Apparently the "good" folks over at Motor Trend think the Element handles worse than an Odyssey, a Town & Country, and a 4Runner. In fact, they rated it at Number 2 on their list of the 10 worst handling vehicles of 2010...

http://wot.motortrend.com/10-worst-handling-cars-tested-2010-20318.html#ixzz19bbzdvoy

I dont have a 10 but I have a 05 and I doubt they changed much that effects the handling. My E has the best handling of any vehicle I have owned.

1972 Toyota FJ40
2000 Ford Taurus
2003 Ford Focus ZX5
now
2005 Honda Element

I owned a 04 and 05 CRV and they handled just like the 08 Element I had.
But when they redisigned the CRV in 07, what a difference in the handling. Menwhile they did nothing about the suspension on the E for the next years.
My wife drove a 07 CRV and then the 08 E, her reaction was that the E went all over the place when turning.

One of the things I dislike about the E and comperison to my 2011 Scion xb I own now.

What a shame, the E was one of the cars I love the most.

Consider the source..

Motor Trend? What are you kidding? Woohahaha! :lol:

It's only the worst B.S. *****headed (we'll say and endorce anything for money) automotive publications on the planet.

What a load of crap.

I can't believe 4 of the 10 cars are Honda. Somehow I sense some serious bias in the publication.

I looked up Motor Trends parent company, Source Interlink Media, and found they publish plenty of other magazines. In my brief look-over, I noticed only 1 Honda related publication. The rest were mostly American brands and some scattered European.

Haters gonna hate I guess... but I still smile every time I see a Paleozoic period Civic roaming around on the road. Sure, the Corvette is going to have better handling than a giant lunchbox. My question is; why was the Element even in this category? How can someone compare a sports car to an SUV, then make a top ten list of "worst handling cars"? I don't recall the last time I ever tried to take my Element on a figure 8 course.

Oh well, I still take pride in my marvel of Honda engineering, and I'm confidant my E will be around for a long, long time.

Motor Trend is a magazine?!

I always thought it was just an extended ad for American car companies. Isn't that the reason only American cars get named "car of the year" year in and year out?

Motor Trend is a magazine?!

I always thought it was just an extended ad for American car companies. Isn't that the reason only American cars get named "car of the year" year in and year out?

Ayup! This is the company that just named the Volt the "11 car of the year! While wishing the best for it, that car is crap as a coventional car,crap as an electric car, and not real good as a hybrid either. A Cruse is a better conventional car in terms of performance and gas mpg, a Nissan Leaf or a Tesla has better range as an electric, and imagine what a $40k Prius could do!:lol:

They should have tested an SC. ;)

http://revver.com/video/99874/tov-video-2007-honda-element-sc-autocross/

Of the "Big 3" car magazines; Road & Track, Car & Driver and Motor Trend... the last has always been a joke. The worst reporting, their Car and Truck of the Year Awards have always been about strong arming the company for advertising revenue for the year in order to get the award. They have always had the slowest and worst test drivers going. Their car tests always show the cars to be slower in all areas than anyone else.

Just look at the source before believing anything.

I dont have a 10 but I have a 05 and I doubt they changed much that effects the handling. My E has the best handling of any vehicle I have owned.

I have a new 2010 (replaced my 04) and I agree with you 100%

We have two Elements and there is no "handling" problems.....You want handling problems, drive a Dodge Nitro.

I dont even bother reading that magazine cause i have no desire to hear about the ford mustang. :roll:

Motor Trend? Motor Trend? Pish posh.

Motor Trend has never - and I mean NEVER - been anything more than a bald-faced extension of the Big 3's advertising departments. They exist to sell cars, especially domestics.

In the past decade they've have to tip their hats occasionally to imports to not seem like total hacks, but they're about as authoritative about cars as my mother-in-law... who doesn't drive.

I haven't had any issues with the way my '09 handles. My biggest issue is the wind noise when going down the interstate.

I have a new 2010 (replaced my 04) and I agree with you 100%

I agree :lol: :lol: ;-) ;-)

From the article:

"To be fair, the vehicles on this list make no bones about being anything more than they are, so take these numbers with more than a grain of salt."

Yeah, I think I will.

I haven't had any issues with the way my '09 handles. My biggest issue is the wind noise when going down the interstate.

I agree it handles ok and there is a lot of wind noise. It is a box so I don't expect much more than that:) I've had cars that have handled a lot better than the E though. Including other SUV's and pickup trucks. I love my E but it is not going to win any awards for good handling.

The E is a car? Compared to the cars I own, I agree the E doesn't handle all that great. But compared to other similar type vehicles, I think it's OK. No complaints here considering it's purpose in life.

my 01 crv was way worse.

My 09 was ok...then I put i set of Michelin MS2's on it and it handles great with the new rubber.....now if I could quite down the wind noise a little!

That rag treats everything like a sports car. When I am shopping for work trucks they always list 0 - 60 times, etc., and never reliability, payload, service cost, or any other useful things. My E is just fine, and I really rag it out on my commute. If it fell into a pile of parts tomorrow it wouldn't owe me a dime.

Thats funny i do recall motorweek being impressed with the elements handling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLZ6e62Ds9w

No, worst handling car ever is the Mitsubishi Expo

No, worst handling car ever is the Mitsubishi Expo

since handling is subjective, some might want to nominate a Citroen 2CV as one of the worst. w/ the roof rolled down and a goat or sheep in the back, they can carry said animal through a freshly plowed field. but put them on a highway and they almost need rollers/casters on the door handles (slight hyperbole) as they wallow from side to side as they round a corner.

There is a good reason why people on blogs outside of Motortrend call that rag...MORONTrend.

No way the CR-Z deserves to be in the list of 10 worst handling vehicles. Sorry, total B.S.

I knew when I bought ours that it wasn't a sports car. But I had a dumba** cut a u-turn RIGHT in front of me in the rain, and I was totally impressed with the results of the evasive maneuver that I had to make that day. I used all the EBC and ABS that the little box has. If I'd have still been driving my '91 Civic, I don't think the results would have been the same. There are a lot of crazy drivers down here in Flora-duh, and I've had LOTS of opportunities to check out the handling.

I find this funny...I bought my 09 E because of the way it handles. I think it handles pretty damn well for a tallish box on wheels. I feel like I know a thing or two about handling...I have owned a few sports cars. And, even though the E is built off a car platform, I wouldn't call it a car. M/T has always been the least objective example of the major car mags. This just reinforces what I already knew about them.

IAB JAG...M/T is talking about the 2010... The 2009 is THE BEST ELEMENT :evil:
Muhahaha

Here is a list of their car of the year awards. I think they just throw a dart at a list of cars and what ever comes up is the winner.
2006 {{{{{{Honda Civic}}}}}}
2005 {{{{{{Chrysler 300}}}}}}
2004 {{{{{{Toyota Prius}}}}}}
2003 {{{{{{Infiniti G35}}}}}} Coupe / Sedan
2002 {{{{{{Ford Thunderbird}}}}}}
2001 {{{Chrysler {{{PT Cruiser}}}}}}
2000 {{{{{{Lincoln LS}}}}}}
1999 {{{Chrysler {{{300M}}}}}}
1998 {{{{{{Chevrolet Corvette}}}}}}
1997 {{{Chevrolet {{{Malibu}}}}}}
1996 {{{{{{Dodge Caravan}}}}}}
1995 {{{Chrysler {{{Cirrus}}}}}}
1994 {{{Ford {{{Mustang}}}}}}
1993 {{{Ford {{{Probe}}}}}} GT
1992 {{{{{{Cadillac Seville}}}}}} Touring Sedan
1991 {{{Chevrolet {{{Caprice}}}}}} Classic LTZ
1990 {{{Lincoln {{{Town Car}}}}}}
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 {{{{{{Pontiac Grand Prix}}}}}}
1987 Ford Thunderbird
1986 {{{Ford {{{Taurus}}}}}} LX
1985 {{{Volkswagen GTI}}}
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 American Motors {{{Renault Alliance}}}
1982 Chevrolet {{{Camaro}}} Z28
1981 Chrysler K-cars, Dodge {{{Aries}}}/{{{Plymouth Reliant}}}
1980 Chevrolet {{{Citation}}}
1979 {{{Buick Riviera}}} S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge {{{Omni}}}/Plymouth {{{Horizon}}}
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2 V-8
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet {{{Monte Carlo}}}
1972 Citroen SM
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Pontiac {{{GTO}}}
1967 {{{Mercury Cougar}}}
1966 {{{Oldsmobile Toronado}}}
1965 Pontiac Motor Division
1964 Ford Motor Company
1963 American Motors Rambler
1962 Buick Special
1961 Pontiac Tempest
1960 Chevrolet Corvair
1959 Pontiac Motor Division
1958 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Chrysler Corporation
1956 Ford Motor Company
1955 No Award
1954 No Award
1953 No Award
1952 Cadillac Motor Car Division
1951 Chrysler Corporation
1950 No award
1949 Cadillac Motor Car Division




Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/car_of_the_year_winners/index.html#ixzz1D2sGZoBA

Here is a list of their car of the year awards. I think they just throw a dart at a list of cars and what ever comes up is the winner.

1971 Chevrolet Vega

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/car_of_the_year_winners/index.html#ixzz1D2sGZoBA

That's NOT random. Only a sadist would rate a Vega as "car of the year".

And they followed up in 74 with the Mustang II. LMAO

What amazes me is the Citroen SM in '72. Their first non-US choice... and it's a Citroen? They must've been on acid or something. I had an acquaintance with one. They had self-destructing engines (made by Maserati) requiring complete overhauls like every 30,000 miles, IIRC.

IAB JAG...M/T is talking about the 2010... The 2009 is THE BEST ELEMENT :evil:
Muhahaha

+2, x2...!!!

:eoc:
-L B D
http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/111.gif

They missed the Pinto.
se

and missed the AMC Pacer.

They missed the Pinto.
se

Both my parents had Pinto's when I was growing up. Most annoying "Fasten Seat Belt" buzzer to this date. LOL

I don't have any experience with the 2010 model of Element, but IMHO it would take a lot of changes to make the 2003/4 Element's handling quality rate as "bad".

Have all the other 2010 models improved that much? I wonder what objective test criteria were used, or am I expecting too much from a magazine?

That's NOT random. Only a sadist would rate a Vega as "car of the year".

hey, '71 wasn't all that good a year. so what do you expect?

<grin>

it only took me 1 scan through an issue of M/T many years ago for me to realize that that would be the first and last time.

hey, '71 wasn't all that good a year. so what do you expect?
<grin>
it only took me 1 scan through an issue of M/T many years ago for me to realize that that would be the first and last time.

Uhm ... '71 was better than 2007 or 2008 in a lot of respects. By the standards of today, the inexpensive Japanese cars weren't that great either. The Vega was a case of poor execution and durability, not a bad concept.

As far as magazines, M/T is to cars as Entertainment Tonight is to Nelson Mandela. If you are interested in glitz or celebrities, rather than matters or people of substance, M/T and E/T are where you go for information.