I have a new car. It is mostly better than the old one:

Things that are good about it

• It's red
• It starts when I turn the key. Every time. Even when it's cold.
• Power steering. Except when going round roundabouts when you also need to avoid the holes in the road and signal left at the same time
• I don't have to carry a radio around with me
• I can fit all my rubbish in the compartments in the front. Although you'd be hard pressed to put anything else in any of them - the tissue box fills the glove compartment
• There's a short hill on the way to work. In my old car in 4th gear it lost speed on the way up. In the new one in 5th gear it stays at the same speed.
• I can open the passenger side window while I'm driving. Not that I have yet, but the thought's there.
• I can see the back of the car. But I'm so used to backing past the point where I think I'm going to hit something that I go too far the other way and still leave masses of space between the back of the car and the wall.
• I really like power steering.
• It's a far brighter red than the red car that tends to park next to me

Things that aren't so good about it

• I can't do 5th to 3rd because 3rd isn't on the right any more
• I keep coming to a dead stop when I actually just meant to slow down a bit more because the brakes are so fierce
• I still need a cushion behind my back because the seat is designed for someone with longer legs and I can't quite get my back to the back of it and bend my knees
• The petrol cap is on the wrong side
• I have to change the clock manually
• Radio 2 is a lot louder than Five Live so I have to change the volume twice a day
• The volume control on the radio is one you have to turn and it's impossible to change and not drift sideways
• You have to put the key back in the ignition to close the windows. And, like all electric windows, the control is the wrong way round to the way you'd expect
• The point and click key really isn't as exciting as I thought it would be
• The manual is massive (and American). I don't have a manual that big for anything, not even manuals that are in more than one language. I can't find anything in it.
• It's so quiet I can barely hear the engine over the radio, so it's really hard to tell when it wants to change gear

Comments are closed.