Honda Element

So long, farewell to these cars after 2016 models

While some cars’ legacies continue for decades, through many generations and fluctuating sales years, other cars have short tenures and disappear as new models quickly in the ever-crowded marketplace. It was no different at the end of 2016. Some highly reviewed cars and some not-so-well reviewed vehicles won’t be available as 2017 models. As such, we say goodbye and farewell to at least 10 vehicles with 2016 as their final years. Will any of them become collectors’ items? Or, will they simply fade into an automotive graveyard somewhere and resurface as “barn finds” decades from now. Either way, here’s a look at 10 cars manufacturers stopped making after their respective 2016 models. Cars listed with hyperlinks were reviewed in at

Read more

2017 Kia Soul: Wacky debut SUV finds maturity

When it joined the car-in-a-box lineup in 2010, the Kia Soul was a novelty. Its unique styling garnered a lot of attention, not all of it good. But the 2017 Kia Soul is now a mature sport utility vehicle, a less expensive option against top-selling new rivals from Ford and Mazda. Its former new breed counterparts, the Honda Element, Nissan Cube and Scion Xb, are defunct. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Key Takeaways New 201-hp 1.6L turbo for the Exclaim trim: The top ! trim debuts a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission alongside the more potent turbocharged engine, adding genuine performance to the Soul’s quirky persona. Outlasted its direct competitors: Honda Element, Nissan Cube, and Scion xB are all defunct. The Soul

Read more

2016 Honda HR-V: Compact SUV adds to brand’s legacy

The 2016 Honda HR-V, the newest and smallest of the manufacturer’s successful lineup of sport utility vehicles, debuted last year. It joined the increasingly competitive subcompact SUV segment that includes newly en vogue vehicles like the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3 and Fiat 500X. The Honda HR-V (Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle) also joined the Honda CR-V (Compact Recreational Vehicle), and the Honda Pilot in the manufacturer’s SUV lineup. The Honda Element, a fourth SUV option, ceased production a few years ago. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in three trims, my weekly driver was the top-line EX-L. Like all Honda vehicles it featured a lengthy list of standard equipment. It’s complemented by a 1.8-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine with 141 horsepower and a

Read more

Honda CR-V has new motto: In for the long haul

If the popularity of vehicles made by Toyota and Honda need any additional proof, look no further than the latest longevity study by bankrate.com. Six vehicles manufactured by Toyota and four made by Honda comprised the top-10 of car owners keep at least 10 years. The site’s study looked at vehicles new in 2015 and sold between January 1 2015 to July 15, 2015. Honda CR-V versatility equals its longevity The Honda CR-V, a perennial top-10 selling vehicle, earned the top mark. While just edging the Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V models purchased in 2005 are still owned by 28.6 percent of their original owners. The Toyota Prius, which has dominated the hybrid market since its debut, was second in the

Read more

Air bags woes prompt expanded Honda recall

Seven months after it began as a regional issue, pressure by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has expanded a current regional Honda recall nationally because of faulty driver’s side airbags. According to the NHTSA, the air bags, made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp., can explode with too much force. As a result: metal shrapnel be can forced into the passenger compartment. The Honda recall list was posted on the NHTSA ate last month. It includes: 2001 – 2007 Honda Accord; 2001 – 2005 Honda Civic; 2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V; 2003 – 2011 Honda Element; 2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey; 2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot; 2006 – Honda Ridgeline; 2003 – 2006 Acura MDX; 2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL;

Read more

10 Best Cars Gone to the Dogs

Traveling with the family dog in the car is great. But some carmakers make it easier and safer than other manufacturers to travel with an animal. A blanket in the back of a station wagon can still work with a calm dog. But it’s not really safe if a driver is forced to stop suddenly. And arguably the bigger the dog, the more difficult it is to accommodate the family pet on a vacation or just on a trio the veterinarian or the local park. Fortunately for all parties involved, an increasing number of carmakers understand. It’s a good thing, too. About 47 percent of households in the United States own at least one pet, according to the American Veterinary

Read more

REVIEW: Maturity arrives for 2014 Kia Soul

Nearly a decade after the Honda Element debuted, the Kia Soul joined a few other brands in the car-in-a-box lineup in 2010. The niche group gained a lot of attention, good and bad, for their uniquely styled exteriors. But the 2014 Kia Soul is now maturely immersed in the auto scene. It’s no longer a novelty item, especially since gaining its first redesign. New this year is increased attention to the quality of the materials used in the interior as well as improved cargo space, now 61 cubic feet. The Kia Soul has always offered a hefty list of standard features, but also new for 2014 as options are a panoramic sunroof and an upgraded Uvo eServices package that includes

Read more

REVIEW: 2014 Honda Crosstour versatile, polarizing

Introduced in 2010 as the Accord Crosstour, Honda dropped Accord from the official name two years later. The 2014 Crosstour still shares its chassis and powertrain with the Accord. But five years into its first generation, it still has its own polarizing identity. Like its predecessors, the 2014 Honda Crosstour has been heavily maligned. Its critics don’t know how to categorize the car. It’s not a wagon, SUV or sedan. It’s category defying and some folks just aren’t comfortable with that. Honda defines the Crosstour as a 5-door hatchback. But its rear hatch design limits available cargo space and it doesn’t have the functionality of a full-blown wagon or more spacious crossover rivals. But so what? It’s a trendsetter in

Read more

REVIEW: 2014 Kia Soul has more soul than predecessor

As Detroit automakers once said about their cars, the 2014 Kia Soul is “longer, lower and wider” than its predecessor, which arrived a few years ago as one of the first funky, boxy, compact crossover vehicles. The Soul has prospered, while its rival boxy Honda Element is gone. And the Soul far outsells the boxy Scion xB, which reportedly will be dropped. In fact, things are looking up for the new, second-generation Soul. It has a longer 101.2-inch wheelbase (up 0.8 inches), a width broadened by 0.6 inches to 70.9 inches and a reduced overall height of 63 inches—decreased by nearly half an inch. The result? More passenger and cargo room in the quieter, higher-line interior and a more attractive

Read more
,

BEST — — USED CARS: 2006 Mazda MX-5, 2006

(Editor’s note: TheWeeklyDriver.com is now 10 years old. We’re visiting our archives to review cars once new and now well-suited for best-buy status in the used car market. The 2006 Mazda MX-5 is one of our choices.) Certain cars acquire their reputations via buyers’ gender or age group rather than the size, style, price or performance of the vehicle. Volkswagen’s Beetle and Chrysler’s PT Cruiser are surprisingly popular among women drivers. The Honda Element was marketed to appeal to young drivers, but it’s been successful among urban families who enjoy recreation. Like the Beetle and PT Cruiser, the Mazda Miata has had great success among women drivers. And it’s become the world’s best-selling two-passenger convertible. But Mazda had other plans,

Read more
,

Review: Kia Soul 2013: funky, efficient car in a box

When the Honda Element debuted in 2001 it generated immediate fans and detractors with its auto industry shocker — a box on wheels. But more than a decade later, with the influx of vehicles like the Scion xB, Nissan Cube and Kia Soul, the Element has morphed into the mainstream. The Soul, meanwhile, has assumed the front-runner’s perch in the car-in-a-box mold. The Soul debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2008 and was unveiled in March 2009 to North America. Now in its fourth year, the Soul still gets a fair share of looks because is doesn’t look like any other car. It’s now outselling the Cube and Scion combined because while still funky it also has a lot

Read more
,

Chevy, Ford, Buick, BMW among automakers with cars driving into the sunset

So long, Ford Ranger, Buick Lucerne, Dodge Dakota and Mazda Rx-8. Farewell, BMW Active Hybrid 6, Cadillac DTS and Chevrolet HHR. Nice to know you, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Volvo S40 and V50. Take care Ford Crown Victoria, Mazda Tribute, Cadillac STS, Honda Element, Lotus Elise and California-based electric car start-up, Aptera. As for Saab and Maybach, both are joining the manufacturers' graveyard. In automotive year when perennial best sellers like the Ford F150, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic maintained their dominance, the ever-evolving auto industry experienced its share of change in 2011 — and losses of friends. More manufacturers began to offer hybrid and electric vehicles. Even iconic brands like Rolls Royce and Ferarri announced plans to

Read more
,

Scion xB, 2011: Still looks like a box, but no longer so square

It doesn't seem like a decade ago when the new trend of odd-looking sport utility vehicles and sport wagons first became common place in the United States. The Honda Element debuted in 2002 and two years later, its unusual appearance was further stretched with another "box on wheels," the Scion xB. Now in its second edition and refreshed for 2011, the Scion xB still gets "box-shaped" references and its share of stares. Made by Toyota for the North American market, the 5-door compact hatchback is marketed toward youth buyers. The 2011 model became available in March 2010 with a fresh of the edition that debuted in 2007. The changes include two new available colors, revised front and rear bumpers, new

Read more

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.

Read more
,

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.

Read more

Nissan Cube, Honda Crosstour get 2010 all-ugly honors

One car owner’s dream car is another auto enthusiast’s nightmare. In 2010, more than one model grabbed its share of attention and catapulted its way to the year’s all-ugly list — the Nissan Cube to two Honda models. Correspondingly, while the Nissan Cube and Honda Accord Crosstour have received all-ugly honors, they’ve also received auto industry innovation design awards. In its 2010 end-of-the-year compilation, Forbes.com chose eight cars for their less-than-attractive appearances. The website also features a clever image of a Nissan Cube mostly covered by a brown paper bag. In its introduction to the article, the Forbes’ writer said: “Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some consumers love the quirky angles of the (Scion) xB, or

Read more
Next