Full Test: 2003 Honda Element

[NFS4]

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/honda/element/100201260/roadtestarticle.html?articleId=93319&tid=edmunds.h..reviews..3.*

 

[radioouman]

I hate that Element. I'm working a replacement anchor for the bumper. (In testing, the bumper was ripped off when driven through puddles at high speed!!!!)

 

[Cuda1447]

Originally posted by: NFS4
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/honda/element/100201260/roadtestarticle.html?articleId=93319&tid=edmunds.h..reviews..3.*

Its a shame they used such a cool name on such a crappy car!

 

[CraigRT]

I'm not sure what to call that thing... innovative? either way... it's still a bomb, it looks absolutely terrible, inside and out. 🙂

 

[KGB1]

My uncle sold his last car (Lincoln Town Car '99, and before that a 90 Town Car) He was looking into getting an SUV kind of vehicle. He's been looking into the New Honda Pilot, Element, and Nissan Xterra. He likes the Honda's alot. Plus he has 2 kids, seems an Element will fit him nicely; 🙂


Also I drove the two Town Cars he had before. I felt like I was floating on air when I was driving it. 🙂

 

[SithSolo1]

Some drivers liken the Element and its driving position to a "mini-Hummer," and that is not an altogether unfair assessment.

Pahahahaha! ROFL! The on thing that the vehicle and a hummer have in common are the number of wheels they have. 😀

 

[Jzero]

Plus he has 2 kids, seems an Element will fit him nicely; 🙂

'cept those suicide doors might be a PITA with kids. He may be better suited to the CR-V.
I really love the Element. I'm hoping over the next couple model-years they'll improve on the design of the composite fenders and provide some better options like a kayak rack. Hopefully by the time I'm ready for a new car in a year or two, it will be a good choice and cheaper. I really like the way it looks. I guess I think an SUV *should* be boxy. I've always loved the Defender, especially the 9-passenger 110, and this has a similar shape. In fact, a safari-style cargo rack would be kinda cool.

 

[KokomoGST]

For the active young buyer... yeah...

Actually, I know some people that are the rock-climbing, Whole Foods shoppin, trail-hiking, outdoorsy types. They would buy it. Honestly though, there's not too many young buyers that actually fit that category.

It'll be good for the many poseurs though... I bet you'll get more older folks that want the utility portion without the size of a bigger SUV. Those compact/midsize SUVs are a joke in terms of utility. The Element definitely has one up in that category. I'd still look at a PT or Matrix though, they're not as fugly.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Plus he has 2 kids, seems an Element will fit him nicely; 🙂

'cept those suicide doors might be a PITA with kids. He may be better suited to the CR-V.
I really love the Element. I'm hoping over the next couple model-years they'll improve on the design of the composite fenders and provide some better options like a kayak rack. Hopefully by the time I'm ready for a new car in a year or two, it will be a good choice and cheaper. I really like the way it looks. I guess I think an SUV *should* be boxy. I've always loved the Defender, especially the 9-passenger 110, and this has a similar shape. In fact, a safari-style cargo rack would be kinda cool.

It looks very functional.

 

[MrBond]

Cool-looking or not, the composite body panels seem to be a weak link of sorts. The Element we drove had only 7,000 miles on the odometer but the hip-looking composite material was peeling and discolored around the fuel filler door and into the side of the rear bumper ? not cool.

I can verify this. I saw an Element last week when I was up at U of M, the plastic body panels already looked horrible.

Even if they were painted, it's too boxy for me, plus you can't open the rear doors without opening the front doors (who was the genious behind that?). It has some great ideas (the swing away seats) and tons of cargo room (more then an xterra!), but I'd like to see some design changes before I buy one.

Oh yeah, make mine AWD too 🙂

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
For the active young buyer... yeah...

Actually, I know some people that are the rock-climbing, Whole Foods shoppin, trail-hiking, outdoorsy types. They would buy it. Honestly though, there's not too many young buyers that actually fit that category.

They pretty much got a bunch of marketing chimps together and said "Let design a car for the under-25 male outdoorsy person." And at the end of the day they coughed up the Element.

I hate feeling like a target market, but as a 23-year-old male kayak-surfer, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

I have mixed emotions about its success. I'd like to see it do it well because I really think it's cool, but there is a part of me that would like to see it completely bomb so that I can have dealers practically begging me to take it off their hands.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: MrBond

Cool-looking or not, the composite body panels seem to be a weak link of sorts. The Element we drove had only 7,000 miles on the odometer but the hip-looking composite material was peeling and discolored around the fuel filler door and into the side of the rear bumper ? not cool.

I can verify this. I saw an Element last week when I was up at U of M, the plastic body panels already looked horrible.

Even if they were painted, it's too boxy for me, plus you can't open the rear doors without opening the front doors (who was the genious behind that?). It has some great ideas (the swing away seats) and tons of cargo room (more then an xterra!), but I'd like to see some design changes before I buy one.

Oh yeah, make mine AWD too 🙂

The EX model comes with real-time 4WD or whatever the heck Honda calls it.

Edit: Actually I think 4WD is available on both the DX and EX come to think of it. But the 5-speed 4WD is not yet available.

 

[MrBond]

The EX model comes with real-time 4WD or whatever the heck Honda calls it.

So they do. I saw the little text below the name in the review saying it was a 2WD EX model and assumed that was the best they offered.

I really hope this boxy car trend isn't happening all over again. Toyota's new kiddie brand, the scion, has some FUGLY box on wheels version that they think will be popular with all the kids. I can't imagine anyone wanting to drive one here in the states though.