As for competition, the Element is pretty much in a world of its own. The Kia Soul, Nissan cube and Scion xB are all toasters on wheels like the Honda, but they’re less expensive, aren’t as powerful, and they’re a little smaller, too. If you consider the Element as just another compact SUV, rivals such as the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape and Honda’s own CR-V are pretty good.
Conclusion
The Element might have started the box-on-wheels SUV trend back in 2002, but it hasn’t evolved since. Honda’s product cycles usually run about 5 years, so the Element is getting old.
And from an equipment content standpoint, it’s also rather expensive. It’s true that the Element is very practical, spacious and good on gas, but we get the feeling that we’re not getting enough for the asking price. It will be interesting to see what Honda will do with this vehicle after 2010.
For now, if you’ve got that trendy ‘active lifestyle’ that manufacturers think everybody has, the Element is worth trying out. If not, you may want to shop around a bit before making a decision.
photo:Philippe Champoux, Matthieu Lambert
Conclusion
The Element might have started the box-on-wheels SUV trend back in 2002, but it hasn’t evolved since. Honda’s product cycles usually run about 5 years, so the Element is getting old.
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| The Element gained much respect in terms of practicality and interior space. |
And from an equipment content standpoint, it’s also rather expensive. It’s true that the Element is very practical, spacious and good on gas, but we get the feeling that we’re not getting enough for the asking price. It will be interesting to see what Honda will do with this vehicle after 2010.
For now, if you’ve got that trendy ‘active lifestyle’ that manufacturers think everybody has, the Element is worth trying out. If not, you may want to shop around a bit before making a decision.
photo:Philippe Champoux, Matthieu Lambert
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