Which would you buy Dodge Nitro or Honda Element and why?

Question

Looking to purchase one of these vehicles. Would love your opinions and input on which one to purchase if any. Or, what other suv would you buy at around $20k?
Thanks!

Answer 1

This is another example of buying what would suit your lifestyle better. Both cars have ups and downs and are marketed to a completely different crowd.

The Honda Element has excellent reliability ratins, plus good gas mileage and a very useable interior. On the downside, its looks aren't for everyone, and it isn't available with 4-Wheel Drive. Insteady, you have to buy one with All-Wheel Drive, and the Element already has low ground clearance. It's not even good for light-duty off-roading, and is better left to nothing worse than a dirt road. Also, you can't get one with four fullsize doors, but instead with the two suicide-hinged half-doors behind the main doors, and these don't open separately (you have to open the main door to open the half door). The engine is only adequate for this vehicle, and you can't find a performance version. Also, it has cheesy-looking plastic panels all over it.

The Dodge Nitro is larger, much more powerful, and comes with a performance version called the SRT-6. It has a full 4-Wheel Drive system, though you'd have to find some All-Terrain tires to really take it off-roading (it comes standard with passenger car tires or optional performance tires). The styling is a little cleaner than the Element's, and the plastic panels that are on the vehicle are at least painted to match the rest of the body. Also, the Nitro can tow more and carry more cargo, but the gas mileage is a little worse.

All-in-all, I'd say go for the Dodge Nitro if you enjoy light-to-medium duty off-roading, live in a hilly or mountainous area, and have to travel a ways to get to work. Go for the Honda Element if you live in the city, with lots of traffic, never plan to go off-road, and don't mind the plastic-panel styling.

There are other major buys in the $20,000 SUV range. In the following list, I've included the drive system so you can pick out which would suit you better. Remember, All-Wheel Drive isn't suitable for anything other than very light duty off-roading, while 4-Wheel Drive will go from light to heavy-duty off-roading.

Chevrolet Equinox (All-Wheel Drive)
Ford Edge (All-Wheel Drive)
Ford Escape (4-Wheel Drive)
Honda CR-V (All-Wheel Drive)
Hyundai Santa Fe (All-Wheel Drive)
Hyundai Tuscon (All-Wheel Drive)
Jeep Liberty (4-Wheel Drive)
Jeep Patriot (4-Wheel Drive)
Jeep Wrangler (4-Wheel Drive)
Kia Sorento (4-Wheel Drive)
Kia Sportage (All-Wheel Drive)
Mazda Tribute (All-Wheel Drive)
Mercury Mariner (All-Wheel Drive)
Mitsubishi Endeavor (All-Wheel Drive)
Mitsubishi Outlander (All-Wheel Drive)
Pontiac Torrent (All-Wheel Drive)
Saturn Vue (All-Wheel Drive)
Subaru Forester (All-Wheel Drive)
Suzuki Grand Vitara (4-Wheel Drive)
Suzuki XL-7 (All-Wheel Drive)
Toyota RAV4 (All-Wheel Drive)

Note - Some of the models on this list, such as the Jeep Wrangler and Mitsubishi Endeavor, can be bought for just under $20,000, but a lot of options will push the price up into the mid-$20,000 range.

Among this list, my personal top picks are the Jeep Wrangler and Suzuki Grand Vitara. They're both cheap and relaible, and they will go places most SUVs would never dream of.

If you have any more questions about any of these models, or any other models I haven't listed, please feel free to ask.

Answer 2

Nitro....The Element is the ugliest shoebox in the world. The only thing it has going for it is the way the seats fold up for space...kinda neat. The Nitro is something different without being ugly. The element gets a little better gas milage...but what do you expect from 155 HP. The Nitro is available with 210HP and 255HP. I would go for the Nitro.

Answer 3

Never again a Dodge for me, or G.M.,and Ford. Japanese all the way for me. I don't like walking.