So after 5 weeks of ownership I’ve put its first 2500 miles on and thought I’d write a follow-up on my observations so far.

I had a bunch of modifications in mind when I was driving it home that first day, but I’ve decided to just drive it for now. I did order and install a set of Husky WeatherBeater floor liners (2nd row is 1-pc and covers the hump, which is nice) and cargo liner. They carried a hefty price (for floor mats), but it’s an investment towards protecting my interior. They are molded to fit and do fit nicely, except right behind the driver’s seat where it gets caught up in the tract (I think that’s due to the electric seat being cumbersome).

So here’s what I’ve noticed so far.

Likes:
- First and foremost, fuel efficiency. My commute is around 45 miles each way, which takes 55 minutes in mixed driving. In the mornings I run the fan to circulate air, in the SC afternoons I run the A/C. The first few tanks were ranging from 25.5 – 26.5 MPG, but yesterday I calculated my best fill-up yet: 27.2 MPG! I can’t believe how well this thing is doing. We used to have a ’98 Ranger 3.0 that my wife bought new and I think it averaged around 18 MPG. I can’t wait to take an extended trip and see if I can break into the 30s.
- Visibility. I sit upright and the dash is somewhat downward sloping, so I have a big view out over the front of my hood and can see everything. I have one slight blind spot on the driver’s side, where the c-pillar blocks out the rear cargo window, but it’s not been that big of a deal.
- Spaciousness. I had some buddies down last weekend and they were amazed at how much leg room they had in the rear seats. Even with the front seats all the way back there is still ample leg room in the rear.
- Interior. It’s a nice and light color and seems to lighten my mood when I’m surrounded by it, which helps when dealing with ignorant drivers for 2 hours a day.
- Technology. I love the hands-free Bluetooth operation. I sometimes get sleepy during my commute and like to call my mom/dad/wife/daughter to help keep me alert, but I’ve never wanted one of those ear pieces and don’t like holding a phone while driving. My wife & buddies have had fun with the audible text messaging. I haven’t really used Sync, yet, like with an external drive or iPod, but it’s nice to have built-in Sirius so I no longer need a big box in the windshield obscuring my view. 6-disc changer is nice, but pretty slow to change songs/discs.

Dislikes:
- I think the sensor that turns my headlights on/off automatically may be a little wacky. At least, that’s what I’m assuming is happening. In the mornings when I’m commuting to work and it’s still a bit overcast, my dash lights and the information center will dim in and out. I’m assuming it does that when the headlights turn on and off. Just a slight distraction/annoyance.
- Discomfort. There is plenty of room and I’m happy to no longer feel cramped, but I do have to reposition my left leg quite often because it will start to ache from sitting in an awkward position/angle. Also, the seats are quite firm which, when you’re sitting in them for an hour at a time (or 8 hours when I head to Ohio), starts to get uncomfortable. Hopefully the latter will improve with time as the seats get broken in.
- Interior. The downside to this bright cheery color is that it’s quite easy to scuff/smudge/smear and quite difficult to clean. I also detailed the truck last weekend and after cleaning the interior I tried to put some protectant on the dash but it didn’t seem to take (at least you couldn’t visibly tell that I had used any). My biggest gripe with interior is the arm rest/center console. The center console is quite long, which places the front of it a bit forward so have to twist and cock your arm to get to the latch to open it. Then once you do open it, it doesn’t open all the way to allow easy access, so you once again have to twist and cock your arm to get to the contents within. While you’re in there fishing around for something, your arm will press against the lid, which is already as open as it gets, and you can hear the plastic being stressed. I think overall that’s probably my biggest complaint about the vehicle.
- Silver. It’s not that I have a problem with silver, really, but I have had several morons pull out in front of me when I’m going 60MPH, forcing me to slam on my brakes. My wife thinks it’s because of the silver exterior. She says she has pulled out in front of silver cars before, too, because she couldn’t see them coming. I guess maybe it reflects light to blend in with its surroundings?
- Folding seats. I ran to Lowes the other day to pick some things up for the house. One of the items was a set of 77” aluminum ramps for the shed. It was a tight fit as I had to slide the passenger seat completely forward and cram the ramps in diagonally. Maybe I can and haven’t figured it out yet, but I wish the front seats folded forward so I could lay it down to increase cargo capacity. I also noticed that the rear seats don’t fold flat, which kind of sucks.

So looking at my list there it seems like I have a lot more cons than pros, but don’t let that deceive you. I absolutely love this vehicle and the only real problem I have with it is the armrest (the other things are just little annoyances, but any vehicle will have them). Overall I think this is one of the smartest buys out there as I receive moderate utility, moderate luxury (in its spacious cabin & technology) & outstanding efficiency. I am quite pleased with my purchase so far.

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