New Car Fun
My new car
is really something.
The
navigation feature with a five-inch screen is great. The system won’t let you program a new
location while you are driving, a safety feature and probably a good idea.
Mrs. C wants
to know why they don’t let the passenger do the programming.
“How would the car know it was the
passenger?”
“By a weight sensor on the passenger
seat”
“I guess, or we could just pull off
the road for a few minutes and put in the location.”
“Yeah, that would work too.”
I love the
backup camera, but I still do that neck turn thing first…old habits die hard.
The car does
not start with a key. You have a key
“Fob” that as long as you’re holding it, the car starts with the push of a
button.
It also
unlocks the doors on entry as soon as you touch the door handle.
That last
feature has caused me some grief a few times, but I think I am figuring it
out.
To open the
car, simply touch the handle and if the fob is in your possession, the door
unlocks. To lock the car there is a
button on the handle that you push and the doors lock.
For some
reason, I have it in my head that to unlock the door I have to push the
button. As I reach out and touch the
handle, the door unlocks, then I push the button and the door locks. I back off a bit and try again. The first time it took me three tries before
I remembered “push button to lock.”
There was a lot of swearing until after that third try. Currently I only forget once in a while and
then I figure it out fairly quick.
The feature
I really like is you can display the miles per gallon you are getting, both
from your last trip and the current usage.
This gets me excited as I now get over 30 mpg where my Jeep Wrangler
maybe got 18 mpg on a good day.
Because it
can display a running total, it has become a competitive thing while driving
with Mrs. C.
“The other day, I made it to the bank
and back at 34.8 mpg.”
“I can do better than that.”
“I doubt it.”
“Just watch.”
Half way to
the bank:
“You’re only at 32.8.”
“I’ll make it up on the way home
where it is more downhill.”
Leaving the
bank:
“You’re at 33.6”
“I can do 35!”
“No way.”
After the
long hill:
“You’re at 35.3, it’s going to be
close.”
“Piece of cake.”
Coming into
our townhouse neighborhood:
“It’s at 35.2, you have a shot.”
“Where is it now?”
It’s 35.1”
“Friggin speed bumps are going to
ruin it.”
Pulling into
our driveway:
“It’s 35…no, 34.9, you beat me, but
35 is too hard.”
“Dammit, it was the speed bumps, I
should have done them faster…want to go to the bank and try again?”
We may need
to find a hobby.
I love many of the new vehicle features. I carry my fob in my purse and never touch it. I know my car is locked if the side mirrors are folded up. Nice feature to me. I still turn around too. Hubby doesn't as he depends on the camera.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're having fun driving your new car. They are lots of fun.
Have a fabulous day, Joe. ☺
I gave up my car & my license a year or so ago; I miss the independence of driving!!
ReplyDeleteThe salesman at the dealer basically told me to never rely on the backup camera. There are too many people who just walk behind you in parking lots and are in the blind spots.
ReplyDeleteHeh, heh! My trusty old Tahoe doesn't have the screen thingy, but back when it was new (WAY BACK in 2008), I was obsessed with the mpg display. It shows up on my dashboard. I loved coasting on the way to school. I even took a certain route for a 3-mile downhill run, and avoided it on the way home. The boys objected when I started turning off the ignition at stoplights. HEY! I knew it was a 2-minute cycle on those lights! No need to waste gas while idling. But you didn't hear that from me...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new ride. I've been similarly tested (or pleased) by some of the stuff on our new(ish) 2011 Toyota. After a 1997 Grand Am, it seems like something out of The Jetsons.
ReplyDeleteWhen I buy a new car I will also have to adjust to the new ways of opening, locking and starting it.
ReplyDeleteWe’re about to start looking for a new vehicle. I’m hoping it has a good sound system that connects to the phone.
ReplyDeleteGood gas mileage would also be a plus.
bookmarked!!, I love your website!
ReplyDeleteWait...I'm taking a deep breath...Ahhhh...that new car smell..sigh...the best feature of any new car..enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMaybe i need to challenge Sweetie to see how high we can get the cars to go as far as miles per gallon. As it is, he isn't mindful of it at all. If i make it a competition, we might save some gas.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell, you've GOT a hobby!
ReplyDeleteI don't see how the MPG can differ when the distance to and from the bank is the same each time, but I don't understand cars, so go ahead and keep playing.
ReplyDeleteGoodness do you have all the bells and whistles. Seems like a lot of distracted driving watching all the screens but then that is what Mrs. C is for. BTW, that seat sensor seems like a good idea that should be explored. Me? I still have to hand crank my windows.
ReplyDelete