In elementary school we learn that trucks can be fun.(News)(Honda Element)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)

Byline: NATALIE NEFF

We call it the Golden Age of Physics, when guys like Einstein, Bohr and Schrodinger posited all sorts of theories on relativity, photons and irradiated cats in boxes. Who knew that most of a century later we could apply these principles, by analogy, on a macro level (much to the mortification of physics teachers everywhere, we're sure) to the same result: surprise. While it may have rocked the world of science to learn that time and space are the same thing, that a photon is simultaneously a wave and a particle and that kitty is both dead and alive, consider this: A truck can be both useful and... fun.

At least if that truck is Honda's new Element. And in all its boxy, bread-truck glory, the Element not only offers a ton of utility and fun, but it does so in style-or a total lack thereof, depending on your viewpoint. Style is, after all, a relative thing.

Ten years ago, Honda didn't even have a truck in its lineup. This year the automaker will sell-between the CR-V, Odyssey minivan, outgoing Passport and its Pilot replacement-about 400,000 of them. Add to that the 50,000 Elements Honda says it will turn out annually when it goes on sale on Dec. 16, and, well, that's a lot of trucks.

But before the Element, you couldn't call any of those hundreds of thousands fun. Good, sure, and well-built, useful, practical and nice to drive. But not fun. That's where the Element stands out.

How to pinpoint the Element's fun factor is another matter. Its 2.4-liter dual-cam four turns out enough power to keep up with traffic, but with just 160 hp at 5500 rpm and 161 lb-ft at 4500 rpm of peak output, it's hardly a thrilling motor, even in full VTEC mode. The standard five-speed manual certainly helps make for some enjoyment, though the optional four-speed automatic does a nice job delivering smooth, crisp shifts for those who could care less about shift-it-yourself driving.

We like the Element's optional full-time four-wheel drive, too, as it gives the Element a solid, stable on-road feel. Put together, however, the powertrain is pretty standard small-truck fare, lifted entirely from the CR-V but for some minor modifications in tuning and gear ratios.