Overview & Reviews

Sold from 2003-'11, the Honda Element compact crossover SUV remains one of the most distinctive and practical vehicles on the road. Happy Element owners are often city dwellers who appreciate both its small size and generous 75-cubic-foot maximum cargo capacity. Another notable element about the Element is the ability of its access-style rear doors to pivot backward a full 90 degrees, providing unimpeded access to the roomy and creatively configurable rear seats.

A used Element of any vintage is easy to recommend thanks to its functional interior, smooth four-cylinder engine and carlike handling, not to mention Honda's reputation for reliability. That said, it's worthwhile to focus your search on 2007 and newer models, as they offer a bit more power and enhanced safety features.

User Reviews:

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  Honda Element - 2004 Honda Element
  By Eilleen - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I love my Honda Element. It may only seat four humans but it holds all six of my four legged kids. With the easy to clean interior it is the best vehicle with my dogs. With the way the doors work it is easy to load both cargo and dogs. I do wish it had better gas mileage but Im willing to give that up to have the cargo space.

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  Details are not as good as other Honda - 2005 Honda Element
  By Daniel - May 18 - 6:26 pm

  Found the car to be fun to drive but the ride is choppy. The finish is not as good as other Honda models, i.e. rough plastic edge under the steering wheel bothers my fingers, The plastic panels are also seem to be made of weak / thin materials.

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  one week impression so far - 2003 Honda Element
  By kanata - May 17 - 2:00 am

  We have this for about a week already and were getting lots of stares and questions. Pretty hard to stay low profile in this car. Great design, great interior concept. It feels really solid and tight. Very good road feel and turing radius. Drives great! Dont know why people are complaining about 20mpg. Dont they ever read the brochure before they buy? Its advertised at 21mpg!!! Too bad I noticed some excessive/poor glue/weld spots in some areas (wheres the QC?) Oh wait, its built in the USA instead! Get it back to Japan and Ill gladly pay the extra bucks.

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  Is good by me! - 2003 Honda Element
  By Rumby!!! - May 17 - 2:00 am

  I love it, period, no comment.

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  The Element - 2003 Honda Element
  By mrcwelsh - May 12 - 10:00 am

  Always being asked where I got my Element, everywhere I go I have people asking me if they can check it out.For an SUV it gets great gas mileage, 26/hwy and 21/city.

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  Boy, do I get attention! - 2003 Honda Element
  By Brian T - May 6 - 10:00 am

  There is nothing that does what this vehicle does!. The cargo space and utility of the Honda Element is nothing short of excellent. But, to be honest, when on the road, I get a very diverse opinion about the styling. Either people give me a thumbs up...or they laugh. However, I love the car. I traded in my Audi A4 for one, so the ride has been a bit different, but very pleasing and fun. And, as always the thought and logic behind the vehicle is incredible. So, I would not hesitate to reccommend anyone purchasing one. I only wish a sunroof option for the front was available.

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  ELEMENTary, my dear reader - 2003 Honda Element
  By RDobson - May 6 - 10:00 am

  The Honda Element is a great SUV with excellent features. Honda did their homework getting it right. The seats are comfortable and visibility is great. I can put my bicycle in the back without having to remove the wheels or change the seat height.

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  You have to Drive it to Like it - 2005 Honda Element
  By michael riedel - April 30 - 7:33 pm

  It doesnt grab you on its looks - unless youre the type of driver that likes to set yourself apart even when standing still. The real love comes when you get behind the wheel and drive it. It has very nimble handling, a cavernous interior, versatility par excellence and simply solid quality. It is a bit buzzy on the freeway @ 3800 RPM but other than that, youll fall in love with the features, mileage, durability and versatility. Great for picnics, shopping, dogs, camping, etc. Love the stadium seating for 2nd row passengers. Great gas mileage. Only wish I had waited until the 2006 models when they will be all body color paint and not the gray plastic body panels.

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  Lovin Our Element - 2005 Honda Element
  By Micks M - April 30 - 5:56 am

  Weve been driving our Element between Phoenix and Los Angeles for the past couple of months. The interior space is our favorite feature - plenty of room to kick back and sleep on long trips / it cruises between 75 and 90 mph smoothly with plenty of power to spare. We also like how easily the rear seats can be removed [ recently moved a full size bed and headboard with no problems ]. We also love the fact that we can go to the beach and not worry about the sand and water messing up the interior. So far were having a blast with our Element!

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  Great CAR/Truck/SUV? - 2004 Honda Element
  By Matt - April 19 - 6:00 pm

  Just bought my element. I love how high the seats are and the view from the windshield. Best car for the money, it reminds me of my old Jeep CJ-& just with better gas mileage, better reliability, and better heat although not nearly as rugged. I had to purchase a handful of bungee cords and a milk crate to secure my stuff, otherwise it slides everywhere. Road noise is no problem although I read some think it is. The 4 cylinder provides sufficient acceleration. The stereo is better than average for a factory system but isnt quite the caliber of my old Alpine w/ infinity speakers. So far its a great car. Cant wait to test the 4wd in snow.