Honda

Honda Civic proves small is huge in IIHS safety tests

Honda has long been known for its efficiency, reliability and resale values. And its stellar safety reputation isn’t too bad, either considering the Honda Civic just received  auto industry top honors among compact and sub-compact cars. Many of its competitors didn’t fare so well. The two-door and four-door Honda Civic have received “good ratings” front-end crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Half of the 12 compact and subcompact cars IIHS tested fared poorly and six performed well. Safety is critical in the fast-growing small-car market, with many buyers downsizing from larger vehicles. In addition to the two Civics, the Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and the 2014 Scion tC were “acceptable.” The Chevrolet Cruze

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Honda Accord Hybrid, 2014: 49 mpg

The enduring Honda Accord will likely expand its popularity this fall with the debut of the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid that will achieve a predicted 49 mpg. Scheduled for delivery to dealers in the United States in October, the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid will be a close sibling to the Honda Accord gas model. The differences: hybrid badge, LED running headlights, a blue-accented grille, a spoiler and a more aggressive wheels. The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid will be available in three options in its two-motor drive: EV, Hybrid, and Engine. In EV mode, in low speeds and medium to high cruising speeds, the 2014 Accord Hybrid will utilize its lithium-ion battery to run the car on electricity. The hybrid mode

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2013 Nissan Pathfinder: best family affair on wheels

There was a time when categorizing a car as a “family car” translated into “boring car.” But that generalization, once well-founded, is now long gone. With 2013 models, including the top-rated Nissan Pathfinder, a new definition is particularly necessary. Family cars are great for families and some great family cars, like the Honda Odyssey and Honda CR-V, are so versatile, they’re ideal for families of one, too. Kelley Blue Book (KBB), the esteemed vehicle assessment site, likes car lists and one of its best annual lists is its Best Family Car list. The editors at KBB have selected the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder their No. 1 choice. The editors reported: “This year’s number one isn’t just all-new for 2013, it’s completely

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Honda Civic Si, 2013: Coupe or sedan, it’s a sports car (video)

With the 2013 Honda Civic Si, there’s no transmission choice. The coupe and sedan only have a six-speed manual transmission option, which is a good thing. It further complements the once basic, competent Civic in its transition into its current sports car-like coupe or sedan. My weekly driver was the 2-door, 4-seat coupe. In addition to 17-inch wheels, the re-tweaked Civic has a new front grille, a new rear design and a host of other more subtle upgrades, including better-constructed seats. The more handsome sculpted design is matched with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, 201 horsepower engine. Driving the 2013 Civic is surprising since its personality — handling to acceleration — is more like its upscale relative, Acura. Which makes a lot

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2013 Honda Civic Si: New sporty look rekindles iconic reputation

Despite its lofty, top-10 perennial yearly sales status and more than 40-year longevity, the ninth generation Honda Civic was hastily introduced in 2012 among quickly increasing competition. Some critics called it a disaster, other were more kind with descriptions like ill conceived. As a result, for second straight year, Honda re-did the Civic for 2013. It’s not a new generation, but there are enough changes everywhere on the car that the Civic’s fall from grace was a one-year-and-out ordeal. The Civic is back strong and in its proper and well-deserved place among the most successful cars in history. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It’s a toss up most of the time. The convenience of an automatic transmission, particularly with continuously

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Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda in massive global airbag recall

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi combined will recall more than three million vehicles dating to 2000 and for an often-repeated, recent-year auto industry woe — defected safety equipment. The latest crisis involves airbag inflators made by Takata, the Japanese safety gear producer. Takata made the products from 2000 to 2002. It’s the biggest recall involving Takata since 1995, when several automakers called back a then-record almost nine million vehicles to replace faulty seat belts made by the Japanese company. “It looks like the cost of the recalls may be pretty big,” Satoru Takada, a Tokyo-based analyst at Toward the Infinite World Inc., referring to Takata, told Reuters. “It doesn’t seem like something that would be easy to identify and fix.

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Mazda6, 2014: Sporty, redesigned sedan challenges Toyota Camry, Honda Accord

The 2014 Mazda6 is a slickly redesigned mid-size sedan that retains Mazda’s sporting nature, while providing lots of practicality. The new front-drive Mazda has to be good because it’s in a tough market. Rivals include the well-established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord—besides the popular Hyundai Sonata and new Ford Fusion. Virtually everything about the made-in-Japan 2014 Mazda6 is new, including the body, interior, powertrain and suspension. The stiff new unibody has straighter frame rails and more high-strength steel. A really nice thing about the new Mazda6 is that all systems work together flawlessly, making the car feel “just right.” The quick electric steering is nicely weighted, and the ride is supple. Handling is sharp, helped by anti-roll bars and dynamic

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Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata among top-10 best used cars

The automotive industry had a lot of surprises in 2012, not the least of which was a recent yearly record for used car sales. More than 40 million used cars sold last year, the highest total since 2007, according to a report on Cars.com. The used car totals by CNW Market Research detailed that for every new sold in 2012 , nearly three used cars sold. The numbers prompted Cars.com to rekindle its former annual list of the top-10 used cars available for around $10,000. The list includes cars seven years old or newer and selected with some safety and reliability criteria. The top-10 list includes some expected vehicles, like the always-reliable Honda Civic, and there are surprises like the

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Honda Accord, 2013: Family sedan turned luxury car

Now approaching middle age, the Honda Accord has been among the top-selling cars in the United States for nearly 25 years. The first generation 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. For 2013, after several manufacturers began to match the Accord’s quality and offer better warranties, Honda acquiesced and debuted a complete redesign. Among a vast array of other attributes, the Accord now has a 109.4-inch wheelbase and weighs 3,559 pounds. The Accord, available in more than a dozen configurations and as a coupe and sedan, has come a long way, including the V6 Touring edition, my weekly driver. It features a 24-value, 3.5-liter, V6 with

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Honda Civic Natural Gas: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

Thirteen years after its unceremonious debut in California as the Civic GX, the rebranded Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle turned age 1 in 2012 and it remains the only natural gas vehicle available nationwide. Honda initially marketed the car to government agencies and commercial users. But beginning in 2005 individual consumers could also lease the car. In the fall of 2011, the Honda Civic Natural Gas received its new name and was for the first time included nationally in Honda’s marketing campaigns. For nine straight years, the Honda GX and (and now the Natural Gas) have been rated first in the “Greenest Vehicle of the Year” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A decade ago, the EPA first

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Honda Odyssey 2012: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

The 2012 Honda Odyssey continues the 19-year history of the exceedingly popular family van. The current style — a larger and wider body, lower roofline and a more sleek and modern appearance — debuted at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. Despite is “van” status, the Odyssey is a powerful and performance oriented for its class. It features a 24-valve, 248-horsepower engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Its has 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds and comfortable seating for seven adults. I drove the five-door Touring Elite, the most expensive of five available trim levels. In addition to the vast list of standard equipment on the LX, EX and EX-L models, the two Touring trims offer a bunch more. The Touring

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The Weekly Driver: 2012 Top 10 Cars of the Year

For the sixth straight year, The Weekly Driver presents its top 10 cars of the year. Plenty of well-known auto sites announce best cars of the year lists at the beginning of the model year, which is sometimes still in the previous calendar year and sometimes before a car is available to the public. The Weekly Driver waits until the end of the calendar year. That makes more sense. It affords time to balance what might seem like a sure top-10 selection early in the year against cars reviewed at the end of the year. We admit in some instances, 2012 models were driven in late 2011. The Weekly Driver test drove 36 cars designated as 2012 models with full

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2013 Honda Odyssey: Large luxury sedan disguised as a hip minivan

The Honda Odyssey is now 20 years old and for 2013, the hugely popular family van is in the third year of its fourth generation. The current style, unveiled at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, features a sleek modern exterior design. It’s decidedly non-minivan. The 2013 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 adults. There are a few minor changes, but mostly adding features of the more expensive trims as standard on lower-level trims. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As I did with the 2012 model, my weekly driver in the 2013 edition was also the five-door Touring

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Toyota dominates new ALG top resale value rankings

Toyota and its automotive Lexus and Scion families combined for nine top spots among 22 vehicle categories in the annual list of highest projected resale values offered by ALG, Inc. The Southern California source for automotive residual values provides the list for buying or leasing consumers. The reason: Depreciation is the largest percentage of overall vehicle ownership costs. Among mainstream brands, Honda was top-ranked for resale value, followed by Hyundai and Scion. Among premium brands, Acura was top-ranked followed by Infiniti and Audi. Toyota, however, had the most vehicles chosen at the top of their category Category Rankings Sub Compact, Honda Fit; Compact, Hyundai Elantra; Midsize, Honda Accord; Fullsize, Hyundai Azera; Sports Car, Scion FR-S; Alt-Fuel Vehicle, Toyota Prius c;

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2014 Honda Accord plug-in hybrid rated at 115 mpg(e)

The Honda Accord plug-in hybrid, which will debut January 15 at dealerships in California and New York, will be priced from $39,780 and is expected to compete with the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt and just released Ford Energi. The Ford Fusion is priced ($39,495), while the Volt is priced at $39,145. The Toyota Prius begins at $32,000. According to information released at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which continues through January 9 at the LA Convention Center, the EPA rates the new Honda at 115 MPGe in electric mode. The Chevy Volt is rated at 98 MPGe, and the Prius Plug-in at 95 MPGe. Ford has promoted the Fusion Energi at “over 100 MPGe.” The new Accord Plug-In will achieve

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LA Auto Show: Honda, Subaru, Toyota among 12 carmakers in new green technology showcase

The Los Angeles Auto Show for several years has been at the forefront of the automotive industry’s green car technology. The selection of the Green Car of the Year is a highlight of the year’s first major car show. But this year, under a new category, approximately 25 vehicles from a dozen manufacturers will participate in the Green and Advanced Technology Ride & Drive. The program will offer a preview and media test drive sessions of the latest in-car innovations and fuel-efficient vehicles. The participating vehicles will represent the latest evolutions of electric, hybrid, clean diesel and fuel cell. The latest driver assist platforms featured will include front crash mitigation, adaptive cruise control, radar-based object detection systems, blind spot monitoring

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