Honda plant
is in Ohio. Since Ohio it is now foreign nation I guess we will need a passport to go to Columbus?
element plant
not to be mean off the bat, but where does the profits from said vehicle go?..japan. i am not pushing my agenda on you, but rather trying to say that is the only reason for me to not buy one. the percentage of us/canadian parts is rather high i must add as well. but they are assembled by non-union labor, not made in the u.s. by unionized labor earning a higher wage. oh and i dont buy american vehicles with a low percentage or assembled elsewhere either.not being rude, just clarrifying my position. i have to do this a lot as not many people of my generation care about such matters. cheers.
C.D. Cruiser
Picked it up today, and put it through it’s paces on the farm. Named it the C.D. Cruiser (Canoes & Dogs). No problem with ground clearance, crossed our two creeks without problems. Here’s a pic. THanks for your help. WW
http://community.webshots.com/photo/473607634/473610731FhjnLA
Get Real
Please support any company that wants to invest in building factories in the United States. Where do the Honda profits go? A lot of the profits go back into capital investment in R and D and production in the US. Profits from american automakers are building jobs outside of the US. Tell us which companies you believe are only using US parts, very little of US cars are built in the US.
element
again, just to clarify. i am aware of the global aspects behind even gm and ford. however the workers on those vehicles make a living wage and those building hondas and toyotas do not. they usually make 10-12 an hour to start. hardly enough when you have a family to support. i am outraged by the big three producing offshore, however more profits stay in the us from a domestic than an import. and workers make a decent wage. ford is habitually the worst offender, hence i am a chevy guy. but even though the new hhr is built in mexico, 73% of its parts/assembly are us made.
Lighten up Pork…
– Last Updated: Oct-10-05 9:03 PM EST –
Just be happy for these guys and their really cool new vehicle. I think he was asking about other people and their ownership regarding realiability and road worthiness. I don't think they were looking for a politcal or socio-economic statement.
BTW............ Terry & Margaret, CONGRATS!
Thanks, Jay!
I would like for you and Jarvis to come over here and paddle the Black and take a ride in it. WW
Congrats guys !!
Sorry I missed out on your posting until AFTER you went and bought the vehicle! We had looked at Elements recently when we were thinking on replacing our small pickup. The price, ride, seats, accessories, mileage, and cargo space were just wonderful.
Unfortunately I took a look at the load rating and realized it had a lower load capacity than a Honda CIVIC!! If I can come close to overloading a Civic with gear, I knew I would blow the suspension in an Element. My thought was that it was a inexcusable design error to provide cargo space without load bearing capacity to match.
Keep those dogs on a healthy diet and buy carbon composites and I’m guessing you won’t have any problems ;^). Can’t wait to check it out on the Black some weekend, that sounds like a good plan!
-Jarvis
Honda Element load capacity
Being a sterotypical male, I NEVER read the directions unless I just CAN’T make it work! 
I have a 2" receiver hitch on my '03 Element, 5-speed AWD.
When evacuating for a hurricane last year, I pulled my 6X12 enclosed trailer with a LOT more weight that the vehicle is rated for from Cocoa, Florida to Macon, Georgia and back, and it never even breathed hard.
Don’t let the specs scare you off. This little workhorse is sort of like a DeHavilland Beaver bush plane: If you can get it through the door, it’ll haul it!
Bob
Ratings are legal CYA for manufacturer
especially the roof load ratings on an SUV.
I Figured the Ratings…
…were to CYA also. That way if you overload it with a ton of gear, drive 90 mph and then roll it when you try to make that turn to sharp you can’t blame Honda. WW
cargo space questions…
Would a 4x8 plywood sheet fit inside w/ seats down or out?
What is the cargo length behind the drivers seat to the tail?
Thanks!
My '92 (247,700K) toyota van makes a good tent…more room than my tadpole 23 tent!
Do you use trekking poles for your MSR tent?
Only 2 problems with an Element
I don’t have a lot of confidence in the local Honda dealership, and they are a odd looking vehicle. But then you need to consider that this comes from a guy who loved his ‘74 Subaru and ‘84 Tercel wagon. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
Happly Paddlin’ (& safe drivin’)
Grandpa
Odd Looking
My wife said it was ugly until she gave it a closer look. It’s the most comfortable vehicle I believe I’ve driven (just drove 184 miles round trip to and from work). I’ll measure it for 4X8 plywood tomorrow when I put my Thule feet on and try out the rack. WW
Element cargo dimensions
Width at the floor of the rear door/liftgate opening is 43.5"
Back of driver’s seat to rear tailgate is 72", but this could vary + or - about 5" depending on how close you set to the wheel.
Cargo area is reported as 75 cubic feet, according to Honda.
Bob
Watch the tires in the rain and snow
If you have the Goodyear Wrangler HP tires. OK on dry stuff though. I just got a set of new tires from TireRack (Firestone Destination A/T in 235/70 -16) for mine. I’ll be getting them mounted Monday. I’ll let you know how they are. I’m sure you won’t be replacing your new tires right away, so watch it in the sloppy stuff. Other than that I predict you will like the Element more the longer you have it. Be safe, and Enjoy!
Thanks Rwven
I didn’t notice the style, but they are Goodyear. Thanks for the warning, it’s too bad there’s always a compromise with tires; I wish the engineers could come up with one that’s good on rain, snow, mud, and dry highways. Thanks for all your help! WW
OEM Tires
with the exception of more performance oriented vehicles, are generally aimed more towards wear index than any measure of ride, handling, etc. The OEM tires on my CR-V are garbage, noisy, hard, kind of scary in the rain-can’t wait till they wear out. Considering I have a set of winter alloys with Blizzaks for the inclement weather as well, it’s gonna’ be a while…
Element
Keep in mind, the Honda Element is only ugly on the outside…when you’re driving it, you can’t see it! I love mine for hauling my kayak and related gear, but find I need a little stepstool to help me with the tie downs – it’s a bit on the tall side. I’m 5’5". I could say more, but would tend to repeat the other posts.
I own an element
I have had my element since 03’ I love it. I have a yakima roof rack, and use a yakima stacker when I have my buddies boats with me. I’ve put 3 boats up there w/o a problem and have room for 1 more.
The best part is the waterproof inside, once I get out of the water I load my boat and then just jump in the car. Wet,sandy, muddy it doesn’t matter jump in drive home.
I have a lot of pictures on my website of it www.spanky526.com
Jason S.