Hello and initial impressions
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 8:40 pm
Hello all, I have been lurking a couple of days after my Born arrived last week. First EV, though have test driven a couple of other EVs. Mark 1 Leaf had really poor range and the Tesla S felt really heavy (particularly going around roundabouts) and realistically out of my price range.
I’m very pleased with the handling of the born. First drive to work was a bit of with only 2.2mi/kWh. Though it was icy cold here in the South West of the UK and I hadn’t fully pre-heated - started the pre-heat with the app 15 mins before leaving. Since then been giving at least the full 30mins of pre-heat and getting over 3mi/kWh.
Absolutely loving the ACC, only the 2nd car I’ve driven with it, the other was a hire car (Corolla) a few weeks ago and I only managed to get it working on that car once. On the Born minimum of fuss. Dial in the speed limit (or hit set) activate and the commute just got a lot less stressful.
The haptic controls haven’t been as bad as some of the reviews make out. It’s still badly thought out for something like volume where instinctively you just hold down the button (which of course does nothing). One accidental press of the cruise control speed control so far…
I find the available shortcuts on the infotainment a bit random. I change the drive profile a lot, but there doesn’t seem to be any way of adding that screen to the shortcuts. So always two button presses to get to it.
I like the placement of the drive/reverse and the “get in and go” has grown on my more than I thought it would - I thought I’d miss using a start stop button.
Interior is classy, and the LED lighting is a nice touch. The kids like playing around with it.
I’ve mainly been commuting so focusing on range, at the weekend went for a burn on some bendy B roads and the Born brought a big smile to my face, solidly planted and gliding through bends.
I’m very pleased with the handling of the born. First drive to work was a bit of with only 2.2mi/kWh. Though it was icy cold here in the South West of the UK and I hadn’t fully pre-heated - started the pre-heat with the app 15 mins before leaving. Since then been giving at least the full 30mins of pre-heat and getting over 3mi/kWh.
Absolutely loving the ACC, only the 2nd car I’ve driven with it, the other was a hire car (Corolla) a few weeks ago and I only managed to get it working on that car once. On the Born minimum of fuss. Dial in the speed limit (or hit set) activate and the commute just got a lot less stressful.
The haptic controls haven’t been as bad as some of the reviews make out. It’s still badly thought out for something like volume where instinctively you just hold down the button (which of course does nothing). One accidental press of the cruise control speed control so far…
I find the available shortcuts on the infotainment a bit random. I change the drive profile a lot, but there doesn’t seem to be any way of adding that screen to the shortcuts. So always two button presses to get to it.
I like the placement of the drive/reverse and the “get in and go” has grown on my more than I thought it would - I thought I’d miss using a start stop button.
Interior is classy, and the LED lighting is a nice touch. The kids like playing around with it.
I’ve mainly been commuting so focusing on range, at the weekend went for a burn on some bendy B roads and the Born brought a big smile to my face, solidly planted and gliding through bends.