The rear seats are roomy as well. They're raised off the floor a couple of inches higher than the front seats, giving back-seat passengers better visibility over the front seats. However, we found rear-seat passengers complained about not being able to see signs and buildings; they have to stoop to see out the windshield. This makes the Element a poor choice for taking a group sightseeing.
One of the most notable features of the Element is its pillarless, rear-hinged back doors. A traditional vehicle would have a B-pillar right behind the front seats. With no B-pillar to get in the way, the Element offers unusually easy access to the rear seating area. For safety reasons, however, the rear side doors cannot be opened unless the front door has been opened first. Likewise, the rear doors have to be closed before the front doors can be closed. This design results in a shuffle whenever dropping off back-seat passengers because the front-seat occupants have to unbuckle their seatbelts and open their doors to let rear passengers in or out. Pull up next to a wall and your passengers will find themselves stuck in an unexpected, intimate party, as they all get trapped between the two open doors.
When it comes to moving cargo, the Element is truly is in its element. It's a great vehicle for getting groceries. The center-opening doors allow easy loading of bulky objects without having a pillar to get in the way. The rear seats fold down easily, and can be swung up to the side, leaving an uninterrupted flat floor space. The rear seats can be easily removed without tools and are relatively light, making it easy to stick them in them in the garage when cargo carrying is the mission. The front passenger seatback can be folded forward to make room for a 10-foot surfboard, which would still leave room for the driver and one passenger behind the driver: two surfers, two surfboards, in other words. All the seats, including the driver's, can be folded back to make a large double bed, though it's not the most comfortable bed we've slept in. When parked, the Element can be set up to serve as a giant locker for outdoor gear, a truly great feature. However, while the step-in height is low from the side, it's relatively high from the rear.
The floor is covered in a urethane-coated material that resists water, dirt and scratches, and is easily cleaned. The front seats are coated in a waterproof material designed for easy cleaning as well. The rear seats are covered with the same material on LX and EX models.
Storage areas abound. The backs of the front seats have large storage pockets. The seats on the driver's side of EX models also have bungee cords on the back to secure larger objects. This helps secure your gear so it isn't rolling around. Cup holders can be found on the backs of folded seats. Honda offers a cargo organizer and cargo nets as accessories.
With its flip down tailgate, the Element should be good for parking lot parties. In fact, a tailgate seatback is available as an accessory that makes the tailgate a more comfortable place to sit.
The Element is a good vehicle for moving canines. Pull up tight to a curb and dogs can step right into the large cargo area. We know several dog sitters in Los Angeles that use the Element to transport dogs, sometimes a half-dozen of them at a time. They throw down carpeted mats to give the dogs grip. D-rings and other tie-downs allow cross tethering. While the Element is a good, affordable vehicle for big dogs, it could be even better. Ventilation can be an issue. The rear passenger windows vent manually, so they don't offer much ventilation and the driver has to stop and get out of the car to open or close them; the rearmost side windows don't vent, and the backlight (rear windscreen) doesn't lower. Nor is rear A/C available. The rear skylight on 4WD models can be removed to let hot air out, however, which is a great help, and a shade screen for the skylight is available as an accessory. A cleverly designed dog fence would be a nice feature, but Honda doesn't appear to offer one.
Up front, the dashboard reflects the simple design of the Element. The gauges are contained in three deep pods, shielding them from the sun. Climate and radio controls are well placed, and EX models get audio controls mounted on the steering wheel standard. The EX provides an auxiliary jack for digital media, such as an Apple iPod, so the stored music can be played back directly through the Element's sound system. The 270-watt system included with the EX is pretty decent and features a big subwoofer under the dash.
XM Satellite Radio is available and can be a great companion on long trips, delivering CD-quality sound nearly everywhere. Not having to change stations on a cross-country trip has distinct advantages. Around town we enjoy keeping up with the world on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and sports junkies should appreciate the large selection of sports programming. Finding stations is made easier with RDS (radio data system), which identifies programming on the radio's display.
