Where's the Antilock- Oh it's Extra
The Pontiac Wave is a great little commuter car, which is only available in Canada. Its separated-at-birth twin is the Chevrolet Aveo. My frugal Wave tester was nicely equipped with features such as remote power locks, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control and a decent audio system; everything a young commuter heading off to university or work would want, right? Well almost.
Now For Braking News
If I were in the market to put a set of economical, reliable wheels beneath the butt of my son or daughter, this particular Wave would be a non-starter due to the absence of antilock brakes. Yes, antilock brakes are available on the Wave as part of an optional Security Package, which also includes front-seat-mounted side airbags. Can anyone explain to me why the Wave SE is graced with the comfort and convenience options cited earlier while antilock brakes remain an additional option?
This is Canada, the country with some of the most challenging weather and road conditions in the world. That's why I'd place antilock brakes on the "mandatory" list when scouting-out a sensible car for a new driver. In fairness to Pontiac, they're far from alone in not providing antilock brakes as standard equipment on entry-level rides; other manufacturers are guilty of the same shortcoming although the pool of non-providers is evaporating over time. Nevertheless, consider this rant as applying to all those manufacturers continuing to put cars without antilock brakes into the hands of inexperienced drivers facing icy, wet or otherwise slippery Canadian roads.
Appearance and Build Quality
It has become popular to build tall sedans these days. Such a shape increases headroom considerably, which serves to impart a sense of openness in an otherwise compact cabin. The Wave has adopted this design trend and as you might expect, the cabin is airy and headroom is excellent. Not so impressive though is legroom. I would have preferred a little more stretch space for my lower limbs, however there's only so much real estate designers and ergonomic engineers have to work with in a sub-compact vehicle such as the Wave. Overall, they have done a marvelous job of creating an environment that is spacious and nicely finished given the vehicle's incredibly enticing entry price of $12,995.
The Pontiac Wave is a great little commuter car, which is only available in Canada. Its separated-at-birth twin is the Chevrolet Aveo. My frugal Wave tester was nicely equipped with features such as remote power locks, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control and a decent audio system; everything a young commuter heading off to university or work would want, right? Well almost.
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| The Wave is exclusive to the Canadian market. |
Now For Braking News
If I were in the market to put a set of economical, reliable wheels beneath the butt of my son or daughter, this particular Wave would be a non-starter due to the absence of antilock brakes. Yes, antilock brakes are available on the Wave as part of an optional Security Package, which also includes front-seat-mounted side airbags. Can anyone explain to me why the Wave SE is graced with the comfort and convenience options cited earlier while antilock brakes remain an additional option?
This is Canada, the country with some of the most challenging weather and road conditions in the world. That's why I'd place antilock brakes on the "mandatory" list when scouting-out a sensible car for a new driver. In fairness to Pontiac, they're far from alone in not providing antilock brakes as standard equipment on entry-level rides; other manufacturers are guilty of the same shortcoming although the pool of non-providers is evaporating over time. Nevertheless, consider this rant as applying to all those manufacturers continuing to put cars without antilock brakes into the hands of inexperienced drivers facing icy, wet or otherwise slippery Canadian roads.
Appearance and Build Quality
It has become popular to build tall sedans these days. Such a shape increases headroom considerably, which serves to impart a sense of openness in an otherwise compact cabin. The Wave has adopted this design trend and as you might expect, the cabin is airy and headroom is excellent. Not so impressive though is legroom. I would have preferred a little more stretch space for my lower limbs, however there's only so much real estate designers and ergonomic engineers have to work with in a sub-compact vehicle such as the Wave. Overall, they have done a marvelous job of creating an environment that is spacious and nicely finished given the vehicle's incredibly enticing entry price of $12,995.
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| There is plenty of headroom, but the legroom is limited. |