Every car needs a name. My last car was called Sheila, because she was an Outback Sport. If you’ve watched any Monty Python, you’ll get that. Naming my new car was a bit more difficult. But, I finally settled on a name. I want you to meet the newest member of my family, Emeril. Yes, Emeril Legacy. Bam! 😛

I picked Emeril up from the dealership this afternoon, and we spent the afternoon driving around, getting to know one another. My first impressions are that the Legacy definitely feels more refined than the Outback Sport. I love the feel of the materials inside the car. There’s lots of soft, cushioned plastic surfaces and metallic and cloth accents. Controls for the headlights and signals have more texture and feel better under the fingertips. The sliding cover for the cupholders has a nice rubberized texture too. The driver seat is 8-way adjustable, so I’ve been working on finding just the right driving position. The ride is smoother and quieter, and it feels heavier. Well, it is a bit heavier, but not a lot. It feels much wider too.

Handling is impressive. The suspension is firmer and lower than the Outback Sport, so there’s a bit less lean into corners, although I haven’t really put it to a serious test yet. 😛

I’m still getting used to how much room I have around me, and I’m learning where the corners of the car are. I’m being pretty conservative with parking right now, until I figure out exactly how much room I have when I back into parking spaces, etc.

The trip computer is kinda cool. It tells me instantaneous and average fuel economy. It’s pretty good for learning how to drive without using a lot of fuel. Stomp on the gas and see it jump up to 35L/100km, and then ease off to watch it settle down to about 5L/100km. I’m aiming for about 10L/100km average. We’ll see how that goes.

Anyway, Emeril and I have at least four years ahead of us. Looks like a good start so far.