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Comments
The Element rear was lifted off the ground and the vehicle moved ahead a few meters. Because of the plastic panels it isn't apparent what was really damaged underneath, but it does need new rear bumper & rear 1/4 panel, plus there is no longer an properly aligned gap between the tailgate & taillight.
link title
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28597047@N00/304908482/
The front end of the Grand Am was destroyed: the entire front (grill etc), hood crumpled in the middle, side fender crumpled to the driver's door, front wheel pushed back.
I have long said that driver's licences should be issued only after candidates pass an IQ test.
Car doesn't look too bad, actually.
-juice
I'm not hardly an expert on the Element. In fact I haven't seen an '07 in person yet.
I do think the new seatbelt design was an important improvement, though. It makes back seat use a lot more practical.
-juice
Plenty of room front and back, for tall guys like me ( 6'3"). Only down side is the front driver seat support. Wish they had better side support, but its comfortable.
I bring that up because you ask about gas mileage - so overall cost must be an issue.
-juice
Sorry for being so practical about it. Just ignore me. :P
-juice
It was a tin can, though, and would not come close to meeting today's safety standards.
It did get me 45mpg during the first Persion Gulf war, though, just when gas prices spiked.
-juice
Kids? CR-V is better suited, and the old model doesn't have the underbite of the 07s.
-juice
The door jambs may be beefy, but remember, they had to remove the B-pillar.
-juice
Bodily Injury $300,000 Each person
500,000 Per Acc
100,000 Property Damage
$250.00 Comprehensive and Collision
-juice
Don't have any first hand knowledge of the road debris so far, nor seats fading either since this is a brand new veh. Only got 17.56 gallons per mile city driving only on the first tank. Now working on the second tank and seems it will be the same thus far. Road noise is noticeable, but not an issue.
Interesting thing noticed, is that the windshield wipers are thinner than on the civic I had, but can hardly hear them turned on. The civic coupe was very noticeable thumping sound, which I did not like. Civic windshield wipers did not clean the glass as well as the Element. Guess I don't need to install an upgrade for it as I would have with the civic.
One thing I would change is the seat height adjustment knob. Too close to the door and some what difficult to turn. Like the pump action one better. Would have liked a dead foot pedal as well, not to mention a Navigation system
If you are ok with 2wd, I would go with the SC, and get the optional mud flaps on it, which would probably help protect the lower panels from chips.
I bet that with the suicide door the safety ring around the passenger compartment would be compromised by a sunroof.
I like the Kiwi Metallic and the tangerine orange. Hopefully I can go in the next week or two and get one.
The sunroof panel is completely removable, and the Element even comes with a storage bag that the glass slides into, and there are storage hooks that then hold the bag and glass in place. With the glass removed, and the windows rolled down, there is a pretty good breeze that flows through the vehicle.
Part of the reason we bought the '06 EX, was because we wanted the black side panels - and they are no longer available in the EX trim for '07. My wife sometimes has to park in a parking deck at work, and those panels seem to stand up well to doors being opened into it. I am thinking of getting a set of 18" wheels and tires for it (I think 18" is the right size for a vehicle with a high side profile like the Element), as well as adding a billet grill to the front.
Does the bag that holds the sunroof just hook on any of the storage hooks?
How do you put that screen cover in the place where the sunroof goes when the glass is out?
There are 4 chrome hooks that are perfectly placed for the bag to hook onto. I don't know if the Elements without the sunroof have the same hooks or not.
"How do you put that screen cover in the place where the sunroof goes when the glass is out?"
I don't have the shade, so I don't know.
1. The tire cover is supposed to only hold around 65lbs right?
2. Wouldn't people still be able to see you changing even though the windows are dark or would you need to get the interior privacy curtain so that people could not see you changing?
I really like the feature of the sunroof, but would it be possible to change clothes because of the weight limit? :confuse:
While I was there, I checked out the Element. Never having seen the inside of one before, I was intrigued. As a single guy who has been with a Prelude for many years, the idea of being able to stow the rear seats and haul stuff is extremely appealing. In fact, increased space is the reason I'm planning to ditch the Prelude and go with something bigger. Unfortunately, I suspect that the maximum weight capacity may be a fatal flaw. I have a hard time with the idea of buying a vehicle this size that cannot accommodate 4 adult males. I go out to lunch with co-workers regularly, and it would be nice to be able to drive sometimes.
I have had 4 adults in ours on maybe 3 occasions - I didn't make them step on a scale before they got in, but I estimate the combined weight to have been in the neighborhood of 700 pounds. I didn't really notice any difference in performance when having the 4 adults in the car, but then again, I don't really push it whn I drive it.
It's not like the suspension is going to collapse, but I wouldn't make a habit of exceeding the limit.
-juice
* drinking age in DC was 18 back then
It appears that all the lines are the same, and likely so are the connection points...
Come on Juice...If you were like me/my friends when we were back in college, you wouldn't have let anything small like a legal drinking age stop you
-juice
The weight distribution must have been pretty good. The rear end did sag more the the front. However, it never bottomed out.
The ride was a bit tipsy, yet very smooth. It was as quiet as a Lexus, too. You'd be surprised at the sound-deadening qualities of 1400 pounds of wood. Acceleration was on par with a Hummer diesel.
I hauled 1600 pounds of logs the next day, and the ride and stance of the vehicle was notacebly worse. She still didn't bottom, yet it was too close for my comfort.
I've since hauled 1600 pounds of cement. Not as tipsy as the logs, yet an awful ride, nonetheless.
My 2005 AWD automatic took all of this the abuse in stride. I've seen no ill effects after 44,000 miles. Though I'm about to replace my original Goodyear Wranglers, the brakes are still fine.
Peace.
Marco
-juice