Buying a Honda Element

Hey guys, so I’m currently looking to buy myself a Honda Element, now in terms of age, I’m not too pick as they all generally look the same through the years, but the issue I am having is Mileage. Now I know the common thing with average car buyers is ‘under 100k’. Now normally I stick with that but, I’ve heard the Element is pretty reliable, but I have no idea what’s considered a ‘good’ mileage for this vehicle. Anyone that can help?

bump

Dont get anything above 200k, but being a honda itll last forever anyway if you're willing to maintain it.

They get 18 mpg so be prepared for that.

They are also utterly gutless because the engine is too small for as heavy as it is.
I honestly liked the weird interior features of the thing, but they needed to offer it with even a slightly bigger engine.

parents got an element brand new in '04, drove it to 166k miles and only had to do the heater core before selling it to family who's got it up to ~220k miles. Our family mechanic says it's definitely gonna break 300k no problem and I believe that. Those K24's are detuned so massively they barely break a sweat with your foot through the floor.
Pros:
>MASSIVE SPACE - i used to schlep all my old 2 stroke mopeds in there and even used it to bring a full size ride on lawnmower to and from my grandparents place
>seats are easy to fold up into the walls and the drop down lid makes it easy to get things in and out
>suicide doors are neat and make it easy to get things in the side
>huge legroom in the back
>cozy seating position
>active AWD system is fun in the snow (mom took me to a parking lot and told me to drift as much as i want so i could learn how to control a car in case i lost traction in the snow) thing just drifted around wherever i pointed the damn wheel
>named best car for doggos and even got a dog edition
>honda accessories are massive (camping/etc addons)
Cons
>gas mileage kinda sucks
>if you want something "fast" this isn't it, but the I-vtech makes a neat noise
honda did themselves a massive disservice getting rid of them

They do ride better than just about any other small SUV. Because it's so pigfat Honda reengineered the suspension and steering so it doesn't have that weeble-wooble ride that most other box-on-wheels have. That and the short wheelbase make it feel pretty tight and kind of make you not notice that you have to bury the gas pedal to go anywhere.

When my bro bought one we had to drive it immediately on a road trip. It was like driving a refrigerator with wheels and anything above 80 was terrifying

The emphasis is definitely on the "Utility" and not the "Sport"

I feel like Elements are going to be the vw vans of the future. Like 10-15 years from now ski bums and climbers are going to be paying top dollar for them.
I kinda want to buy one and sit on it just to see if I'm right.

given my last car just blew its head gaskets, and i'm back in the market, i almost want to get an element just so i don't have to worry about the damn thing ever
and honestly, i can see element tax becoming a thing given how long they last

...

The Element was always going to have a short shelf life, considering HA engineers developed it in their free time and then had to sell HJ on the idea.
It was a novel idea, but a little too niche for the fast growing small SUV market and it was pretty pricey compared to it's competition.
It will become a sleeper classic though, thanks to a long operational life and the fact that nothing else from that period really stands out in terms of design.

>always going to have a short shelf life
How do you figure? The Element's AWD was the same RT4WD system they had back on the Shuttle/Wagovan and in the first two weeks of CR-V
The interior's configurability was one of the biggest selling points other than the fact that it's a Honda, it was never short shelf life

*first two gens

Too much external competition and it had a narrower profit margin than the CRV. By the end of its run, Honda was barely moving 15k Elements a year.
Compare that to the over 65k they sold its first year and that's a pretty dramatic dip in sales.
It's probably the best designed and engineered small SUV, but that made it more expensive and less profitable. They probably could have gotten a few more years out of it, but there's no way it could have sold sustainably after 2009. The market was just too flooded.

I should add, though. That because it is a Honda and it did sell in RELATIVELY low numbers (less than 400k total) they are holding value very well and it will contribute to their classic status further down the road.

these cars driver like absolute fucking ass but they're so god damn functional its never even funny

i want one to tow my grom around

fyi dont get the standard gearbox ones the shifter feels like ass and the clutches are goofy

theres whispers of them bringing back the element soon

the 2 best hondas ever made are rumored to come back

>element
>s2000

>get the slushbox
WAT

...

have you ever driven one of these in stick? the shifter position is like the old civic si's where its on the dash

it makes for uncomfortable gear shifts and like i said the clutches are really..... springy? I'm not a fan

The EP3 shifter was really damn good actually, the fuck you on about?

fuck i love these cars

it works for the civic but the seating position in the element is completely different and the wheel is fucking huge

Damn, I want

...

...

I bought an 06 EX right around this time a year ago with 130k....so far so good, I doing predominantly city driving

...

...

I'll believe it when I see it. The Honda bosses were never a big fan of the Element so I doubt they'd bring it back now when the market competition is even more stiff. The XV Crosstrek already sells more per year than the Element ever did.

That’s a great car there, buddy. My Filipino mail-order bride and a I conceived our firstborn son and in the hatch of a Honda Element.

When I first picked her up from that shipping container in Oakland and she saw my Honda Element she asked if it was my home because it was so roomy.

Oh yea a new tripfaggot, just what everyone wanted...

Hey it’s not cool to call people that, buddy. How would you feel if someone called you that?

Honda doomed the Element when they didn't try to push it internationally. It was available in both right and left hand drive and even Top Gear liked it, but they just didn't push it internationally because they didn't want to undermine the CR-V.

jus
>sport
>the regular highway speed at certain points between Florida and Texas

I just think a car should be able to go the speed limit fine

Meant for (you)