2011 Honda Accord - 10Best Cars - Car and Driver

2011 Honda Accord - 10Best Cars - Car and Driver
The current Accord sedan, the eighth generation of the company’s bestselling midliner, has a few flaws. It isn’t as frisky and playful as its predecessor, and it looks a touch homely, especially parked next to a Hyundai Sonata. But flaws don’t equal failure: The Accord remains inscrutably excellent. It manages to combine all the practical virtues you need in a family sedan—plenty of ­interior space, lots of available infotainment and trim choices, a quiet and relaxed ride, subdued engines, and effortless transmissions—with a fluid chassis that urges a driver to wring it out on back roads and off-ramps. The optional V-6 engine is one of the best of its breed, but the Accord becomes quite pricey when loaded with options such as a navigation system. The Accord range is rounded out by a sporty five-seat coupe. Although the V-6 model strays too close to Mustang GT money, it can be mated to a six-speed stick for a 0-to-60-mph time in the mid-fives. The coupe is refined and far more stylish than the sedan, and the less-expensive four-cylinder versions make more sense and have the spirit of the old, much-loved Prelude. For the 25th time, the Accord wins a 10Best spot because it marries excellence and affordability so brilliantly. Our favorite? The sedan with the 190-hp four-cylinder mated to a slick five-speed manual, of course. 


[Source: Car and Driver]

YouTube - 2012 Honda Civic Spy Video

YouTube - 2012 Honda Civic Spy Video
Inside Line caught the 2012 Honda Civic hatch back getting put through it's paces.



[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Honda: What's New for 2011

Honda: What's New for 2011
What's New for Every 2011 Honda Car, Truck, SUV and Crossover

2011 Honda Accord: All Accord styles will be updated for 2011 with a new front grille, bumper, taillights and alloy wheels. EX trim levels and above plus the LX-S coupe will offer a USB audio interface. The Accord sedan will be updated with a new trunk lid and a rearview camera when fitted with navigation. The Accord coupe (V6 EX-L styles) will now include steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

2011 Honda Accord Crosstour: This tall Accord wagon continues unchanged for 2011.

2011 Honda Civic: All Civic styles remain unchanged for 2011 in anticipation of an all-new version next year.

2011 Honda CR-V: Honda added a new LX-based Special Edition (SE) CR-V for 2011. Special Edition CR-Vs add alloy wheels, a six-CD changer audio system with six speakers, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and privacy glass. Otherwise, the CR-V has no significant changes.

2011 Honda CR-Z: Honda calls its new-for-2011 CR-Z a sport hybrid. We'd argue there is no such thing, but no other carmaker has made any effort to build a hybrid that's engaging to drive. Designed roughly as an homage to the original CRX, the CR-Z offers small dimensions, efficient operation and sporting intentions. It utilizes a 1.5-liter four-cylinder joined in parallel to a 13-horsepower electric motor. Power goes to the ground via a six-speed manual transmission.

2011 Honda Element: Honda's entry into the cube wars sees no significant changes for 2011.

2011 Honda FCX Clarity: Available for lease only in low volumes in Southern California, Honda's fuel cell vehicle remains unchanged for 2011.

2011 Honda Fit: The addition of stability control as standard equipment on Fit Sport styles is the only significant change to the Fit for 2011. Floor mats are now standard on Sport styles as well.

2011 Honda Insight: We're expecting a midcycle refresh for the Insight soon, but it's unclear whether that will come for 2011 or 2012. As of press time Honda won't reveal details on the 2011 Insight so we'd guess it will be sooner rather than later.

2011 Honda Odyssey: Fully redesigned for 2011, the Odyssey is a fully updated minivan that's more efficient than the model it replaces despite being larger and more powerful. Added versatility in both the second and third rows along with the ability to carry eight passengers when properly equipped is also a plus.

2011 Honda Pilot: This Odyssey-based utility vehicle remains unchanged for 2011.

2011 Honda Ridgeline: This pickup truck-style package built on the platform of the Odyssey minivan continues unchanged for 2011.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Hybrid and Diesel Tax Credits to End on December 31 - Carscoop

Hybrid and Diesel Tax Credits to End on December 31 - Carscoop
If you’re still in the market for a hybrid or clean diesel, you should try to get one this holiday season, as most tax credits are going to expire on December 31, with no new tax breaks in sight for next year. Among the diesel models, the Mercedes ML350 BlueTec is one of the victims, while the natural gas-powered 2011 Honda Civic GX will also lose its $4,000 tax credit. The same goes for the recently introduced 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid.

Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf buyers are safe for now: both EVs have separate tax credits that don’t expire this year. The Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit was legislated under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and supported buyers of eco-friendly vehicles with incentives. Currently, hybrids get tax breaks ranging from $900 up to $3,400.

[Read More: Carscoop]

All Honda Models Are Designed with Hybrid in Mind | Hybrid Cars

All Honda Models Are Designed with Hybrid in Mind | Hybrid Cars
Honda President Takanobu Ito says around 10 percent of Honda’s global sales will be hybrids by 2015, and all of its models are built with the ability to quickly adapt into hybrids.

In a Dec. 6 article, Automotive News primarily focused on how Kohei Hitomi, chief engineer of the Honda Fit, was asked by Honda’s top management in 2003 to make the Fit easily adaptable into a hybrid. So, Hitomi built in extra space below the rear floorboard flap for a potential electric motor in the engine housing. In the hybrid, the space houses the battery pack, inverter and controller—but it’s left empty in the gas-powered Fit.

The Honda Fit Hybrid went on sale in Japan in October, and will be sold in Europe in early 2011. The Fit Hybrid’s fuel efficiency and price aligns with the 2010 Honda Insight, rated at 40 mpg in the city and 43 on the highway. There are currently no plans to bring the Fit Hybrid to the United States.

[Read More: hybridcars.com]

Honda Teases 2012 Civic Concept - KickingTires

Honda Teases 2012 Civic Concept - KickingTires
As we edge closer to the 2011 Detroit auto show, Honda has released the first rendering of the Honda Civic concept that will be unveiled at the show next month.

Overall, the new look shows that Honda has decided to go evolutionary with the design. A lot of design traits from the current-generation Civic remain, though the new headlamp designs remind of us of Saab’s new “ice block” treatment.

While this is just a concept for now, the difference between a concept Honda and the real thing is usually only slight. Expect the production version of the 2012 Civic sedan and coupe to go on sale in the spring as 2012 model year vehicles.

[Read More: Kicking Tires]