Honda Element EX 2WD Manual

2009 Honda Element EX

When Honda introduced the Element in December of 2002 it was a radical departure from the norm, what with its packing-box body and squarish stance. Since then, we’ve gotten used to it after seeing so many on the street, but it still draws the eye and usually brings a smile. Honda hasn’t done anything to alter the Element’s basic personality over the years, and that’s still true for 2006, the only changes being some shuffling of standard and optional equipment items.

Distinctive style aside, the Element rides on a highly modified CR-V chassis: The length is a foot shorter, the wheelbase has been trimmed 1.7 inches, the roofline is 4.2 inches higher, the front track is 1.7 inches narrower, and the floor is about an inch lower. To make up for the lack of visible B-pillars, it’s strengthened by reinforced joints, beefier lower-side sills, larger crossmembers, enlarged rocker panels, and five bulkheads per side.

According to Honda, the structural rigidity is on par with the CR-V’s. The downside is that the additional structure adds weight-an Element EX with four-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission weighs 3550 pounds, or roughly 250 more than a similarly equipped CR-V. This extra poundage also impacts fuel economy and performance. The Element will go about two fewer miles per gallon than the CR-V, and its 156-hp, 2.4-liter DOHC inline four will barely produce a 10-second 0-to-60-mph run for a fully equipped four-wheel-drive version.

Still, the Element moves with an unexpected grace. Its suspension is the same strut-front and independent-rear setup as on the CR-V but with increased damping force at all four corners and larger anti-roll bars. The Element exhibits surprisingly little body roll and excellent transitional responses. With precise steering and a Honda-wonderful shifter, the Element is a most unlikely back-road boogie board

Related Posts

1. Honda Element (Manual)
2. 2009 Honda Element
3. 2006 Honda Element
4. Honda Element 2003 – 2006