The ultimate car for going to the beach

[ian c]

Going to have to say Mitsi Delica 4wd van - The only high clearance van I know with diff lock 4wd (same as Pajero)

Go anywhere, take anything and room to sleep in it.

[Chuckster]

Pitiful Honda Civic for myself...but one of the locals has new Nissan GTR as his ride to the beach..."salt damage?"

[vjete]

This one does the job

[CaptainArgh]

I thought this ad was interesting...

[JS]

Honda Element is my choice.

It's light, compact, efficient, inexpensive and very reliable.

It has a lot of interior space, individual fold-up rear seats, and serious rear legroom and headroom for easy onboard changing. The interior is also easy to clean and doesn't have any carpet or porous cloth to collect water and sand.

It's available in front-drive and 4-wheel drive versions.

I like it much more than my previous X5, and it's about 1/3 of the price (and probably 1/6 of the depreciation and long-term maintenence cost.

Cheers,
James

[MonkeyAir]

Hi JS.
I really wanted an element when they first came to the auto shows but the same problem they had then still exists in a four wheel drive system not designed for actual use in soft sand/tuff off road conditions, but rather a system for safety on icy roads, etc. Also, they don't get that great mileage with the box shape and many trucks which can haul much more are just a few miles per gallon worse in that department. It's a shame as the concept is great. The first test of the 4x4 version in the auto mags said it was crap in sand and just sunk. DARN!!

[BullsShit.com]

I think we should re- think this topic:

To:

What are you able to drive to the beach, if you are able to take time off work,
... etc.

The Hummer is nice, but who can pay for that.
I posted some as well, but I think those are dream machines, except the "lawnmower".

What are we ABLE to drive and what are we using, no matter what, to get to the beach?
(I still got my old van, so...)

[rudeboysaude]

Right.. No dream vehicle here. I wanted a rig I can drive to the beach and have a place for the wife and kid to hang out in comfortably to make trips to the beach easier convince. So I bought an old ambulance with a high top. Then I cut a hole in the roof to add a pop top for full hieght standing and gutted the inside and turned it into an RV. Fridge, stove, sink, all the works. The inside roof has attachments to store my surfboard, locker in the back for wet clothes, storage under the bed that converts to a table.

Most kiters can't afford Sportsmobiles and Hummer, but we can afford old vans and make them what we want. Even VW camper vans are too expensive for the engine in them. This bad boy has diesel power! I did have it for sale thinking I didn't really need it, but with the new baby I'm thinking the Pack and Play will fit in there nicely for days at the beach or snow covered field!

[JS]

Hi JS.
I really wanted an element when they first came to the auto shows but the same problem they had then still exists in a four wheel drive system not designed for actual use in soft sand/tuff off road conditions, but rather a system for safety on icy roads, etc. Also, they don't get that great mileage with the box shape and many trucks which can haul much more are just a few miles per gallon worse in that department. It's a shame as the concept is great. The first test of the 4x4 version in the auto mags said it was crap in sand and just sunk. DARN!!

All fair comments...

Although the fuel economy isn't stellar (I never actually looked up the numbers until just now), it's considerably lighter on gas than SUV's I've driven in the past - most of which are bigger and heavier than the Element, but have less useful space inside.

My recommendation of the Element isn't as an off-roader. Mine is 2WD; I don't drive in sand or mud anyway. I'm partial to 2WD cars because they're lighter, quicker and more efficient than their 4WD counterparts.

In Vancouver we can get at least a day or two of light snow each winter. On those days, I find a rear-drive car without traction or stability control the most fun to drive.

Cheers,
James

[zerogee_ca]

The Honda Fit looks like a great option for the kiter if your not off-roading with it or camping in it.
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/modes.aspx