1. Ford should be using this platform for a van.

...an idea ahead of it’s time. 

The fact that all auto makers stopped offering small trucks for the U.S. market, tells you that everyone misunderstood the buying public. I guess when you consider how popular big trucks are (even though more than 90% of owners don’t need them), I could potentially see how execs were fooled.

I have no idea how Ford could have foreseen this problem. I mean make a vehicle that is:

Hey this car you sold me keeps getting stolen by assholes. Its your fault, not the people taking it. 

I feel like car companies are designing cars with the thought that they will NEVER break down.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/mastermind-in-cocaine-smuggling-scheme-aboard-msc-vessels-arrested

“not a good look for the sport”

I get 21-24mpg regularly - not the best by any means (or I wouldn’t crave a hybrid or EV version) but not bad for a small SUV. And I don’t think my back seats have ever been in the down position. If it were easier I’d probably remove them altogether. 

1,000 pallet boards:

I owned a 2008 Element and miss it terribly. With the seats flipped up it held a gargantuan amount of cargo and was a perfect vehicle for camping. The mini suicide door also made it easy to get people and gear out of the vehicle. The only cons were terrible gas mileage and uncomfortable rear seating.

Yep. I came late to this QOTD and I knew this was already going to be suggested because it is absolutely the correct answer.

This is the correct answer.  My Dad loved his, and if they still existed I’d have one now.

This is the right answer (and what i typed before I saw your post.).   Honda could probably make a killing selling an updated hybrid version now that SUV’s have taken over.   

THIS IS THE ONE.

Had a 2004 Element for eleven years and 160k+ miles. Absolutely loved it. And if you look at how they’ve held their value, clearly there was still demand for this vehicle that Honda was walking away from. So much more functional than a CR-V.

Had one of these... Moved 90 percent of my home in one of these! 

100% this

The Honda Element. It was the perfect sport-utility vehicle with the emphasis squarely on utility. A flat floor and low load height meant you could fit things in the Element that wouldn’t fit in a suburban. Fit 2 mountain bikes, your girlfriend, all your camping gear for a week and a dog in it comfortably. Bags of…

The MR2 because even us poors deserve a mid-engine, RWD sporty car.