Habanero Orange GT
I’ve had it about a week (US) and it’s been great. (My dealer never enabled connected services and the satellite icon is crossed out, so hopefully my 12v will be OK despite doing mainly short drives.) Some observations:
Try regen 0 (1 click above the default 1) for really smooth efficient coasting. Feels very different from an ICE car. (The default 1 feels like ICE engine braking.)
Proactive Driving Assist uses regen to slow you for traffic ahead. I like it. It makes regen 0 feel good even for stop-and-go. Just when I reach for the paddles or the brakes, the system is already gently slowing me.
The color cannot be photographed. In shadow, it’s like a metallic rust color. In sunlight, it’s a deep orange. I like it, but photos showing a BRIGHT orange are misleading, and many photos show it too red. I would call it a metallic dark orange.
The comfort-exit feature slides the driver’s seat BACK but not DOWN. I need down! Is that normal? Not a huge deal.
The AC never seems to blow very cold or very strong. Nothing like my Crosstrek would. User error? But it does do the job in the end.
Rolling down the windows from the remote can also crack them—not just put them down fully.
Very quiet ride! And comfortable seats.
The low-speed pedestrian sound going forward is so quiet I can’t hear it with the windows up, and barely with the windows down. It’s louder in reverse. The interior chime for reversing is so quiet I can’t imagine people minding it.
Speed limit alerts work (at least a lot of the time) with the DCM disabled. As soon as the camera sees a speed sign, it shows on the display.
While using the parking camera (forward) turn off the “crossed out A” icon. Now you’ll get the camera any time you’re driving very slowly moving forward OR back. Nice for stopping and parking and tight turns around curbs.
Every setting I care about seems to be remembered between trips. Regen sets back to “1” but that’s probably smart, or some mechanic someday would put my car through a wall from me leaving it on “0."
Regen 3 and 4 feel very strong to me. I haven’t tried them much.
The steering wheel doesn’t even come CLOSE to blocking the display, and the display does not intrude onto the road at ALL. (I am 6 feet and keep the seat high.) Most photos from the interior must be taken lower than I sit: they show sky behind the display.
Wireless CarPlay has been reliable. I keep my phone in my outer pocket, not on the charger.
The secret covered bin where the manual hides is pretty large. The main bin above it is big too. A suitable alternative to a glovebox.
The charging cable JUST fits under the cargo floor even with the floor lowered. And there’s space down there for other emergency supplies too. (Not the adapter box, at least not with the floor lowered.)
I’ve only driven about 70 miles, and have never tried charging it yet. Local mileage seems to be in the 3.5 to 6.5 mi/kWh range.
Rear visibility is poor—not just because the rear window is so small but because it’s so tinted. The GT’s digital mirror solves this well. I can’t focus my eyes that close without looking over my glasses—but I don’t have to. I’ve learned not to bother: a slightly blurry car behind me is still visible. Result: better rear visibility than any car I’ve had.
The tires came from the dealer overinflated by about 8 pounds vs. the door sticker. (The pressure on the display reads about 3 low: it said 43, my own pressure gauge measured 46 in the morning, and the sticker said 38. So I let air out.)
I don’t mind the steering wheel shape. I was aware of it until I got used to it, but it was never a problem.
You get two-tone paint even if you don’t pay for the black roof: things like the glossy front bumper portions, the spoiler, and the mirrors are the blue-flecked metallic black.
Tons of power on Eco. I may never try the other modes.