Review: 2003 Honda Element DX 4WD
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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