I read ALL the reviews, weighed the pros and cons, and opted to purchase this stroller. It looks EXACTLY like the manufacturer's photos - no deviations of any kind.
Soooooo ... here's the info:
1. It's GOOD sized. I have a small, four-door sedan ... folded, it doesn't fit in my trunk. However, it has an INCREDIBLY simple mechanism for removing and replacing the 2 back wheels. I throw the whole thing in the back seat of my car.
2. The adult tray hardly weighs anything and fits my aluminum water bottles splendidly. Maybe they improved the design after receiving some of the other feedback? The manufacture date on my stroller was November of 2010.
3. The odometer is awesome ... has a heavy-duty cable that runs along the frame of the stroller to its sensor on the front wheel frame. A magnet fastened to one of the front wheel spokes gives it the readings.
4. The speaker for the ipod is not very loud, but it's RIGHT behind where the baby's head goes ... so I'm not sure you'd want it to be any louder. It's not an ipod DOCKING STATION ... it's like a headphone plug-in, so you could use any mp3 player, cell phone, CD player, or if you were really old-school, a WALKMAN. :) There's also a decent amount of room in the "holder" area for keys, chapstick, a little hand lotion or sanitizer. The top snaps shut once everything is inside.
********** NOTE: it takes *** FOUR *** TRIPLE A (AAA) *** batteries *****************
5. There seemed to be some confusion about an air pump in some of the reviews ... this model does NOT come with an air pump. Just to clarify.
6. Smooth, smooth, smooth ... it's a nice "ride"
7. The adjustable handle is really nice and comfortable, however, it does have give to it (i.e., it feels loose, but it's not). Doesn't bother me or feel weird when I use it.
8. The sunshade, harness, and baby tray are all pretty standard - nice quality - no complaints or issues
9. The reclining feature ... OK, THIS ONE IS BIZARRE ... in the manufacturer's description, it states that the seat back has 5 different positions. Really, it just has a strap (like the kind that secures a portable high chair or adjusts the straps on a car seat) that you tighten or loosen ... and the seat back then rests up against the strap. I'll get some pictures of that feature. I would not think anything about that was easy if the baby were to fall asleep in the stroller and I wanted to "recline" him.
I am extremely pleased with this stroller. Highly recommend it.