Martha Smith Review
for Editing and Publishing April 12, 2012
Recently, I began shopping
for a newer car that would meet the needs for my job. I am a Rural Carrier
associate and deliver mail to people who live in the country. In the van I was
using, I had to reach out the right side of the car while sitting on a board in
the middle of the two front captain’s chairs. Straddling the console, I would steer
with my left hand, operate the gas pedal and brake with my left foot and put
the mail in the box with my right hand. Sometimes at the end of the day, my
whole body felt as if it had been beat. So a different car became a priority.
During my search, I had
looked at the Jeep Cherokee made by Chevrolet and the Ford Explorer, but could
not find one that was customized with right-hand drive capabilities. Most of
these SUVs now have a large floor console with gear shift in the console. I had
to have one with the gear shift on the steering column and one where the
console could be removed. Finally, my son-in-law found a car dealer that had a
Honda Element. It was perfect. It had been
reconstructed with steering wheel, gas and brake pedals on both the driver and
passenger sides of the car.
This Honda Element is
a nifty little car. It is made like a box: square back, sides and the
windshield tends to be more vertical than other cars. With sun-roof, electric
windows and doors, my Honda will let me open windows from either side and open
and lock the doors from either side. This is a great feature for someone who
has to sit on the right side of the car. It has four doors but the back doors
will only open when the front doors are opened. This could be considered a good
thing if children are in the backseat. It might not be so good if the front
doors ever jammed and the people in the backseat needed to leave the car.
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Having to deliver mail in all kinds of weather,
4-wheel drive is a really nice addition and this Honda has that, too. Gas
mileage has been great, even with the braking and accelerating every two or
three hundred feet. There is no carpet anywhere in this car. The seats are water-proof
and the floors are covered with a washable mat. Being easy to clean is only
one good thing about the interior, however. The back doors open opposite the
front doors so when both are opened, (there are no center posts) there is
about six feet of open space which allows a person to place very large boxes
or parcels into the cargo section of the car. The back seats are removable or
can be laid down flat. This roomy back compartment is just the thing during
the Christmas holidays since people ship large packages at Christmas. We mail
carriers have to deliver these packages. Using our own car causes problems
when packages can be the size of bicycles or doll houses. I was thrilled to
see that I would have room for all the packages in one trip with this car. One
reviewer put it this way: “The versatile Honda Element is a boxy, compact
crossover whose tall styling makes up for modest overall length. Originally
pitched as a dorm room on wheels for college-age folks, the Element also appeals … because of its easy entry and exit and
spacious interior.” The Honda Element
is priced at $20,000 new. The one I purchased is a 2005 and I got it for
$6900 – truly a God-send. Now my van can be my back-up vehicle, a necessary
luxury for all rural carriers.
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