I mountain bike, ski, hike, camp, etc etc...and I own a Honda Element and it is everything I could want in a car and more. I have the "luxury" version with AWD, and all the silly extras like a moon roof and trim. It is a 2003, had 120,000 miles on it and cost me $6700.00 cash when I purchased it used. I have been driving it for 5 years now, put an additional 60,000 miles on it in that time (lots of driving for bike racing, skiing, camping) and literally all I have had to do is change the oil, one set of new tires, and a new battery. I plan to put another 100k miles on this vehicle, and see no reason why I shouldn't. I think it's a myth that a used or older car will cost tons of maintenance...you just have to do research and purchase the right one! I think an Element is a perfect vehicle for someone that is super active, wants the ability to haul a lot of bikes, skis, gear...and sleep in the car too! It gets pretty decent gas mileage (23-25mpg) for an SUV type car. I've taken it on gnarly 4x4 roads, to trailheads at 12k feet, etc...it is super capable! Especially with some solid AT tires.
This is the 3rd element that has been in my family, and we have had zero reliability issues, so I guess that's why I recommend it so heavily. My dad has owned two different ones since 2003, and never had a single maintenance issue beyond normal wear and tear.