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2004 Honda Element

SagaLore

SagaLore

Elite Member
Well, my Neon is getting worse and I've been visiting dealerships the last couple of days. Came across a 1998 VW Jetta Wolfsburg edition, talked them down just under $10,000 after tax and tags. Took it for a test drive - the engine seems to vibrate too much, I noticed this same thing with the 98 VW Beetle I drove the day before. This car has everything, but I wasn't quite comfortable in it.

So I'm getting some financing numbers together, had to wait awhile, and started eyeing the Hondas (this is a Honda dealership). I really like the way the Elements look. Decided to get in one... decided to drive it around the lot... oh what a sweet car!

We talk about leasing and such - I could lease this for 4 years, then finance the remaining after that. I get my financing numbers back, and the bank won't approve 5 years for the 98 VW since it's a 98, and the payment would be over a hundred more per month than what the leasing would be for the Element.

This would be perfect for carrying all my computer/network hardware around in... and whenever I'm doing home projects... and for camping... and it's a Honda, so it will hold it's value. My concern was that I usually get a cheap used car for 3 years and drive it until its dead, then I have to buy another one. The VW being a 98, could die in 3 years, even though I paid 10k for it. So maybe the best route is just to get the new car after all...

Wow long post. So anybody else drive an Element?
 
Personally, I think they're awesome.

Most around here will disagree. Only because it's the thing to do, though. So don't pay any attention to them. If it is what you need, go for it.

I saw a Scion xB today. It looked pretty sweet. You might want to look into that, too.

threadjack

Oh, I also saw a Nissan Titan at tacobell. Man, what a sweet truck!

/threadjack
 
IMHO, it is the definition of fugly, and I also couldn't ever see myself buying a Honda, but if you've got enough self confidence to drive one of those things, more power to ya.
 
My friend owns a 2003 Element. Awesome vehicles. ( Wouldnt call them a car 😉)
Amazingly roomy inside, decent fuel mileage. Might buy one myself next year.
 
Originally posted by: supafly
IMHO, it is the definition of fugly, and I also couldn't ever see myself buying a Honda, but if you've got enough self confidence to drive one of those things, more power to ya.
Click to expand...
Well, as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

That said..

Whatever. The only thing wrong with it is the color mismatched plastic cladding. That's the only thing that makes it look strange.

If you get a good color scheme, like grey/grey, it doesen't look bad at all.

I agree that they should do away with the strange color scheme, but other than that, it is not a bad looking car at all. It may look pretty boxy.. until you look at something like the xB. Then you notice its (rather nice IMO) curves.

When Honda redesigns the Element, they should combine what they already have with the best of the xB and the Nissan Cube, do away with the strange color scheme.. and they'll have a real winner.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
When Honda redesigns the Element, they should combine what they already have with the best of the xB and the Nissan Cube, do away with the strange color scheme.. and they'll have a real winner.
Click to expand...

And a freakin sunroof over the front seats!
 
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: supafly
IMHO, it is the definition of fugly, and I also couldn't ever see myself buying a Honda, but if you've got enough self confidence to drive one of those things, more power to ya.
Click to expand...
Well, as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..

That said..

Whatever. The only thing wrong with it is the color mismatched plastic cladding. That's the only thing that makes it look strange.

If you get a good color scheme, like grey/grey, it doesen't look bad at all.

I agree that they should do away with the strange color scheme, but other than that, it is not a bad looking car at all. It may look pretty boxy.. until you look at something like the xB. Then you notice its (rather nice IMO) curves.

When Honda redesigns the Element, they should combine what they already have with the best of the xB and the Nissan Cube, do away with the strange color scheme.. and they'll have a real winner.
Click to expand...

I agree, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is why I prefaced it with IMHO. The more of them I see on the road, however, the more I do get used to them. I just don't get the boxy car fad (Element & xB) 😕
I'm sure they're practical, and if that's what one is looking for, then go for it.
 
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
Click to expand...

Define underpowered. Many people seem to uset hat to describe economy cars and I'm beginning to think most people have a distorted definition of what it means.
 
Stick with your drive it 'til it's dead policy.

Splurge on the $5 ice cream instead of the house brand, don't fvck up your financial future over a car.

Viper GTS
 
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
Click to expand...

Define underpowered. Many people seem to uset hat to describe economy cars and I'm beginning to think most people have a distorted definition of what it means.
Click to expand...
Less than 0.05HP/lb? 😕

lol

I dunno. It weighs in at about 3500lbs. 160HP and 161ftlbs isn't that bad......

It weighs about 300lbs more than an Accord EX Sedan. I guess that's quite a bit, but it isn't going to be the difference between an easy highway merge, and having to stomp it a good 500ft before the merge......
 
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
Click to expand...

Define underpowered. Many people seem to uset hat to describe economy cars and I'm beginning to think most people have a distorted definition of what it means.
Click to expand...
The reason I would describe it as "underpowered" is because it is a spacious vehicle meant to carry passengers/cargo, and although I don't know for sure, I would imagine that it would huff and puff up a mountain when fully loaded down. I drove one (with just the salesman and I in it) and I found it to be slow. Not dangerously slow or anything, but slower than I like my vehicles to be. This was a FWD auto. I don't imagine the AWD or manual versions are any quicker.

For the daily commute and most around-town applications, the power is adequate, but for a vehicle I would often use to go camping etc., I thought it was wanting for power.
 
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
Click to expand...

Define underpowered. Many people seem to uset hat to describe economy cars and I'm beginning to think most people have a distorted definition of what it means.
Click to expand...
The reason I would describe it as "underpowered" is because it is a spacious vehicle meant to carry passengers/cargo, and although I don't know for sure, I would imagine that it would huff and puff up a mountain when fully loaded down. I drove one (just the saleman and I) and I found it to be slow. Not dangerously slow or anything, but slower than I like my vehicles to be. This was a FWD auto. I don't imagine the AWD version is any quicker.

For the daily commute and most around-town applications, the power is adequate, but for a vehicle I would often use to go camping etc., I thought it was wanting for power.
Click to expand...
You're probably right. Fully loaded, a mountain grade would probably have to be tackled in 3rd or 4th gear.

Hmm.. yeah, I agree. It is a bit underpowered for what it is designed to be used for. The AWD would suck even more power away.

If they only had the 240HP V6 as an option... It would be pretty sweet then, especially with AWD.
 
If you're "killing" newish cars in only 3 years then please go somewhere to learn how to properly operate a vehicle.

Element is a good utility vehicle.
 
Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Stick with your drive it 'til it's dead policy.

Splurge on the $5 ice cream instead of the house brand, don't fvck up your financial future over a car.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...
$20k isn't really risking your financial future. Unless you make minimum wage and have 4 children.

I would just buy it and skip the leasing BS.

Why do people always call entry level economy cars "underpowered". Do you expect every car to have 300hp?
These cars are very adequately powered for their size and price. Go find me a 16K-21K economy car that pushes 200+ hp out of the box. You won't find one unless it's turbocharged. Even then your choices are limited.
 
Originally posted by: DougK62
If you're "killing" newish cars in only 3 years then please go somewhere to learn how to properly operate a vehicle.

Element is a good utility vehicle.
Click to expand...

He was talking about killing a MY98 car in 3 years. Chances are a MY98 car was made in 1997, so it could be more than 7 years old at this point. And in 3 more years, it will be a 10 year old car. Also, being previously owned, who knows what kind of abuse the car could have been through already.
 
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: BigSmooth
It's underpowered, and the styling is polarizing, but they are certainly very practical vehicles. My coworker loves hers.
Click to expand...

Define underpowered. Many people seem to uset hat to describe economy cars and I'm beginning to think most people have a distorted definition of what it means.
Click to expand...
The reason I would describe it as "underpowered" is because it is a spacious vehicle meant to carry passengers/cargo, and although I don't know for sure, I would imagine that it would huff and puff up a mountain when fully loaded down. I drove one (with just the saleman and I in it) and I found it to be slow. Not dangerously slow or anything, but slower than I like my vehicles to be. This was a FWD auto. I don't imagine the AWD or manual versions are any quicker.

For the daily commute and most around-town applications, the power is adequate, but for a vehicle I would often use to go camping etc., I thought it was wanting for power.
Click to expand...

When you get right down to it, though, it really is not designed to carry many people or heavy loads. I can't find a GVWR figure on the Element, but towing capacity is only 1500 lbs and there is only seating for four people. Despite the "rugged outdoorsy" theme of their marketing materials, it is really just a rehashed station-wagon Civic. It's not meant to be fast, it's not meant to make you think twice about buying a Land Rover Defender or Hemi Ram, it's not meant to haul lots of people or cargo.

I don't see what's wrong with not being able to go up a steep grade in 5th gear.

I guess I view underpowered as "Scary merging in traffic." It shouldn't have a problem doing that, even with 4 people in it.
 
Originally posted by: SampSon
Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Stick with your drive it 'til it's dead policy.

Splurge on the $5 ice cream instead of the house brand, don't fvck up your financial future over a car.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...
$20k isn't really risking your financial future. Unless you make minimum wage and have 4 children.

I would just buy it and skip the leasing BS.

Why do people always call entry level economy cars "underpowered". Do you expect every car to have 300hp?
These cars are very adequately powered for their size and price. Go find me a 16K-21K economy car that pushes 200+ hp out of the box. You won't find one unless it's turbocharged. Even then your choices are limited.
Click to expand...
Never said anything about price. If they offered a V6, I would of course expect the price to go up. It's definitely a good value all things considered.
I just think in a vehicle meant to carry lots of stuff, there should be a more powerful engine. If this were a car, sure, the engine would be fine. It even does OK in the CR-V. But you can jam a ton of stuff into the Element so I think there should be either a torquier, more powerful standard 4-cylinder or an optional V6 to move all that stuff around a little easier. That's what many vehicles in this segment do.

As for "finding" a car for you, you can easily get a 200-hp V6 Escape, one of the Element's most direct competitors, in my area for less than $21K. I'm not saying I would take an Escape over an Element, just saying that other carmakers do offer more power.
 
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