Who You Calling A Jesse?

Over on the VeloCity blog is a request for support from students at U of Waterloo for what we are calling a Centre for Student Innovation. The idea is to provide an office somewhere on campus that is more accessible to students that we could offer things like co-working, office hours for off campus entrepreneur resource/mentors, and find out more about the amazing entrepreneurial community here in Waterloo. Sorta like a VeloCity club office of sorts.

What we need are email from U of Waterloo students(to velocity at uwaterloo.ca) in support of this idea. It seems a bit crazy to think we need that but we really do as there are a lot of good groups on campus competing for very limited office space. I think VeloCity has the best idea but I am biased. It would be great (and easier) if a few really successful entrepreneurial UW Alumni wanted to maybe donate some resources to expand or build something for VeloCity, any out there reading my blog?? ;)

Until those investors arrive, we do need those emails to make that happen. Please spread the word, retweet, make a facebook group in support!

Over the past couple of days I have been driving the Chevrolet Traverse as part of a Twitter Test Drive arranged by Waterloo Auto Mall. Overall I think it is a great XUV (SUV is so 1990s) that does pretty much all of what a mini-van offers but with a much more solid vehicle that you can use on light off-road fun and snowy days.

• Back row of seats—although not entirely usable for adults (what back row is?) there are plenty of seat belts for when you need to move kids around town
• Even with the back row up you have space for stuff—something I didn’t expect given it isn’t a Yukon or Tahoe.
• The 3.6L engine can actually move the thing—it has enough acceleration to be fun
• Overall design of the interior—although not up to European quality of materials, it certainly is well designed and comfortable

• The stock GM technical parts that you see in 20-30K vehicles in this one that has a 50K+ price tag—The quality isn’t there in the 20 year old digital displays compared to similarly priced BMW’s and Mercedes.
• The exterior lighting—again, for the price I would expect xenon lights and less ‘cheap’ looking plastic
• Mileage—this vehicle isn’t broken in but but the avg economy on a highway drive between Waterloo and Hamilton was 12L/100km (~20 mpg). Why wouldn’t I just drive the V8 Tahoe?
• The one I had was front wheel drive only—for the price I would expect all wheel drive.

The two top things I don’t like is (I think) because this model has a 50K price tag but there is a 35K version. That is something that I think plagues GM vehicles as a whole. You can’t upgrade bits here and there and add that much to the price because you start getting into BMW and Mercedes land that have all those features and more in a much nicer designed package with quality finish. BMW and Mercedes just don’t have a lower priced option… GM needs to either upgrade more in a vehicle or stop trying to have premium domestic vehicles.

My verdict

If you can get an all wheel drive version at the 40K level you are getting a great vehicle. The quality, the performance, and the utility is certainly there. However, I am not convinced I wouldn’t look seriously at a Jeep Commander instead if I want a 4×4 that can do family stuff for ~35K.

Also: See the Edmunds report on the Traverse

About TwitterTestDrive

As far as I know the Waterloo Auto Mall is the only dealership trying to actually use social media and reach out to its customer base. I think it is a brilliant idea to try out and let the users of social media reach out to their online friends about a real experience that is essentially word of mouth marketing. I expect the #twittertestdrive hashtag will be filled of some honest and interesting experiences over this summer that will influence at least a couple car buying decisions out there.