1 post tagged “purchase”

We have made a fairly definite decision on our next vehicle. And it's going to surprise a lot of people.

I never thought I'd covet an SUV. But the Honda Element is, well, just a damn good car.

And the impressive/interesting thing is that the gas mileage? Is pretty much what we're getting now with the Beetle. So for no penalty on MPG - but yes, no improvement - we can get a ton more space. Space for what? Well, a pooch. Or kids, someday. Or both. Or boxes from IKEA. I mean, we were able to get our IKEA kitchen table and chairs in the Beetle (certainly an admirable feat) but it involved lots of measuring. It sure would be handy to just put stuff inside a car.

Why the Element? I wasn't sure about its design at first (and the suicide doors are easily my least favorite feature) but the interior is very impressive. I haven't been in many Hondas, by the way, but it was top-notch. It feels like it can stand up to a lot of abuse. We both liked the driving position and comfort. I liked the Aux jack for the iPod, as well as the reclining rear seats. Just great.

And it's a Honda, so it's going to run forever. Believe it or not, but that's our motivation when buying cars - we really DO want to run them into the ground. The Vibe turned out to be physically uncomfortable and the Beetle is saddled with a checkered past that makes us afraid to commit to it.

I never thought I'd drive or like an SUV. But I like this one.

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PS: Nothing's definite until it happens, but the Element is my current fave.