Do I want an Element?

jrw1621 wrote: I say keep the Fit. How much life is left in the Integra? Long commute miles are going to eat up the Integra in a few years. Move forward those few years and you are going to have a mostly paid for, low mileage Fit in your driveway where you know the complete history. You may not need a 35mpg car that drives only 15 miles a day but it will be very nice to have a Fit with low miles when you reduce it down to 80 mile per day commute service.

Very good point. The Integra (knocks on wood) refuses to die. 355,000 miles and counting. Shy of catastrophic engine failure, I can't imagine a repair that would make me throw in the towel.

I suppose the moral of the story is to not drink lots of high AC beers at our friends' house in Atlanta, and then be reminded of how badly it sucks to have to ride shotgun with the baby seat in the back, and my knees in my mouth.

My wife drives a CRV ('03) which is essentially the same as the Element underneath, and it is easily the best car I've ever owned. It now has 92k miles and is only on it's second set of tires, second set of brakes, and has never once been in the shop for any kind of failure, ever.

It can swallow almost any load we need to carry and has almost as good of steering feel as my Cooper S. Oh, and the retail cost new in '03 was only 22k, and it's book value now is still over 10k. Elements are similar, and I think they drive better since they have a slightly lower cg.

I'm gonna go against the grain here though, in something like that, I much prefer the automatic. It's not sports car and never will be.

I'm gonna go against the grain here though, in something like that, I much prefer the automatic. It's not sports car and never will be.

Yeah. I'm glad I held my ground on that one on the Fit. On an Element, I would give a hearty "who cares!?" but I do like the simplicity of a manual in general.

Pop is pushing me toward CRV, but I simply don't like them. The Element is at least ugly in a quirky, functional way. The CRV is just plain ugly for no reason IMHO.

racerdave600 wrote: It can swallow almost any load we need to carry and has almost as good of steering feel as my Cooper S. Oh, and the retail cost new in '03 was only 22k, and it's book value now is still over 10k. Elements are similar, and I think they drive better since they have a slightly lower cg.

You should see the stuff you can fit in an element and still have it go down the road. We had one while I was rebuilding the house. We put 1100 sqf of travertine inside one. The suspension compressed within 2 inches of the bump stops. Made it home 30 miles, took the tile out and continued to run for another 80K at least (we know the new owner)

someone earlier in the thread mentioned it, a LOT of my friends are mountain bikers and drive Elements, they are awesome for hauling stuff when you might/probably will get dirty, never driven one though so I can't really speak to what they are like to drive or what they are like to live with, but everyone I know who has them seems to love them

Never drove one but always liked them

Ursa Minor eCamper

If you're looking for a somewhat ugly vehicle that can literally carry tons of stuff up steep dirt roads, might I suggest....

poopshovel wrote:

I'm gonna go against the grain here though, in something like that, I much prefer the automatic. It's not sports car and never will be.

Yeah. I'm glad I held my ground on that one on the Fit. On an Element, I would give a hearty "who cares!?" but I do like the simplicity of a manual in general. Pop is pushing me toward CRV, but I simply don't like them. The Element is at least ugly in a quirky, functional way. The CRV is just plain ugly for no reason IMHO.

I don't know if it still is, (nor particularly care) but the CRV was once the best selling SUV in the world.

Big brag for ugly.

Plus they have a picnic table in the back!

Still say get and Element and do a 6 speed conversion.

The brewery owns an Element ("the Smellement") and it reliable as a rock. And it gets absolutely beat on, with all different people driving it, throwing all kinds of stuff into it, and generally treating it like a punching bag. It's a 5-speed also. I think the only things it's needed (it has almost 200K on it) that isn't a wear item was a hub/bearing/axle etc. because someone nailed a curb at speed.

I Am Keyser Söze wrote: I don't know if it still is, (nor particularly care) but the CRV was once the best selling SUV in the world. Big brag for ugly. Plus they have a picnic table in the back! Still say get and Element and do a 6 speed conversion.

It was nice for the first and second generations, but after that, it turned into a pudgy, wheeled hovercraft.

Tom Suddard wrote: If you're looking for a somewhat ugly vehicle that can literally carry tons of stuff up steep dirt roads, might I suggest....

Perhaps in the summertime, when the livin is easy.

I heart Izzy-poopoo's but the gas mileage bites compared to the Element. On slushboxes: I don't like them either but you will find that the tow rating is generally higher with an automatic, if that figures in at all. That's why Tucker the Trooper is an automatic.

IMHO the only reason tow ratings are ever lower with manuals is because OEMs dont like to warranty low mile clutches. Other than clutch pedal misuse, manuals are almost always absolutely stronger than their auto counterpart per car.

I'd also say to keep the Fit, trade off every few days or so..if and when the Acura bites it, snag something else.

Or you could finish the Festiva....and drive the hell out of that.

I also know a few mtn bike friends who have and love the Element. However, none of them have kids and the rear seats usually stay in the garage...

I'm also in the "keep the Fit" camp, but if additional room is desired and mpg is a lesser concern, then nothing beats a conversion van.

Bumping this thread - if anyone was indeed interested in a 4wd 5-speed Element, I will be selling mine, a 2006 model with about 85k miles. In Detroit area of Michigan. Contact me if you want to know about it.