2011 Honda Element

Hondas are generally affordable, reliable, and fuel-efficient, with intuitive controls and good driving characteristics. Its SUVs and sedans are usually near the top of Consumer Reports’ ratings for road tests and predicted reliability. Many Hondas have earned Consumer Reports recommendations. Used Hondas also score near the top of our reliability rankings for 5- and 10-year-old vehicles, making it a brand worth considering for options under $20,000. Honda’s SUVs include sub-compact models like the HR-V and compact CR-V, one of the best-selling SUVs in North America. The two-row Passport and three-row Pilot are larger options. Honda’s sedans include the compact Civic and the midsized Accord. Honda also makes the Odyssey minivan and the Ridgeline, a midsized pickup truck. For buyers seeking fuel efficiency, several of the most popular models are available with hybrid powertrains that get competitive mpg figures and are pleasant to drive.

Boxy and distinctive, the Honda Element was based on a CR-V platform. Aimed at the active outdoor enthusiast, it has a spacious and flexible interior with a plastic-covered floor that is easy to clean. All four seats can fold back flat, making a bed of sorts, and the rear seats fold up against the sides or can be removed. There's no pillar between the front and the rear-hinged rear doors, so opening both creates a wide opening for loading and unloading cargo. Despite these unique features, it wasn't as nice to live with overall as the CR-V. Those rear-hinged rear doors can be a hassle, and the thick roof pillars interfere with the view out. It's a long reach to the steering wheel, there are only seats for four, and a low payload capacity limits its utility. The Element handles well enough, but is noisy and has a choppy ride. Acceleration is adequate from the 2.4-liter four; expect 21 mpg overall with all-wheel-drive. Without optional side airbags, the Element scored Poor in the IIHS side-crash test. 2007 brought standard curtain airbags, which improved the IIHS side-crash test to Good. Earlier versions had antilock brakes only on the EX trim; ABS and stability control became standard for 2007. 2011 was its last year.