2008 Honda Element SC Review

Specifications

I’m sure most are familiar with the sayings, “Beauty is only skin deep” and “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And in most cases, these ring true. It’s when you look beyond the overt oddities or physical flaws of someone or something that you discover a diamond in the rough (pardon all the cliches!) For example, let’s take a look at the 2008 Honda Element SC or any Element for that matter. Let’s look beyond its rigid unibody frame or its quirky styling and understand that under all the nuts and bolts is a capable, comfortable, cool little car.

Over the years, the Honda Element has grown on me significantly. The first Element I drove was about four years ago. I was impressed with it then and am impressed with it now. Why? Well, first of all, it looks so odd! I love it. At first, I had to force myself to accept its eccentricity, but I soon realized that that’s what sets the Element apart from its competition. Not to mention that the seats fold in 64 different ways, or the upholstered interior comes with an available waterproof seat material, or has an easy-to-clean washable urethane-coated utility floor (only the cargo area in the SC trim has this flooring, as the rest of the vehicle is carpeted). But contrary to popular belief, it is heavily discouraged to hose down the interior. Yes, it’s easy to clean, but that kind of short cut will most likely lead to a short circuit.

The Element SC kicks up the flare notch to the next level, starting with color. The car you see here is painted in the SC exclusive, Rootbeer Metallic. It rocks. The way the light catches the metallic coat almost makes it look orange/bronze/and brown, all at the same time. Tres chic. The SC also comes with a funky set of P225/55 R18 all-season tires fused with 18-inch alloy wheels. This takes the design’s awkwardness away a little bit and replaces it with some edge. Throw in some privacy glass (aka tinted windows) and the cool factor goes up by a few more points.

Where the Element SC earns most of its points for me is on the inside. Its copper-colored backlit gauges, as well as copper trim around the interior knobs, take a traditionally black interior and give it a jolt of life. Maybe it’s because I really like out-of-the-ordinary details that I bonded so much with the Element’s interior. The novelty-sized center console housed my purse, a CD wallet, a pair of my shoes and a few odds and ends. Plus the auxiliary jacks, as well as a 12-volt plug, reside inside the console so all the wire clutter that would normally result due to having my iPod and cell phone plugged in are gone.

The Element drives remarkably well, too. Like the LX and EX trim levels, the SC rides on a control-link MacPherson strut front and compact double-wishbone rear suspension, but it’s been lowered and fitted with new springs and dampers to reduce roll, while its road-biased tires offer more grip. This suspension creates a stable yet compliant ride, ideal for those wanting something for a nice balance of city and highway driving. Unfortunately, the SC only comes in the front-engine, front-wheel drive configuration, with all-wheel drive only available on other models. Then again, I wouldn’t want to scratch the rims on any rocky back roads, although I could see some in colder climates wishing for more traction in the white stuff. Furthermore, the Element SC came with the optional five-speed automatic transmission with grade logic control, the gear lever of which is conveniently located on the center stack. It shifts smoothly, which is the case for all Honda transmissions, optimizing the engine’s sweet spot when at full throttle, yet when lolling around town shifts come sooner in order to maximize fuel economy.

All trims share the same 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC enhanced 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 166 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 161 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. The power and torque felt adequate for everyday driving, which is how I used it throughout the week. Whether it’s to and from work or off to visit my family at the other end of town, the Element seemed to get me there with ample get-up-and-go. Plus, it has an estimated fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, so it didn’t cost an-arm-and-a-leg to operate.

With all of the seating configurations the Element offers, it made it easy to load a double bed mattress inside, something I found out at an impromptu bed moving party late Friday night! It just so happened that I had an extra bed in my apartment, and one of my friends was in need of a bed so we put two and two together and voila. I didn’t get too fancy with shifting the seats around in those aforementioned 64 available positions to fit the mattress in, not because it’s complicated, but because it was late. I merely folded the seats flat and pushed the mattress in. Easy as pie. The ample cargo room makes it easy to transport larger items when there aren’t any passengers in the rear. With the second row seats up, there is 25.1 cubic feet and with the seats down 74.6 cubic feet. While it’s not every week I’m moving mattresses at midnight, it’s still nice to be able to have the room of an SUV with the fuel economy of a compact car.

The biggest drawback I found with the Element is the visibility. When backing up, the C-pillars seemed to block my vision quite a bit. And at some angles, it was even hard to see people walking behind. Without the help of a backup camera or sensors it made me a little more cautious when parallel parking, however, I could still see out the rear so I can’t complain too much. Front and blind spot visibility was perfectly acceptable too.

Regardless of what you might think of the Element SC’s outward appearance, it’s a great car to live with and a great car to drive. Sure it has its signature ‘square’ look, but that’s what gives it extra flare. And at the end of the day, there’s no disputing that this box-on-wheels is a head-tuner.