As much I loved my Protege, I traded it in a few weeks ago. I was trying to use it as an SUV too much hauling bikes and all my other stuff. I just got sick and tired of loading/unloading my bike (and girlfriend's bike) on my rack or in my trunk almost everyday since I bike after work all the time and ride on weekends out in remote areas. In addition, as much as I LOVED my '02 ES Pro...the steering was still bugging me as still seemed to pull right shortly after I got it realigned......so I traded it in for a don't laugh....'03 Honda Element. I got an automatic as well as I'm not dying to shift the thing all the time.

I test drove an Element just for grins b/c I knew about how you could fold the rear seats against the sides or take them out. Well I'm not one for SUV's but this thing drove so nice....almost car like and even had good pick up and I like the way they look. Not to mention the seats are waterproof and practically the whole thing is stainproof....soap and water cleans everything. I recently just took the rear seats out completely since I rarely ever use them so it's sort of like a van now. It's always a compromise having more room and giving up performance/fun but I must say that this Honda Element is actually fun to drive especially for a litte truck.

I miss the Protege some but it's nice having my bike locked up in the Element any time I want it to be and I don't have to worry about ruining any carpet or scratching anything up. Of course, there's a Honda Element forum (shocking..I know). See you Protege aficionados around. I may not be driving one now, but I still love em!

 

I won't laugh...My best friend has a navy blue "H3." He loves it. He posts on that forum (or one like it).

 

I won't laugh.

I will shed a tear for a fallen brother



Ok, I'm over it.

 

Sorry to see u go. Soon they will have howto articles of how to put a h22a in a element lol

 

I looked at them before i bought my P5.

The first thing I would do is take it to a bodyshop, tell them to take all the plastic panels off, sand the texture off of them, then paint it to match the rest of the paint.

I'm a bodyman, so I guess thats easy for me to do.

Probly cost you about $1500+

 

Ohh....I'm way too cheap to do that and I like the plastic panels. For one, no dirt sticks to them at all and for the color I got, the dark gray side panels actually match the rest of the car and don't contrast much. Pewter color all the way around would be too boring anyway IMO.

 

I'm glad that you like your new Element! I personally don't like the look at all (boxy, the different-colored panels), but to each his own.

I'm curious, which other cars did you test drive/consider?

Anyway, best of luck!

 

Too bad you couldn't have owned them both, eh? Pro for the twisties, Element for the bike trips.

my wife and I were wondering who would buy that, as she and I are on different extremes. I have the protege, looking to make it faster and funner, where the wife has the xterra with the oversize off-road tires, and already wants the new one with the bigger engine.

Enjoy!

 

Thanks.
I didn't consider any other vehicles.....only the Element. I was just very surprised by how well it drove and handled. I test drove a CR-V a year ago and didn't like it much. This thing is just really made for my lifestyle of hauling/storing my stuff and like I said earlier....nothing to dirty up in this car. A dust pan or sponge is all you need and everything is clean again. The turning radius is super sharp too and I've been getting about 23mpg. The stereo also rocks...comes with a subwoofer. I'm really not an SUV person. In fact I don't even like saying I drive an SUV. I just tell people I drive an Element.....or a box on wheels.

And like glyph_99es said.....I wish I had the cash to own the Element and keep the ES....now that would have been the best of both worlds! I got passed yesterday by a shiny new silver ES on a 2 lane parkway....ahh...the melancholy permeates.

 

say it ain't so!

 

i wound up test driving an element a couple months ago and outside from the weird look of it was impressed at how it accelerated (i drove the 5spd) and handled...i was expecting minivan sluggishness (better than suv) but it was even better (not a pr5 though)

i just checked the sales stats on the elements and honda was only expecting to sell 4k per month but they are almost at 7k (almost more than the rav4) and demand is outstripping supply

all in all lots of people judge a book by its cover (plastic siding means rest of car sucks or its a mazda so it sucks) and speak out of ignorance...i did rent a aztek once when moving some **** and that thing was terrible to drive...it was a minivan with 2 extra inches of ground clearance and body roll to shame a stock vw golf with 200k miles on it

 

I suppose if I can't say anything positve sounding..................

 

i'm gonna get myself a Ford F-150 Econoline panel van

those thing can haul stuff! (and asses!!)

 

So umm whats uglier? The Cubed Honduh or that Pontiac Aztec? In my opinion the Aztec is uglier
Do you think my P5 will fit inside that Honduh? Sorry I am just sick of seeing all the fisher price plastic cars.

 

heh...this is the exactly the ignorance that is about...honduh? gotattitude?