It's i-VTEC engine spins freely while taking full advantage of gear ratios well matched to its powerband. It zips through traffic and the countryside with little complaint or deficiency. Yet, Honda's most affordable crossover is no dog. The extra ponies is a most welcomed addition to the Element, which has never been a powerhouse- and still isn't. My SC tester was equipped with a five-speed manual mixer, however a five-speed autobox is also new for '07. Further setting the SC apart from the conventional is sport-tuned suspension and lowered ride-height.Īll 2007 Elements receive a boost in horsepower as well, taking the 2.4 litre, i-VTEC DOHC four-cylinder mill to 166 horsepower from its previous rating of 156 horsepower. Inside one finds a centre console, carpeted floors and a redesigned gauge cluster. The Element SC retains all of the vehicle's practicality while showing-off a series of styling tweaks, which include painted bumpers and fascia, an "aero" grille, 18-inch wheels and projector headlights. Now that we've grown accustomed to the vehicle's funkiness, Honda has spiced-up the versatile CUV with a "Sport" edition. If Honda could figure out how to offer a third seat in the second row, making it a five-seater, that would put the Element over the top.Adding "Sport" When the Element was introduced in 2003, it's styling was viewed as a little over the top for a company as conservative in their penmanship as Honda is. This car has a powerful enough drivetrain, a super audio system, reasonable ride and all the utility you might want for everyday chores. And our test vehicle also had steering-wheel audio controls, which is always a nice upgrade. Combined with the SC’s larger 18-inch alloy wheels, unique grille and ground effects, the changes make the vehicle look more substantial and much less cheap, adding to its value equation. In the Element, in contrast, it is easy for kids and adults to climb in and out of the back.īesides those key fixes, I also like what Honda has done with putting together this SC package, starting with the exterior and getting rid of the plastic fender pieces and going with body-color paint down the side. Hopefully Toyota will eventually figure this out on the FJ Cruiser, but it won’t help that vehicle’s overall difficult rear-seat access. Now the driver merely needs to open the front door and the back-seat passenger can pull the inside door handle to open the back door. It required the driver to remove his or her seatbelt, open the door, get out and open the rear access door via the release handle hidden in the leading edge of the rear door. Why is this important? Because in a vehicle with rear-hinged, rear-access doors, having the front seatbelts tied to them was a handicap. Two cases in point: Front shoulder belts are now seat-mounted as opposed to door-mounted, and the rear-access doors are now fitted with interior door handles. This new Element solves some of those issues, and in the process has become an even better utility player. GRITZINGER: As much as I liked the utility and value of our old long-term Honda Element, some of its quirks left much to be desired.
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