In the Element, in contrast, it is easy for kids and adults to climb in and out of the back.īesides those key fixes, I also like what Honda has done with putting together this SC package, starting with the exterior and getting rid of the plastic fender pieces and going with body-color paint down the side. Hopefully Toyota will eventually figure this out on the FJ Cruiser, but it won’t help that vehicle’s overall difficult rear-seat access. Now the driver merely needs to open the front door and the back-seat passenger can pull the inside door handle to open the back door. It required the driver to remove his or her seatbelt, open the door, get out and open the rear access door via the release handle hidden in the leading edge of the rear door. Why is this important? Because in a vehicle with rear-hinged, rear-access doors, having the front seatbelts tied to them was a handicap. Two cases in point: Front shoulder belts are now seat-mounted as opposed to door-mounted, and the rear-access doors are now fitted with interior door handles. This new Element solves some of those issues, and in the process has become an even better utility player. The destination charge is $595.GRITZINGER: As much as I liked the utility and value of our old long-term Honda Element, some of its quirks left much to be desired. The SC hits the market in late September at $22,695. The regular Element, which received a front-end facelift and mild interior redesign, is on sale now at a base price of $18,900. Also, the Element SC will keep all your bros safer with side curtain and front side airbags. That said, the horsepower number is up 10 from last year, and it is more readily accessible in Elements equipped the autobox, thanks to the addition of another cog in the gearbox for a total of five forward speeds. The front-wheel-drive-only SC is powered, however modestly, by the same 2.4-liter, 166-hp four-cylinder found in other Elements (at least "SC" doesn't stand for "Street Cred"). Mechanically, the Element SC seems more geared for flossin' at five miles per hour than flyin' at 90. ![]() Finally, the SC wouldn't be worth a damn in 'da hood if not for its 270-watt, 7-speaker stereo with standard XM, auxiliary input jack and thumpin' subwoofer at the base of the center stack. ![]() ![]() Its edgy interior features various black-lacquered accent bits, red-on-black gauges, a center console between the seats, dark interior upholstery hues and full carpeting instead of the standard Element's rubber floor. ![]() What does "street custom" mean? Evidently, it means wider, more pissed-off-looking, multi-element projector-beam headlights, unique, fully painted front and rear bumpers, an "aero" grille, a trim piece along the roofline for a more "chopped" look, and meaty 18-inch 5-spoke wheels. The rolling breadbox gets a freshening this year and adds a dope new trim level, the SC, which some of you may remember was previewed at this year's New York International Auto Show and which features a sport-tuned suspension that lowers the vehicle by some 20 mm and, of course, "street custom" styling. Honda's funky, polarizing Element may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for 2007, it's thinking out of the box-so to speak.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |