Don't have an element, but I do have a Ford Focus wagon... plenty of room for the dogs!!

As for the original question. When I first started out, I was lucky to survive 3 miles, but then my neighborhood is ALL hills, there is almost nothing flat.

Nowadays, a lot of my mileage is dictated by how much time I have for a ride which is often only about an hour or so. I found I can usually get in a good 10-11 mile ride in that time with a lot of hills for a great workout!