Out of My Element

DISCLAIMER: This is my blog, so I write about my opinions, experiences, and thoughts. This is not me telling you how to live your life. I am merely reflecting on mine.

So, I'm about two years in with the Honda Element. It's an OK vehicle - decent in the snow, holds my stuff. It's a bit of a tin can on the highway, its underpowered, and the mileage could be better for its size, but it's a Japanese truck. Well, actually a truck sitting on a car chassis.

But that's not my issue. I convinced myself I was OK driving a foreign car. And, at the end of the day, I'm not. I live in SE Michigan, an area devastated by the collapse of the American car industry. I know many people who've lost jobs, houses, and lifestyles as a result of this. I have many family connections to the industry, going back to my great-grandfather who was a foreman at the original Fisher Body in Pontiac.

Yes, I know my Element was built in Ohio by UAW workers. And yes, I know it created jobs in the supply base. But at the end of the day, I feel disloyal for driving it.

On top of that, it's a Japanese truck. I've always felt that the Japanese could really never figure out how to make a truck properly. There's something that's never quite right. Sure you hear of the occasional solid entry -- the old Toyota FourRunners or Isuzu Rodeos -- but most are destined for mediocrity. Recently, I had the opportunity to ride in a friend's Chevy 4x4 pickup. Ahhh -- that's right, this is how a truck should work! Felt the same way in my uncle's (retired Ford tool & die maker, btw) F150 last Spring.

So, it looks like the shopping list for next time is the F150 or the GMC full-size offering in an extended cab. Seats four when needed, mileage these days is nearly that of my Element. And, no foreign-car induced feelings of shame. Plus, if I can score that deal on a drift boat...

-Sean-