Non-navigational displays weren't as impressive. Direct sunlight almost washed away the middle display numbers and figures. It reminded me of when I complained about a dashboard problem on one of the new Chevy Caprice police units I had in 1989. Glare made the windshield almost impossible to see through when the dashboard reflected sunlight onto it. Solution - scrub the dashboard with K9 cleaner to dull the finish!
The steering wheel's audio and cruise controls were great. Just a stretch of the left thumb sets volume, stations and mode, while the right thumb starts and kills the cruise control. Nice touch- rather than having to look down and stab at buttons. I didn't get a chance to play with the automatic 4WD-locking feature, voice interface for the navigation system or other command toys.
I liked the center stack layout but then I am used to staring at a computer screen, displaying police reports all day. Anything in which you get to look at so many gauges and knobs is, for me, a treat.
The air directional vents are different. Everything worked well but both side air vents didn't move sideways. If you didn't want the air in your face you either turned them down or off. I am more used to just pointing them up as hot air rises - you know the drill. Mind you I might have just not figured out how they work, which is probably the case.
I only checked out the front seats. They were very comfortable with lots of adjustment and support for longer trips. The power telescoping steering wheel and the memory settings for the seats were easy to figure out. For a big guy (I'm 6'2"), there was lots of headroom, even with the sunroof. I didn't try the back seats but I liked the DVD entertainment feature. I could keep passengers quiet, making them watch 'Cops' reruns or my own favourite Academy Award winner, 'Dirty Harry.' I do believe in variety of viewing you know.
I didn't get a chance to examine the price however as this is one of the nicest if not the nicest SUV I have driven, every penny would be well spent.
photo:Rob Rothwell
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The steering wheel's audio and cruise controls were great. Just a stretch of the left thumb sets volume, stations and mode, while the right thumb starts and kills the cruise control. Nice touch- rather than having to look down and stab at buttons. I didn't get a chance to play with the automatic 4WD-locking feature, voice interface for the navigation system or other command toys.
I liked the center stack layout but then I am used to staring at a computer screen, displaying police reports all day. Anything in which you get to look at so many gauges and knobs is, for me, a treat.
The air directional vents are different. Everything worked well but both side air vents didn't move sideways. If you didn't want the air in your face you either turned them down or off. I am more used to just pointing them up as hot air rises - you know the drill. Mind you I might have just not figured out how they work, which is probably the case.
I only checked out the front seats. They were very comfortable with lots of adjustment and support for longer trips. The power telescoping steering wheel and the memory settings for the seats were easy to figure out. For a big guy (I'm 6'2"), there was lots of headroom, even with the sunroof. I didn't try the back seats but I liked the DVD entertainment feature. I could keep passengers quiet, making them watch 'Cops' reruns or my own favourite Academy Award winner, 'Dirty Harry.' I do believe in variety of viewing you know.
I didn't get a chance to examine the price however as this is one of the nicest if not the nicest SUV I have driven, every penny would be well spent.
photo:Rob Rothwell