Honda Element SC – First Drive: Honda thought way outside the box when it conceived the Element back in 2002. Based on the Honda CR-V platform but styled to serve as a “dorm room on wheels,” the new-for-2003 Element was aimed right at the hearts and minds of young men but found success with a wide range of buyers – young and old, male and female, jocks and nerds. Apparently, with a mid-cycle refresh for the jaunty little SUV, Honda has gone back to the drawing board to hone in on its target demographic, and the result is the new Element SC, which focuses more on style and handling and less on functional utility.

That's not to say that the 2007 Honda Element SC isn't functional or utilitarian. It's got the same plastic hose-out cargo area with rear jump seats that collapse and store on the inside walls of the vehicle, the same roomy interior for four people, the same funky clamshell side doors, and the same nooks and crannies for carrying all manner of daily detritus. The main difference is that the Element SC is offered only with front-wheel drive because Honda doesn't think the tech-savvy, 27-year-old male urban dwellers that possess a Bachelor's Degree and enjoy design, music, and socializing want four driven wheels. Those guys are the target buyers for the Element SC – the actual buyers range from 25 to 35 years of age, are men and women in professional careers or DINK relationships, and like to shop at Target, Urban Outfitters, and Ikea.

Yep, there are people who actually get paid for this kind of “in the box” thinking. And with the new 2007 Honda Element SC, it might just pay off.