Scion XB
- Thread starter Brandon Rice
- Start date
Larry Rutledge
Fest Master
Barry_Green said:
Well, technically, you can use a hose as long as you hold it at the front and point it towards the rear. But no, you really shouldn't "hose" it out as there are many electronics in the vehicle that could be adversely affected. In fairness to the salespeople, even they kept correcting me when I referred to "hosing it out".
And, no, I haven't been brave enough to risk hosing out my own personal vehicle...I use a swiffer (sp?) to clean the floors and inside walls/doors.
I can see the reasoning behind this...but for me automatic was necessary as I commute ~100 miles each way every day for work, in stop and go traffic.
Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
Barry_Green said:
Ha ha, you clearly do not sit in the kind of traffic we do here. If I had a manual transmission, my left leg would have been worn out and amputated by now.
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
I want a square meal. I'm thinking box lunch.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Apparently the transmission was designed to have a sixth gear all along; they just didn't include it.vidled said:
Some guys on ElementOwnersClub.com have figured out how to drop the tranny, pop it open, drop in the OEM sixth gear parts (Honda sells the parts directly, so it's not really anything more than fulfilling the transmission's original purpose) and then bolting everything back together. Not exactly a mod I'd feel comfortable undertaking, but for someone with mechanical capability it's reportedly not too difficult; several EOC members have done it and include step-by-step instructions and photos on how to do it.
Barry_Green
Moderator
There are towns where an automatic is mandatory; driving in SF was very tedious with a manual.Mark Harris said:Ha ha, you clearly do not sit in the kind of traffic we do here. If I had a manual transmission, my left leg would have been worn out and amputated by now.
But the Element is optimized towards mileage with the automatic, which means it's really slow. The automatic actually gets slightly better gas mileage than the manual, because the automatic uses a very high final drive ratio.
So, if you need an automatic, go ahead; I'm just saying that the manual is so much faster it's like having a V-8 as compared to the automatic version, even though it's the same engine.
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Wow, all this stuff is really interesting... I keep looking at used vehicles... and the Element is always 3-4k more than the XB... I am kinda strapped for dough right now... I have 8k left to pay off on my Tc, and I am going to put it on the market for 14k, but probably will get around 13 for it. I don't want to go into too much more debt for another vehicle... and a low mileage Xb is like 13-14k where a low mileage Element is 16-18k.
jeremytuttle
Well-known member
Has any one had any experience or thought of the Toyota FJ Cruiser?
I like what you guys are saying about Honda Element but I'm a big Toyota fan. I'm pretty sure the gas milage will be worse then the Element but it looks more rugged. Any thoughts?
I like what you guys are saying about Honda Element but I'm a big Toyota fan. I'm pretty sure the gas milage will be worse then the Element but it looks more rugged. Any thoughts?
Larry Rutledge
Fest Master
I like the look of the FJ Cruiser, but that interior photo is the first I've seen of the inside. Just don't know how much room it has. It certainly looks like it has less headroom, but looks a little wider.
Barry_Green
Moderator
FJ looks pretty good, I thought about one of those, but it costs more and gas mileage is a lot lower. If you need a lot of 4WD capability the FJ will definitely be better than an Element; Element's AWD is for fairly mild use.
jeremytuttle
Well-known member
Yeah, I just looked at FJ prices and they are a little step. When they first came out they were priced really low now it looks like they are a hot commodity. I do like the 4x4 aspect to it.
Larry Rutledge
Fest Master
Barry_Green said:
Interesting...cause if there was one complaint I have about the Element, it's the fact that it only comes with a 4-cyl engine. Sure that gives me the better gas mileage, but it'd be nice to have the option of a soupier version.
Oh well, guess if I wanna race I'll have to buy something else
Rick Meyer
Veteran
jeremytuttle said:Has any one had any experience or thought of the Toyota FJ Cruiser?
I like what you guys are saying about Honda Element but I'm a big Toyota fan. I'm pretty sure the gas milage will be worse then the Element but it looks more rugged. Any thoughts?
I have to say that I am a little in love with the FJ cruiser. I think its a very sexy SUV. But, I couldnt wait for it to come on the market and went and got the CR-V. But, I have looked inside the FJ, (just peeking in through the window) and it looks like there is a lot less space than the Element. But G-Dang, its hot.
jeremytuttle
Well-known member
It does sound like the element has more room and the sun roof option sounds nice. I've also thought about the Xterra, but it is almost as expensive as the FJ. I like the option of being able to climb a snowy hill or cruise through the desert to get a shot and I am not sure if an Element could deliver that... am I wrong?
Larry R said:Interesting...cause if there was one complaint I have about the Element, it's the fact that it only comes with a 4-cyl engine. Sure that gives me the better gas mileage, but it'd be nice to have the option of a soupier version.
Oh well, guess if I wanna race I'll have to buy something else
I wonder how tough it would be to drop in a more powerful engine...
Rick Meyer
Veteran
jeremytuttle said:
Well, the Xterra is really cramped inside. I wouldn't even consider it. I looked into one back in February and quickly realized it had lousy space inside. The FJ, albeit sexy, and with probably enough room for most things, doesn't seem like the choice to get solely for using it 4 all terrain. To me that would be the least consideration. I wouldn't get it to drive across the dessert or climb a snowy mountain. The odds of that ever coming in handy is a million to one.
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Mike McNeese said:
I've had BAD experiences with VW's... I had a 97 Jetta GLX (VR6) and it always had mechanical issues.