Not all Bluetooth systems are created equal | comment
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2016 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Bluetooth has claimed its first casualty at our house.
The shabby connection and reception from the Bluetooth unit has forced brother-in-law Peter to walk away from his dream car. It was a Subaru STI.
After many years as a sales representative running in a string of Commodores, he finally walked away from Holden in favour of a Subaru WRX. He was hooked and trade-up time took him, almost inevitably, into the faster STI.
He loved the car until he hit the road again to lay the foundations for a new business and discovered the Bluetooth failings of his new Subaru.
"It's OK around town but as soon as I hit the highway it's awful. Sometimes I have to stop so people can hear me," he says.
"Concrete freeway surfaces are the worst. But it's never good."
His reaction is exactly the same one I experienced recently in a new Hyundai, which had a telephone connection that was more like Blu-toot. The company is promising a quick solution and says I only have to wait for the next tweak on the i30.
Peter went looking for solutions and eventually found one in a new Kia Sportage. It's better for the travelling showroom, too.
But I will not forget the look on his face as he parked the STI for the last time, a mix of frustration and disappointment with the lingering love of a great — but flawed — car.
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