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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  Not what it should be - 2003 Honda Element
  By Ken - March 27 - 2:08 pm

  I got the car and thought it was the best for about a year, but since then i have had 3 windshields replaced, and 2 more chipped, because the windshield is to stright. My drives seat has had to be replaced, Honda said I wore it out, not so it is made out of bad material and they wont fess up to that. Now I have had to tune up the computer so the engine light would go out. The millage lights in the dash had to be replaced. Bottom line to many things are going wrong to give this car a good review, i wish i had some of the cars these other people are talking about.

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  Three months so far - 2008 Honda Element
  By TheGreatOneFan - March 27 - 2:03 pm

  Have my Element for three months. If you are looking for luxury, dont buy this car. Very functional. MPG as advertised. If I were to purchase again, I would.

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  Great small SUV, terrible MPG - 2008 Honda Element
  By WW - March 13 - 11:53 am

  The Honda Element is a great vehicle. Handles nicely and has a great turning radius. The interior is well thought out, great to throw the kids bikes inside and not have to worry about dirty carpets, also works well with the dog. Tremendous amount of room for a vehicle with such a small footprint. The engine is somewhat buzzy when pushed. The gas mileage is not coming close to the sticker. 16mpg mixed driving and I have a light foot. Still breaking in, I have only 800 miles on it, I hope it improves. Not the best vehicle if you have a long commute.

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  07 Element EX AWD MT review - 2007 Honda Element
  By Alaskan_Toaster - February 23 - 2:31 pm

  I have had my E for almost 7 months now. Included in my 16000 miles is a 6300 miles across the US trip from GA to AK (yes, Alaska). I towed a 1500# trailer behind it the entire way. I have absolutely no complaints about the comfort of the seats (even after 10-12 hours). The creature comforts and convenience items were well placed, easy to reach, and worked wonderful. The utilitarianism (is that a word?) of the vehicle is fantastic. We have made the decision to buy a second one to replace our other small SUV. IMHO - you wont regret getting one.

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  Not perfect, but close - 2003 Honda Element
  By ThadDecker - February 8 - 2:00 am

  The Honda Element satisfies most of the requirements of a typical family. The build quality is excellent. The performance and ride are great. The price is right and hopefully the resale will be good. After 9 months and 16,000 miles, we have had no problems, except for several intermittent rattles in the dash. We have had no mechanical issues and no trips to the dealer other than service. Though not perfect, it meets more of our requirements than did any other vehicle available at the time.

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  Element is a good little car - 2007 Honda Element
  By DWoodman - January 28 - 3:25 pm

  I was drawn to the Element by the interior flexibility and suicide doors and it doesnt look like a mini-van. My previous car, however was a Subaru Forester and I think Honda could take some lessons from Subaru on building AWD drive trains. This car has torque steer on hard acceleration and there is a lot of wheel spin on wet pavement. Once you get the element going, its a hoot to drive. I am interested, though, to see how this car will perform in snow (a little worried). The ABS works well which will be good for snow driving. I miss not having the headlights turn off when I turn the ignition off, although, the warning bell has kept me out of trouble so far. I could do without sunroof

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  Love my E - 2008 Honda Element
  By wowaddict - January 26 - 9:46 pm

  I love my E. Its everything I expected. If youre used to a luxury car this is not for you. This is a no frills car. But lots of fun to drive. Its a peppy little suv with tons of storage. I love the interior and the whole look of the car. The XM radio and iPod hook up are great. The seats can basically turned in to a huge bed. The gas mileage is ok not great but not bad. Its not a car so its not fair to expect great gas mileage but for an SUV its good.

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  In the ELEMENTs - 2005 Honda Element
  By c_go_oldland - January 18 - 11:52 am

  I hated this car at first. I opted for the manual tranny. After about 6 months behind the wheel, I fell in love and have intention of letting "scarlet" go!

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  Plastic - 2003 Honda Element
  By nstern1118 - January 14 - 2:00 am

  Everything about this car is great, except the gray area you see on the outside of the car, its all plastic. When i bought this car the man at the dealership said it was "scratch proof material incase of a stray shopping cart but once i put my hand under to feel the whole thing caved in with very little force. I am not too sure how safe it would be for my kids to drive.

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  LOVE The Element! - 2008 Honda Element
  By mach1mustang6 - January 7 - 2:27 pm

  My girlfriend purchased a used orange 2006 Element EX-P with AWD and it had every option available on it. We both have fully enjoyed the Element. Originally looked at the new CR-V at the time but decided to go with the Element for its versitility and durable interior. Its fun to watch everyone look at you going down the road too especially with the orange paint job. Very easy to keep clean and HUGE room even for people over 6ft in the back seats. Love the interior design and simple climate control dials. Sweet sound system and it has a great spot for your iPod to hook up to the raido on the passenger side shelf above the glove box. The split liftgate/tailgate is a great feature too.