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SUVs Honda Element Honda Element
4704 messages, Last post on Nov 14, 2009 at 3:43 PM
You are in the Honda Element Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: kmeisel (Apr 20, 2008 6:55 am) It's an incredible coincidence, but I had a set that lasted 9 years, yet they blew within one week of each other. 
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| I just received the September '08 Car and Driver magazine and it has all the new '09 Cars. Under Honda It says that the Element will be restyled with revised sheetmetal and upgraded amenities and electronics. The platform and 2.4 liter 4-cyl engine will remain the same. | |
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Replying to: ragets (Jul 29, 2008 8:32 am) It was the same way with the PT Cruiser and the New Beetle - very long life cycles for stand-out designs. |
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Replying to: ragets (Jul 29, 2008 8:32 am) 1. The gas mileage on the Element is significantly lower than on the CRV, which doesn't make sense, since they started out with the same engines and the Element now has the 5 speed auto. 2. The rear seat is uncomfortable - the floor is noticeably higher in the rear of the cabin and my knees end up too high. 3. The rear seat only has 2 seating postions. I have 3 kids. Does not compute.  4. The payload on the Element is very low - 800 pounds of passengers and luggage total. Since Americans (although not me and my family) often run 200 pounds a piece, this is too light. 5. The suicide doors detract from the utility instead of adding to it. Besides requiring you to open the front doors to let the kids out - and having to keep them open in the process - they make it almost impossible to get kids in and out of the vehicle when parked in a typical parking slot - the front and read door open into a "vee" that prevents access. It shouldn't be this difficult to load passengers. 6. The suicide door set up is also stupid because it requires extra bracing, about 150-200 pounds worth. 7. If a car veers out of its lane and hits your door, a regular door flies forward and out of your way. If a car hits the suicide door, it closes on you and crushes you. I'd be happy with the Element if they get rid of the suicide doors, increase the load capacity, and add a 5th seating position. I could live with the higher rear floor (I mean my kids could). The large, square hatch provides plenty of cargo access, they don't need the imaginary benefits of the suicide doors. Getting rid of the suicide doors, plus a little aero work (under carriage) might even out the gas mileage advantage on the CRV. It would be nice, of course, if they could lower the rear floor. But the suicide doors are the main mistake. Change to regular doors and you have a "mini-Flex" which is not a bad thing at all. I still like the Element. It's a mini-minivan. It's low to the ground. It's...cute. |
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Replying to: micweb (Jul 31, 2008 9:32 am)
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Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 31, 2008 10:03 am) 1. The Element rides lower, which affects available space in the vehicle and also the ease of getting in and out. 2. The Element is "square" which allows much more storage room in the back. The CRV has less space between floor and roof, and the roof slopes. The rest of it is probably styling, although at one point Honda thought the Element was utilitarian enough (grey fenders, no carpet) to sell for a lot less than the CRV. However the Element has crept up in price, and I'm no longer sure that is true. It IS nice to still be able to get a stick shift on the Element. |
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Replying to: micweb (Jul 31, 2008 9:32 am) 1) The reason the gas MPG are lower is do to that the Element's areodynamics are quite different than the CR-V's (if you couldn't tell). It is a box. 2) Yeah the backseats are uncomfortable but the functionality of them kind of make them that way. (ex. Folding against the walls, folding down making bed) I don't think that they are that uncomfortable though. Every one that I have had in the backseat says that it is comfortable just not the best in the world though. The floor in the rear is higher which makes the step up into the back a little difficult but just get the sidesteps and that would remedy that problem. "The rear seat only has 2 seating postions. I have 3 kids. Does not compute." 3) Functionality purposes. This car was targeted towards young and active men. Not ones with kids. Sorry. 4) Payload is a problem, but then again, the Element was made for a young active guy and maybe another passenger with all their gear. (Driver 180lbs + Passenger 180lbs = 360lbs 800lbs - 360 = 440lbs of equipment) 5)The Suicide doors from my experience has only one negative... opening in a parking lot. But all you have to do is: Front passenger open door (and stays inside) back passenger opens door, hops out, shuts door, front passenger jumps out shuts front door. Problem solved.They do not detract from the utility. When opened they do not have that annoying vertical pillar in you way when loading items in. You get a HUGE open area for putting things in. 6) That is why you watch for traffic and not get out when another car is coming your way. And even easier approach would be just to have the kids get out the on the curb side and not on the side facing the street. Which is what I have the back passengers to do. 7) Who cares how much extra weight it has. If I get into in accident in my Element and get T-boned. Mine will get hit crushed and only a little hurt depending on vehicle, speed, etc. The Fit in just a regular crash test gets slammed and flown to the side. Results: Element 5-stars (even without side curtain Airbags ('06 and before)) Fit 3 star with Side Curtain. I'd rather be safe and live, rather than gaining a couple MPG's. Also, the Element rides lower to give it better handling. It is a tall car and it being lower helps how it handles. The Element was targeted toward young and active men. They did an excellent job. Yes there are some needs for changes, but not just for a Kid-friendly car.
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Replying to: ragets (Jul 31, 2008 1:35 pm) http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=593 Good and Good (highest ratings) on front-offset and side impacts. The front offset test is weight dependent, it assumes crashing into an equal weight vehicle. The side test is weight INdependent, it assumes a crash into all vehicles from a light pickup truck, which is a more demanding test that the NHTSA test (which uses a passenger car height crash sled). I can't get safercar.gov to work for me right now (returns a scripting error) but Consumer Reports indicates a 5 star front side impact result and a "good" (is that 3 star?) for rear seat passenger. I consider that very good. In terms of overall model safety, since the Element was sold for several years without side curtain airbags with VERY bad side impact test results, I'd say from a certain perspective the average Fit is "safer" than the average Element in side crashes...check the side impact results on the Element if you have the non-side air bag model.
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Replying to: micweb (Aug 05, 2008 3:23 pm) http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/headrestraints.aspx?honda The Element was Poor until the 2007 model, when it improved notably to a Good score. |
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Replying to: micweb (Aug 05, 2008 3:23 pm) http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/safercar/menuitem.db847bd57e3dc1f885dfc38c35- a67789/?vgnextoid=c95df2905bf54110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=294 http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=173 These are the ratings for the 2007 Honda Element: http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/safercar/menuitem.db847bd57e3dc1f885dfc38c35- a67789/?vgnextoid=c95df2905bf54110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=173 http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=865 The 2006 Honda Element, from the NHSTA, got 5-stars for all seating positions. The only problem was for a Higher Likelihood of Head Injury, which was cured with the 2007 Honda Element with the side curtain airbags. Which is why I bought the 2007 Element. 3-Star is not that great. Especially with a car that already comes with Side Curtain Airbags. My brother bought a 2005 Pontiac Vibe. It does not have side curtain Airbags but it also achieved a 3-Star Crash rating. I'd rather have 5 and know that I have at least done something for myself if I get in to a crash and that my passengers also will be safer. With a side impact rating of 3-Star you have the likelyhood of 11 percent to 20 percent chance of serious injury. But with 5-star: 5 percent or less chance of serious injury. http://www.safercar.gov/staticfiles/DOT/safercar/pdf/BASC2008.pdf Also what you have to do is compare the numbers on the safercar.gov website. I put them at the top. Compare the numbers and see how much more the Fit's are. If you compare it that way you will see that the Element is Safer. The Fit also does not have Electronic Stability Control. The Element Does. Don't get me wrong the Fit is a nice car. But in the eyes of safety, the Element wins. If your looking into buying an Element I would go with the 2007one and up. Because it has the side curtain airbags, ESC and anti-whiplash headrests. |
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