Roomy little rig
Thankfully, the Wave's interior is bigger than the body leads on. It's no station wagon, but there's plenty of arm, leg and shoulder room up front. Head and rear-seat legroom tighten up for occupants over about five-foot ten-- though drivers of average size should find the cabin pleasantly spacious.
Controls are simply laid out and easy to reach, and the cabin feels mainly well assembled. Visibility is fantastic too, albeit for the small side mirrors.
There's a standard 60/40 folding rear seat just ahead of the short, deep trunk, too. With maximum cargo capacity rated at 1,190 litres, you should find enough space to load up for that weekend trip or to haul your gear home from school for summer.
OnStar was also on board, putting drivers in touch with real-life help for directions, emergencies or car troubles at the press of a button. Not a must-have, but handy for those frequently travelling away from home.
Complaints? The cupholder is a clumsy space waster, and the interior lacks covered storage to keep your iPod and wallet out of sight. Additionally, the excessive use of red backlighting may permanently burn the instrument cluster into your retinas at night. Front-seat passengers with restless elbows may try to share your armrest too, as their seat doesn't have one.
Moving along
Wave gets moving courtesy of a new-for-2009 1.6 liter four cylinder with variable valve timing. Output is rated at 106 ponies, which move things along with adequate urgency. The engine lets you know when it's working at higher revs, though sound levels were kept well within limits.
Power? Let's just say you won't be getting into any trouble with it.
With the available four-speed automatic, combined mileage averaged about 7.5 L / 100km on my watch. Decent, though perhaps not incredible.
Thankfully, the Wave's interior is bigger than the body leads on. It's no station wagon, but there's plenty of arm, leg and shoulder room up front. Head and rear-seat legroom tighten up for occupants over about five-foot ten-- though drivers of average size should find the cabin pleasantly spacious.
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| Head and rear-seat legroom tighten up for occupants over about five-foot ten. |
Controls are simply laid out and easy to reach, and the cabin feels mainly well assembled. Visibility is fantastic too, albeit for the small side mirrors.
There's a standard 60/40 folding rear seat just ahead of the short, deep trunk, too. With maximum cargo capacity rated at 1,190 litres, you should find enough space to load up for that weekend trip or to haul your gear home from school for summer.
OnStar was also on board, putting drivers in touch with real-life help for directions, emergencies or car troubles at the press of a button. Not a must-have, but handy for those frequently travelling away from home.
Complaints? The cupholder is a clumsy space waster, and the interior lacks covered storage to keep your iPod and wallet out of sight. Additionally, the excessive use of red backlighting may permanently burn the instrument cluster into your retinas at night. Front-seat passengers with restless elbows may try to share your armrest too, as their seat doesn't have one.
Moving along
Wave gets moving courtesy of a new-for-2009 1.6 liter four cylinder with variable valve timing. Output is rated at 106 ponies, which move things along with adequate urgency. The engine lets you know when it's working at higher revs, though sound levels were kept well within limits.
Power? Let's just say you won't be getting into any trouble with it.
With the available four-speed automatic, combined mileage averaged about 7.5 L / 100km on my watch. Decent, though perhaps not incredible.
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| There's a standard 60/40 folding rear seat just ahead of the short, deep trunk, too. |