Proud owner of a brand new 2008 Honda Element

[john dough]

My wife and I were looking at getting the Toyota Highlander but ended up with a Honda Element, as we found it easier to drive, park and keep clean (it has a rubber floor, which is GREAT for taking our dogs or bikes in). The kicker is that we spent about half of what we would have spent with a comperable Highlander. I know it is a different vehicle than the Toyota, but for 90% of the space and comperable mileage (and probably less to insure) we got the car that can carry a lot of cargo yet is easy to park.

[Grateful11]

Congrats! A lady at work got one recently and she really likes it.

[maco]

[quote john dough]My wife and I were looking at getting the Toyota Highlander but ended up with a Honda Element, as we found it easier to drive, park and keep clean (it has a rubber floor, which is GREAT for taking our dogs or bikes in). The kicker is that we spent about half of what we would have spent with a comperable Highlander. I know it is a different vehicle than the Toyota, but for 90% of the space and comperable mileage (and probably less to insure) we got the car that can carry a lot of cargo yet is easy to park.


Congratulations. Can't figure out how it would be 1/2 of the price of a Highlander?

[Ombligo]

i've been driving one for 4 years without a complaint. After breakin period you'll get 25mpg overall.

The only thing to be aware of is all that plastic inside scratches and cuts easily. Sliding items in or out that have edges will slice it like a knife, even a sheet of plywood. You may want to get a furniture pad to keep tucked away to protect the interior when needed.

But overall it is a great vehicle, though it is also a bit different than the norm.

[john dough]

[quote maco]Congratulations. Can't figure out how it would be 1/2 of the price of a Highlander?
The highlander we would have bought would have been about $45000. We paid $22000 which included about $1300 in options for the automatic 4WD EX model. I am thinking that gas will be about the same as a Highlander, from what I read.

[Grateful11]

Maybe a Highlander Hybrid with everything?

[N-OS X-tasy!]

[quote Grateful11]Maybe a Highlander Hybrid with everything?
Sounds about right.

[Don Kiyoti]

I bought an '04 AWD last fall and I love it. My mileage is more like 21 overall. And yes, it scratches easily.

[olnacl]

Had a 2005. The back doors drove me nutz. Hope you like yours more than I liked mine. Traded it on a CRV.

[Mac1337]

I would want to see way more than 21 mpg to drive an Element. I am not sure I fit in Element's demographics.