Fluid Vista Review

Cockpit

With wide sprawling 25.5-inch handlebars, flared rubber handgrips, and a slightly convexed structure, the cockpit has the foundations needed for a strong sense of control – but as we’ll soon cover, the Vista's handling is hindered by the underweighted stem.

In the center, you’ll find a large display. Its sleek shape reminds me of the Segway GT Super Scooters. It’s bright, clear, and home to a plethora of readouts including your riding mode, speed, distance traveled, battery level, voltage, amperage, power usage, and temperature warnings.

It also shows the status of your lights (on/off), turn signals, and motor lock.

To the right, you’ll find the lever for the front drum brake and the ergonomic thumb throttle. On the left is the lever for the rear disc brake and an easy-to-reach control console that combines a slide switch for your turn signals and a button for your horn – which, although not as loud as one, sounds like a truck reversing.

Frame

One of the first things you’ll notice when unboxing the Vista is the size of its frame.

It’s large for a commuter scooter. To put this into context, it’s around the same size as the Mantis – a performance scooter – which marks a departure from the ultra-portable models that are more commonly associated with those destined for commuters.

Deck

In some ways, I like the deck, but in others, I don't.

It has a sleek tapered design, is sufficiently grippy, and is among the widest I've ever tested. It measures 9 inches at its widest point and tapers to 8.25 inches at its narrowest.

But, with just 18 inches of available foot space in length, it's a bit too short. By comparison, it's 5 inches shorter than its greatest rival – the EMOVE Cruiser – and this can be felt when riding the scooter.

That said, the Vista does add some much-needed ground clearance over the Cruiser. There are 6 inches beneath it, which is enough to ensure that the undercarriage is protected from curbs and other precarious obstacles.

Tires

The tires are a design quirk. Not only are they the biggest solid tires that I've ever tested, but they sport a terrain-agnostic tread.

Typically solid tires are chosen to ensure a low-maintenance design that’s void of punctures, but the price you have to pay for this convenience is a bumpy ride with zero shock absorption. Thankfully, this is combatted by the plush suspension system, meaning you get the best of both worlds.

What's not so clean cut, however, is the choice to use a tread pattern more commonly reserved for off-road performance scooters.

Initially, I found this an odd choice because it sends mixed signals – is it an all-terrain model or a commuter scooter?

So, I decided to test it on a dirt track, and to my surprise, it performed well. As for urban terrain, the tires maintained traction while accelerating, braking, and leaning into corners.

The main takeaway here is that the Vista is versatile – even if its first calling is commuting and city life.

Portability

Weighing 60 lbs, it – along with the Apollo City Pro – is one of the heaviest commuter scooters. Sure, you can carry it in short bursts, but if you need a scooter that you can quickly hop on and off public transport with, it probably isn't the one for you.

It does, however, claw back some portability cred with its sublime folding mechanism. The folding mechanism is made up of a simple pull-and-release locking lever which is unlocked/locked into place via two catches and a safety button. There’s also a hook on the back of the handlebars that snaps into the kickplate.

Combined, it can be collapsed and ready to lift in just a couple of seconds.

Among the rest of the commuter scooters that I've tested, it has the best folding function.

Load

I was pleased to see that the Vista has a load-bearing capacity of 265 lbs, and based on my tests, I can confirm that it performs well under a load of 190 lbs.

Given the power on offer, I think it'll do just fine for those that are heavier on the scale, too.

Lights

It comes with a menagerie of lights – but does quantity equal quality?

While the headlight is mounted high on the stem, it could be brighter. Similarly, the rear deck lights are smoked out, meaning visibility during the day is low – which isn't ideal as they also function as brake lights. However, there’s a caveat.

The rear deck lights – along with the fender-embedded taillight – flash when the rest of the scooter’s lights are turned off, but don’t when they’re turned on. Instead, they simply light up brighter for the duration of when you’re pulling on the brake levers. This is an odd design choice.

The turn signals, on the other hand, are great additions that flash at the rear. When in use, arrow icons flash and beep on the display.

And finally, you have the deck LEDs that can be turned on via the mobile app. They cycle through different colors and patterns, and while this is a neat feature that elevates your visibility at night, it would be even better if you could choose to make them stay just one consistent color with no rippling effects.

Mobile App

The mobile app that connects to the Vista via Bluetooth brings a wealth of data and personalization to your fingerprints. From the app, you can:

• Adjust the strength of your acceleration and electronic braking
• Change the top speeds of each gear
• Adjust the start function via a slider (instead of having just two options – kick-to-start or zero-start – you can use a slider to select how fast you need to be going before the throttle kicks in)
• Adjust the time it takes for cruise control to engage
• Set a passcode
• Turn the lights on/off (and select different deck LED lighting patterns)
• Remotely lock the scooter (when enabled and the scooter is rolled a loud alarm is triggered)
• See key stats and performance graphs of your max speed, remaining mileage, system temperatures, max current, voltage, energy consumption, and much more

Build Quality

Whether it's the combination of the low-maintenance features that unite to ensure a hassle-free everyday ride, the clean cable management, or even the IPX5 water-resistance rating and incredibly robust fenders – which were strong enough to take all my weight while standing on them – there's no denying that the Vista has been thoughtfully built.

However, it would benefit from further refinement. If Fluid could add more weight to the stem, or build more resistance into the rotation of the handlebars, it would significantly improve the scooter’s handling.