Honda Civic

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2020 Nissan Sentra, a new hipster nearing 40

Nearing its 40th birthday, the Nissan Sentra has endured weird names and different marketing strategies. Once a sub-compact, it’s now a compact or small sedan. Its peculiar names in different countries include Tsuru, Sylphy and Almera. It’s also a direct descendant of the Datsun B210. The 2020 Nissan Sentra, available in the United States, isn’t named after a crane, a slender young woman or a princess. Its moniker is a variant of sentry, which also isn’t quite right. But guardian or protector-on-wheels is workable. The Sentra has adapted and remains strong in an ever-crowded marketplace. Key Takeaways Eighth-generation redesign targets hipsters instead of rental fleets: A two-tone Monarch Orange body with Super Black roof and black wheels signals the biggest

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Rats keep warm, eat well and ruin lots of car engines

Several years ago, a service mechanic at a local Honda dealership in Sacramento looked across the service garage and said: “See all those Hondas up on the racks? They’re all just like your wife’s CR-V. Rats have eaten the engine wires.” I’d taken my wife’s then five-year-old Honda CR-V to the dealership across town for a yet-undiagnosed problem. Turns out, rats like to keep warm and feast on engine wires, hoses and nearly anything else, particularly if it’s made with Polypropylene. If you live near a river or a tree-lined area (like Sacramento), the problem is often prevalent. Rats aren’t against eating the wiring other manufacturers’ vehicles, but Honda’s lineup has Polypropylene in some engine parts and it’s a rodents’

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Massive airbag recall includes six million Honda, Toyota models

Another day, another airbag recall. This time, it involves more than six million Honda and Toyota vehicles. Toyota has recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide with ZF airbags that may not properly inflate. Honda is recalling 2.7 million vehicles for problems with Takata airbags. The Honda recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. The Honda vehicles included: 1998 to 2000 Accord coupe and sedan, 1996 to 2000 Civic coupe and sedan, the 1997 to 2001 CR-V, the 1998 to 2001 Odyssey and the 1997 and 1998 EV Plus. Toyota’s upscale brand Acura has an equally wide recall list: vehicles 1997 and 1998 2.2CL, the 1997 to 1999 3.0CL, the 1998 and 1999 2.3CL, the

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#116, The Weekly Driver Podcast’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and the Kia K900 to the Toyota Camry. These four diverse vehicles are on the list of the 2019 Best Cars and Trucks of the Year, announced by The Weekly Driver Podcast. Podcast co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the list on episode #116 of the weekly program that reports on all things automotive. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews for my weekly syndicated automotive column. It’s published by Bay Area News Group in San Jose,

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

Welcome to the 13th annual Best Cars and Trucks of the Year list, selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I will discuss the list on The Weekly Driver Podcast. The 10 vehicles on the 2019 Best Cars, Trucks list include manufacturers from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The Weekly Driver has been writing about our main automotive vent for years. How do prestigious industry publications determine their vehicles-of-the-year selections before the calendar year starts? Selecting a list

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2019 Honda Civic: lagging sales, still rules as top-rated compact

The Fit, Civic and Accord, sub-compact, compact and midsize sedan siblings, collectively represent nearly everything right in the automotive industry. If value, durability, functionality, fuel economy, repair efficiency and resale value are important, there’s nothing better than the Honda trio. Yet the threesome, all rated at or near the top of their segments, are rapidly losing new buyers. It’s not logical. The 2019 Honda Civic defines the ideal compact. It’s now in the fourth year of its 10th generation after debuting in 1972. But between generations, Honda, like most manufacturers, makes model adjustments, subtle to substantial. With the 2019 model (the 2020 model is also now available), the Civic’s front end has been restyled; it’s less drastic and more attractive.

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Honda, Acura finish long Takata fiasco with 1.6 airbag recalls

Honda and Acura are recalling 1.6 million cars dating from 2001 to 2015 in the manufacturers’ last phase of a several-year recall of potentially deadly Takata front passenger airbag inflators. The airbags, made with the chemical ammonium nitrate, are prone to exploding upon deployment, potentially hurling fiery shrapnel into passengers. Twenty-four people have been killed and hundreds injured by the inflators worldwide. When the newly announce recall is complete, Honda says it will have recalled or accounted for 22.6 million inflators in about 12.9 million vehicles. Affected Honda models include the 2001-2012 Accord, the 2010-2015 Crosstour, the 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, the 2011-2015 CR-Z, the 2003-2011 Element, the 2007-2014 Fit, the 2010-2014 Insight, the 2002-2004 Odyssey, the 2003-2015 Pilot and the

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2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI: Mighty return for sedan

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI (Grand Luxury Injection) celebrates the sporty sedan’s 35th anniversary. It debuted in February at the Chicago Auto Show and is offered in S, Autobahn and a special trim commemorating the occasion. The 2019 model is also the debut of the vehicle’s seventh edition; the Jetta in other styles debuted in 1980. Its new version has a longer wheelbase (105.6 inches) and is three inches longer overall as well as slightly wider and taller and sits lower. Key Takeaways Seventh-generation Jetta celebrates GLI’s 35th anniversary: The sporty Grand Luxury Injection model returns on a stretched 105.6-inch wheelbase with three inches of added overall length, more width, and a lower stance. 2.0-liter turbo delivers 5.8-second 0-60 performance:

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Genesis shines in 2018 Cars of the Year honors

The end of 2018 designates my 15th anniversary as an automotive journalist. It’s an ideal time to be part of an industry. Safety innovations, alternative fuels, ride-sharing platforms, autonomous driving and a rekindled appreciation for vintage vehicles all share in the whirlwind of change. Not everything is right. More manufacturers are making more alternative fuel vehicles. But the public still hasn’t embraced the idea nearly 20 years after the Toyota Prius launched the segment. Carmakers continue to make vehicles safer, but there’s so much technology, innovation arguably causes as much anxiety as peace of mind behind the wheel. Most industry publications and organizations select vehicles of the year in the preceding calendar year. At the Los Angeles Auto Show last

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2019 Hyundai Veloster: odd compact hatchback gets it right

The 2019 Hyundai Veloster marks the sports-oriented compact’s second-generation debut, and it remains a one-of-a-kind hatchback. A sharper-edged new exterior design is immediately appealing. But the symmetrical configuration is still a signature feature, with one longer driver’s side door and two shorter front and rear passenger doors. The three-door scheme is not available on any other vehicle. Key Takeaways Still the only three-door hatchback on the market: One long driver’s door, two shorter passenger doors, and a hatch remain the Veloster’s signature configuration. No other vehicle copies the asymmetric layout. 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo in the Turbo Ultimate: Paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and paddle shifters, the top trim carries Normal, Sport, and Smart drive modes with real differences in

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2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: hydrogen travel made worthy

Modern-day alternative fuel vehicles arrived in the United States in 1999 with the debut of the Honda Insight, a hybrid-electric that resembled a horizontally positioned peanut on wheels. The Toyota Prius arrived a few months later and remains the dominant leader in the segment with its family of “green” vehicles. Several manufacturers continue their quests infiltrate, most notably Honda. It debuted the Honda Civic GX (later called the Civic CNG), its compressed natural gas sedan, in limited markets in 1998. It was eventually available to consumers throughout the country, but production stopped with 2015 model. More innovative is the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, one of the three Clarity models available. It operates only on hydrogen, the emissions of which are

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How to Get Rid of Your Junk Car in Los Angeles

Buying a new car feels great, but getting rid of your old junk car can be a pain—especially if you want to sell it. Because of their size, cars are a hassle to keep around or dispose. Luckily, you can do something about it with a junk car removal service. Here’s what you need to know. When to Use Junk Car Removal Junk car removal isn’t always the best option if you want to get top value out of your car. If you have a nice car with a clean title that still runs well, you can always sell your car in Los Angeles for some extra cash. However, vehicles that don’t run or aren’t worth enough to spend time

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Episode 38: Driving the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

The Honda Clarity can thank its predecessors. Modern-day alternative fuel vehicles arrived in the United States in 1999 with the debut of the Honda Insight, a hybrid-electric that resembled a horizontally positioned peanut on wheels. The Toyota Prius arrived a few months later and remains the dominant leader in the segment with its family of “green” vehicles. Several manufacturers continue their quests to infiltrate the market, most notably Honda. It debuted the Honda Civic GX (later called the Civic CNG), its compressed natural gas sedan, in limited markets, in 1998. It was eventually available to consumers throughout the country, but production stopped with 2015 model. More innovative is the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, one of the three Clarity models available.

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2018 Honda Fit: money car for budget-minded buyers

Two questions with similar themes percolate throughout the auto industry. Consumers want to know the best car for the money and the best car money can buy. The answers are subjective. But the first question is more relevant to more buyers, and so here’s one vote for the 2018 Honda Fit. Now in its third generation and 11th year since replacing the Honda Civic hatchback, the Fit is a five-door subcompact with more interior room than its appearance indicates. Versatile, well-constructed inside and outside and value-priced, the little engine that can is arguably the best new car available in the United States for less than $20,000. Key Takeaways Still one of the best new cars under $20,000: The third-generation Fit

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2017 Best Cars of the Year

TheWeeklyDriver.com presents its 11th annual best cars of the year list. For the past two years, we selected 12 vehicles instead of 10 because we couldn’t decide what cars to leave off the lists. The selection was more clear-cut this year, so we’ve again chosen 10 vehicles. Volvo is the only manufacturer with two vehicles on the 2017 best cars list. Bentley, Genesis, Honda, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Volkswagen and Toyota are also represented. As editor and publisher of TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I reviewed 38 cars and trucks in 2017 model years for at least a week. Most of the vehicles I drove in the calendar year; some 2017 models in 2016. I also drove at least a half-dozen other vehicles

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