Element owners...

[twin]

I like to haul my bikes and bike related items in my Element and head out for another area. I have fairly large bikes 56/57cm and they fit fine. I can put a bike in the space between the front and rear seat if I take off the front wheel.

It is easy to clean because you do not have rugs so you can sweep it out very easily.

The Element is great for bringing items home from places like Home Depot and the grocery store and when I have had to move.

I have not taken my Element on a long road trip yet and I will most likely for backpacking and it will hold all the gear for three I think.

One of the best features is the acceleration, the Element is so good at that. It seems a bit faster than my sisters CRV. I like how the back seats are a little higher so the people in the back can see better and I know the CRV does not have that feature.

It does not have three seatbelts in the back and sometimes I find that to be a little bit of a disadvantage.

Overall I have no complaints and all good feelings about my black Element. Gas milage is ok.

[dakay]

I love my Element. It is a 2005 AWD with a stick shift. I usually have the back seats out. I built a shelf for one side of the back for my wire dog crate to sit on and there is storage underneath it. There is room for 2 bikes to stand upright next to the dog crate. I like all of the tie down points to keep things from sliding around. Like LaBiker I have camped in mine at dog shows.

My husband and I drove it from Seattle to Ohio about a month after I got it last year. There was plenty of space for everything, even with the dog crate in the car. There is a lot of room in the front so you don't feel cramped and can move around some on long trips. Before the Element I drove a VW Vanagon for several years and then a Subaru Forester. The Element is much more stable and peppy than the VW and has a LOT more room than either the VW or the Subaru. The inside height is great and it is wide enough that my bike will fit across the car without taking the front wheel off.

When you drive the Element it feels like you are sitting up high like a van or a truck but it is very easy to get in and out of. Having to open the front door to open the back is a bit of a hassle but the accessability with both doors open is nice. I agree with twin that there are times when 3 seat belts in back would be good.

The Element is the most practical car that I have ever had. It works great for me.

[KnottedYet]

When my dear old Subaru Legacy was on it's last legs, I was considering an Element.

There were only 2 things that I didn't like: 1. The safety pillar was "made" out of the overlapping doors rather than being part of the roll cage. 2. The AWD version cost more than the Subaru Impreza and I couldn't get AWD and manual transmission. (2005)

My old honda Accord was a great car, and since the Element is built from a Civic (also a great car) I had no concerns about quality. But I did worry about the safety pillar, the price, and I'm a stick-shift afficionado. ("if it don't clutch, it ain't much")

So I got Subi #3, but I still have a little lust in my soul for an Element...

[DebW]

Anybody put things (kayaks, canoes, bikes) on the roof of an Element? Does it take a sturdy roof rack (like Yakima or Thule)? Are there strong tie-down points under the bumpers? Do you feel like it's a excessively high lift to get things up there?

[dakay]

Anybody put things (kayaks, canoes, bikes) on the roof of an Element? Does it take a sturdy roof rack (like Yakima or Thule)? Are there strong tie-down points under the bumpers? Do you feel like it's a excessively high lift to get things up there?

I have a Yakima rack for my Element. I use it for kayaks. There are tie down points under the bumpers. The biggest problem is that the towers can only be located at certain points so they are only about 2 ft. apart and not close enough to the rear of the car. It's not too bad to get the kayaks up with 2 people but I doubt if I could do it by myself. Yakima makes a little pipe thing that sticks out from the end of the pipe on the rack to make loading with one person easier. You can lift the bow onto the pipe and then manuver the boat one end at a time onto the rack. It looks like it would work.

[emily_in_nc]

Anybody put things (kayaks, canoes, bikes) on the roof of an Element? Does it take a sturdy roof rack (like Yakima or Thule)? Are there strong tie-down points under the bumpers? Do you feel like it's a excessively high lift to get things up there?

We bought a nice Thule roof rack and kayak cradles for our Element. It is a tall vehicle (and I'm under 5'3"), so it's a bit of a challenge to get our long/heavy touring kayaks up on top. We only do that if we're taking a rather major trip. For close-to-home paddles, we put them in the back of hubby's pickup (he made a little restraining thing for them). But yes, it can certainly be done.

Emily

[Pascale]

We have a green 2003 Element, but we bought it for really one reason only....

HUGE dogs!

It's like a kennel on wheels, the hair has nothing to stick to, and it wipes clean. There's been nothing we've not been able to haul in it (my husband transported a motorcycle in it over the weekend) and the dogs LOVE it. Both bikes fit inside (as long as we pull the front wheel off of mine). We also love the MP3 jack (in 2003, that was still fairly rare).

There's just nothing like it! Oh, and the turning radius is AMAZING - I can turn that sucker around in the smallest places - I'd buy another one in a HEARTBEAT!

[tygab]

This has been great feedback - thanks everyone! I too currently have a Subaru (WRX) so it seems to appeal to a similar person. My husband's car is also a Subaru. I wouldn't be considering a move away from it but we have the need to haul things the Subarus can't, and that need will be increasing over time. Both our cars are also in their upper mileages, so it may make sense to do a trade in while my car still has some value. For camping and fun things we like to do, the Element sounds pretty similar to the Subie (although, not quite as cool looking for sure).

I would definitely want the AWD, after having it with my Subaru I don't think I could go back to a FWD car!

I am glad to hear so many of you are happy Element owners.