How fast should my 2003 Honda Element 4 speed AUTOMATIC abs able to go compared to the manual transmission?

My car is an 03 Honda Element awd 4 speed auto and one night I was driving on a long stretch of a highway on the interstate cruising 80 mph or so. Being a long and safe stretch that I'm fairly familiar of I went full throttle to see what my car could top out? When I hit the gas the car had no problem accelerating from 80 to 95 mph but once it hit 95 mph it slowly got up to 98 ish is something then it wouldn't go any faster. There's no way a 160 hp engine would be that weak to get a brick going any faster. I would think it should've been able to to 110- 120 mph before it becomes drag limited. However my truck has 140,000 miles(almost) and needs a new o2 sensor.

I KNOW this is not a performance vehicle but I would think any 4 banger should be able to do 110 mph. Hell, the white commercial vans are able to do 100 mph no problems and they are WAY non aerodynamic as my car!

What could be hindering my car from being able to do 110 mph? Clogged fuel filter perhaps? Any car should be able hit at least 110 if think. Also it makes me really frustrated when my car can't go that fast when I might need to go that fast.

You can get more speed from a manual transmission because you can change the gear ratio. Automatics are more for convenience.

What could be hindering your Honda Element?

It's the Mark DeSilva factor for sure. You are a reckless driver with a record of frequent at fault car accidents. You abuse all the automobiles that you drive. This is one of the reasons why your automobile insurance is outrageously priced. It is also why every car that you have ever owned has ended up being sold to the junkyard for scrap metal.

And under exactly what circumstances do you "need" to drive 110 mph? You live in the greater New York City area and there's no such thing as single lane highways is in your vicinity. So it is not like you have to worry about attaining a high-speed to pass another vehicle.

Well going 100 mph is indeed reckless but I would NEVER attempt to go that fast during traffic conditions or make a turn at that speed. All I care is that it can go over a 100 in a straight line speed. If I cared about going over 100 swerving through traffic I wouldn't hesitate to do it in my Mazda 3. When I had that car, I could take a curve on the highway at 110 mph at least with ONE hand and the car would still be very stable.
Even though I know speeding is reckless one thing I know as a driver is my cars limitations.
As a driver, it's OK to go fast as long as you know the circumstances around you at the time and most importantly the limitations of your vehicles handling. If I ever drive the same way in my truck like I did with the Mazda, I would've destroyed my Honda already.

So I know when and when not to go fast.

They would be virtually identical.

I think you are spending way too much mental energy on this. If you are concerned about drag, track your mpg and see what you can reasonably do to improve it. If you are concerned about freeway competence, replace the 16 year old compact crossover SUV with something that better suits your needs. If you are concerned about top speed, get over it. There's no reason to believe it will ever be better than it is now, and with age it will only decline.

You again? The concrete block you are driving will go no faster with a manual.

Are you related to Robby, who calls himself "Ben" these days? You guys sure do ask lots of repetitive questions.

I can't wait until you buy a real car!