My wife really wanted to test drive a new 2007 Honda Element. So we went down and we both drove one. At first, I wasn't wild about the looks of it, but after driving it and realizing how much interior room it had, we were sold. She got a red one with black detailing. Surprisingly, it's a fun little SUV to drive. We chose one with no carpeting because of our four small dogs. We frequently hit the beaches in California and you can actually hose the floor off. Cool! Price was right too! Anyone else out there have one. We like ours better everyday!

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_overview.asp?ModelName=Element&bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True

My mom wanted one of those too, I think she has an 06. It is a decent driving little box, but only if you got the stick shift. At least with the stick shift it isnt so boring. She got a red one as well. Im not sure how different the 07 is, I know they took off that black plastic around the bottom of the car (yuck).

The first thing one of our dogs did when he got into it the first time was pee in it... my mom wasn't too happy.

One annoying thing with ours is if you are in gear and coasting, any touch of the throttle makes the stupid thing bounce back and forth. Honda seems to make their throttles too touchy. My dad's Accord is touchy but you can get used to it, this does it no matter how gentle you are.

Plus I'm not a fan of big fat lazy chunky 4 bangers and this one reminds me of a blender. Ride isn't very good, brake pedal travels frighteningly far down to the floor.

I don't have much experience with stick shifts, but I have driven my mom's 06 Miata 6 speed and the Element 5 speed and after having played around with my friend's 190E 2.3 16V I must say that the MB tranny sucks. Makes nasty plastic noises as you go through the gears, the throws are too long and the shift knob just feels cheap. Big disappointment..

The transmission shifts very nicely on the Element though. With the exception of the 2nd day we had it, some shift linkage got disconnected and was fixed under warranty of course.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

WTB is looking at the exact same one... I'm trying to get her to go for the manual trans... great truck, you're going to love it.

Pete

It is a nice shifting stick shift for an SUV. I put a leather shift knob on there for my mom and it made it even better. Now it just needs a leather boot to replace that cheesy rubber one.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

She's not 100% sold on the trans *yet* -- I'm trying, but I don't want to force her into something... A few more "lessons" on my full size Chevy and we'll go from there...

That thing with a manual trans will go for 300K with just maint.

Great vehicle!

what kind of real world mileage do they get?

i was thinking of trying to con my wife out of her cheesey little pt cruiser and into one of those.

i would want the stick but she says it interferes with her coffee drinking!

i like the funky plastic parts. they look really truckey. i like the rubber mats too. that would be my choice for everything including a ferrari or s class!

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

You know why I want one of those? It's a four seater. That's right. Room for me, my wife, and my kid. No room for both in-laws.

Last year they came and visited and decided they didn't want to drive up north in their car so they all crammed into my wagon.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Depends on the driver of course but my mom gets 20 mpg or so in almost all city driving.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I thought you were offering a trade.

GE.. incandescent should do...

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Matt (SD,CA)

1984 300SD.. White/Chrome Bunts..Green

1997 2500 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve 36 PSI of Boost = 400+hp & 800+tQ .. ..Greenspeed

2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Quad Cab Cummins 5.9 H.O "596hp/1225tq" 6 spd. Man. Leather Heated seats/Loaded..Flame Red....GREENSPEED

Global warming...Doing my part, Smokin da hippies..

Fight the good fight!......

Haha....my wife also has one of those PT Cruiser things...she just luvs it...Can't get her out of it !....and these PT'ers have this whole little sub culture going on with those ugly things....

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Showing up every day isn't enough. There are a lot of guys who show up every day who shouldn't have showed up at all. - James Caan

Elements are cool. Friend just got a AWD
and mpg is only low 20's. A box has high drag.

My boring Subaru wagon can fit a 9'6" longboard
inside. The Element looks too short to do this?

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cult plus time equals religion