You CAN hose out the interior without damaging it, as long as you don't stick the hose directly into the CD drive or spray straight up under the dash. However, it doesn't have any drain holes, so it isn't the greatest idea.
The thing is... I was looking at the floor tub and thinking, 'I could just drill a couple big holes in the footwells and put plugs in.' As long as you repaint the raw steel and make sure it drains completely every time you clean it, I bet it would work!
@@blackdragonxtra it wouldn't be a good idea. The floor material isn't sealed under the center console thing or the little plastic molding things at the rear base of the front seats. Water can run right under the plastic and then under the flooring material where it can sit and cause mildew
I remember doing a motorcycle trackday about fifteen years ago. This guy parked an Element next to me, open the rear doors and pulled out a Yamaha R6. I was shocked!
Fun fact: the Element burned up the right rear brake a lot because the exhaust ran close enough to it to transfer heat to it. My buddy went through several right rear calipers as a result. It’s just routine maintenance on this car.
Never mind. Don't even try for a knowledgeable, balanced review. Just fuggetabout it. Did you, perhaps, hear faint rumors of bringing the car back? Or anything from customers? Doubtful, though; such data might imply the possibile development of a genuine cult following. God, you guys are so sophisticated.
After working at a Honda dealership, I can say everyone I’ve met that owned one, loved their Element. Even so far as having multiples as they know they can’t get a new version yet. Not my favorite vehicle but I’ll acknowledge the cult like love it gets.
When I take my Element to the Honda Service Department for service, the salesmen always run up to me and ask if I'm trading it in because they have buyers available. Previous owners tell me they have "seller's remorse". Mine is promised to my daughter when I die or can't drive anymore. It is a family member and will never leave. Love my "Toaster" with the aerodynamics of a box-kite. Super Utility Vehicle!
Another car aimed at a demographic who couldn’t afford it. Ironically I know plenty of elderly folk who bought them because of the Element’s boxy spaciousness and ease of use.
About 10 years ago I was a DJ for weddings and events and clubs and shit. All the DJ's including me would lug around our equipment in our SUV's and trucks. This one dude had an Element. he was able to fit TWO 18" subs, 2 PA monitors, speaker stands, a massive rack mount CD deck/mixer combo WITH all the amps for the speakers, a huge case containing a facade and lights and a duffle full of cords. He STILL had room in the front for a passenger. Amazing.
I've had a 2005 Element AWD since 2010. 270,000 miles now and all I've ever done is oil, tire and wiper changes. Most utilitarian vehicle I've ever owned. Everything fits inside of it including my Ducati 1199 Panigale, standing up. No cop EVER stops you for speeding in it and I'm never under 80mph on the highway. You park it anywhere and you don't worry about people opening their doors up into yours because this is the best "I Don't Give A Fk" vehicle you've ever owned. I love this thing. Oh, and my other car is a 997.1 GT3 with PCCB's.
@@cavemanvi you can put two 450 dirt bikes in the back of any Honda then take them down and have uncomfortable freshman sex in it too, it's the limp Bizkit vw bus
I was thinking about this while watching the review. What kind of dumb dumb off-roads an eco car and complains about suspension reliability? That had to be a joke.
11:24 - 12:05 Damn it got philosophical at the end. Almost prophetic or transcendent. Because I did move away and lived abroad. I did get a good education & built a career for myself. I have returned years later to my hometown, as a "tourist" passing by. I did see the mutants, doing the same thing, like as if time remained frozen ever since I left. I have then returned back to my normal life and continued to ride in my Element. Still have no idea what you actually said half of the time or if you think the Element is/was a good car. But I have grown to love my toaster, with all it's quirks and no one is gonna change my mind by telling me that it's no good cos I can't accelerate from 0 to 60 within an acceptable amount of seconds. Or the fact that the backseat passenger can never escape the confines of the Element, until you let them. Relax and enjoy the ride, passenger. Life is not the destination, it's a journey. And you are gonna remain in the back seat of the Element until the driver decides that you have arrived, will unclip his seatbelt & open his driver side door to the world, at which point the passenger will finally be free to go.
I like your response. Totally agree. Furthermore I find that if your are not sitting in the front seats of any car then someone is doing you a favor, plus the front passenger and/or driver will have to give you the rare courtesy of opening up your door. What's wrong with that?
“You can only fit 4 people in it” Me who been stuck with one for two years: you can fit atleast 3 fat guys in the trunk and and one sitting on top of the cup holder plus the regular 4.
The closing thoughts hit me hard. There's a fragile beauty in Mr. Regular's voice - it's like cultivated authenticity - whenever he going into reflections. I'm recording these bits. They make for good walking music.
Jesus Christ, I came for the "2007 Element review" search result and ended up in nostalgic philosophy class, mixed with creative writing poetics. Nice job. The art of communication is not completely lost. Thinking about helping my daughter buy one of these as she needs something cheap and relatively durable and easy to maintain.
I had a buddy who got one of these senior year. It was an awesome road trip car for our group. Beach trips were great, easy to clean, tons of cargo room. The most distinctive thing I remember about it was how high up you sat in the rear seats. You were at least 6 inches above the front passengers.
@@bernardschmitt6389 I drive one too, and I love it so much. The visibility is amazing, the cargo capacity is fabulous, and I like that I can mop it! Although the criticism in this video is really relatable lol. I have the 2010 automatic version, and it's just... fun? Idk. It's also incredibly easy to spot in parking lots, has a teeny tiny turning radius, and is super short so it's easy to parallel park
Was looking into it as a vehicle to use for fishing when have a gob of sand and not concerned about clean up much. Seems as if will be fair priced and get good mileage all things considered. Will definitely look in to getting a back up mirror.
I have a 2006 Element and love it. Bought it off the showroom. It’s been on the shores of the Outer Banks to the Rockies. The only thing the Element can’t do is haul a full sheet of plywood. This is the most utilitarian vehicle ever manufactured.
It's the Volkswagen bus of today as well, anyone that has owned will tell you stories of the crazy shit they have stuffed in it or the crazy shit they have done in it
I'm 6'4", and my sister's 03' Element was the only car where I barely ducked my head down to get in and out of. Which is REALLY nice for my neck and back. And when I was inside, I easily had 6" of headroom...that's how tall this box is. VERY reliable; the most expensive thing she had to replace on it were the tires; because its AWD, all the time, so every time you're in a parking lot, and you have to make tight turns, you hear/feel the tires slipping, so you're basically wearing the tires out faster. That being said, it didn't have an expensive tire size. Everything you said about it was true. Highways are not your friend; 40-60 acceleration is abysmal unless you smash the throttle in order to move this brick through the air. Likewise, even though it's very tall, it's not a heavy car; when you get to 65, you feel EVERY crosswind; highway speeds on windy days felt like driving in the jet wash of an airliner taking off. Remember the Top Gear episode where Jeremy makes that apartment block on a Citroen car, and they go on the freeway, and he started freaking out whenever he went over 40mph or whenever a box truck or a tractor trailer drove past him? Not as bad as that, obviously, but it ain't a picnic. It's a great car for puttering around at or under 55mph in some northeastern/midwestern town where you want a tall, roomy yet compact SUV to get you through those tough lake-effect winters. And the only off-roading your doing in this baby is if you've got over a dozen soccer balls in the back, and you drive it onto a muddy soccer field for little league practice because Karen guilt you into volunteering to coach that year, and you're plotting on how you're gonna get even with her because you found out she bailed out that year because she had tickets to see Adam Levine. Or if you drive it onto a beach; because your friends, with their LL. Bean/Eddie Bauer/North Face attire, knit beanie caps, and vegan sandals, have set up a firepit, and you drive onto the beach next to the campfire, and you've got the supply of s'mores. Rubicon trail-ready, this ain't. Edit: there are only 2 things that REALLY annoyed me about this car. 1st: if you're over 6' tall, you cannot see the top 1/3 of speedo because the steering wheel will NOT tilt higher to clear the instrument cluster profile. So you either have to lower the wheel into your crotch the see 40-80mph, or you crane your head/recline your seat into a awkward position. And #2: The seats are about as comfortable as a pallet of cinder blocks covered in cardboard...great for getting in and out of, terrible for long journeys. I dont know what it is with Honda and seats. It's like their idea of "regular" seats is; they take the same amount of padding of a racing seat...with all the support and bolstering of a metal folding chair. Might as well lay a thin quilt on top of a boulder. Other than that, great car. Just know these quirks before you buy one.
@@jeffkeni I'm not sure what you mean. It was definitely AWD, because it had a driveshaft connected to a transfer case. It didn't have a switch on the dash to pop in/out of 4WD. Maybe later models had that option.
@@Foxfloop Its funny because at the time this came out I remember the consensus being anything but "plain or clean and simple" looking. In fact it was seen as bold and stood out at the time of the mid 00s blob cars. The boxy body, sharp lines, unconventional materials are much more inline with todays designs. If anything the market has moved in that direction in the years since and consumer perception has followed suit.
This car is incredible. Our family passed it around to each other, except for me. We got it in 2011, replacing a XJ Cherokee (we used to have two). My mom drove it, then we got a Ford Flex and she passed it to my dad. My dad used it like a cargo van/pickup truck as Honda intended, but he was 20 years older than the target demographic. Then my sister, the target demographic of this car, got her license and she got it. Now it sits in her overpriced college apartment driveway, the gray plastic is battered from my father, the green paint is fading, the muffler is gone, and my sisters use of nicotine has coated the interior in grease. When she gets a car, my dad will take it back with loving arms, or maybe I will. Now I have a 2003 Honda Insight now that I can drive, all we need now is an S2000 and we finish out strange mid 2000s Honda bingo.
I’ve had an ‘08 2wd auto for 2 years for the wife and kids. #1 - get quiet brand name tires: what an improvement!!!!!! Best money spent #2 - with your good tires enjoy 28 hwy mpg #3 - I love that little square box that fits anywhere, turns radius is like a small hatchback, but yet it feels like a castle inside. #4 - lots and lots of space for the car seats
TLDR from a previous owner: Genuine 10 sec 0-60. Topped out around around 110 and got less than 20mpg combined. Loud and rode like a tractor. Buuttttt....it's roomy!
I owned a 5spd element for 5 years and 165k miles. It was extremely reliable as in it only required wear and tear items with one exception, the bushings. The suspension was borrowed from the CR-V and was never really up to task with the added weight and size of the Element. I loved that car and regret selling it. I would always surprise people with doing tight donuts in the snow with the slip n grip AWD and a 5 spd manual. It was such a great vehicle for the 22-28yr old me.
@@bt7482 I owned my Element till 180k mi. Had to replace suspension bushings, engine and trans mounts, starter, few sensors, A/C stopped working and I could never find out what the issue was, and a steering rack. All shocks were leaking and there was an engine oil leak that was never fixed. I didn't find it to be any more reliable than your average car.
I can tell you why... Its got no insulation. No sound deadening. No noise cancelling anything. The doors are 6" thick, including sheetmetal and window motors. LOUD... Go get into a current vehicle.. you couldnt hear yourself die from the outside. You cant hear the engine, you cant hear anything.
Your ending monologue is spot on. I’m currently working abroad and making a name for myself. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned going back to the old gym and seeing the same people doing the same thing, then going to your element and going your way! Bravo Zulu bro!
On a meta level, I love how this channel always features cars driving through the cramped small-city / big-town roads of the Mid Atlantic. I moved from the Hudson Valley about a year and a half ago, just east of Pennsylvania, and watching the cars on this channel whiz by 1870s row homes in various states of repair, with front doors that open right up to poorly maintained sidewalks in pre-zoning neighborhoods makes me seriously homesick. Then the cuts to the wooded back roads which barely have enough width to allow two Honda Fits to squeeze by one another hits it home even more. I miss those types communities. Outside of major cities, it's very rare in the midwest.
I’ve been awaiting for this review for years! I’m on my 3rd Element and absolutely love it. I’m 6’4” so the space is the best part about it. But threw a TSX k24a4 into it, swapped out the 5 speed gears for the TSX 6 speed gears and got ktuner for the ecu. It’s now a toaster with some actual balls
It's my Element in the video, and I have all the bits now to go 6 speed. But I'm waiting till either the clutch fails or the warranty runs up for the the install. Hopefully by then I have a TSX k24 to put in it. Really though, I'd just like a lower 1s gear for off road. :)
@@mikeyridesit8562 Have you seen Aerogenics products for the element? They have lift blocks and subframe drop kits so you dont kill your CV's if you ever put that 3 inch lift on. IMHO I wouldn't lift it just because it introduces so much more wear on components. The RT4WD that honda markets is honestly only good for snow and gravel. I know this because I have a 04 CRV so we share the same drivetrain and I take my car in the woods of PA. Also theres a real old youtube video on the Hoonigan channel where Bisimoto makes a civic wagovan and he uses a crv/element rear diff but he found a product for it that helps it engage quicker if you're looking to put more pep into the awd.
@@MrP1NEAPPLE I got the HRG kit with the subframe drops. Now I just need a nice warm day during this quarantine time to get it on. I do understand the wear, but this isn't my daily driver so, it's the appropriate vehicle to do something like this with, and there has been a few times a few more inches of clearance would have been handy.
@@MrP1NEAPPLE also the difference between the Element and Crv is, the Element has bigger clutches on the differential to allow more power transfer. I know a few off road CRV folks who use the Element rear diff unit for that reason.
MikeyRidesIt you’re going to love it. I’m upgrading to a duel core radiator from ebay and using the aerogenics hub spacer to do the TL front brembo conversion since I have a set of 17” RPF1s for it. The tsx k24 just feels so much smoother than the elements k24. She’s awesome through the mud with the right tires and just a very comfortable cruiser for longer road trips. But off-roading definitely destroys the suspension. Went through some mud a couple weeks ago and messed up a lower balljoint like nothing.
i loved my element. i even had 3 of them. i lived in it and traveled 25k miles across all 4 corners of america. it's not a sports car to drive, but it has charisma and it's utilitarian and a great unique car for those who enjoy outdoor stuff.
i had a 2010. it was the best car i ever owned. slept in it comfortably many times, and was just so versatile. it even saved my sisters life when she got clipped on the highway and flipped a few times. came out without a scratch. miss this car, wish honda continued it...
Many 90's Japanese minivans had 3rd row seats that folded like that. But many also had power sliding side curtains, middle row swivel chairs, front and rear TV (yes with antennae) and other luxuries. Our vans here were way behind the times back then.
That was the family car for years, drove it from Regina and back to Victoria a couple times. The thing hated going up the mountainous hills in the Rockies though.
I had an 05 Element.. my first vehicle. Had some good times, and some bad times in it. I could list all the negatives, but I’m not going to do that. My Honda Element got me through some interesting times in my life. I gave her hell at times! But even though I parted ways with her about 2 years ago, I’ll never forget the memories I had in my ole green Element!
God, one of my favorite things about RCR reviews are Mr. Regular's poignant final words immediately followed by a sweet and savory tune from the Roman that always feels so genuine. Godspeed, boys. I'll be a fan until the end.
Love my E. While you point out some serious flaws with it, you really don't even think about them because of the utility of it. I had a 20 ft ladder, full size gas mower, tools, a weedeater, and probably more, all without removing the seats. I almost never need my truck when I have this thing around. Also use it to tow a small utility trailer and it pulls great.
I've found that is it's biggest downfall though. It punches way too above its own weight on the cargo capacity which leads you to putting a ton of stress on the running gear. I've put more than 500 pounds in my ele and didn't even blink. Someone needs to make a cargo suspension for it so it can become the van it was meant to be
My dream car and I bought a 2010 used after these where discontinued. It was great for snowboarding, mountain biking and taking naps in the back. Speaking backseats, initiation to new riders was the person sitting next to you in the back would pull the reclining latch as the driver accelerated. The biggest downside was it only sat four. So many times I needed a fifth seat. Also, I dared not go more then 85 mph because it got terribly squirrelly. In some ways, the Element felt like the old VW van I never got to own.
5 years after retiring my 2003 Element ater 300k miles. I still miss it's utility. My Subaru Forester replacment was pure crap and my current Mazda CX-5 is much better to drive but is severly lacking in that utility. The Element was rough and noisy but it worked very well.
I love my Honda Element. It was a multipurpose car. It was good in all weather, on the road and in the city. It is also very useful with moving things bc it is very roomie.
Actually expected it to be Yuri's Element, which was also a 5 speed manual. Since RCR was with them in Canada a while back. But it's not lol. (Yuri's Element was Red, with aftermarket wheels.)
Well put ! It was the "grow up" car for me. I used to get shit from my friends untill we had to tailgate! Everything you said was true. The engine didnt actually "wake up untill after 4000 rpm, then you got some speed. Since the element I bought a 2013 charger se and hated it. Far too expensive to run and drove like a crown Victoria. I have a family of 5 so I've since graduated to a grand caravan. All the strengths of the element , and 300 horse power (almost with a k &n ) . With the stow away seats, I've put sofas in my caravan As a dad car guy . I cant wait to actually get something I WANT to drive.
Houston's Hustle Hobbies ...I’m still driving my Element. 150k on it and no issues. I drove it across the country earlier this year even. I’ll be sad when it wears out.
I own a 2005 Element. It has 190k miles. All the plastic bits are wearing and getting more rattly and slowly breaking. It's not that fast and gas mileage isn't great. It looks like it should be able to go off road but...no. It's loud inside. That said I like it. A lot. It manages to be a car but also a light duty truck. It carries more than you'd think, often. Then again it sometimes doesn't carry enough. It runs flawlessly and rides great with a tight turning radius. If Honda was smart about it they'd have offered an off road model with stiffer suspension, tighter construction and a 6 cylinder engine with more torque.
“They chose their path and I chose mine.” Honda Element. Then kinda of Hamiltonesque gospel acapella. Me, I’ll go where I want to go too. Honda Accord Sport.
Id like to STRIKE the word SPORT from any auto nameplate. The car isnt better, livlier or more engaging... with the word SPORT on it. Also, if ya ever wondering what SPORT means... its LIGHT and FAST. Accord isnt light nor is it fast.
In Los Angeles Honda set up tiny radio broadcasts from billboards where you could hear Gil talk to his friends. I pinch is a pretty good catchphrase too.
I love these things now. I always thought they were ugly and I never got to work on any at the shop, but once my friend bought one and I checked it out....yeah man, I like it.
My 05 Element ex 4wd Replaced 1.leaky oil pan 2.starter (twice) 3.alternator 4.front suspension 5.radiator 6.throttle body 7.iacv 8.maf sensor 9.catylitic converter 10. Both o2 sensors ....as far as reliability im torn...engine and transmission are going strong with 170k miles but i feel like ive basically replaced everything. I give it a 5 out of 10.
As someone who has worked abroad, moved away from home, and has friends (who I still love ya'll) who have stayed in the same state/city...that outtro hit me right in the feels
Dude same! I'm from a small town in the south and have been out for 16 years now and some of the guys, like we are in our mid 30's, y'all still doing this?
The crab commercials were some of my favorite ones put out by Honda. I weirdly wanted an Element just because it was so quirky and functional for someone without a family. There was so much leg room in the rear seats and the cargo area was enormous even with the back seats in use.
Having owned a 2008 for many years now, gotta say, this review is by someone who has never owned one. My El will gladly smoke just about ANYTHING including a Hummer H3, on a snowy inclined street. I have easily passed such phallic symbols in a hard blizzard, with my 200,000+ miles El. The year I bought it, it was 4 years old with 199,000 miles on it. I drove it through a full on ice storm 2 weeks later, when I stopped for gas, there was 5" of ice on the grill. I never got under 50mph, with 3"-5" of untreated ice slush on the highway. I passed everything on the road without any sliding whatsoever Being able to mop out the interior is beyond amazing. I will keep and repair mine for as long as possible, and replace with another if necessary
It's crazy how well the exterior design on these late-model Elements has aged. It looks great. Honda should, unironically, resurrect this vehicle as an EV.
You won't regret it. I never even really looked at them twice until I got one. Now I am obsessed with it. Everyone who rides in it becomes obsessed with it too.
It's a great winter car or spare car. Its boring to drive and will need some work as these all have a good amount of miles because people drove them a lot.
I have an orange 2007, only mine is automatic. I find the steering is actually very nimble. I love this vehicle in winter conditions for driving and cleanup. It is SHOCKING how much you can fit in it.
The ending hit the nail on the head. I left Chillicothe OH in 1981 for the Air Force. I was that goofy kid that got thrown into lockers by the "Alphas" of the school. Returned to visit in 2003. I had traveled the world, was the new Director of IT for Medical Research at a major university. Happened to bump into a few of these former Alphas in a local restaurant. They didn't recognize me. Which was fine. Every one of them looked 10 to 15 years older than me, 250 to 300 pounds. Missing teeth, that I later learned was because of Meth addiction. Most had been in prison at least once. All they could only talk about how awesome high-school was. They made it a living hell for me. I looked at them with pity. This was all they had. Memories in a dying town. And I can leave whenever I want. I bought them their lunch as I finished mine and walked out. They never knew who did it.
I remember the ads. My mind went to them immediately when I saw that you were reviewing an Element, and one from 2007 no less. At the time, there was a slot car track in my hometown with six soda machines. No, I’m not making that up: six! It might have even been seven. The owner bought a bunch of old can vendors so that he could have a good variety of drinks for people to guzzle while they used the tables. He even managed to find inserts for the fronts with pictures of NASCAR drivers on then. If you go to my channel, you’ll find a video of me there with the machines in the background. Anyway, people would drink their soda while using the tables, and the owner would collect the cans so that he could cash them in. He had a can crusher mounted on the back wall that he encouraged people to use to crush their cans when they were done with them. You had to pinch the can before crushing it or else the machine could get damaged, so he put a little hand-written sign next to the crusher telling folks what to do. I told him that I ought to print one out for him that referenced those ads, “Peench your can!”. XD
I put 4 Bmw m50’s inside my element with 0 issues, call it a gimmick all you want but the cargo capability you get out of these things is absolutely insane
I bought a 2004 Element new and kept it for about 100k miles. It was the most fun little box ever to hoon around in the snow with the manual transmission, but...the cavernous interior wrote checks the suspension and brakes could. not. cash. I loaded it up like a pickup & stuck a hitch on it for a little camper, and...ran half-a-dozen sets of pads through on the rear discs, and did about $1k of suspension work the year before I gave up and got an F-150. But oh, do I miss being able to squeeze nimbly into tight spaces in that Element. It was such a good little urban trouper.
Fun story: Around first grade, I jammed my finger pretty badly on a jungle gym, and so I started to hold pencils that way to alleviate the pain. And then I just never really switched back, despite countless teachers trying to correct it. But from then on, holding it the normal way always felt weird and uncomfortable. So I just kept writing that way. Okay, so it wasn't a fun story, but it IS a true one.
I had a 2006 Element for 6 years. Of all the vehicles I've owned, this was the one I was most fond of. I was big into mountain bike racing and I could drive to the trail-head with my bike standing in the back without having to remove wheels, and sleep in the car the night before the race, get up and ride in the morning. I had two 80-lb dogs who could jump in easily. The inside of that car was so often covered in mud, blood and dog slobber, the lack of porous material was perfect. I couldn't hose it out, but a bucket of soapy water and a sponge was all I needed to get the interior looking like new again. The Manual transmission made the lack of power more tolerable. If I could get another one in reasonably good condition, I would... well at least for weekend adventures, I'd want a second vehicle for highway commutes though.
I had an ‘03 Honda Element and to this day, it’s still my favorite car. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep it due to an accident. The flexibility of the inside and the roominess of the cabin were mastercraft. I even removed the back seats and built a bed and storage platform in the back, and would look right out of the rear moonroof. Great memories!
I can fit three bikes in the back of my element without having to take any wheels off...and only one of the seats out. I've gotten so used to the pure functionality of it that I can't imagine getting another car, there would be too many compromises.
Honda marketed this to kids; and like many vehicles marketed that way; it proved very popular with the retired community
@@grievuspwn4g3 it goes both ways: see also irony bros 3-5 years ago wearing kirkland shoes.
Like my xB
SimonTrent8000 yes, that was the same thing
I remember when it was new, James May reviewed it on Top Gear, he ended up taking it to a home for the elderly and the elderly loved it.
The same thing happened with the Matrix too
"It's not like you're ever gonna notice 6 horsepower."
AEM: *glare*
Miatas when you turn off the AC
@@mr.queasy2280 i have an 89 ranger I can totally relate. i think I get 100 horses with the ac off and like 95 with the ac on
Yeah
"nothing is more Pennsylvania than doing salvia in a strip mine"
Okay but you didn't have to be _that_ accurate
Only thing needed is getting a 200 dodge 1500 and cutting the exhaust off for your first car
Sender Sean while wearing a Woolwich jacket and pants while eating scrapple drowned in apple butter
Dr. Duck I know right I feel like I’m being called out
@@rowanprice2304 what are you a rich kid in the Woolrich jacket? or was it your granddad's?
Starcrunch72 grandads
I'm glad you addressed the "you can hose it out" thing, because that's literally the only thing I remember from the Element's marketing.
You CAN hose out the interior without damaging it, as long as you don't stick the hose directly into the CD drive or spray straight up under the dash. However, it doesn't have any drain holes, so it isn't the greatest idea.
Big whoop. I hose out my Civic all the time.
The thing is... I was looking at the floor tub and thinking, 'I could just drill a couple big holes in the footwells and put plugs in.'
As long as you repaint the raw steel and make sure it drains completely every time you clean it, I bet it would work!
@@blackdragonxtra it wouldn't be a good idea. The floor material isn't sealed under the center console thing or the little plastic molding things at the rear base of the front seats. Water can run right under the plastic and then under the flooring material where it can sit and cause mildew
I remember doing a motorcycle trackday about fifteen years ago. This guy parked an Element next to me, open the rear doors and pulled out a Yamaha R6. I was shocked!
The Dajiban is strong with that man.
That guy won life.
*Nice!*
I drove to Florida with my 600rr in the back
I've stuffed 3-4 mountain bikes in mine.
Fun fact: the Element burned up the right rear brake a lot because the exhaust ran close enough to it to transfer heat to it. My buddy went through several right rear calipers as a result. It’s just routine maintenance on this car.
"The pompous confidence of a single issue voter"
Phenomenal
I didn't know I was a problem until now
Lol!
Really Pompous Review. You might consider including a passive reference to
Never mind. Don't even try for a knowledgeable, balanced review. Just fuggetabout it. Did you, perhaps, hear faint rumors of bringing the car back? Or anything from customers? Doubtful, though; such data might imply the possibile development of a genuine cult following. God, you guys are so sophisticated.
After working at a Honda dealership, I can say everyone I’ve met that owned one, loved their Element.
Even so far as having multiples as they know they can’t get a new version yet.
Not my favorite vehicle but I’ll acknowledge the cult like love it gets.
It has box van carrying capacity in a crv platform
I personally think an awd/offroad version would be awsome
@@gordons_gaming they have slec trac AWD in most models, the real limitation as an off-road platform is the accord subframe
@@coreygolpheneee yea
When I take my Element to the Honda Service Department for service, the salesmen always run up to me and ask if I'm trading it in because they have buyers available.
Previous owners tell me they have "seller's remorse".
Mine is promised to my daughter when I die or can't drive anymore. It is a family member and will never leave.
Love my "Toaster" with the aerodynamics of a box-kite. Super Utility Vehicle!
Another car aimed at a demographic who couldn’t afford it.
Ironically I know plenty of elderly folk who bought them because of the Element’s boxy spaciousness and ease of use.
My great grandmother owned one for a good while lol
My parents had one of these at one time
It's because it's easier for older people to get into and out of a vehicle at that height.
Same reason why they bought the Scion box
All the boxy CUVs are the same, targeted to millennials and sold to boomers
Same I remember seeing lots of 65+ guys having this box.
About 10 years ago I was a DJ for weddings and events and clubs and shit. All the DJ's including me would lug around our equipment in our SUV's and trucks. This one dude had an Element. he was able to fit TWO 18" subs, 2 PA monitors, speaker stands, a massive rack mount CD deck/mixer combo WITH all the amps for the speakers, a huge case containing a facade and lights and a duffle full of cords. He STILL had room in the front for a passenger. Amazing.
yea but how cool was he? /s
Shifting is so comfy if you keep your arm on the factory armrest 😍
I came to the comments knowing this would be here 😂
i knew youd be here
Hey Yuri
I agree
The guy in the vid even got it detailed for this review - element owners are a thoughtful bunch!
I've had a 2005 Element AWD since 2010. 270,000 miles now and all I've ever done is oil, tire and wiper changes. Most utilitarian vehicle I've ever owned. Everything fits inside of it including my Ducati 1199 Panigale, standing up. No cop EVER stops you for speeding in it and I'm never under 80mph on the highway. You park it anywhere and you don't worry about people opening their doors up into yours because this is the best "I Don't Give A Fk" vehicle you've ever owned. I love this thing. Oh, and my other car is a 997.1 GT3 with PCCB's.
I wanna buy a used one, thanks for the confidence boost!
I was wondering if I could hual my ducati 899 in it. Now I'm sold.
And they are worth thousands of dollars in todays used car market.
@@DIYtryer if you can find a manual it's way more fun
😮 when I grow up I wanna be this manly. very cool that the bike fits
Mr. Regular: Reminisces about the illusions of youth.
Roman: Chills in the back seat with a championship belt over his shoulder.
It's Monday.
Nah they both write the scripts
I was thinking WTF.
"Snake, what are you doing?"
"I'm in a box"
You don’t understand. It’s like I was meant to be here. In the box.
This was one of the best cars we ever owned. We had it for 14 years, 275K miles and only needed tires, brakes and a starter. A true gem from Honda.
This is applicable to every Honda to be fair. It works with my fit
@@cavemanvi you can put two 450 dirt bikes in the back of any Honda then take them down and have uncomfortable freshman sex in it too, it's the limp Bizkit vw bus
@@cavemanvi Most. The Oddysey is famous for burning through transmissions.
I was thinking about this while watching the review. What kind of dumb dumb off-roads an eco car and complains about suspension reliability? That had to be a joke.
YESSS, we have had it for 13 years, 185k miles, does need new seats but very durable, only needed tires, igniton, and logo
11:24 - 12:05 Damn it got philosophical at the end. Almost prophetic or transcendent. Because I did move away and lived abroad. I did get a good education & built a career for myself. I have returned years later to my hometown, as a "tourist" passing by. I did see the mutants, doing the same thing, like as if time remained frozen ever since I left. I have then returned back to my normal life and continued to ride in my Element.
Still have no idea what you actually said half of the time or if you think the Element is/was a good car. But I have grown to love my toaster, with all it's quirks and no one is gonna change my mind by telling me that it's no good cos I can't accelerate from 0 to 60 within an acceptable amount of seconds. Or the fact that the backseat passenger can never escape the confines of the Element, until you let them. Relax and enjoy the ride, passenger. Life is not the destination, it's a journey. And you are gonna remain in the back seat of the Element until the driver decides that you have arrived, will unclip his seatbelt & open his driver side door to the world, at which point the passenger will finally be free to go.
I like your response. Totally agree. Furthermore I find that if your are not sitting in the front seats of any car then someone is doing you a favor, plus the front passenger and/or driver will have to give you the rare courtesy of opening up your door. What's wrong with that?
Honda element. Land rover cosplay for accord drivers
and it's ironic that Honda sold a rebadged land rover in Japan
i mean... yeah. and it works, so...
With 100x the reliability.
@@BmoreIrish 100x0 is still 0
@@PliskinHK wait they slapped a honda badge on a Land Rover? Which one was it?
“You can only fit 4 people in it”
Me who been stuck with one for two years: you can fit atleast 3 fat guys in the trunk and and one sitting on top of the cup holder plus the regular 4.
The official car of an artist with aspirations
So, Yuri from TheStraightPipes?
*third reich intensifies*
Hopefully it isn't denied entry
Perfect for occupying Pola- err, I mean, bringing your easel to the state park down the road!
The closing thoughts hit me hard. There's a fragile beauty in Mr. Regular's voice - it's like cultivated authenticity - whenever he going into reflections.
I'm recording these bits. They make for good walking music.
Honda heads love the element. It's where the AWD manual K-swaps are coming from. Long live the element
"It's a Jack Reacher that wanted to be a John Wick." That one cuts deep.
Honda Element, what if the FJ Cruiser was designed for the purpose all the soccer moms actually use it for.
Lmaooo
But people actually take it off road unironically
Jesus Christ, I came for the "2007 Element review" search result and ended up in nostalgic philosophy class, mixed with creative writing poetics. Nice job. The art of communication is not completely lost.
Thinking about helping my daughter buy one of these as she needs something cheap and relatively durable and easy to maintain.
Can we just appreciate Roman’s spectacular outtro
New Edition style nice!!
Best one yet.
He deserves a championship belt for that.
Best one since the L$D cover
Didn't expect to see you here lol
I had a buddy who got one of these senior year. It was an awesome road trip car for our group. Beach trips were great, easy to clean, tons of cargo room. The most distinctive thing I remember about it was how high up you sat in the rear seats. You were at least 6 inches above the front passengers.
This is my favorite car. Not even joking.
Why???
@@bernardschmitt6389 I drive one too, and I love it so much. The visibility is amazing, the cargo capacity is fabulous, and I like that I can mop it! Although the criticism in this video is really relatable lol. I have the 2010 automatic version, and it's just... fun? Idk. It's also incredibly easy to spot in parking lots, has a teeny tiny turning radius, and is super short so it's easy to parallel park
@@jeanettelipton7021 I can relate to the parking lot thing every single car looks the same must be nice to have a car that stands out
@@bernardschmitt6389 they are absolutely amazing for traveling and camping.
Was looking into it as a vehicle to use for fishing when have a gob of sand and not concerned about clean up much. Seems as if will be fair priced and get good mileage all things considered. Will definitely look in to getting a back up mirror.
I have a 2006 Element and love it. Bought it off the showroom. It’s been on the shores of the Outer Banks to the Rockies. The only thing the Element can’t do is haul a full sheet of plywood. This is the most utilitarian vehicle ever manufactured.
"Every fault is exposed, every crack widened and every deviation ridiculed." This is why I love this channel!!!
this thing is gonna be so iconic in the future and will 100% be a collectable just because of its uniqueness
You know it.
It's the Volkswagen bus of today as well, anyone that has owned will tell you stories of the crazy shit they have stuffed in it or the crazy shit they have done in it
Already are. They sell for almost the same price as new with many miles and 15 years of age.
I'm 6'4", and my sister's 03' Element was the only car where I barely ducked my head down to get in and out of. Which is REALLY nice for my neck and back. And when I was inside, I easily had 6" of headroom...that's how tall this box is. VERY reliable; the most expensive thing she had to replace on it were the tires; because its AWD, all the time, so every time you're in a parking lot, and you have to make tight turns, you hear/feel the tires slipping, so you're basically wearing the tires out faster. That being said, it didn't have an expensive tire size.
Everything you said about it was true. Highways are not your friend; 40-60 acceleration is abysmal unless you smash the throttle in order to move this brick through the air. Likewise, even though it's very tall, it's not a heavy car; when you get to 65, you feel EVERY crosswind; highway speeds on windy days felt like driving in the jet wash of an airliner taking off.
Remember the Top Gear episode where Jeremy makes that apartment block on a Citroen car, and they go on the freeway, and he started freaking out whenever he went over 40mph or whenever a box truck or a tractor trailer drove past him? Not as bad as that, obviously, but it ain't a picnic.
It's a great car for puttering around at or under 55mph in some northeastern/midwestern town where you want a tall, roomy yet compact SUV to get you through those tough lake-effect winters.
And the only off-roading your doing in this baby is if you've got over a dozen soccer balls in the back, and you drive it onto a muddy soccer field for little league practice because Karen guilt you into volunteering to coach that year, and you're plotting on how you're gonna get even with her because you found out she bailed out that year because she had tickets to see Adam Levine.
Or if you drive it onto a beach; because your friends, with their LL. Bean/Eddie Bauer/North Face attire, knit beanie caps, and vegan sandals, have set up a firepit, and you drive onto the beach next to the campfire, and you've got the supply of s'mores.
Rubicon trail-ready, this ain't.
Edit: there are only 2 things that REALLY annoyed me about this car. 1st: if you're over 6' tall, you cannot see the top 1/3 of speedo because the steering wheel will NOT tilt higher to clear the instrument cluster profile. So you either have to lower the wheel into your crotch the see 40-80mph, or you crane your head/recline your seat into a awkward position.
And #2: The seats are about as comfortable as a pallet of cinder blocks covered in cardboard...great for getting in and out of, terrible for long journeys. I dont know what it is with Honda and seats. It's like their idea of "regular" seats is; they take the same amount of padding of a racing seat...with all the support and bolstering of a metal folding chair. Might as well lay a thin quilt on top of a boulder.
Other than that, great car. Just know these quirks before you buy one.
I'm 6'7'' so there
It isn't all wheel drive ALL the time. Stand corrected.
Awesome description, you could write copy for Mr. Regular.
@@jeffkeni I'm not sure what you mean. It was definitely AWD, because it had a driveshaft connected to a transfer case. It didn't have a switch on the dash to pop in/out of 4WD. Maybe later models had that option.
@@seththomas9105 Thanks for the compliment!
Is it weird that I really like the look of the Element?
it feels more modern looking to me than most other current small suv's
Because it’s designed clean and simple. Plainer designs almost always age better.
It shared the Hallmark of any good car design too, it looks way bigger than it actually is
@@Foxfloop Its funny because at the time this came out I remember the consensus being anything but "plain or clean and simple" looking. In fact it was seen as bold and stood out at the time of the mid 00s blob cars. The boxy body, sharp lines, unconventional materials are much more inline with todays designs. If anything the market has moved in that direction in the years since and consumer perception has followed suit.
Hickok45 owned one, that’s the only time it had a cool factor.
And Hickok was a history teacher too 🤔
I loved it when he had to defend his automotive choice.
And he's 6' 8".
@@SpaceGhost1984 hes that tall??
I remember he said he liked it because he actually fit inside it.
This car is incredible. Our family passed it around to each other, except for me. We got it in 2011, replacing a XJ Cherokee (we used to have two). My mom drove it, then we got a Ford Flex and she passed it to my dad. My dad used it like a cargo van/pickup truck as Honda intended, but he was 20 years older than the target demographic. Then my sister, the target demographic of this car, got her license and she got it. Now it sits in her overpriced college apartment driveway, the gray plastic is battered from my father, the green paint is fading, the muffler is gone, and my sisters use of nicotine has coated the interior in grease. When she gets a car, my dad will take it back with loving arms, or maybe I will. Now I have a 2003 Honda Insight now that I can drive, all we need now is an S2000 and we finish out strange mid 2000s Honda bingo.
This might sound odd to some, but a 1st gen Insight, an Element and an s2000 is such an awesome garage to me
honestly the exterior styling aged very well 13 years later it still looks fairly modern
I’ve had an ‘08 2wd auto for 2 years for the wife and kids.
#1 - get quiet brand name tires: what an improvement!!!!!! Best money spent
#2 - with your good tires enjoy 28 hwy mpg
#3 - I love that little square box that fits anywhere, turns radius is like a small hatchback, but yet it feels like a castle inside.
#4 - lots and lots of space for the car seats
TLDR from a previous owner: Genuine 10 sec 0-60. Topped out around around 110 and got less than 20mpg combined. Loud and rode like a tractor.
Buuttttt....it's roomy!
Yup, I agree with pretty much everything on the video. Especially the weeble-wobbles in the steering when you accelerate hard
I owned a 5spd element for 5 years and 165k miles. It was extremely reliable as in it only required wear and tear items with one exception, the bushings. The suspension was borrowed from the CR-V and was never really up to task with the added weight and size of the Element. I loved that car and regret selling it. I would always surprise people with doing tight donuts in the snow with the slip n grip AWD and a 5 spd manual. It was such a great vehicle for the 22-28yr old me.
@@bt7482 I owned my Element till 180k mi. Had to replace suspension bushings, engine and trans mounts, starter, few sensors, A/C stopped working and I could never find out what the issue was, and a steering rack. All shocks were leaking and there was an engine oil leak that was never fixed.
I didn't find it to be any more reliable than your average car.
I can tell you why...
Its got no insulation. No sound deadening. No noise cancelling anything. The doors are 6" thick, including sheetmetal and window motors.
LOUD...
Go get into a current vehicle.. you couldnt hear yourself die from the outside. You cant hear the engine, you cant hear anything.
@@bt7482 it's not that the suspension wasn't up to the task but I easily would pass the 500lb rating due to the vast space
Your ending monologue is spot on. I’m currently working abroad and making a name for myself. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned going back to the old gym and seeing the same people doing the same thing, then going to your element and going your way! Bravo Zulu bro!
I remember 'Gil the lobster'.
Gil: "I like to piiiinch."
Yeo, that was a bizarre commercial campaign.
I never remembered the car or the name of him or the brand but I will always remember "Why no peench?" "No peench, no peench, no peench."
"Little Pinch?"
Gil was the crab
Thaaats where I remember that I like to pinch / No pinch thing from.
I want to peench
My friend has one of these - it’s actually a fun car to be in, it’s quirky, roomy, and surprisingly high off the road. It’s just a fun car.
On a meta level, I love how this channel always features cars driving through the cramped small-city / big-town roads of the Mid Atlantic. I moved from the Hudson Valley about a year and a half ago, just east of Pennsylvania, and watching the cars on this channel whiz by 1870s row homes in various states of repair, with front doors that open right up to poorly maintained sidewalks in pre-zoning neighborhoods makes me seriously homesick. Then the cuts to the wooded back roads which barely have enough width to allow two Honda Fits to squeeze by one another hits it home even more. I miss those types communities. Outside of major cities, it's very rare in the midwest.
“Lock in place...like an AK”. Ah, talking my language now.
I’ve been awaiting for this review for years! I’m on my 3rd Element and absolutely love it. I’m 6’4” so the space is the best part about it. But threw a TSX k24a4 into it, swapped out the 5 speed gears for the TSX 6 speed gears and got ktuner for the ecu. It’s now a toaster with some actual balls
It's my Element in the video, and I have all the bits now to go 6 speed. But I'm waiting till either the clutch fails or the warranty runs up for the the install. Hopefully by then I have a TSX k24 to put in it. Really though, I'd just like a lower 1s gear for off road. :)
@@mikeyridesit8562 Have you seen Aerogenics products for the element? They have lift blocks and subframe drop kits so you dont kill your CV's if you ever put that 3 inch lift on. IMHO I wouldn't lift it just because it introduces so much more wear on components. The RT4WD that honda markets is honestly only good for snow and gravel. I know this because I have a 04 CRV so we share the same drivetrain and I take my car in the woods of PA. Also theres a real old youtube video on the Hoonigan channel where Bisimoto makes a civic wagovan and he uses a crv/element rear diff but he found a product for it that helps it engage quicker if you're looking to put more pep into the awd.
@@MrP1NEAPPLE I got the HRG kit with the subframe drops. Now I just need a nice warm day during this quarantine time to get it on. I do understand the wear, but this isn't my daily driver so, it's the appropriate vehicle to do something like this with, and there has been a few times a few more inches of clearance would have been handy.
@@MrP1NEAPPLE also the difference between the Element and Crv is, the Element has bigger clutches on the differential to allow more power transfer. I know a few off road CRV folks who use the Element rear diff unit for that reason.
MikeyRidesIt you’re going to love it. I’m upgrading to a duel core radiator from ebay and using the aerogenics hub spacer to do the TL front brembo conversion since I have a set of 17” RPF1s for it. The tsx k24 just feels so much smoother than the elements k24. She’s awesome through the mud with the right tires and just a very comfortable cruiser for longer road trips. But off-roading definitely destroys the suspension. Went through some mud a couple weeks ago and messed up a lower balljoint like nothing.
i loved my element. i even had 3 of them. i lived in it and traveled 25k miles across all 4 corners of america. it's not a sports car to drive, but it has charisma and it's utilitarian and a great unique car for those who enjoy outdoor stuff.
The remix of "Can you stand the rain" TOOO HARD
Need a full version!
Holy fuck balls, I WAS NOT READY FOR THE ROMAN TO DROP THAT
I was like damn is that Rain by ABN and then remembered that song sampled/remixed an R&B song lol. Roman killed it for sure.
@@pequals34 I thought it was Rain and was so happy they used it
i had a 2010. it was the best car i ever owned. slept in it comfortably many times, and was just so versatile.
it even saved my sisters life when she got clipped on the highway and flipped a few times. came out without a scratch.
miss this car, wish honda continued it...
Those rear seat are designed almost exactly the same as the rear seats of a 1990s Previa. By the way, 1990s Previa review when?
we all know the previa was ahead of its time only thing is... ugly design
Many 90's Japanese minivans had 3rd row seats that folded like that. But many also had power sliding side curtains, middle row swivel chairs, front and rear TV (yes with antennae) and other luxuries. Our vans here were way behind the times back then.
celeron55 that feature is very common on Japanese minivans
That was the family car for years, drove it from Regina and back to Victoria a couple times.
The thing hated going up the mountainous hills in the Rockies though.
I've owned both and every car feels small because of these two vehicles.
I had an 05 Element.. my first vehicle. Had some good times, and some bad times in it. I could list all the negatives, but I’m not going to do that. My Honda Element got me through some interesting times in my life. I gave her hell at times! But even though I parted ways with her about 2 years ago, I’ll never forget the memories I had in my ole green Element!
"Human kaiju"
I needed that laugh.
God, one of my favorite things about RCR reviews are Mr. Regular's poignant final words immediately followed by a sweet and savory tune from the Roman that always feels so genuine. Godspeed, boys. I'll be a fan until the end.
9:48 to the end is why i love this channel
I love my 08 SC Rootbeer Element! Wouldn't trade it for anything. 210k miles and runs great!
9:00 - "Why does it look like The Roman is wearing a WWE championship title in the back seat?"
10:30 - "Oh, because he is."
Love my E. While you point out some serious flaws with it, you really don't even think about them because of the utility of it. I had a 20 ft ladder, full size gas mower, tools, a weedeater, and probably more, all without removing the seats. I almost never need my truck when I have this thing around. Also use it to tow a small utility trailer and it pulls great.
I've found that is it's biggest downfall though. It punches way too above its own weight on the cargo capacity which leads you to putting a ton of stress on the running gear. I've put more than 500 pounds in my ele and didn't even blink. Someone needs to make a cargo suspension for it so it can become the van it was meant to be
My dream car and I bought a 2010 used after these where discontinued. It was great for snowboarding, mountain biking and taking naps in the back. Speaking backseats, initiation to new riders was the person sitting next to you in the back would pull the reclining latch as the driver accelerated.
The biggest downside was it only sat four. So many times I needed a fifth seat. Also, I dared not go more then 85 mph because it got terribly squirrelly.
In some ways, the Element felt like the old VW van I never got to own.
5 years after retiring my 2003 Element ater 300k miles. I still miss it's utility. My Subaru Forester replacment was pure crap and my current Mazda CX-5 is much better to drive but is severly lacking in that utility.
The Element was rough and noisy but it worked very well.
Damn, Roman really ripped that outro.
Spoke from deep experience.
I love my Honda Element. It was a multipurpose car. It was good in all weather, on the road and in the city. It is also very useful with moving things bc it is very roomie.
Official car of the straight pipes.
Actually expected it to be Yuri's Element, which was also a 5 speed manual. Since RCR was with them in Canada a while back.
But it's not lol. (Yuri's Element was Red, with aftermarket wheels.)
The suicide doors in the back are one of the most annoying things in the world if you have to get another human back there in a crowded parking lot.
Well put ! It was the "grow up" car for me. I used to get shit from my friends untill we had to tailgate! Everything you said was true. The engine didnt actually "wake up untill after 4000 rpm, then you got some speed. Since the element I bought a 2013 charger se and hated it. Far too expensive to run and drove like a crown Victoria.
I have a family of 5 so I've since graduated to a grand caravan. All the strengths of the element , and 300 horse power (almost with a k &n ) .
With the stow away seats, I've put sofas in my caravan
As a dad car guy . I cant wait to actually get something I WANT to drive.
Houston's Hustle Hobbies ...I’m still driving my Element. 150k on it and no issues. I drove it across the country earlier this year even. I’ll be sad when it wears out.
I own a 2005 Element. It has 190k miles. All the plastic bits are wearing and getting more rattly and slowly breaking. It's not that fast and gas mileage isn't great. It looks like it should be able to go off road but...no. It's loud inside. That said I like it. A lot. It manages to be a car but also a light duty truck. It carries more than you'd think, often. Then again it sometimes doesn't carry enough. It runs flawlessly and rides great with a tight turning radius. If Honda was smart about it they'd have offered an off road model with stiffer suspension, tighter construction and a 6 cylinder engine with more torque.
“They chose their path and I chose mine.” Honda Element. Then kinda of Hamiltonesque gospel acapella. Me, I’ll go where I want to go too. Honda Accord Sport.
Id like to STRIKE the word SPORT from any auto nameplate. The car isnt better, livlier or more engaging... with the word SPORT on it. Also, if ya ever wondering what SPORT means... its LIGHT and FAST. Accord isnt light nor is it fast.
God this quote to cap it was incredible
RiP
I remember those Honda Element Gil the Crab commercials. Little dude used to always "I pinch." Weird, but memorable marketing.
In Los Angeles Honda set up tiny radio broadcasts from billboards where you could hear Gil talk to his friends. I pinch is a pretty good catchphrase too.
Many would realize that it looks good today than during its time
At 220,000+ miles and still going, hands down the best and most useful vehicle I have ever owned
RCR, always on point, always on time in my life.
At 6'5" I love my Element! No way I'll go back to a boring, cramped, car, with carpet. I'll buy a new car when someone makes another Element.
This is probably my favorite review-ending song on RCR and its on my car!
I love these things now. I always thought they were ugly and I never got to work on any at the shop, but once my friend bought one and I checked it out....yeah man, I like it.
is it early in the morning or late at night
nand white Wouldn’t know, didn’t sleep
Yes
Pennsylvania time? Early morning
I feel like this is what Pennsylvania has looked like every time I've stepped across the threshold into the state.
@@ImMush ah just woke up to this video after getting a nice tight 5 hours of sleep.
Time to go back to construction.
My 05 Element ex 4wd
Replaced
1.leaky oil pan
2.starter (twice)
3.alternator
4.front suspension
5.radiator
6.throttle body
7.iacv
8.maf sensor
9.catylitic converter
10. Both o2 sensors
....as far as reliability im torn...engine and transmission are going strong with 170k miles but i feel like ive basically replaced everything. I give it a 5 out of 10.
The Roman laying on some thick acapella r&b is just good for the heart.
As someone who has worked abroad, moved away from home, and has friends (who I still love ya'll) who have stayed in the same state/city...that outtro hit me right in the feels
Dude same! I'm from a small town in the south and have been out for 16 years now and some of the guys, like we are in our mid 30's, y'all still doing this?
The crab commercials were some of my favorite ones put out by Honda. I weirdly wanted an Element just because it was so quirky and functional for someone without a family. There was so much leg room in the rear seats and the cargo area was enormous even with the back seats in use.
Having owned a 2008 for many years now, gotta say, this review is by someone who has never owned one.
My El will gladly smoke just about ANYTHING including a Hummer H3, on a snowy inclined street. I have easily passed such phallic symbols in a hard blizzard, with my 200,000+ miles El.
The year I bought it, it was 4 years old with 199,000 miles on it. I drove it through a full on ice storm 2 weeks later, when I stopped for gas, there was 5" of ice on the grill. I never got under 50mph, with 3"-5" of untreated ice slush on the highway. I passed everything on the road without any sliding whatsoever
Being able to mop out the interior is beyond amazing. I will keep and repair mine for as long as possible, and replace with another if necessary
Jack reacher wanting to be John wick lmao ...gold
I would have reversed those two, but so care more about books than bad movie adaptations.
It's crazy how well the exterior design on these late-model Elements has aged. It looks great.
Honda should, unironically, resurrect this vehicle as an EV.
I think I've fallen in love with this car.
Shit.. I need to get one of these.
Im Just realizing this too
J O I N U S
my dad had one and i loved the thing and was bummed when he sold it
You won't regret it. I never even really looked at them twice until I got one. Now I am obsessed with it. Everyone who rides in it becomes obsessed with it too.
It's a great winter car or spare car. Its boring to drive and will need some work as these all have a good amount of miles because people drove them a lot.
Lots of respect for the New Edition, “Can You Stand The Rain” remix lol
Gil the crab: “yes, I pinch”
I have an orange 2007, only mine is automatic. I find the steering is actually very nimble. I love this vehicle in winter conditions for driving and cleanup. It is SHOCKING how much you can fit in it.
This looks like someone got drunk and played Automation trying to make a rip off Land Rover
It actually has a shocking resemblance to the new defender....
now that you mention it it does.
It kind of looks like some of the SUVs in Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 as well.
@@theunknown1685 well, now I'm opening automation
The kicker is when the ripoff is 10 times more reliable and affordable.
The ending hit the nail on the head. I left Chillicothe OH in 1981 for the Air Force. I was that goofy kid that got thrown into lockers by the "Alphas" of the school. Returned to visit in 2003. I had traveled the world, was the new Director of IT for Medical Research at a major university. Happened to bump into a few of these former Alphas in a local restaurant. They didn't recognize me. Which was fine. Every one of them looked 10 to 15 years older than me, 250 to 300 pounds. Missing teeth, that I later learned was because of Meth addiction. Most had been in prison at least once. All they could only talk about how awesome high-school was. They made it a living hell for me. I looked at them with pity. This was all they had. Memories in a dying town. And I can leave whenever I want. I bought them their lunch as I finished mine and walked out. They never knew who did it.
I remember the ads. My mind went to them immediately when I saw that you were reviewing an Element, and one from 2007 no less.
At the time, there was a slot car track in my hometown with six soda machines. No, I’m not making that up: six! It might have even been seven. The owner bought a bunch of old can vendors so that he could have a good variety of drinks for people to guzzle while they used the tables. He even managed to find inserts for the fronts with pictures of NASCAR drivers on then. If you go to my channel, you’ll find a video of me there with the machines in the background. Anyway, people would drink their soda while using the tables, and the owner would collect the cans so that he could cash them in. He had a can crusher mounted on the back wall that he encouraged people to use to crush their cans when they were done with them. You had to pinch the can before crushing it or else the machine could get damaged, so he put a little hand-written sign next to the crusher telling folks what to do. I told him that I ought to print one out for him that referenced those ads, “Peench your can!”. XD
And did he?
Pocket Fluff Productions No. The track was only open for less than a year, and I’d gone off to college for most of its last month or so.
Saw one on the highway the other day with a bumper sticker that said "You Just Got Passed By A TOASTER"
I put 4 Bmw m50’s inside my element with 0 issues, call it a gimmick all you want but the cargo capability you get out of these things is absolutely insane
So much cargo capacity that blown shocks in the back are super common because you can stuff way more weight then it should take in therr
Beautifully written! Well-filmed, and what an ending! You go, my man!
4:23
The only thing I remember from Gill is the line my family kept repeating for years afterward
"Maybe little pinch?"
You know, I got melted butter and some tongs back here
I’ve had one for over 10 years now, and she’s treated me better than I’ve treated her. I need to get her fixed up soon.
One thing I will say about elements, once you bought one sedans were ruined for you
I bought a 2004 Element new and kept it for about 100k miles. It was the most fun little box ever to hoon around in the snow with the manual transmission, but...the cavernous interior wrote checks the suspension and brakes could. not. cash. I loaded it up like a pickup & stuck a hitch on it for a little camper, and...ran half-a-dozen sets of pads through on the rear discs, and did about $1k of suspension work the year before I gave up and got an F-150.
But oh, do I miss being able to squeeze nimbly into tight spaces in that Element. It was such a good little urban trouper.
7:52 Roman holds pens weird
He writes like Sloth from Goonies.
Davide Simonetti
He shoulda lost that loser a loooong azz time ago.
I got a buddy who still eats like that.
Fun story: Around first grade, I jammed my finger pretty badly on a jungle gym, and so I started to hold pencils that way to alleviate the pain. And then I just never really switched back, despite countless teachers trying to correct it. But from then on, holding it the normal way always felt weird and uncomfortable. So I just kept writing that way.
Okay, so it wasn't a fun story, but it IS a true one.
This is my favorite car! And I couldn't have asked for a better video! Well done, Guys!
I had a 2006 Element for 6 years. Of all the vehicles I've owned, this was the one I was most fond of. I was big into mountain bike racing and I could drive to the trail-head with my bike standing in the back without having to remove wheels, and sleep in the car the night before the race, get up and ride in the morning. I had two 80-lb dogs who could jump in easily. The inside of that car was so often covered in mud, blood and dog slobber, the lack of porous material was perfect. I couldn't hose it out, but a bucket of soapy water and a sponge was all I needed to get the interior looking like new again. The Manual transmission made the lack of power more tolerable. If I could get another one in reasonably good condition, I would... well at least for weekend adventures, I'd want a second vehicle for highway commutes though.
The best way to start another week of my depressing lonely life of work, video games and spending money on my car. Hope everyone has a good week!
the element is one of the most brilliant hondas ever built. I love the plastic interior and the squareness of it so much
I had an ‘03 Honda Element and to this day, it’s still my favorite car. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep it due to an accident. The flexibility of the inside and the roominess of the cabin were mastercraft. I even removed the back seats and built a bed and storage platform in the back, and would look right out of the rear moonroof. Great memories!
This is basically your dream car if you are a mountain biker.
I can fit three bikes in the back of my element without having to take any wheels off...and only one of the seats out. I've gotten so used to the pure functionality of it that I can't imagine getting another car, there would be too many compromises.