Riding the near-perfect Wave

Riding the near-perfect Wave
Photos by -Autonet.ca
WADE OZEROFF - Sun Media
Published: 02 02 2007

Leaping from my previous test vehicle, a BMW 335i coupe, to the Pontiac Wave provided some contrast (to put it mildly) in my media geeking this past week.

And while the difference in power and status (and price) between the two was a wide gulf indeed, as it turned out, the Wave – Pontiac’s only-available-in-Canada small car – made me feel quite welcome. And as it’s still winter out there, I found I actually appreciated the little front-wheel drive – and not overly torque-producing – econo-car. It was a welcome change.

Catch the Wave

The 2007 Wave, in this case an SE trim level with something called the "WI" package added, shares its platform with Chevy’s Aveo (and both of those are derived from a model from Korean manufacturer Daewoo). It’s a subcompact, four cylinder runabout designed to appeal to entry level buyers or those in need of a second car, by offering a hefty amount of features in a package that won’t punish the bank account.

Outwardly, my Wave was not at all a bad looking vehicle for this segment. Decked out in a racy red paint job (and strangely enough, I am finding that people really do respond more to red cars, even econo cars), and with the larger 15-in. wheels that come with the WI package (14 in. are standard on the base model) and a sporty, if unnecessary, spoiler bolted on the trunk, the little vehicle had some curb appeal.

While it won’t stun a performance enthusiast with its numbers, the Wave’s 1.6 litre inline-four engine put out 103 horsepower (and 107 lb-ft of torque) which, while definitely not race-ready, provides adequate oomph to move a family around.

I did a lot of driving in my test Wave, both city and highway, and I found that I never felt felt frighteningly underpowered at any juncture.

The inside of the car is decently appointed for a vehicle in this price range as well. The dash is good-looking and doesn’t have the "cheap" feel that a lot of small cars impart. All the necessary gauges are present, and the lighting behind the dash and audio controls is a warm red.

The seats are covered in a good quality fabric (charcoal grey in the case of my tester), and the driver’s seat boasts lumbar support.

Headroom front and back is very good for a subcompact, and space is adequate for four adults. My only complaint is the legroom in the driver’s position, or more properly knee-room, as the space is small and tended to bang the centre console up against my right knee.

I’m told that a base Wave comes with a pretty good five-speed manual transmission, though my SE tester used a (also quite good) four-speed automatic. An interesting feature of the automatic tranny was the ability to lock it into a manual mode by means of a push-button beside the shifter, allowing a driver to trap the vehicle in a particular gear. In previous week’s slippery snow conditions, for example, the Wave could be made to take off from a stop in second gear, thereby reducing the amount of torque to the drive wheels and minimizing slipping.

The suspension in the little car was pretty standard for any vehicle in the econo-segment; a combination of not-too-stiff and not-too-soft, via the usual macPherson struts and coil springs. It provided an acceptable ride in all conditions, and the power rack and pinion steering kept the road manners of the car a good driving experience. I have no strong complaints about the brakes, which were front disc and rear drum.

I liked the high level of equipment packed onto the Wave, which included features like power windows and door locks, keyless entry, cruise control and A/C.

Speaking of equipping, the WI package adds to the standard features the 15-in. wheels and spoiler mentioned earlier, along with six-speaker sound system and steering mounted controls for said system, and apparently also includes an iPod Nano.

Sound connection

Tragically, the iPod was not included in the press vehicle (&*^$%!), but I was able to use my Shuffle to test the connectivity of the auxiliary input jack, and it worked just fine. Apparently, the aux jack can be used to listen to conversations on a cellphone as well.

All in all, the Wave sedan made for a pleasant drive test, and left me appreciating the level of standard equipment and ride quality that the manufacturer has packed into a car that still only maxes out at less than 20 grand, so it’s pretty easy to catch a Wave.

An SE trim level Wave has a base price of $15,450. My tester with the "WI Special Edition" package added $1,095 to that along with a power sunroof option ($985) and four-speed automatic transmission ($950) to bring the sticker price to $18,580 not including destination charge.

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