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: Almost Perfect - 2005 Honda Element
  By Lex - January 24 - 7:29 pm

  Ive been driving my Element for about a month, and I still get excited just looking at it. It really cant be beat. There are only 2 negative things I can say: 1) The area on the bottom where the door closes gets scratched up easily if you have anything other than tennis shoes, and 2) The tires seem to slip a little when I start moving semi-quickly and the ground is wet (once moving, there is no slippage, breaking is fine too, I dont know why it does that). You can speed up quickly once moving, just dont "Put the pedal to the metal" at take-off! (Again, that is only when the ground is wet). All in all, I love it 100 times more than the Rav4 I was previously driving!

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  Great car so far - 2004 Honda Element
  By mjones - January 22 - 7:07 am

  For a 4 banger it moves! This is a very practical SUV with ok gas mileage. My son and I camp in it every summer and have plenty of room and plenty of fun. After driving Subarus for over 20 years switching to the element was the perfect choice. I feel this is a very well engineered and reliable vehicle that I fell is going to be the best vehicle I have ever owned.

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  SUV for me - 2006 Honda Element
  By Melinda K - January 21 - 3:56 pm

  I wanted to make the jump from sedan to SUV. Toyed with the Scion XB but found the ride too stiff. And despite the great gas milage, the XB has a horrible EPA rating. (2/10) Enter the elemnent. With and improved EPA rating of 6/10, it has awsome room and utility. I get lots of complements. I cant seem to get the gas milage that most people are reporting. (only about 20 mpg) Sound system is great and I can spend the weekend at a muddy soccer field with the kids and not worry about destroying the interior. My husband, who originally didnt much care for the car, found he really liked it once he got in it and drove it around and saw all the cool features.

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  Great For Cyclers - 2005 Honda Element
  By R. Laurence Bird - January 20 - 6:03 pm

  My Magnesium Metallic 2005 Element safely holds my two racing bikes and all my gear. I take out one rear seat and put the other up on the side. I can pull the bikes straight out of the back, which is preferred over the side doors because of the clamshell design. The new color along with the black plastic panels makes this a unique looking Element. XM Radio is great. Put the subwoofer on 5 and just cruise. You dont really need to use your iPod, but the car has a jack just in case. Handling is better than expected. The car will offer me many years of utility and better mileage than my old Chevy Tahoe. I am 43 years old.

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  Elemental - 2003 Honda Element
  By Hunter - January 19 - 12:04 pm

  Great car, or BOX as it were. We use it for a dog/camping/hauling car and its utility body serves us well. This is a replacement for a 87 Real Time Civic wagon which has 212k on it. Still commute with it, but getting tired. The famous and deserved Honda reliabilty is definitely there in the Element. TONS of interior room even for very tall people. Handles just like youd expect it to looking at it (NOT a "sporty" drive). 4 wheel disc brakes are great, 4 cyl. IV-Tech is a bit small for this vehicle (perfect for the Civic SI!). Works hard to maintain highway speed on long grades out here in the West. Not dog friendly as Fido cant see out. Suicide doors make getting out clumsy in parking lot

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  Recommend to buy - 2005 Honda Element
  By boeru - January 16 - 1:23 pm

  We bought this car about nine months ago and my wife and I love to drive it. It was very reliable with good mileage and what we like the most is the multiple possibilities to adjust the seats.

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  baby hummer - 2004 Honda Element
  By Blue2runner - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Just the right hight. Very nice seating aragment all my back seat passagers like the way they can see out over the front and not having to sit off to the side like others suvs. Also they like the leg room . As do I the Driver I like the quick pick up and the ride is better than the rav4 I had and also better than the matrix wich I traded in for this ..

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  Power plus Room - 2004 Honda Element
  By Dan & Lyn - January 15 - 10:00 am

  It has a lot of power for only having such a small engine. The room inside is great for the passengers, but it would be great if it was about 6 inches longer in the back. I am suprised that their is not a hybrid Element on the drawing board or one with a V6.

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  Perfect for DINKS - 2005 Honda Element
  By foredaughs - January 11 - 9:36 pm

  This car, albeit a design for the under 28 crowd, is also perfect for 40+ year old DINKS (dbl income, no kids.) It is one of the most comfortable cars you can drive; we drive it long distance, 1100 miles non stop on a bimonthly basis. With the 3 dogs in the back! They are Eskies. And there is still enough room for the non-driver to catch some easy zzzzs. Vehicle is fun and ultimately practical. We plan to buy another when we hit 160,000 miles.

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  Elementary My Dear Honda - 2004 Honda Element
  By nrb - January 9 - 5:38 pm

  I have had my Honda well past the breaking in. As a matter of fact when I collided with a red light runner last year, I was lucky to have been driving my Element. My daughter and I were unhurt, and my Honda withstood the impact very well. The firefighters who rescued me were also impressed by the car-airbags deployed and all. I cannot say enough about this vehicle except to say that when my daughter leaves for college next year she will be driving the Element, and Momma is getting a new car, another Element. After all, when something fits and works so well, why change it? Thank you Honda engineers, you made the perfect multigenerational car. Now make a hybrid Element for me