Just picked the car up today and very pleased! So much car for a reasonable price.
Much quieter and smoother and easier to drive then the SS - think Mazda 3 with a bigger engine. Engine stop (eg. at lights) seems silly but very easy to turn off with button next to shifter. No poking around in menus on the screen for example. Speaking of engine stop, I can also start it remotely, eg. to cool it down on a hot day.
Driving home had the opportunity to accelerate properly around a corner and felt the AWD kicking in - obviously produces some yaw as felt like the car was stepping out in a controlled manner. Hard to resist the urge to countersteer. Gear changes all but imperceptible most of the time.
Brakes obviously not as good as the VE (Brembos with Bendix Ultimtes) but still as good as an SV6. I suspect a set of Bendix Ultimate would help here - although I might just wait and see for a bit, am enjoying the wheels being silver for now. Good to know if anyone can recommend pads that are noticeably grippier than stock but don't make a carp load of dust....
Seats and driving position very good. HUD is great - can have it sitting just below horizon and check speed without taking eyes off the road, and its very large and clear. Climate control is something I've been missing - just set it once on day of purchase and forget about it
Bluetooth and sat nav also very good.
Accessories wise all I've added so far is a set of deep dish rubber floor mats for $30 (front and rear) from Supercheap. These trimmed up easily to fit almost as well as tailored carpet mats and have the advantages of actually containing dirt rather than having it migrate under the mat, and being grippy both sides so they are unlikely to migrate even without clipping onto factory lugs, and also making it easier to keep one's foot in position.
Presently on the lookout for a cover for just the driver's seat, since this is the only one likely to wear during my ownership.
