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Many years ago Honda cottoned to the secret of selling large volumes of cars in the United States. It is this: Most car buyers are not car enthusiasts. In fact, substantial percentages of them know practically nothing about cars and regard them—if not with distaste—with no more than the neutrality one may feel for, say, a washing machine or a toaster.

Yet these people have rigid standards their transportation must meet. They insist on solid value and reliability (we're talking about people who couldn't tell a fuel injector from a hatpin). And its OK if it's stylish—although their ideas on style may be a little bit quirky.

Proof of the latter point is the new Honda Element, one of a new breed of compact vehicles designed in what might be called "Appliance Chic." It almost doesn't look like a car, which suits its target market just fine. It offers all the quality and reliability for which Honda is noted. And, finally—and this is where Honda was really shrewd, in my view—it can be had with a really first-class sound system, which is a rarity in this price bracket.

Pricing for 2004 Element models ranges from $16,100 for the DX with front-wheel-drive and a 5-speed manual transmission to $21,350 for a fully-loaded Element EX with an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The one drawback is fuel economy. The Element EX I tested was rated at 21 City/24 Highway, which is pretty poor for a four-cylinder vehicle. The Element's boxy shape is probably responsible for this. If you build a car with the aerodynamics of a refrigerator, you pay the penalty.

The DX, incidentally, is Honda's value leader in most of its model ranges. And there is evidence that the company is at last feeling the heat generated by some of its competitors on that front. Last issue, I reviewed a couple of Suzuki cars that are prices thousands lower than comparable Honda and Toyota products. Now Honda, at least, is fighting back.

The new Civic DX sedan with the Value Package offers a nicely-equipped vehicle for a sticker price of $14,660. Equipment includes a 1.7-liter, four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, power steering, air conditioning, and a very good sound system with a CD player. Not included, and notable by their absence, were power windows and power door locks.

This is a judgment call, but I believe that power door locks, in particular, are necessary for anyone driving in an urban environment where being able to lock the doors with the flick of a switch is a major safety issue. It is also a lot safer when approaching your car at night to unlock it with the remote and climb in quickly, than to stand there in a darkened parking lot fumbling with the keys. So, if the DX appeals to you, I would spring for the modest extra cost of power door locks.

There you have it. Two very interesting and highly affordable new models from Honda. R&D