Issue with doors:
I realized the element has become a gentlemen's carriage. For example, the rear passengers can not get out of the car until the front door is opened. When I open the suicide doors for the ladies, I always comment that I open the door for them. I don't care as much for the guys, so they need to get out from the rear. So that means the back rear door should have a button switch in the front so the rear window opens. That way, the guys can hop out. (I'm kidding about the rear door thing, but a button would be nice.)

The rear side doors has it's pros and cons. If you are a parent, the kids can not get out = pro. I don't have kids yet, but every so often when I invite a new person on my element. they might try to close the front doors first following it with the rear doors. I am afraid they will really run the rear doors into the front doors. So that means the rear side doors should be independent of the front door.

Make the rear side windows power windows! I don't like the manual window tilt. You know how dangerous it is for me to try to close them while driving. Make them power windows that go up and down like the front ones, and have buttons on the side for the rear passengers to control if themselves.

Another problem I run into is when my car is parked between cars, the passenger who will be sitting behind the front passenger needs to be next to me so that i can open my door first and open the rear side door. Parking spaces can be tight at times.

I noticed the seat belt on the driver and front passenger side is connected to the back side doors. In the future element, just have the seat belts connected to the seat.

<b>Storage Space</b><br>
I'm a big fan of storage space. The area in the tire space doesn't leave you with much room to store other things. It be nice to place the tire outside of the car, either underneath the car or on the rear door.

Look at how the Chrysler Town & Country allows you to hide the seats under the car. That is sweet. When I tilt my rear seats sideways and up against the window, those seats obstructs my view when I'm trying to change lanes.

The ampliphier seems like it can be modified and be made into a storage space. Also the coin holder for the pasenger side is too small, I have trouble digging for coins when I go through the drive through. It is also dark down there, so have a small light when that space opens. The same goes with the slots for the smoke adapter and auxilary. I am unable to see the holes at night. Use some flourecent plastic around the holes.

I think it is cool how the Passat has a cooler in the glove compartment. So create a bigger one and make it into a cooler!

<b>Fuel</b><br>
You have the hybrid civic, accord, and insight, it's about time you have one for the Element. Or use the roof as a solar panel. Or create a diesel version where I can retrofit a vegetable oil powered vehicle.

<b>Interior Enhancements:</b><br>
1. Satelite GPS Navigation? Have the touch screen LCD display tie in with the XM Radio.
2. Rear passenger air conditioning.
3. Add third an attach-detachable 3rd seat so that 3 people can be in the back.
4. Make the seats go perfectly flat. When you lay out all the seats flat in to the bed mode, you don't not get a comfortable position lying there.
5. Add leather seats option, or use a tephlon material (non stick, slides off).
6. Create an electric outlet in the center consol between the driver seat and the passenger seat. (this allows rear passengers to connect their playstation, xbox, or computers.
7. Add curtain airbags and side airbags for the rear passenger.
8. Why does the element airbag deploys from the seat, not from the door?
9. Add a nice big sun roof (like the Nissan quest) don't use manual labor roofs, use power ones.
10 Rear view mirror (add compass and temperature lcd display on it).
11. Customizeable dash board color display. (green, orange, blue, red, etc)



:cool:

in todays vehicle marketplace, all I can say is, welcome to a 30K vehicle with those things added.

I think if they wanted to market it higher they would, but to keep it as utilitarian as it is, we will never see many of those things.

But thats just my opinion.

seems like a pretty grand luxury wish list for a small utilitarian SUV! :) i think 30k would get you about half those things, and it'd have to be built on the ridgeline platform!

8. Why does the element airbag deploys from the seat, not from the door?


I believe I know the answer to this one :shock:

The doors may become distorted in shape in a side impact collision thus creating an irregular airbag deployment. Having them deploy from the seats, allows some regularity to deployment in side impact collisions.

Did this episode of the Simpsons spring to mind for anyone else?


http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/5500/pol40006xg.jpg

Believe me, all those options listed would be very cool to have, but most of them can also be had within the aftermarket for cheaper than what Honda would offer them and you'd have more say in color, placement and features. I myself have installed an indash navigational touch screen and one or 2 other owners here have had their seats converted to leather and more than a few have installed multiple power ports in the center console and elsewhere. But for everything you want the Element would have to be completely redesigned, much more expensive and would need to be larger. The hatch mounted spare tire would be nice but how would you lift the hatch with a 50lb full size spare sitting on it? Notice all other rear mounted spares are mounted to swing gates or side swing rear doors. They aren't bad ideas at all it's just that you've compiled a massive bag of tricks to fit into a entry level SUV in the $20k price range. See, the cool thing about the Element is that it's a simple vehicle that looks like it would have more tricks to it than it really does. The first year I had mine, I was asked numerous times if it came stock with internet capability (the Element's initial Model X concept was to feature this) or if it was a new hybrid or if it came with this or that. But in reality it's just a quirky looking grocery getter, beach party, drive-in movie, camp site, love van, utilitarian, bare canvas box car. It's not packed with gadgetry but it's filled with concept styling and everyday useful features in a remarkably small package. Some owners appreciate the Element for what it doesn't have just so they can equip it with what they personally want and not what some company suits thought the masses would accept. Search thru the forums or ask around and you'll find many way to get alot of what you want in your list into the current Element.

As far as the door thing goes, it takes practice. It's called the Suicide Ballet. To get into the Element when it's parked between vehicles you the driver open your door first, enter and sit with driver's door remaining open, rear passenger walks up beside the driver and opens suicide door, enters and closes door, you then close driver's door and you're off with no corraling. To exit, open your door and remain seated, rear passenger opens suicide door and exits and closes suicide, driver exits and closes door. This way there's no more awkward "snuggling" between both open doors with burly drinking buddies in a parking lot.

wow, they actually made that Homer simpson design vehicle. lol:D

Just got back from the dealer... They said that the 06 models will not have any changes but expect to see major changes in 07. Will be same body in 07, same engine. But they are adding couple trim lines like the Fun Version, and the Professional Version. Professional version is supposed to be equiped with leather seats, laptop, and some other stuff that professional white-collar workers might enjoy. The Fun Version is supposed to be equiped with Alpine Navigation units and very similar to the current E. I guess we'll just have to be patient and wait for what Honda has in store for us.

Empire Strikes one more time !! Nice Job. You just saved me 10 min. of keyboard pounding .

Rear passenger air conditioning.
I'm pretty sure we have that now.

Just got back from the dealer... They said that the 06 models will not have any changes but expect to see major changes in 07. Will be same body in 07, same engine. But they are adding couple trim lines like the Fun Version, and the Professional Version. Professional version is supposed to be equiped with leather seats, laptop, and some other stuff that professional white-collar workers might enjoy. The Fun Version is supposed to be equiped with Alpine Navigation units and very similar to the current E. I guess we'll just have to be patient and wait for what Honda has in store for us.


Ohhh, (in husky whorish voice) would you like the "Business" or "Pleasure" model?

RE: Rear Doors

The rear "doors", technically, are not a real door but an Access Panel which we saw used on the Saturn two door and the GM extended pickup trucks. These will never become real doors without extensive engineering modifications, like a "B" pillar to latch the door into, not the front door. In addition, the access panel concept provides the huge opening on the side of the vehicle, and that is apparent in the marketing of this vehicle.

On the other hand, they do call the Element a five door (?) don't they. I would define the door as hinged, with a exterior handle and seperatly latch(able) from the front door. Does the access panel have a side impact beam in there? like a real door.

Lets discuss.

RE: Rear Doors
...like a "B" pillar to latch the door into, not the front door.

I would define the door as hinged, with a exterior handle and seperatly latch(able) from the front door. Does the access panel have a side impact beam in there? like a real door.
To my understanding, the rear doors ARE the "B" pillars to which the FRONT doors latch to. The "B" pillar is integrated into the leading edge of the rear doors. Once closed they form the structural equivalent to a traditional "B" pillar. So the rear doors are basically the same as on any other vehicle other than the fact that they open while connected to a detachable "B" pillar. While at the East Liberty plant Honda reps showed a power point presentation showing some of the safety dynamics of the integrated "B" pillar design. They engineered a counter measure to prevent the doors from jamming shut if a side collision occurs at the pillar's location.