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2004 Honda Element
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| Pandora's Got an Element |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:28:26 |
| Rating |
 259 ( -1 -0.38% ) | | Author | Brian Chee |
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Description:
2004 Honda Element
Pandora's Got an Element
Writer's Notes
Honda Element
MSRP: $16,100 - $20,850
MPG: 21/25
Safety Features
Element meets or exceeds the highest rankings possible for government front and side impact safety tests (five stars) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal offset crash tests (good performance). To accomplish this, a smart-linked unibody structure is used that is designed to progressively absorb energy and isolate the passenger cabin from forces. The lack of a B-pillar is compensated for by a network of cross members, door braces and the use of high-tensile steel, and a hook and catcher system to protect the cabin just as well as if it had a B-pillar.
Inside, the supplemental restraint system features standard dual-stage driver's and passenger's front airbags, available side airbags with Occupant Position Detection System, and the LATCH system for installing child seats. Front seat belts feature dual pre-tensioners that pull the lap and shoulder belts toward the occupant in the event of a collision.
What's New for 2004:
New LX trim level adds popular features to DX trim level
Passenger seat armrest added to EX
Keyless Entry added to EX
Bungee cords added on EX to driver-side front and rear seat backs
Fiji Blue Pearl exterior color replaces Eternal Blue Pearl
Comments or suggestions about this review? Send an e-mail to: editor@autobytel.com
Autobytel Inc. operates the popular automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, and Autosite.com.
xxx
The story is a familiar one: There was a lady, and she had this wooden box she wasn't supposed to open. People told her - don't open that box, terrible things will happen, horrible things will unfold and the world will never be the same.
Well -- she did. And now the world is inundated with trendy box cars, covered in plastic and specializing in the functions of utility. What Honda has started is now a certified trend, as automakers plot and plan to gain a foothold in the hearts and minds of 20-something buyers.
The Element was supposed to do that. But here's the irony: Pandora is 35, has a kid and wants something fun that also is extremely practical. Sometimes when you aim at the outside of the ring you hit the bullseye.
The Element is also, more or less, right on target. It is a marketing campaign, an image make-over wrapped inside a pretty good utility vehicle, one that opens wide and closes with or without the seats, your choice. Available in three trim levels, Element shoppers can choose between the entry DX, a mid-LX and the fully equipped EX. Standard equipment for the DX includes 16-inch steel wheels and power windows. The LX models add an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers and air conditioning with micron air filtration. The EX models add alloy wheels, ABS, cruise control, power mirrors, a 7-speaker 270-watt audio system with auxiliary audio input and more as standard equipment.
Buy the EX, 4WD model - you'll appreciate the stereo and get a great sunroof in the back that's fully removable. Either way, you'll get an interior made of waterproof material on the front and rear bucket seats and a urethane-coated utility floor. That floor is just one of the things that makes the Element great for weekend loads from the local home improvement center or trips to the beach. As a haul 'em and call e'm vehicle, the Element is, ahem, in its element.
It is, sadly, so-so when it comes to the more mundane things a car needs to do. A car, for example, has to be easy to get in and out of. The Element has suicide doors that are handy if you have a load or need clearance, but can be frustrating if you're in the back and want to get out under your own power. It's not possible, because the person in the front seat has to let you out. When parking in a typical grocery store parking lot, for example, the doors swing out wide in both directions, thus making it more difficult to maneuver with, say, a child and a bag of food. Such is the nature of pillar-less doors, and there's not much you can do about such negatives and positives inherent to the design.
Of course, they could build the Element without suicide doors, but then it would more closely resemble a worker's utility van, or a really entry-level minivan.
That's not exactly the statement of cool that Honda strives for with this vehicle. As it is, the Element is cool because it does so much, and to get such cool versatility you've got to be willing to sacrifice some minor ingress-egress convenience. For it's not just in hauling stuff where the Element shines. Commuting is a breeze. The ride is smooth, and powerful enough (no thrills here), with Honda's 2.4-liter, i-VTEC, 4-cylinder engine. The engine generates 160-horsepower and 161 lb.-ft. of torque, coupled to either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission, and provides average acceleration while maintaining pretty strong fuel economy numbers.
The Element delivers on all accounts, especially when it comes to the view. You sit up pretty high in the Element, and the seats are typically Honda - good structure, quality materials - a firm and sturdy perch on which to rest.
If that sounds like a great commuter vehicle, it is: you don't need tons of speed to commute, after all - what you need is a comfortable ride, an unencumbered view and decent gas mileage. The Element delivers on all accounts, especially when it comes to the view. You sit up pretty high in the Element, and the seats are typically Honda - good structure, quality materials - a firm and sturdy perch on which to rest.
Which a little like how it drives. That perch of a driving perspective, while great for visibility and good for the back, is also a bit bus-like - you almost start looking for the open and close door lever when you get behind the wheel. For sedan drivers who switch to an Element, it will take a little getting used to, less so for someone familiar with the ride of a standard SUV. Once familiarity sets in, however, buyers are sure to find that the Element rides nicely, especially in traffic. Having a nice high point of visibility in a vehicle that rides smoothly and doesn't diesel is a big advantage. For what it is - a utility-first box with a retro design - the Element handles bumps and potholes without jarring the occupants, thanks to a Toe Control Link MacPherson strut suspension in front and a compact double-wishbone suspension in the rear - much like the CR-V - with the exception of adjustments made to the unit-body construction to allow for the B-pillarless design, larger tires and the low, flat floor.
The tires and suspension also help keep the Element spry and springy during normal driving maneuvers, such as lane changes, gentle curves and parking. Call it a good urban handler of the road - the Element doesn't bounce or jolt, and sway is minimal when you consider it's design. In essence, it feels like you're driving a small car - until you open up that back door and start piling stuff inside. The size and a versatile design of the interior allows for ample cargo space - awkward items included.
Versatility. That's the main element to the Element, with utility in an interesting body of a vehicle that drives smaller than all the stuff you can fit inside the doors. The pillar-less "suicide" doors are extremely handy and at the same time an inconvenient pain; the driving perspective is wide open and easy - scaled back to the core elements of driving.
That's a lot to like -- and you can hose it out as well. It's fair to say that Pandora never opened a box quite like this.
--Story by Brian Chee |
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