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First, they came for the Integra Type Rs, and I said nothing because I was not buying an Integra Type R. Then they came for the S2000s, and I said nothing because I was not interested in S2000s. Now they’ve come for the 2005 Honda Element EX, and there are no other old Hondas for a reasonable price.
Currently sitting at $10,500 dollars—despite having six days left in the bidding period—this 29,000 mile Honda Element appears to have the early symptoms of the Bring-a-Trailer aging Japanese car tax. If you’re unfamiliar with this phenomenon, I can point you towards a few listings
The element isn’t a low slung, front-wheel-drive JDM hero driven solely by VTEC, however. It’s a boxy little truck that—to put it into terms that at least I understand—my local pharmacy used to use as delivery vans. That’s what makes this listing a little… brave.
It’s not exactly in the spec of a deified Integra Type-R, either. In fact, it has a four-speed automatic transmission (a manual was available), and the only VTEC badge you’ll find on the entire car is under the hood. So what’s the deal?
Well, I suppose the price is at least due in part to this Element’s low mileage and immaculate condition. It would be a truly brief and futile existence to be a speck of dust on this thing. In addition to the expensive detailing I’m assuming this car received, it also got brand new Cooper Discoverer AT3 tires mounted to its 16-inch alloy wheels in preparation for the sale.
All four of those wheels are driven, by the way. This Element has Honda’s Real Time four-wheel-drive system, a peek under the car will show you it all appears to be in tip-top shape.
Providing the power for all of those wheels is Honda’s 2.4-liter K24A4 inline-four. It makes 160 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque. Not a ton, but adequate to haul around this car’s 3,587-pound curb weight. It’s also apparently capable of towing up to 1,500-pounds if you need to drag some heavy stuff around.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? This car seems pretty… unremarkable. I sniffed around a few other listing websites for similar cars, and while I suppose it’s tough to find examples with such low mileage, I’m not certain why that’s so important. It’s not like this car is some rare Aston Martin or something with electronics fashioned from straightened-out slinkies—it’s a Honda. All of these cars with mileage under 50,000 are pretty much in identical mechanical condition.
So yeah, let’s just sit back and watch somebody overpay for this car, I guess. Not quite as entertaining as watching paint dry, but alas desperate times call for desperate measures. We’re all supposed to be inside still, right?
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