2003 Honda Element Review

Honda doesn't care if older folks are puzzled by its funky new Honda Element sport-utility because it's designed for young, active, high-spending Gen-Yers who want a rugged, functional design that's cool partly because it is anti-fashionable.

"How do you like that thing?'' a young man asked at a store after seeing me park the boxy Element test vehicle, which had a paramilitary look with green paint and gray scratch-resistant plastic cladding on the fenders and other body areas.

"Why do you ask?'' I said, because sleek vehicles usually elicit such a question.

"Because it doesn't look like everything else on the road,'' the man replied.

So maybe Honda really has a hit on hits hands with the Element. It's a larger version of the type of vehicle young Japanese drivers love, so why not young Americans from 16 to 29 years of age?

Honda says that age group will show the largest increases of young buyers and makes up the greatest proportion of first-time new vehicle purchases.

Honda hopes to sell 60,000 Elements here annually, mostly to young males--although nobody can predict precisely who'll buy the Element. It goes on sale in December for approximately $16,500 to $21,500.

Based on Honda's fairly stylish CR-V sport-ute, the Element is a crossover vehicle that combines features of a sport-ute and pickup truck, while providing performance and fuel economy of a car.

This reporter noticed many unusual crossover vehicles at Honda's research and development facilities in Japan last year, but nearly all were for the Japanese market because they were too small and underpowered for America.

That's not the case with the Element, which has a roomy interior and fairly potent 160-horsepower four-cylinder engine. In fact, the Element is a fooler because it has lively acceleration (0-60 mph in 9.5 seconds) and handles much like a sports coupe despite its high, boxy body, which causes excessive wind noise above 60 mph.

One thing about that 2.3-liter engine, though. Although smooth, it calls for lots of shifting of the slick, standard five-speed manual gearbox to deliver the best performance. And it revs at a high 3,500 rpm at 70 mph in top gear, which makes you want to reach for the sixth gear that isn't there. (Most vehicles don't top 3,000 rpm at that speed.) A four-speed automatic transmission will be offered, but the Element still will be a high-rev vehicle because it also has "short'' gearing for lively acceleration.

No fuel economy figures have been released, but Honda says to expect mile-per-gallon numbers in the "low- to mid-20s.'' You can't expect much more from a vehicle that weighs about 3,400 pounds and has a hard-working engine and that short gearing, which allows high revs.

The Element will come with front- or four-wheel drive and be offered in base DX or more upscale EX trim levels. The DX has such items as an adjustable steering column and power front windows, door and tailgate locks. The EX adds an AM/FM/CD sound system, air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, alloy wheels and power mirrors.

It's easy to get in and out. The roof is sky-high and the windshield is huge, although you can't see the front from the driver's seat. A large rear skylight on four-wheel-drive models tilts or removes completely and stores inside the vehicle. All models have rear seats that are set higher than the front ones for "theater'' seating, and the rear-seat area has limousine-style room. However, rear seat bottoms are very short.

However, the base model doesn't have any audio unit or speakers; Honda figures most DX buyers would just rip out a standard low-line system, anyway, and replace it with a high-line unit. Still, even a simple AM/FM radio would be nice because not all Element buyers will be Gen-Yers.

The Element's utilitarian shape suggests bread-truck handling, but this Honda is surprisingly fun to drive. Steering is quick with nice power assist, and handling is sharp; it's surprising to find the Element zipping through curves at speeds that you'd think would threaten to put it on its roof. Stopping distances are short, although the brake pedal should be less sensitive. The ride is generally quite good, but gets a jittery on rough roads.

However, the Element's main appeal to many probably will be its rugged nature and utility. For example, the wide-opening side "clamshell'' cargo doors have no visible center post (it's hidden inside the rear doors) and open from the center for easy loading of bulky items such as surfboards and mountain bikes.

Rear seats flip to the side to create a large cargo area, although they then block rear side vision. Those seats can be removed entirely or flattened to form a lumpy bed with the folding front seatbacks. But rear-seat removal is not easy.

The seats have waterproof material and a urethane-coated utility floor resists water, dirt and scratches while allowing easy cleanup. The floor is utterly flat to enhance cargo loading.

The split rear tailgate bottom opens down to reveal a low load floor, while the upper part smoothly swings up on hydraulic struts.

The dashboard is a picture of practicality, with easily read gauges, although the tachometer is too small for a vehicle that calls for lots of shifting. Fairly large sound system controls are conveniently placed above large climate system controls. The easily reached shifter for the manual and automatic transmissions juts from the center of the instrument panel, as in a race/rally car. There's no console, so front cupholders sit low on the floor.

Outside mirrors are nicely sized. Front seats have above-average support, but rear windows swing out a little instead of sliding down because of all the structural reinforcements and mechanisms in the rear doors.

Honda, which has elaborate crash test facilities at its research and development facility in Japan, expects high U.S. government crash test ratings for the Element.

The Element is based on Honda's Model X concept vehicle displayed at last year's big auto shows and will be built at the automaker's Ohio plant.

Although aimed at a young crowd, the Element offers a solid driving experience for people of all ages.


HONDA ELEMENT

Prices:

Approximately $16,500 to $21,500

Likes:

Roomy. Ultrafunctional. Fun to drive. Unique styling.

Dislikes:

Too unusual? Wind noise. High engine revs on highways. No standard radio. Overly sensitive brake pedal. Occasionally jittery ride.