Now you're in Honda's Element

Honda's Element is one of those vehicles you either love or hate at first glance. For example, I loved it, but the two ladies in my life weren't impressed.

The SC version we tested dispenses with the Element's trademark gray quarter panels. As a result, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the boxy Scion xB, so much so that it looks like a bigger version of that vehicle instead of a rival in the marketplace. And if Porsche hadn't already employed the Boxster moniker, it would have been a perfect fit for this model of the Element.

The SC has carpeting in the front and rear passenger areas, leaving the Element's signature urethane flooring only in the rear cargo area. Other features that set the SC apart from the more common LX and EX versions include 18-inch wheels, a lowered ride height (6.2-inch ground clearance instead of 6.9 inches), a sport-tuned suspension, restyled grille with projector-beam headlights and bumpers painted to match the car, a huge center console, black "piano" interior trim, and "exclusive" interior fabrics.

The accoutrements sort of succeed in making the car right-from-the-factory street customized, although the bigger wheels sacrifice some wet weather traction (it has a tendency to hydroplane) and it takes constant tending to keep the car straight on the highway.

But on secondary roads, at lower speeds, the handling is fine and the suspension exemplary. The worst road we travel these days is a three-tenths of a mile stretch of Water Street between downtown Newburyport and Plum Island. We tried it out in the Element, with three passengers aboard -- they all praised the SC's ride.

So what didn't the ladies in my life like about the Element? For starters, Miss Gypsy, a 13-year-old poodle who is used to smooth shifting by her drivers, had trouble maintaining her footing during my shifts of the five-speed manual. She looked at me as if to say, "What's the matter? Can't you drive any more?" That look hurt because I take great pride in being "automatic-smooth" with a manual. The five-speed is coupled with a snappy 166-horsepower I-4 i-Tech engine, a power plant that moved the Element along nicely in all sorts of traffic.

Mrs. G was even more critical, starting with being a "hate it at first sight" passenger. She was unimpressed with the unique-to-the-SC copper trim ("tacky"), the matching copper and white "tattoo" design on the door panels and seats ("just plain ugly"), the non lighted vanity mirror ("cheap"), the copper-toned instrumentation lighting ("yuck!"), and the dash-mounted shift lever ("it looks like a toilet plunger").

But Susan, our Friday night bowling teammate, liked the Element. She opened the clamshell doors and clambered into the back seat to check out the ride.

"It's easy enough to get back here, and the leg room is excellent," she said. "I like the way kids can't open the back door until the front door is opened first."

Other than my steering and shifting nitpicking, I liked the Element. Always have. If I were buying one I'd opt for the base LX or EX version with all-urethane floors -- even if you can't hose them out.

The SC's driver's seat (which is manual) includes a height adjustment that helps visibility, and the steering wheel has a height adjustment, but doesn't telescope. As a result, it takes a bit of time to find just the right driving position, which could be troublesome if one Element has several drivers of different sizes. But it is possible to find a comfortable position and, as a bonus for taller drivers, there's foot room beside and under the pedals to fully extend the clutch leg on long hauls.

Honda has improved, but not perfected, the Element's seat belt placement. The designers got the belts off the door, but it's a tough reach over the driver's left shoulder the snag the belt. Once that's accomplished, it's easy to complete the buckling. Plus, there's the reassurance of side-curtain air bags, vehicle stability assist, and electronic brake distribution to keep you safe. They are features you want on your side in any vehicle.

You need to get the all-wheel-drive version of the Element to get the huge sunroof. The back window maintains the clamshell effect by swinging high enough for a 6-footer to stand under comfortably. The low remaining tailgate lowers easily with a sliding latch. A neatly designed urethane piece slides out to cover the gap between the tailgate and bumper.

As for storage space, without swinging up the rear seats (they store against the sides of the cargo compartment if you wish) or removing them, we had room for three large yard-waste bags (well stuffed) to take to the compost center. After the trip, we were able to clean the car quickly with dustpan, brush, and a damp cloth.

Love it or hate it, you want to be clean if you're in your Element.

THE BASICS
Base price/as tested: $22,695 /$23,290
Fuel economy: 21 miles per gallon in Globe testing
Annual fuel cost: $1,863 (at $3.01 per gallon, regular, 13,000 miles per year)

THE EARLY LINE
The versatile Element gets a new member of the family, the sporty SC (Street Custom) version.

THE SPECIFICS
Drivetrain: 2.4 liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive and five-speed manual transmission
Seating: 4
Horsepower: 166
Torque: 160 lb.-ft torque at 4,000 r.p.m
Length: 170.8 inches
Wheelbase: 101.4 inches
Height: 69.5 inches
Width: 71.5 inches
Curb weight: 3,529 pounds

THE SKINNY
Nice touch: The storage, including the divided segments along the front of the dashboard.
Annoyance: Why can't we hear the directional flashers any longer? It's embarrassing to realize you've been driving along the highway for 10 minutes with the blinker on.
Watch for: Some newcomers to this "square" corner of the motoring world, such as the coming (summer of 2008) Ford Flex, billed as a full-sized "family wagon of tomorrow."