2005 HONDA ELEMENT NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2005 Honda Element?
Side-impact airbags and antilock brakes are standard equipment on the 2005 Honda Element EX, and any Element EX painted silver can be equipped with blue composite body panels for a unique look. Black panels are offered with two new colors called Magnesium Metallic and Rallye Red. Cargo Khaki is also a new color for 2005. Other changes include the addition of wheel covers, power mirrors, and cruise control to the LX model; EX versions add a new tailpipe finisher and an audio system with MP3 player, Windows Media Audio playback capability, and XM satellite radio.

Advantages of the 2005 Honda Element:

• Control layout and operation
• Comfortable rear seats
• Lots of rear legroom
• Plenty of fun to drive
• Handy tailgate design
• Excellent build quality

Objections to the 2005 Honda Element:

• Uncomfortable front seats
• Clamshell doors a liability in tight parking lots
• Rear seats are a hassle to fold or remove and install
• Rear sunroof is difficult to remove and install
• Noisy interior

Editor's Advice:
Honda wanted Generation Y consumers to buy its "dorm room on wheels," but instead Boomers showed up in showrooms looking for a fun antiquing vehicle to tow behind the RV. Problem? Price and styling. Unlike in Japan, where youngsters want a car like this to escape the tiny apartment in which they live with their parents, American teens and twenty-somethings don't need a mobile hang out. Plus, who in this demographic has a job to make the $400 monthly payments or established credit to get a loan? Add in the fact that the Honda Element is not the most beautiful set of wheels to roll out of a showroom and it's no wonder that Generation Y continues to buy Civics and a bunch of aftermarket parts to make an individualized automotive statement. That said, the 2005 Honda Element is a practical, reliable and well-built urban runabout based on the Honda CR-V and propelled by a 160-horsepower inline four-cylinder engine. The interior is exceptionally roomy and can be reconfigured in a variety of ways, though the front seats are not particularly comfortable. Other quibbles include the clamshell doors, which offer unfettered access to the spacious rear seat unless the Element is crammed into a tight parking lot, and a high level of interior noise when underway. On the plus side, interior materials are top-notch, and the control layout is a model of ergonomic simplicity. Tips for Honda: paint all that gray exterior plastic the same color as the body, install comfortable front seats (or at least a driver's seat height adjuster), and try to lower the price. Either that, or wait until used Honda Elements are valued low enough to hit your target demographic.