My son and my sister-in-law both drive Honda Elements. While they aren’t to my taste, you have to admit that it was one of the most practical cars on the road - especially for pack rats and those that needed to carry a lot of dirty things! My son replaced his 2005 model with the 2011 model before they went off the market. Now my sister-in-law wants to replace hers. She asked me for a recommendation on what vehicle out there today comes close to what the Element could do. It needs to be all wheel drive to get up their farm lane in the winter, be able to at least carry a couple of saddles, and not cost a fortune. any ideas? I can’t seem to find anything close to it.
How about a CR-V? The Element was based on a previous-generation CR-V.
Nothing in this world can replace the Element. A sad loss…but you can buy three other cars that just might do some of things one Element can do. A special breed of people realized their true worth. Unfortunately, there were to few. Gut the seats from a Scion xB. Even then, you give up Awd. If I wanted one " like it", I would replace it with a 4 wd crew or extended cab Tacoma with a cap. That might be over kill .
I replaced my 2003 Element (it died) with a 2012 Scion xB in Dec 2012. I love the xB. It does not have the amount of space the Element did and that seems to be an issue for your son’s family. It does not come with a roof rack which I miss, but there are after-market solutions for that that I will do eventually. However, it’s a good, comfortable car with enough space to haul the things I need (suitcases, music gear, occasional Home Depot/Lowes shopping, etc.) And the price was right, about $18,000 new. Get’s a high reliability rating in Consumers Reports, too. My guess is that it could carry 2 saddles, but I’m not a rider so you should check first. Other than that it’s worth looking into.
I had to replace my 2003 honda element because it had a constant drain on the battery and no one could fix it. I trade it in for a 2011 toyota highlander and love the new car but really miss the element. I didnt need to trade it but they kept asking me for it. I wish I would have kept the car. I was thinking of getting the CrV but i heard it has the cabin noise worse than the element so I didnt do it. I choose the Highlander for child safety rating . I paid $25K for it pre certified. I do hope they bring back the element one day. It was a great car for me
Why not low mileage used? I did a cars.com search for 500 miles from Kansas City, and came up with 317 matches. Three or four are good low mileage (2010 or 2011 below 30K miles) at what may be a reasonable price. One was in KC and the others were about 250-400 miles south of here.
I say go for slightly used if you really want another Element. If you really liked what you had, do it again. The 2009-11 models got some subtle changes inside and out but it’s still an Element. You already know what it can and can’t do so dive in.
I bought mine not because it could hold 8 ft lengths of lumber, carry a few kayaks on the roof, or take a group of dogs to the park, I bought it because it is the most unique looking ride on the road under $25k. And I work at a Ford dealer chock full of new cars and trucks every day!!
HIP2BSQ !!