JBoz
New Member
Hi - so, my quick story. I'm actually not in the market for an Elio, but my 15 year old son is. I told him 2 years ago that he will have to earn enough money to purchase his own car. Even though I have the means, I want my sons to understand the value of hard work. Well, he spent hours researching cars online, looking for the most affordable, economical options...and that's how he became aware of the Elio, and he has been kind of fascinated ever since. So, when the Elio came to Cedar Rapids, it coincided with the fact that I needed to get over to Iowa City for something else anyway, so I brought my wife & son and we made a fun road trip out of it.
So, some impressions that might provide you all with some insights into how this might do when it comes to market.
My son: Loved it. Period. End of story. He's still smiling 2 days later.
My wife: She's very practical, so I assumed she would see the Elio as a bit of folly. I was wrong. She loved the styling, the small footprint, the low price point, and the 84 mpg. She also has a very good business mind, and her immediate impression was "they are going to sell a ton of these." We got home and did the StartEngine "IPO" for $10k.
Me: I don't see the Elio as something that I would want as my personal everyday vehicle because I just like a bit more sheet metal around me and storage room. I sat in both the front seat...very cool, but I felt like I needed more rear visibility than the two side mirrors provided. And then I sat in the rear seat...I am not claustrophobic, and I'm normal sized, but I personally couldn't handle being back there. The feeling that I was trapped was overwhelming to the point of near panic. If we buy one, and I suspect we will, I will never ride in the back. So, that confirmed for me that this is absolutely a one-person vehicle with the feature of a backseat to be used very sparingly and on rare occasions.
So, here is my thought - and a bit of a question. We have 2 teenager sons (15 & 16), both away at boarding schools, and soon college. They come home for the summer, and they need access to a vehicle (they will probably share). So, my wife and I are considering the Elio as a 3rd vehicle. When the boys need to drive for solo trips, maybe they take the Elio. When they need to transport other passengers, they can take one of our conventional cars, leaving the Elio for either my wife or I to drive. My question is whether or not the Elio is an appropriate vehicle for a teenager to operate. One thought that comes to mind is something I read years ago about teen drivers being most likely to have accidents when they are driving around with their friends in the car (probably the distraction factor). Elio kind of solves that, but maybe I'm trying to justify it
Final thought - I agree with my wife. The Elio has the potential to take the market by storm. The price is within reach for many, many people, the styling is cool, the gas mileage is insane. The biggest unknown factors for me are how much fun to drive it will be, and reliability. If it's an absolute hoot to drive, then it will sell. If it turns out to be reliable and mostly trouble free, it will sell. If the Elio nails both of these, it will sell in a very big way. Good luck Paul!
So, some impressions that might provide you all with some insights into how this might do when it comes to market.
My son: Loved it. Period. End of story. He's still smiling 2 days later.
My wife: She's very practical, so I assumed she would see the Elio as a bit of folly. I was wrong. She loved the styling, the small footprint, the low price point, and the 84 mpg. She also has a very good business mind, and her immediate impression was "they are going to sell a ton of these." We got home and did the StartEngine "IPO" for $10k.
Me: I don't see the Elio as something that I would want as my personal everyday vehicle because I just like a bit more sheet metal around me and storage room. I sat in both the front seat...very cool, but I felt like I needed more rear visibility than the two side mirrors provided. And then I sat in the rear seat...I am not claustrophobic, and I'm normal sized, but I personally couldn't handle being back there. The feeling that I was trapped was overwhelming to the point of near panic. If we buy one, and I suspect we will, I will never ride in the back. So, that confirmed for me that this is absolutely a one-person vehicle with the feature of a backseat to be used very sparingly and on rare occasions.
So, here is my thought - and a bit of a question. We have 2 teenager sons (15 & 16), both away at boarding schools, and soon college. They come home for the summer, and they need access to a vehicle (they will probably share). So, my wife and I are considering the Elio as a 3rd vehicle. When the boys need to drive for solo trips, maybe they take the Elio. When they need to transport other passengers, they can take one of our conventional cars, leaving the Elio for either my wife or I to drive. My question is whether or not the Elio is an appropriate vehicle for a teenager to operate. One thought that comes to mind is something I read years ago about teen drivers being most likely to have accidents when they are driving around with their friends in the car (probably the distraction factor). Elio kind of solves that, but maybe I'm trying to justify it
Final thought - I agree with my wife. The Elio has the potential to take the market by storm. The price is within reach for many, many people, the styling is cool, the gas mileage is insane. The biggest unknown factors for me are how much fun to drive it will be, and reliability. If it's an absolute hoot to drive, then it will sell. If it turns out to be reliable and mostly trouble free, it will sell. If the Elio nails both of these, it will sell in a very big way. Good luck Paul!
