That our first test drive of the 2007 Honda Element SC took place in suburban Detroit is irrelevant, because this is not a vehicle designed for canyon carving no matter how much emphasis the company places on the suspension and wheel/tire upgrades. The Element SC is, after all, designed for guys who live in urban areas. Young guys who aren't worried that the 30-percent stiffer shocks and springs will fuse their lower vertebrae as the Element pounds over frost heaves and potholes. Frost heaves and potholes similar to those that coat suburban Detroit like a festering rash.

Besides, the seats don't offer enough lateral support to take full advantage of the Element SC's handling abilities, as I learned while cackling deliriously and tossing the SUV through the cones on an autocross Honda set up on the parking lot of our hotel. The Element screamed around the course surprisingly well with the traction and stability control systems shut down, the front wheels spinning out of every turn. If the Element starts to push, which happens frequently on front-drive vehicles that are driven hard and fast, it's easy to tuck the nose in by letting off the throttle mid-turn. But as car-like as the Element might be, it's got a higher center of gravity than a typical car. That means it leans more, which means the driver gets tossed around more, which means the lack of side bolsters on the seats is more noticeable because you feel like you're gonna tumble right out of the Element's clamshell doors.

On real-world roads, especially the winter-ravaged pavement of Detroit, the Element felt almost too stiff. On sweeping cloverleaf freeway ramps riddled with frost heaves, the Element bounced fore and aft on its short wheelbase. By contrast, a quick spin in an Element EX showed that the standard suspension is much more compliant over the rough stuff. The standard setup still gives the driver a feel for what's happening at the road surface, but softens the blows better. Of course, the EX didn't handle better than the SC, but for most people most of the time, the standard suspension is the better setup.

Any 2007 Element feels spunkier thanks to the powertrain improvements. If you're of a juvenile mindset, it's easy to spin the wheels in first gear, and you can squawk ‘em in second – not that any Element owner would actually drive like this. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is refined, emits a pleasing growl at higher revs, and doesn't complain when maximizing power at the upper end. The clutch and five-speed manual gearbox are wonderful pieces of engineering; not sporting, but easy to use in traffic. A test drive of the five-speed automatic showed an improvement over the old four-speed transmission, but most people aren't gonna notice the difference. One thing is for sure, though, the stick makes the Element feel livelier, and might be worth the penalty at the pump.