Tested: 2010 Honda Element, Dog-Friendly Package

We've always thought of the Honda Element as one of the best vehicles for dog owners. Thanks to its tall cabin, easy-clean cargo floor, and versatile seating arrangement, it's long been a favorite among active folks with dogs.

For 2010, Honda finally took advantage of the Element's usefulness—or pawtential, we've said—by introducing a new Dog Friendly Element. Our own pooch, Owen, is usually a willing adventurer, if a little anxious as a passenger, so it seemed like a no-brainer for us to hop in a Dog-Friendly Element, test out its creature comforts, and head for a hiking trail.

The Dog Friendly package includes a host of additional accessories, which Owen and I put through the paces on the way to and from our hike. Special second-row seat covers allowed Owen to be belted in with his harness (you should never let a dog ride shotgun, or be loose in the vehicle) in a special dog pattern, as well as rubbery bone-pattern floor mats.

The centerpiece of the Dog Friendly package is a soft-sided car kennel, made by the safety supplier Takata, of seatbelt-grade vinyl webbing. Owen fit into it perfectly, the floor is soft, and it includes a ventilation fan and water dish. All that said, it was a little too claustrophobic for him, especially when we zipped up the screen; but plenty of dogs dig that.

The package also includes an extendable (five foot or so) ramp that stows under the kennel floor in a separate compartment. It would surely be handy for the smaller or arthritic pups, but my hound just didn't get the need for this either.

As we've reported about other Honda Element models in the past, including the 2010 Element, this utility vehicle is hard to beat for people who often have one or two people plus gear to carry.

The Element's suicide-type door setup (back doors are hinged at the rear) allows a very wide opening for loading, and the back seats fold down easily, with the tall, boxy body enabling more useful cargo capability than in most other utility vehicles.

Only when you try to fit adult passengers in back do you run into the tradeoffs: flat, short cushions back there that aren't very comfortable for longer trips, as well as a door arrangement that requires back doors to be closed before the front ones.

The Element's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine doesn't have awesome thrust, but it's quick enough, and the five-speed automatic shifts smoothly most of the time (except when rolling back onto the throttle out of a tight turn, when it would often hesitate between gears for a moment). The most surprising thing about the Element, for those who've never driven one, is that it doesn't at all feel tipsy, and even with some crosswinds on the highway it still tracks straight. At lower speeds especially, the Element feels confident and nimble—credit underpinnings that are shared with Honda's small cars.

And it's frugal: Over a week, I covered about 250 miles in all, with and without Owen, and averaged about 25 mpg—beating the 4WD test vehicle's 19 mpg city, 24 highway EPA rating.

The Dog Friendly package costs just $995, which brought the price of our top-of-the-line 2010 Honda Element EX (with navigation) up to $27,365. I'm pretty convinced that's a good value, but Owen is still hinting that it could buy the mother lode of kibs.

Source;
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1048529_tested-2010-honda-element-dog-friendly-package

2010 Honda Element EX AWD with Dog Friendly Package - Quick Spin

Honda’s box goes to the dogs with a new accessory package.
BY TONY QUIROGA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY AND JORDAN BROWN March 2010
What Is It?
The Honda Element, a dream car for fans of cubism, with Honda’s new Dog Friendly accessory package. The Dog Friendly setup comes with a tent-like kennel with pet bed that fits in the cargo compartment, a ramp that allows the dog to easily climb into the back, a water bowl, a small electric fan to cool your friend in the cargo area, dog-bone-themed rubber mats, dog-patterned rear-seat covers, and a couple of unique exterior badges. Otherwise, our tester was a regular EX-grade Honda Element with all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.

How Does It Drive?
Aside from the dog-accessory package, this is pretty much the same Element that Honda has been selling since 2003 and that we last tested in 2006, when it finished fourth in a four-way comparison test of boxy mini-haulers. Since then, the Element got a 10-hp bump and a slight aesthetic freshening in 2007. The 166-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder remains a bit noisy, and, mated to our tester’s five-speed automatic gearbox, is unwilling to accelerate the Element with much gusto—dare we say it’s a bit of a dog? The center of gravity is noticeably high and the huge flat sides make it especially sensitive to crosswinds. Wind noise around the upright windshield and a healthy dose of tire and road howl probably won’t turn off those who consider the Element a van. But we’ve always thought of the Element as a small SUV with funky bodywork, and in that light it’s beginning to feel a bit old and unrefined.

How Does It Stack Up?
The canine-inspired Element has no natural competition, as it’s the only vehicle setup on the market designed especially to cater to man’s best friend. Our canine tester—an ex-stray, beagle mix named Grady—however, didn’t seem to notice the Element’s dog-themed appearance despite our attempts to point it out to him; he seemed far more interested in a brace of ducks that were strutting nearby. When we did get his attention and asked him what he thought of the dog-bone rubber mats and the dog pattern adorning the rear seats, he looked at us with a blank stare followed by some minor whimpering. We set up the two-piece aluminum ramp that stows neatly under the kennel in the cargo compartment and tried to coax Grady to walk up the ramp. But having never used a ramp and being wholly unfamiliar with the intricacies and physics behind the inclined plane, Grady flatly refused to use it. We resorted to picking up his handsome 42-pound body and placing him inside. Once ensconced in the kennel, Grady did seem to appreciate the softness of the bed that fits neatly into the kennel, although he did jump out before we could zip him in. Grady’s nervous demeanor made it clear to us that his first choice for traveling by car remains the front-passenger footwell.

What’s the Cost?
Our test Element EX wore a $24,595 sticker price and is currently on sale at Honda dealers. Front-wheel-drive LX models start at $21,235 and adding the Dog Friendly package to any model costs $995, or roughly 10 times what Grady cost in 2003. If Grady had been more willing to use the Element’s many dog-themed features, we’d say that it would be worth it. Grady, however, didn’t seem interested or satisfied enough to justify the extra cost, meaning that just about any hatchback, wagon, or crossover would satisfy his needs. Then again, given Grady’s primary interests of smelling other dogs’ waste, eating, and going on walks—in that order—he may not be the most reliable or credible judge of car accessories. Start training your pup to use the Element as a young’un, though, and they may be more apt to embrace the package. Maybe.

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q1/2010_honda_element_ex_awd_with_dog_friendly_package-quick_spin