That does not mean it scrimped on comfort or safety. On the contrary, the Element has many of the safety features one would expect in a modern car. Side air curtains are an option. Honda designed the Element to offer excellent crash protection.

The two rear seats are raised off the floor a couple of inches higher than the front seats so that rear seat passengers can actually look over the front seats for better visibility.

The center opening doors allow easy loading of bulky objects and once inside there is plenty of room for them. The rear seats fold down easily and for greater space they can be hooked up to the side leaving an uninterrupted flat floor space. The front passenger seat back can also be folded forward to make room for a 10-foot surfboard. (That would leave room for the driver and one passenger behind the driver.) The driver's seat as well as all the other seats can be folded back making for a large if uncomfortable double bed. When parked, the Element can be set up to serve as a giant locker for surfboards and other large items.

The floor is covered in a urethane-coated material that resists water, dirt and scratches. It is easily cleaned. The seats (on all but the DX) are coated in a waterproof material designed for easy cleaning.

Storage areas abound, including large storage pockets on the backs of the front seats. Cupholders can be found on the backs of folded seats.

The dashboard reflects the simple design elements of the Element. The gauges are contained in three deep pods. The climate and radio controls are well placed. An innovative option is an auxiliary jack for plugging in an MP3 player so the stored music can be played back directly through the Element's sound system. The system included with the EX is pretty decent and includes a large sub woofer beneath the dashboard.