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Discontinuing the Element...some pros

3K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  t-rex2 
#1 ·
1. I just bought my first Element, a 2007 SC. When I went shopping, I was able to sit back and look at the entire line of cars and pick the one I like best.

2. Honda's not going to come out with an Element I like better.

3. Some people feel the newest car is the best. Others think cars are like wine; there are good years & bad, and each vintage has something that makes it unique.

4. The "cult classic" factor...

5. Cost. If you love Elements, you're in great shape! They're all used.

6. It still looks good, will last forever if you take care of it, & in my opinion WAY cooler than any of the other wanna-be Elements...Scions & the like.

7. Then, what if they bring the Element back? Will your car be old? NO! It will be AUTHENTIC & CLASSIC.

The Element is pretty close to a perfect car with a pretty flawless history. Their strength is in that their all the same, & their design is simple and elegant. The Element was and is wildly popular, and will be for quite some time I imagine.

There's another vehicle that comes to mind when I think about the Honda Element...it just happens to be my second car ;)

 
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#2 ·
1. I just bought my first Element, a 2007 SC. When I went shopping, I was able to sit back and look at the entire line of cars and pick the one I like best.

2. Honda's not going to come out with an Element I like better.

3. Some people feel the newest car is the best. Others think cars are like wine; there are good years & bad, and each vintage has something that makes it unique.

4. The "cult classic" factor...

5. Cost. If you love Elements, you're in great shape! They're all used.

6. It still looks good, will last forever if you take care of it, & in my opinion WAY cooler than any of the other wanna-be Elements...Scions & the like.

7. Then, what if they bring the Element back? Will your car be old? NO! It will be AUTHENTIC & CLASSIC.

The Element is pretty close to a perfect car with a pretty flawless history. Their strength is in that their all the same, & their design is simple and elegant. The Element was and is wildly popular, and will be for quite some time I imagine.
When I got mine, it was the last '08 model at the dealer. They were pulling the first '09 off of the truck when I went in to sign the papers and I got to try both side by side - and like you said, it was a no brainer.

I take issue with your #7 though. If Honda brings back something they call an Element, it's pretty much assumed that it -won't- be like the E we love. If you can imagine the people who came up with the Crosstour or the current mangling of the Odyssey somehow deciding to go back to the original Element style and design, you're fooling yourself. "Ain't gonna happen".

BTW, these are the same people who STILL can't fix the lack of security on their websites, so I doubt you'll be seeing anything innovative in designs either.
 
#3 ·
I think his point with #7 was that if/when they bring back the E and botch like like you suspect, your existing "classic" E will have all the more appeal and value as folks realize they'd rather buy an "old" original E then the funky replacement that came out.
 
#4 ·
I've driven a few new cars, and have felt burned every time. I bought a New Beetle, and it was awesome when I was the only one, but then everyone else got theirs, and theirs were cooler because they had updated models. Then the Geek Squad hit the roads and teenagers began driving them. My Beetle wasn't fun anymore. When I sold it, it had depreciated by 1/2.

But then I got a cherry vintage Beetle, and became a rockstar on the road again. Old schoolers remember and favor the old one, New Beetle drivers wish their cars had as much Chrome, and every year my car goes up in value while theirs goes down with each passing model. I pay $0 for tabs since it's a collector car, pay very little to maintain it, and it runs best on the lowest quality gas.

I particularly dislike 1st gen cars. I've driven 3, and the same thing happens every time...
1. It's awesome at first, but this will be the lamest and tamest of the entire car line in the long run.
2. 1st gen car is always broken. Thousands of people haven't driven them for millions of miles and broken them in every way imaginable yet. The manufacturer hasn't had this data necessary to making improvements.
3. 1st gen is the most cheaply made. The vehicle hasn't generated any revenue and has cost the manufacturer a lot to develop. They have to watch costs, not to mention leave "headroom" for future model improvements.

The appeal of a 1st gen car is newness
The appeal of a later model is improvements
The appeal of a late model used car is selection
 
#5 ·
Used Elements

I hated the Element when it first came out. I could not figure out why anyone would buy one of these ugly vehicles. The light bulb finally lit up in November of 2011 and I bought a 2006 M/T EX 4WD for my college age daughter. Discovered I really liked it and found a 2nd Element 2007 auto EX 4WD for my son who was leaving home. By this time I was jealous as I paid for two and didn't have one for myself. Last Friday I found a 2005 EX 4WD auto with only 54,000 miles, the original owner had passed and it was sitting in her fathers barn. So I finally got my own Element and am thrilled!

I am disappointed that Honda never put a 6 speed or v-6 in an Element but I feel that I will survive. I wish they would have continued building the Element and making improvements, guess I will have to do the improvements my self.

By the way these are the first Honda cars I have purchase and I purchased 3 Elements in 1 years time. Won't be my last I'm sure.

Cheers :razz:
 
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