Review: 2003 Honda Element DX 4WD
SEE ALSO: Honda Buyer's Guide
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS People - friends, family, and strangers alike - ask me questions about cars. Interestingly, the car I have been asked about the most over the past year, by an extremely wide variety of people, is neither a 200 mph sports car nor an equally exotic ex-military SUV. It's a simple, inexpensive medium-sized crossover vehicle - the Honda Element. OK, I'll admit to being, as the marketing types say, an ``active lifestyle'' person. (And I have the aches, pains, bruises, and sprains to prove it....) Most of my friends fit the category, too. Mountain biking, rock climbing, fly fishing, backpacking, skiing, surfing, and camping interest all of us to some degree. The specification of the Element that attracted the most interest was not its unique styling, or its economical high-tech engine and drivetrain. No, the questions most asked about the Element were 1) Can I really hose out the interior? and 2) Can I sleep in it? Now, those two attributes were once main attractions for utility vehicles, before they moved upscale to become sport-utility vehicles outfitted with the finest leather and burled wood interiors. A clean, dry dog can't go inside one of those, let alone a muddy bicycle, wet waders, or a surfboard. A pickup truck can swallow dirty gear in the cargo bed, and that bed can provide a decent bivouac, but there is no direct access between the cab and bed. There was a market niche waiting to be filled, and Honda filled it in an unusual way. Going from the assumption that most active people are young, or at least young at heart, Honda kept its ``active-lifestyle vehicle'' simple and inexpensive. Based on the ``Model X'' concept vehicle that debuted at the 2001 North American Auto Show, the Element combines extreme interior space and versatility with rather, well, elemental styling to unique effect. It is offered in basic DX and fully-equipped EX grades, and numerous customization options are available from Honda. Both are available with front- or full-time single-range four-wheel drive, and powered by a 2.4-liter, 160- horsepower four-cylinder engine. I've been driving a 4WD DX for the past week and have become rather attached to the vehicle. Time didn't permit any outdoors adventures, but it performed well in everyday life, with plenty of room for four and great access to its interesting interior. Power was more than adequate. In answer to those two questions above, you can wipe down the interior easily enough, but hosing is probably not a great idea - water tends to easily get where it shouldn't. But you can sleep inside. If not as comfortable as a real bed, it beats a porta-ledge. APPEARANCE: Yes, it is the box it came in.... The Element mixes industrial two-box utility with influence from the ``anime'' school of Japanese animation familiar from video games and animated movies. The fenders, bumpers, and roof side panels are gray plastic (metallic-look on the EX) for protection from dents and scratches as well as for style, while the rest of the body panels are normal painted steel. Despite the disparate materials, the Element's looks are well-integrated. There are plenty of large SUVs that seem to be styled for intimidation; the Element has a whimsical negative intimidation factor and brings smiles, not scowls. COMFORT: There is a certain advantage to a box with a high ceiling and low floor. Space. There is plenty of that inside the Element, and, thanks to the wagon-like tailgate and B-pillarless ``Side-Gate'' doors that, like those of some pickups, open with a front-hinged front door and rear-hinged rear door, access is very, very easy. Interior appointment is geared toward functionality and ease of maintenance, with sturdy plastics than can be wiped clean. In the DX level, everything is manual except for the front windows; the EX gets power mirrors. The instrument panel is functional and stylish; as in the Civic Si, the shifter comes out of the bottom of the center stack. Here, this allows a walkthrough from the comfortable front sport bucket seats, although care must be taken not to step on the cupholder console. According to Honda, there are over 64 possible interior arrangements. Both the front and the two rear seats recline fully, providing sleeping space for two, and the rear skylight gives a view of the stars. The rear seats individually fold up to the side, and are secured by a quick-draw carabiner-like device. They can also be removed. Bicycles, packs, skis, snowboards, short surfboards, and other large or bulky items fit inside, and there is plenty of storage for smaller things as well. SAFETY: The Element has safety-cage unibody construction with front and rear crumple zones and side protection. It has top ratings in both government and IIHS crash tests. ROADABILITY: The ``sport'' in the Element's specification is what you drive to more than the driving experience, but its road manners are hardly those of an old utility vehicle. On the road, despite its height, it feels like a compact wagon with a low center of gravity. In normal use it is not tippy, and handles strong crosswinds better than its boxy shape implies. Built on Honda's ``Global Compact Platform,'' the Element is structurally similar to the CR-V, and a cousin to the Civic. Its rigid unibody structure and fully-independent suspension, with modified MacPherson struts in front and double wishbones at the rear, gives it car-like ride and handling characteristics. Just don't expect to keep up with a Civic Si or S2000. ``Real-Time 4WD'' gives extra traction when needed, and even in 4WD trim the turning circle is small, for great maneuverability. PERFORMANCE: Active people of all ages are rarely on an unlimited budget. They would rather spend what they do have on recreational equipment than on gas, and the Element won't disappoint them. Its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine uses the latest version of Honda's VTEC variable valve timing and lift technology for good power output and fuel economy, with low emissions levels as well. An un-SUV-like 20+ mpg is easily available. Maxima of 160 horsepower and 161 lb-ft of torque, with good power right from a stop thanks to the i-VTEC system ensure good acceleration for its class around town and for freeway merging. Steep hills pose no problem. The most common transmission is expected to be the four- speed automatic with which my Element was equipped. No complaints, and I never really wished for the five-speed manual. Honda has discovered torque. CONCLUSIONS: Unique style meets substance in the Honda Element. SPECIFICATIONS 2003 Honda Element DX 4WD Base Price $ 18,300 Price As Tested $ n/a Engine Type dual overhead cam aluminum alloy 4- cylinder with ``i-VTEC'' variable valve timing and lift control Engine Size 2.4 liters / 144 cu. in. Horsepower 160 @ 5500 rpm Torque (lb-ft) 161 @ 4500 rpm Transmission 4-speed automatic Wheelbase / Length 101.4 in. / 169.3 in. Curb Weight 3518 lbs. Pounds Per Horsepower 22 Fuel Capacity 15.9 gal. Fuel Requirement 87 octane unleaded regular gasoline Tires P215/70 SR16 Goodyear Wrangler Brakes, front/rear vented disc / solid disc Suspension, front/rear independent control-link MacPherson strut / independent double wishbone Drivetrain front engine, automatic on-demand single-range four-wheel drive PERFORMANCE EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon city / highway / observed 21 / 24 / 22 0 to 60 mph est. 11 sec OPTIONS AND CHARGES at press time option information was not available. Standard price for an Element DX 4WD auto is $18,300 Destination charge is $ 460 Optional equipment included: Alloy wheels Air conditioning