Could have gotten the base CRV with
side curtain bags for 19,300, but she wanted the moon roof, stereo controls on the steering wheel and i don’t know what else. Subaru in this area thinks highly of their product. Also, uncomfortable back seat turned us off too.
The doors and the fact that it cold only
seat 4 were turnoffs. Other than that, I liked the Element. May consider it for my personal car when my F150 6 cylinder gives up the ghost, maybe in 7 years if lucky.
Toyota Matrix/PontiacVibe
They are wagons built off the Corolla, the XRs/GT gets you the Celica drivetrain.
not too much on the Element
There is no ‘B’ pillar, so you can only put a max of 40 or 50lbs on it, including the rack. Bikes would be fine, but boats pack on the pounds fast.
nonsense
Each factory rack on the Element is rated at 75lbs, for a 150lb total roof rack load limit. I’ve had a tandem canoe and a kayak on mine with no trouble. And of course, multiple kayaks wouldn’t be a problem up to that limit. Of course, that’s going to depend on which boats we’re talking about. But, if the truth be told, most factory racks aren’t rated any higher. For instance, the Subaru Outback has a max roof rack limit of 100#, whereas the Forester has a 150# limit, just like the Element.
Element
I know of an outfitter that manages to put 3 sea kayaks on top of their Element.
Subarus cost a lot
Not just the purchase price. Repairs are much more expensive than American cars, or Hondas and Toyotas. In fact my Subaru parts seem to cost more than the parts I bought for my old Volvo. We own an Outback Legacy and a Forester, and I’m starting to regret both. Headgasket problem on the Outback. Their reliability record is just average. I think Toyota and Honda reliability is much better, and both are cheaper to fix.
Paul gets 3 on his Echo NM
Forester
I’ve got a '98 Forester L 5 speed with about 107K on the odometer. It’s been generally quite reliable and I’ve been very happy with it. All of my previous vehicles had been Honda’s and they were fine, but unless something else catches my eye, I’ll probably stick with a Subie the next go 'round. For transporting paddling hardware, the Forester has all of the space I need inside without an excessively high roof to hike a boat (or boats) on top.
A friend has a Toyota Matrix, and I get just a little nervous with the rack set-up (a Yakima in her case) because there is so little spread between the cross bars.
reliability
That was also a huge factor in deciding to test the waters with what was then a first model year, Element. I have a number of friends with Subarus. For awhile, it seemed that the Forester and Outback were the birder’s vehicle du jour. At some of the local Audubon and Sierra Club meetings, the parking lot can look like an ad for those models. However, I talked with a lot of Subaru driving friends who weren’t too happy with the amount of repairs they’d had to have as their vehicles aged.
I’ve had a number of Hondas and Toyotas, and there’s good dealer service facilities for both in the area. Normally, I’d never buy a first model year, anything. But, when I found out that the Element was really just a CRV with different sheet metal and interior, it made the choice pretty easy. At the time, Toyo didn’t have anything to compete with it. So, the Element was a pretty easy choice, made more so when the dealer tossed in a 100,000 mile warranty as a deal sweetener, since they sure weren’t coming down on the price on a then, brand spanking new model that was rapidly gaining a rep as a red-hot seller.
At 50K, the only thing I’ve had to do so far that wasn’t scheduled maintenance was have the rear differential fluid changed a bit earlier than the manual says. And I don’t expect any serious issues until well past 150K, based on my experience with previous Hondas. (Now that I’ve just jinxed myself, I’m doomed for sure. Watch the transmission fall out of it tommorrow.) But, short of that happening, I’m very sold on Hondas and Toyotas. They seemed to be first amongst car makers who really put out whole fleets that could go 200K or more without major issues. Last I heard of it, the current owner of my old Accord mentioned it had turned 300K. I compare that to my experiences with Fords and Dodges that are usually flat falling apart at 150K. Thankfully, I no longer have to drive a company vehicle.
few choices.
– Last Updated: Jun-09-06 6:25 PM EST –
I've worked at a ford dealership for years, seen a lot of vehicles come and go. also worked in a toyota shop for a bit.
I'd eliminate the subaru as a brand from my list. I liked driving them,but they just don't have the long tern reliability i'd want to shell out the $ for.
Element-i've driven one with a stick for a few days and i didn't think either the power or gas mileage were all that good, i am sure the hay-barn aerodynamics don't help. my favorite interior. would be a tall mofo to load things onto. From my very brief experience i liked honda's own CRV better overall.
Echo is a neat little car,very very basic mechanically("back to bicycles" as described by the guys in the shop) Will do ya good long as you don't plan on hauling too much with it. I think 2 people and one kayak would probably be it's comfort zone on highway.
Scion XB-something i have no experience with, but from what i read and looked at you basically get a heavier vehicle with awful aerodynamics with the same Echo drivetrain, i guess this is why XB is rated at 37-38 MPG and not 45-50 like the Echo. not a winning combination in my book.
I think, if you want a hauler/mild tower, get a mid sized wagon like a mazda 6 or similar. If you don't need a hatch in the back, get a 97-04 chevy malibu with a V6-great bang for the buck and much better gas mileage than the element. If you don't REALLY wanna haul/tow much, get the Echo and the fuel savings alone will make you happy.
btw my 94' firefly 2 door hatchback has a 70 inch rack spread. it's all what you make of it :)
Have the Echo.
love it. great gas mileage…just passed 100K. From the looks of things, I may just keep her. Like Greyak says, I have hauled 3 kayaks, 1 53 lb Outer Island on J hooks, one 60 lb Tempest on mako saddles, and in between either an ocean kayak scupper pro on its side attached to the J hooks or the SOF on foam blocks. 70 or 75 on the highway no problem really! Course I do have everythig tied down front and back if I am going any distance, and only the front if short distances.
I do have oversized bars and a 44 inch spread which is just 4 to 5 inches less than the forester.
Looks pretty silly and I guess that was a slight concern but hey…it’s paid for.
Paul
Toyota
Echo is no more.It has been replaced by the Yaris.Pretty much the same thing made over.Low price starting just under 11K and aprox 38 mpg.Reliability should be typical Toyota-excellent.Though a new model the RJ or whatever it’s called is a reintro of an old favorite.As mentioned I to am reluctant to buy new models till they’ve had a chance to work out the new model bugs but in the case of
Toyota,Honda this is rarely the issue it is with others.Might be worth considering.
Toyota Prius
I’m getting a Toyota Prius . Tired of this gas stuff. The Prius will haul my yak just fine. FishHawk
Honda Fit
IF I were in the market for a low cost set of wheels, the Fit would probably be at, or near the top of my list. Lot’s of room, good performance, and it’s a Honda. If you buy in to the hybrid thing, supposedly Honda is planning to have one in the Fit within a year or so.
Paid for is good
I’d still have my '98 Neon w. Saris rack if it hadn’t been totaled.
The Prius is great if you do a lot of
stop and go driving, like sitting one the freeway 8 lane parking lot mornings and afternoons, but if you are looking for great mileage and don’t have much stop and go driving, you’re looking at a long payback and you’ll still be heading into the gas pump about as often as about a half dozen cars conventionally fueled that get as good of mileage. Plus, at around 5 years, you may have batteries to replace. Check out what that bank of batteries will cost.
Buick Roadmaster
My 93 Roadmaster Wagon gets similar mileage to your daughters Oldsmobile. Too bad they quit making full size passenger cars. Mine is way better than any suv or mini van when loaded with 8 passengers and a trailer full of boats and gear.
What I want to know …
is how come everyone elses wheels are better than everyone elses?
cheers,
JackL
Yaris roof bars
Does anyone know if there are roof bars available to fit the Yaris? I looked at the Yaris but scrubbed it from my list as there don’t appear to be any bars that fit it.