[helcaraxe]

I've been a lurker for a couple years and only started really posting recently because I finally went out and bought an Element. Anyway, I never really introduced myself outside of the "2010" subforum so I figure now is the time!

As a lifelong Ford driver, I have to admit that I feel a little bad admitting to myself that I'm now a Honda person. I just love this little Element so much that I just HAD to own it. My previous truck, a lifted '05 F250 Super Duty, was the best vehicle I'd ever owned up to this point. I put 120,000 excellent and problem-free miles on it, but it was time for me to look for something more economical and new. After a long search, I found myself really drawn to the Element for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, it gets more than twice the gas mileage of the F250, and that is a big thing for me right now. Secondly, I absolutely love the way it looks. Thirdly, aside from almost zero towing capacity, the Element has almost all the utility that the F250 had in a super cool little package. It'll help me to continue to haul all my music equipment with ease anytime I need to go anywhere. It's really different from the Ford, but it's a wonderful little vehicle that will hopefully last me for years to come.

Here's a picture of the 2005 Ford F250:

And here's a picture of the new 2010 Element at the dealer when I picked it up last week:

So here's a little bit about me.

I'm 29 years old and I live in Sussex County, New Jersey near the NY State Line. It gets snowy up here, so I'm eagerly anticipating the Element's snow-driving abilities. I work as a police officer (I generally don't enjoy this line of work much anymore though) and used to work for the State Park Service. I love the outdoors and camping and I plan on taking the Element all over the country with my beautiful girlfriend. I spend my free time playing music with friends in a couple bands (We play a lot of heavy metal and hardcore/punk type stuff) and I collect CDs/Vinyl. I love to read. Lately I've been reading a lot of Richard Dawkins's stuff. I'm a huge JRR Tolkien nerd at heart too.

Thanks for this awesome community. Everyone is really nice and helpful! EOC was invaluable to me during the buying process and I'm sure it will be great to use for any questions or concerns I'll have in the future.

-Jesse

 

[BigTzElement]

Welcome to the EOC. Glad we could help out on your journey from the darkside. :grin:

 

[ramblerdan]

Glad to have you, Helcaraxe. Nice to hear someone enthusiastic about the E's gas mileage for a change! Spend some time over in the Northeast forum; we have a lot of get-togethers, including campouts.

 

[BRH]

A Proper Introduction

Helcaraxe,

Welcome. A nice writeup. Thank you.

BRH

 

[psschmied]

Welcome, but wttw, you should consider that not all lurkers are benign, when you share personal details or plate numbers in any forum.

If you have been accustomed to towing massive loads (like pulling railroad cars), the Element's towing capacity may look small in comparison.

Compared to the original jeep/geep that weighted 1500 lb less, had a 1/4 ton tow capacity on an 80 inch wheelbase and was 10 inches longer (130") overall, the Element's similar cargo capacity, 3/4 ton tow capacity on a 101 inch wheelbase doesn't look that bad for a compact road vehicle.

 

[martin82]

Congrats. Enjoy the E! I bought mine to be able to easily haul all my music equipment around and had a chance to do it this weekend. I had room for it and a whole lot more. Was also out in Pittsburgh area on Thanksgiving and experienced my first snowfall (about three inches) near Seven Springs. I know three inches is not a big deal, but the car handled better than my previous car ('06 Impala) would have.

 

[helcaraxe]

Welcome, but wttw, you should consider that not all lurkers are benign, when you share personal details or plate numbers in any forum.

Duly noted. I do think that plate hiding is a bit OTP at times though, as millions of people have unrestricted access to your plate number every time you leave your driveway. The general layperson can get more information about you from your fully visible IP address than from your plates.

 

[helcaraxe]

Congrats. Enjoy the E! I bought mine to be able to easily haul all my music equipment around and had a chance to do it this weekend. I had room for it and a whole lot more. Was also out in Pittsburgh area on Thanksgiving and experienced my first snowfall (about three inches) near Seven Springs. I know three inches is not a big deal, but the car handled better than my previous car ('06 Impala) would have.

Awesome! What kind of a band do you play in? What kind of equipment are you hauling?

 

[martin82]

Awesome! What kind of a band do you play in? What kind of equipment are you hauling?

Same band I played in back in the early 70s, with four of the original members. We play mostly classic rock (Stones, Santana, etc.). Was orignally formed in the Philadelphia area and that is where most of the guys live; so that is where we practice and occasionally play, although we are playing in Syracuse in late February.

Typically, I bring two amps (Fender Blues Deville and Fender Hot Rod Deville), three guitars, effects pedals, gig bag, and stands, etc.

 

[Soylent Green NJ]

Welsome! Great another NJ E owner! Any plans for the E? Looking at your Ford I can see some things trickling over to the E in the future!

 

[ORANGEE]

and a proper welcome is in order.................

 

[helcaraxe]

Welsome! Great another NJ E owner! Any plans for the E? Looking at your Ford I can see some things trickling over to the E in the future!

I'm already thinking about putting slightly beefier tires with a more aggressive tread pattern and black wheels. I'm an addict! I just need more money to keep up with the dreaming ;-)

 

[Speedy Toaster Dave]

welcome to da cult....8)