Hi there,

Don't own an Element yet, but I will soon. My aging Nissan pickup is starting to fail piece by piece.

I was just curious what the average age is for element owners.
Honda says they are trying to target the "male unemployed early 20's" group?
I don't understand their logic there.

Anyway, I'm 26, and a friend of mine who owns one is 42.
In my eyes this car has features that appeal to a much broader crowd.
I personally want it because of all the dog friendly apsects, lots of inside cargo capacity, seat configurations, rubber covered floors, waterproof seats, and not really related to dogs, a very reliable engine.

-Wolph

It looks like Honda is hoping to target the youth market. But what I've seen so far is that a diverse group of people are buying the Element. I'm bought an Element and I'm 43, (act and Look 29 8) ) and have a Dog. I'm sure shes gonna love it. A friend of mine is 36 and loves the car. Another friend is 30 and thinks it's so kool. Maybe the 18 year olds will buy our used Elements when we decide to upgrade to another, newer Element. :D .....Butch

Yeah from what I seeing, it us the 30-somethings who are homing in on this vehicle. I also am seeing the (baby) boomers hitting on it too.
So much for the target demographic huh?

Yeah Honda was a little upset that they have such an old crowd, and mostly women who are their clientele, so they hoped to shake that, well that just seemed to have not worked.

Though you being 26 are the youngest I have heard of interested, aside from my friend's 13 year old son! grin.

I bought mine in Dec. and I'm 52. This is the vehicle i've been waiting for. I like it and I am sastified with it. My other vehicles are a 92 Ford F150 and a 87 Alfa Spider.

Hey: Bob Cleaver

Cool you have a neat variety there huh?

Congrats on your new Element too, dx or ex, 2 or 4wd and what color.. plus what are you doing/adding to yours??

I guess I'm the oldest. I'm 60 and I fell in love with the Element.
Hopefully mine should arrive in the next couple days.

Uses for me: carrying fishing gear, grandson's toys and stroller,
purchases for yard, great transportation for friends on shopping
expeditions, trips to rug-hooking camps and gatherings, hauling
cats to vet or the lake.

It doesn't look like I'm going to be sitting home much does it! :wink:

Naw I think we have a few who beat you, perhaps we should have a (age) role call.. smiles.. humm i think i may put up a post, keep and eye open for it!

I love your uses, that is soo cool. I know what you mean about not getting to rest much.. it is like there is an inner calling with this vehicle to getout and play!

Which one are you going with, details details!

Enjoy!!

I'm 53, my wife is 45. We originally ordered a Silver EX but, it was delayed/diverted. We took a look at a DX in Shoreline Mist and loved it's "chameleon like" ability to reflect the color(s) of the setting.

Picked up our ELEMENT EX - 2WD - Shoreline Mist Metallic last Friday. Traded in a 92' Camry with 123,000 miles - great car.

To add to the mix, I am two months short of being 39, and gay. Not the target demographics Honda went for, but so what. I am moving from a Chevy S-10 LS extended-cab pickup with 4.3 litre Vortec to the Element.

The Element will be perfect for carrying my boyfriend and I and some of out friends or for doing the lunch run at work. For the occassions when I have to carry the lcd projector and the carton of phamplets and giveaways for seminars we do at work , it will be ideal. As well as the occasional trips to Ikea and other places where I get large-sized items, and the yearly trip to the dump. This finally will allow me to get a mountain bike to cart around without having it bang all about the vehicle.

Most of all, I think the Element is the best example of form in balance with function on the road today. A nicely thought-out vehicle. This is what I wanted in a pickup and could not find for the last 13 years. I love the suicide doors!!!

It doesn't hurt that the E has been rated at 8.1 seconds for 0-60 mph for the manual tranny. I love to burnout from stoplights. ;-)

Iskie

I am 51 and my husband is 55. We looked for nearly 2 years for a new car, our Aerostar van was aging rapidly. We even went to the auto show in Seattle in 2001 to see what would meet our needs. Our needs are not complicated but we wanted something that we could camp in, haul some gear in and most importantly :arrow: do some hiking with 2 big and often dirty dogs. :D . Our kids are grown, we thought about a VW Van but the Eurostar is ugly and the new Microbus is still 2 years away.

http://www.eburg.com/~jneslund/matt/Honda_Element/

Iskie: you are a hoot, you are gonna be a blast to hear from I can tell! I wish you all the wonders you dream in your new Element!

jnes: enjoy this amazing vehicle too, I know I am! Awesome!

Might as well get my 2 cents in. I'm 4 days from being 42 and this only car i have ever owned that I have truly been excited about. Makes me and my wife happy when we drive it because of all the smiles we get. :D

I know what you mean Ion.. this is the most excited i have ever been with a vehicle,.. i have been researching & hunting non stop for over a year for the perfect car (and on a regular basis my whole life) this was IT, this was THEE car!

I think chiseling the smile off my face would be impossible.. yup impossible.. LOVE IT~!

I ordered my Shorline Mist EX 3 long weeks ago and have to wait another 3 before it's in... in Oklahoma they have to deliver by pony express. I am 40 and I sure hope the engineers are better that their marketers

yikes 6 weeks, shoot they could build it in your driveway quicker.. that is insane.. what did you folks do to tick off the automotive industry.. sounds like they want you back with horse & wagon.. 6 week wait, that is just so wrong!

keep us posted, and I hope it does not take that long, that is insane!

I ordered mine the first week of January. Its been pushed back twice. I'm supposed to get it Feb 17. About 6 weeks

I'm 55 and so is my wife. We were looking to trade off our vehicles and get back into Honda's for Reliability, Mileage, and possibly resale value. We hope to keep them into retirement. Anyway my wife liked the CRV so I got that one for her and while at the dealer I asked what that boxy looking vehicle on the lot was. He said an Element made for the younger generation. I took it for a drive and loved it and liked all the things that it could be used for and came back about a week later and bought it. Now my wife wants to borrow it more and wants me to drive her CRV which I also like alot. :D

that is shameful the saleman had to say "Element made for the younger generation" I am glad you bought it, and i think it appeals perfectly to a person over 30 perfectly.. and heck people don't die at 50 since gee which dark age was that.. sheesh i would love to have smacked that rude guy! umph! :x

Age is irrelevant.

Tina Turner is older now. She is cool. She will always be cool. Her age has nothing to do with it.

Never let your age and your fear of others' perceptions sway your decision making.

It's real simple: If you like it, buy it. If you don't, dont.

Peas!
Derek

cook thoughts Derek.. great attitude!

Yep age is a state of mind, and we all have confirmed (mostly I am sure if not all) that we "Wanna be a ToysRUs Kid!"

Yeah, they seem to have targeted the college/young adult types. However, from what I am seeing, it is the PARENTS of the target group that are doing the buying. Take me.....I'm 56, and I just bought it with the running boards, tow kit, rack, and am looking forward to finding the front bumper guard to really make it look the part of a "Mini-Hummer", as some people have described it! Gonna get a license plate frame that says "When I grow up, I wanna be a Hummer". Yeah, me and my ol' lady are happy with it!

Ger Brassfield: congrats on your baby hummer.. and I would love to see pix when you find the perfect complimenting front bumper guard.. should be sweet!

Hi! Just found this forum and had to post. I was struck by the idea of the Element ever since I saw the first concept photos and have waited patiently for it to arrive in the flesh so to speak. I am quite a bit older than the target demographic and to be honest I was a little intimidated by the advertising campaigns. When I finally found one a couple of weeks ago at a local dealer I went nuts over it. My brother said it looks goofy enough for me to own. I'm glad to see the picture gallery has quite few shots of people that don't fit the so called target market. I will soon be ordering a Galapogos green 4wd and getting rid of my beloved diesel Jetta.

This looks to be quite a nice place to spend some time!

Romeo57

Target audience was supposed to be the 22 yr old male with an active lifestyle........well im a 34 yr old couch potato....think they may have missed the target?

I think you're right, lizzurd. They've totally missed the target. I'm 38, female, and I have kids. Yet the E is perfect for us. I was looking at the CRV when I first saw the E. It was love at first sight, but when I asked the salesman about it he said, "Oh, those are more outdoorsy," and proceeded to the CRVs. Of course I left the CRVs and the salesman behind and was drawn to the Elements on the lot like a moth to a flame! :wink:

Just can't seem to drive an ordinary car. We are now driving about in our two El's..Mine, 1981 ElCamino, "Elkey"(I'm a locksmith), and my wifes 2003 Element, "Elee"(her name is Lee)...So we're a 2 El family and for the first time in a couple years I don't mind borrowing her car to drive to work.

Well, I am age 55 and went to buy the CRV but drove the Element and was in love! I didn't even try to bargain just said give me that SLM 4WD EX on the truck. Do the make ready and let me drive it home. I do love my Ellemae! We are about to start on a road trip from San Antonio, TX. to Nashville, TN. and up to Fredericksburg, VA. to see our sons and 3 grandsons and granddaughter. The grandkids love Grandma's cool car. We have our new 30 gb IPOD and IBOOK ready to go with DVD movies and tons of songs off Apple's new Itunes.

I don't get their marketing either. I'm 57and was glad when I learned all the boomers were buying them. The more I drive it, the more I love it. Got it to replace an old '91 Caravan I used to haul me and my gear back and forth to my sailboat. Now I rarely drive my other car (a small convertible).

I do get lots of compliments on it from the 20 year olds tho (I don't think they can really afford them yet-what was Honda thinking-to give them away?)

I'm 37 and was driving my Galapagos Green Element into the Castro neighborhood tonight, when another GG went by while I was stopped at a red light. An older woman and her friend (who I'd estimate to be in their early to late 80's) were driving a E just like mine. This car seems to appeal to everybody. So much for trying to look young and studly. :roll:

I agree that this is an age irrelevant car. It does what we (all of us) want it to do. Functional and fun! I'm 59 and my wife is . . younger.

:D

Okay, I'm 67 (almost) and just passed 300 miles on my Silver Element (SSM), which I got last week.

I'm getting to like it more each time I drive it. Tomorow will be my third trip carrying (large) bonsai trees. (They get a lot larger than the ones you see at the supermarket).

I also plan to carry paintings and ship models. Have already hauled a carpet to the cleaners.

I got tired of shoe-horning all this stuff into my 7 yr old sedan, and having to cover the seats with plastic.

So far, I've had nothing but complements.

I'm far from being a 20 something unemployed guy. I'm a 31 yo professional girl. I think the Element has an old school "woody" look that makes us kids raised in the 70's nostalgic. target schmarget, age is a state of mind and I feel as young as my new ELEMENT when I drive her. Enjoy no matter what age.

Hmm. I just traded in my 2001 Turbo Beetle for an Element. The ride kind of reminds me of my Customized 1988 GMC Safari VAN (I owned in 1990). the engine was larger to deliver the same power/ride. I'm pretty happy with the gas mileage so far since I commute 128 miles / day. My beetle gor 26.5 mpg when
pushing the turbo. I usually pushed 4300 rpms to commute at 80mph. I'm breaking in a new element so I am not going that fast. the tach hasn't seen
much over 3k. I'm commuting at 65-70mph and averaging 24.9mpg, on a new motor, that's great! As soon as the first oil change (5k miles) I should see 1-2 more mpg. It's not a racer that's for sure, but considering the room, I can live with it, it's fun to drive.

There is an saying in the auto industry- You can sell an old man a young mans car, but you can never sell a young man an old mans car.

The E is targeted young, but people over 30 have better credit, more money, and and just plain more ability to get a car. Try as a car maker might like to think young the average age of a new car buyer skews older becasue the 21 year old punk aint got the $$$.

With the E, you have a cool, fun, functional, reliable vehicle-just the sort of thing to attract a smart buyer of any age. Thus we E owners fail to be pigeon-holed like a Scion owner is ;-)

There is an saying in the auto industry- You can sell an old man a young mans car, but you can never sell a young man an old mans car.

The E is targeted young, but people over 30 have better credit, more money, and and just plain more ability to get a car. Try as a car maker might like to think young the average age of a new car buyer skews older becasue the 21 year old punk aint got the $$$.

With the E, you have a cool, fun, functional, reliable vehicle-just the sort of thing to attract a smart buyer of any age. Thus we E owners fail to be pigeon-holed like a Scion owner is ;-)
The one adjective you left out is "affordable". Getting all those other things at a price point of 20K is attractive to any.....frugal..... shopper, any age.

... because I AM a 21 year old college guy. Although I do have a job as a lifeguard, it would not buy me a new car. My slightly used '06 alabaster silver E was bought by my parents in exchange for them not having to pay for school. There aren't many Es in southwest VA, especially ones driven by youngsters. Also, my parents who are 46 want to trade cars with me all the time. Anyway, I love my E

... because I AM a 21 year old college guy. Although I do have a job as a lifeguard, it would not buy me a new car. My slightly used '06 alabaster silver E was bought by my parents in exchange for them not having to pay for school. There aren't many Es in southwest VA, especially ones driven by youngsters. Also, my parents who are 46 want to trade cars with me all the time. Anyway, I love my E
You bring up another angle to this issue. I fully expect that resale value of the Element will erode even less than other Hondas. And Hondas are famous for holding their value. But as our Es age, there will be a strong market from younger people for used Es.

:???: I just bought my first HONDA, that being the Element of course. I told myself I would never buy a HONDA because I was a V-dub girl. Yes, a girl; my Beetle got totalled while it was parked by a drunk drinker. Ha-ha, I'm sure he wasn't having a day. As for me well I started looking into cars, I wanted to drive, note I went to the VW dealership, was iffy. Then thought about the MINI, ha-ha. Thought nah. Then it hit me, what about an ELEMENT...Its been a week since I got it, and I'm totally loving it! I love the floors, the simplisity of it. All the room it has, I could fit half of the things I going to fit in this, in my Beetle but I did try. ;-)

So HONDA I guess I was wrong about you, you can create more then funky "rice rockets." But about the male 20-something. Here's a 20-something, artsy type, employed...oh FEMALE! Get it right!

I'm 46 and just got a great deal on a 2003 Element EX. I've been driving a Lexus 300 for six years and got tired of strapping a soft rack on the roof
everytime I wanted to go surfing. Forget about hauling the mountain bike. Researched Elements for about two months. I wasn't sold on the looks originally but the praticality has won me over. I'm 6'3 and the headroom
is amazing. Reminds me of driving an old microbus. FYI, spoke to an older gentleman in the guitar store last week after I inquired as to who owned the
Element out front. Says he bought one for his daughter. Loved it so much, he then went out and bouth one for himself. Definitely a lot of 40-somethings
driving them around Charleston, SC.

Previous vehicles include a '60 Beetle, '67 Electra, '72 Cutlass, '74 Hornet,
'73 Chevelle, '77 Caddy, '84 Celica, '89 MR-2, '94 Nissan King Cab, '96 Civic,
'97 Lexus.... and the '03 Element... whew!

I'm 58 and find that my EXP does everything a young guy like me needs. It hauls my kayaks and mountain bike with ease. My 5 year old grandson loves riding in the back seat because he can see out so well. I also truly enjoy the XM radio. I listen to channel 164 "old time radio" it is a real hoot!

Well I just turned forty in April and I pretty much made up my mind today that as soon as the ford truck is paid for I'm getting the E, Wife is thirty seven and she hates It but who cares she has her beetle TDI diesel :D

There's a sixty eight year old security officer at the building I work at and me and him talk quite a bit, and he was telling me that he took his wife's Honda civic in to the dealership for it's first oil change and he said he went to look at CRV's for him but he said I think I'm going to get one of those darn Elements:)

This is my 1st post and I'm 61, Wanted an Element every since they can out, but just couldn't turn loose of my 99 Dodge Dakota R/T with 260hp, with 48,000 miles on it. Well the day finally came when this guy wanted it more that I did, he offered "big bucks" so he now ownes it and I now own and 06 EX-P in Tango Red. I'm retired from GM and yes, I do own three Honda's, the new 06 Element, 03 EX V6 Accord, and an 05 Goldwing in yellow pearl. What can I say, I now have the official "Honda Garage". What next a Honda 4-wheeler, why not.

John