• By STEVE WHEELER
• Advocate WHEELS editor
• Published: Aug 7, 2009

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Honda’s Element SUV gets a minor makeover for 2009, including a navigation system, a rearview camera, USB connectivity and more storage space inside.

The Element also gets exterior styling changes like a new front grille and bumper design, restyled metal front fenders, a new hood design, squared wheel arches and new headlight and taillight configurations.

The entry level SUV keeps its powertrain, an all aluminum 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers 166 horsepower and 161 lb.-ft. of torque to the optional five-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive system. The Element comes in three trim levels — LX, EX and the sportier SC. 

The boxy Element is similar in shape to a Scion xB, although when I parked next to one during my recent test drive, I realized the Element is significantly larger.

The Element’s strength is in its interior versatility, seating four adults very comfortably and leaving plenty of room in back. The flip-up rear seats can fold flat, fold up and to the side, or they can be removed altogether. The LX and EX have a water resistant urethane coated floor that not even your kids could damage.

The interior has lots of storage nooks and crannies. Being a Type A personality, I like a place for everything and everything in its place. On the other hand, my wife is a Type B, which means she puts things down when she’s finished with them, then asks me to help her find them later.

But we agreed that the Element, with all its interior space and storage compartments, could appeal to both types.

My wife liked the three open storage bins above the glove box. She said they are handy places to leave things until later, but I think they’re junk holders that create clutter. 

The Element has unique style, with appointments like suicide half-doors in back that allow for extremely easy access to the rear seat. Sitting in the rear seats, passengers have tons of leg and head room.

The Element has a two-part tailgate system, with the top part rising and the bottom part folding down. The full-sized spare tire is under the floor of the rear deck, and there is plenty of room for luggage and other cargo.

Visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent, and the rearview camera added to the option list this year is a nice feature on the large navigation screen. 

The Element is a safe vehicle, garnering five stars for all passengers in frontal and side crashes. But because it is tall with a high center of gravity, the Element gets only three stars when it comes to the risk of a rollover. The vehicle has driver and passenger dual-stage airbags, side airbags in front and side curtains with a rollover sensor. Anti-lock brakes and vehicle stability assist are standard.

On the road, the Element handles well, but leans a bit during hard turns. MacPherson struts in front and a compact rear double wishbone design make handling responsive and the ride comfortable.