I love our Fit Sport, even being an auto, and would love to flog it in anger...well, more than possible on public streets. I also have two friends with AWD/5-speed Elements who bought them specifically for dog-hauling and they both love them.
How big/how many dogs? Which is more important - utility or chassis dynamics?
Spent significant time in an Element. I loved it for everything except its driving. Frankly, a great appliance, but I don't think I'd enjoy driving it on the track.
I vote for the Fit. Love my 2013, much better platform for handling than the Element, super fun to drive as well with a fantastic gearbox. There are two bolt-on Fit supercharger kits as well (Rotrex and Sprintex), one of which mine will be getting as soon as it's out of warranty. And tooooooons of suspension options, as well as classic backwards-compatible 4x100 Honda bolt pattern for a massive selection of track wheels and cheap 15" or 16" tires.
I'd go with a Fit, but they are quite small. What about those funky Accord Crosstour things?
Brett_Murphy wrote: I'd go with a Fit, but they are quite small. What about those funky Accord Crosstour things?
Fits may be small on the outside, but when you open the doors it's like Honda backwards engineered the Tardis. The interior feels way more spacious and useful then most vehicles twice it's size.
I think the consensus is pretty clear, but you can also throw me into the Fit camp for this argument. The Element might be a little better at dog hauling, but is seriously suspect for track work. The Fit will do both easily.
I vote for Mazda 5. Just keep the third row seat down and you should have plenty of room for said dog. If you don't like that option, Fit isn't a bad route to go.
As far as I know, dogs like to stick their heads out the window. The Element's rear windows do not roll down. The dogs will constantly be climbing up front to get their heads out your window. I would disqualify the Element for this fact alone. A relative bought a Dodge Grand Caravan because of all the space and comfy seats and the dogs hated it.
Definitely a Fit. Much more aftermarket options and the better alternative for a track car. There are turbo kits, supercharger kits and even K-swap kits.
But, just for fun, I will bring up the Honda Element drift car that somebody built and tried to compete with. Key word is tried.
I think I'm giving up on the idea of the Element, Time to get the BMW sold and start looking for a 2009+ Fit Sport.
Why no interest in the 2007 and 2008 versions?
In reply to jimbob_racing:
I shopped them both myself; the newer ones are much stiffer, don't have all the water leaking problems, and have much better sound deadening...but crucially, have an adjustable steering column that the first gens lacked. For all the things the second gen improved upon, they barely weigh any more either.
The first gen has a better aftermarket, but the second gens are catching up fast as they come down in price.
jimbob_racing wrote: Why no interest in the 2007 and 2008 versions?
My dad had a 2009 Fit Sport and I spent a lot of time with that car. I just like that generation better than the older ones.
I like weird/funky too. The Fit would likely be by far the best choice out of the two but also a bit too "normal". The Element would be far cooler but much less rewarding. Still........very interesting dilemma to be in. As previously mentioned, how about a Mazda 5 or even a Kia Soul. Both available in manual versions. The Mazda 5 would be much more enjoyable with the MS3 drivetrain stuffed inside. So like you, I am conflicted. If I had to choose between the two I would go with the Fit.........or maybe the Element.
Be aware, there's not much difference in the base model and sport trims, but in '09, the base doesn't have cruise control. I love our '09 but it drives me crazy that it doesn't have cruise, since we regularly drive it on 4+ hour trips.
They are amazingly easy to work on - recently did a valve adjustment on it and was really pleased with how accessible everything is. And ours still has no rust on it.
ever seen an EX35? It kinda looks like an FX35 that's been lowered.
I've owned the Element, Fit, and Mazda5. The Fit is the most dog-friendly.
The Element's hard plastic floors are terrible for slipping around on. Our dog hated it because she couldn't get any traction. It's also no fun to drive. We sold it after a year.
The Mazda5 had seats that don't create a flat floor for dogs. There are lots of nooks and crannies to get a leg trapped and broken in. Sold it after a year too.
The Fit has a cavernous rear with carpeted flat floors. My dog prefers to fold the rear seat bottoms up actually. We call that "dog mode." Oh and it's fun to drive. We've owned this one 8 years now, and we'll probably never sell it.
In reply to cmcgregor:
I like the wheels and the spoiler on the Sport, so I'd limit the search to those. I never, ever use cruise control. I've even removed it from a couple of cars to make them easier to work on.
In reply to belteshazzar:
I have never heard of those.
In reply to bastomatic:
Wow, that is one seriously helpful reply right there. Thanks!
Glad to help! I have it on good authority that you can transport an Alpaca in the back of a Fit with the seats up.
CR-Z? Somewhat related to the Fit. Slightly more power, but also slightly more weight.
Resale kinda sucks on these, to be honest, so you might get one cheaply. I'd strongly suggest a 2013+ car for the extra power, standard backup camera (rear parking lot visibility stinks - it's okay in traffic) and better hybrid batteries.
It works really well for my 40lb Aussie, though I should add a barrier to keep her in place. If you have a dog much larger, or more than one dog, it's not a great idea. My concern about tracking it is that it gets a little gutless when the battery is run out, though the gas engine alone has slightly more power than the Fit, particularly with a 2013+ car. There was a track day here last weekend, but alas, life happened, so I can offer no insight there.
Woody wrote: I think I'm giving up on the idea of the Element, Time to get the BMW sold and start looking for a 2009+ Fit Sport.
Wanna trade? 
I love weird track cars! The Fit is definitely going to be better on track, but less weird. Didn't they make a Element that said SC on the back?! What was that?
I'd go for the Mazda6 wagon though. Double wishbones up front, plenty of room, way more fun to drive.
petegossett wrote:Woody wrote: I think I'm giving up on the idea of the Element, Time to get the BMW sold and start looking for a 2009+ Fit Sport.Wanna trade?
Elaborate upon this idea...
CyberEric wrote: I love weird track cars! The Fit is definitely going to be better on track, but less weird. Didn't they make a Element that said SC on the back?! What was that?
Sadly, SC did not mean supercharged.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2007-honda-element-sc-hits-the-streets-car-news
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