Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:50:57 -0400
Reply-To: Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris S <szpejankowski@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: VW's New Chattanooga Plant
In-Reply-To: <084D42DC270F4863ACC71242D85C2830@cspfr2>
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And I've been kind of taken by the Element, but.. thanks for a dose of
reality!
I was ready to buy the new VW Microbus, (
http://www.knology.net/~vw/microbus/), even timed my car purchases so I
could get it, but... it is not to be.
I'll reserve my judgement about the Routan until I see/drive one. Isn't it
the ultimate dose of automotive irony though? The company that actually
invented the genre (1950 Microbus) is depending on the company that stole
that claim (1984 Minivan) to have its minivan built.
Chris S.
On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 8:24 AM, B Feddish <bfeddish@netreach.net> wrote:
> >> Agreed. Was checking a Honda Element today. Rubber floors, boxy,
> versatile. You could throw a mattress in there and sleep. I think
> there is even a Poptop conversion kit for those things.
> The new Beetle worked - VW seems never to miss an opportunity to miss
> an opportunity here in the US. <<
>
> Last August I traded my Honda Element for an '03 EV MV and have not looked
> back. The first issue is now I get the EXACT same gas mileage (crappy) but
> with a giant comfortable van instead of an econobox with a "peppy" 4-CYL.
> Let's see what else, Google the term 'Honda Element Blind Spots' and watch
> all the pages appear. I almost hit someone test driving it and thought it
> was a fluke. Then spent the next few years almost hitting someone. That
> 'A'
> pillar up front is so large it will hide a pregnant lady with a a shopping
> cart. Hmmm what else. Park that car in regular parking space and open the
> "cool" suicide doors. OK, now you are trapped in between 2 open doors with
> your family. But wait, there's more. There is a cool sunroof except It's
> over the back of the car. It's so surfers can change into their wet-suit at
> the beach. Very useful. The stereo with it's 15 woofers is great for
> hip-hop but little else. The final real secret is revealed when you go to
> sell it. Don't look at what they are selling them for but what they
> actually
> SOLD for. When I went to sell it the dealer would not buy it and a guy who
> sells used Hondas told me to get it of his lot.
>
> When I bought the car I thought it was Honda's 'microbus' because it was
> very utilitarian and somewhat inexpensive but as a family car it really
> falls short.
>
> Bryan
>
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