old versus new

The differences between the Leon and the Verso

So after driving my new car a month - I have some thoughts on the differences:

The Leon had a lot of punch, the Verso decidedly doesn’t.  All this talk about torque and horsepower and 1.6 liter engine means nothing to me.  I didn’t even care about fast or slow or pickup or whatnot.  

Why do I need to go fast?

To overtake people on the road.

And this only made me care less about the shop talk - I overtake someone with or without.  But now, having a weaker car I can really feel the difference as I slug up the hills and the delay in my acceleration. This is not a bad thing - I don’t need to be aggressively zipping through traffic.  I shouldn’t be.  I needed the zip taken out of my drive.  I’m a mom, it’s time to drive like one.

Of course, the back seats.  In the Leon, the kids’ seats were overlapping.  I was bending over in a terrible position, wrestling with the car seats and trying to get my hand in between them to connect the belt.  The Verso sits higher and wider, so it is immeasurably easier to bend over, wrestle the seats some, and secure.  My back says thank you.

The Verso has satellite GPS.  I thought it was really unnecessary, but Tolga loves gadgets.  I always say our phones were enough - but when I’m driving it is easier and safer to be reading the large screen.  I still think it was an unnecessary luxury - but if I can get get the traffic indicator working, I’ll be in love.  

The USB port - the Leon had it in the glove box, this one has it to the side of the gear shift.  Easier to access, works with my iPhone, and plays MP4s I stored on some USBs that didn’t work with the Leon.

My iPad connects - my iPad is not connected, but magically its Bluetooth connects to the sound system.  This is perfect for playing sound over the stereo - a movie or an audiobook.

The backup camera - They offered it on the Leon and I said, no that’s silly - I can backup without one.  But now I have it and LOVE it.  Its awesome - I never have to turn my stiff neck again.

The seats - I took for granted in America what came “standard” on anything, as to what does not.  (I mean, how is power steering NOT standard?)  The Leon had an obnoxious crank, a wheel you turned and slowly the seat back reclined.  While these aren’t electric, there are levers.

Cupholders everywhere - I especially like the third row cupholders - Teoman has already made use of it.

A “cooler” - When Tolga told me it had a cooler, the idea grew on me as imagined easily storing drinks and keeping them cool in an insulated glove box.  But, what they mean by cooler was a second glove box with a vent blowing air directly on the stuff inside - I suppose its only cool air if you have the air conditioner on… weird.