Honda Element

[Kevin]

Originally posted by ZetaAce
KtSnake- I think chopper's point is Buy American! LOL Am I right Chopper? I have a shiny non-American car, so I don't have any comments about that.

Nwsigkap - I'm glad to know I'm not in the target audience for the Element! LMAO

ZA

I've had bad experiences with American cars.. I had to have my old Blazer's engine rebuilt at only 120,000 miles. After that the car kept falling apart piece by piece.. I'm at 120K on my Toyota 4Runner now and have to replace the brake pads, CV boots, just normal maintenance.

Generally speaking foriegn cars are more reliable than domestic.

[chopper816]

my experiences have been different, my dads car has over 200,000 miles on it, still running strong, i beat my firebird into the ground and it took it like a champ, just your basic maintainence like brakes, oil changes and what not.

[ZetaAce]

KtSnake-

Isn't that a question of how well it was maintained or maybe external factors? My parents had a Blazer (1986) and racked up over 250K miles on it. When they finally got rid of it, it wasn't because it was failing, it was because they wanted something else. Any car will fall apart with poor maintenance, even a Mercedes. (I'm not saying you didn't maintain yours! )

I really don't have any opinions on foreign v. domestic, because like I said I drive a foreign car. The car I owned before it was American though, and I had no problems with it.

ZA

Originally posted by ktsnake


I've had bad experiences with American cars.. I had to have my old Blazer's engine rebuilt at only 120,000 miles. After that the car kept falling apart piece by piece.. I'm at 120K on my Toyota 4Runner now and have to replace the brake pads, CV boots, just normal maintenance.

Generally speaking foriegn cars are more reliable than domestic.

[CC1GC]

Originally posted by ktsnake


I've had bad experiences with American cars.. I had to have my old Blazer's engine rebuilt at only 120,000 miles. After that the car kept falling apart piece by piece.. I'm at 120K on my Toyota 4Runner now and have to replace the brake pads, CV boots, just normal maintenance.

Generally speaking foriegn cars are more reliable than domestic.

except for Korean cars - hyundai and kia are Junk! Worst cars in the world.

btw Jeff, who owns Saab? I think it's GM but i could be wrong. If the big American companies didn't buy out all these smaller foreign companies they definitely wouldn't have a considerable market share that they currently enjoy.

[sororitygirl2]

Hondas and Toyotas are such good cars... but they still have nothing on the class and performance of European cars...

Anyway, this thing... Element... whatever... DISGUSTING! Get a car that is functional and attractive, NOT THIS UGLY THING!

[cash78mere]

that thing is UGLY. almost as ugly as the aztec and ptcruiser. if any of my friends ever bought one of those things.....ugh

[Sistermadly]

Elements are very cool, but I'm stuck deciding between a CR-V and a Pontiac Vibe.

[Eirene_DGP]

Whats up with all the new super ugly box cars. I saw that new Hummer and it looks horrible. I guess people always want something bigger and better. I was watching MTV cribs and someone had one (cant remember who) and they were saying that the hummer only gets 10 miles to the gallon.

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Eirene_DGP
Whats up with all the new super ugly box cars. I saw that new Hummer and it looks horrible. I guess people always want something bigger and better. I was watching MTV cribs and someone had one (cant remember who) and they were saying that the hummer only gets 10 miles to the gallon.

Trouble with the Hummer is that it has a hard time fitting into garages with other cars. I think the main appeal of the Element is its utility. Suicide doors, no carpet.. (I always thought carpet in cars was a bad idea). Just generally a functional vehicle.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Jeff OTMG
It is American. I am sure that it is built by American Honda Motor Co. at the plant in Marysville, Oh. The U.S. is the only major SUV market in the world because SUV's use more gas and gas is cheaper here than anywhere except where we import it from. Yes, American Honda's parent company is based in Japan, but what about Daimler/Chrysler? Ford owns Mazda, so is Mazda now American? Ford owns Volvo and Jaguar as well, are they American? BMW X5 is made in S.C. and I think that the 3 Series is as well. The M Class Benz is made in Alabama. I think that American made is where the car is made, not where the parent company is located.

Ford only owns 33% of Mazda and I hope they never have more than that because I like my Protege just the way it isn't and don't want it to become unsafe and inefficient. Maybe when somebody can show me an American car that gets 40 mpg and isn't a death trap or putt-putt, I'll buy one, but until then I'll be a Mazda girl.

(Can you tell my family has 3 Mazdas?)

[phisigduchesscv]

Originally posted by chopper816
i think everyone needs to stop looking at buying imported cars, trucks and suvs. I dont know about this honda element, i think there are several vehicles that can do the same thing. also, is there some reason you need all the space? is there anything you need a lot of cargo room for?

hi There,

I've worked at all three Big Japanese auto manufacturers in the US. They are all within a 10 minute drive of my house. What I remember best though is the whole Buy American movement that was happening when I was working at Nissan. There was this poster that asked what is American. Is it the Cadillac that's made in Australia, the Fords that were made in Mexico, the Nissan trucks made in Tennessee, the Hondas made in Ohio, or what. Ford and Toyota have a jointly owned plant up in Fremont, California (may be closing I believe and moving out of country) so the Fords and Toyotas that come out of there are they Japanese or American? If Ford closed everyone one of its business, affiliates and all, in the United States and just stuck with the European manufacturing it still wouldn't go bankrupt andstill be one of the major car companies in the world.

If you own a Honda check your VIN number. If it begins with a J its manufactured in Japan, if it begins with a 1 then its American made. If you own the Odyssey its only made in American so I'd consider that an American car.

The Japanese companies have been building plants all over the United States and employing hundreds of Americans to work in those plants. yet you go to Detroit and the American manufacturers are shutting down plants and laying off workers. Many of these plants manufacturing jobs are being shipped to plants overseas where its cheaper to do jobs. So which companies are truly benefiting Americans? At least with cars I don't think you can say to buy American because do we know what is an American car anymore.

[CanadianTeke]

Within the Greater Toronto Area i can count 5 major car plants, 3 of which are 'American'. If you drive a Ford Windstar it is made in Oakville Ontario and only in Oakville. The Chrysler M3 is Made in my hometown of Brampton Ontario. These are both 'American' Cars neither of which is assembeled in America. In a global economy like this one it is hard to buy 'Domestic'.

[chopper816]

Originally posted by phisigduchesscv


hi There,

I've worked at all three Big Japanese auto manufacturers in the US. They are all within a 10 minute drive of my house. What I remember best though is the whole Buy American movement that was happening when I was working at Nissan. There was this poster that asked what is American. Is it the Cadillac that's made in Australia, the Fords that were made in Mexico, the Nissan trucks made in Tennessee, the Hondas made in Ohio, or what. Ford and Toyota have a jointly owned plant up in Fremont, California (may be closing I believe and moving out of country) so the Fords and Toyotas that come out of there are they Japanese or American? If Ford closed everyone one of its business, affiliates and all, in the United States and just stuck with the European manufacturing it still wouldn't go bankrupt andstill be one of the major car companies in the world.

If you own a Honda check your VIN number. If it begins with a J its manufactured in Japan, if it begins with a 1 then its American made. If you own the Odyssey its only made in American so I'd consider that an American car.

The Japanese companies have been building plants all over the United States and employing hundreds of Americans to work in those plants. yet you go to Detroit and the American manufacturers are shutting down plants and laying off workers. Many of these plants manufacturing jobs are being shipped to plants overseas where its cheaper to do jobs. So which companies are truly benefiting Americans? At least with cars I don't think you can say to buy American because do we know what is an American car anymore.

Actually ford has plants in dearborn Michigan, somewhere in kentucky (dont remember the city, but thats where my wrecked explorer was made) and cadillacs arent made in australia. GM owns a company in australia called holden i believe, one of their cars is the platform for the new pontiac gto. maybe the reason american car companies have plants in other countries is because they have operations there and they sell cars there.

also, you cant make the argument that jobs are being lost here b/c plants are moving overseas. gm and ford sales dropped 18 percent last month, i think that plays a role of people losing their jobs. for example, ford cut jobs a few years ago at one of their plants that makes trucks b/c sales fell and there was less demand, so they cut back labor. it happens to ford, GM, Toyota, honda, the business cycle is the business cycle, it doesnt matter who you are.

[juniorgrrl]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin


Ford only owns 33% of Mazda and I hope they never have more than that because I like my Protege just the way it isn't and don't want it to become unsafe and inefficient. Maybe when somebody can show me an American car that gets 40 mpg and isn't a death trap or putt-putt, I'll buy one, but until then I'll be a Mazda girl.

(Can you tell my family has 3 Mazdas?)

LOL! I'm happy to hear that. I drive a Mazda 626, and its a pretty spiffy car, considering it was a hand-me-down. I'd be *really* unhappy to think my car came from the same place as a scary-unsafe-piece-of-crap Tarus (which I find to be driven by the worst drivers in the WORLD!) Given the choice over a Kia or a Hundayi and a Ford, I'd have to go with the K-car. I'm not a fan of American cars at all. My family had a Buick. The thing was the largest piece of crap ever.

The Boyfriend's parents just traded their '00 Maxima for a Caddilac CTS They're such nouveau riche wannabees. They shoulda put that 35K on a Mercedes or a BMW or a Jag - those don't drop as severely in value as a regular old piece of GM crap

[chopper816]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin


Ford only owns 33% of Mazda and I hope they never have more than that because I like my Protege just the way it isn't and don't want it to become unsafe and inefficient. Maybe when somebody can show me an American car that gets 40 mpg and isn't a death trap or putt-putt, I'll buy one, but until then I'll be a Mazda girl.

(Can you tell my family has 3 Mazdas?)

american cars arent all unsafe and inefficient, thats kinda of false assumption. also, show me a foreign car that gets 40 mpg thats not a hybrid, b/c there is no mazda that gets that much at least in the city, and i highly doubt all your driving is done on the interstate