Driving Impressions

The Honda Element comes with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder that's used in the Accord. It's as sweet as any Honda engine, which means it revs freely and has good low-end torque. As long as you shift gears at a respectable rpm the engine provides plenty of power with the manual transmission. And you'll want the manual transmission for its delightful shifter, mounted up in the dashboard, just like in the latest rally cars. We didn't find the automatic transmission to be as much fun as it reduces the funky feel of the Element. Element is a front-wheel-drive vehicle so there is a touch of torque steer, that tugging of the steering wheel under hard acceleration, but it isn't a concern. A bigger issue was wheelspin in the wet. Step on the gas, and it's easy to spin the front wheels on front-wheel-drive models, particularly in the rain. All-wheel drive cures this. The ride quality is bouncy. From an engineering standpoint, the Honda Element is basically a re-bodied CR-V; and the CR-V is built on the same platform as the Honda Civic. The Element has a slightly wider track than the CR-V, and 16-inch wheels, which help it handle curves better than one expects of such a tall vehicle. Speaking of tall, the Element's ground clearance and ride height are sufficient for primitive roads, but this is not an off-road vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. Nor is it supposed to be.

Final Word

The Honda Element is an attractive proposition for someone who wants a genuine utility vehicle that behaves like a car. There's no denying the usefulness of its versatile interior. Although the federal classifies the Element as a truck, it's really a modern station wagon masquerading as a hip-looking van. Looks are part of the attraction here. You'll either like the Element or hate it. We liked it and found it appeals to people of all ages.