[MavRick]

Good morning. I'm a new user, a new E devotee. Bought mine on Saturday. 4WD EX, NBP.

I'm a lawyer. The world just had to have another one, right?

Anyway, I have been looking at the forum over the weekend, reading up on the passion others have for this strange, wonderful car, bracing for the reactions of my non-visionary colleagues.

Everyone I told about it thinks its ugly. And everybody wants to talk more about it. People I haven't told even came up to me and said, "I heard you got one of those ugly little cars." I think it's ugly, but it's cute ugly. They said the same thing about the VW Beetle -- and I have one of those (old style, 1970!) too.

I think my lawyer colleagues are kind of surprised that I don't swim with the fishes and lease a BMW that I couldn't afford to purchase, or some other "prestige" mobile. The hell with them. I wanted a car that worked for me, that grooved with my off-center sense of style, that complemented my nonconformist desires. The E is all of that.

My E hasn't told me its name yet. Someone called it "Darth Vader's Toaster," which I thought was pretty good.

Finally, one of my good friends at the law firm said when I told her that she'd never be seen in it. But I bugged her to go for a ride all day and at the end offered to drive her to her car in a remote garage. She looked around the inside of the E, sat quiet for a while, and said, "this is kinda cool. Maybe I'm not so repelled after all."

Heh. I'll get you yet, my pretty.

Anyway, please excuse the rambling; love this site and board, and thanks for having me in an elite club of owners of a spectacularly beautiful ugly little car.

 

[HEMan]

People's attitudes have been amazingly consistent. Once people see and understand the inside, the outside becomes much more attractive. I have to admit that I was the same way. The first time I saw an E, I was actually looking at a new Tribute on a Mazda dealer's lot. A young guy drove up in a silver E and got out to look at a Mazda 6. My reaction was to wonder exactly why anyone on earth would want a vehicle that looked so strange (not ugly, just strange). A couple of weeks later I went to a Honda dealer to look at CRVs. While there, I decided to look at the strange new creature callled an Element. They had a SMM. Once I looked inside, had the features demonstrated and took a test drive, I was hooked. It was no longer strange looking. It was beautiful. A SMM is now sitting in my garage. Before the E, vehicles were just vehicles. They took me places. Now I have something that is similar to getting a puppy. I love it and I can tell it loves me back. It brings a smile to my face no matter my mood. Almost every day, I go out to my garage just before dark, put the tailgate down on my E, sit there and just enjoy the end of the day. Great place to have a glass of wine or a good cold beer. If you are like most of us on this Board, you will love yours more and more every day and you will look for ways to be with it just because it makes you so happy.

 

[carman63]

[quote:6e24b6f147="HEMan"]Once I looked inside, had the features demonstrated and took a test drive, I was hooked.[/quote:6e24b6f147]
Exactly what got me. The Element wasn't originally on my short list of vehicles to test, but my wife's coworker strongly suggested we check it out. I came away from the test drive highly impressed. I took my wife back to the dealer that night for her test ride, and we picked up a GG Element 3 days later.

Just over a week later, I'm closing in on the 2,000 mile mark and enjoying every minute of it

 

[85734250983]

As far as lawyers not liking it, YMMV. My colleagues were all over the vehicle the first day I brought it into the office, and 3 have them on order now. The interior is just so... utilitarian.

 

[Redpunk]

It's funny. The first person in my office to see my E was our in-house attorney. He was walking out to his car for lunch the first day I had it and he took one look and loved it... he drives a Land Rover, another utilitarian people mover (an expensive lease perhaps?) :wink:

 

[StLouisPenguin]

Lawyers do not hate the E, my brother aka an attorney, loves the E.

After a trip up to Chicago for Easter, my attorney brother checked out just about every feature he said to me "I may have to get one for weekend errands" (eyeroll) But first he has to get permission from his wife!

 

[wr70beh]

There's a law firm near where I live and I noticed an EBP Element like mine in the parking lot with a personalized plate that had something to do with the law. So maybe some lawyers like it. :lol:

 

[HokiE]

Not true!
My husband is an attorney and he loves it. Admittedly I had to test drive an E to his office, pull him out of a meeting with his senior partner and make him get into it...but he loves it! In fact every attorney at his firm but one loves it. Two have said they'd buy it if it seated 5 (they have kids!)
I work in the ER and the criticism there has been much harsher...
but I just love it all the more!

 

[zarathustra]

Ok, Im scared now.

 

[RML]

Ok, another lawyer posting here

My Ex wife (also lawyer) and I (lawyer) fell in love with the E the 1st time we saw it.

Does it bother me to show up to a business meeting in a suit driving the the E?

Not at all. I think this thing is great.

The other lawyers I know, who I have shown it to, also love it.

And people said lawyers have no taste.

 

[EforMe]

Lawyers? Does it really matter? Don't want to step on any toes here but whether a Lawyer, Doctor, Accountant, Blue Collar worker - It does not matter. The E has a universal draw to it and most educated people get it.
Just my 2 cents. Sorry.
:lol:

 

[karlz28]

I have 4 more classes before I can take the bar, but just seeing some of the people in law school would make me believe that they probably won't like it. But then again, I only know like 4 people in my class that can think on their own and can find solutions that are not scripted in moot court etc.

Most of the people are status types and drool for money.

I have other cars as well, but the E is fun.

Just got back from a drive to the grand canyon North Face and Zion National park. E was great!

 

[MavRick]

Well, it's been a week, and one thing is true: Nobody who has seen the inside or gone for a ride in my E fails to think it is the coolest car they've ever seen. So maybe there's hope for the profession yet.

Peace.

 

[jayharley]

Most of the folks I know really like the looks and thought that went into the E. However those who initally thought it was "ugly" usually end up changing their tune after a while.

I have a silver E and the most amusing thing that has happened is that my Harley friends have started to call it my "Elephant". It is a name that has now stuck. They are correct. The silver E's do look like a whimsical elephant. from the side.

 

[ShaneS]

That was beutiful, Man!

It is so true that most of us love our new "E"'s more and more every day.

[quote:e0d5987f30="HEMan"]People's attitudes have been amazingly consistent. Once people see and understand the inside, the outside becomes much more attractive. I have to admit that I was the same way. The first time I saw an E, I was actually looking at a new Tribute on a Mazda dealer's lot. A young guy drove up in a silver E and got out to look at a Mazda 6. My reaction was to wonder exactly why anyone on earth would want a vehicle that looked so strange (not ugly, just strange). A couple of weeks later I went to a Honda dealer to look at CRVs. While there, I decided to look at the strange new creature callled an Element. They had a SMM. Once I looked inside, had the features demonstrated and took a test drive, I was hooked. It was no longer strange looking. It was beautiful. A SMM is now sitting in my garage. Before the E, vehicles were just vehicles. They took me places. Now I have something that is similar to getting a puppy. I love it and I can tell it loves me back. It brings a smile to my face no matter my mood. Almost every day, I go out to my garage just before dark, put the tailgate down on my E, sit there and just enjoy the end of the day. Great place to have a glass of wine or a good cold beer. If you are like most of us on this Board, you will love yours more and more every day and you will look for ways to be with it just because it makes you so happy.[/quote:e0d5987f30]

 

[jimxenus]

I had exactly the same reaction. I maintain a web site for a local dealer and when the sent me pictures last year of Honda's new Element. I thought it was one of the oddest looking cars and WHO? would actually buy it. So here I am several months later with one sitting in my garage! And LOVING it too!