2008 Honda Element Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 46 Element reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The Element has consistently performed well on safety tests, and is a "Top Safety Pick" for 2008. In addition, the active safety systems found on the Element are very impressive for this class of vehicle.
The Element earns five out of five stars for protecting all passengers in both front and side impact crash tests conducted by the federal government. It also gets five stars for front and rear side impact crash protection. The Element received only three of five stars for its ability to prevent a rollover, which is average for small SUVs.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awards the 2008 Element its highest score, "Good," for protecting all passengers in both frontal offset and side impact crash testing. For its good performance and standard electronic stability control, the Element is an IIHS "Top Safety Pick" for 2008.
Accident Avoidance
To help drivers avoid an accident, Honda has equipped the 2008 Element with an electronic stability system with traction control, not found on previous Elements. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Brake Assist are standard. A tire pressure monitoring system warns the driver of critically low pressure in any tire.
Crash Protection
The 2008 Element offers dual-stage front air bags for both front-seat passengers, which inflate at differing speeds for different impacts. Standard side air bags, which protect the front-seat passengers, include a system which detects the height of the front seat passenger and de-activates the side air bag if a child or small-statured adult has their head in the path of the side air bag. Front seat belts include pretensioners. Because there is no B-pillar between the front and rear doors of the Element, the doors themselves are built with a special side-impact beam that acts as part of the structural safety cage.
Honda has included rollover-sensing head curtain air bags in every Element. In previous years, these airbags have been an expensive option. Offering these as standard equipment should correct a serious blemish on the Element's safety record: poor side-impact protection. The federal government put out a special warning that, in previous Elements, the dummy representing the rear-seat passenger hit its head on the rear pillar of the vehicle during side impacts. IIHS has always rated Elements of previous years "poor," the worst possible rating, in side-impact testing -- and has always tested Elements without head curtain air bags. Head curtain air bags dramatically improve a vehicle's performance in side impacts. The federal government approved of the new design, awarding the Element all five stars in its side impact test.
