[mfassett]

Greetings all... another interested potential Element owner here.

Question... I know I may not be like a lot of you for this, but I won't buy a CR-V or other light SUV because of the rollover risk during emergency maneuvers. This car will be the one my wife drives, not me. So... for those who own both a CR-V and an Element, how would you rate the Element for tippyness in comparison?

It looks like the Element has more clearance than the CR-V, which I find strange because it doesn't look higher.

Any input you have is appreciated... thanks.

 

[Alien Element]

Well, I don't own one yet so I can't speak from experience. But from all the reviews I have read, the Element doesn't tend to lean in hard turns. This is due to the fact that everything is hung very low in order to allow the interior to have the flat floor from front to rear. This gives the Element a lower center of gravity, which in turn provides a more stable feel.

 

[burnt-O]

Here is a quote from Automobile mag in an article about the E "With higher damping rates and greater roll resistancethan the CR-V,...." So if they are correct, that answers your question. But we all knew the E was better, right? 8)

 

[jimr140]

After a couple of weeks, I'm a bit more relaxed driving my Element. I'm now taking off ramps faster and have not experienced any kind of tippy feel. As a matter of fact it handles much better than my last car (granted it was a station wagon). Car and Driver have the Element pulling higher lateral g's than the CR-V. The Element sits about two inches lower and has a wider track than the CR-V, both of these help keep the center of gravity lower, that helps keep the thing flatter in corners. This is my first truck and I'm very pleased at how well it handles. Hope this helps.

Jim R

 

[Simon]

It's not a Porshe. The biggest factor in roll overs is your driving.

Respected organizations like Motorweek have evaluated the Element in Slalom runs - and they have reported no increased rish of rollover.

Companies, like Honda, risk a lot in lawsuits and lost business if they have rollover problems.

Drive it reasonably and you'll never have a problem

 

[isketerol]

The Motorweek review has been made into a movie. In it you can clearly see the "E" agressively managing the slalom course with ease.

Iskie

 

[toastyapricot]

After owning a 92 montero for 11 years I know that roll-sway-toplight feeling very well. The element is glued to the ground in comparison.

 

[szacherau]

The E is lower & wider then the CRV so the rollover risk is lower. Car & Driver also ran the skid pad test on the E and if I recall it tied the BMW SUV for first place in the SUV category for the skid pad. Keep in mind if you will be loading it with tons of stuff you can raise the center of gravity and increase the likely hood of a rollover. If you us the roof rack and max it out the extra weight can raise the center of gravity a great deal. This is true for any vehicle of course but I just wanted to mention it.

 

[patedugan]

I totally agree with the poster who said the greatest risk of rollover is your driving. Before getting my Element, I was a proud Jeep Wrangler owner for 10 years - which everybody thinks tip over with a slight breeze. Not once did I ever come close to a rollover condition. That said, the Element feels really stable to me going around turns...

 

[Aykew]

The suspension on the Element is especially stiff and the torsional strength of the body design (probably because of the ultra-reinfocred concealed b-pillar) makes body roll very minimal. You could probably roll it if you tried REALLY hard, but I really love the "glued to the road" feeling I get when going around turns.

 

[mike1007]

I owned a CRV and recently got the E. I have not noticed much difference on turns but I am carefull. So I would say it all depends on how you drive, SUVs have a higher risk of rollover so just be more carefull on turns. All E reviews seem to say it is less of a risk than most SUVs.

 

[remf]

I was driving some nice, curvy mountain roads yesterday and did not notice much sway through some of the sharper downhill turns. I wasn't taking them at 80 mind you, but at the recommended speed or 5 miles an hour faster. It ain't a German street machine, but I think that it handled the terrain great.

 

[mfassett]

[quote:b17a8fe05f="patedugan"]I totally agree with the poster who said the greatest risk of rollover is your driving. .[/quote:b17a8fe05f]

Absolutely true.

However, you have no control over OTHER PEOPLE's driving skills. It's an inssue when you are forced to execute a evasive maneuver to avoid one of those bad drivers.

I'm very glad you never tipped your Jeep. The odds are very much in your favor, because even though the rollover risk is there, it's still relatively rare for a person to roll an SUV. The problem is, because of rollover, you're more likely to die in a single person accident in an SUV as a result of the rollover risk.

Another factor is not knowing the difference between a jeep and a car. They have very different turning radius... so if you're used to a car, and you're forced into an avoidance situation, you'll turn the wheel too much and overcorrect... flippage.

Some people are willing to take that risk and play the odds. Some aren't. At least in the US, it's a free country, do what you want as long as you have health insurance, eh? If I"m driving it, I'm probably willing to take that risk. But not when my wife is driving with my kids in the car.

 

[Gambitt]

The Element is not lower than the CR-V, it is quite a bit taller...just go to a site like Edmunds.com and you can look up the specs on any car or truck. Also, the width is such a marginal factor it doesn't even count...the E is a little over an inch wider...WOW. The CR-V does have more ground clearance, but the body is like 7" lower in height than an E. The CR-V also has the wider wheelbase...These differences can hardly even count...but, I suspect that Honda tightened up the suspension on the E to help it handle the corners better...a sacrifice had to be made somewhere.

 

[Alien Element]

That is contradictory... You say that the CR-V has more ground clearance, but that the Element is not lower - one of these statements is not true. Also, the Element can be both taller and lower than the CR-V as well (the roof is higher, the frame/body is lower).

 

[Gambitt]

Just because the CR-V has more ground clearance it does not have to be higher...we are talking about total height from the ground up, not from the start of the body to the top...My point is that people need to state facts and not just guess at the dimensions of the Element...everyone is saying, "It is wider", "It has a longer wheelbase", "It is lower, so it will not tip as easy"...with all of these things being either false or with such little difference it can't matter. It's amazing to me how people talk things up when they get excited. Everyone, especially potential new buyers, would be way ahead if facts could be stated in these matters instead of guesses. Again...www.edmunds.com, or www.honda.com and look under specifications...it's all right there.

 

[RML]

Car and Driver said :

Although the Element is based on the CR-V, its dimensions are significantly different. The length is a foot shorter, the wheelbase has been trimmed 1.7 inches, the roofline is 7.8 inches higher, the front track 1.7 inches narrower, and the floor about an inch lower. It rides on a highly modified CR-V chassis, and because it has no visible B-pillars, it sports reinforced joints, strengthened lower side sills, larger crossmembers, enlarged rocker panels, and five bulkheads per side. In place of traditional B-pillars, Honda went with reinforced vertical beams within the rear doors and locked them into the side sills with a hook-and-catcher system. Honda claims the resulting chassis resists bending better than the CR-V, nearly matches it in twist resistance, and is strong enough to achieve a five-star side-impact rating.
The downside to the beefed-up structure is heft, and the front-wheel-drive, manual-transmission Element EX tested here tips the scales at 3344 pounds, just 23 pounds shy of a four-wheel-drive, manual-transmission CR-V EX we tested in November 2001. Honda says Elements haul an extra 250 pounds compared with similarly equipped CR-Vs. To compensate for the added weight, Honda shortened the gearing, increased roll stiffness, and upped the damping levels of the suspension.

Despite its tall frame and mail-truck appearance, the Element's low floor, wide track, and stiff suspension — which is firm but not harsh — turn it into a sporty machine. Through tight turns and quick transitions, the boxy Honda stays relatively flat, performing like a Doberman trapped inside a Great Dane's body. On the skidpad, our test vehicle pulled a very impressive 0.78 g, which beats the CR-V's 0.72 g and even ties the last BMW 330i we tested (October 2002).
To unsettle the Element, we had to enter a corner pretty hot, at which point it talks back with understeer and hints of a wagging tail. But since our premonitions told us we might be swapping the shiny and dark sides under those circumstances, these traits put us at ease. The more we drove it, the more fun we had.
For Gen Yers who drive a few 10ths below how they play, we recommend checking out a four-wheel-drive version. With its better front-to-rear weight distribution and improved rear traction, we surmise that it offers a stickier tail and a more composed driving experience. And since these young guns will be going extreme, it's better suited for the sand and snow. But they should use caution because the Element's on-demand four-wheel-drive system and 6.9 inches of ground clearance aren't intended for serious off-road use.

How is that for facts so far?

 

[RML]

CanadianDriver said

On gravel and uneven roads the Element is stable and predictable. It's also solid as a rock, with no creaking or rattling evident. On the highway wind noise is surprisingly low, given the brick-like aerodynamics. Strong crosswinds will unsettle it, though, requiring a firm grip on the steering wheel.

 

[RML]

Men'sJournal said:

Hondas are historically drowsy off the line, but the Element's quick gearing and 160-horsepower engine make it feel faster than rivals like the PT Cruiser and Toyota Matrix. The Element's steering is taut, and its body sits bolt upright, even through turns. Honda spent a lot of time and added a lot of metal to make the car feel this stiff, and the dividend is athleticism.

 

[RML]

USNews.com said:

The Element's width gives it a feeling of stability and stiffness that's missing in many SUVs. Rarely did I feel the uncomfortable, top-heavy tilt that's the bane of the class. The Element felt very maneuverable on corners, and the 160-horsepower, four-cylinder engine, standard on all models, was quick, spirited, and quiet.

Those are facts.

I am not saying anything other than this is what these people had to say about the E.

You can draw your own conclusions.