Honda

Five Honda models have received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick” for 2008. This award recognizes vehicles that performed the best in the IIHS front, side and rear crash tests. Winners also include only those vehicles that have electronic stability control (ESC) and head protection airbags.

Making the list for 2008 include:

2008 Honda Accord
2008 Honda CR-V
2008 Honda Element
2008 Honda Odyssey
2008 Honda Pilot

In a press release, Honda stated that the total 2008 model year sales volume of all Honda and Acura vehicles that received the “Top Safety Pick” is expected to account for approximately two-thirds of the company’s total sales, and exceed more than one million vehicles.

“Honda has consistently challenged itself to pursue vehicle safety as part of its core business strategy,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “American Honda will put more Top Safety Pick-rated vehicles on the road next year than any other automaker.”
Honda seeks to provide a high level of occupant protection and pedestrian injury mitigation in all of its cars and trucks through a comprehensive and evolving approach to vehicle safety. This process, which honors the company’s “Safety for Everyone” initiative introduced in 2003, benefits all new Honda and Acura vehicles - regardless of size or price - while also increasing compatibility with other types of vehicles in a frontal collision.

Read the full press release here.

Please refer to the AutoFigures.com vehicle profiles to learn more about each vehicle that received this award, or to request a local dealer price quote.

Car and Driver has released their 10 Best Cars for 2008. Here are the winners, including the number of times each vehicle has made the list:

2008 BMW 3-Series (17)
2008 Cadillac CTS (1)
2008 Chevrolet Corvette (14)
2008 Chevrolet Malibu (1)
2008 Honda Accord (22)
2008 Honda Fit (2)
2008 Mazda MX-5 (9)
2008 Mazdaspeed 3 (2)
2008 Porsche Boxster/Cayman (9)
2008 Volkswagen GTI (3)*

As a guy from Detroit, it’s sad to see only 3 domestic vehicles on the list, with General Motors as the only American manufacturer represented. It’s great to see the resurgence of GM, but it seems like Ford and Chrysler have a long way to go. Also noticeably absent from this years list is Toyota.

The full Car and Driver Article can be read here.

Rated by Car and Driver as Top 10 of 2007

It is no secret that I like Honda’s, and it is no secret that I think big tanks on the road are of no use. So when I started to read up on the Honda Fit I started to get pretty excited.

Here is what some of the experts are saying…

According to Car and Driver…. ” the Fit raises the bar for small-car expectations. Not only is it endowed with an impressive array of standard features and an upscale interior, but its dynamics rival the responses of cars with much fancier pedigrees and price tags. As an example, the Fit that ran away with our econocar comparo last year [“Cheap Skates,” C/D, May 2006] posted a lane-change number — 71.4 mph — that edges the best run by the Ferrari F430 Spider F1 we tested last June [“Divine Wind”].

A car with 109 horsepower won’t generate acceleration measurable on the Ferrari and Corvette scales. But it does run up attractive fuel-economy numbers — 33 city, 38 highway, per the EPA. Factor that in with affordability (one F430 equals 11-plus Fits), room for four adults, exceptional cargo adaptability with sports-car agility, and you have an econobox with a unique appeal. Here’s one small-scale urbocar we can imagine folks driving not only because they can afford to, but also because they want to.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

BASE PRICE: $14,445

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 16-valve 1.5-liter inline-4
Power (SAE net): 109 bhp @ 5800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 105 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm

TRANSMISSIONS: 5-speed auto, 5-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 157.4 in
Width: 66.2 in
Height: 60.0 in
Curb weight: 2500–2550 lb

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 31–33 mpg

Car and Driver aren’t the only ones with rave reviews. Edmunds boasts “Fun to Drive”…. The 2007 Honda Fit is a triumph of creativity, proof that good ideas don’t have to be expensive. Within the Lilliputian dimensions of this five-door hatchback is a world of imagination that knows few limits. It seats four comfortably (five in a pinch), offers great fuel economy (above 33 mpg), and is as easy to live with as your best friend.

Let’s daydream for a moment about a world where all the cars are like this little Honda. Picture highways with traffic that flows freely. Imagine twice the number of open parking spaces. And best of all, see gas stations with tumbling fuel prices. That may be a coming attraction if the world catches on to the benefits of small cars.

That’s what I am talking about!

In the event that you are in the market for an SUV (…I am not, but I am still curious). What SUVs seem to be the most popular? In researching I found a study done by MSN autos and it turned out that the Honda CR-V came up number one.

No surprise for me! I love those Hondas. Let’s see what else MSN auto has to say about their top ten SUVs of 2007….

Seven out of the top ten vehicles are imports, with the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Explorer and the Jeep Wrangler representing the domestics.

The top ten SUVs on MSN Autos are based on visits to the site’s vehicle research pages from January through March of 2007. Here is the complete list:

1. Honda CR-V

Honda has done exceptionally well with the CR-V since its introduction for 1997, with approximately 2.5 million sold worldwide. The car-like SUV gets new styling for 2007 that includes replacing the signature spare tire on the trunk with a rear liftgate. The spare is now a mini tire tucked under the cargo floor. Also receiving a revised all-independent suspension for 2007, the CR-V provides decent handling but is not meant for tough off-road use. The 166-horsepower 2.4-liter 4 cylinder engine rates an estimated 23/30 mpg in the city and highway with front-wheel drive and 22/28 with all-wheel drive. [click to continue...]