Yeah with the element ( think they are great vehiles BTW)  it's weakest
link is the missing door beam on account of the suicide rear doors. You
don't have that issue whith the CRV on the same chassis. 

JP Burdett | Product Marketing Manager
Spotwave Wireless Inc. 

Tel: 613.591.1662 Ext.297 | Fax: 613.591.8107  | Mobile: 613.294.8942
1 Hines Road. Suite 204 Ottawa ON. CANADA | K2K 3C7
jp.burdett@spotwave.com  |  www.spotwave.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of BJ Feddish
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 12:28 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Vanagon Safety and Honda Elements

Both of these topics have me interested.  I have an '04 Element and an
83.5 Westy. Last weekend my whole family was in the element and we came
really close to being broadsided at a light at 50 mph. The other driver
never saw the red light.  I'm still getting chills thinking about what
would have happened if we were hit in the Element.  I was thinking maybe
we would have fared better in the Vanagon, I don't know.  My question is
though, are the newer (1986+) Vanagons safer than the 80-85's?

Thanks,
Bryan

(Feel free to cc me, I'm in digest mode...)