How were the automatic windshield wipers? Did you stop at any crackle barrels?Having owned the car now for 6 weeks, we just took it on our first legit road trip from Western PA to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, total trip about 1,700 miles. I thought I would share some of my observations as we really tested out everything that the car has to offer and I was hoping to verify my own reasons for buying it in the first place (or not!). Our second car is a CRV and while I like it, the PP is way better suited for what we need in situations like this.
Like many on the board here we are 50+ in age, no kids to haul around and have no need whatsoever for a 3rd row seat. However I need the space as I am the main caregiver of a parent with mobility issues and need space for a wheelchair, walkers, etc. I’m not sure if I’m really the demographic they were going after, but hey, I bought the car so I’m not sure if Honda cares.
So on to our road trip. I traveled with my significant other and dad (the aforementioned parent with mobility issues) and all our gear. We do own a Thule roof box that we always needed when we traveled in the CRV but I wanted to test this trip without it. Our gear consisted of our usual travel stuff for a week away but traveling with my dad added all the stuff required to help him get around and gear that supports his dialysis treatments. So the 3 of us and our 65lb lab and a back full of our gear which included a wheelchair, 2 folding walkers and other stuff, took off for OBX.
First of all, yes everything fit and without much trouble. I did use the under floor storage for small things and then everything else either folded, stacked or piled up in the back. There was plenty of space and I could still see out the back window. I’m also finding that using the under floor bins to sit grocery bags is a great way to go to and from the store without things falling all over the place.
As for the 3 of us (and the dog), we all traveled in plenty of comfort and a ton of room. My dad sitting in the back seat could recline his seat somewhat, turn on the seat heater, pull down the window shade and he was in heaven. He even used the back seat plug to heat a small neck warmer he uses at home. I didn’t hear a peep out of him (or the dog) for the 10 hour trip.
As for us in the front seat, there was plenty of room and very little travel fatigue for the duration of the trip. Plenty of cup holders for coffee, water, sunglasses and other things, etc. The door handle is the perfect size to hold fries from Wendy’s by the way.
Whether it was driving through the mountains in fog or handling the general free for all of I-95 through Virginia, road manners were exceptional. Ride was fantastic and I just love the V6. I know everyone is going to turbo 4’s but I really love this engine. Gas mileage was fine at 23 through the mountains and about 24-26 elsewhere and with a loaded down car I certainly was not going to complain about that. We have previously done the same trip with the same stuff in our CRV and when doing that needed to add the Thule box on the roof which really cut down gas mileage while pushing the 4 cylinder to work a lot harder. We will basically take the PP on all these trips in the future.
We did not do any off-roading except for some gravel/loose dirt and sand in a couple of places and I really don’t plan on doing any beach driving, at least with these tires. Speaking of the Continental tires, I know there have been a lot of conversations about them but on the way home I drove for about 3-4 hours in torrential rain and the car was sure footed, no hydroplaning or slipping while pretty much driving near posted speeds. Also, I see a trend with tight garages as the house in NC has a garage that is smaller than our house in PA so the power folding mirrors are a fantastic option and I love that you just fold them when you need to.
I also ended up testing the range on a gas tank although that was not really planned. On the way home I wanted to get gas in a certain area and did poor planning on how much range I really had. I never let a car get down to 0 range even though I know there is some gas still there. But in this case I got down to 0 and drove about 10 more miles until I stopped. When I filled up it took 18.4 gallons so I was pretty low and will never let that happen again.
I really had no complaints for the entire trip. Just a few quibbles about how the ACC is not quite like that on the CRV that will stay engaged practically to a stop in stop and go traffic. Also, the only time I noticed the 9 speed hunting for the right gear was when the cruise was on and we were in traffic that was fluctuating a lot in speed. Otherwise, I didn’t notice anything. But that’s about it. I loved how it was an easy car to drive on a long trip and how we didn’t really feel fatigued when we got there. GPS was spot on and helped us detour around a traffic issue. Using lane keep assist with the lane markers just makes the car practically drive by itself. Honestly the more I drive the car, the more I like it.
Anyway, if you managed to read through this lengthy post I hope you found some of the info useful. I’m enjoying the car everyday….. hope you are too.
Thanks
