Honda

Hyundai, Ford, Chevrolet lead 40 mpg new breed

Automakers a couple of years ago were directed to increase fuel efficiency by about eight miles per gallon between 2012 and 2016. A report on GreenCarReports.com expertly details the progress of the fuel efficiency improvement. The site reports in 2009 only one non-hybrid or non-diesel averaged at least 40 mpg — the 2009 Smart ForTwo. With 2011 and 2012 models, 10 non-hybrid, non-diesel cars available in the United States achieve a 40 mpg average. In part, this is what the wrote about the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco: “The Eco is one of the largest and heaviest cars in this group. But, at 42 mpg on the highway, also the most efficient. Key to fuel economy in most Cruzes is a

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Honda Civic 2012 debuts, 4 engines, 13 trims in redesign

The redesigned 2012 Honda Civic is simultaneously debuting at the New York International Auto Show and at dealerships nationwide, with pricing starting at $15,600 for the base DX sedan extending to $26,750 for the hybrid with option packages. The eighth generation of the perennially top-selling Honda is the same size as the 2011 edition. But it’s 40 pounds because of a newly utilized high-strength steel and other weight-reducing changes. Standard for the 2012 Civic will be a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 140 horsepower and five-speed automatic transmission. Its manufacturer estimate is 39 mpg on the freeway. The HF model, which features some aerodynamic tweaks and fewer options, will be rated at 41 mpg in freeway driving and 29 mpg in

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Honda, Lexus get top best resale honors in new study

Vehicles manufactured by Honda, particularly the Accord sedan, CR-V crossover, Civic compact and Odyssey minivan, retain their value better than any other brand, according to a new study by Edmunds.com. The renowned automotive assessment website announced the result of its study five months after rival Kelley Blue Book named Subaru the top non-luxury brand and BMW the best luxury brand. “A lot of consumers just see (Honda) as a value-oriented brand that has good resale (value) and a good history of reliability,” said Danny Zhou, senior analyst for Edmunds.com. Edmunds calls the new evaluation, the Best Retained Value Awards. The authors used past resale prices to estimate the prices 2011 models when they are resold in five years. Honda retains

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Honda Fit gets Consumer Reports' overall best value honor

In addition to its varied category and overall best and worst category lists, Consumer Reports has a best value list and the 2011 Honda Fit has emerged as a double winner — best small car value and best overall value in 2011 among more than 200 different vehicles analyzed. “A low price doesn’t necessarily make a car a good value,” said Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports. “At a time when people need to make every dollar count, our best value list highlights the models that give you a lot for your money.” Consumer Reports uses performance, reliability, and ownership cost data to calculate value scores, with all cars in the same category — the entry level Honda Fit

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Nissan, other car makers assess disaster impact (video)

The global effect to the auto industry following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is still be assessed. But Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda have all stopped production, thousands of cars have been destroyed or damaged and the available of some models in the United States and other key sales countries has yet to be determined. Nissan, Japan’s second-largest car maker, reports 2,300 vehicles were burned or crumpled in the disaster, including nearly 1,300 Infiniti M, EX and FX models ready for transport to the United States. Additionally, some Z models, among other Nissan offerings, were destroyed. Correspondingly, six Nissan production plants suffered structural damage. Insurance analysts estimate the Japan disaster may cost the global automotive industry as much as

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Japan Economy: Toyota, Honda, Nissan cease production

Toyota, Nissan and Honda have all suspended production of cars and trucks in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that has devastated northeastern Japan. Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, reported it has ceased manufacturing at its 12 plants until March 16, according to Reuters. Two of the closed factories have  a combined annual capacity of 420,000 small cars built mainly for exported sales. Toyota manufactured 234,045 vehicles (38 percent of its global production) in January in Japan. Nissan has halted output at four plants in northeast Japan and will remain closed without a scheduled re-opening date. Two Nissan employees at a plant in Tochigi prefecture were slightly injured by the earthquake, according to new agencies. The carmaker also reported 1,300

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Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Eldorado, Honda Accord iconic 'antiques' at age 25

Twenty-five years ago, “Top Gun,” and “Platoon,” were among the year’s top movies, while “Cheers” and “Murder, She Wrote” were favorites among television audiences. And it also 1986 when the Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Honda Accord and Mercedez-Benz 300D all began new chapters of their enduring legacies. Cars 25 years old are eligible for the Antique Automobile Club of America car show. As such, here’s a list of key eligible cars from 1986: Acura Integra, Acura Legend, Cadillac Eldorado, Chevrolet Corvette (convertible), Ford Aerostar, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Honda Accord, Mazda RX-7, Mercedes-Benz 300E/300D, Toyota Celica. Some of the best-known cars from 1986 are more significant than others. The Chevrolet Corvette convertible, for example, was important because the famed sports car

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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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Toyota shines in Consumer Reports' 2011 Top Picks list

The Ford Mustang (Sporty Cars) and Kia Sorento (Family SUV) are among six new models named to the Consumer Reports annual Top Picks car list for 2011. The diverse selections include eight brands from six manufactures, with Toyota models claiming three categories. The redesigned Hyundai Elantra, which now comes standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also tops the list in the Small Car category. The previous Hyundai Elantra SE was Top Pick for Small Sedan for the past three years. The Honda Fit, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Avalanche are new additions to the list. The Infiniti G37, Toyota Prius and Nissan Altima are returning selections from the 2010 list. Consumer Reports’ Top Picks are the best all-around models

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Google this: Honda gets best website car industry honor

Statistics for online car purchases, or at least the amount of time car buyers spend researching car purchases online, has dramatically increased in recent years. Which is why manufacturers strive for efficient, informative web sites. Honda has the best automaker website, according to J.D. Power & Associates. Honda (www.honda,com) is followed by Mazda, Mini, Porsche and Acura in the 1,000 point ranking system based on speed, appearance, navigation and information/content. According to J.D. Power, Honda.com performed well on information/content, navigation and speed measures (meaning appearance apparently wasn’t Honda.com’s site’s strong point). The Power Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study began in 2000 and is now measured twice a year. According to Arianne Walker, director of marketing and media research at J.D. Power:

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Honda, Subaru, Toyota shine in Consumer Reports' study

Honda, a perennial top pick, Subaru, the all-wheel driver pioneer, and embattled Toyota claimed the top-three spots in the annual survey by Consumer Reports to determine the manufacturers with the overall best cars. Honda, whose Fit earned high marks with the Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Avalanche, led the Japanese company’s consistent ratings throughout its line en route to the industry’s highest total in the magazine’s detail assessment. Ford posted the largest quality gains among the major automakers with improved road tests and reliability scores. Honda Motor Co., including its Acura division, had the highest overall score, 74, and the best reliability record of any manufacturer, the magazine said. Subaru finished second with 73 points, while Toyota was third with 71

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Oscars: Honda, Ford, Toyota teased in Hyundai Elantra ad

Among the nine commercial slots Hyundai has purchased for the Academy Awards, seven will be broadcast during the Oscars telecast, four with the voice over of Arrested Development star Jason Bateman. Three of the ads “Drawing Board,” “Childhood,” and “Deprogramming” all showcase the Hyundai Elantra. The commercial “Drawing Board,” is a straight-forward, none hi-tech 30 seconds during which Hyundai quotes car reviews in various praises of the 40 mpg 2011 Elantra. Toyota, Honda and Ford all take understated, perfectly timed criticism, while one car site is quoted as saying the Elantra has hit a home run in the compact car segment. The commercial ends with Bateman posing the question: “Anybody got a drawing board?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAJWPE0xQg James RaiaA sports, travel and

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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 Fit recall: nearly 700,000 globally for stalling issue

Honda is recalling about 97,000 of its 2009–10 Honda Fit hatchbacks in the United States and about 700,000 worldwide (also sold under the names Honda Freed and Honda City) because a part failure can cause the car to stall or damage the engine. The carmaker announced in a news release that “lost motion springs” within the engine’s valve train “may bend or break over time resulting in abnormal engine noise and potentially causing engine damage or stalling.” Honda said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries and would begin notifying owners early next month. The Japanese automaker said the problem is originates from a  “a lack of lubrication “where the lost motion spring retainer contacts the rocker arm.”

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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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Kia Optima tops BMW, Honda, Chevy, Nissan for Cars.com Best of 2011 award

Kia, the once not-so touted cousin of the equally once not-so lauded Hyundai, has joined its midsize brethren in the honors line. Cars.com has given the Kia Optima its “Best of 2011” award. The editors of the web site cited the Optima’s outstanding fuel economy overall driving. Hyundai, which owns Kia, has received its share of honors for its Sonata and other vehicles in the Korean manufacturer’s lineup. The editors of Cars.com said: “With its value, sharp packaging, outstanding fuel efficiency and lofty features, the Optima gives all family-car shoppers a shot at something far more compelling than the segment represents.” The BMW 5 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Volt (recently named North American Car of the Year), Honda Odyssey and

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