I have an old highlander and have been looking around for something new. I’m a woodworker by hobby and want a lumber friendly vehicle. Not open like a pickup and washable. I’d pretty much settled on the Honda Element but just heard that this is it’s last year. No 2012 model.
I want to get down to the Amish lumber yards in the NE Ohio winter.
Is this a bad thing or good thing? For resale value eventually? Parts? Finding a bargin near the fall?
Jonathan
If you’re going to be using it as a work truck, resale value is going to drop anyway. That said, being a discontinued model doesn’t mean it will be worthless when you’re ready to sell.
Not sure what you are asking? Honda Element has been a solid vehicle. There will be parts available for many years to come. If you are wondering if an Element is a good vehicle for the future, I’d say yes.
Thanks! Like I said woodworking is a hobby. I am wondering about resale or if there is any downside to buying a a discontiued vehicle. I’d like it to be worth something when it is paid off.
And Thanks again,
No worry about the Element, standard Honda parts throughout.
But it’s not ‘washable’, as in ‘hose it out’. That rubber floor is misleading, there’s electronics underneath. Do NOT hose it out!
Thanks, but I’m asking about the element not the Pilot.
Jonathan
I was thinking Element, typing Pilot. My (corrected) comments apply to the Element, not the Pilot.
The Element is the crude brother of the CRV and has been since it’s inception. Not to worry, though unless you have dogs, I would not get one over a 4 cyl compact PU with a taller cap. That would be my first choice. The actual load capacity is quite small regardless of the room. You’ll be pushing the limit with wood and tools IMO.
There are reasons it’s discontinued.
Any time a manufacturer comes out with a new model, the previous vehicle becomes a discontinued model. I think that the engine and running gear are the same as the Honda CRV. If the Honda Element fits your needs, then this might be the vehicle for you. One of our vehicles is a 2003 Toyota 4Runner. In the last year or so, Toyota redesigned the 4Runner, so effectively I have a discontinued model.
I don’t think resale will be drastically affected. A year ago, we decided to sell our 2006 Chevrolet Uplander to our son who needed a better vehicle. I would have bought a new Uplander, but GM no longer makes minivans. When I went shopping for a used GM minivan, it seemed to me that the GM minivans held their value well–the prices were too high. In fact, I decided I was better off to purchase a new Toyota Sienna minivan. Our 2003 4Runner has held its value very well, but there is no way we will give it up.
As others have mentioned, Element load capacity is limited. How big are the loads you want to carry (lbs.)?
Why even think about this vehicle, forget about it. I’m not questioning the quality of the vehicle but it has no hauling capacity for your needs.
Your a woodworker and need something to haul wood in. You will not get a board longer than 4 feet in the vehicle and close the lid. If you dont care if it hangs out then get a pick up.
If your buying rough lumber thats not cut to finished lengths and planed then the only thing you will haul will be bowl blanks.
I think though for it to officially be discontinued, a subsequent model in that area would have to be called something else. I don’t see the 4runner as a discontinued model. Besides, anything they do for the Element to make it more competitive with a small van and increase it’s capacity would be an improvement.
There are a plethora of cap choices and where I live, you can have them custom made with racks for your wood as well. Still think a PU is the choice for a working person like yourself. Crew cabs give you all the additional people hauling options as well, and in a compact PU there should be little difference in highway mileage. Add a utility trailer for special loads which an Element struggles with, and you’re more than good to go, often for less money and with more used choices.
Now if they brought out a new Hybrid Element based upon the Pilot instead…hmmmmm
I wouldn’t worry about a model disappearing…I’d worry about a whole make disappearing…Like Peugeot or Isuzu.
Or Pontiac or Oldsmobile or Saturn…
Not so much the GM brands, espcecially if it had a ‘sister’ model at Chevy or Buick.
Saab is another one to worry about, I’d bet they’ll be gone in 2 years.
“Saab is another one to worry about…”
IIRC, the Chinese invested heavily in Saab along with Spyker. I doubt that the Chinese would let Saab go down any time soon. They don’t work by the same rules as a publicly traded company.
I’m not aware of any Chinese investment in Saab. They bought Volvo, and Tata bought Jaguar/Land Rover, I think.
Article in today’s WSJ about how Jaguar and Land Rover are looking good, but Saab’s way down.
Thats my point, theres a butt load of better choices than the Element. I can even get 8 foot boards in a Taurus with the seats down and deck lid closed (and no, they are not hanging out the windows).
Take a look at one of these. Then you can drive any vehicle of your choosing. I pull one of these with a small compact car; easy to do.