# Rip Honda Element



## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

Honda Discontinues the Element










I'm a pretty avid backpacker so I wanted to buy a car that was outdoorsy and something that supported the local economy. I gave the Honda Element a test drive and fell in love. I have friends who work in the East Liberty, OH factory who actually built the thing so that was cool. The interior of this vehicle was huge, I felt like it had more room than the Suburban I used to move a family member with in 1999 where the washer and dryer barely fit if I laid them down. The seats were waterproof/stainproof fabric and the rest of the interior was some type of plastic that you could clean with just a wet rag...you couldn't really spray out the interior with a hose like rumors suggested...well maybe you could if you were careful. It was perfect for me and the post-trip dirty stinky hikers I was gonna put in it, not to mention dogs. I also loved that the seats folded flat to sleep on them or you could inflate a queen air mattress and put it on top of them if I got to a trailhead late and needed a quick place to sleep for the night. But all that was before I got married to a woman who didn't backpack and didn't camp...










We got a little 1000lbs popup as something in between backpacking and hotels. The E had a 1500lbs towing capacity so we were probably pushing it towing anything. My wife would enjoy it so much we would get two more TT's and TV's in two years. I grew up RVing with my grandparents so this was second nature to me and what started my love of the outdoors and backpacking adventures.










One of my favorite parts of the E was the suicide doors...when both were opened on both sides you could fit huge things through the doors. Not to mention the back seats sat higher than the front so everyone could see out the windshield. Passengers in the back loved this thing.










I always find myself checking out the new E's when I pass the dealerships to see if they get a major update. Honda changed the front end to resemble the Ridgeline which I think is ugly but that's about it besides adding a nav system. I had always hoped to own another one someday but it's really not practical for my life anymore. The back seats are huge and comfortable but only seat two. I have two kids now and plan on having more so that won't work. I drive a 4-cyl Accord for work and it gets 33mpg, the E got about 23/avg due to it's big boxy shape and small ecotech engine. So it's not a gas saver for us. I'm sad to see it go and it's unfortunate I can't get another. My wifes van will be paid off in about 9 months and we won't have a single car payment then, I was really looking forward to that. RIP Element, you were an under-appreciated vehicle.


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## 4ME (Sep 11, 2006)

I saw that today too.
We own a 2004 and it has been a great car.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Hmm, just when there seem to be more small utilitarian type vehicles entering the market. Wonder what they are up to?


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

Nathan said:


> Hmm, just when there seem to be more small utilitarian type vehicles entering the market. Wonder what they are up to?


I think it's cost and competing with the CRV which is built on the same platform. The E is expensive when it comes to cubes, but it's more like a mini truck where as the others are like cars such as the Nissan Cube, Scion XB, etc.,--to me they aren't in the same class. It's something bigger like your Flex or the Transit Connect but only available with an I4 engine, the V6 was never an option which to me was another downfall. I really think the biggest problem was not adding a third seat in the back. This was primarily a reason we didn't keep it...two kids and we wanted more, no where for all of them to ride...but the CRV does have 3 seats in the back. The profit margin on the CRV is probably higher and they wanted to encourage more sales there (almost 200K this year vs the E's 13K). One of the other big problems with the E is that most people think it's ugly so you can't get them into it...but I know very few people who have owned one and not loved it.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

We have a Saturn Vue, so we know the feeling. . .


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Yes, I was thinking of the Transit connect or the Scion, or the Nissan cube. The transit has a lot of commercial appeal, so that can keep sufficient volumes and allow for a niche in the passenger vehicle arena. Maybe that's the most important part since it will never be a high volume vehicle for personal use.


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## Dub (Dec 8, 2008)

raynardo said:


> Yes, I was thinking of the Transit connect or the Scion, or the Nissan cube. The transit has a lot of commercial appeal, so that can keep sufficient volumes and allow for a niche in the passenger vehicle arena. Maybe that's the most important part since it will never be a high volume vehicle for personal use.


Kia has one that's popular too, I see a lot of them around and they are the ugliest of the bunch. Around here there are probably a dozen E's used as commercial vehicles. Most of them because they get full body paintjobs of the business using them and they leave them near the road since business signs have to follow strick size and color schemes. I think the Transit Connect is a bit bigger than the E, taller, so it would make more sense if you wanted a smaller van like vehicle. I think the transit is in the running to to replace New York's aging taxi fleet.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Dub said:


> ..... I think the transit is in the running to to replace New York's aging taxi fleet.


Yes, the first Transit Taxi's were delivered in Boston:


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