Vehicle help please

[Tuckervill]

My bikes wouldn't fit standing up in a Forester, but they roll right in the Element. Plenty of room for dogs and bikes, even if you don't remove the back seat, because they fold up along the windows.

And Mr. Silver, I am old and frumpy, and I love my Element. My 72 yo pop has one, too.
Karen

[KnottedYet]

I looked at an Element and really liked it, but the increase in price (new) to get AWD was utterly insane (like $4k more than an Impreza) and the AWD at that time only came as an automatic. Grrr!

The Element is a very cool car for hauling stuff. Just be aware that the overlapping doors substitute for the "B" pillar in a crash. You don't have kids to worry about, so I don't imagine that'd be an issue.

I sure did like the Elements, though... but I have SKnot to consider!

[chickwhorips]

i just looked at the elements and i'm in lllllloooooovvvvvveeeeee!! the great thing is you don't have to take the bike apart. finding one, in my price range, in anchorae, may be a different story.

no kids, only peanut. she's more than enough to handle. couldn't imagine a human child thrown into the mix.

i looked into a subaru but they aren't high enough off the ground for my liking. they tend not to plow roads in anchorage and well crazy drivers, and i'd just feel safer.

[KnottedYet]

i looked into a subaru but they aren't high enough off the ground for my liking. they tend not to plow roads in anchorage and well crazy drivers, and i'd just feel safer.

Watch out for those optical illusions! The Element has 6.9 inches of clearance, the Subaru Legacy has 7.3 inches of clearance, and the Subaru Outback has 8.7 inches.

The Element is certainly taller head-room wise (and what's an inch or two of ground clearance among friends, anyway ) and would certainly be better for hauling both bikes and dogs at the same time!

They are awfully cool cars. If you can't find a used one, at least go to a Honda dealer in Anchored-down and take a new one for a test-ride! You could always make a trip to the lower 48 (say... hmm... maybe *Seattle*?) to find a used one.

Edit: Just for Snap I went back and searched the Forester's ground clearance. The LLBean limited has 8.1 inches, the standard has 7.9 inches.

[Mr. Bloom]

And Mr. Silver, I am old and frumpy, and I love my Element. My 72 yo pop has one, too.
Karen

I love it! The women I bought my red mercedes from is 70 and drives a mini-cooper now!

ironically when i was 20 and bought my alero, my dad said i should get a mini. i looked at him like are you crazy? i'm 20! and for the record, that was 6 years ago, i haven't changed my mind.

Good Call in your 20's! Silver's been a real sport to tolerate keeping her minivan.

[emily_in_nc]

I love it! The women I bought my red mercedes from is 70 and drives a mini-cooper now!.

See? No need to avoid a particular vehicle because of your age! I bought my Element at age 43, and my step-mom bought one in her 60s. We both love them. The salesman when I bought mine said that boomers were loving and buying them just as much as the target 20-somethings demographic, much to Honda's surprise!

Emily