mmarshall

^^^^^^^ (full-body-color version)



















IN A NUTSHELL: The classic Interior Jack-of-all-Trades.

In the aftermath of the enormous success of the Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, and other compact (C-Class) crossovers in the late 1990s, Honda decided to introduce a very interesting derivative of the basic CR-V platform, using the same FWD/RWD drivetrains/chassis, but a totally different body and interior. Built from the model years 2003-2011, this new vehicle and its body and interior, known as the Element, would not only be quite boxy and space-efficient inside (in the automotive world of physics, it is hard to beat the space-effieicncy of a box), but would include such features as rubberized floor-coverings, water-resistant trim/door-panels/seat-uphostery, and other materials that would make interior cleaning a cinch. Under the hood, the CR-V's 2.4L in-line non-turbo four and 166 HP/160 ft-lbs. of torque, choice of 5-speed manual, 4 or 5-speed automatic (depending on model year) and choice of FWD/AWD were used. Although not a dedicated off-roader like the Land-Rover Discovery, the Element's interior had more or less the same theme...use it in wet/sloppy weather or snow/mud, let your kids/dogs/cats drag in as much mud or dirt on their shoes or paws as they could pick up, drop their ice-cream cones on the seats, and simply wipe-up or hose-things-out to clean them, although I wouldn't advise using the hose too near the electric wiring under the dash to clean the front footwells. Not only that, but you could, of course, take home a new Element for a far lower price than anyLand Rover product, and, in those days, before the recent drop in quality, Honda, unlike Land-Rover, was considered one of the top names in the industry for vehicle quality and how well it was assembled.


Even in those days, though, Honda was not perfect, The Element, being based on the CR-V, shared many of the same issues/recalls, the most notable of which were defective oil-filters used at the factory and the notorious defective Takada air-bag-sensors....the sensors, of course, not being a Honda design. Some people criticized the way that the Element used a huge amount of gray cladding on the outside, particularly on the fenders, in addition to the usual places on the lower-body and inside/around the wheel-wells, which left comparable little room for the actual body-color paint itself. Later models of the Element offered more traditional body-paint on the fenders for a more monotone-look. The shoe-box styling provided good interior space, but, like other shoe-box designs from other manufacturers, from the blocky aerodynamics, impacted a little on EPA mileage ratings over comparable sedans/coupes. So, while it was certainly easier on gas than typical SUV standards, it wouldn't necessarily win economy-runs per se, particularly with the heavier AWD models, which put more weight and drag on the engine.

Even aside from the classic space-efficiency of the Element, there were also a number of other things I liked about it. The dash/instrumentation/controls were dead-simple, non-nonsense, and easy to use...particularly compared to what have to deal with today. The interior had several different side-panels that could be folded in different directions for different needs/uses (see the images above). Even with some noted recalls, it still exhibited the famous (for the period) Honda/Acura assembly-quality and longevity....an ex-co-worker of mine and his wife bought a brand-new one some 15 years ago, and it is still almost like new. Me and a couple of friends of ours used it to help him and his wife move several miles into a new house, and, trust me.....it carried a lot of things stuffed onto it. During the move, I got to sample its road-manners, behind the wheel, both with and without a full-load. He and his wife are still quite attached to it, and probably wouldn't sell it even if you offered them more than full-KBB value (which, at this age, isn't going to be much). When they bought it, he told me he would have preferred (which I agreed with) to have the nice burnt-orange color (with the gray cladding)...but that color either wasn't in stock or very hard to acquire, so they settled for second-choice.....a somewhat military-looking olive-green color.


As aforementioned, the Element lasted in the American market until the 2012 model year...production was ended in early 2011. By then, numerous other compact C-class crossovers had been introduced with more advanced safety-features and/or economical drivetrains. But few, if any, could equal the Element's space-efficiency inside. The Kia Soul, Scion xB, and Nissan Cube had the classic shoe-box space-efficiency and good reliability, but were all three smaller than the Element, and the xB, like several other smaller Toyota/Scion models of the period, had the quirky center-mount speedometer/gauges on the dash that were, IMO, inconvenient for the driver. The Toyota FJ Cruiser shared much of the interior space-efficiency, Retro-styling, and hose-it out character, but was larger, more expensive, and, like the 4Runner platform it was based on, a dedicated truck-based off-roader. In short, the Element was a true One-of-a-Kind vehicle that we might not see again in the American market...perhaps there is a reason my friend and his wife want to hang on to theirs.

And, as Always, Happy Vehicle-Memories.

MM

TriC

I always loved the utility of the Element and would probably buy one if the right stick shift unit with max body paint ever presented itself.

Wandl

Test drove one and it was surprisingly fun - while it was loud and (I think) a tad underpowered, you get pretty good reliability for a unique car!

mmarshall

There was some talk (and a rumor) not long ago about an updated version of the Element being put back into production, but it apparently turned out to be a hoax.

mmarshall

It was loud probably for two reasons. First, because of the large open space behind the driver, which tends to amplify road noise like a drum (that's a problem with a number of vehicles of this type), and, Second, because of the materials used to line the floor and walls, which are not necessarily designed for insulation, but for easy cleaning.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

most hondas tend to have noisy interiors, and this was intentional to give driver feedback of the road (at least that's what honda stated haha).
i love the element and it's suicide doors! such a neat little box, and i'd take one with a manual any day! i'd swap the engine for a type-r and have fun revving it high!

ArmyofOne

I always wanted one of these as a mobile detailing rig for my business.

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

If I ever wanted to be a Uber driver I would buy a Element since it has the stain resistant floor that might come in handy for easy cleanup.

UDel

It was a nice package and came in handy for many professions. I thought it was interesting in how configurable the interior was and the fact that you could hose it out. It would be a great camping vehicle because you can fold the seats totally down and sleep in it, great for like a dog grooming vehicle because it can be hosed out. I just wish they made one a little more rugged looking with at least 200hp.