Some folks thought it was a joke when the Honda Element broke into the SUV and car scene in 2003. The Element was the original cracker jack box on wheels. It represented a mobile dorm room where stuff could be thrown in the back and stored in a youthful, but 21st century sort of way. But, the Element was no joke in terms of sales; Honda has sold over 325,000 Elements in the US since its debut in 2002, and it has inspired a plethora of look-a-likes that wanted a slice of that square, compact crossover style with a Sponge Bob Square Pants look.
Features
The Element is unmistakable forward fashion for the young-at-heart and in spite of competitors like the Scion XB, Kia Soul, and the Nissan Cube it developed a loyal, trendy following. Thanks to its “inside the box” functionality and coolness, small business owners, pet owners, and outdoor enthusiasts gobbled up the Element the first couple of years of production. But, sales began to dwindle as the Element’s comfortable and versatile cousin, the CR-V, took over with sales of over 184,000 units in 2010. There were less than 16,000 Elements sold that year. Honda found a cash cow in their new sporty SUV and the company needs the production space to keep with CR-V sales. The Element has been put in automobile limbo until Honda redesigns it and then reintroduces it in a couple of years.
The Element is a True Crossover With Personality
Engineered on the foundation of a Honda Civic the Element has a perky 2.4 Litre 165 horsepower four cylinder engine. Even though its boxy shape cost it some valuable fuel economy it was still rated 20/25 mpg city/highway with front wheel drive, and 19/24 mpg with all-wheel drive. Those figures are somewhat less that the typical front wheel and all wheel drive vehicles in its class so Honda will work to improve the fuel economy when the element is reintroduced.
Changes to the 2012 Honda Element
Other features that Element gurus will welcome is a more powerful 4 cylinder engine and a better engineered six speed automatic transmission which will improve the overall EPA ratings. The future Element will certainly incorporate some of the redeeming under-the-skin qualities of the Civic and the CR-V. New Elements will certainly be a mixture of the best-of-the best that Honda can muster in a crossover SUV. Honda needs to appeal to the young, the restless, and the pet lover in all of us.
