Yesterday I removed some undercoating overspray from the insides of the wheels, and followed it up with a coat of wax. Today, only four days after we bought the Impreza, it snowed! Rain, freezing rain and sleet actually. So, the wheels are no longer clean, but I did get a chance to drive the Subaru in it’s element. Luckily, the forecast calls for another few inches of snow tonight.

In other news: The dog got a haircut (and she doesn’t look too happy about it).

I installed some bar-top levers on the Sirrus and learned how to wrap bar tape. Luckily, I didn’t tear the tape and the result was pretty good. I also replaced the brake cables and housings on the Gunnar with Aztek Powerlines, and in the process rewrapped the bars as well. I’ve been apprehensive about rewrapping bars, but it isn’t all that bad.

While unpacking (yes, we’re still unpacking), I found a poorly composed photo of my old ’94 Mongoose Hilltopper. This was my first *real* mountain bike. If I recall, it had an STX/Alivio drivetrain, rigid fork, and a black-chrome finish. It was sold prior to the purchase of my ’95 Specialized M2 FS, which I still ride.

Oh yeah, we got a new car. An ’07 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport SE. The SE (special edition) is a mid-year addition to the Impreza 2.5i sedan and Outback Sport. The package is pretty nice, and no doubt a result of the impending release of the new body style ’08 Imprezas later this year. It has a manual transmission, upgraded sound system with in dash CD changer, satellite radio, iPod input and sub. This model also came with automatic climate control and fog lights. I’ll be installing a receiver hitch for the Yakima rack and a few other accessories. If I don’t have anything else to talk about, or I’m bored, I’ll post all kinds of painful details on the various installations.

After a some time, and a few more miles, I’ll post a full review of the Impreza.

After a week of driving around lost, I bought a GPS. I did some research and decided on the tomtom One. This GPS is an entry-level model with basic features and a relatively low price. I chose the tomtom because it is small, got positive reviews, and was inexpensive (about $400). After two weeks of almost daily use I have some observations:

Positive:

• The user interface and menu system is excellent. In my opinion it is superior to the Garmin systems I have used (Nuvi & StreetPilot).
• The maps are acceptable. I am waiting for a set of updated maps on DVD from tomtom. The maps were free*, except for $6 shipping. Future updates are about $50.
• The unit is small and very thin. It easily fits in your pocket.
• The suction cup mount works well. I initially had it mounted on the windscreen, but I though it was a little too conspicuous. I moved it to the center console, using the suction cup mount on the premium Honda wood grain painted plastic. It renders the storage bin unusable, so I may change the mounting position at some point.

Negative:

• The USB data connection transfer speed is painfully slow
• The included software for OS X does not work. It hangs consistently and is useless.
• The included software for Windows is pretty awful as well. While the Windows version actually runs, it is slow and has a poor user interface that violates just about every standard for a Windows application.
• The USB charger must be connected separately from the in-car dock. A minor inconvenience that is one of the trade-offs on this entry-level model
• While giving turn-by-turn voice instructions the tomtom One does not convert street names to speech, another feature only found on the more expensive models.

Summary:
The tomtom One is an acceptable in-car GPS. It compares favorably to other similarly priced units, but lacks some useful features. I would not hesitate to recommend this GPS, but only after disclosing the lack of a powered dock and absence of text-to-speech functionality.