Honda Element test drive since 2003 minivan

Young friend

The most extreme part of the car is its brutal design. In this estate of Military and Industrial styles, cubism is visible to the heap, which is now especially common among models for the domestic Japanese market.

 

At seventy, the American buys his last car the largest, most expensive and magnificent. Something like Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac Deville. And what to choose if you are not twenty yet? You won’t get too much here! Somewhere in Michigan or Rhinod Island, the first cars of the Y gene are Dodge Neon and Nissan Sentra, and in South Carolin or the goddessed Oklahom Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger. But in California and Florida, swimming in money, the sun and ocean, wretched a small -leaf and a rustic pickup will not pass.

  

Here in eternal fashion a healthy and active lifestyle, and Extreme is firmly included in the TOP of 10 coolest words. The climate and nature create ideal conditions for a variety of sports practices, and personal income allows you not to skimp on entertainment.
 
Nebid, natives are also chasing the image and individualization. That is why in these states there are so developed show business, fitness business, cosmetic medicine and customizing (Nashenian, tuning).
 
The demanding and capricious audience loves when they indulge in its tastes, albeit changeable. Knowing this, the Hondians looked closely, and invented the car. The car is not simple, but widespread. True, for narrow segments of the population. Layers of young, careless, but wealthy. And they called him modestly Element. Say, one of the elements of your joyful and carefree life.
 
It is assumed that Element will fit perfectly into a company of three to four extreme extremes that go somewhere on the coast in Santa Monica, where a good wave. Of course, the boards and other equipment are carried with them. If the weather does not work out, friends will be happy to switch to PlayStation or X-Box. So already needed:
a) all -wheel drive;
b) a large and convenient trunk;
c) a spacious salon with a high ceiling, under which you can place a LCD display.
And the image? Of course!
Add:
d) catching appearance, even shocking. Anyway, the car is bought for a maximum of a couple of years. And there you can see, you look, and the fashion will change the course sharply.

 

There are four to four. The scheme is quite simple: when slipping the front wheels, part of the torque through a multi -term coupling is thrown into the rear wheels. Everything is like a donor, Honda CR-V. Alas, the geometric patency is not so hot: just look at the low -located points of fasteners of the rear suspension levers. The motor is worthy of the two-liter I-VTEC about 160 forces, the gearbox is a convenient machine without sequential bells out.

 

This combination provided the element with a certain abuse. The machine responds cheerfully to the gas, but the machine does not shine with agility. The controllability is average: just reliable, without frills. A light steering wheel is not devoid of information, and all -wheel drive guarantees stability in corners. In the Element movement, only a smooth move flashed: the suspension turned out to be soft and at the same time energy -intensive. Even on large bumps, it shakes moderately.
 
What is there next? Trunk. Everything is super here. With folded rear chairs, its volume exceeds two cubic meters! I did not make a reservation: in the second row there are precisely separate chairs. Moreover, they develop unusually, hanging in a clean state under the roof along the sides. And then they are completely taken out. This decision, coupled with an absolutely flat floor, allows you to transport serious dimensions. Aquabike will probably not fit here, but the cross -country motorcycle for sure. By the way, the folding rear side will have to be in handy, which facilitates the loading and unloading of the machine, and can also serve as a bench for vestments in sports armor. Add a removable hatch here in the back of the roof, which will make it possible to transport even such extragarite items as Windsurf's mast.

 

The salon is huge. The distances between the seats are impressive, the ceiling is high. Wide seats are designed for large persons of the bodies of thin citizens will hang out between the rollers of lateral support. But the quality of the interior decoration was even more impressed. In Khondovsky, exemplary. Modern design, cool materials, precision assembly all this is not so similar to American cars of this price category. It's nice that Element can not be particularly sorry. The decoration of the salon and the upholstery of the seats are made of water -repellent materials, so they are washed in two accounts. And outside the car is half made of unpainted plastic, which is nothing. This is what the real SUV should be! Alcantara and multilayer varnish are harmful grace. It is only a pity that Element can hardly be called a real SUV

 

The most extreme part of the car is its brutal design. In this estate of Military and Industrial styles, cubism is visible to the heap, which is now especially common among models for the domestic Japanese market. The architecture of the upper part of the body exploits analogies with the Hummer H2, but visually it is not able to balance it. As a result, the car turned out to be heavy and excessively gloomy even if it is ordered in some bright color.
 

An unprepared audience Element shocks with doors. They are swinging, and the front wings are longer than the rear, and the body is completely deprived of the central rack (which required its additional strengthening). If you open the wings wide, you get a tall and long (140 cm) opening through which the car can be loaded like through the trunk. What is good for a rebellious van is super and for an entertainment vehicle. Climb into it as you want and where you want, Georgi than you want, go wherever you want. Well, what is not a dream!
 

In real life, you have to pay for such opportunities. Even in America, Element costs a lot of $ 17,450 in the basic front -wheel drive version, and with all -wheel drive $ 19,525 and above. But this does not bother potential buyers. After all, Element is presented as an indispensable friend of youth. Golden youth. And for a real friend, such money is not a pity.
 
Autography
Honda Element
Predecessor
Not
Prototype
Model X (1991)
Platform
CR-V
Premiere
april 2002
Body
5-d. Universal Hardtop
Engines
2.0 l (160 l.
Production
USA
Expected replacement
not determined
 

Text: Leonid Klyuyev
Photo: Roman Ostanin
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 

Source: Wheel magazine [No. 89/2005]