[spin84]

Quick background - 2 years ago I was looking for a new car and was 99% sure I was getting an E. I test drove an 08, even got as far as coming very close to finalizing a deal -- I even read the EOC forums religiously and posted a few times. Then at the last minute, I changed my mind and thought a sedan would be more practical for my needs, so I ended up with an 07 Subaru Legacy MT.

Now, 2 years later, the E bug is back. I'm sick of driving a MT in the city, planning to get a dog soon, want the cargo room...and bottom line, I just want one Getting a used 08 doesn't make sense since for $3k more I can get a 2010 with full warranty and lower interest rate. Plus, I really like the 2010 styling. So now my decision is between LX and EX - want the alloys, overhead storage and upgraded stereo, but leaning towards LX + aftermarket speaker upgrade to save the money. 4WD is a must in New England. A few questions:

- Did Elements change from AWD to 4WD - what is the difference? I assume the difference is that AWD is "always on" where 4WD needs to be engaged? Anyone have experience driving a newer E in snow...thoughts?

- Is there any where I can find out what dealer cost for accessories is? If dealer won't quite meet my price, I might try to get them to throw in some accessories at cost to sweeten the deal for me - cargo tray, roof rack, power outlet in back, etc

- Can anyone share recent Honda financing rates? I have excellent credit, but still may hold out for a financing incentive...really want to get my interest rate around 2% Just wondering how far away from that the current non-incentive rates are. Want to check with my bank too - but don't want to open a credit check until I know I'm ready to buy.

- Any idea about upcoming incentives? I assume these aren't announced until the 1st of the month - but is there a past history of April/May incentives on the E?

Depending on interest rates/incentives I'm hoping to pull the trigger on my new E in the next couple of months...can't wait to FINALLY be an official member of the club! Thanks for your help

 

[lizzurd]

- Did Elements change from AWD to 4WD - what is the difference? I assume the difference is that AWD is "always on" where 4WD needs to be engaged? Anyone have experience driving a newer E in snow...thoughts?

Elements have always had a part time 4wd system....never awd.

- Is there any where I can find out what dealer cost for accessories is? If dealer won't quite meet my price, I might try to get them to throw in some accessories at cost to sweeten the deal for me - cargo tray, roof rack, power outlet in back, etc

Unless you know some that works for Honda or at a dealer finding out true dealer cost will be next to impossible. You can use some of the prices found at online dealers as a bargaining tool. But getting accessories at cost? Likely not. Parts managers have a real hard time selling parts at zero markup.

 

[Dave_Van]

Keep your eyes open for an '08 or '09; as the styles really haven't changed much since it's introduction in '03. While shopping for a new 2010, I stumbled upon an '08 for $5K less than new. Another factor is that I've read that Honda has only produced ~15K 2010s so far, so they can be hard to find if are set on a specific color or style.

Good luck! Please let us know what you find and don't hesitate to ask; I found almost every one of my questions were already answered here at EOC.

 

[xequar]

Elements have always had a part time 4wd system....never awd.

Yep, the system's stayed the same. The only thing that changed was Honda's marketing language. Even in the earlier years, that "A" on the AWD sticker could have been a stylized "4".

 

[Flat Lander]

Elements have always had a part time 4wd system....never awd.

And you don't turn it on/off or shift in/out of 4wd. It senses wheel slippage and engages or disengages automatically.

 

[TracyDP]

And you don't turn it on/off or shift in/out of 4wd. It senses wheel slippage and engages or disengages automatically.

Though I really kind of miss my old Subaru that DID have a 4wd shifter so you could go to full time 4wd if you wanted too. We were driving in the mountains the other day and if I had real 4wd I would have kept going, but with the AWD I was unsure if I'd be able to make it where I wanted to go. I wanted that assurance that all 4 wheels were working for me the whole time. Made me want a JEEP Wrangler again (the car I would have gotten if I didn't have a kid or still lived in Phoenix).

 

[slimerdogs]

I have taken mine in a lot of places and snow that I thought it wouldn't get through and its worked great. Look around and get what you want for the right deal. I took 6 months to find the one that I wanted and it was out of this state.

 

[TracyDP]

I have taken mine in a lot of places and snow that I thought it wouldn't get through and its worked great. Look around and get what you want for the right deal. I took 6 months to find the one that I wanted and it was out of this state.

Yeah, I should have added that if my E was a stick I might feel better about taking it out in the woods more. I so miss driving a stick, but since most of my driving is city and traffic with a kid, I enjoy the auto most of the time now. I think once my daughter is older I might get a stick shift again, if they still exist by then (she's only 2.5).