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How is the element as a highway cruiser?

8K views 24 replies 20 participants last post by  psschmied 
#1 ·
I tried to search for this but was not successful.

I am certain the Element is not going to be as good as a Lexus or MB on the highway but how is it really?

A short test drive does not really tell me how it would be on - say - a trip from Michigan to Colorado or more? Is it REASONABLY quiet and smooth? Does it seem relaxed or strained? What kinf of real mileage does it get at around 75 mph.

Thanks for any real world experiences.
 
#2 ·
I'm very happy with the ride and handling on the E way. It does get pushed around a little in the wind and it is a totally different feel than my last vehicle which was a Lincoln MKZ. It is a little louder and rougher than the Lincoln but just as much fun to drive imo. Keep in mind comparing the E to a luxury sedan is apples to oranges. I don't usually drive much more than 5 over posted speeds just to keep the tickets to a minimum but the other day I did have the E over 90 and was amazed at how stable it was. Granted there was no cross wind at the time. The wind does make a difference that was hardly noticable in the Lincoln. Mileage wise I'm getting 21.5 in the city/hwy normal commute. I love my E more and more everytime I drive it. I've had a lot more expensive cars in the past but none were as much fun as I'm having with the E.

Hope that helps a little
 
#3 ·
As far as road noise goes, I guess it depends on your expectations.

I find the road noise in my Element a bit high. Its one of the only flaws in an otherwise great car.

I came from a Toyota Previa, which subjectively was much quieter.

Not a deal-breaker, but on some road surfaces it does kinda drone. We usually just turn up the radio/podcast a bit and that masks it.

Our new set of Kumhos seem marginally quieter than the Hankooks they replaced.

That said, we've been on a lot of long road trips and love the Element. 87,000 miles and headed to Owl's Head, Maine tomorrow!
 
#4 ·
I wouldn't want to road trip in anything but an Element.:)

I've never had a luxury vehicle so I can't complain, and the minivan I had prior was just as windblown if not more than E, so I can't complain there either, it's all about what your used to.

It's roomy, fun, easy to clean. I was loaded down to the max on my trip to Ohio and back last summer, and made easily upper 20's on the trip, my best was 29mph.

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#5 ·
Just the information I was looking for

It does help. That's exactly what I was looking for.

I do not expect a Lincoln smooth ride but just wanted to make sure I wouldn't feel all beat up after driving a few thousand miles.

I'm retiring and don't need 2 or 3 cars anymore and it seems like the Element would do a good job for us. Utilitarian to haul things, awd for snowy Michigan winters, easy to get in and out of for aging backs and plenty of room plus Honda reliability (I've had a couple Accords and a Civic).

Thanks for the reply
 
#7 ·
It does help. That's exactly what I was looking for.

I do not expect a Lincoln smooth ride but just wanted to make sure I wouldn't feel all beat up after driving a few thousand miles.

I'm retiring and don't need 2 or 3 cars anymore and it seems like the Element would do a good job for us. Utilitarian to haul things, awd for snowy Michigan winters, easy to get in and out of for aging backs and plenty of room plus Honda reliability (I've had a couple Accords and a Civic).

Thanks for the reply
Sounds like your are on the right track with the E.

When I bought mine I did so because it is 1. a great all around utility vehicle 2. a great value (quality vs cost) in the current economy 3. all around fun to own


Good luck with your E purchase you won't be sorry!
 
#6 ·
I came out of an f150.The road noise was about the same. I have only made one long road trip about 800 miles. I was very comfortable. A strong cross wind will get your attention. But then it is not an aerodynamic vehicle. It will be a notable difference from a Lincoln.
I will second what Jojo said. I would not want another car for all around use and / or travel.
 
#10 ·
We love our E for road trips. The extra space around the seats really makes you feel like you are in a larger van/suv/car. It is a louder than most cars but then again it is an SUV with no carpet. I do miss our Saab 9-5 wagon for road trips but don't miss the reliability issues. I have really slowed down in driving speed in my age and the E really helps with that. I generally go 5-10 mph over posted but the E can do more if need be.


Ask your dealer for an extended test drive so you can get a better feel for the highway with it. Purchasing a car is big so make sure you know what you are getting. The E is not for everyone but those that buy them, love them.
 
#11 ·
Compared to my previous Toyota Tacoma and my wifes Camry- I actually find the E just as quite. Ride is compareable to the Tacoma and stiffer than the Camry. Its not a car so the stiffer ride should be expected. Short wheelbase so you will feel bumps. Handling is surprisingly -very good. As stated on here many times over- the E is just hands down a fun to drive vehicle, every time you drive it.:D:D
 
#21 ·
I love mine on the highway. Driving with the windows down is a little noisy- but opening the sunroof helps and eliminates buffeting. Just say no to opening the rear pop-out windows at high speed-very loud.

Cruise at 80MPH all day with no problem-even with the engine turning 4000RPM with the 5 speed M/T. Handles 100% better than my '04 Camry did above 60MPH.
 
#12 ·
long trips are great

I would agree that riding in the E long distances is fantastic. Our daughter attends college in VA Beach/ Norfolk area, (Virgina Wesleyan College), and make that trip many times a year. Just moved her back home for the summer, had the E loaded, and the trip was great, even driving back through all those storms was not an issue.

I use a rolled up throw-blanket tucked between the headrest and neck and the comfort is even better. I am 6'3" and the headrests are just a shade off. SO by tucking the blanket in between gives great support. No issues with sore, tired legs, wife can sleep comfortably with the seat slightly reclined.

MPG for the trip at highway, or HIGHER speeds averaged 26.5.

Just found a Valley Hitch Carrier on craigslist for half price, finished adding the Yakima system, can't wait to take it out camping this summer.
 
#13 ·
Trip to Vancouver

I was doing 125kph most of the time and going to Vancouver is uphill most of the time and I was just amazed of how the cruiser works. Just glad to have my BISDAK.
 
#14 ·
my wife drove it from Pensacola to Tucson in two days and our E was packed to the gills. no problems whatsoever. well she did get blown around a little bit in El Paso but anything would in those winds. Great vehicle:)
 
#15 ·
I like it on the big roads



I drove Chicago to Toronto in a 06 AWD and Ft Lauderdale to Toronto in my 06 FWD ( 23 hrs straight through ) They are lighter than the MB and better on fuel , I was not uncomfortable in the driving position even though the seats are firmer than a family van , for the average excursion ( 8 hrs ) a day like my parents do , it is an enjoyable drive , slightly higher than an automobile ( better visibility ) if you want luxuries ( leather seating with rear end warmers and gobs of sound insulation ) go higher end , but all costs go up with it , insurance , fuel and capital expenditures / maintenance.
 
#16 ·
Cali driving, I'm impressed since I heard about the aerodynamics of the car is what's keeping us from getting better mpg. I usually do around 80 mph ev3ry day because of my lead foot and it's very stable.
 
#18 ·
I forgot to mention usually have my windows up and the air condition on. Maybe that's why it feels stable, i could see how keeping the windows open could make it a bit unstable. I have noticed that the aerodynamics of the car, with the window down create a huge wind tunnel-like vaccum throughout the car. More than any other car i've been in so far, sooo maybe windows down at 80+ miles might be crazy, time to find out. :)
 
#19 ·
I actually can answer this one!

I love taking this thing on the highway. I drive 4 hours on the weekends, all highway. Compared to the legacy I have it is an extremely COMFORTABLE ride. You can go very long distances without getting winded. I've driven it 5 hours straight before and only needed to take one pit stop. I even opted to drive about town when we got there. It is a little noisy when you are on anything less than smooth, but there is virtually no engine noise when you're under 3.2k RPM. I usually have music going anyway, which masks well even at low levels because of the way the acoustics are setup in the car.

To be completely straight, if you lined up 1,000 cars, I might choose another car to have, but nothing would come before the element if I was choosing a road trip vehicle.
 
#22 ·
Yeah, those pop outs really direct the sound right into the driver/passengers ears.

I have several long highway road trips planned for this summer and look forward to each one every time. The E is much better for road trips than the wife's Rav4.
 
#23 ·
We got a new Scion Xb with a manual tranny when she was still 15 so we could get some "stick time" on the day she got her license. The car was great in the summer time out on the road. It would easily cruise up long stretches of mountain highways at 80 and over. Fun to drive too. I needed AWD because I do some serious snow driving and we needed the extra size becuase we sold a Jeep Cherokee and a Grand Cherokee so I went for the Honda. I was driving the kid's car when we had a summer rain storm here is So.Cal. and that Scion was hydroplaning all over the place. For safety reasons, traded the Scion for another Element with manual trans and AWD for the kid. That was in August of 2005. Her car has been from coast-to-coast, through hellatious mountain snow strorms and freezing rain. It is a feeling of the warm and fuzzies knowing that Sarah is driving such a safe, good handling car when she's out on the road, 3,000+ miles from home going to school. Her car was seriously rear ended yet my daughter is still in good health. While I love mine out on the road and have 45,000 miles while hers has nearly 90k miles and that Element is running strong, has had only oil and filter changes and normal servicing. Oh yes, one last thing, the kid has a lead foot out on the road but doesn't get tickets because she makes sure there is always someone around her going faster. Anyway, they are great cars out on the highway at any sane speed you can think of.
 
#24 ·
I've found the Element to be great for road trips. My Element's been from Detroit to St. Louis straight through, Detroit to Vermont straight through, and Detroit to Chicago every other weekend for a couple months now, and it hasn't missed a beat for me yet. I find the seats to be very comfortable, and even doing Detroit to Vermont straight through, which was 14 hours one way, I wasn't in pain or sore or anything when I got there. The thing is remarkably stable at 100 mph, actually moreso than is my '92 Astro Van at 70 (I've only done it for short bursts, though, usually while passing someone that's pissed me off on the freeway). The Element is susceptible to crosswinds, but so is any vehicle that's tall (and my Astro Van is actually more susceptible to them). I've managed 29-plus mpg with mine on a few occasions, and 26-plus at freeway speeds is not at all unrealistic.

Truth be told, the Element is the best road-trip vehicle I've had, and that's including the 1995 Buick LeSabre I owned while I was in college.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I just returned from a visit in Tennessee, 600 miles away from my home near Chicago.

Having made this trip any times in a range of vehicles from sub-compacts to an Olds Vistacruiser, I'd rate the Element as better than average for long distance trips for an adult couple with all cargo stored inside the vehicle. I have no experience with a roof box or pulling a trailer with an Element; other members report no issues. I also have no experience at speeds over 85 mph (the unmodified engine 's rpm limiter of my 2004 model engages around 90 mph. )

During the trip I had one minor problem that I had been expecting at 40,000 miles; the rear differential dual pump fluid chose the middle of my trip down south to start breaking down - producing vague, hard-to-localize bearing type noises and a dragging feeling such as you'd get from a stuck brake pad. The Honda dealer in Richmond, Kentucky changed the fluid for me and I was on my way in an hour. After 30 miles of driving the Element returned to its normal solid, smooth ride. The biggest problem I have with long distance trips may be that it is so easy to drive the Element that I get sleepy.

My Element is rock-stable at highway speeds. I was able to easily keep pace with the 70-80 mph traffic in Kentucky and Tennessee, had no trouble with buffeting from semis as we passed each other on I65 and I80. The ride was as comfortable as you could expect on roads that were cracked and patched, and more than you'd expect on newly paved smooth highways. On roads that are laden with patched expansion joints and regularly spaced cracks you can expect a bumpier than average ride due to the short wheelbase and stiff suspension, but I find it better than the soft mushy rides of long wheelbase American cars built in the 70s and 80s. Cornering and handling is great, I can easily make make u-turns within the width of a 2-lane road, enjoyed driving the twisty secondary country roads of Kentucky and Tennessee.

I have noticed that other drivers (and police) don't seem to believe that the brick-shaped Element can be moving as fast as it can on an interstate. More than once I had cars and pickups pull into the left lane to try to pass me in the Smokies, and then drop back because they couldn't keep up as we easily went though the mountains on cruise control.

My noise experience may not be typical; since I have foam floor padding with carpeting my E's acoustics may be closer to an SC than the EX. My E has had a tiny increase in wind noise since I installed a hood and front window rain deflectors. The new tires I chose (Yokohama TRZ's have a harder tread) are slightly noisier than the original Goodyears, but I never had to crank the radio level above 4 bars and could still easily converse with my spouse. I routinely have the sunroof open on long trips, occasionally open the rear passenger side window; noise is not a problem for the driver unless both rear windows are open and the cabin fan is off - air flow is smooth.

Rear seat comfort might be an issue for an adult, depending on their build; my adult daughter and my young granddaughter seem to find it adequate for hundred mile trips.
 
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