Honda

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2020 Honda Pilot (Black Edition) pricey SUV option

The Honda Pilot is its 19th year as the manufacturer’s biggest, most versatile and most expensive sport utility vehicle. It’s also among seven utility vehicles Honda makes. All fulfill a niche for the ever-increasing percentage of consumers buying cars, trucks, SUVs and vans. As Honda‘s only three-row SUV, the Pilot combines the brand’s reputation and reliability with keen family and cargo capabilities. With its all-wheel-drive option, the Pilot has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Available in LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, Elite and Black Edition trims, all 2020 Pilots are equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard for the LX, EX and EX-L trims; A nine-speed transmission is included in the Touring Elite

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NEW TRUCK PREVIEW: 2021 Honda Ridgeline

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline will debut early next year with a pronounced redesign. It will showcase the pickup truck’s road and off-road versatility while retaining the tradition of its renowned for unibody design. The Ridgeline will continue to feature an extra-wide stance on an extra-wide standard bed. The manufacturer claims it’s the only truck that can flat-carry four-foot-wide items between its wheel wells. All 2021 Honda Ridgeline trims will include a 3.5-liter, direct-injected V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard of RTL-E and Black Editions. It’s optional on Sport and RTL trims. With its unibody construction and independent rear suspension, the Ridgeline also comes standard with a washable, lockable in-bed trunk. It offers

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2020 Honda Civic Si: Drive it for the fun of it

Vehicles available with manual transmissions are far removed from their dominant heydays. But consumers who still appreciate driving a stick shift shouldn’t despair. The 2020 Honda Civic Si is among 41 of 325 new models offered with a gearbox and clutch. A decade ago, 37 percent of new cars had manual transmission options. It’s now about 13 percent, including the exceedingly fun-to-drive 2020 Honda Civic Si. The 2020 Honda Civic Si is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. Images © Gretchen Gaither/2020. The Civic Si is the performance-oriented option of one of the best-selling cars in history. Available as a sedan or coupe, the Si is offered in a single, well-equipped trim. 2020 Honda Civic Si: It’s for drivers

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#143, Record sale for Mustang; goodbye Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit

There’s always news in the automotive world. Sometimes, The Weekly Driver Podcast doesn’t schedule a guest so co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia can discuss a few topics, like cars that will no longer be manufactured and a 55-year-old Mustang selling for an eye-opening record. That’s what we do in this episode. The Chevrolet Sonic and Honda Fit will no longer be manufactured after the cars’ current editions. Bruce and I discuss why we say good riddance to the Sonic and a hearty farewell to the Fit. Mustang, Mustang. How about a Mustang? Who would have known, a Mustang selling for nearly $4 million? It’s true. A 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R sold for a record $3.85 million The vehicle

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2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid: bright future now

No one ever calls the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid a Comfortable Runabout Vehicle or a Compact Recreational Vehicle. But like other vehicles known by acronyms, the CR-V is Honda‘s mid-range and most popular sport utility vehicle. It’s quickly likely to become further favored. The SUV segment, according to industry analysts, is expected to approach half of all new vehicles in the United States this year. Which makes it surprising one option hadn’t been previously offered. The Honda CR-V Hybrid, with documented histories to two original given names, debuts this year in a hybrid trim. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has increased in popularity for 11 straight years beginning in 2009 when slightly more than 191,000 sold. Yearly sales more than doubled

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Toyota Land Cruiser, Honda Ridgeline top 200K list

The Honda Ridgeline is arguably the most unusually designed truck on the road. It has a large fan base and detractors. But one area in which there’s no disagreement, the Ridgeline has the best longevity of any of its competitors. Although the Toyota Land Cruiser has the top ranking, the Ridgeline is among the three trucks in the top-15 vehicles reaching 20,000 miles, according to iseecars.com. The result of the survey makes a good case for consumers considering buying a used vehicle instead of purchasing a new car or truck. The iSeeCars.com site is a comprehensive platform for all car buyers. It calculated data from more than one million vehicles to determine the models and manufacturers with the highest percentage

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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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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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2019 Mazda6: worthy sedan struggles against Honda, Toyota

The 2019 Mazda6 is among several manufacturers’ offerings presented in recent years to infiltrate the dominance of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It’s automotive competition at its finest. Beyond the Mazda6, consider the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen Passat. Reasons abound for any of the alternatives to the midsize monoliths as solid choices. Honda and Toyota sedans remain the definitions of consistency and have among the industry’s best resale values. The Mazda6 in 2018 sold about 10 percent of the Accord and Camry tallies, and its best annual sales season was 15 years ago. It can’t match the resale leaders. Little has changed on the Mazda6 since a mid-cycle refresh

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2019 Honda Insight comes of age as handsome four-door hybrid

The original Honda Insight debuted as a 2000 model and received more mockery than respect. It was a far-from-perfect, two-door subcompact that looked like a mechanical peanut on wheels. With its unique appearance, the Insight garnered more attention as an oddity than it did for its now-important legend. It was the first mass-produced hybrid available in the United States. It was ugly, simultaneously cool and it got whooped in sales a few months later when the Toyota Prius debuted. Key Takeaways Insight grows up into a midsize four-door hybrid sedan: Honda replaced the two-door subcompact hatchback with a mainstream four-door design that finally looks like a conventional sedan rather than a mechanical peanut on wheels. 151-hp hybrid powertrain with 1.5-liter

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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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2018 Honda Accord shines with sporty new design

Now in its early 40s, the Honda Accord for 2018 launches the ever-popular sedan’s 10th generation. It’s redesigned inside and outside is nearly unrecognizable from most other years’ offerings. Once pedestrian in style and strictly family oriented, the Accord has morphed into a four-door sports car with sedan leanings. It has a new turbo-charged engine with 252 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s the same transmission offered in the 2018 Honda Odyssey. Honda has also upgraded standard technology. The new infotainment center has Android Auto, Apple Carplay and wireless phone charging. There’s also head-up display, built-in Wifi and ventilated cooling seats. The new stealth-oriented exterior design projects a European flair. Additional standard equipment, includes: Dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth,

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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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Episode 44: Expert examines Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Driving from Northern California to Southern California and back has been routine in recent years. The 800-mile round-trip trek along Interstate 5 is always interesting, particularly when driving a 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Six weeks ago was the most unusual trek I’ve taken from Sacramento to the Los Angeles region (this time to Long Beach) because I drove the sedan that runs on hydrogen. From the expediency of refueling to the performance of the Clarity and from the use of the High Occupancy Lane as a single occupant to running out of hydrogen were all part of the unique experience. The Clarity won me over quickly. I wrote my syndicated automotive for Bay Area News Group, Autopia, about my

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Industry fuel cell expert clears the air on hydrogen

Nineteen months ago, Chris White did something no one else in Northern California had done. She leased a new car that operates only on hydrogen. Honda, Toyota and Hyundai are manufacturers offering hydrogen-only vehicles. Mercedes-Benz and GM also have plans for hydrogen-only vehicles, the emissions of which are water. The 2017 and 2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell are available for lease only in only 12 dealerships in California. Five locales are in the San Francisco Bay Area, one is in Roseville. The long-time Communications Director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento, White also lives in West Sacramento. But she often travels to San Ramon on business and Truckee to visit relatives. Hydrogen stations are located in both

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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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