The instruments in the new SC model have unique copper-hue back lighting, and the SC has conventional carpet in the passenger area, rather than black polyurethane sheeting. The SC also gets special fabric seat upholstery with a raised tattoo pattern.
Inside, the Honda Element is all about space, or maximizing usable space in a vehicle with a relatively small footprint. Its interior is designed to handle all combinations of people and stuff, from four full grown adults to two adults and mountain bikes or a couple of long boards. The front seats provide acres of headroom, and there's no center tunnel down the middle to get in the way.
The rear seats are roomy as well. They're raised off the floor a couple of inches higher than the front seats, giving back-seat passengers better visibility over the front seats. The downside of this design is that rear-seat passengers have a harder time seeing signs and buildings. The have to hunch down and crane necks to see up through the windshield. This makes the Element a poor choice for taking visitors sightseeing.
The pillar-less, rear-hinged back doors are one of the most distinctive features of the Honda Element. Most vehicles have a B-pillar right behind the front seats, where the rear doors attach. With no B-pillar to get in the way, the Element offers unusually easy access to the rear seating area. For safety reasons, however, the rear side doors cannot be opened unless the front door has been opened first. Likewise, the rear doors have to be closed before the front doors can be closed. This results in a shuffle when its time to drop rear passengers at their destination. Pull up next to a wall and your passengers might find themselves stuck in an unexpected, intimate party, as they all get trapped between the two open doors. Well, Stanley, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into.
Yet when it comes to moving cargo, the Element is truly is in its element. It's a great vehicle for getting groceries. The center-opening doors allow easy loading of bulky objects without having a pillar get in the way. The rear seats fold down easily, and can be swung up to the side, leaving an uninterrupted flat floor space. The rear seats can also be removed, and without tools. Because they're relatively light, it's easy to stash the back seats in the garage, for example when making a trip to the home-improvement store.
The front-passenger seatback can be folded forward to make room for a 10-foot surfboard, which still leaves room for the driver and one passenger behind the driver: two surfers, two surfboards, in other words. All the seats, including the driver's, can be folded back to make a large double bed, though it's not the most comfortable bed we've slept in. When parked, the Element can be set up to serve as a giant locker for outdoor gear, a truly great feature.
The floor in LX and EX models is covered with urethane-coated material that resists water, dirt and scratches, and is easily cleaned. The seats are covered in a waterproof material designed for easy cleaning as well.
Storage areas abound. The backs of the front seats have large storage pockets. The seats on the driver's side of EX models also have bungee cords on the back to secure larger objects and keep them from sliding around. Cup holders can be found on the backs of folded seats. A cargo organizer and cargo nets are offered as accessories. With its flip down tailgate, the Element should be good for parking lot parties. In fact, a tailgate seatback is available as an accessory that makes the tailgate a more comfortable place to sit.
The Element also makes an affordable vehicle for moving big dogs, with some cautions. Pull up tight to a curb and dogs can step right into the large cargo area (assuming the rear seats have been moved). We know several professional dog sitters in Los Angeles that use the Element to transport their wards, sometimes a half-dozen of them at a time. They throw down carpeted mats to give the dogs grip. D-rings and other tie-downs allow cross tethering. With big dogs, however, ventilation can be an issue. The rear passenger windows vent manually, so they don't offer much flow-through and the driver has to stop and get out of the car to open or close them. The rearmost side windows don't vent, and the backlight (rear windscreen) doesn't lower. Nor is rear A/C available. The rear skylight on 4WD models can be removed to let hot air out, however, which is a great help, and a shade screen for the skylight is available as an accessory.
And buyer beware. All the muddy-bike, soaking-dog stuff changes with the Element SC model. The SC is geared more toward prowling city streets, and it's finished for the job, which means more like a conventional sedan. There's nice carpeting underfoot, and cloth on the seats. The tattoo upholstery pattern looks good: a black-gray woven fabric with a raised tribal pattern, almost like embroidery. The SC's gauges and center stack are trimmed with hard, shiny black plastic. It's cool, too, even if it does nothing to hide the Element's inexpensive roots. Finally, the SC's gauges are backlit with a copper tone. It's stylish, though not as crisp as the bright blue backlighting in other Element models.
In general, the Element's dashboard reflects its simple design themes. The gauges are clustered in three connected circles, deep in their pods and shielded from the sun. Climate and radio controls are well placed, and EX and SC models have audio controls mounted on the steering-wheel spokes. These models also provide an auxiliary jack for digital media, such as an Apple iPod, so the stored music can be played back directly through the Element's stereo. The 270-watt upgrade system sounds decent, with a big subwoofer under the dash.
