Considering a new car . . .

Well, I am disappointed in myself, but I am considering a new car . . . Honda Element.

Currently, I have a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It's my favorite car in the whole world! I love driving it, I love talking about it, I love the attention it gets (At least once a week someone asks me about it), I love everything about it. But it has one problem -- it's not particularly useful. By that I mean I can't take much stuff in it. For instance, I've been trying to get back into mountain biking, but I can't fit my bike in my car. If I take the wheelset off (front and rear) I can jimmy the frame into the trunk, then put the wheels in the back seat. It's almost more trouble than it's worth, plus it's not a good idea to keep removing the rear wheel over and over like that -- wear and tear on that rear derailler.

Plus, I can't haul anything in it. I can barely fit my computer monitor in the front seat if I wanted, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna be able to move my TV or any of my stereo equipment. Add this to a thought I've had recently of doing a lot of traveling across the country, and I'm considering getting the Honda Element.

I'm seriously considering taking 3 or 4 months next year and driving across the country. I'm planning on quitting my job after the next school year, taking a few month break to do this, then joining the Peace Corps or something like that. Ideally, I want to go to Africa, but that's another story. In taking this road trip, I really want to take a motorcycle, but the practical thought is "well, where do I sleep every night"? I have no problem sleeping outside, but I can't do that everywhere, and it's not necessarily that simple. Add that to the safety concerns with t a motorcycle, plus the lack of storage, and I don't think I can do that. If I went in my current car, I'd put that huge mileage on it, which I don't want to do. I am certain it could handle the driving, but I again don't have anywhere to sleep or any place to haul stuff. The Honda Element gives me those things -- I can sleep in the car (it's designed for it) and it has plenty of space for my bike and other stuff.

I can't really afford a new car. I CAN, but I really don't want to have to make payments forever. I'd like to be able to have it paid for in a year or less, which I think I can do if I really focus on intelligent finance and investment.

Now, I am interested in the element because it's designed for the exact sort of thing I want to do -- road trips, hauling stuff, etc. I'm a bit put off by the "SUV" thing and the gas mileage, but my current car is quite a bit worse than the Element for that. I love my car so much that I don't want to get something else, but I can see so many uses for the Element. I can fit my bike in it easily, plus everything else I want to carry. I can sleep in it easily, the A/C works (unlike my current car), and it has a CD player, which would be a MUST for a long road trip like this. The thing is, some of the mystique of the road trip idea is riding a motorcycle. But if I had an element, I could take my bike with me, plus haul anything else I would need. It's not quite as cool, but it's a million times more useful. I know the Element is pretty ugly, but it's not like it's the Pontiac Aztek or anything

As for my current car, if I got a new car, I'd take what I have now and work on restoring it. I've always wanted to learn how to work on cars, and this would be the perfect opportunity -- it's in great shape, a semi-classic that's allegedly VERY easy to work on.

Who knows, this is an idea that came to me over the weekend, as I drove up to Dallas. I've been percolating on the road trip for years, but transportation's always been the thing I haven't considered rationally. If I do get a new car, I'd kind of like to do it somewhat soon because I'm either going to spend my tax return on my current car (repainted, new vinyl roof plus fix AC) or towards this new vehicle. Well, I don't have to buy it soon, just make a decision as to whether to get my Oldsmobile fixed up or save the cash until the 2004s come out and I get a 2003. In that case I'd get storage for my Oldsmobile until I can build up some cash and time to work on it. The Element I'd get is a stick shift, but I've never driven a standard. I figure it can't be too hard, and I've always wanted to learn, plus I'm the kind of person who would enjoy driving a stick. If I get it before July, I'll be able to test out my road-trip idea when I drive up to Kansas and Oklahoma for the DMB shows. I'd probably also make a trip to New Mexico to go hiking (hey, if I can sleep in the car, I think I might take more trips).

Anyhow, what are your thoughts on this? Good idea or misguided passing thought?

 

Thanks guys!! I agree 100% on the looks. I think I'd probably get the black one because it's the least offensive to the eye, or the green because green's my favorite color and anyone who doesn't like it can bite me . . .

I talked to my folks about it this evening and they were totally on board. I couldn't believe that!! Anyhow, I'm gonna test drive one tomorrow, then if I buy it, I'll probably do it this weekend or next. This weekend's task will be to learn the stick shift. I'm sure I won't have a problem, as that old-school confusing stuff is my bag . . . I use an RPN Calculator and Linux -- I've always wanted to add stick shift to the list.

The only real problem that I've seen people complain about is that there seems to be a BIG windshield cracking problem. Seems to me that the glass they use for it is really crummy. People on message boards at first thought it was the angle of the windshield, but after some discussion, they seem resolved it's thin, cheap glass. I'm hoping they do a recall on that or something, because I'm really excited about the element, but I don't want to have to replace my windshield every few weeks . . .

 

come on, it's not even close. Element is ugly, but not NEARLY the Aztec!

 

I agree -- this thing is even uglier than the Element.

I'm also considering an Avalanche. I can get a 2002 Avalanche for the same price as an Element. I LOVE the Avalanche, but it's just not as versatile as the element, IMO.