I have put some mileage on the Red Mist. I have put an average of 92 KMs per day on this car. The two trips to each coast racked up the mileage, and she's been a good girl the whole time, putting up with me and accepting my inability to avoid potholes with grace and patience.
While I wait for the service at Stratford Subaru, I will pen some thoughts.
Some thoughts:
Infotainment System
At first, it was slow, and it was irritating to make a selection and then drive 100 kms before it would respond. This is an exaggeration of course, but in today's world, with dozens of interactions on technology devices offering instant gratification, it was concerning.
But I am happy to report that the infotainment system seems to have matured, where the delay appears to have disappeared. It runs smoothly and responds well.
I am pleased that the (I think 2) software updates I have applied have resulted in this outcome.
The soft touch controls are fine, but in the winter, it necessitates the removal of your gloves/mitts to operate, and the position of it below the cowl of the dashboard causes a driver to "heads down" a bit too much.
I think there is a move back to tactile controls, and the ones Subaru offers, such as temperature adjustment and defrost (front and rear window) are much appreciated.
The only pet peeve I have is that the Android Auto voice command goes awry from time to time, with "Google" unresponsive for no apparent reason for the entire drive. Usually, if you stop and restart the car in the normal course of use, Google comes back.
I find the inflection in my choice of voice on Google eerie, and sometimes it sounds like she is mocking me as I use voice recognition for texting while I drive.
This function I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. It can send texts to people in your contacts and read them back. It has a character limitation, and sometimes the voice recognition shits the bed and wants to render some bizarre iteration of your intended message.
Snow Tire and Wheel Combination
This is on me. I did this. Don't you do this.
I kept the same rim size, 18 inches, and tire size.
I should have got 17 inch rims and tires to increase the wheel well clearance. My current setup gets PACKED with snow and slush, and you can hear rubbing on some bumps and when making a tight turn.
I also think the width of the tire affects the traction negatively compared to a thinner tire.
Climate Control System (Winter)
It works GREAT...
Except that it does not regulate the heat. Bear with me on this. Set the temp to 25 degrees Celsius. She'll warm up and distribute the heat perfectly. But it will get warm. Turn down the temp to 20 degrees C., and it will stay warm. Too warm. I have found that once the cabin is toasty, putting the temperature to 18 degrees C seems to set the heated air to the place I am comfortable with. It feels like the temperature does not vary to the expected selection.
It is a small quibble, and I need to investigate this.
Subaru Auto-Start
I wish I could turn this off. I have no practical use for this.
There are 3rd party solutions that can resolve this, and I am considering this as a solution to an irritant that had no practical value to me.
My main objections are...
- It is my car, and if I don't want it, I should be able to disable it, without resorting to 3rd party solutions.
- I do not like the hestitation if creates when accelerating from a stop. There are times this delay could be detrimental to the safety of the driver and passengers.
- It increases wear on the starter, battery, and engine for a very small incremental increase in fuel mileage and the return on investment of the fuel savings compared to changing a combination of battery and starter and the increase in engine wear over the life of the car.
Other than these items, the Red Mist is a fantastic car. I am more than pleased with her and look forward to driving her every day.
What adventures are in store for us in the coming year?
