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Discovering Something Different From Honda

08.30.2008 · Posted in Home and Garden Articles

I don’t usually like change. Alright…I hate it. Change is bad is a mantra that I can’t keep from repeating over and over in my head. So it’s no wonder that I never embrace new products immediately. I typically can’t imagine why I would need it. I never have before, right? rnrnIf that seems logical to you…congratulations! You think brilliantly like myself. If not, then fear not! You are in the vast majority. When it comes to new and different in the car industry I find that it occurs far less often than designers would like to think. Most vehicle designs evolve at a very slow, accepted pace. (Probably to accommodate the very line of reasoning that opened this discussion). rnrnBut sometimes evolution jumps ahead and the car designers throw something out that is so different from the other offerings that it’s shocking! My initial reaction to these “shockers” is to dislike them instantly. (Again…the issues with change in general). Sometimes my instant dislike is followed eventually by a general, acceptable dislike based upon actual qualities of the vehicle. But sometimes I’m wrong. Can you believe that? rnrnAnd I can admit when I’m wrong; no problem! So to prove it I’m here to note two vehicles that initially garnered my instant, knee ****, negative reaction that are still around and still going strong: the Ridgeline and the Element. Both are manufactured by Honda and have developed quite a following! rnrnAt first I couldn’t place the Ridgeline…car or truck? But as time went on I realized that even thought it went against the grain to accept it; most people don’t have a great need for a truck in their lives. They might like the idea of a truck. They might like the traditional look of a truck. They might like to be able to throw a piece of furniture in the back now and then and cart it home from the store. But on the whole, on a day to day basis, they spent all their time in the cab. So the evolution of the truck offered by the Ridgeline is perfect for many. You get the opportunity to access the “bed of the truck” but you don’t feel like you’re driving in one for the rest of the time. It’s perfect for many. rnrnThe Element was a stand out design. And I mean that literally. It stood out on the road. Other vehicle designs were embracing the curvy, and the fluid and the Element popped out looking definitely boxy. But it broke up the dominant look and made a space for itself. It still stands out on the road. rnrnBoth the Ridgeline and the Element are examples of seeing what’s out there and coming up with something new and fresh. The ideas have obviously been embraced by the drivers of America as you see the vehicles traversing our city streets and highways at regular intervals. So even though I typically hang onto the traditional…I have to admit that the edgy and new can really get under your skin and solve a lot of your problems before you even realize they were there. And that’s something I can definitely appreciate.

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