[sundog925]

Regretting buying my CR-V

Hey guys,
new forum member here. Let me start off at the beginning. I was buying a new car to replace my old 06' Vibe. Im pretty well-off so I'm not looking to catch flack for trading up. Anyways, settled on either the Element, or the CR-V. I LOVED the way the Element looked/functioned and handled, but loved the style of newer 3rd gen V's and the fact it was more like a 'traditional' suv. After test driving both, and doing extensive research, I chose the EX CR-V. Now, here we are about 3 weeks later, and I am having IMMENSE feelings of regret for not going with my gut and choosing the Element. I am a 22 yr old guy, no kids or nothin, and was swayed to think more like an 'adult' and chose something i THOUGHT i wanted. But now, i wish the element were in my driveway than my CR-V.

Am I terrible for thinking this? Ive always lived outside the 'norm' per se, and feel like the element is a better fit for me. I love the tailgate combo, stadium seats, the overall look, everything. the thing that turned me off initially and swayed me to the CRV was engine noise, but it is LESS noisier than my previous 2006 vibe. People are telling me I shouldn't of chose the CRV, and gotten a truck or something. But they are wrong, Trucks are not for me. I know what I like, and the element is more "me" then the CRV.

Why do you guys like your elements? Would you have chosen a CRV instead? Not that you know me personally, but does age factor in when considering a CRV/Element or is it completely subjective.

I would like as many people to chime in on my situation and possible solutions. Would you advise me to bite the bullet and trade my CRV for an element and be happy, or ride out my CRV and never know 'what if'.

 

[Seattle SC]

I thought about both the cr-v or a rav4.
But what sold me most on the e was the huge rear cargo space with the seats out.
I hardly ever ride with a passenger, let alone 3 or 4 folks, so the option of leaving the seats completely out was a huge plus.

 

[elementbryon]

With the current economy and, since your CRV is only three weeks old, you might be able to take it back to the dealer and swap it out for the Element of your dreams with little added expense. It doesn't hurt to ask. Then you can get your color matched straight jacket and join the EOC insanity.

 

[platinumman21]

I like you thought of getting a CR-V, but once i saw the SC my mind was definetly made up. Eventhough it was a year later when i sealed the deal. I'm not so sure the dealer will take your CR-V back for what you paid. If you do trade it, you'll lose your ass on it. I'm not sure of your financial situation, but that's going to be the facts. My Element SC does everything i'll ever need it to do. It's really good for tailgating at concerts and football games. ;-) CR-V is nice though and not a bad choice, so don't beat yourself up too much.
Later

 

[insane_sc]

The CR-V is nice and I too looked at a CR-V but hated it as soon as I sat down. I was about to leave the dealership and saw a used 07 silver SC and it caught my eye because it was painted, had different headlights, decent wheels, body was different, carpet, the whole nine yards. I took it for a spin and loved it right away. I had some neg. equity on my Silverado and was leaving for my new base soon and did not want to take a 14mpg truck from Ohio to California and pay $4.80 a gallon out there, so I started dealing. It was not looking good at all, payment was sooo high, I was just about to leave when another sales woman came over to me and asked if I would like one in stick and black, even though I didnt want black as a daily driver, I took a look at it and took it for a quick spin. I got back and asked why they showed me one with 13 miles on it. Well, since it was december 12th and it was a 07' and was stick, no one wanted it all year and they needed to sell it. They cleared all the neg. On my truck($5500) if I bought the Element with $500 down at the sticker price. The payment was exactly what my truck was, I got the 7yr80k warranty with it, and happily signed my life away.

I have never looked back, AT ALL. It is great, I have had a huge dresser in it and even put up the seats and put a twin mattress in the back for my wife on our trip from Ohio to Wyoming last Sept., after I was discharged(medically). It is great, I get a lot of compliments from the mods I have completed and I feel great driving my toaster.

I highly reccomend the E, if you can sell your CRV after you have it for a while, do it, but first, go to your dealership, ask politely, if you can take one of there loner or a used element over a weekend, or rent one, just to make sure you would like it, most likely, you will.

Good luck, keep us updated.
Steve
Sorry for any spelling errors, I typed this on my Iphone.

 

[brain candy]

That's a bummer. Buyer's regret on something that huge has got to suck. I hope you find some sort of solution that makes you happy. :-(

I'm also 22 (female), and bought my 08 Element last fall. I had entertained the thought of replacing my Ford Explorer for about a year, and was researching on the internet what fit all my requirements. After driving past one of many Elements that are up here, I Googled it and was absolutely sold. The only other utility vehicles that I was smitten with was the Nissan Xterra (I was looking for a rubbermaid pretty much) but I didn't seriously look into the Xterra since my Mom already had one. For me, the newest gen CR-V is too "soccer mom." It was never in the running. Two of my friends have the previous gen CR-V's but those were just kind of blah. I hate the Rav-4...

My Element turned out to be the perfect vehicle for me and I don't have any buyer's remorse.... I'm absolutely obsessed with the thing.

 

[Dom.five]

Richard, I would like to tell you you are the only one in the world that this has happened to.

It's just not the case!

I too went through the same thing.

The first test drive was in a 2WD Element LX. I did not like it. So I came home with the CRV EX 4WD. Keep in mind that my wife had an 05 EX 4WD Element. I had not driven it much. Just once to move it out of my way in the yard.

After the first big snow storm, my wife went out, Jumped in, and drove out of the unploughed street in her E. Only ten minutes later, I was stuck on the hill leaving the house. I wound up digging myself back into my parking spot. When she got home I then drove the E out the same way she did. No slipping, No trouble at all. I turned around and came home at the top of the drive. Got in the CRV, and gave it another shot. I was stuck a second time.

That was not the only thing that made me "TRADE UP" to an E. There was the Space, the Seating, and the EOC !!

I went back to the dealer, and made a deal on an E. They worked the numbers to make my payment 2$ less than the CRV was.

I'm happy now! That was in 06, it was the proper decision for me. Look into it, life is too short to be unhappy with a car. After all you use it every day.

Dom

 

[steamloco76]

I thought about both the cr-v or a rav4.
But what sold me most on the e was the huge rear cargo space with the seats out.
I hardly ever ride with a passenger, let alone 3 or 4 folks, so the option of leaving the seats completely out was a huge plus.

Same reason I chose my E over a RAV. Just the Wife and two dogs ride-so the back seats are in the spare bedroom.

 

[REZA]

Like others have said, life is too short, if you can afford it, try talking to your dealer first. They sell alot of CRV's and not that many E's and in most cases they work with customers.
Like you, I'm almost always wanted something different than the norm in a car.
Between my wife & I, we have bought 15 cars in 22 years, all new except two used ones. So we only keep our cars for three to four years on average, anything from two doors to four doors, SUV's, pick-up truck, mostly European & Japanese. For me cars are more than just modes of transportation, if I don't like driving them for any reason, they're going to be replaced (of course, if & when financially possible).

Go test drive the E, talk to few dealers and work something out.

 

[carvingbarn]

My wife and I were looking for a new car and stopped in to a local Honda dealer. I was trading in my f150. I liked the E but my wife was not that happy with it. WE went for the EX-CRV. I drove for about 8 months. I was not comfortable in the CRV. But my wife loved it. So I traded in her old Buick on my LX-E and I have lived happier ever after.
I love the inerter space. I find the seats more comfortable and to me the ride is not as stiff as it is in the CRV. I haul around drift wood and other found woods so the added cargo space is great. As was said I too like the tailgate system, it is much more user friendly than the hatchback of the CRV. AND I LOVE DRIVING THE E!

 

[MIA]

I looked at the CRV but the Element won hands down because of the rubber floors, the things I can do with the seats and the fact that I have three dogs, am outdoorsy and am a messy girl. I am older than you so not sure about the age issue! LOL It's a hoot to drive as well. I love my Element and love what I can do on the inside with it.

I just bought a second element as I had an accident with my first and I even debated getting another car, and went and looked and nothing would satisfy me so I simply got another element.

 

[don sailing]

No regret

I've read somewhere on this Forum..."Life is too short to drive boring cars"....how true. I first laid eyes on my SC on the showroom floor next to a silver CRV. I went to the dealership to check out the Element only, but I have to admit after seeing the CRV there too, I had to go back and forth for a while. The bottom line is....for me, the CRV didn't ring my bell! It is a wonderful SUV....my Son and Daughter both have new CRV's....they're great. But for me, the passion wasn't there like it was for the Element. And, I know some people think it's ugly? It's too bad that many people never get beyond that first impression....they lose out on the opportunity to own a great automobile.

I would encourage you to "just do it"......if that is where your heart is....and if you lose a couple grand....who cares? I also like what someone else has on this Forum.....something like "They laugh because I am different....I laugh because they are all the same". In this land of boring, lookalike cars, the Element stands alone!

 

[ZOMBIEinvader]

Hey guys,
... Im pretty well-off so I'm not looking to catch flack for trading up. ...'.

Considering you own words is there really a problem if you take a little bit of a money hit?

 

[EL-MT]

I'm one of the many here who was looking at buying a CR-V and drove the Element on a whim, fell in love and have had no regrets. The CR-V is a sweet rig and a lot more practical if you have kids. But for so many the E is such a perfect fit.

 

[jtispoindexter]

Element is more car like , CRV is more truck... imho
I do 99% of my running about on asphalt and AWD represents more maintenance to me than the potential benefit ( and I am in Canada ... snow )
FWD has never let me down with snow rated tires , and in the end
it is what ever you like cause your paying for it ... and they are both Hondas so the operational differences / costs would be negligible , ;-)

 

[supermaruchi]

Don't live life with regret & "what if" , the fact you took the effort to post a thread about this only says that you do regret your choice of purchasing the crv. So, go trade it in for an e and be happy! because I love everything my "e" provides for me. Trust me, ive been living in my E for over a year now . Prior to the "e" when I did 2 yrs in a 98 Nissan sentra, I knew what vehicle I wanted for this lifestyle. It wasn't a vwbus, a van, and for sure as he'll, not a gaa guZzlin' suv that seems to waste practicality for luxury.

 

[Serj22]

The 2nd gen V is the perfect one, IMO, handles more like a car than a big SUV, the element and Crv are completely different things, The element is an SUV, and CRV was intended to be a large station wagon, and in fact is registered as such in most states, since the center of gravity is fairly low for a car of its shape, and the chassis is closer resembling to a civic, and all the pieces are closer to a civic-SI.

I personally think the new Cr-v just took the final step towards becoming just a minivan. It was directed primarily to a female audience, rather than all around, and Honda did it on purpose, and they got rid of the tire on the back, which is what made it a Cr-v in the first place, and not a mini-honda Odyssey. The first gen was too weak, and the 3rd gen was too ugly (IMO) so the 2nd gen... just right. But that's me.

 

[spdrcr5]

The element is an SUV, and CRV was intended to be a large station wagon, and in fact is registered as such in most states, since the center of gravity is fairly low for a car of its shape, and the chassis is closer resembling to a civic, and all the pieces are closer to a civic-SI.

Just so you know. The Element, CRV and Civic all share the same chassis, the CRV and Element share their suspension, engine, trans, running gear, etc. Minor tweaks here and there are changed for each vehicle but they are basically the same underneath.

 

[nacranym]

depends on which years you're comparing.
there's much greater similarity between the E and the V, so let's leave the Civic out of this.
for the 2003~2006 model years, the E and V engines and drive systems are very similar but not completely interchangeable.
the E is shorter overall, w/ slightly shorter wheelbase, and is heavier and has more body flex than same year V. the E also has less ground clearance. E is taller and more readily accommodates a large load. the clam shell tailgate of the E is better for some things than the door of the V.

i can't consider the 2007+ V for a purchase, unless Honda resumes making a manual transmission available. so, if i were buying new today, there's no choice, only the E is available w/ manual. makes the decision easy.

 

[desinia]

Our stories were similar, except I walked in the dealer prepared to buy a CRV, saw the E and drove it out the door (show room door, literally). Now that you've driven the CRV, if you stick with it, you'll always wonder what it was like to have the E instead - and if you give up the CRV for the E, you'll always find something you wished you'd kept. Ouch!

Best thing would be to get both, eh? Ask what you want more - ride comfort or sheer versatility and roominess. Oh, and yes, the E is a real chick magnet...