BerthaBlog

It plays my tunes!

When he first got me the car, Alpha Geek also got me a little gizmo that plugs my iPod nano into a jack below the cigarette lighter—this jack connects the iPod directly to the sound system, so I can play music directly from the nano to my car’s speakers.

But wait, there’s more!

Last week I poked my husband while he was working on his computer. (I’m demanding that way.)

“Can I borrow three blank CDs?” I asked.

He obligingly handed me three blank discs. “Why do you need three of them?”

“I want to copy my Everclear albums to discs that I can keep in the car.”*

“You don’t need three discs to do that—the Fit recognizes the mp3 format, just burn them to mp3’s and copy them all onto one disc.”

“Really? Cool!”

I don’t know if all new cars have this feature, but mine does, and I sure do like it. Three albums, one disc!

*Later he asked me why I didn’t just put my Everclear albums on my iPod. I’ve got an older-model nano, and it holds 2 GB. I’ve already had to pare down my playlist to make it fit. He said maybe I need a newer iPod. I said I didn’t think anyone could really classify an iPod as a “need.”

It is a zippy little car, and I’ve always loved zippy little cars.

I like small, maneuverable cars that are quick and responsive. And it is a small car, albeit one with lots of room inside. I believe this car may be pushing the limits of space:size ratio; only the TARDIS could surpass it.

The Fit’s little 1.5-liter engine is diminutive compared to the old van’s V6. When I floor the accelerator, there is no roar from under the hood, no sudden surge forward. What the Fit does give me is a smooth, constant acceleration from “stop” to “whoops, better ease off the gas.” She can get up to freeway speed quickly without complaining or showing off, which is something to be aware of when I’m not actually driving on a freeway. Fortunately the Fit also has cruise control, which I use regularly to avoid speeding.

The Fit is very responsive; as soon as you turn the wheel, the car follows—and it can turn very tight corners. Don’t haul the wheel all the way over unless you want to be going back the way you came in a hurry. I have to be mindful of this when turning corners or the g-forces would flatten my passengers to the windows. She’ll stop on a dime and have change left over.

Most cars will get you where you want to go, but some cars are pert and lively and ready to scoot. My Fit is one of those, which means it’s loads of fun to drive.