And like the smart -- cuteness accounts for a lot of its appeal. However, it answers a lot of questions that buyers found unanswered in the smart. Despite the i car's diminutive size, we found there was plenty of room for four passengers. And -- there's a trunk! Also giving it an edge over the smart was a smoothly-shifting transmission.
Because the vehicle had been imported from the UK, the steering wheel was on the right hand side -- which didn't pose much of a problem for my driving partner who'd had experience driving in Britain. But we both found ourselves washing the windows instead of signaling. The only criticism we had of the i car, and it was a big one, was the loose steering. We both had difficulty negotiating tight turns. But the seating position was good, the cabin was attractive and modern, with contrasting soft-touch burgundy insets in the dash and door panels. Visibility was good through the huge flat expanse of windshield and handling was excellent. Best of all was gauging people's reactions -- particularly the grinning construction workers who stopped to stare and wave.
The Grandis
The Grandis, a seven-seat MPV, was introduced in 2003 and is sold in Japan, Europe, Mexico, Australia and South America.
I have an admission to make: I really don't like minivans (but apparently the Grandis isn't one -- it's marketed as a crossover).
They're hard to see around, usually full of chattering preoccupied people who aren't intent on the business of driving -- and the image they project isn't one that this not-so-young, not-quite-hip, semi-urban single professional isn't eager to adopt.
But as a good friend and fellow car scribe has often pointed out, most of my dislikes center on the way they're driven.
Fair enough. For families on the go, whose daily commutes extend further than short urban jaunts and necessitate the transport of a lot of "stuff" as well as passengers, the minivan makes a lot of sense.
As far as people carriers go, the Grandis does an admirable job.
Externally, its profile features a swoopy, raked topline, its face incorporates the signature "twin nostril" front grille.
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Because the vehicle had been imported from the UK, the steering wheel was on the right hand side -- which didn't pose much of a problem for my driving partner who'd had experience driving in Britain. But we both found ourselves washing the windows instead of signaling. The only criticism we had of the i car, and it was a big one, was the loose steering. We both had difficulty negotiating tight turns. But the seating position was good, the cabin was attractive and modern, with contrasting soft-touch burgundy insets in the dash and door panels. Visibility was good through the huge flat expanse of windshield and handling was excellent. Best of all was gauging people's reactions -- particularly the grinning construction workers who stopped to stare and wave.
The Grandis
The Grandis, a seven-seat MPV, was introduced in 2003 and is sold in Japan, Europe, Mexico, Australia and South America.
I have an admission to make: I really don't like minivans (but apparently the Grandis isn't one -- it's marketed as a crossover).
They're hard to see around, usually full of chattering preoccupied people who aren't intent on the business of driving -- and the image they project isn't one that this not-so-young, not-quite-hip, semi-urban single professional isn't eager to adopt.
But as a good friend and fellow car scribe has often pointed out, most of my dislikes center on the way they're driven.
Fair enough. For families on the go, whose daily commutes extend further than short urban jaunts and necessitate the transport of a lot of "stuff" as well as passengers, the minivan makes a lot of sense.
As far as people carriers go, the Grandis does an admirable job.
Externally, its profile features a swoopy, raked topline, its face incorporates the signature "twin nostril" front grille.
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