2008 Honda Element Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Honda Element:

Versatility is the key word in the design of the Honda Element's interior. Honda spent a lot of time designing features with flexible utility first and foremost in mind.

-- New Car Test Drive

Wide-swinging suicide-style doors on either side of the vehicle and a clamshell rear hatch make for impressively unobstructed access to the inside of the box.

-- AutoWeek

A totally flat, washable floor and cleverly stowable rear seats?they fold up flat against the walls for 70.1 cubic feet of space, 74.6 cubic feet when taken completely out -- give the Element the best and most convenient cargo hold of any small vehicle we can think of.

-- AutoWeek

We like the Element's optional full-time four-wheel drive, too, as it gives the Element a solid, stable on-road feel.

-- AutoWeek

The innovation comes in the form of an auxiliary input jack that allows things like an Apple iPod or other MP3 player to seamlessly pump its tunes through the Element’s seven speakers.

-- The Car Connection

The steering is excellent, the four-wheel ABS disc brakes effective, the ride motions poised, and the cornering limits relatively high.

-- The Car Connection

What reviewers liked least about the Honda Element:

And the engine revs at a high 3500 rpm at 70 mph, which makes you want to reach for a sixth gear.

-- Carpoint.com

Its 2.4-liter dual-cam four turns out enough power to keep up with traffic, but with just 160 hp at 5500 rpm and 161 lb-ft at 4500 rpm of peak output, it's hardly a thrilling motor, even in full VTEC mode.

-- AutoWeek

Honda Element Comparisons:

But the Element is more functional than the CR-V, combining features of a sport-ute and pickup truck while delivering a car's performance and fuel economy.

-- Carpoint.com

The 166.5-inch-long Element sits on a wheelbase that, at 101.4 inches in length, is 1.7-inches shorter than the CR-V?s.

-- AutoWeek

On the road, this is probably the best-handling SUV-like vehicle on the market with a sticker price below $35,000 -- better even than Honda?s own Pilot.

-- The Car Connection

Best one-liner about the Honda Element:

Honda can only hope it will strike a sweet spot with American Gen Yers because no automaker knows for sure what that age group really wants.

-- Carpoint.com

The Honda Element is one of those vehicles that elicits that great question: What's that?

-- New Car Test Drive

Pretty? Uh, no. Interesting? Hmmm, yeah okay, it's interesting.

-- The Car Connection