Chevy SSR Cockpit
The SSR's two-seat cockpit has the feel of a sports car, though fiancé Robin and I couldn't complain about the stretch-out room -- but at 5'6" we're not that demanding. Howard Butler, a friend and president of the local Corvette club, found himself staring directly into the frame of the windshield; at 5'11", he's not exactly a candidate for the Harlem Globetrotters. The SSR's metal roof seals up tight with only a whisper of wind noise behind the driver's ear. But come on, who wants to drive this thing with the top up?Holding down the power-top button brings a cacophony of whines and clacks as the roof lifts up, splits in two, and drops down into a nook behind the cab. The tonneau cover closes and latches into place, and that's it -- you'd never know the SSR had a roof at all. The windshield deflects wind well enough that you can hold a conversation, even at the illegal speeds that the SSR seems to encourage.
If I have one complaint, it's the lack of storage space: A center console and glovebox each barely big enough for the owner's manual, and door pockets that are a joke. But I'm glad Chevy included a passenger airbag disable switch; I could safely ferry the kids to school in the SSR, even if I did have to take them one at a time.