I agree with you about Hyundai, I rented a Sonota on my trip up to Cashiers NC and was very impressed, it was a fun car to drive, and felt tight. I got a lot more than I expected, that's for sure.

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1994 C 280 117.5k, White (Good as new)
1997 Toyota Camry 149k Miles (Not so pretty anymore)

1990 190e 2.6 95k (Sold-Should not have)
1981 240d Stick ??? Miles...sold

Wow--Cashiers?!? Don't hear many people talk about that place. My parents have a house there and I have some dealings with a clothing store located in the town.

My wife got a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. She loves it. 30MPG. We got the extended 10/100K bumper to bumper for like $800. I've driven it a couple times and it is a tight little car. Personally I prefer my Chevy 3500.

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No matter how many times you explain it to me, I'm still right.....Surf-n-Turf

WHAT FORD ONLY GOT 40K OUT OF IT?

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

You name it. I can't think of single passenger car that Ford makes that doesn't start acting up between 40-60K

Good for 36 month leases, that's about it.

Glad we are qualifying passenger cars. I have an 86 f350 dually crew cab with 250K on it (gas---yeah I know) that has only been in for a paint recall and clutches (thanks Laurie).

I hate to admit it, but I kind of like the Element. I have ridden in a couple and don't really see anything wrong looking from the inside out I just turned my nephew onto a Sequoia, but he has to pull a boat and needs 4wd, so even the 4 runner wasn't an option.

Is it true you can hose down the interior of the first gen Element? I read that when they first came out, then thought I read that this wasn't the case.

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

The element is an interesting vehicle.

First of all, Honda is having a hard time selling them... I don't know why.

All I can say is, when you open the door, you're like - WOW... the thing is friggin huge inside.

I (well, not really me -- my other half) ended up going for the Element.

Good deal, and the resale is wonderful.

I still can't believe how disappointed I was in the FJ. -- Oh well...

We've got a Honda Element Manual trans 5 speed. This is the one with those black plastic fenders. My beefs with it are:

-piss poor ride quality... if this were a heavy duty truck I would be fine with it... but... it's not.

-crappy seats... just not comfortable and the material they're made of is just crappy... reminds me of burlap.

-Not a good highway cruiser...it's geared very short and at 80 mph the revs are just sky-high. Gas mileage suffers due to this and the brick shape of the car.

-When you are coasting in gear and get on the gas again, it will bounce back and forth and give you a not very pleasant feeling. You have to be amazingly lightfooted to avoid the boat motions.

And this is the one that annoys me the most: the brake pedal goes down way too far, almost feels like the clutch pedal. If you have to do a panic stop the brake pedal feel gives me no confidence, unlike my 300D.

Pluses:

Interior quality is decent (except for seats IMO)

Huge legroom!

Seats fold down easily, which is a plus since there isn't enough trunk space.

Body roll... not much surprisingly. Maybe it has stiff springs, which explains the crap ride.

Manual transmission shifts excellently! Except on the 2nd day we had it, the shift fork broke... oops! Had to be towed to dealership and repaired under warranty.

Good power.. thanks to the short gearing..even in 5th gear..for the most part downshifting is not required to pass.

That's all i can think of at the moment. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I kinda like those elements also. If I had... just had to drive a honda it would be an element..

My $0.03 on the FJ, and comments on the landcruiser in general.

People nailed it spot on, the FJ is about style on function. Horrible driveability with massive blind spots and not very well built. That's what I'll say without wasting my breath on what could have been an awesome return of the FJ but was botched by toyota...horribly.

I've owned a form of landcruiser since I was a kid, and when we lived in Panama (born there) my parents would always rent one on expeditions through the jungle. With that said, I've had every form of landcruiser from the 40, 60, 62, 80, 55, & 45. The FJ is crap. True FJ enthusiasts would rather take that $25K and find a mint, restored, true FJ40...preferably a 78 or newer with top of the line creature comforts (for that era). You will rarely find a cruiser aficionado driving an FJ or even considering it. And if they do, they're dumping it on trader soon thereafter.

Now if you want a well built monster of a off road truck with all the creature comforts of a luxury car, go for a 1993-1997 FZJ80 Landcruiser with locking front and rear diffs. I give this advice to anyone and everyone that is considering a true truck/suv for expeditions and trail rides, but wants the double of a every day driver. If you gave me a choice between a used but mint FZJ80 w/ lockers for $20K, and much newer model "brand X" SUV I would not think twice andd go for the landcruiser. Like our W124s, they don't built them like that anymore!

I've been selling off my landcruiser collection the last year to replace with an MB collection.

My original fleet:
1978 FJ40 54,000 original miles
1985 FJ60 34,000 original miles
1990 FJ62 202,000 original miles (pictured)

The changing of the guard:
1993 500E 65,000 miles
1994 E320 Touring 70,000 miles
Looking for:
1989 560SL Mint

Sometimes you have to hit the "Refresh" button on cars, and after almost 18 years of collecting landcruisers, I've focusing on MB now

Attached is the last of the fleet. May just keep this one for nostalgic reasons...

Attached Thumbnails

 

I climbed around the new fj at the last auto show....
Everything that was made of steel in the old fj40 is ticky tacky plastic in the phony new fj. Mirrors, grille, front,...just everything was made of hard brittle plastic...
I keep thinking that this FJ was made by MATTEL rather than Toyota.

I was so dissapointed.

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Yep, I saw them at the autoshow last spring. Gimmicky, boutique-like interior. Blew my mind. Toyota??

__________________
'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Honda Element???? Just get a Scion. It's even uglier.

__________________
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No matter how many times you explain it to me, I'm still right.....Surf-n-Turf

****, my life likes that car. We were at the garden center and she witnessed a couple loading up that box on wheels with a bunch of landscape material. Looked into the trunk of her BMW and kinda' laughed...

__________________
'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder