Well, I said I hoped to have a couple of good announcements this week, and here’s the first one:
New wheels for Duncan! Woohoo!
Yes, the 2001 Alero, lemon that it was, finally proved to be just too much aggravation. Takaza has had such good luck with his Element and I enjoyed driving it so much, I figured it would be perfect for my next car. And thus we now have The Box and The Blue Box. Yay!
Congrats!
Okay… If Linnaeus gets one, we need to make a furry Element owners club. You, Dan, me, Tugrik… If Paul gets one, we’ve got the makings of a little clique. 😉
Re: Congrats!
Heh. Once it was Saturns…now it’s Elements.
Furry Element Owners: Sure, we have baggage, but at least we have someplace to carry it all!
Excelent!
Gee, and I just bought a brand new Chevy Cobalt. Thats an “element” isn’t it??
Congrats on the new wheels! *hugs*
Heh, I still remember that Saturn you had when you lived in Joliet.
Aero, are you the way-back machine!?
Huh? *tilts head*
Holy cats! And that was only six or seven years ago? I seem to have picked up an extra gut somewhere along the line.
Married life will do that to ya, I hear.
congrats, seem the universe is a study in extremes today. half my lj friends have really good things going on and half are the other extreme.
glad to be able to count you in the happy group.
it’s Elementary, my dear Duncan
Ok…SOMEone hadda say it…and I’ll bet you’re ashamed it was me 🙂
Congrats on the additional Shoebox! 🙂
Oh noes! Another one!
(Sorry, I still think they’re ugly.) ^.^ Congrats on being happy with your new car, though. 😉
Oh, I won’t disagree that they’re ugly 🙂 But damn, they’re functional, and that makes me happy. And thanks!
And thus we now have The Box and The Blue Box.
…or, in other words, the first two rooms of a very, very versatile apartment. 🙂 Does Honda make a rolling bathroom?
Well, it’s still in the prototype stages.
WOW
You need stylin’ rims now…or at least hubcaps. Thoes steel wheels just don’t to the car justice.
Re: WOW
Spinning rims! Woo!
Actually, the wheels are definitely different from the 2003 model, and I’m afraid the change wasn’t for the better. That’s a pretty low priority to fix, though.
Re: WOW
Go to WallyWorld and get some chrome-like spinning hubcaps! Nothing says “classy” like fake spinners.
Congrats on the new ride!
Re: WOW
Hells yeah!
I think I’m going to see about having it lowered and go for some nice neon effects too. Oh, and I figure if I take out the rear seats I have room for a nice subwoofer.
Pimp my ride, indeed!
Hyuuge tracts of doors!
Yeah, the Element seems a pretty versatile beasty. Those oversize doors are a really good idea, IMHO.
If either you or your mate were an ursine – would that make it the Bear in the Big Blue Box?
I’m ignoring you. La la la la la…
Neat – The Element is not a car sold here in the UK, so I had to do a bit of research. Which was really infuriating – *why* is it that Honda-US don’t seem to publish any sort of useful performance statistics on their website? [I’m thinking 0-60, 50-70 in 3rd, and top-speed here].
Even the PDF specifications make no mention of these essential details. Bah!
Well, the performance is probably going to suck, relatively speaking. The little inline-4 is pretty perky for what it is, but it’s still just a 4-cylinder in the end. Here’s what I found for a 2003 model – there haven’t really been any significant changes since then (for the performance specs, the two numbers are as new, then after 40,000 miles):
Engine type: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 143 cu in, 2354cc
Power (SAE net): 160 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 161 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 101.4 in
Length/width/height: 166.5/71.5/70.4 in
Curb weight: 3371 lb
Performance: new, 40,000
Zero to 60 mph: 8.4 sec, 9.1 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 27.2 sec, 29.9 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 8.7 sec, 9.6 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 16.6 sec, 16.9 sec
@ 84 mph, @ 81 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 193 ft, 183 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.76 g, —
Top speed (governor limited): 110 mph, 110 mph
EPA fuel economy, city driving: 21 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 25 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt
Oh you boys and your rolling boxes… Congrats!
Congrats! It’s kyoot!