How Much Weight Can A Honda Element Tow

How much weight can a Honda Element tow? The Honda Element was one of the earliest SUVs to utilize straight-line designs. Why this may have affected its aerodynamics, surprisingly, the vehicle performs well on the road. It is well-equipped to perform several functions that you would expect from an SUV. This is a compact vehicle with enough robustness and power to haul all types of trailers.

Due to its design and ergonomics, the Honda Element is a good load carrier. It can also be used to tow trailers. However, there is a limit to the weight that your Element can tow. So this begs the question: how much weight can a Honda Element tow?

About The Honda Element

The Honda Element is engineered as a compact crossover SUV by Honda. The vehicle is available in different model years from 2003 – 2011. The Honda Element has a noticeable boxy exterior design.

Related to the Honda CRV, the Element is described as a 5-door compact crossover SUV. The layout of the vehicle is available as a front-engine and s four-wheel drive mechanism. It sports a 2.4L engine with three different transmission options the 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, and the 5-speed manual transmission.

The vehicle features a curb weight that lies somewhere between 3,330 and 3,641 pounds. The Honda Element is available as an All-Wheel-Drive or a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

How much weight can a Honda Element tow?

So, how much weight can a Honda Element tow? To break this down, we have to understand the various available types of SUVs. It is currently available in two variants based on its engine. They are 154 horsepower and 166 horsepower.

These two engines both have a maximum load towing capacity of 1,500 pounds when they both have one passenger. They both have a maximum load towing capacity of 1,200 when two passengers are aboard each vehicle. However, this maximum load towing capacity is reduced to 700 pounds when they both have five passengers aboard. 

You can get a complete overview of the Honda Element’s towing capacity with the use of tables. These tables can be used to analyze the trend of towing capacities over the years. It also helps when this is compared against other competing vehicles. The Honda Element is not usually the first choice for adventurers and campers. But as a crossover SUV, it is quite a decent towing vehicle.

While it can only handle a small load for towing, it is still a good option for camping activities. But if you are looking to haul heavier loads, it is recommended that you upgrade to larger vehicles.

The SUV spots complementary features that help get the job done. The engine is sufficient to retain a decent amount of cargo and the trailer hitched onto its rear section. As much as it offers users another opportunity to haul off cargo, it is important not to exceed the maximum towing capacities and load capacities of the vehicle.

How much weight can a Honda Element hold?

How much weight can a Honda Element tow? This is a good question because it can be a tricky one. To understand this, it is important to compute the maximum towing capacity of the vehicle in terms of the year. Also, the Honda Element has two types of Engines. Both engine variants provide similar towing capacities. 

Also, when asking how much weight can a Honda Element hold, it is important to consider the payload. The payload of the vehicle has a significant effect on the towing capacity of the SUV. The table below shows how the number of passengers (payload) in the vehicle reduces the towing capacity of the car.

Year of Honda Element	Engine	Towing capacity in pounds	Note
2011	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2010	All	1,500	With one passenger
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2009	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2008	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2007	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2006	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2005	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2004	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.
2003	All	1,500	With one passenger.
		1,200	With luggage and two passengers.
		700	With luggage and five passengers.

Honda Element Load Capacity 

The Honda Element load capacity is put to test when it comes to towing additional items. There are always questions if the Element can tow a jet ski, a boat, or a trailer. Each of these items comes in varying sizes and weights. When it comes to the different trailer types, the load capacity of the Honda Element varies significantly. 

How much can a Honda Element tow? Perhaps, understanding the load capacity of the SUV will help us identify this. All Honda Element SUV models can tow small trailers. However, there is a 1,500-pound weight limit when it comes to towing small trailers with the Honda Element SUV.

Your Honda Element can easily tow a loaded trailer of kayak since its weight is low. Also, the SUV can be used to tow different types of empty trailers. By empty trailers, it means that the Honda Element can tow trailers for fishing boats, motorcycles, jet skis, and more. Additionally, despite a maximum payload weight, the Honda Element’s load capacity is between 700 and 1,000 pounds.

Trailer type	Average empty weight in pounds	Average loaded weight in pounds
Kayak/canoe trailer	200	400
Jet ski trailer	300	1,800
Motorcycle trailer	500	2,400
Teardrop trailer	1,700	2,400
Small open utility trailer	700	2,500
A-frame camper	1,700	2,900
Small enclosed utility trailer	1,000	3,200
Fishing boat trailer	600	3,300
Pop up camper	2,300	3,400
Small travel trailer	2,800	3,600
Tow Dolly	600	4,000
Large enclosed utility trailer	2,700	7,100
Small horse trailer	2,900	7,200
Large travel trailer	6,700	8,300
Car trailer	1,900	9,000
Large flatbed trailer	3,000	10,400
Car trailer	1,900	9,000
Large boat trailer	2,200	13,600
Dump trailer	4,500	16,900
Toy hauler	7,600	17,900
Large livestock trailer	7,300	18,700
5th wheel camper	12,700	18,700
Gooseneck flatbed trailer	7,200	23,200

What Is A Braked Towing Capacity?

It has been established that the Honda Element have a maximum towing capacity of about 1,500 pounds. Furthermore, all towing capacities listed here for the Honda Element are easily described as braked capacities. What does a braked towing capacity mean?

By a braked capacity, we simply mean that the trailer that you are towing with the Honda Element features its braking system. This means that the installed braking system should assist the braking system of the Honda Element.

With this, it means that the towing capacities for trailers that do not have brakes are usually a lot less. Also, users need to confirm the towing capacities of their Honda Elements by consulting the user’s manual vehicle.

Faqs On Honda Element Load Capacity