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Comments
As far as acceleration goes:
Edmunds.com - xB - 9.0
Consumerguide.com - E - 8.8 (2wd 5M)
Consumerguide.com - E - 11.4 (AWD 4A)
Honda - E - 9.8 (2wd 5M)
So in reality, the AWD Element is actually slower than the xB. Despite it's bigger engine, it's got over a thousand extra pounds to lug around. And gets 10 less miles to the gallon.
The only reason the element feels like "more car" is because it's a lot bigger and heavier. It carries twice as much cargo, but transports less people, and has less space for those people.
Again, I don't see why someone would buy an Element over the xB (styling notwithstanding) unless they needed to carry more cargo or feel more secure in a larger vehicle (the true curse of the SUV). And the price difference is just a bonus.
Saw the crash tests on Dateline, I was disappointed with the Element's performance. Both front and rear passengers were in bad shape. The IIHS simulates a taller SUV or pickup hitting it from the side, unlike NHTSA.
The much lower-to-the-ground Forester earned a Good score, though side chest/head air bags are standard. The Escape did well only with the optional air bags, Poor without them.
Pretty solid argument for getting side air bags. For the most part, the dummies without them suffered near fatal levels of impact, and with them they were generally unharmed.
-juice
I was all over the Xb until I found out it was a reshaped Echo. As much as I love the Echo, I was hoping for a little more.
And I too hate the center mounted guages.
The score that hurt the Element most was the torso score (poor). Honda's side airbags should improve that.
Muffinman - I agree on many points. The Scion is a good little buggy. The engine may be a tiny little screamer, but the weight advantage over the Element is huge. The content levels are very comprehensive for such an inexpensive vehicle.
I dunno about faster, though. MT clocked a 2wd 5 speed at 8.1 seconds. While the AWD models are slower, I expect that the Element will end up the drag-strip champ.
The truck was parked on top of a wooded mountain where mountain bikers park their vehicles while they ride. It looked like it belonged there.
-jim
-jim
varmint - hard to find much info on 0-60 tests for these cars online. I need to go through my magazines. But I think that the AWD and the xB are going to be pretty close. I would not want to drive either in automatic.
I drove a couple of Echos. One from D.C to Atlanta. I handled the hills on I-81 great. It was nowhere the penalty box that a car that small would make you think. And the stereo ROCKED.
Maybe Honda will make side air bags available on more models, maybe even standard.
-juice
If I could do it; anybody could.
G
I saw a green one on the freeway this evening and it looks really nice. My husband thought so too, as long as he doesn't have to wear BDUs or other OD green clothes again. I still haven't seen a blue one.
I'm not too concerned with numbers and which car gets to 60 first (especially if there are only hundredths of a second separating them). All I'm concerned with is will it get me on the freeway safely, will it climb up the mountain I live on, get out of my driveway in winter and will it be reliable for a 200,000 plus miles. If it can be easily cleaned up after a muddy wet dog, that's a definite plus.
They could also be getting more inventory. Dealers here always have a few Elements but they are not the same ones we saw the week before. And are you sure they are the same? Honda only has 5-6 different colors for the Element so it's very possible they are selling old and getting new in. But if they are still the same old Elements I know where to go buy mine. Atlanta dealers won't budge off of MSRP. LI isn't THAT far away.....
The seats in the Element are perfect for long trips. I found they provided ample support.
My wife, daughter, and I and all of our belongings for a week fit in the Element nicely. I had extra room as well.
Got a rock chip on the windshield coming back
. Luckily it was on the lower black part of the windshield on the passenger side, so can't even tell.
Well, gotta go clean the bugs of the Element. Bye
Steve, Host
I was looking at the 2WD or 4WD EX model. Has anyone done any towing with this vehicle? I am planning on getting a wave runner in the near future and I was wondering if it could handle it.
On a road trip I hit a dip and fragged the oilpan on my 95 Infiniti Q45, but did not find out about the damage to the pan until the next day when my engine siezed up. I was quoted 4k to drop in a used engine so I said forget it! The next day I was Element shopping.
Color was tough...I really like the satin silver exterior but I prefer the darker(and blue-free) interior of the shoreline, orange etc..
Thought about shoreline but I'm biased against anything in the beige/champagne family so silver it was.
My local dealer had just what I wanted: Satin Silver 5spd EX 2wd. I would have strongly considered the AWD 5spd but it's not available in LA yet and I really don't need AWD. I go skiing a couple of times a year and the roads are usually clear anyway.
If you are going back and forth between the auto and 5spd, really consider the 5spd. It's one of the slickest. smoothest shifting manual trannies I've ever driven. The gear ratios are perfectly matched to the torquey 2.4. It really ups the fun quotient of the little E.
An observation concerning 2wd traction: The other night I had 4 people in my E and I was driving up a steep hill up towards the Sunset strip in Hollywood under dry conditions. I was getting a ton of wheel slip every time I had to start again. I guess with a heavy load any front wheel driver would be at a disadvantage going up a steep hill but that incident had me wishing I had AWD. In wet or icy conditions forget it..I would not have made it up that hill.
So my local dealer had what I wanted...and they were selling me so hard I could not believe it..I walked to think it over and I'm glad I did.
The next day I called the internet dept of a few other dealers in the area just to compare and the first one I got on the phone said he could get me the car I wanted for 17,900.
Feeling a little committed to the local dealer(Honda of Santa Monica) whom I had been seeing since the E first came out in December and who had given me numerous test drives, I asked if they could match that. I would have preferred to buy from the local dealer but they would not deal.
Worse, instead of a simple no they gave me the runaround for hours! Finally when it was clear that they were trying to get more money out of me I went to the farther dealer (Airport Marina Honda) and picked up my E.
I love this thing! Everyone seems to give positive feedback on this little SUV. I have a swim/lifeguard business and I'm sort of the swim instructor to the stars here in LA so I drive this thing up the driveways of the rich and famous and everyone seems to think it's the coolest thing around.
Whew, sorry for long post but thinking about the Element gets me excited.
rockymtelement - thanks for the trip report! Also glad that it isn't as bad as I thought it might be in wind. I don't mind a certain amount of feeling the wind (didn't mind driving a '76 van) but sometimes I get quite white knuckled with the Wrangler. As long as it is better than that, it should be OK for us.
Whether it is all coincidence or an actual problem is up to you to decide I guess.
As for the windshield, we had a RAV4 which had a similarly vertical windshield and we put 2 windshields in it over a 3 year period. One happened the same way. Went to the bank one morning, no cracks. Came home. Left for dinner and there was a 6" crack in the windshield.
don't want the same xperience with the element, especially since it is in the back and i will never ever use it. Give me a heads up on if the sunroof is of any value or any trouble...thoughts please...Peace out.
babyarm
After 6 months all the problems should have surfaced by now. There was windshield cracking problem caused by some metal bump that has to be ground off. The drivers seat can start to rock a bit and needs new bushings. That's the main ones but I don't have any problems at all. If any rattles start I know where to look. The accessories are expensive so smart people got aftermarket or went to the online discount houses.
link (pdf file)
I like the ball peen hammer illustration :-)
Steve, Host
Anyway, do those plastic panels on the oustide hold up? It seems to me they would scratch and gouge very easily. And has anyone actually tried to spend a night sleeping in the "beds"? I think it would be better not to advertise that one.
Seems like a good auto for my lifestyle, three big often wet, muddy dogs, lots of hiking and a frequent need to haul large items.
Mtngal, I'll bet the Element won't whip into a parking space like a Wrangler.
Parking it should be a breeze.
-juice
Look who's driving design (Christian Science Monitor)
Steve, Host
The turning radius is impressive. The salesman I drove my Element with for the first time told me to pull over to a parking lot and do a u-turn. I thought, big deal, but when I actually did it. . .cool!
The only problem is now I'm am tempted to do u-turns more often. : 0
If you really want to doze in the Element (as I do) you lift up one or two of the back seats and use the nice flat floor with a pad. I'm over 6 feet tall and it works fine for me.
By the way I thought the back sunroof kind of pointless until I watched the stars while camping in my Element. It is a dream come true and an experience few get to experience.
I am completely out of the Element demographic. I'm a middle aged divorced male and I think this vehicle is the best I have ever owned. Interestingly, my dealer told me that most of his Element buyers are closer to my age than 26.
It's fun, cocky, entirely practical, esay to drive and park and has design touches that are completely remarkable. Designing of the rear tailgate for secondary use as a covered bench comes to mind. Finally someone designed a car from the inside out, rather than vice versa.
Today as I was I cleaning the floors with a wet towel (YES YES YES) I wondered "why did it take a manufacturer so long to realize that people actually use cars for stuff that will get them dirty".
Honda took a big gamble on this one. I hope they win big time, they sure deserve it.
The big question, Abetterlife, is - can you reach the radio with your toes when you're sleeping in the Element?
Steve, Host
BTW: I'm glad they designed the Element for 26 year olds. If they would have designed it for my age group, they wouldn't have put in that kick butt 270 watt stereo system with subwoofer. Probably think we all listen to Frank Sinatra instead of Devo, Led Zeppelin, the (early) B52s and Yellowman. That killer stereo (and AC which they conveniently leave off the DX) is definately worth the price of admission to the EX version.
Now my Element beefs. No way to turn off the "key in ignition when door open" beeper. That means you can't open the doors and play the stereo or run accessories without listening to that obnoxious beeper. Makes no sense at all. Should be put on a one minute timer. Or maybe I'm missing something.
Passenger door doesn't unlock when driver unlocks door with key, even though they are power door locks. What gives with that besides motivating you to buy remote unlocking accessory, which should have come with EX anyway. And why no power lock switch on passenger side?
The battery is the tiniest thing I have ever seen. Doesn't look like it can last very long running accessories. Heck it hardly looks big enough to run a flashlight :-) This type of vehicle should have a beefy extra heavy duty battery to run your stuff, including that stereo, for hours on end.
Last, but not least. The radiator is WAY too exposed to road hazards. I can't believe Honda didn't simply put a screen in the big air hole in the lower front that direct air (and rocks) right into the radiator. Heck, I'd even buy one if they even sold an aftermarket one. Mud flaps and side steps I can do without, radiator protection I need.
The radiator is just a few inches off the ground and is totally exposed to everything the road can throw at it. When I looked at it (after reading a post in this forum) I said "What in the world are they thinking. This is not like Honda at all, they'll get a lot of unhappy buyers from this."
Honda needs to fix this immediately.
I'm gonna figure out a way to screen it off. I've looked for aftermarket solutions and haven't found any as yet. A ridiculous oversite in an otherwise excellent design.
There was talk about the same issue with the CR-V, an exposed radiator, that is. My Miata is the same way - pretty wide open. Aftermarket vendors have stepped in, you can get all kinds of screens for it.
Or, make your own, they use alumunum screening.
-juice