15K update
Nov. 18th, 2003 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tugrikI got the Element back in February. It's on a lease with 15Kmi each year. Here it is November and I've just hit the 15K mark. This means I'll have 3 months' driving of overage. It's not too much of a problem, however, as at this point I think I'm going to eventually buy out the car or buy a new Element when the lease runs out (both methods resulting in no milage penalties). Yup, I just really love this car.
In this first 15k miles it's never failed me save for a silly airbag sensor light which was fixed by the dealer. It's sipped gas at 26mpg, a blessing compared to the 11mpg vehicles I had before this. I've driven it through offroad desert, Tahoe snow, sand and mud without a complaint and with a great solid-footed feeling. My head never bumps the roof (another first for me), my pudgy backside doesn't feel cramped in the seat and my friends have never had a complaint about room in the back seats. The best sleep I've ever had at BurningMan were the nights spent in the Element's back on a stuffed-in futon mattress. The sound system has been satisfying without any modification beyond adding XM radio -- and if you know anything about my car-audio past, that's saying something.
My only complaints aren't so much complaints as they are wishes for more features. I wish Honda had a hybrid version of this car. I wish it had more real-offroad clearance. I wish I could justify buying more accessories and toys for it. :)
I checked out the competitor by Toyota called the Scion. I'm too tall for it! I've also fallen in love with the Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid system in the Prius and wish it was in a car similar to the Element. But those pie-in-the-sky wishes aside, I don't know of a car currently on the market today (outside of dream sportscars, of course) that I'd rather have. If any of you were considering the Honda Element as a good knockabout/cargo car, consider this a big-thumbs-up from me.
In this first 15k miles it's never failed me save for a silly airbag sensor light which was fixed by the dealer. It's sipped gas at 26mpg, a blessing compared to the 11mpg vehicles I had before this. I've driven it through offroad desert, Tahoe snow, sand and mud without a complaint and with a great solid-footed feeling. My head never bumps the roof (another first for me), my pudgy backside doesn't feel cramped in the seat and my friends have never had a complaint about room in the back seats. The best sleep I've ever had at BurningMan were the nights spent in the Element's back on a stuffed-in futon mattress. The sound system has been satisfying without any modification beyond adding XM radio -- and if you know anything about my car-audio past, that's saying something.
My only complaints aren't so much complaints as they are wishes for more features. I wish Honda had a hybrid version of this car. I wish it had more real-offroad clearance. I wish I could justify buying more accessories and toys for it. :)
I checked out the competitor by Toyota called the Scion. I'm too tall for it! I've also fallen in love with the Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid system in the Prius and wish it was in a car similar to the Element. But those pie-in-the-sky wishes aside, I don't know of a car currently on the market today (outside of dream sportscars, of course) that I'd rather have. If any of you were considering the Honda Element as a good knockabout/cargo car, consider this a big-thumbs-up from me.
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no subject
Date: 2003-11-18 11:33 am (UTC)Eh. Who knows. I don't have the financial liberty right now to bother with such things. Maybe in a few more years :)
Of course, I'm tempted to fix up one of those nice old land rovers.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-18 11:47 am (UTC)Aiiiiie, it's the Mercedes Chrome Rotiserrie! (grin).
I drove an H2 a few months ago and enjoyed it. But it worries me that it's built on a GM truck chassis, not a Hummer chassis.
Driving the H2 is akin to driving a nimble bunker on wheels. It's a really weird experience.
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Date: 2003-11-18 12:11 pm (UTC)Aw man, the Scion XB is a BOX! A small, ridiculous little box on wheels.
It looks like a stretched upright piano! It's one of the goofiest things I ever did see!
You're better off with the bigger box. (grin)
Me, I kinda dig the Nissan Murano. But I wouldn't use it for off-roading. I'd get a real 4x4 for that.
My Murano would be a multi-purpose daily driver.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-18 01:01 pm (UTC)That's pretty much what I figured when it came towards the end of the lease with my CR-V. I don't think that leases take into account the amount of miles folks in California drive. Without decent public transportation, and driving often 15+ miles to work (and back) each day, it racks up the miles pretty quickly. Then any roadtrips over that are going to put you near to going over the allowance easily.
I wish Honda had a hybrid version of this car.
Same for me with the CR-V. Actually, the other thing that I really miss on the CR-V is the lack of any decent towing ability. 1000lbs is the rated capacity, and when you consider that a trailer is going to be almost 75% of that, it doesn't leave much space for pulling anything. :P
Of course, I still consider the Element a little too box-like for my tastes =)