back to the cars thread

[KnottedYet]

I was very tempted by the Element, and went back to the Honda dealer a couple times. My 1987 Honda Accord hatchback was such a great car, great mileage and it could haul bikes and furniture with ease. Unfortunately, a tree fell on it and totalled it. I like Hondas.

[Blueberry]

Last time I looked, the Element came with an AWD option. But only on the automatic, so that tossed the Element off my short list when I was car shopping.

My 2005 Element is AWD and a 5 speed. I know they did make one in 2007. FWIW I refuse to drive anything that isn't a manual.

[KnottedYet]

My 2005 Element is AWD and a 5 speed. I know they did make one in 2007. FWIW I refuse to drive anything that isn't a manual.

Oh, man! If I'd've just waited a year I could've got one! (or at least test-driven it, maybe I should go test drive one anyway... hee hee!)

Edit: oh, yeah... look! http://automobiles.honda.com/element...Model=YH2738EW

[Skierchickie]

I've got a 2005 VW Jetta Wagon that I love. With the back seat down, I can fit one of my bikes (50cm, so not a big one) in with the front wheel on, with the handlebars turned a bit. If I need to fit 3 people and 3 bikes, I can fold down 1/2 of the back seat, pop off the front wheel, and still fit it in (carefully, so I don't get grease all over the side of the seat). And put two more on the roof rack. I think I could squeeze three on the rack, if the middle one was pointing backwards.

Worst mileage ever: 38 Best ever: 49. The 49 was in September, on a trip downstate, without bikes or the ski box, but the bike trays still on the roof rack. The 38 is pretty uncommon. Usually average 45-ish in the summer.

Love it. Love the gentle diesel purr. Can hardly hear it inside the car, and when I'm stopped in the summer, sometimes I roll the window down so I can hear it. I think it is a soothing sound. And this car has more oomph than anything I've ever owned. And I got the stability control, so with a good set of snow tires it handles in the snow quite a bit like the awd Subaru Impreza Sport I used to have, even though it is just front wheel drive. I was worried when I bought it, because of where I live.

I don't know if they have the diesel wagons here yet. Mine is the old body style (2005, but actually made/purchased in 2004). There was some delay with getting the new diesel sedans in the US, and even the gas wagons were being released after the gas sedans.

[Tuckervill]

My Element is AWD and automatic. I never want to have to shift again, after I drove my son's Civic to Florida once. (My first few cars were 5 speeds, but now that I'm a grown up...no thanks.)

I pulled my husband's F150 out of deep gravel on the bank of the Buffalo River last summer, with my Element.

Karen

[IFjane]

My Element is AWD and automatic.
I pulled my husband's F150 out of deep gravel on the bank of the Buffalo River last summer, with my Element.

Karen

Mine is an automatic and AWD.

I have never pulled an F150 out of gravel on the bank of a river, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express once!

[OakLeaf]

It doesn't take much to have better traction than a Ford F-series You could look at our old F250 sideways and the truck would be sideways. That was before mice at the entire wiring harness

[Zen]

I have never pulled an F150 out of gravel on the bank of a river, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express once!

You're so tough it's scary

[susiej]

are there really no vehicles out there that carry bikes nicely AND get better than 25 mpg???? (that's pathetic!)

Our Toyata Matrix with a two-bike z-rack on the back gets its usual above 25 mpg city. About half of our driving is with my Trek on the back. Mileage has gotten worse with ethanol mixed into the gas, but hovers at 25 or 26. (That's a whole other rant entirely.)

My old Saturn SL was above 25 mpg even when I had the bike on the trunk rack for weeks.

We do buy the smaller engines with manual transmissions. We drive in the suburbs, so mileage is better than in a true city.

The lack of really great mileage in a car is why the Saturn's replacement might be a scooter. VW Beetles were getting 25 mpg in the 70s -- surely there should be a four-seater with some trunk space that gets 40 mpg by now!

[mimitabby]

. VW Beetles were getting 25 mpg in the 70s -- surely there should be a four-seater with some trunk space that gets 40 mpg by now!

and the fact that they are such rare birds is proof of the incompetence of the american automobile industry. All american car makers are selling cars like that IN EUROPE.

[susiej]

and the fact that they are such rare birds is proof of the incompetence of the american automobile industry. All american car makers are selling cars like that IN EUROPE.

We were down at SouthCenter the other day so we checked out the new Smart Car dealership. Though I'm dissapointed that the US versions of this car *do not* have the high efficiency Mercedez Benz engines in them, nor do they have the 60 mpg diesel option here, they still do get 30 mpg city and you can get a really sweet looking rear mounted bike rack that takes the bikes with both wheels on and is not very high off the ground (so mounting would be easy).

But ... but ... but ... efficiency is sexy!

Our neighbors would buy cars in Germany and ship them back here. A Smart would probably fit in the hand luggage ...

[Beane]

I too love my diesel jetta. I easily get 38 in around-town driving. And while I'm not a leadfoot anymore, I'm not driving slowly either. I've gotten better mileage on the highway. (and this is always with a roof rack of some sort). Plus, since it's a diesel, I expect it to live for several hundred thousand miles without any major drivetrain issues.

VW is coming out with a few more diesel vehicles this spring/summer including a new SUV:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_2032.shtml

and new jetta wagon:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_1967.shtml

and new "clean" diesel:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

[tulip]

I too love my diesel jetta. I easily get 38 in around-town driving. And while I'm not a leadfoot anymore, I'm not driving slowly either. I've gotten better mileage on the highway. (and this is always with a roof rack of some sort). Plus, since it's a diesel, I expect it to live for several hundred thousand miles without any major drivetrain issues.

VW is coming out with a few more diesel vehicles this spring/summer including a new SUV:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_2032.shtml

and new jetta wagon:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_1967.shtml

and new "clean" diesel:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

I tried and tried to find a 2006 or 2005 VW Golf TDI when I was car shopping. They are in such high demand, no luck. The VW dealer said that VW is coming out with an improved diesel Rabbit TDI in 2009...but why not now? They have the Jetta TDI, but it's over my budget and it's not a hatchback. Same engine...same platform...where's my Rabbit TDI??

The gas Rabbit is a lovely little scoot, but when the TDI comes back, I'll be trading it in (but don't tell her that just yet).

[OakLeaf]

Just in case anyone was wondering, a 46" TV fits in the back of a Prius, too

(an LCD, so it could go on its side, not plasma which would have to ride upright!)

The look on the face of the kid at Circuit City was priceless.

[tulip]

WHOA!!! VW is coming out with a hybrid-diesel Golf/Rabbit to compete with the Prius (finally, something to compete with the Prius, as I don't like how it looks or drives!)

70 mpg...with farfugnugen! As a Rabbit owner, this makes me very happy.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/02/vw-unveiling-an.html