[drfranklin]

I'm looking to get back into mountain biking and plan on purchasing a new Honda Element in the next several months. There is really no other auto/SUV with its great utility at the Element's price point.

Some questions:

1. I commute 200 miles via Interstate every other weekend. How comfortable are the front seats? How is the road/wind noise in the 2009/2010 models on the highway?

2. I'm coming from a 2007 Accord Sedan. IMO, the steering and the suspension are both a little stiff. How is the Element's steering and suspension? Do you feel every bump in the road?

I would really appreciate any input from those owners that had a previous generation Accord and then moved to an Element.

Thanks for the help :grin:

 

[ramblerdan]

Welcome, Drfranklin. Answers to your questions are here. Enjoy your reading.

 

[dcarvil]

I'm looking to get back into mountain biking and plan on purchasing a new Honda Element in the next several months. There is really no other auto/SUV with its great utility at the Element's price point.

Some questions:

1. I commute 200 miles via Interstate every other weekend. How comfortable are the front seats? How is the road/wind noise in the 2009/2010 models on the highway?

2. I'm coming from a 2007 Accord Sedan. IMO, the steering and the suspension are both a little stiff. How is the Element's steering and suspension? Do you feel every bump in the road?

I would really appreciate any input from those owners that had a previous generation Accord and then moved to an Element.

Thanks for the help :grin:

The seats are pretty hard, but a cushion fixes that. I've driven mine cross-country twice, and started shopping for a cushion after 1200 miles. You should be fine on a 200 mile trip.

I've never noticed the bumps, and roads around here are pretty rough.

You'll like it. It's great for mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

 

[psschmied]

.... How comfortable are the front seats? .. How is the road/wind noise on the highway?

Your level of comfort has more to do with your particular physique than the seats. If you have a significantly wider or narrow posterior than average, or are significantly heavier than average, you may not like the Element's seats; they are firm. I've driven 400 mi/day and find them more comfortable than seats that initially felt softer.

Compared to an Accord or Camry, all models of the Element have a harder ride and are noisier - but I don't have any problem holding a conversation with my spouse at 70+ mph with the radio at a comfortable level. I think the Element's steering and handling is more responsive than that of a comparable weight sedan, but it is unmistakeably a truck, not a sedan. Yesterday I was driving on the Chicago Skyway and Indiana I90 where the road is choppy. The Element rode fine and stable where a softer suspension would have been wallowing.

My advice - find a dealer who will let you take an extended test drive on roads like the ones you will be using regularly. Elements aren't flying out the doors, a dealer who has one should be willing to let you sell yourself on the vehicle.

 

[Twilightzero]

I drive 500 miles round trip every weekend and the E's seats have been perfectly fine for me as is. As far as road noise goes, it's got a decent amount of wind noise but not too bad. The biggest part of that is tires, and over in the tires and wheels section you'll find much lively debate about the stock tires. Changing them out for a quieter and longer wearing option will likely be a priority in the long run.

The E rides incredibly well for a tall box, the suspension is neither too stiff nor too soft. It does get a bit squirrelly how I ride when the gas gets empty (no seats, rear end empty) but 99% of the time it rides great.

Welcome to the nuthouse, sounds like you'll fit in well here. Do you have a dog by any chance? :roll:

 

[Speedy Toaster Dave]

i have no problem with the seats they are comfortable..8)

 

[marksbug]

not real sure about the new ones but the one I got fits my butt perfect,but they do need some arm rest padding on the doors.I have a center console in mine with nice padding,just hit auto pilot & take a snooze 4 a while 8)

 

[psschmied]

Overall, I'd say that the Element is great for long distance interstate driving. I'd never go back to a midsize sedan, nor would my wife, who is as different from me as imaginable, but we're both within the "normal" percentile ranges for weight and build. I've heard mild seat discomfort complaints from front seat passengers who are nice folks in every regard (I wouldn't have them riding in my Element if they weren't) but had very narrow or somewhat larger than average butts.

My driving style may be responsible;I drive smoothly but assertively. I love driving my Element over twisty, turny, bouncy roads that my midsize sedans and small station wagons found challenging, and making tight U-turns in an Element is a fantastic experience :grin:.

Some people say that different tires make a big difference in road noise. I never found the OEM Goodyears objectionable. I replaced them after 40,000 miles with the next size larger Yokokama Avid TRZs, which are rated as very long life touring tires :roll:. I suppose that in my application they'll outlast me. Road noisewise there hasn't been much overall difference. It decreased slightly at low speed, increased slightly at high speed over rough concrete and expansion joints but the noise has never been telegraphed through the steering wheel or seats. After 5000 miles the TRZs do seem to provide a overall better interstate ride for me, but I couldn't point to any specific area of improvement; I just feel a little more relaxed, little less tired at the end of longer drive - not that I wasn't great before. But the Element definitely doesn't ride like a mid-sized sedan.

 

[drfranklin]

I want to thank everybody for their response. If anybody has further advice/answers to the above questions (especially moving from a sedan to an Element), I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[millerjerr]

I have a 2005 Element EX and a 2007 Accord 4cyl SE. Originally my wife bought the Element as her daily driver and I bought the Accord for mine. I am 69 years old, 6' 1", 240 lbs and I ride mountain and road bikes as well a tow a small motorcycle trailer for my BMW R1200GS and my Suzuki DRZ400s. Both cars have 60,000 + and have been great cars. I live in Texas and have several times driven both cars to each coast. I have used both cars to haul my bikes (the accord with both roof mounts and a receiver mounted rack and the element with the bikes inside) and to tow the motorcycle trailer.

About a year ago my wife decided that it was too embarassing to watch her older friend try to get into the back seat of the Element and wanted to use the Accord as her car. For peace and general well being around the house I agreed. I took the rear seats out, cut a piece of carpet to fit the rear of the Element, built a bike rack for the interior and installed sheepskin covers on the front seats.

The net result is that overall I like the Element better. The Accord is clearly the best road car, it's faster, quieter, handles better and gets better gas mileage. The Element, however, fits me better, it much easier to get into and out of, handles the trailer much better, hauls all my toys and tools with ease and is more fun to drive. One thing to be aware of is that Elements from 2003 through 2006 have the four speed auto transmission from the original CRV's while the 2007 and later Elements have a 5 sp transmission from (I think) the 2003 and later Accords which results in significantly higher engine speeds on the road and thus seems to be better for towing and hauling but probably not as good for higher speed road driving.

As for comfort the sheepskin seat covers make all the difference in the world. My Element is clearly as comfortable as the Accord and perfectly satisfactory for long trips when you want to take lots of stuff.

Hope this helps

 

[marvin the marshen]

My wife has a Hyundai XG 350 ( similer to the road maners and seating to a hi end Accord) and I feel mutch more at home in my E and my wife agres to a extent, 8) The Honda handles the bump's better and you can deff tell the stering is mutch more responsive than the Hyundai. The Element if driven right has plenty of power, not as mutch as a 6 cyl Accord or the XG but it will do the job and then some..

 

[doryman]

Welcome, Drfranklin. Answers to your questions are here. Enjoy your reading.

Holy cow ramblerdan, I've never seen your web site before. I bow before the master.

 

[MotoChef]

Just keep in mind! Your getting rid of a car and buying a truck/suv. Its another animal. I love it!

 

[ramblerdan]

Thanks, Doryman. I hope it's clear that by "here" I meant the Shoppin' and Test Drivin' section of EOC, not the links in my sig. It's nice that the posters above chose to answer the OP's FAQs, but I'm not sure they'll want to answer them repeatedly, forever.

 

[IRV]

not real sure about the new ones but the one I got fits my butt perfect,but they do need some arm rest padding on the doors.I have a center console in mine with nice padding,just hit auto pilot & take a snooze 4 a while 8)

I found the unpadded arm rest issue ( driver's side door) soon after buying the E. Also, my driving position tends to want my left knee rest on the arm rest. A 10" or 12" (not sure right now) of a piece of foam pipe insulation zip tied to the arm rest cured both issues.

I'm at right near 116,000 miles in the Element. Mrs. IRV drives a much newer fancy Ford Edge with leather seats and all the goodies. In early October we did a 1500 miles three day round trip to Duluth, MN.....I INSISTED we take the Element. I had my doubts when I bought it but I love this car on road trips.