Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Element

This week’s Misfit is one of my personal favorites; one I came close to buying: the Element. Honda’s quirky and rugged “off-roader” that sparked a lot of mixed opinions.

 

The Basics:

The element started production in 2003 based on the same platform as the CR-V. It was available with front-wheel-drive or Honda’s “Real-Time” all-wheel-drive. Under the hood was a 2.4L inline four-cylinder engine mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic.

With 166hp and 160lb-ft of torque you could only haul up to 1500lbs, but with 74 cubic feet of cargo space, who really cared how much you could tow? Fun fact: the Element had so much cargo volume for an SUV of its time, it won Dogcars.com’s “Dog Car of the Year” in 2007 for is cargo space, easily cleanable floors, and its 4-wheel-drive system. In later models, Honda added a navigation system and a few other creature comforts.

 

 

The Legacy:

It was one of the most versatile cars of its time, yet in 2011 it was killed off. Why? Because consumers no longer had a need for such a niche-market car, as its appeal was mainly for the hikers and the dog-lovers. Most consumers who wanted a smaller Honda SUV in the mid-2000s all bought CR-Vs.

As quirky and niche as the Element was back in its day, it’s still one of the coolest cars produced, in my opinion. Now that camping and overland-ing have grown in popularity, we’re starting to see a rise of off-road related 4×4 vehicles; and in some cases, even a return, like the FJ Cruiser for example. It’s the same case for the Element, it’s practically made for camping in.

Before Honda ended the production of the Element in 2011, it released a “performance” edition, dubbed the “SC,” comparable to the Accord’s “Sport” badge. The “SC” badge added no real performance upgrades, although it did come with more street looks and a manual transmission, as a last attempt to snag the young buyers.

 

 

Verdict:

The Element was before it’s time. It was made for a young active buyer who loves dogs and the outdoors. Unfortunately, the market at the time didn’t agree, forcing Honda to discontinue it, but luckily the market is now swinging towards the young active buyers again, so maybe we’ll see familiarity in the Element’s spiritual successor, whatever form it takes.

In my opinion, you could start calling the Element a “future classic” and I predict we’ll see more of them on the road and at the campgrounds.

 

 

 

I’d love to hear your opinion on the Element, and if you’ve got a Honda you consider a misfit, send it my way!

By Christian Olsson

The post Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Element appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Honda’s Automotive Misfits : Introduction

Honda is known for making reliable, affordable, and good looking cars. But over the years, they’ve also produced some brow-raisers. These cars, whether or not you liked them, deserve recognition. That’s what this blog series is going to be about: shining a spotlight on Hondas that were brushed under the rug.

We’re going to start off this series with a car I’ve always wondered about as a kid:

The First Generation Insight 

The Insight, introduced in 1999, was a 3-door, 2-seater hybrid electric hatchback. It only produced 67hp, but its EPA numbers were breaching 60mpg, which made it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the U.S. at the time of its production. It was available with a manual transmission, and no air conditioning.

 

 

 

Its looks were very quirky; the arch cover over the rear wheels turned some heads and turned some people off. Its 67hp came from a 1.0 three-cylinder engine, as well as the first iteration of Honda’s Intelligent Motor Assist (IMA), an electric motor that attributes to regenerative braking.

 

 

Mix that all together and you get a seemingly average hybrid car, right? Most of the time, you’d be correct; but with the Insight’s manual transmission option, you actually get a pretty decent race car, as it turns out. I’m not kidding. In 2006, an Insight won the Formula 1000 Rally Class A Championship in the U.K and in 2011 was asked to step down because it dominated the first three rallies of the Formula 1000.

 

Top-mark fuel efficiency, decent looks, and a manual transmission should usually make for a good-selling car, but unfortunately, Honda ended production of the quirky little Insight in 2006, only to be revamped in 2008 as just another Prius look-alike. Maybe the 2019 Insight will be just as interesting as the first.

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

The post Honda’s Automotive Misfits : Introduction appeared first on Honda World Blog.

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Dream Car Garage Essentials

With Honda’s Dream Garage Sales Event going on, we wanted to ask you guys what kind of cars would you put in your Dream Garage?

And if you’re having trouble thinking of some, here are the essentials (some of these are optional of course, and are all Hondas):

1. Daily Driver
The daily driver is one of the most important cars you could have in your garage. It’s the one you put miles on, your grocery-getter, the one that gets you from A to B (in a hurry if you choose right), the one that gets you to work on time.

Our pick: 2018 Civic Hatchback, I personally recommend EX-L or above, or the 2018 Accord.

 

 

2. Classic (optional)
From weekend cruisers to show cars that collect dust in a museum, a classic car is always a good investment. Sure they can be unreliable, stripped out or basic. But that also holds a certain kind of novelty in its own right, sometimes that’s all you need.

Our pick: 1965 Honda S600. In Phoenix Yellow.

 

3. Project Car (optional)
Project cars are always a love/hate relationship. You hate the problems they come with and the money you put into them, but you love the reward of driving them when it’s all said and done.

Our pick: 1980’s Honda CR-X, or a Prelude.

 

 

4. SUV/Truck
Everybody needs a utility vehicle too. Something to haul friends, family, and firewood. Something big enough to survive winter months and the trails, with enough space to fit all your gear.

Our pick: 2019 Pilot or 2018 Ridgeline.

 

 

5. Track Car (optional)
The track car can technically be any of the above if you’re brave enough. But a track car is more often than not a bare-bones, all-out crazy machine you take out every so often.

Our pick: 2018 Honda Civic Type-R, or the S2000.

 

 

BONUS

Supercar (optional, of course)
They’re expensive. By no means practical. Not in the least bit versatile. They can’t fit more than 2 people. And they’re overpowered for most laws. But they’re fun, so it’s justifiable.

Our pick: 2017 Acura NSX.

 

 

If there were any you think we missed, let us know! Tell us your picks for your own dream garage (they don’t have to be Hondas). For more cool content, check out our Instagram page @louisville_honda_world and to see what cool cars might fit in your dream garage, visit https://ift.tt/2DHs4la to see our inventory!

By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius

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