Aches, Pains, Blood Flow And The Canadian International Auto Show
Best Mercedes-Benz Ever: W124 E-Class
Coming home from a long bike ride today, I kept looking at the cars parked on the side of the road... Read More
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I spent a good chunk of last Saturday with my best friend at the Canadian International Auto Show. And as any auto show will do, it makes you think long and hard about the things that matter in life. And those things range from concession stands to cars to kids.
First off, there were outrageous prices at the concession stands, for pizza no less! Sure, that's a given, everyone has to make a dollar, but they don't let you take in a bottle of water -- the necessary component for life. It would have made my blood boil except my friend paid for the pizza. A prince he is.
Then there were throngs of people climbing in, on and around vehicles of all shapes and sizes and configurations and powertrains from almost everywhere on the planet. And these people were here to be entertained, to shop for their next car or to fantasize about that car or truck they want in their garage. Why? So they can one-up their neighbor who just got the chrome 21-inch wheels and likes to flaunt it in your face.
Or better yet, so they can rub it in their spouse's face every time that gas swilling engine is fired up in the morning, as every revolution of the engine and thrum from the exhaust ricochets around the neighborhood, causing said spouse to ruminate angrily with the thought that this is money that could have gone to something useful, like retirement funds or bathroom fixtures or a eventual hip replacement surgery.
So what does any of this have to do with aches, pains and blood flow? More than you'd think.
Aches and Pains
Since I decided to end my life 2 children ago, I began to look at cars in a different light and I began to approach car shows differently and see them for more than glitz and glamor. I see them as places where I can dream and come back to reality, and still spend quality time far away from the little youth-sucking, hairline-razing appendages known as my children.
I now have many more aches and pains than I did 10 years ago, and some of these are child related. Removing car seats, carrying 700 rolls of toilet paper from the big box store into the house, schlepping gardening equipment and whatnot in and out of the vehicle. So what do I want in a car that will make it pain free, apart from heated seats? Well the next few cars listed here will show what I deem as necessary in vehicle. After that, we'll get to the blood flow part.
When my friends and I looked at this oddly shaped vehicle, we thought it was interesting, and of course it reminded me of my time spent in Germany where this was the painter/plumber/fix-it guy's car. But there were the odd families who used this as a day-to-day wagon. And I thought what a great way to schlepp your kids to school or wherever with the ultimate dork car. And given the limited configurations available, the back area behind the 2nd row of seats would make for a great punishment area for when little Bobby asks "are we there yet?" for the umpteenth time. We won't speak about power from the 2.0-liter engine, or handling. There is nothing to speak of. But you can haul a ton of stuff from the big box store in this thing.
Honda Element
This is an old design, no matter how you slice it. But it too is a box on wheels and it's a nice box on wheels, at least from the inside. Don't mistake it for a minivan, like the Mazda5 or Kia Rondo or the upcoming Ford C-Max from Europe. This is strictly a 4-seater. You really shouldn't take a fifth person. But you sit up high enough, the gauges are Honda clear, the seats are nicely bolstered and comfy, and in typical Honda fashion, the switchgear is really nice. It ain't cheap, but it has a quality feel to it. Tons of cargo space especially when you lift up the rear seats, and I like the split rear hatch that lets you have a seat on the tailgate. I think it's clever. The only things that make me hesitate about this vehicle are the narrow slit of a front windshield that seems far away, the merely adequate power from the 2.4-liter 166-horsepower engine, the fact that it's an old design, the high step-in height (I am thinking of my little kids and my sore back), and lastly, the relatively high price, even if it does come well equipped. But I do like this thing.
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