Different or an Old Trend?

The “Honda Element” is not what you would call a new design. It is different yes, there’s no arguing that. But is it in-fact a new design that Honda came up as an original that they could call their own? Well, not quite. If you thought thoroughly about the “Honda Element’s” structure you would notice the fact that the “Honda Element” is indeed an old trend coming back. About fifty-sixty years ago (give or take), the primary structure of most cars was boxy. Boxy frame, boxy lights if you’re getting it, it’s not a completely original design. Why do you need to know this? Well in my own opinion, I think it was a small mistake on “Honda’s” part for the car they made.

They created a cars image that was an image of almost all cars some years ago. But that style died, and for a reason I would guess because…those cars weren’t all that sharp. Meaning that “Honda” did this just to put a car out there. They make a car that has an old trend, but they don’t even make a single thing about the car special or unique in any way. Just to clear that up (and I heard a rumor from somewhere that the Honda Element in-fact was designed following the prints of a old milk truck…weird).

Questions that will be answered

What is the MSRP for a 4WD EX Honda Element (highest model)?

How does the car handle?

What options are available?

What caliber of safety is this car of?

Will this car last/is this car a worth while investment?

Is this car fit for me and my mid-sized family?

Handling

Handling is what you would expect of a car of this size. I turned, stopped, went and parked. Truly I couldn’t find anything special than that of the Honda Civic. The only thing that did shine was the four wheel drive, it started better and it seemed to pull itself up hills effortlessly. Also, I have lived in numerous states of varying climates on the east coast. And I can tell you by personal experience, it is a good thing to own a 4 wheel drive car when a blizzard rolls in (specifically Pennsylvania).

However the handling is not quite affected by the 4 wheel drive as much as you would think. You DO NOT stop better, turning is not affected to a point you could notice and the car doesn’t park tighter or is easier to maneuver. Of course, 4 wheel drive doesn’t make you godlike so if you don’t need 4 wheel drive, save some cash and go a different direction.

Driving the “Honda Element” is like a mix from driving something as a go-kart (extremely maneuverable, and very easy to control and responsive), or a Hummer (bulky, heavy, not as responsive, or something that can start and stop as quick). So in the middle would be the Honda Element (Excellent starting, good stopping, good turning, great parking, fairly maneuverable and quite responsive).

Handling is what makes this car a worthwhile burden to let a good 20,000 dollars out your pocket. Great in all categories, and starts very well if you are purchasing the 4 wheel drive EX(DX).

The Interior/Comfort and the Others

I must say, it is a beautiful interior (especially with black leather seats and a silver dash board). It’s a very modernized interior and I greatly approved of it. The dashboard, the instrument panels and gauges were placed very well. If anything I would praise Honda for their work on the interior of the Honda Element. And if you pick the EX with the proper accessories and options, the Element’s interior is a thing of beauty. Except the flaw of comfort…

Comfort: Well, just because it’s nice looking, doesn’t mean it has to be comfortable. And in this case, it couldn’t be anymore true. After a few minutes of sitting in the driver’s seat (the seat that should be made with the most comfort since the driver is the driver) my butt was friggin’ soar. I would shift from side to side to help, but the seats are just way to stiff.

Whether I was spoiled from more comfortable leather seats I don’t know. All I know is the Honda Elements seats could have been more comfortable, and definitely would have been better if they actually were more comfortable. I can’t find a huge difference with the fabric and leather. But I think I can feel the fabric absorb slightly more therefore being softer, and more comfortable.

Others: Well, there are some attractive catches that come with the Honda Element. Such as the complete folding seats (front and back), why you would ever want to fold all the seats down I don’t know, but it’s cool right because it’s there and you can go ahead and do it for fun.
And then there is the folding out doors (a new thing Honda has done), which open out in opposite ways. What does this do!? It does…nothing, it might save some space of clearance between the front and back seats, and it allows you to open the entire car for yourself if you were planning to vacuum it, or have it inspected (whatever you want).

Engine/Mileage

I fought myself wondering whether or not I should mention the engines power, because if you were even interested in purchasing this car the last thing you would have considered would be the engine. But hey, it would be nice for you to have a vague peek at what the Honda Element’s engine can provide so…it’s your average sized 6 cylinder engine, maybe a little smaller than a normal 6 cylinder engine because it is 2.4 liters (displacement), and I was surprised to find out the Honda Element was not a weak engine. It just wasn’t special with it’s fair torque and 160 horse engine. From looks alone you would think a car such as the Honda Element would be a weak sedan, but…it’s not.

Checking my mileage with the Honda Element, I was getting a good 30-35miles per gallon. You can consider this good, since I drove about in the city with a lot of stop go traffic. Also to mention, this car is four wheel drive. Getting the two wheel drive model would raise you gas mileage considerably (but don’t forget you’ll be sacrificing control for distance).

Well the car is fair for it’s gas mileage, but in the end it’s just good. Because the car is most definitely not fuel conservative (or have a hybrid/4 cylinder engine), so don’t expect to be amazed. You’ll get best performance with this car if you live possibly in the country (flat land), don’t have to much uneven land to navigate, or forced stops (traffic lights, intersections).

Safety

Safety is an extremely important factor in a car (especially one on the nimble side). I am glad to say that the Honda Element is fairly safe (with no awards, or 4 star awards), considering the way it was created.

If you notice the passenger/driver side doors, you’ll see that they open out with no reinforcements (it can make someone to wonder what a side impact would do to the car/people inside). Well the car’s doors are in-fact very secure. When you close the doors steel beams inside the doors lock together (go ahead and try to nudge them open or try and pull to make them sway, Hondas employees will let you do as you please if you feel the need to prove something to yourself [and you are willing to buy it if you break it]).

Then there are some safety features that are most definitely found in all cars of good quality. Such as the four wheel anti-lock ABS brakes, and brake/turning assists (all so vague that you would never know it was there unless someone was to take it away). In my opinion, all good cars have this, and Honda has made a good car that is safe enough to sustain damage, while being versatile enough to never have to be in that situation. (By the way, don’t be cheap, get the front-side airbags and all that I mentioned, since all of it is an added safety option).

Options

-4WD Automatic Transmission/Front-Side Airbags
-Nighthawk Black Pearl Exterior
-Side Steps
-Door Visor
-Sunroof
-Security System
-Fog Lamps
-Wear Tough Floor Mats
-Burnt Black Leather Seats
-Black Interior
-Powered Windows
-AM/FM and CD Player
-Air Conditioning

“Most of the things mentioned were completely optional, while others were your average package that would come with the car.” (These are not my options, but the options of the car I test-drove to see what the element was all about).

MSRP: $22,138
Not bad for a car that seats four.

Wrap Up

To make it simple, there is always some specific part of a car or trait that makes it stand out (a Hummer is big, a Yugo is crappy, and a MINI is small and fuel efficient). As far as the Honda Element goes, the master trait would be cargo space. For such a small car, the cargo space is unbeatable. It is just about as big as any SUV trunk, and definitely bigger than any SUV trunk that has a third row of seats hogging room.

So there you have it, the Honda Element, an amazingly average car. Made by the people at Honda who were trying to think outside the box…but all they did was make a box.

I hope you enjoyed this review, and that it will be useful to you at sometime/place.

Amount Paid (US$): 22,138
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: Honda Element 4WD Automatic Transmission/Passenger Side Airbags/