second impressions
In addition to trying out the Versa Hatchback, we went and re-drove a couple of vehicles this weekend. Originally, our short list included the Prius, Camry, Fusion, and Sportwagen. But in the morning, we went over a list of what was important to us, and we both agreed that we wanted a hatchback. Since neither the Fusion nor the Camry comes in a hatchback version, we were able to take them both off the list without testing them again even though we really did like both of them a lot. So that left the Sportwagen and the Prius, which we wanted to drive back to back for comparison.
VOLKSWAGEN SPORTWAGEN TDI
I didn't have any of the brake issues this time that I had last time. It does definitely have a longer stopping distance than some other cars (including the Prius), but even testing it roughly, I didn't feel unsafe. The heated seats came in very handy, because it was freezing. :) I still don't like the tiny side mirrors, but again, I don't think they're so small as to be unsafe, just unpleasant. I do like the turn signal indicators in the mirrors. The mirrors are heated (which isn't all that useful in Georgia, but would come in handy if we move further north sometime in the next decade). The seats are extremely comfortable and have lumbar adjustment. We both like the way driving the diesel engine feels. And the trunk space is generous, in spite of it being classed as a small car. The adjustable armrest in the front, the armrest with storage and cupholders in the back, and the air vents in the backseat are nice extras. The vented glove box is just stupid. I found that once I played with the touch screen radio controls a little, I didn't hate them. In fact, there's a lot of built-in utility that you get from being able to page through menus rather than being limited by the buttons on the screen (that said, most of that is fairly useless if you're the driver, since it's not really safe to page through those. But the basic controls are easy to access). Also, we discovered that it has a service needed indicator (you tell it at what mileage you need your next scheduled maintenance, and it alerts you when you get there), which is a feature I love. So, overall a much better impression the second time around. It's still ugly, though. There's a "sports package" available to make it look better, but I'm not really willing to shell out a thousand bucks for it any more than I'm shelling out $1300 for a sunroof!
TOYOTA PRIUS
This one was opposite the SportWagen: my second impression was not as good as my first impression. The interior volume was fine length- and width-wise, but the headroom was cramped. The engine was super quiet at low speeds, of course, but very loud at high speeds, especially when accelerating. The weird console in the middle takes up space and kind of gets in the way, but on the other hand, it's nice for a short person like me not to have to reach so far to get to the controls. The brakes were great -- the Prius definitely beat the SportWagen in the brake department. The side mirrors were also better in the Prius than in the SportWagen (and for what it's worth, which probably isn't much, they're also heated). Both cars had rear window wipers, which I like (even if it is one more electrical thing to break on the car). The spoiler that is visible in the middle of the rear window is extremely annoying. I thought driving it longer would make it bother me less, but no, it still really bothers me. The trunk is still a pretty good size, but it doesn't compare to the SportWagen. I think the Prius is by far the better looking car of the two, but I think Keith disagrees with me.
SIDE BY SIZE COMPARISON
The SportWagen wins overall, I think. Insurance estimates are comparable between the two. The SportWagen is a little more expensive (sad), and the estimates of five year ownership costs are slightly higher for the SportWagen. That includes fuel costs, which are about $600 a year more expensive for the SportWagen than for the Prius, but then, the Sportwagen is about $600 a year less expensive than the next most efficient car we tested so it's still not a bad deal in terms of fuel costs. The higher costs of the SportWagen aren't much more overall than the Prius, and it wins in the driving, seat comfort, and storage departments. I am disappointed that neither car comes available with manual windows and locks, but I'll get over it.
VOLKSWAGEN SPORTWAGEN TDI
I didn't have any of the brake issues this time that I had last time. It does definitely have a longer stopping distance than some other cars (including the Prius), but even testing it roughly, I didn't feel unsafe. The heated seats came in very handy, because it was freezing. :) I still don't like the tiny side mirrors, but again, I don't think they're so small as to be unsafe, just unpleasant. I do like the turn signal indicators in the mirrors. The mirrors are heated (which isn't all that useful in Georgia, but would come in handy if we move further north sometime in the next decade). The seats are extremely comfortable and have lumbar adjustment. We both like the way driving the diesel engine feels. And the trunk space is generous, in spite of it being classed as a small car. The adjustable armrest in the front, the armrest with storage and cupholders in the back, and the air vents in the backseat are nice extras. The vented glove box is just stupid. I found that once I played with the touch screen radio controls a little, I didn't hate them. In fact, there's a lot of built-in utility that you get from being able to page through menus rather than being limited by the buttons on the screen (that said, most of that is fairly useless if you're the driver, since it's not really safe to page through those. But the basic controls are easy to access). Also, we discovered that it has a service needed indicator (you tell it at what mileage you need your next scheduled maintenance, and it alerts you when you get there), which is a feature I love. So, overall a much better impression the second time around. It's still ugly, though. There's a "sports package" available to make it look better, but I'm not really willing to shell out a thousand bucks for it any more than I'm shelling out $1300 for a sunroof!
TOYOTA PRIUS
This one was opposite the SportWagen: my second impression was not as good as my first impression. The interior volume was fine length- and width-wise, but the headroom was cramped. The engine was super quiet at low speeds, of course, but very loud at high speeds, especially when accelerating. The weird console in the middle takes up space and kind of gets in the way, but on the other hand, it's nice for a short person like me not to have to reach so far to get to the controls. The brakes were great -- the Prius definitely beat the SportWagen in the brake department. The side mirrors were also better in the Prius than in the SportWagen (and for what it's worth, which probably isn't much, they're also heated). Both cars had rear window wipers, which I like (even if it is one more electrical thing to break on the car). The spoiler that is visible in the middle of the rear window is extremely annoying. I thought driving it longer would make it bother me less, but no, it still really bothers me. The trunk is still a pretty good size, but it doesn't compare to the SportWagen. I think the Prius is by far the better looking car of the two, but I think Keith disagrees with me.
SIDE BY SIZE COMPARISON
The SportWagen wins overall, I think. Insurance estimates are comparable between the two. The SportWagen is a little more expensive (sad), and the estimates of five year ownership costs are slightly higher for the SportWagen. That includes fuel costs, which are about $600 a year more expensive for the SportWagen than for the Prius, but then, the Sportwagen is about $600 a year less expensive than the next most efficient car we tested so it's still not a bad deal in terms of fuel costs. The higher costs of the SportWagen aren't much more overall than the Prius, and it wins in the driving, seat comfort, and storage departments. I am disappointed that neither car comes available with manual windows and locks, but I'll get over it.