NEW HONDA ELEMENT
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Car and Driver website visitor rankings:
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| Here's how our visitors have reviewed this vehicle. |
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Average Rating |
| Overall |
8.84 |
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| Vehicle Styling |
8.55 |
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| Braking |
9.07 |
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| Handling |
8.49 |
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| Fuel Economy |
7.5 |
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| Interior Comfort |
8.55 |
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| Acceleration |
7.5 |
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| Dependability |
9.42 |
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| Fit and Finish |
7.97 |
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| Transmission |
8.84 |
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| Ride |
8.66 |
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| Rating Scale: 1= worst 10= best
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| To read other User Road Tests or to submit your own review click here |
(Read more of Car and Driver's review here)
 Summary
What Edmunds.com Says
A specialized Honda that is great as long as you need something so specialized.
Pros
Impressively versatile interior, optional all-wheel drive, smooth four-cylinder engine, styled as if out of a Japanese animation movie.
Cons
Only seats four, clamshell doors hinder entry/exit for rear-seat passengers.
What''s New for 2004
Honda adds an LX model to slot between the existing DX and EX models. New equipment on EX models includes keyless entry, a passenger-seat armrest as standard, and bungee-cord fasteners on the driver-side front and rear seat backs.
Overview
Introduction:
Honda is a company that does its homework and usually doesn''t bring a product to market until it''s fully developed and ready to make a serious dent in the competition''s sales. Everything in its lineup, including the Accord, Civic, CR-V, Odyssey, Pilot and S2000, are desirable products that are well regarded and need little explanation.But drive a Honda Element, and you will likely be overwhelmed by questions by other motorists. What is it? Who makes it? What does it do? Now in its second year, the Element is geared toward young and very active Generation-Y types who want an affordable vehicle that offers flexible cargo-hauling ability along with a sporty persona. It is chock-full of features that make it easy to take the mountain bikes to the trailhead, the surfboard to the waves or the 27-inch TV to the dorm or apartment. Riding on a wheelbase of just 101.4 inches and measuring only 166.5 inches in overall length, the Element is compact, yet the space inside makes it hard to believe that the Element is actually 8 inches shorter in length than a Civic coupe. The secret is in having a tall body (at 74 inches, 8 inches taller than a CR-V), which allows the seats to be higher, providing plenty of legroom for legs to drape over the seat rather than being splayed out. By having no B-pillar and allowing the doors to swing open wide (the fronts open up 78 degrees and the rears pivot a full 90 degrees), a 55.5-inch-wide portal allows bulky items to be loaded with ease. The typical problem with this sort of design is that it usually makes for a weaker body structure, but Honda says it more than compensated for the lack of a traditional B-pillar by, in essence, hiding one in each rear door as a reinforced vertical brace. There''s only one looming question: Who is going to buy one? Are those Generation-Y surfers really going to cough up a sum as high as $21,000 just so they have something new to carry their surfboards? Or, are they just going to keep their ratty compact pickups and spend their cash on new PS2 game releases? The latter seems more likely to us, but there is no denying the Element''s originality and usefulness. Regardless of your age, a trip to your local Honda dealer is in order if the Element''s qualities appeal to you.
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For Pricing information, see Edmunds'' Pricing page. |
Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options:
The four-door Element comes in three trim levels -- DX, LX and EX. With the DX, you''ll get power windows and locks, an easy-to-clean urethane utility floor, removable and folding rear seats, waterproof front seats and a driver seat-height adjuster. The LX adds air conditioning and a CD player. The EX has all of these features plus alloy wheels, cruise control, an additional cargo area-mounted power point, remote keyless entry, power mirrors, waterproof rear seats, front armrests and a 270-watt audio system with MP3 capability. Vehicles with 4WD come with a removable rear sunroof, which, along with the rear privacy glass, allows one to stand up inside the vehicle (with one''s head poking up through the roof) to change into or out of a wet suit.
Powertrains and Performance:
Behind the Element''s bulldoglike snout is the same 2.4-liter inline four found in the CR-V. Boasting Honda''s latest i-VTEC variable valve timing and lift technology, output is rated at 160 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque. The Element is available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations, and can be equipped with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. EPA mileage estimates are 21 mpg city and 24-25 mpg highway.
Safety:
Four-wheel disc brakes are standard. EX versions get antilock brakes as standard and front side-impact airbags as an option. In government crash tests, the Element earned a perfect five stars for frontal impact protection. In side-impact tests, it earned five stars for front occupants and four stars for the rear (but with a higher than normal likelihood of head injury). In frontal offset crash testing conducted by the IIHS, the Element earned the top rating of "Good." In IIHS side-impact tests of small SUVs, it earned a "Poor" rating (the lowest), though the vehicle tested did not have the optional side airbags.
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For more Safety information, see Edmunds'' Safety page. |
Interior Design and Special Features:
Although the Element, at 71.5 inches, is some 3 inches wider than a CR-V, it is configured to seat four, not five. With stadium-style seating for the rear passengers, those riding in back will enjoy plenty of room and high visibility. With the rear seats removed, cargo capacity is a quite impressive 75 cubic feet. Though the wide opening provided by the clamshell doors is useful, using the rear doors is not as convenient as one might think. To open them, the front doors must be opened first, leading to some annoyance for the front passengers as they always have to open their doors in order to allow people in or out of the rear-seating area.
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For more Interior Features information, see Edmunds'' Specifications page. |
Driving Impressions:
Certainly the Element won''t win any drag races, but it does offer peppy performance with enough smoothness to make everyday commuting a pleasant experience. From behind the wheel, the Element feels as tall and boxy as it is. Even with its tall profile, handling is predictable. The steering offers positive feedback and the wide track keeps the Element stable in evasive maneuvers. The only thing that could detract from the fun on the open road is the boxy, high roof that is prone to wind noise and wind buffeting.
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For more Driving Impressions, Recent Articles and Car Awards from Edmunds'' editors, see Edmunds'' Road Tests page. |
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