Honda Element

Honda Element: generations: what actually changed

Supply is Distributed injection (multi-point) on all 12. Bore × stroke 87 × 99 on all 12. Engine placement Front, transverse where measured. You are not choosing a different engine family — you are choosing compression (9.7 or 10.5), peak rpm, and how that 2354 cm³ is geared.

1 generation (1 December 2002 – 30 September 2006), SUV 5-doors, 4 versions: 2.4 MT FWD 162 hp, 2.4 MT AWD 162 hp, 2.4 AT AWD 162 hp, 2.4 AT FWD 162 hp. Compression 9.7, peak torque 220 Nm at 4500 rpm. Manual peak power at 6000 rpm; Automatic at 5500 rpm. Gearboxes: Manual 5 or Automatic 4. Ground clearance 205 mm on all four. This is the only period with 185 km/h top speed and with 8.7 s 0–100 km/h.

1 generation, restyling (1 October 2006 – 31 January 2008), SUV 5-doors, 4 versions: 2.4 AT AWD 166 hp, 2.4 AT FWD 166 hp, 2.4 MT AWD 166 hp, 2.4 MT FWD 166 hp. Compression 10.5 (+0.8 versus 1 generation). Power 166 hp at 5800 rpm, 218 Nm at 4000 rpm. Automatic becomes 5-speed, matching Manual 5. Every version is listed at 9.8 s, 177 km/h, city 13.1 / highway 10.2 / mixed 11.8 L/100 km, kerb 1655 kg, gross 1960 kg, clearance 175 mm (−30 mm versus 1 generation). Wheel sizes are not measured.

1 generation, restyling 2 (1 January 2008 – 31 December 2010), SUV 5-doors, 4 versions that no longer share one acceleration and one clearance figure. 2.4 AT AWD 166 hp: 9.8 s, 177 km/h, measured mpg as above, kerb 1655 kg, clearance 175 mm, wheels not measured. 2.4 MT FWD 166 hp: 9.8 s, 177 km/h, same mpg, same 1655 kg, but clearance 205 mm and wheels 215/70 R16 or 255/55 R18. 2.4 MT AWD 166 hp: 10.5 s, top speed not measured, fuel not measured, kerb not measured, clearance 205 mm, same two wheel sizes. 2.4 AT FWD 166 hp: 10.6 s, top speed not measured, fuel not measured, kerb not measured, clearance 205 mm, same wheels. Engine position is Front, transverse on 2.4 AT AWD; not measured on the other three restyling 2 versions.

Engine specs (which 2.4 to specify)

Supply is Distributed injection (multi-point) on all 12. Bore × stroke 87 × 99 on all 12. Engine placement Front, transverse where measured. You are not choosing a different engine family — you are choosing compression (9.7 or 10.5), peak rpm, and how that 2354 cm³ is geared.

Performance and mpg: the 2.1-second spread

Fastest Honda Element in the data: 1 generation 2.4 MT AWD 162 hp, 8.7 s to 100 km/h, 185 km/h. That is 0.8 s quicker than the 1 generation 2.4 MT FWD 162 hp at 9.5 s, despite 115 kg more kerb weight (1665 kg versus 1550 kg). AWD here is not the slow option.

Slowest: 1 generation 2.4 AT AWD 162 hp at 10.8 s — 2.1 s behind the 8.7 s Manual AWD, same 1665 kg kerb, Automatic 4 versus Manual 5. The 1 generation 2.4 AT FWD 162 hp matches the FWD Manual at 9.5 s: on FWD, the 4-speed Automatic does not add a measured 0–100 penalty; on AWD it adds 2.1 s.

After restyling, the 9.8 s / 177 km/h pack covers all four 1 generation, restyling versions and two of four restyling 2 versions (2.4 AT AWD 166 hp and 2.4 MT FWD 166 hp). Versus the original 8.7 s that is +1.1 s; versus original 10.8 s that is −1.0 s. Top speed falls 8 km/h (185 to 177).

Restyling 2 outliers: 2.4 MT AWD 166 hp 10.5 s (top speed not measured) and 2.4 AT FWD 166 hp 10.6 s (top speed not measured). Those two are 0.7 s and 0.8 s slower than the 9.8 s twins in the same restyling. Do not assume AWD is always slower: in restyling 2 the measured 9.8 s AWD car is the Automatic, and the slower 10.5 s car is the Manual AWD.

Mpg is not measured on any 1 generation version. It is measured on all four 1 generation, restyling versions and on restyling 2 2.4 AT AWD and 2.4 MT FWD: 13.1 / 10.2 / 11.8 L/100 km. It is not measured on restyling 2 2.4 MT AWD and 2.4 AT FWD. CO2 and eco class are not measured on any version. On mixed 11.8 L/100 km and a 60-litre tank, theoretical range is 60 / 11.8 × 100 ≈ 508 km where mpg is measured.

Dimensions, weight, clearance

Interior length/width/cargo in feet or inches is not measured in this dataset. What is measured is mass, clearance, tank, and (on some restyling 2 cars) wheels.

Lightest: 1 generation 2.4 MT FWD 162 hp and 2.4 AT FWD 162 hp at 1550 kg kerb (1.550 t), gross 1970 kg, payload 1970 − 1550 = 420 kg. Heaviest kerb: 1 generation 2.4 MT AWD 162 hp and 2.4 AT AWD 162 hp at 1665 kg (1.665 t). Payload on 2.4 MT AWD 162 hp is 1960 − 1665 = 295 kg; on 2.4 AT AWD 162 hp 1970 − 1665 = 305 kg. AWD on 1 generation costs 115 kg kerb and 115–125 kg of payload versus FWD.

Restyling kerb, where measured, is 1655 kg: +105 kg versus original FWD, −10 kg versus original AWD. Gross 1960 kg, payload 305 kg. Restyling 2 2.4 MT AWD 166 hp and 2.4 AT FWD 166 hp: kerb and gross not measured.

Kg per hp: original FWD 1550 / 162 ≈ 9.57 kg/hp (best); original AWD 1665 / 162 ≈ 10.28 kg/hp (worst); restyling 1655 / 166 ≈ 9.97 kg/hp.

Clearance: 205 mm on all 1 generation versions. 175 mm on all 1 generation, restyling versions (−30 mm). Restyling 2 splits: 2.4 AT AWD 166 hp stays at 175 mm; 2.4 MT FWD, 2.4 MT AWD, and 2.4 AT FWD return to 205 mm. If 205 mm is the reason you buy an Element, do not pick a 2006–2008 restyling car or the restyling 2 2.4 AT AWD.

Wheels not measured except restyling 2 2.4 MT FWD, 2.4 MT AWD, and 2.4 AT FWD: 215/70 R16 or 255/55 R18. Front and rear suspension Independent, spring; brakes Disc front and Disc rear on all 12.

Which version to choose

Buy 1 generation 2.4 MT AWD 162 hp if the number you care about is 0–100 km/h. It is the only 8.7 s car. You accept 1665 kg, 295 kg payload, fuel not measured, Automatic not available, and compression 9.7. Top speed 185 km/h is the catalogue maximum.

Buy 1 generation 2.4 MT FWD 162 hp or 2.4 AT FWD 162 hp if you want the 1550 kg kerb and 420 kg payload. Both do 9.5 s and 185 km/h at 205 mm. Choose Manual 5 versus Automatic 4; 0–100 is the same. Fuel not measured.

Avoid 1 generation 2.4 AT AWD 162 hp if acceleration is the filter. Same 162 hp and 1665 kg as the 8.7 s Manual AWD, but 10.8 s and Automatic 4 — the largest gearbox penalty in the model (2.1 s).

Buy 1 generation, restyling if you want one spec sheet for all four drivetrains. 166 hp, Automatic 5 or Manual 5, 9.8 s, 177 km/h, 13.1/10.2/11.8, 1655/1960 kg, 175 mm. AWD versus FWD does not change the listed 0–100, mpg, or weight here — unlike 1 generation, where AWD added 115 kg. The restyling Automatic is 5-speed versus the original Automatic 4; that is the gearbox upgrade. You give up 30 mm of clearance and 8 km/h of top speed versus 1 generation.

Buy 1 generation, restyling 2 2.4 MT FWD 166 hp if you want 166 hp, 9.8 s, measured mpg, 205 mm, and listed wheels (215/70 R16 or 255/55 R18). That combination does not exist in 1 generation, restyling (clearance 175 mm, wheels not measured) or in 1 generation (162 hp, mpg not measured).

Buy 1 generation, restyling 2 2.4 AT AWD 166 hp if you want AWD Automatic 5 with 9.8 s, 177 km/h, and measured 11.8 L/100 km mixed. Clearance stays 175 mm; wheels not measured. This is the only restyling 2 version with Front, transverse recorded.

Do not pick restyling 2 2.4 MT AWD 166 hp or 2.4 AT FWD 166 hp if you need a complete measured card. 10.5 s and 10.6 s, top speed not measured, fuel not measured, kerb not measured. They do restore 205 mm and the two wheel sizes.

Horsepower is not a buying axis inside a generation: 162 hp is shared by all four 1 generation versions; 166 hp by all eight restyling versions. Distinguish same names by drive, gearbox, 0–100, clearance, and whether mpg and mass are measured.

Reliability, engine-swap cost, engine mounts, and air-filter service are not in this dataset — not measured. The mechanical constants that are measured — 2354 cm³, 4 Inline, boost No, 95, 60-litre tank, Independent spring, Disc/Disc — do not separate versions. The numbers that do: 8.7 versus 10.8 s, 1550 versus 1665 kg, 175 versus 205 mm, Automatic 4 versus Automatic 5, mpg measured versus not measured.