Wanted Honda Element AWD

Not an Element, but I bet Toyota sells the hell out of these.
Wouldn’t be a bad rig if you didn’t do any off road stuff and just want to hop from beach to beach or put a tube in the back and get decent mileage.
SF

www.toyota.com

2026 Corolla Cross | Toyota.com

Explore the 2026 Corolla Cross, a crossover that stands out with sharp style, a comfortable ride, and smart safety features that turn every trip into a story to tell.
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We bought the AWD hybrid Sienna last year for my wife. Rear seats fold into the floor (agree it would be better if they came out completely and use that storage space). I removed the middle seats, but you have to install a resistor in the airbag connection once removed so that the computer thinks the air bags are still there. But with that and some plywood, screws, and carpeting, she sets up a cot, blacks out the windows, and camps out of that on road trips. And with the hybrid, we're seeing 32 mpg which gives us over 500 miles of range on a tank of gas.
 
NukeLDO said:
We bought the AWD hybrid Sienna last year for my wife. Rear seats fold into the floor (agree it would be better if they came out completely and use that storage space). I removed the middle seats, but you have to install a resistor in the airbag connection once removed so that the computer thinks the air bags are still there. But with that and some plywood, screws, and carpeting, she sets up a cot, blacks out the windows, and camps out of that on road trips. And with the hybrid, we're seeing 32 mpg which gives us over 500 miles of range on a tank of gas.
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Nice sounding rig.
It’s interesting that Toyota only offers it as a hybrid from what I can tell when they changed body styles in 2020.
SF
 
Zak said:
My 2010 Forester is loud, too.
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It must be endemic to Asian cars. My wifes Rogue sounds like the road is coming through the floorboards when things get rough. Otherwise we have to turn the stereo up a bit for the highway.
My coworker has one of the big new Hyundais. His biggest complaint is road noise, too.
 
wanderingrichard said:
It must be endemic to Asian cars. My wifes Rogue sounds like the road is coming through the floorboards when things get rough. Otherwise we have to turn the stereo up a bit for the highway.
My coworker has one of the big new Hyundais. His biggest complaint is road noise, too.
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Getting new better tires helped reduce the noise (Continental Cross Contact, great tires!). I have a Thule rack on top that probably increases wind noise significantly. My wife's Highlander is much quieter.
 
wanderingrichard said:
It must be endemic to Asian cars. My wifes Rogue sounds like the road is coming through the floorboards when things get rough. Otherwise we have to turn the stereo up a bit for the highway.
My coworker has one of the big new Hyundais. His biggest complaint is road noise, too.
Click to expand...

It's not endemic to Asian cars as most manufacturers' cars suffer from road noise (especially from crossovers or SUVs). Getting better tires, like Zak mentioned helps a lot.

Quick search shows that, based on one testing, there are a mix of manufacturers from different countries on the list: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/the-quietest-cars. If anything I'm surprised that Ford and Chevy aren't on the list.
 
cedarslug said:
It's not endemic to Asian cars as most manufacturers' cars suffer from road noise (especially from crossovers or SUVs). Getting better tires, like Zak mentioned helps a lot.

Quick search shows that, based on one testing, there are a mix of manufacturers from different countries on the list: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/the-quietest-cars. If anything I'm surprised that Ford and Chevy aren't on the list.
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New Ford f150 trucks are almost too quiet. In fact, they are so quiet that drivers accustomed to engine sounds may be turned off by the fake noise. The Mustang and F-150 pick-ups are equipped with Ford's Active Noise Control system, which magnifies engine noise through the speakers.
 
NukeLDO said:
We bought the AWD hybrid Sienna last year for my wife. Rear seats fold into the floor (agree it would be better if they came out completely and use that storage space). I removed the middle seats, but you have to install a resistor in the airbag connection once removed so that the computer thinks the air bags are still there. But with that and some plywood, screws, and carpeting, she sets up a cot, blacks out the windows, and camps out of that on road trips. And with the hybrid, we're seeing 32 mpg which gives us over 500 miles of range on a tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Love it! What year is your van?
 
NukeLDO said:
We bought the AWD hybrid Sienna last year for my wife. Rear seats fold into the floor (agree it would be better if they came out completely and use that storage space). I removed the middle seats, but you have to install a resistor in the airbag connection once removed so that the computer thinks the air bags are still there. But with that and some plywood, screws, and carpeting, she sets up a cot, blacks out the windows, and camps out of that on road trips. And with the hybrid, we're seeing 32 mpg which gives us over 500 miles of range on a tank of gas.
Click to expand...
Now you just need to add a GTRV pop top!

CB872B51-0184-4C1F-AF4A-74B974441CD9.jpegC3BFB0A5-93B9-4049-A862-E7405FE3ACAD.jpeg
 
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Richard E said:
I'd do that if 1) I lived in a dryer climate (where the canvas wouldn't get wet, and/or 2) I had a garage with sufficient ceiling height where, when I got home after a wet trip, be able to 'pop the top' and let it air out and dry. My nose doesn't like that musty PNW funk from canvas put away wet. :)
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After several decades of living in Central WA, I tend to forget about the rain, LOL!
 
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