On real-world roads, especially the winter-ravaged pavement of Detroit, the Honda Element SC felt almost too stiff. On sweeping cloverleaf freeway ramps riddled with frost heaves, it 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, and is the better way to go for most people most of the time.