IIHS Crash Test
Good
MPG (up to)
19 -20 City / 24 -25 HWY
Horsepower
166
Seats
4
Front angle medium view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Matthew S
The Benefits of Owning a Honda Element
I appreciate the versatility of the Honda Element. I like the fact that it has suicide doors and adjustable seating. It is easy to maintain and has a lot of space. The storage space makes it easy to transport larger materials. The vehicle is very easy to steer.
accountCircle Anna B
You can fold the seats up and to the sides. The compactness and tallness.
My Honda Element has been an extremely reliable car only ever suffering from a few small issues all easily fixed. The only problem to happen multiple times was both driver side and passenger side window motors stopped working causing the window to be stuck open. This has happen three times in total but was always quickly replaced. I find the driver's seat to be very comfortable and easy to sit in for several hours. The few time I have been in the passenger seat it was also comfortable. However I find the back seats to be very uncomfortable and unpleasant to sit in. Though I normally have the up so it is not a problem. I love that I can hang the sets up and have them out of the way making so much room available . Overall I love my Honda element and find it to be a great car.
accountCircle Cynthia C
Versatile, easy to take care of and a cool car.
It's a shame that Honda stopped making the Element! This versatile just-the-right-size crossover vehicle is awesome. Lots of room and with so many options for all kinds of errands make this a great car for everything. It's a relatively smooth ride. It's also very reliable. The only issues or derailments I've had with the car have been very minor - replacing the ignition, tires, fan belt and some air conditioning stuff. As long as you take the car in for regular tune ups and oil changes; you should be good. One thing that has always been a problem is the tire pressure monitoring; it always seems to not work so I just check the tire air pressure every one in awhile if I remember. It's a great car for singles or couples.
accountCircle ter u
I love my car. It's still in excellent condition. People always compliment it.
My car is an incredibly well-made vehicle. It's in excellent condition with no problems.
accountCircle Christina F
The Perfect Vehicle I have owned for five years is in excellent condition
The vehicle is reliable and perform very well except that it make a really strange noise when I am driving and press on the brakes.
accountCircle Linda H
My element has a lot of storage space which has been very helpful with moving. 4wd has been helpful on the extreme weather conditions. The back doors for passengers can be an issue in tight spaces
The ability to put up the back seats and storage space
accountCircle Adrian J
My car is a great all around car
I've had to fix the window a recently. And the starter ,but other then that I love my car. I've use it to move and was able to pack most of my boxes in my car.
accountCircle Lucas M
Boxcar Supreme: Go Anywhere with Anything!
I love this little car! I sought Honda quality, and really liked this body style. Beautiful it is not - I call it my box on wheels - but I can carry a LOT of stuff. The seats can be moved to make lots of cargo space. I wish it got better gas mileage though, it's difficult to get in and out of the back seat also (which isn't very comfortable, but we rarely have back seat passengers), and there's a bad blind spot between windshield and side windows. But I hope they still made the Element - it's a great vehicle. I wanted Honda quality and dependability and have them. It's fun to drive, easy to park, and practical.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Melynda hjort
Daily driver
It is roomy.. But id like to ask has anyone run into a problem with the bottom middle of the doors?? So the doors shut heavy as is.well as I was leaning in to the vehicle the driver door closed on my leg and cause serious damage to my leg. And very painful . I hate the suicide doors. And that medal priceon the bottom of door in the middle that has to go. Or at least mentioned in the design of the car cause it's not. I was just curious if anyone else had this problem. I look at it like if there was a child there wow what damage would that cause?? Thank u
accountCircle Jessica P
Inconvenient for young family.
The vehicle runs great. Love the interior and how Versatile it is. I do not like how the doors open and close. Very inconvenient in smaller parking lots with a young family. If I remember correctly, they are called "suicide doors. " You have to open the front door and then the back door. It also only can carry a max of 4 people.

Honda Element Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
LX
166 HP 21 MPG 4 Seats
car
EX
166 HP 21 MPG 4 Seats
car
SC
166 HP 22 MPG 4 Seats
Photos may not match model

2009 Honda Element Owner Reviews

4.37
19 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 53%
4 stars 37%
3 stars 5%
2 stars 5%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Matthew S on November 19, 2020
The Benefits of Owning a Honda Element
I appreciate the versatility of the Honda Element. I like the fact that it has suicide doors and adjustable seating. It is easy to maintain and has a lot of space. The storage space makes it easy to transport larger materials. The vehicle is very easy to steer.
accountCircle Jessica P on November 11, 2020
Inconvenient for young family.
The vehicle runs great. Love the interior and how Versatile it is. I do not like how the doors open and close. Very inconvenient in smaller parking lots with a young family. If I remember correctly, they are called "suicide doors. " You have to open the front door and then the back door. It also only can carry a max of 4 people.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Rachel M.

It is roomy inside with lots of storage space. Good gas mileage. The floors and seats are easy to clean. The back seats can be removed or collapsed to haul large items. We really like the versatility of this vehicle.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Rachel M.

They stopped making this vehicle after 2009 so it is getting older and we cannot buy a new one. That is honestly the only downside since we really love this car. If we could purchase a new one we definitely would.

Ranks #5 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2009 Honda Element has an average owner rating of 4.38 out of 5 which ranks it #5 of 25 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
4.67
2
Tie
car
4.5
5
Tie
car
4.37

Ranks #8 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2009 Honda Element has a combined MPG of 26 which ranks it #8 of 25 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
31 MPG
2
car
30 MPG
8
Tie
car
25 MPG

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Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test
(Not Rated)
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety