2008 Honda Element

SC is Honda's in-house take on a one-off model—a process typically done by aftermarket firms. The "street custom-styled" SC starts with a front-wheel-drive platform. (Unlike other Elements, the SC is not available with All Wheel Drive.) Honda wraps the Element in a monochromatic color scheme, with painted bumpers, a model specific, aerol grille and projector beam halogen headlights.


The custom treatment extends inside, where the normally Spartan Element cabin is spiffed up with piano black trim, special prints for seat fabrics and door liners, and carpeted floors in the first and second row. The SC's large center console provides storage for your carry-ons and CDs (and an auxiliary input jack for your MP3 player). Gauges are backlit in a copper color on SC's, instead of the blue hue used elsewhere.


The Element is based on the Honda CR-V chassis. Refinements gained last year on all Elements carry over for 2008. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder is rated at 166 horsepower (10 more than before), and 161 lb.-ft. of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, but if you opt for the automatic, it's now a five-speed, where before it was a four. The motor has enough snap to get the job done nicely, and despite a decidedly non-aerodynamic shape, Element posts respectable gas mileage. A 4x2 automatic like my tester earns 20 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, according to EPA. That's slightly better, interestingly enough, than the 4x2 stick (18/23). Mileage on all-wheel-drive models is virtually identical to 4x2s. The SC treatment also includes platform mods like model specific, 18-inch alloy wheels, a sport suspension with stiffer spring and damper tuning and a lowered (-.7 inches) ride height. As a result, the SC feels solid and stable and generally more planted on the road than its shape would suggest.


With its cargo friendly, big box layout and a no-nonsense interior, the Element is high function. Priced at $23,575, the SC adds a little funk to that function. Taking a page from the aftermarket, Honda's in-house, stylistic tweaks should broaden the appeal of the big box to those elusive, young urban dwellers that the company is courting. (www.automobiles.honda.com)