(Getting them unhooked is just as challenging.) This is something Honda will have to improve upon in coming versions.Īlternatively, you can also remove the rear seats-but that's an even bigger pain in the tuchus, but preferable if you really use your Element for cargo. If you have a Hungarian weight lifter nearby that's all the better, because it requires a fair amount of strength to secure the seats. The first is to fold the rear seats up and hook them to the sides with a metal clip. If you need the Element for cargo, you have two options. The Element comes with two, permanent front seats, and two variable rear seats. The back seats fold so many ways, we lost count. After you bring home your new rhododendrons, you'll be able to just sweep out the back instead of lugging out the vacuum. The floor is also a rubberized material, making it easy to clean up spills or dirt. That makes for dramatically easier loading and unloading of junk. Open the side doors, and you have easy access to the entire interior of the vehicle. It's the same level all the way from behind the front seats to the rear hatch. The floor in the Element is nicely thought out. But since this is a new design, it's something to keep an eye on. It could be that we got a pre-production model, or it could be a problem Honda will eventually fix. One concern: The doors on the Element we test drove were already rattling along the joint where the front and rear doors meet, making us wonder about the long-term integrity of these doors. The low floor and easy access are especially great if your dog is old or small and has trouble jumping up onto a tailgate of a traditional wagon or SUV (Note to Honda: Not that we would ever allow a dog in a test car). You open your door then open the back door, and the pooch just steps right up into the back. Note to dog owners-the floor is very low and flat, and that front opening rear door is perfect for old Rover. For the passengers in the back, that can be a real hassle when the time comes to get out. The doors do require that you open the front door before opening the rear door. Instead, just flip open the doors and toss in your junk behind the front seat! It's also very easy to get into the front or the back. There's no need to walk around the back door. We found this design to be great for loading packages. So, if you like, you can open the front door and the smaller rear door, leaving a huge opening for getting stuff into the vehicle. Honda incorporated the B pillar, which is normally between the front and rear doors, into the front opening second door. The Element is an extremely versatile vehicle. We had no trouble parking or maneuvering the Element in city traffic. The effect is to make you feel like you've got all the room you could possibly need for stuff, but not to make you feel like you're driving a truck. Much of the sense of space inside comes from the Element's unique interior design and its height. Believe it or not, it's six inches narrower and 20 inches shorter than an Accord sedan. We didn't measure stopping distance, but the Element seemed to stop more quickly than other vehicles at this weight.Įven though the Element has a ton of room inside, it's not a large vehicle. The Element's brakes are better than average for a heavy 3,500-pound car. Overall, we thought it handled very well. Of course, if you corner aggressively it will lean, but around normal corners there's no problem at all. It doesn't have sports car handling, but it stays flat enough in turns that you never have to plan for 'coming about' like you do in some tall vehicles. The version we tested also came with all-wheel drive, which provides bad weather traction. Acceleration is great, and there's plenty of power in the four-cylinder, 160-horsepower engine. In other words, the Element does exactly what you want it to, and you don't have to think about it. The Element driving experience is excellent and very much what you would expect from a Honda.

The base model has a suggested retail price of only $16,100. The EX version we tested came fully loaded, including all-wheel drive and automatic transmission, for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $20,850. But unlike the Microbus, the Element is safe, plenty powerful, heated and cooled inside, and it'll start every day. That, too, was cheap, funky, and very practical. In terms of its place in the car universe, it reminds us a bit of a modern day VW Microbus. It's cheap, exceptionally utilitarian, and comes with Honda reliability. The Honda Element is part wagon, part SUV, part psychedelic milk truck. Good: versatile, plenty of power, great price.īad: rattling doors, seats are difficult to remove 'It's an incredibly utilitarian vehicle that's got it all-all-wheel drive, plenty of power, funky looks, and a low price.

Honda element cars