
After a week of owning it, I am absolutely certain this is the right car for me. I love driving it, and just seeing it in the parking lot makes me happy. This hasn't happened to this degree since The Cat died. It's fun to drive and feels zippy & nimble. Plus getting 30mpg from the first tank was even better.
Interior:
I'm getting used to the mroe upright taller driving position. It still feels a bit odd, and makes me unsure in bad weather as I'm still unsure of the car's limits. But when I have pushed it, I've never felt like I was at a serious risk of losing control. I kinda wish the steering wheel was about 1" closer and the shift knob was 1" taller, but I'm getting more used to where they are now, and it is bothering me less and less. I do think once the weather is warm enough I'm going to tear out the interior and add some additional sound deadener. There is a bit more road & engine noise than I like, but the sound deadener should help that a lot.
Coolest feature I didn't know I had is the radio's ability to play mp3 data cds. This means I can pack a dozen+ CDs worth of music onto one disc, which makes it like having a multi-disc changer, but with less hassle. I'm going to have to finish ripping my CDs to MP3 now.
Driving:
The engine is nice and zippy, and it never feels as slow as I know it actually is. The gearbox isn't quite as smooth as I'd like, but I'm going to swap out the fluid in it for some Red Line synthetic which from what I've heard will help immensely.
It bounces a bit more than I'd optimally like (stiff suspension + short wheelbase), but not terribly, and new softer rear shocks should help that as well. Another upgrade planned for warmer weather.
