So I find myself back in the place of my growing up last weekend, driving the C in fields, along dirt paths, and gravel roads. I spent my youth power sliding around these many places, practicing rally driving before I ever knew what it was called. Every vehicle I've ever owned has gone sideways around these wonderful places. Except the C. The stability control refused to let us have fun. Every perfect setup and steering wheel whip ended it rallyus-interruptus. Bummer. It should be great this winter, but it sucks right now. Extra Info: Gravel roads really sound bad in the C...like an army of gremlins whacking the underside of the car with hammers. The C is a joy to drive on tight and twisty two-lane state blacktop highways, but I sure miss the sound of downshifting going into a corner and going through the gears on the way out. Driving through fields of CRP (conservation reserve program) grass was ok, but the weeds screeeeeeeeetching down the side and underneath was very nerve wracking. I hope all the little scratches (that I haven't actually seen yet, but I know they're there) buff out next year. When backing around to head back out, a corner of a heat shield situated under the rear seats caught on some grass and was pulled down an inch or three. Should be just a push to get it back where it should be. I think I'll take the truck next time, even at 12mpg highway...
On a related note, this reminds me of how much I wonder what on earth the point is for those of us with OEM LED headlights also getting headlight washers. The c is not a rally car. A few bugs on the highway are not going to dim my headlights and most of the time I'm not on the highway anyway. Admittedly I haven't yet tested if the brighter LED lights are more of a bug attractant, but really it seems pretty ridiculous. All my headlight washers achieve is leaving spots all over the entire hood of my car if I ever make the error of operating my windscreen washers while my headlights are switched on. Other than that, they are useful for identifying if a c is a base model or an i-tech when viewed from the front.
Aren't these washers partly intended to reduce glare scattering off the intended pattern and into the eyes of oncoming drivers? In the U.S., I understood that LEDs were above a luminosity threshold that made washers mandatory. In my non-LED cars (Prius and otherwise), I can sometimes see the headlight pattern impairment caused by soiling of the lens surfaces, and must clean them at the next rest stop. This happens most often in winter, when the slush splashed up from road contains lots of sand and mud.
I haven't noticed any accumulation of winter filth on the headlights. The car's seen everything from feet of snow that lasts for weeks down to more salt on the road than snow. In 3 years I haven't hit the headlight washer button. I'm not sure I could find it while driving. Yeah, I know it is off to the left, down low.
On the dirtiest of my serious winter travels travels (not in the Prius), I've had to hand wash headlights after just an hour or two. They get dirty at least as fast as the un-wiped portion of the windshield.
Wow, rallying in a C. Impressive. Duly noted on the sound pollution of gravel, weeds, mouse farts, etc. You can hear everything in this ride. <a href="Rally Driving Experiences - FreemanX New Zealand">FreemanX Rally Drives</a> - <a href="Rally Driving Experiences - FreemanX Australia">Rally Driving Experiences</a> in Oz & NZ
Wow, rallying in a C. Impressive. Duly noted on the sound pollution of gravel, weeds, mouse farts, etc. You can hear everything in this ride. <a href="Rally Driving Experiences - FreemanX New Zealand">FreemanX Rally Drives</a> - <a href="Rally Driving Experiences - FreemanX Australia">Rally Driving Experiences</a> in Oz & NZ
