I just got my 09 element in Sept. & just totalled it on Wednesday. The good news is - I'm alive - after a head on collision at 50mph. I can personally say the element deserves a high safety rating.
There are a couple of areas that need more attention though.
That shoulder harness that comes out of the seat. There's no way to adjust it properly if you're short. I'm 5'1", have the seat cranked all the way up & forward as far as I need it, but I was forever pulling it away from my neck. I wish I had figured out a way to make it fit better before my accident. No matter how well the vehicle does for general safety, it's not going to do you any good if the seat belt kills you - which it nearly did. Believe me, if your shoulder strap tends to creep-up on your neck, FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT FIT RIGHT! Even if you have to sit on a boat cushion - just do it. You should see my neck & entire torso for that matter - all red , black & blue. The safety belt did its job & kept me in place, but very well could have abraded the artery in my neck. I had several CT scans to make sure no damage was done.
The other area where I had severe damage was my left knee. The molded plastic below the steering wheel shattered & sliced deeply into my knee. Probably another situation where my short stature comes into play. If I hadn't had to raise the seat so high, my knees would have been under that area of the dash instead of on the same level.
I really liked my element. As a shorty, I think it was the perfect vehicle for me. & it probably appeals to other shortys. If only there was a way to make auto designers listen-up.
There are a couple of areas that need more attention though.
That shoulder harness that comes out of the seat. There's no way to adjust it properly if you're short. I'm 5'1", have the seat cranked all the way up & forward as far as I need it, but I was forever pulling it away from my neck. I wish I had figured out a way to make it fit better before my accident. No matter how well the vehicle does for general safety, it's not going to do you any good if the seat belt kills you - which it nearly did. Believe me, if your shoulder strap tends to creep-up on your neck, FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT FIT RIGHT! Even if you have to sit on a boat cushion - just do it. You should see my neck & entire torso for that matter - all red , black & blue. The safety belt did its job & kept me in place, but very well could have abraded the artery in my neck. I had several CT scans to make sure no damage was done.
The other area where I had severe damage was my left knee. The molded plastic below the steering wheel shattered & sliced deeply into my knee. Probably another situation where my short stature comes into play. If I hadn't had to raise the seat so high, my knees would have been under that area of the dash instead of on the same level.
I really liked my element. As a shorty, I think it was the perfect vehicle for me. & it probably appeals to other shortys. If only there was a way to make auto designers listen-up.