I think the designers missed out on that one. IMO they are right up there
with the pacer for just dumb ugly. The purpose was spot on-young, outdoorsy,
adventure Jeep crowd. But you have to offer something besides utility. Older
smarter folks don't care as much about what it looks like as what it does,
but young folks want something they can show off. A jeep is an icon. So is a
pimped-out Integra. But what does an element say besides nerd? If they made
it with a interchangeable softop and hardtop, put a mean ugly grill on front
with a half-dozen lights, aggressive wheels, something other than a box with
a bunch of plastic panels (again, I'm approaching this from a
twenty-something perspective, no offense to anyone who owns one) they could
reach a larger market.

BTW, all the neighborhood kids love my vanagon; they've never seen one and I
could sell it here in a heartbeat. If I put alloys on it and lowered it, I
would have to chain it to the house or it would be gone the next morning.

Nathaniel

On 12/22/06 12:01 PM, "Mark Tuovinen" <mst@AK.NET> wrote:

> Unfortunately for me young single women had not discovered Jeep onwership when
> I was driving them in the early `80's.  Now that I am older, married, and no
> longer have a Jeep I see many driven by women.  At least the cute young lady
> at the coffee stand down the street thinks my Vanagon is neat.:>)
>
> It is true that the Honda Element missed its target market of young California
> Surfer Boy's, while I know many young people that like them it is the `40 and
> up group that are purchasing them.
>
> Mark in AK
> Assistant Parts Manager
> Continental Honda and Acura
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
> Date: Friday, December 22, 2006 10:28 am
> Subject: Re: "Granny Cars" (Element, Scion, etc)
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>> The jeep was always intended for a young demographic; all style
>> and little
>> utility. Its a four wheel drive two-seater convertible. Singles or
>> couples.And women LOVE trucks. A small rig like the jeep is just
>> the ticket.
>>
>> Nathaniel
>>>
>>>   Another vehicle that surprises me by having an odd 'driver
>> demographic' is
>>> the Jeep.  Whenever I see one of the 'old style' traditional
>> smaller jeeps...a
>>> cj or something...it is almost invariably driven by a young
>> woman on city
>>> streets..Wassup there?
>>>   Don Hanson
>>