What can I say....This instrument is sheer quality and a joy to play every time. I have owned some great bass guitars in the past but this is the first time that every single note on the neck has been perfectly intonated!
The N3 pickups are great as they offer an extremely wide range of tonality. Different tones can be achieved in a very simple way by using the pickup pan dial, where you can either blend the output of both the neck & bridge pickups or hear either one in isolation. This output then can be further shaped using the powerful on-board 3-band EQ.
I have always favoured active basses but I think even the most diehard 'active' fan will be more than pleased with what can be achieved in passive mode.
The only thing I would change would be the battery compartment; At first a battery change (2x9v!) is a little fiddly due to the short flex length but this is by no means a negative aspect.
N.B There are three allen keys which do not actually fit the bridge for saddle & intonation adjustments, however Fender are aware that their generic toolkits may contain tools that are of no use.