Out of our element

For all the talking we did for a while there about getting an old Airstream or other old RV to take on our dream road trip around the country, the truth has slowly dawned on us that we might not be RV people. They can be tricky to drive, for one thing, and while it's nice to be able to sleep on the road without a hotel, neither of us likes to go long without a good hot shower. We'd be stopping in motels anyway. And they're expensive, RVs, and costly to drive too.

For a long time I've thought a good compromise might be the Honda Element. It's not an RV, but it seems like a good road trip car: very roomy, with a power outlet, an iPod jack and other features that might be handy ... plus the back seats fold down perfectly flat, so in a pinch you could sleep in the car, maybe semi-comfortably. Pretty good mileage too.

Kaye has one of these cars and likes it a lot (they're pictured above). She picked me up in it for our Pink's hot dog date, and she let me drive it around Belmont Shore when we visited for dinner. It didn't have a ton of power, but otherwise was comfortable and easy to drive. I could see it as the M&M road vehicle.

I didn't really pursue it, though, because Michelle has said she doesn't like the car's quirky looks and felt like it was neither fish nor fowl. If you're not going with an RV, she has said, might as well take the Jetta. Good point.

But now Michelle has had some trouble with her car and she went out yesterday to look at a used pickup truck. She came back nearly sold on the Element, which I think she avoided buying only because of some bait-and-switch shenanigans by the salesman.

So we'll see. Anyone else have any experience with these things?