My wife and I were enticed by the Element's quirky looks and Honda's reputation for reliability, but we soon after began to regret our decision. The Element is, in and of itself, a fine vehicle but it leaves you wanting so much more from it if you are a "driver" (and you know who you are). We do still love the look of the car and its practicality, but its shortcoming have forced us to give it up.

I was almost immediately disappointed by the handling and performance. Yes, I know it is a utility vehicle, but it is very sluggish off the line and passing other vehicles on 2 lane roads is a nervous experience. The automatic transmission makes very poor use of the available torque and HP, so if brisk acceleration is desired, I'd recommend the manual transmission. The Element is VERY susceptible to crosswind and you'll find yourself sweating bullets during any strong thunder storm as you try to keep going in a straight line.

The lack of an option to enable/disable the 4WD manually is a real pain. I found the car switching into and out of 4WD at times when I did not want it to. When the 4WD kicks in, you will notice a strong "twitch" in the rear wheels which can cause real problem in the snow and especially ice. Its constant on-off-on-off feels downright dangerous and is impossible to regulate.

Mileage is approaching terrible, especially considering Honda's reputation and the size of the car. We recently achieved a high of 23MPG on a long highway trip and an usual low of 19MPG in mixed driving.

The fit and finish of the interior is disappointing, especially considering how spartan it is. The grey paint finish on the dash and console rubs off with little effort and all the plastic is very prone to scratching. You'd think it would be a little tougher on a "rugged" utility vehicle like the Element. All of the seats are uncomfortable for long trips and the seat latches feel downright fragile. The string-and-latch "system" for securing the rear seat up along the interior walls seems a silly afterthought. Everything is just cheap-feeling.

Accessories are quite expensive if you purchase them from the dealer and installation costs are ridiculous. If you are going to buy an Element, save some dough and install the radio, speakers, fog-lights, etc. yourself after your buy them from a 3rd party.

Perhaps I just expected too much from the car or have been spoiled by my other vehicles (which are in the same price-range) but I cannot recommend the Element to anyone who wants to have fun while driving.
Amount Paid (US$): 20800
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: DX 4WD automatic