Honda Civic

Mazda3 2011 awarded IIHS top safety pick rating

The 2011 Mazda 3 sedan/hatchback, after earning the top rating of good for roof strength in rollover crashes, qualifies as a Top Safety Pick among small cars by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). The Mazda3, which previously earned good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection, is the manufacturer’s first car designated as a Top Safety Pick since the Institute made the criteria more strict by including a requirement for a good rating in the roof strength test. Two tests were conducted in order to rate the 4-door sedan and hatchback versions. The sedan’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.32 times the car’s weight. The hatchback’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.09 times its weight.

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Honda Civic 2011 car review

For several years, the Honda Civic has likely held a unique distinction throughout the automotive industry — most available trims. The 2011 Civic is available as a sedan or coupe and it’s offered in five main trim levels: DX, LX, EX, EX-L and Si. As a sedan-only, Honda also offers the DX Value package, the LX-S, the Hybrid and the GX. The likely reason for all choices is that the Civic is perennially among the top-selling cars in the United States. That makes for an easy equation — more is better. Since its 1972 debut the Civic has evolved  through eight generations. The much-anticipated ninth generation Civic redesign is set for the 2012. Early examples are currently making auto show

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Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, 2011 car review

Approaching its 40th birthday, the Mitsubishi Lancer has been sold around the world with about a dozen different names, Lancer Fiore to Mirage Saloon to Dodge Colt. Now in its ninth generation since its 1973 debut, the Lancer under its various badges has sold more than six million units. For 2011, a more entry level ES trim joined its sedan and hatchback siblings at a base price of about $2,000 less than last year’s model. The reduced price was prompted by the influx of top-notch small cars available from almost every manufacturer. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The Lancer Sportback ES has a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, but its exterior appearance makes it look like a more powerful and appreciably sportier

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Honda Civic 2012 debuts, two models with 40-plus mpg

Featuring the widest array of engine choices available in its class, the 2012 Honda Civic is designed to better meet the needs of the compact-vehicle buyers when it debuts in the spring of 2011. The redesigned ninth-generation Civic lineup will become more fuel efficient with two models — the all-new Honda Civic HF and the Civic Hybrid — each delivering fuel economy estimates of more than 40 mpg on the highway. Built on the tradition of Honda fuel efficiency, the economical Honda Civic HF model will be the most fuel-efficient gasoline-only powered Civic in the lineup. Equipped with a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine, the Honda Civic HF is targeted to earn EPA-estimated fuel economy of 41 mpg on the highway. The

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Honda gets "green" car top honors, Chevy Volt shorts out

For the 8th year, the 2011 Honda Civic GX has claimed top honors as the “greenest” car in the United States, according to the 14th annual ratings for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Some newcomers — including an electric vehicle and a plug-in electric hybrid — did well, while several of the regulars held their ground and other cars, most notably the Chevrolet Volt, fared poorly. This year’s ratings reveal a face-off among plug-ins, gasoline hybrids, diesels, natural gas vehicles, and improving “conventional” gasoline vehicles. notwithstanding changes to Green Book® rating methods that boost. The all-electric Nissan Leaf places second, followed by the gasoline-powered Smart Fortwo. Hybrids take the next three spots, followed closely by Ford’s new

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Ford Focus, 2012 car review

The new, redesigned compact Ford Focus is a sleek, mildly Americanized version of Ford’s European Focus. Developed and tuned in Germany, it’s a big improvement over its dated predecessor. The new, tightly assembled Focus is a very early 2012 model that will be sold in many worldwide markets. It comes as a versatile sedan or hatchback. The “hatch” has the same 104.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but is 6.9 inches shorter. Both versions have wheels pulled to the far corners of the body for better ride and handling. Both versions provide decent cargo room. The rear seatbacks on most Focus models flip forward but are too thick to allow a completely flat cargo floor when moved forward. There’s good interior

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Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster top 2011 'gas' mileage honors

The influx of hybrid vehicles and intensified competition among manufacturers has shuffled the  annual listing of most efficient cars. For 2011, some cars are familiar, but there are a few surprises. Compiled by editors of the web site, thedailygreen.com and published on Huffington Post.com, the Nissan Leaf, the first standard production, all-electric car on the road in the United States, shares the best “gas” of any car in the country, the equivalent of 99 mpg, with the Tesla Roadster, the limited production electric sports car. Here’s the description of the Leaf and the list of the top-15 cars for 2011 with the best gas mileage averages: “The first all-electric car on the road in the U.S. is the Nissan Leaf,

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Honda says it's a gas, will offer Civic natural gas model nationwide in 2011

Some automotive industry experts believe Honda has been complacent in recent years with the Accord and Civic among the top-five best-selling cars in the United States. But while the Japanese manufacturer has rejuvenated its efforts the new Honda Civic hybrid, it’s all remained at the forefront in another “green” area — natural gas. Honda is among only a few companies that sell a natural gas-powered car in the U.S.. But Honda will soon do better than that. It’s natural gas-powered version of its new Civic sedan will soon be available in all 50 states, according to carmaker  representatives at the Detroit auto show. Currently Honda sells around 1,500 natural-gas Civics each year. But they’re currently only in California, Oklahoma, New York

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Honda Civic 2012 creates more buzz at Detroit Auto Show

The buzz around the 2012 Honda Civic concept has continued at the Detroit Auto Show, with the ninth generation of the fourth best-selling car in the United States giving the Japanese manufacturer hope of a sales resurgence. Honda has been a top-seller manufacturer for many years, particularly based on the stalwart category leaders Accord and Civic. But three Honda models — the CR-Z hybrid coupe, Accord Crosstour hatchback and Insight hybrid — all had disappointing sales in 2010. Honda also recently announced it’s discontinuing the Element, it’s boxy SUV. The new Civic, according to Honda, has been redesigned and will be offered with three different engines to compete with strong challengers, including General Motors’s Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and

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Honda Civic 2012 unveiled with new design, new engines

Honda has introduced the ninth generation of the Civic, the carmaker’s second most popular car, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It will go on sale this spring as a 2012 model. The new Honda will be available as a sedan and a coupe and with conventional gasoline, hybrid and natural gas drivetrains. The new shape of the popular Civic is more windswept and aggressive. The Civic Si concept coupe has a more angular front end, mesh grille and tapered rear roofline. The 2012 Civic hybrid version will be Honda‘s first use of lithium-ion batteries. The gasoline-powered model will feature the same Eco Assist technology Honda debuted on its CR-Z hybrid last year, which allows drivers to

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Ford F-Series top 2010 seller, extends reign to 34 years

The Ford F-Series pick-up, the country’s best-selling vehicle every year for more than three decades, continued its commanding position in 2010 with an increase of more than 27 percent in sales from 2009. The Ford F-Series trucks, one of two Ford products on the top-10 list for 2010, had sales of 528,349, more than 150,000 more than the second-best seller, the Chevrolet Silverado. It was the country’s top-seller for the 34th straight year. Honda had three cars among the top-10 sellers for 2010, the Accord, Civic and CR-V. Toyota (Camry and Corolla) and Ford (F-Series and Fusion) had two vehicles on the list. Despite the third and fifth positions on the top-10 list, the Camry and Corolla were the only

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Audi, Ford, Lexus on The Weekly Driver's 2010 Best List

Recall was likely the most used word in the automotive industry in 2010. Toyota topped the list of manufacturers’ whose cars were retrieved by the millions with myriad issues. Regardless, of the 20 million recalls. it was another remarkable year for cars. The Hyundai Sonata for the first time in some monthly totals outsold the Honda Accord. The Chevy Camaro returned in 2009 as a 2010 model. Honda introduced the attention-grabbing Crosstour and discontinued the Element. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf made their public debuts amid an enormous public relations joust and with the future of hybrid and electric vehicles still largely unclear. The specialty car market was constantly in the news. Premium prices were dished out at auctions

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Hyundai, VW share top 2011 safety institute honors

Hyundai and Volkswagen combined to earn 18 of 66 Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the independent nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to reducing the incidents on American highways. Hyundai and Volkswagen each had nine winning models, the most of any manufacturer. The IIHS introduced more difficult standards for 2010, adding roof strength to its criteria by testing protection in rollover crashes. “In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick,” said Adrian Lund, the Institute president. “That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV — from economy to luxury models — plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms.

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Hyundai Elantra, 2011 review

Why not get sub-compact car fuel economy with a slick compact auto that’s so roomy the EPA classifies it as a mid-size car and that even offers heated rear seats? Why not, indeed? That’s the question Hyundai asked itself and came up with its new sleekly styled 2011 Elantra sedan, which does all that . . . and then some. Hyundai is especially proud the EPA says all versions of the Elantra get an estimated 40 miles per gallon on the highway, with either a new six-speed manual gearbox or new six-speed automatic transmission. Estimated city economy for all versions is 29 mpg. “We don’t charge extra for any Elantra version with a 40-mpg rating,” quipped a Hyundai executive at

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Michigan couple celebrates 25-year affair and more than 225,000 miles with a 1986 Honda Civic Si

Pamm and Rick Tarchinski recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of their love affair. Mostly, it’s a one-sided romance, but it’s still epic. The Michigan couple paid $10,000 in 1986 for a new Honda Civic Si. But it’s Pamm Tarchinski’s car or at least it sure seems that way. The original sales brochure made the car appealing, but it’s not perfect. Yet the Tarchinskis are forgiving and appreciative. Through muffler problems, near-catastrophes with deer and a countless number of potential trade-ins when no one wanted the vehicle, the husband-wife still own the car. And they hope to drive it at least a few more thousand miles. If it happens, the Honda Civic will have been driven more than 238,000 miles —

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Ten great, cheap 2011 cars, Ford Fiesta to VW Golf

The automotive industry is flush with inexpensive, economical, quality cars. The online business site, CNNMoney.com has compiled an impressive list of 10 cars, the Ford Fiesta to Honda Fit, all with entry level prices of under $18,000. In its assessment of the Chevy Cruze, for example, the website editors write: “General Motors makes a really nice small car. The best thing about the Chevy Cruze is that it looks, feels and drives like a real car. It’s not one of those “be happy-you-even-have-a-car” tin cans on wheels. “The interior is made from better-than-you-paid-for stuff while the ride quality and performance are, likewise, a notch above. Most small car buyers are after practicality and comfort, not kicks, and the Cruze delivers

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