The Element, in my opinion, is a change in direction for car design that has a lot of issues that we all have to come to grips with. In the end, I feel it is an excellent solution to the types of cargo that I carry or my needs. I read though, time and again, the posts from people who bought the car only to find in a few months that it didn't hold it's value to them. They buy it with 1 or 2 kids and figure, I only need 2 seats in back anyways. Then they find themselves needing to carpool when one child goes to kindergarten or when the news comes that #3 is now on the way. Or, as may be more the situation with this subject, you have people who get the Element with the caverous interior for cargo and their work needs but later find that it gets overtaken by work and becomes a real hassle to reconfigure back to a family car.
I think the later situation is more of an issue with the work needs and not so much the car. Whatever car one gets, if they have so many samples or so much product that they have to carry around for work, when they need to take the family somewhere, they are going to have to unload and reconfigure the seats etc. Unless the original writer is saying that he simply needs a little more room behind the seats to put all his work stuff so that he can leave the back seats up for family... If that is the case, then an Odyssey or other Mini Van might be his solution. There might be more storage space behind the rear seat on minivans, allowing the ability to isolate work from family.
It all depends though, on what kind of work you do. I bought my Element because I needed a new personal car. My old car was getting up in years and was becoming unreliable and couldn't pass an emissions test. Of all the cars that I looked at, most were eliminated because of the needs for carrying large equipment cases or because of the expense. I looked at minivans but the cost got up more than I could afford. Gas prices were around 2.24 a gallon so fuel economy was becoming an issue also. I looked at smaller cars like Sentra, Focus, Civic etc. but the trunks were too small. Family Sedans were close to my needs but got really expensive to get configured as I would like. Also, I had some concerns about the Accords trunk. As much as I liked the Accord, its cost and the fact that I might not get my Telescope case in the trunk I passed on it. Full Size vans or other SUVs would have worked good for me but again, too expensive and maybe overkill. Then, the fuel economy was horrible on most of them. Then, not even knowing what an Element was, I stumbled over it and laughed my #&@ off. But as I read of the 77(???) cu ft of cargo space I found it had more total space than some of the minivans. Not that I would ever need that much space, Or, at least rarely. I noticed the plastic floors and other features that seemed to make it a more logical choice for low maintenance. Every spring, I make several trips to local nurseries for plants, dirt.... etc. and get the trunks of our other cars all dirty. With the Element, all I will need to do is wipe out the mess. The wide opening side doors also made a great deal of sense to me. You can load almost anything in through the sides.
As for my daily use, I actually find myself loading most cargo in through the sides, into the back seat, than I do into the back. Not because I don't have the space back there but, in reality, I find it easier to just open the side door when I am getting in or out of the car to access whatever is back there. I always load all the groceries in the back seat. Lighter weight stuff, like bread and cereal boxes etc. or delicate stuff like baked goods and eggs... go on the seat and all the heavier stuff goes on the floor. I do a lot of grocery shopping and frequently can get 2 carts full of groceries into the back seat. In the end, it is just easier to load and unload. Unless I am in a crowded parking lot where cars are parked along both sides. But, considering that I do most of my shopping at 24 hour stores, at 1 or 2 am, that is rarely a problem.
As for my video and photography equipment, it is also better carried in the back seat. That way I can access it easier when needed. As I get out of the car, I can just grab the bag(s) and tripod(s) and go. I don't have to walk around the back to the rear of the car.
Regarding the comments about sliding items, that was a big issue early on, and continues some to this day. The space under the rear seats is so large that some items in the back can come all the way forward. In fact, the space under the front seats, or between the front seats can be a path for stuff to come forward also. I have learned though to try and keep as much stuff in containers or bungeed down. Also, just putting down a carpet or mat will keep things like tool boxes from sliding a bit. I am still looking for the right containers for some of my smaller stuff. I am kind of a slob and carry a lot of old mail and other stuff in the car. I have a PO Box and sometimes stuff things between the seats and forget about them. Then they come flying and I have to clean out the car
I will close with what was a terrifying moment but in retrospect kind of funny. I was driving along late one night, about 2am. When going down a normally busy street, about 45mph main suburban highway, through a wooded area. A few deer ran out in front of me. This is where, as terrifying a moment I had, I was glad I had the Element. It was this past winter and while not much snow on the road there was the potential for it to be slick. It was starting to snow lightly. They entered the road from my side of the 4 lane roadway. I slammed on the brakes as soon as I saw the first one. There were 2 adults and a juvenile, maybe almost a year old, as it wasn't really little but noticably smaller than the other two. I came to a stop and the car stayed straight as an arrow. I felt no tendancy to sway or tip or anything. Something that I had feared due to the shape of the Element and the fact that I had never driven as larg of a vehicle or 4wd before. That was real comforting but the rattle and roar of everything from the back of the car moving forward was frightening. I don't remember what all I had back there. I know there was mail, old fast food cups, some empty soda bottles, some packages of soda, my tool box, stuffed animals, blankets and a couple of rolls of plastic tarp that I can remember off hand. I didn't hear any screaching from the tires or brakes, probably due to ABS, and when I came to a stop, I was less then 1' from the young deer with the rear of the one adult and shoulder of the other right in my headlights. One more foot and I might have taken out all three. After sitting there for 2 or 3 minutes to catch my breath and recompose myself, I continued on my way and could feel a resistance in the pedals. I put pressure on the accelerator and heard a crunching sound. Not being far from home, I made my way back. When I opened the door, I found the source of the crunching noise and resistance. All the mail, catalogs, fast food wrappers and other small items had come under ALL of the seats and lodged under the pedals along the firewall. I dug it all out and did a look through the car. I opened the back door and the rear seat was full of everything that was on the rear seat and smaller bags and other items from the rear. A wrench and a few other tools had actually made it up, in front of the front passenger seat. My tool box was not latched after I checked the oil on my girlfriends car, earlier that evening. (Now I keep it latched and bungeed over the lid and around the sides). The 2 rolls of drop cloth did, eventually settle behind the front seats, keeping more from traveling under. Sort of like a dam I guess. When I opened the tailgate, there was a 24oz bottle of Mountain Dew lodged between the two rear seats. Firmly up to the label. The tool box stayed in place with the bungee that I had around it but not being closed or latched, some stuff from the top had gone airborn.
