Test Drive: 2007 Honda Element SC

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Photo Gallery: 2007 Honda Element SC

Ottawa, Ontario – Are boxes sexy? I suppose it depends who you ask, but few cars I’ve tested have attracted as much as attention as this Element did during the week I drove it.

I mean, sure, my family and friends always have something to say about the vehicles I drive, and even my neighbour chimes in once in a while, but generally, it takes a pretty special car to draw comments from strangers.

So I was a little surprised at how many passers-by commented on this silver box-on-wheels. Maybe it had something to do with the new-for-2007 SC trim my tester wore. With a unique front end, wheels and overall body treatment, the SC is, well, less ugly than usual; the body-coloured fenders that are standard across the line for 2007 help too.

Ugly, of course, is a relative term. Almost everyone who bothered to comment on the car while I had it said they “love these things!” or something like that. Even my parents liked it, and they’re nowhere near the demographic Honda had in mind when they began marketing the Element. One friend said she can’t stand the look of the Element; too bad for Honda, because she’s right in the middle of the target market.

2007 Honda Element SC. Click image to enlarge

Anyways, the SC is new and brings a dash of style to the Element. They’ve added carpeting to the passenger cabin, in place of the urethane flooring found in other models (one guy was kind of let down by that part after enthusing about the SC’s exterior upgrades), and the headlights are different from those used on lower-end models. Mechanically, things are more or less the same: power comes from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder used in the Accord; a five-speed manual is standard, but my tester had the optional five-speed automatic.

That part was a letdown for me. While the auto tranny works just fine – shifts are smooth, and it’s pretty responsive – it really saps the engine’s power and makes the Element feel downright slow in passing manoeuvres.

Among the differences between the SC and its lesser brethren is a tighter, lower suspension. Ride height is reduced by 18 mm, and the springs and dampers are very firm – too firm, maybe: the SC tends to toss its occupants around on rough roads. The upside is lively handling for a rolling box, with minimal body lean in turns and surprisingly sharp turn-in.

2007 Honda Element SC. Click image to enlarge

The SC’s 18-inch wheels no doubt contribute here, thankfully without it seems, adding to road noise significantly. The hard ride did bring out a few rattles in the interior – uncharacteristic of a Honda. So nice handling aside, give me the softer springs from the regular Element.

The Element’s interior has always been kind of cool and kind of annoying all at once. The way the back seats fold up to the sides is nifty and novel for the first little while. And the way they stay up – via carabiners (D-shaped rings) that attach to the rear-passenger grab handles – is charmingly low-tech in an age when automakers seem eager to apply electricity to just about any component that moves.

The seats can be a bit heavy to get up there, though, and no matter what position the seats are in, they eat into total cargo capacity. The solution is to remove them completely, but this doesn’t solve that whole “heavy” problem. Also, there’s the issue of where to store them. At least the process of removing and replacing them is straightforward enough.

Perhaps the bigger problem with the back seats is that they aren’t very comfortable ones. The bottom cushion is too low, and there’s no toe room under the front seats. Legroom is decent, but where’s the headroom? Sure, it’s adequate, but not what you’d expect from something shaped like, well, you know what.

Up front, it’s a different story. Space up here is great in all directions and the seats are terrific – typical Honda comfort for those riding in first class. Fit and finish are good too

2007 Honda Element SC. Click image to enlarge

(except for the aforementioned rattle and a loose trim piece around the shift lever), the piano black trim on the dash is attractive, and the simple controls are easy to reach and use. The steering wheel is a little big around, while the rim feels kind of thin, a bit like it belongs on a bus. The seating position is reminiscent of a mass-transit vehicle too: the upright windshield feels like it’s miles away, as are the A-pillars. Overall, it creates a feeling of spaciousness, but it takes some getting used to.

While cargo space is limited to where the back seats are (up, down or out), access to the cargo hold is aided by the split tailgate – top opens up, bottom flops down to create a relatively low load floor. While this can make it a reach to get at stuff shoved way forward in the car, it’s still a pretty convenient setup for loading and unloading large, heavy objects – like the air conditioner I helped my brother-in-law bring home.

The clamshell side door setup – nothing new to the Element – bugged me, however.

2007 Honda Element SC. Click image to enlarge

This might as well be a two-door since the rear doors can’t be opened independently of the fronts, and the fronts won’t close if the rears are open.

Then there’s the price. The Element starts at a reasonable enough $25,200, but the SC comes in $4,700 higher than that, and for that premium, you get a stiffer suspension and a number of cosmetic add-ons. If that’s worth almost five grand to you, go for it. To me, the price needs to stay under $30,000 for the Element to remain a decent value (a mid-range EX-P comes in at $29,200 with automatic).

2007 Honda Element SC. Click image to enlarge

Don’t get me wrong; I like the Element, and I mostly like the changes the SC model brings to the line-up. But they don’t justify the price premium. I think a vehicle this utilitarian in nature needs to remember its place in the price pecking order.

So, to answer the initial question: this particular box is indeed sexy, and ugly all at once. It just depends on who you ask.