At the moment, the Element is a tall wagon based on Honda's Global Small Car architecture. For all it's great attributes, it seems to be caught between two worlds:
On one hand, it is styled and marketed toward the compact SUV segment of the market. On mainly superficial terms, it resembles an SUV, with it's tall, chiseled fascia, light truck tires, large, beefy bumpers, and it's tall, slab-sided shape. Most of the dealer accessories are typical of other crossover SUVs or Minivans, such as side steps, hood-deflectors, and roof attachments.
On the other hand, it is lacking in most of the substantive attributes of a truck or SUV:
The ground clearance is extremely lacking at 6.9 inches. By comparison, a Dodge Caravan has 6.1 inches, less than an inch of difference, and stands about an inch shorter than the Element. A true SUV such as the XTerra boasts 9.5, and the FJ Cruiser betters that with 9.6. It's approach and departure angles aren't terrible, mostly due to the short overhangs, but the breakover angle (which isn't even listed in Honda's specs) is likely quote bad, with the gas tank hanging below.
The other defining characteristics of trucks seem to be missing as well: The tow rating is extremely low, especially from the other two aforementioned SUVs (3500 for the XTerra, 5000 for the FJ Cruiser). The payload, as mentioned many times on this site, is appallingly low, and well below half of the expected payload for a compact truck or SUV. The AWD system is a modernized version of the one from the Civic 5-door from the 1980s. Better systems are available at Honda, but the Element uses the RT-4WD all-wheel-drive system (the Pilot's VTM-4 has lockable half-shafts, which isn't quite to the same level as SelecTrac or CommandTrac, but it's an improvement).
So, it seems that it's styling and marketing leans one direction, while its capabilities and design philosophy are basically compact wagon.
Also note that Honda has a history of changing directions with models: The Odyssey went from a half-assed Euro style MPV to a much more conservative but competitive Minivan. The CR-V was once a truck-shaped wagon like the Element, but has since gone in a more tall-wagon direction. The CRX was dreastically changed, and the Prelude was basically allowed to burn out.
The question is (after that LONG intro), which way will Honda take the next generation of Element, if it remains in the lineup. Honda and Toyota tend to mirror one another to some extent, and the both the larger, lower-wider-longer xB and somewhat similarly styled could be seen as "the target"
On one hand, it is styled and marketed toward the compact SUV segment of the market. On mainly superficial terms, it resembles an SUV, with it's tall, chiseled fascia, light truck tires, large, beefy bumpers, and it's tall, slab-sided shape. Most of the dealer accessories are typical of other crossover SUVs or Minivans, such as side steps, hood-deflectors, and roof attachments.
On the other hand, it is lacking in most of the substantive attributes of a truck or SUV:
The ground clearance is extremely lacking at 6.9 inches. By comparison, a Dodge Caravan has 6.1 inches, less than an inch of difference, and stands about an inch shorter than the Element. A true SUV such as the XTerra boasts 9.5, and the FJ Cruiser betters that with 9.6. It's approach and departure angles aren't terrible, mostly due to the short overhangs, but the breakover angle (which isn't even listed in Honda's specs) is likely quote bad, with the gas tank hanging below.
The other defining characteristics of trucks seem to be missing as well: The tow rating is extremely low, especially from the other two aforementioned SUVs (3500 for the XTerra, 5000 for the FJ Cruiser). The payload, as mentioned many times on this site, is appallingly low, and well below half of the expected payload for a compact truck or SUV. The AWD system is a modernized version of the one from the Civic 5-door from the 1980s. Better systems are available at Honda, but the Element uses the RT-4WD all-wheel-drive system (the Pilot's VTM-4 has lockable half-shafts, which isn't quite to the same level as SelecTrac or CommandTrac, but it's an improvement).
So, it seems that it's styling and marketing leans one direction, while its capabilities and design philosophy are basically compact wagon.
Also note that Honda has a history of changing directions with models: The Odyssey went from a half-assed Euro style MPV to a much more conservative but competitive Minivan. The CR-V was once a truck-shaped wagon like the Element, but has since gone in a more tall-wagon direction. The CRX was dreastically changed, and the Prelude was basically allowed to burn out.
The question is (after that LONG intro), which way will Honda take the next generation of Element, if it remains in the lineup. Honda and Toyota tend to mirror one another to some extent, and the both the larger, lower-wider-longer xB and somewhat similarly styled could be seen as "the target"