I must say right off the bat that I had a negative prejudice toward the Wave. The old generation, which I tried more than once, never managed to impress me and thus, I was rather pessimistic about the prospect of testing the new 2007 model.
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| The new model's silhouette is more attractive than the old one's. |
But today I must make amends. The
2007 Pontiac Wave sure has a couple of shortcomings, but it proves to be a nice surprise overall. I say nice because the styling of this subcompact car is far better executed than ever before. True, the designers slightly exaggerated the tall profile; however, the lines do not do injustice to the car. On the contrary, the Wave has a much more dynamic and poised road presence. Inside, fit and finish has been greatly improved, while the numerous features are flawlessly ergonomic and wisely laid out. That said, you have to love the chrome rings (which GM uses a lot) to fully appreciate the dashboard. There were a number of things that annoyed me. For instance, the little 4-cylinder engine is rather anemic and the optional 4-speed automatic transmission is not at all inspiring. The combo is in dire need of a performance enhancement.
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| The layout of the various dashboard components has been improved. |
Also worth noting is the surprisingly poor
fuel economy (I never averaged below 10 L/100 km) and a little tendency to understeer. Let's be honest, though: in base trim, the Pontiac Wave represents a judicious alternative for small-car enthusiasts. But as soon as you start adding options, the skyrocketing price makes it far less interesting and might sway buyers into considering a Korean or a Japanese instead.
photo: Rob Rothwell