No it's not out yet and no I'm not starting a thread about what it should or shouldn't have. I just wanted to tell about what just happened at a Honda dealer here in town. We took the wife's car in to get a remote start installed and the honda dealer was a few doors down. We walked down to see if they had an element in the showroom. The only one I saw was on the lot and it was kind of raining. A saleman came out and started his schpeil. I told him I just wanted to see the inside to check out any changes. He told me to come back in 3 months when the 2010 comes out. LOL apparently it's "gonna be a totally different car!" I just rolled my eyes and left. Can u believe that??? I hate car salemen.

The "Dog Friendly" Honda Element comes out Fall 2009, so that's going to be the 2010 model?

The "Dog Friendly" Honda Element comes out Fall 2009, so that's going to be the 2010 model?


Well the future Honda Element changes into something that fails to live up to the one we know and love, this is what I want. And I hope it comes in AWD.:lol:

http://www.fordvehicles.com/transitconnect/

(and i've never owned a ford)

The "Dog Friendly" Honda Element comes out Fall 2009, so that's going to be the 2010 model?

I read about this today...here's the link:

http://automobiles.honda.com/element/dog-accessories.aspx

Unbelievable...lol

The ramp amuses me. Sometimes our dog gets so excited about going somewhere, she jumps from the driveway over the tailgate into the back as soon as I raise the hatch, without bothering to wait for me to put the tailgate down. Clearly we won't be needing the ramp...;-)

Someone was talking to me about this today, wanting to know if I had heard of it. I figured it was the Element....I think its a neat idea as my dog is elderly (is that a proper term for dogs?) and has trouble getting in/out of the E.

Since it is a Dog Model, I'm not impressed at all ..........

The ramp they have is just a average ramp you can buy anywhere (I have one), Honda should have designed it so the top is intergrated in to the plastic of tailgate and not just sets on.

When not in use you would have a removable intergrated panel on tailgate that exposes the cavity with latches, plugs, snaps or whatever so the ramp stays in place.

They put no clever thought into that at all.

But how many E owners are not going to jump at these new badges? Or even the rear seat fabric? I know I will be getting those badges when we get our pooch! :-)

Wow ... or I should say Bow ... Wow!

I think this is slick.
What is next? Ski/Snowboard model? Gardening Model? Remodeler's fix up Model? Fisherman's Model? House Burglar's Model? etc.
It would be fun to think of all the goodies that could go into each model.

Well the future Honda Element changes into something that fails to live up to the one we know and love, this is what I want. And I hope it comes in AWD.:lol:

http://www.fordvehicles.com/transitconnect/

(and i've never owned a ford)

I though this was way cool until I saw the specs. 136HP 4-cylinder, without a manual transmission? That is waay under-powered. I could outrun this thing with a hangover.
:cool:

....my dogs thought of themselves as dogs the DogE would be a great idea. My two English Springer Spaniels would NEVER consider riding in 'the back of the E.' Seats are for dogs. The cargo area is for cargo and Springer Spaniels ain't cargo! A net between the Spaniels and me? Surely, you must be joking. A ramp? Maybe when they are very, very old. After all, Springers spring, they don't need ramps. Besides, one of the Spaniels has learned she can lower the passenger window by putting her paw on the correct button.
And, riding in the back means they have limited access to the drive through window at McDonalds. Come on now, the DogE is designed to appeal to people, not dogs. My dogs said to skip the DogE and invest the money in french fries! We'll roll with the '08 until a convertible model comes along. Hey, that's it! Let's start a rumor. I was in the dealership today and the salesman said just wait until you see the E convertible! I can just see the Spaniel's ears blowin' in the wind! Anyone out there good with photoshop? How would an E convertible with 2 Spaniels in it look at, oh, say 65MPH?
HAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I have a convertible, and my dogs LOVE riding with the top down.

I though this was way cool until I saw the specs. 136HP 4-cylinder, without a manual transmission? That is waay under-powered. I could outrun this thing with a hangover.
:cool:The idea is that it's going to be a small commercial van that's cheap to operate. When you're hauling a load of cargo, you don't WANT to accelerate fast because of the load you're carrying anyway, so why waste money fueling an engine that is just creating wasted power? Besides, cars in the '80s made it by just fine on 136 horsepower. The idea is to make it as cheap as possible for small business owners to operate.

And I think it's going to hit a really unique niche and do well, especially since cost of ownership should be cheaper than the Sprinter.

And if Chrysler and Fiat ever get together for distribution of Fiat in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Dobl%C3%B2

And if Chrysler and Fiat ever get together for distribution of Fiat in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Dobl%C3%B2

Just what we need....a nice little van that is made in....and popular in N Korea and Vietnam.

I thought the Italian Fiats I had were poorly made! Just can't wait to own a N Korean built one!

Talk about going to the dogs . . . and grasping at straws for sales. Alas poor Element, we knew it well.

the dog friendly E looks cool but i have a feeling its going to be overpriced for what it is. my 35lb beagle has no problem jumping into the E. i also dont like how the dog friendly E has a dog carrier in the rear crumple zone. i put my dog in a harness that attaches to the latch anchors.

At the NY Auto Show I took some time to watch and listen to the Honda presentation of the Element for Dogs. What I noticed most was the number of couples that gathered to listen. This is the first time I've witnessed Honda pushing the Element at the NY Show. If Honda wants to sell more elements, then they should focus on what it does best. I happy to see the interest.

maybe they should do a cat friendly version too, you could have some wiskers on the side and some cat hammocks swinging from the seats, and then a big cat tower in the back, scratching posts on the side of the doors, and put in a litterbox where the spare tire goes....:lol:

Speaking of the dog ramp, here ya go if you dont want to buy an entire car!

http://www.weathertech.com/store/mvproduct.aspx?ItemGroupId=47&VehId=839&Year=2008

How about a piece of plywood from Home Depot or a construction site's scrap pile?

maybe they should do a cat friendly version too, you could have some wiskers on the side and some cat hammocks swinging from the seats, and then a big cat tower in the back, scratching posts on the side of the doors, and put in a litterbox where the spare tire goes....:lol:

The E doesn't need modification to be cat friendly. The rear seats of the E ARE cat-friendly, they can easily sink their claws into the fabric to hang on without destroying the fabric, and they enjoy laying under the skylight watching the birds. Cleanup of cat fur is relatively easy except during dry winter months. Cats don't need ramps unless they are so sick they can't walk. My 14 year old can jump onto a shelf 6 feet off the floor, and silently sit there, waiting to jump out and surprise me. Most cats don't try to stick their heads out of the windows of a moving car, or get so excited that they pee, but if they do, messes are easily cleaned up. When traveling, a large cat carrier easily fits between the front and rear seats, several can fit next to one flipped up seat, bungied to the seats floor anchor and the side tie down. Litter boxes? A Rubbermaid storage container with a snap heavy-duty on lid makes a good litterbox, and can be purchased at Target in Element-compatible colors. With some encouragement, a cat can be toilet-trained to use the literbox OUTSIDE the vehicle.

Don't get me wrong, I like dogs, had a good one when I was young living in the country. These days I don't have the time or energy to give a dog the special kind of attention and exercise a good friend deserves. That will have to wait until I can retire and move.

My 2004 E has been bird friendly since the first day I parked it in my driveway. Our neighborhood birds just LOVE putting their personal special messages on its skylight.:lol: Makes me happy that the skylight isn't above over my head.

I guess I should be happy that Honda is finally making an effort to market the Element at all. Doing so to a a group of people as wide as dog "owners" may be the smartest Element marketing Honda has ever done. If nothing else, it may make more people get inside an Element, where most Element converts are made.

Looks like Honda may have finally gotten past the "only 20-year-olds will want an Element, so that's all we'll market it to" mindset.

It would be great if along side the Dog Friendly Element display they set up a camping display showing how much gear can be packed in our elements. Or a camp setup as the Element as the base camp.

Then next to that, a display or demo of a cargo hauler, or one with a couple bikes in side. Show people what can be done with the element. Also make sure you have a couple unlocked so people can crawl around inside. My first impression wasn't a good one, until I actually got inside and started looking around. Keep it up Honda! Many friends have commented on the amount of room and how they really like the Element once they are inside.