From the “Entirely Too Predictable” files, the ongoing crisis in Japan has spooked dealers wary of car shortages to raise their prices. Instead of the time-honored car buying traditions of haggling and deep discounts, buyers are paying sticker price on cars that may suffer from delayed shipments from Japan, such as the Toyota Prius, Yaris,...
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Issuing its second recall in as many days, Honda has announced it is taking steps to replace a potentially faulty front wiper linkage rod on the 2011 Odyssey. The recall affects 33,341 vehicles where the wiper linkage could be bent if the wiper motor is turned on, but the wipers themselves are frozen to the...
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Honda will build a more powerful version of the CR-Z sport hybrid and it will continue to be a hybrid, according to R&D boss Tomohiko Kawanabe. Previous reports had suggested a CR-Z ‘Type R’ might toss the company’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system in favor of a turbocharger, but that will not be the...
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Highcroft Racing has dominated the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series for the past 4 years, but the program didn’t seem to be doing much to promote the Acura brand. In light of that, the car will now be branded as a Honda Performance Development car, a move that signals both a positive...
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Honda has announced a recall of 18,056 Civics from 2011 model year due to a fuel pump that could malfunction. Honda says the fuel pumps could have been damaged in the production process and that in the case of a roll-over accident could cause gasoline to leak from the tank. Owners of vehicles affected by...
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In the auto-industry it’s all about moving forward, building cars with more safety, fuel economy, features and space. In other words: more value for your money. Never one to shy away from having an objective opinion on cars, Consumer Reports has earned a reputation for reviews you can count on, so when the outlet announces...
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Japanese auto makers have been scrambling to assess the impact of the recent natural disasters on their supply chains, as North American production facilities face potential harm, as Japanese factories have begun suspending production in the face of a series of catastrophic events. Toyota has suspended overtime production at their North American facilities, while Subaru...
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Japan’s three largest automakers announced that they will donate $3.75 million each for earthquake relief. Honda says it will donate 1,000 power generators (a product made by the company) as well as 5,000 gas canisters, while Nissan is considering the donation of vehicles, provisions and medical supplies. Toyota also said that it is investigating such...
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TrueCar.com released their rankings of the Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient vehicles in both the hybrid and non-hybrid category, an important distinction according to TrueCar, because “Hybrids offer great fuel economy but most don’t provide the value consumers are seeking.” The hybrid list is predictably topped by the Toyota Prius, followed by the Lexus CT200h...
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With the recent earthquakes and tsunamis devestating Japan, automakers in the country are announcing a series of plant closures. Toyota, Mazda, Honda and Nissan have all announced plans to close various factories through the middle of March, although the plants could remain shuttered beyond that timeframe. Toyota led the pack by announcing that their plants...
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Honda is said to be targeting a 15 mile emissions free range for its upcoming plug-in hybrid. At the recent Geneva Auto Show, the Japanese auotmaker showcased a mock-up of the Plug-In Hybrid architecture, but was mum on details. What is known is that the new system is a leap-forward from the current Integrated Motor...
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Apparently spiders don’t just prefer Mazdas. Honda has warned its dealers to keep an eye out for the same spiders that nested in 65,000 recalled Mazda6 sedans, as they may infest the Accord. Hyundai is also reportedly warning dealers of a similar issue with its models. It’s not a full-blown recall, but if you see...
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Honda has already announced its new lineup of 2012 Civic models, but with only limited info and photos. Thanks to some amateur spy photographers and videographers, however, we now have plenty more to see. Spied during the shooting of a commercial or promo video is the entire lineup of 2012 Civic models, from the coupe...
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Honda has decided to follow the lead set by Toyota in making drastic cuts to its board in an effort to streamline the decision making process. In total, the Honda Motor Co. board has been reduced from 20 member to 12 with one important change being the removal of Tetsuo Iwamura. Set to take effect...
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The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a non-profit group sponsored by foundations, electric utilities and government agencies, released its list of the Greenest Vehicles, and the Honda Civic GX, a perennial favorite, continued to come out on top for the 8th consecutive year. In second place was the all-electric Nissan Leaf, while the much...
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Honda has announced a recall of 700,000 Fits worldwide, with 97,000 in the U.S., for a problem with valvetrain springs, which may break and cause the engine to stall. The recall has caused no injuries so far, yet Honda is taking no chances: the recall covers the Fit, the Freed and the City models across...
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Despite being known for its engine building prowess, Honda‘s new 2012 Civic does not live up to rivals in delivering the new 40-mpg benchmark number, set by cars like the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. In fact, Honda falls one short, with a 39-mpg highway rating. Powered by a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine, the new Civic may, however,...
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Honda has just unveiled its 9th generation Civic for the 2012 model year, including a very fuel efficient hybrid model. With the standard 1.8-liter models expected to get a 39-mpg highway rating, the hybrid will achieve a 45-mpg average, making it the second most fuel efficient vehicle on the market, second only to the Toyota...
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Confirming speculation, Honda has revealed the new 2012 Honda Civic Si with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine making 200-hp. A slight increase of 3-hp over the outgoing model, the larger displacement engine (by 0.4-liters) makes 170 lb-ft of torque, a more drastic jump of 31 lb-ft. While perhaps not the massive jump forward that some would...
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Honda is well aware that it has a strong following of enthusiasts who love to modify their cars and with the launch of the 9th generation Civic expected later this year, the Japanese automaker is catering to its fan base, displaying a few tuner cars at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. Flanking the...
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For years Honda has relied on its Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, designed to help improve fuel economy without adding a lot of additional cost. A more basic system than Toyota’s two-mode, it doesn’t speak to Honda’s engineering prowess and has become out-dated. Honda will aim to rectify that soon with the introduction of a...
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Now that Acura has confirmed that they’ve resumed development of a next-generation NSX, it’s always a treat to revisit just how amazing Acura’s first and only exotic is – and maybe remind Honda so they don’t deliver a dud. The famed Tsukuba Circuit in Japan is similar to Nurburgring in the sense that it’s used...
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Even though Toyota saw its dealerships and other facilities picketed by UAW members in 2010, Honda is taking a tough stance on any interference by the United Auto Workers, with John Mendel, Honda‘s executive vice-president, dismissing them in a speech made on Tuesday. “The union announced that they’re going to target the operations of international...
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Acura may have officially begun its quest back to relevance. Then again, maybe not. According to a recent report out of Japan, Honda CEO Takashi Ito made known to reporters that the automaker is once-again revisiting plans to build a sports car. Reconfirming that news, Car & Driver is now reporting a a similar story...
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