Car shopping...

Thanks Burghguy, that's exactly what i wanted to hear.  Do you really hose it down though?  I am real sceptical about the seats and was thinking of getting some neoprene seat covers.  Also, are there any air vents in the back?  My one big concern is will my bulldogs have enough free flowing air in the back?  so far i'm still sold on it though, just waiting on the dealewrship to pull in an all black EX.

I miss my Element.  It was like the Swiss Army car.  I got rid of it shortly after I got an Odyssey for the wife since I didn't think I needed two vehicles with a cargo focus.  I don't, but I miss the utility A LOT.  That thing carried plywood, firewood, bags of cement, belgium blocks, bikes, and anything else I threw at it.  A vacuum and mop down was all it took to clean it.

If you get the EX, it has a rear sunroof that is removable and the middle windows flip out.  I'm pretty sure a bulldog doesn't have the vertical leap to escape through that hatch. I also drove at times with the hatch popped up (lower gate still up) and that moved a lot of air through it.

Not much I can say bad about it other than it was underpowered, though the new ones with 5 speed autos may be a bit better.  I tend to drive faster than most, so it may not matter to you.

Check out www.elementownersclub.com

One of the best purchases I've ever made. It's perfect for bikes, dogs, junk. If you have kids, though, it might not be a good fit. It does only seat 4. For those times that we need the seats down or just have too much junk with the dog, we also have a bike rack. I use it as a changing room, too. Because it's not a big SUV, it's also easy to park in those tight spots, which can be real handy at crowded races.