[foxtail]

I'm on the verge of buying an Element. It wasn't even on my list to consider until last week (I'd been thinking Rav4) when I stopped by Honda on impulse. I loved the Element at first sight and first drive, and I'm hoping for a 4wd EX in GG. But the advertising and targeting has scared me a bit. In the fancy Honda brochure, there isn't a picture of anyone over 30 or any women, for that matter. As a 40-something woman, am I making a good choice?

Also, is there a downside to the Element that I should be considering? It looks great, seems to drive really well (I've never seen a turning radius like that!), and Honda appears to have put their money into the things that matter to me and not into carpets and fluff. Plus I think my dogs will love it. So, any second thoughts out there?

 

[EternalElement]

I just bought my 4wd EX Element last week. Today is my 28th birthday. My wife is the primary driver of the vehicle. We are planning on having kids very soon. My mother is 55 and is thinking about getting one now that she has seen and driven ours. You are making the right choice. The Honda is better than the Toyota anyway

 

[splice]

Two of my auts just bought one... They love it. One of them got an AWD Blue and the other got an AWD Grey.

My aunts are age 55 and 48 and they love it!

 

[dmcarley]

Honda really missed the demographic on this one. I am over 40 and my dealer tells me that they haven't sold an Element to anyone under 30 yet. I think that the so-called Baby-Boomers are just so practical minded that the Element really appeals to those with children and pets in addition to the sports minded. I have always thought that a car with carpet is very impractical, especially here in Canada where we get snow and then salty slush. The carpet always stinks in the spring, and mats don't help when you have kids or pets. The Element should have been produced a long time ago.
Go for it!

 

[Hawaiian E]

Read more threads on this board and you will see the goods and bads of the car and even see the ages of owners.

 

[Kizzz]

Check out the demographics in the Polls section on this website. I'm 26, close to the demographic in age, but nothing like the consumer they expected. When I walked into my dealer he told me he hadn't sold one to anybody under 40 yet. There are plenty of downsides and you'll find plenty of posts about them on this website (cracking windshields, stangely low carrying capacity, scratching....) but the overwhelming feeling is that they don't come close to cancelling out the upsides.

I have a GG 4WD and I love it! Good luck

 

[possumlady]

Hi there,
I too was turned off by the brochure. How narrow-minded--even to the point of referring to some of the cubby holes as perfect to store an extra pair of boxers??!! For the record, I'm a 43 yr old female and bought my EX AWD at the end of March and LOVE IT! It's really a great vehicle and I'm wondering since I haven't seen any Element commercials in well over a month if Honda is starting to rethink their marketing strategy and will start producing commercials for all us other people (older, female) that seem to be a big portion of Element buyers. Don't let marketing stop you from buying a great little SUV.

 

[lon777]

A great number of us think Honda missed the demographic on this great little car by a long shot. Most of the buyers are over 30. My wife and I are both 42 and absolutely love this little car for its functionality, ride and funky charms. We sometimes act like teenagers in this car because of all the attention we get. As it has ben stated, don't let honda's marketing goof prevent you from buying this car if you really like it. Enjoy life!!!!

 

[Cameraman]

Someone made the point in another thread that selling to a young audience would have cache with older folks such as myself (52, but an immature 52) but selling to older folks would be the kiss of death trying to reach a younger market. Great point.

 

[billybud]

At 56, i'm an early Boomer....I think the practicality of the Element is something we all appreciate regardless of age...and, Hey, over 50's camp, hike, mountain bike and are active, regardless of the "official" target group.

Have an SMM EX on order with a build date of April 15.

 

[za9ra22]

Like almost everyone else who's bought one, I'm well outside the demographic and my wife (a 40-something) wants a Galapogos Green 4WD EX auto to match mine.

There are downsides to owning this vehicle - there are certain issues that seem to be arising rather commonly, such as stress fractures in windshields, slight rocking of the drivers seat, scratches in the plastic paneling on the exterior and a rattle from the dashboard/left-hand front pillar area are the worst ones I think and not all Elements seem to suffer all or any of the problems. Some people also report that some dealers are less cooperative than others in handling the warranty issues that arise so it's important to pick a dealer who not only says the right things, but who you can trust to back it up by acting on your complaints if you have any.

For me, and for my wife, the Element is an excellent blend of versatility and considered design. It is spacious and comfortable for road trips, has plenty of power for traffic or the open road, handles very well, is fun to drive, yet can haul a bunch of stuff or 4 big and tall adults with plenty of leg and head room. You can clamber in and out without having to bother about mud, dirst, sand, snow, gravel, or just about anything else, and even when you're soaking wet, you won't make it smell like an old carpet.

Neither of us own a mountain bike, skateboard, surfboard or even a pair of boxers and our idea of extreme sports is the farmers' market on a Saturday afternoon. But you don't have to be a less than 25 guy with an 'active liefstyle' (or the wisdom to carry spare underwear) to see the tremendous utility of this vehicle, nor experience the enjoyment of driving and owning one.

 

[StLouisPenguin]

I am 27 and female.....I may be close to the age group that they were targeting....but not the gender. One of the reasons that Honda developed the E was to appeal to the younger male population when they realized that the majority of Civic owners were female. In my house the roles are reversed though....my 28 year old, extremely active husband likes the E but isn't crazy over it like I am....I think he is counting the days until he finishes his MBA and gets to go get his new Civic (his is 13 years old currently and still trucking).

Also I was driving home from work today and passed a Black E with an older woman behind the wheel....if I had to guess she was probably in her early 60's....she looked just like my mom Sweet Grandma hauling booty in a super cool E....more power to her! I hope I am that cool when I am 60!

Diane

 

[SPACE E]

48 here. What I wanted - Chrysler Sebring convertible ltd. What I bought - the Element. I wanted the former for a year, was paying off another vehicle. I saw a banner ad for the Element and on a whim and the Honda name clicked. (i'm normally impervious to those things) I like what I saw, it had the features I wanted (except for the convertible top) and it matched my lifestyle better.

To be certain, I shopped a Sebring, the went down the street and looked at an E (had not seen one yet.) It was love at first sight. I went back and looked at the convertible again. I've had my E for over 2 months and almost 5K. Still love it!

PS - I haven't had those other issues either.

 

[ibutchman]

Today is my Birthday "44!" time sure does fly.
I love my Element. Today it's nice and squeeky clean.
I enjoy it everytime I drive it.

 

[mmathews]

50 in October w/4wd GG. Been driving the E for two weeks and love it. Granted, I am male and I do love my outdoor pursuits, but the practicality of teh E was what sold me.

I wanted another SUV, had Suburbans, Jeeps and Subaru Outbacks, but spent my younger years driving logging roads and out to trailheads in a '75 Honda Civic CVCC and never had a problem. Now I've got the same platform with 4WD and additional--very usable--space for cargo and passengers. Perfect.

BTW, don't have any problems yet and my mileage is running at 21mpg after two tanks mostly around town.

 

[lon777]

Have a happy birthday ibutchman!

 

[ERider]

No doubt the guys at Honda are scratching thier collective heads. How could they be so wrong about the demographics? Simple, they forgot that it was the baby boomers that started Rock and Roll, California Dreamin" and Route 66, Muscle cars and Starbucks. They assumed, as do a lot of people, that if your a Baby Boomer your an old fart ready to retire to Florida. WRONG. A GREAT number of us "Boomers" are still very active, of sound mind and creative thinking to understand the great features of the Element.

What will be really interesting is to see how the competition react to the Element and miss-judgement to the market. The next advertisment will be "oldYutes" loading antique furniture and garden supplies and drive throughs at Starbucks.

For what its worth, the Element is also a great vehicle for handicap persons in that you could get a wheel chair in the back with great ease.

For all of us "Old Yutes" who had the guts to keep youthful....cheers.

 

[ibutchman]

Thanks lon777.

 

[StLouisPenguin]

<checking birth certificate>

Yep I am 26.....but I do just about everything that ERider decribed....gardening....I take my E to HOme Depot and Lowes and load him up. Starbucks drive through....humm there is one right next to the Lowe's.....and ummm we are planning on doing some antiquing on our road trip next weekend.

I must say that you left out one thing....the E is great for toting your golf clubs....now if we can just figure out a way to stand our bags up and secure them some how....so that when we go golfing with our friends it's not just a big old pile of very expensive golf equipment.

All in all I think it is more of a certain lifestyle car....and age doesn't matter. I also think that the E is for a more practical, responsible individual....I mean I wanted a nice ca
r that I could actually use and not freak out if I but my muddy golf shoes or mountain bike....didn't have to worry if my Vanilla Creme Latte went flying out of my hand and all over the interior....I could go on and on....I have a friend who has an Xtera.....which is supposed to be a "real" suv....and she freaks out if you have snow on your shoes and get in....I mean get over it....it's a car after all.

I love my E and it was the perfect car for my lifestyle....road trips, mtn and trail biking, golf, antiquing, coffee, camping, hauling friends around, and I can't wait to Christmas time so that when we go to chop down our tree all we have to do is fold the seats up and slide the tree in the back. I guess it is all the little things about the E that make my life easier and a little less stressful that make me actually love my car and makes me want to drive it....what a great feeling!

Diane
27.....going on 50

 

[Rockford]

Honda's duped all you old guys!
They market the Element to the young "kids", all you fogies out there say "[email protected] that noise! I'm as hip as any one of those punks!", and buy one just to spite Honda and prove that you've still got it. Marketing genius.
Ok, maybe not.
I'm actually not sure why ANY automobile would be marketed to that demographic. I mean how many "kids" can actually afford a new car? Yes, the Element is relatively cheap but by and large most people in there 20's - at least the ones I knew growing up (I'm 30 now) - couldn't afford to shell out $30K CDN on a new car.
I wouldn't put too much faith in a brochure. In fact, I personally wouldn't put any in one. You've come to the right sort of place. Real-world info is worth much more.
As for the downsides, I don't know. I'm not sure anyone really does yet. I have this thing though, I'm wary of buying cars that are brand new to market. It's totally baseless but the unknown is what scares me. I figure wait a year or so for a couple of reasons: 1) Let the frenzy and dealer gouging subside a little, and 2) Let the first comers be the guinea pigs and give Honda a chance to work the bugs out (if there are any) for the next model year.
As you can probably tell I don't on an Element...yet. Truth be told though, if I had the money I would probably have one next week. It's just too damn practical. Go figure.