I'd buy an updated Element in a minute. Meanwhile I'm holding on to the one I have. And I'd never hose it down.

I’ve always assumed the Element was a victim of tightening CAFE standards. The design was incompatible with the computer-optimized slipstream profile manufacturers use to tack on a few fractional MPG, and its market positioning was incompatible with the price level required for inefficient vehicles to offset the discount on cheap econo-lozenges.

You could probably revive it as an BEV, although with shitty range due to its aerodynamics.

They did in fact update the engine (at least once). I tried finding one here in Europe but they are pretty much impossible to come by unless you want to import one from the USA which has a ton of problems for a car that is not officially carried here.

I put 250k miles on an '08 before, very reluctantly, selling it to a kid for his first vehicle.

The '08 had been "updated".

But they never offered it with factory installed nav, despite having a very "ahead of its times" sound system. It also had terrible gas mileage.

Sure, it was less aerodynamic than a Mac truck, but Honda could have revisited it.

Much like my dearly departed Vanagon, there's nothing new like it on the market.

I have a VW Transporter that started life as a taxi cab. 9 seater, rubberized floor. I put a longer 5th gear in it and removed the LNG system (ridiculous taxes otherwise), it's pretty economic and can haul a ton of stuff. The whole neighborhood here uses it :)

It being an ex taxi bi-fuel I bought it super cheap with low mileage.

I agree, the Element was a great vehicle, I think it was a little overpriced, but it is a Honda. I would love an updated version now that I can afford one.

> vehicles designed by Boomers for millennials

As I recall, they were designed by Boomers for younger versions of themselves, and priced for Boomers wanting to feel young again. That, of course, necessitated ads theoretically aimed at millennials