Honda

2015 Honda Fit: New best subcompact?

It looks like Honda has hit another bases-loaded home run with its new 2015 Honda Fit. The feisty subcompact was love at first sight to many when it arrived for 2007. It was affordable, economical, nicely sized and — importantly — fun to drive. The redesigned 2015 Fit four-door hatchback tops the first and second-generation Fit models and doesn’t cost much more than the 2014 Fit. List prices for the more refined LX, EX and top-line EX-L models range from $15,525 for the base LX with a new six-speed manual transmission to $19,800 for the better equipped EX-L with a new CVT automatic transmission. Add a navigation system and the EX-L stickers at $20,800. New, improved interior Standard items in

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PREVIEW: 2015 Honda CR-V

Good news for sport utility vehicle enthusiasts. Honda is soon going to add a new SUV to its stable — the 2015 Honda CR-V. The redesigned model will include exterior changes to the doors, mirrors and trim levels. The back door’s rear glass has also been considerably restyled. Head lamps have been given LED lighting and the fog lights have been placed in the lattice. In addition, the 2015 Honda CR-V will have combination of 16-inch alloy and 17-inch steel wheels. The front fascia has been given an appearance of three chrome tubes that extend from one headlight to the other. Lighting at the rear extends all the way from the roof to over the door, and the bumper has

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Recall madness: Honda, Nissan, Mazda . . . airbags

Honda, Nissan and Mazda combined are recalling about 1.3 million cars in North America and more than 3 million globally for faulty airbags manufactured by the Takata Corp. Honda is recalling 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element models manufactured between April 2000 and October 2002. Nissan is recalling 228,00 vehicles. Mazda is recalling about 15,000 of the RX-8 and Mazda6. Takata airbags were last involved in a recall in 2013 when Japanese automakers recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide because of faulty airbags. In early June (2014), Toyota recalled 844,277 with similar problems. The exact cause of the airbag issue has not been determined. One theory is that defective inflators can explode when deployed because of the propellent’s sensitivity to

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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

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Best Family Cars for 2014: Mazda3 to Honda Odyssey

What are the best family cars? What defines family? And what are the needs of families, small and large? Edmunds.com and Parents magazine have combined for the past seven years to present their combined list. For 2014, their top-10 list, as usual, is divided into categories, family friendly subcompacts to large sport utility vehicles. Car experts from both organizations examined hundreds of vehicles and narrowed the selection to choices in each category to those vehicles with features that make daily family journeys easier. The criteria include: reliability, impressive mileage and ample cargo capacity. “Whether they’re taking a summer road trip or just making a grocery run, families expect a lot from their vehicles,” said Parents Editor-in-Chief Dana Points. “Safety is

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REVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid shines

After a redesign last year, the 2014 Honda Accord, now in its ninth generation, remains much the same as the 2013 model — with one exception. After a disappointing debut as a hybrid several years ago, Honda has reintroduced the Hybrid trim. It expands Honda’s alternate engine lineup that also includes the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Civic CNG (Natural Gas). The Honda Accord Hybrid is available in EX, EX-L and Touring trims. There’s also a limited edition plug-in version. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s no secret the original Honda Accord Hybrid wasn’t the carmaker’s most popular car. It was no doubt a quality Honda, but fuel efficiency wasn’t as superior as it could have been.

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2014 Honda Civic: safe, reliable, fuel efficient

Honda is moving quickly to improve its popular Civic. Its update in 2012 eliminated the cost-cutting complaints about this long-popular model. The 2012 Honda Civic was far from being marginal. Like other Civics, it was safe, reliable and fuel-efficient. But it had a rather bland design, and there were complaints about its handling, steering, ride and road noise. The front-drive compact Civic is a Honda bread-and-butter car, so the automaker quickly upgraded it with a more upscale appearance, using such items a Honda Accord-style grille and new wheels, hood, trunk lid and taillights. The interior also was improved with better materials and upholstery. Among few changes for 2014 are small horsepower increases. There still are a few signs of cost-cutting.

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PREVIEW: Honda Fit, 2015: Quicker, better mpg

The Honda Fit, which debuted in 2006 as a 2007 model, has been heavily praised as among the best bargains in the automotive industry. The Fit has also been recalled more than once and has been criticized for Honda’s inability to produce better gas mileage averages for the fun-to-driver, spacious subcompact. Honda is aware, and according to a report in the CarConnection.com, the Japanese carmaker plans to introduce a new line of more efficient, and thus, fuel-savings engines and transmissions in its cars. The project, called Earth Dreams, will include, according to the site, a new generation of direct-injection engines, plus Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) for fuel efficiency and dual-clutch automated gearboxes for hybrids and sporty models. The new Fit,

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Ford Series trucks again top-selling vehicles for 2013

The Ford Series trucks, paced by the F-150, have been the best-selling vehicles in the United States for more than three decades. And they’ve been the country’s best-selling trucks for more than four decades. In 2013, the trucks’ top-ranking remained in the end-of-the-year sales totals. But the pick-up trucks’  numbers were even more impressive. The entire F-Series sold 763,402 units in 2013, an 18 percent increase from 2012. The Chevrolet Silverado and Ram Pickup were also among the top-five sellers on the top-10 list. The Ram was fifth on the list and had a 21.1 percent increase in sales from one year ago, the largest increase in the top-10. Remaining changes on the 2013 top-sellers list weren’t dramatic different from

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Honda Accord named Car of the Decade

Since The Weekly Driver website began in 2004, Honda has been represented more than any other manufacturer. I’ve driven every model the manufacturer offers, the Fit to the Odyssey and the S2000 to the Ridgeline. The Honda Accord is the beacon for the carmaker, remaining among the top-selling cars in the United States for 25 years. In the observance of our first 10 years, The Weekly Driver has selected the Honda Accord as the Car of the Decade. The versatile sedan is unmatched in its combination of comfort, styling, efficiency, safety and resale value. The first generation Honda Accord was launched on May 7, 1976 as a three-door hatchback with 68 horsepower, a 93.7-inch wheelbase and weighing about 2,000 pounds.

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Honda shines in TheWeeklyDriver’s 2013 top-10

For the seventh straight year, theweeklydriver.com has selected its top-10 Cars of the Year. Honda continues its streak as the only manufacturer represented in each year of the list. We’ve picked 70 cars, of course, in the past 10 years, and now 13 Honda models have been featured, including in 2013, the Honda Odyssey and Honda Accord. As editor and publisher of the site since its debut in 2004, I wrote 34 full reviews of 2013 model year cars and trucks. Contributors Dan Jedlicka (www.danjedlicka.com) and Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) also contributed reviews to the site in 2013, pushing the total reviews to more than 100 for the year. Aldrich also filmed and produced all of the videos on the site

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2014 Honda Odyssey: Most versatile car made?

The 2014 Honda Odyssey marks a coming of age for the top-selling minivan. It’s 21 years old now, but it’s been mature for many years. The new Odyssey is in the fourth year of its fourth generation from a design that debuted at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. The 2014 Honda Odyssey features a 24-valve, 248-horsepower engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. It has 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds and comfortable seating in three rows and for seven or maybe eight adults. The interior and exterior designs are sleek, modern and ultimately non-minivan. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite, I test drove the Touring Elite — the most

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Two Mazdas, Honda Accord among Car and Driver’s 2013 Best

Two Mazda models, the perennial favorite Honda Accord and several sports cars and sedans have been selected in Car and Driver’s 32nd annual 10 Best list of 2013 cars with prices less than $80,000. Car and Driver this year recognized five all-new cars to redefining excellence for the entire industry. Half of the 10 vehicles selected have starting costs of less than $25,000. Car and Driver writes, “These are the vehicles that offer the most value, that elegantly and comprehensively fulfill their missions, and that engage their drivers in spirited conversation. They are not always the newest or the trendiest, but they are the consistent overachievers.” The 32nd Car and Driver 10Best and publication’s comments: Porsche Boxster/Cayman – “The secret

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Honda Accord 2014: Green Car of the Year at LA Auto Show

The 2014 Honda Accord was named the Green Car of the Year at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, getting top honors over the Audi A6 TDI, BMW 328d, Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla. The award was given to the Accord for all of its iterations, including the Accord, Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In. According to the editors of the Green Car Journal, which has presented the award since 2005, the Honda Accord has evolved to meet the needs of an increasingly changing market that seeks ever-higher fuel efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and improved environmental impact. The 2014 Honda Accord brings notable efficiency with its conventional gasoline powerplants with Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In hybrid choices that achieve up to

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CAR REVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord: still on top

It’s hard to image the Honda Accord when it debuted in 1976. It was a small two-door hatchback with little to show for itself. Fast-forward to 2014 and the Honda Accord is a stalwart, a well-equipped family sedan perennially among the country’s top-selling cars. After a redesign last year, the Honda Accord, now in its ninth generation, remains much the same as the 2013 model. But buyers now have additional choices. The Honda Accord hybrid has been re-introduced after a several-year absence. And a Honda Accord plug-in electric has been introduced in a limited edition. The additions of the new models add to the already vast offering of available Accords at price prices ranging from less than $23,000 to approaching

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BEST — — USED CARS: 2011 Honda CR-V

Now a teenager and offered in its third generation, the Honda CR-V remains one of the country’s most popular compact sport utility vehicles. It debuted in Japan in 1995, arrived as a Chicago Auto Show display in 2006 and debuted in United States dealerships in 2007. A decade later, the CR-V overtook its toughest competitors in sales, even the segment leader Ford Explorer. It became the country’s top-selling SUV with more than 219,000 sold units. The Ford Explorer had been top-ranked for 15 consecutive years. The CR-V hasn’t reached its 2007 sales total since, but it still remains a favorite with annual U.S. sales of around 200,000. (Editor’s note: TheWeeklyDriver.com is now 10 years old. We’re visiting our archives to

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