Falling out of love with my E?

1253 Views 16 Replies 12 Participants Last post by ZOMBIEinvader, Jul 9, 2009

xequar

Discussion Starter · Jul 9, 2009

I can't explain it, but I think I've been falling out of love with my Element. As most of you know, when I started having surgeries on my left leg in January, I bought a '92 Astro Van for $800. It's still good A to B transport, but it's got a lot of issues (rust, trashed interior, et cetera et cetera). Of course, I was looking forward to being able to drive my Element again and bla bla blah.

Well, I've been able to drive my Element for a couple of months now, and I've put almost 10,000 miles on it in the past few months, mostly driving to Chicago and Toronto frequently. Yet, in the morning when I walk outside and go to get into a vehicle to go to work, I find myself more and more choosing the van. When I'm planning to go to Chicago to see my boyfriend, I find myself thinking how fun it would be to take the van, and usually what stops me is the better mileage of the Element. As it is, since I got back from Chicago on Sunday night, I haven't driven the Element at all. I've driven the van every day to work, to the store last night, et cetera. I genuinely enjoy driving the van, whereas every time I think about driving the Element lately, it's almost a, "Do I have to?" kind of feeling.

Admittedly, my leg is still nowhere near 100 percent, so sometimes it's just a question of not wanting to deal with pain and the clutch at the same time. But other times when the leg feels ok, I still just don't feel like it. After 50,000 miles, I STILL have trouble getting a smooth shift out of the Element's really goofy clutch. I dunno, it's just weird, I guess. The Element is a superior vehicle in nearly every way, and yet... I'm not feeling it lately.

What am I missing? Have I just gotten so familiar with the Element that I don't get the wow factor anymore? Maybe it's just a fleeting thing as the van is still something "new and interesting?" Does anyone else know what I'm talking about, or am I just whining?

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1 - 17 of 17 Posts

CreapyD

· #2 · Jul 9, 2009

Sounds like your falling out of love with the manual transmission not the E itself. I went from a manual Ford Focus to my E and thought I'd really miss the manual, but the only time I find myself missing it is when i want to go Zoom Zoom which in the E isn't often.

mkh

· #3 · Jul 9, 2009

Sounds more like Auto trans vs Standard trans. I know the feeling. With a bad knee, had to drive a standard with a stiff clutch for almost a year. Would dread the commute to work. Once we were able to augment our "fleet" with an automatic - night and day. Would always gravitate to the auto. Even after my knee improved that "learned pain-response" over time just made me not like standard equipped vehicle.

hotrodder

· #4 · Jul 9, 2009

I agree with the manual trans being at fault for your feelings. Shifting can be fun when your in "sporty" mode, but can become a chore, especially when nursing an injury. Park it for a while, let your leg heal up better and then approach it as a whole new driving experience when you know your ready.

I wouldn't have anything but a stick in a street hotrod, but prefer all others to be automatic----it lost a lot of its thrill a long time ago.

Blue Devil

· #5 · Jul 9, 2009

just an idea, but I've found that ever since I put an intake on my element the shifting is so much easier. The gas pedal responds more quickly, and its a lot easier to match the revs to shift smoothly. Just an idea.

Twilightzero

· #6 · Jul 9, 2009 (Edited)

I'm not a 100% fan of the Element's clutch, but after experimentation I can make shifts pretty damn smooth so even the dogs don't wiggle. Unfortunately, in your situation I'd agree with the seeming consensus to look into an automatic something or other. As much as I love my stick E, I wouldn't want to be faced with driving it when either leg wasn't 100%.

Everybody, sing with me now!

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫
You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.
And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips.
You're trying hard not to show it, (baby).
But baby, baby I know it...

You've lost that lovin' feeling,
Whoa, that lovin' feeling,
You've lost that lovin' feeling,
Now it's gone...gone...gone...wooooooh.

Now there's no welcome look in your eyes
when I reach for you.
And now your're starting to criticize little things I do.
It makes me just feel like crying, (baby).
'Cause baby, something in you is dying.

You lost that lovin' feeling,
Whoa, that lovin' feeling,
You've lost that lovin' feeling,
Now it's gone...gone...gone...woooooah

Baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you.

If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah.

We had a love...a love...a love you don't find everyday.

So don't...don't...don't...don't let it slip away.

Baby (baby), baby (baby),
I beg of you please...please,
I need your love (I need your love),
I need your love (I need your love),
So bring it on back (So bring it on back),
Bring it on back (so bring it on back).

Bring back that lovin' feeling,
Whoa, that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling,
'Cause it's gone...gone...gone,
and I can't go on,
noooo...

Bring back that lovin' feeling,
Whoa, that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling,
'Cause it's gone...gone...
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

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xequar

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 9, 2009

I think a big part of it is the manual transmission.

To be quite blunt, I've come to loathe the clutch in my Element. If I drive it in the fashion I would another stick-shift car, I encounter this phenomenon where I've effectively "hit the gas" as I'm coming out of gear, so if I try to shift in a normal fashion, my RPMs actually jump by sometimes as much as 500 RPM as I come out of gear. For awhile I figured it was just me and that I was shifting badly and that it was a newer clutch, but now... It's got 50,000 miles on it and I still kill the thing at lights sometimes. My boyfriend has also remarked on what an odd clutch it is. My last car was a Mercury Mystique with the V6 and stick-shift, and I never had problems shifting that car. Hell, I could double-clutch the shift into 3rd, and even with the 3rd gear synchro being completely gone, I could still get a smooth shift out of it. Even if I manage to get the thing out of gear without blipping the RPMs, it still hangs for at least a second before the RPMs begin to drop.

Forgive me, as I know I'm whining a bit with these posts, but part of it too is trying to kinda solidify what exactly is going on in my own mind right now, and another part of it is me hoping that as my leg gets better that I'll start to enjoy my Element again. At any rate, thanks for letting me bounce stuff off you.

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scorsone

· #8 · Jul 9, 2009

I love and hate my MT. Like you I have a hard time getting it to shift smoothly with out a lot of focus. I have learned to deal with it because I really like MTs and with the shifter where it is I can't seem to grasp have an auto shift right there.

If I was in your shoes with your leg I think I would be feeling the same way about the MT and feeling the love so much. I hope you heal quickly and find true love soon.;-)

Element E

· #9 · Jul 9, 2009

I have had manuals all my life and the element is the first vehicle thats an auto. At times I do miss the stick shift, but then I just start thinking of all the times I was sitting in south Florida traffic with a throbbing left leg. I would just say let your injury heal all the way before you decide to throw in the flag.

Twilightzero

· #10 · Jul 9, 2009

You guys are all shifting too hard and wild. I just found you gotta give it a little lovin' and it'll treat you right

ORANGEE

· #11 · Jul 9, 2009

Twilightzero said:
You guys are all shifting too hard and wild. I just found you gotta give it a little lovin' and it'll treat you right

ya'll have got to stop playing with your stickshifts and concentrate

Backcountry Edge

· #12 · Jul 9, 2009

I have often wondered if the rough shifting is a byproduct of the drive-by-wire throttle system. I know that making a transition the a hydraulic clutch was difficult at first and I still fight the E every now and again when shifting. The combination of the two could be enough to throw off years worth of muscle memory from cable actuated clutch and throttle.

Twilightzero

· #13 · Jul 9, 2009

I dunno. I learned on an old 84 Subaru GL wagon with cable-everything and it did certainly take me a while to get used to the E's clutch and shifting. Then again I also spent almost 9 years away from the Subaru (and stick shift) before getting my stick-E, so I think that helped a lot. I remembered the technique, not the muscle memory.

scorsone

· #14 · Jul 9, 2009

I have the drive by cablehydralic version and the E took me a while to get used to even though my last 4 cars were MT.

It is easy to operate but a little more effort to get it smooth and buttery is needed. Especially when new.

Blue Devil

· #15 · Jul 9, 2009

its really just that the throttle response of the E is poor. I'm telling you, try this as an experiment sometime. Disconnect the resonator from the intake and try driving it. You'll actually lose a bit of power, but the responsiveness you gain makes a world of difference. This is what driving an E with an intake is like, minus the loss of power.

EXwSCnose

· #16 · Jul 9, 2009 (Edited)

xequar said:
I can't explain it, but I think I've been falling out of love with my Element. As most of you know, when I started having surgeries on my left leg i....................I was looking forward to being able to drive my Element again and bla bla blah.

..................Does anyone else know what I'm talking about, or am I just whining?

Nah, it isn't "just whining". It is your crippled leg. Over time it has poisoned your mind, it is affecting your 'straight' thinking. :-I

ZOMBIEinvader

· #17 · Jul 9, 2009

Sadly your feelings towards the E may be a symptom of a bigger shift going on in the background. It is merely a metaphor for your new life ahead. Are you thinking about committing to a long term relationship with your boyfriend?
No really!!

remember shift happens.

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