No one puts up a dealership sign like this anymore

Found on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-San-Diego/181625028554101

It did not start out as a Honda dealership, it started as a Buick

http://www.theboulevard.org/TourHistoryBusinesses.htm

Honda Prelude Hondamatic

S4 / 1.602 cc / 82 PS / 93 ft/lb (126 Nm) @ 3.500 / Vmax: 96 mph (155 km/h)

(click images for a larger view)

Honda Mean Mower

V2 / 996 cc / 110 PS / 71 ft/lb (96 Nm) @ 6.600 / Vmax: 133 mph (214 km/h)

(click images for a larger view)

Honda CR-Z by Mugen

S4 hybrid / 1.457 cc / 200 PS + 14 PS / 181 + 58 ft/lb (245 + 78 Nm) / turbo

(click images for a larger view)

Honda European CR-V Prototype

In my last post on Honda's lineup for the Geneva Motor Show,I mentioned that they will also début the European CR-V Prototype. Here are some exclusive images of this preview model.

The all-new fourth generation European Honda CR-V has a more aggressive stance with deeper sculpting of the body lines and a bolder front fascia as compared to the previous generation. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to convey SUV capability, while the lower front bumper design now integrates more smoothly into the fascia for improved aerodynamics. The new model is set to go on sale in Autumn 2012.

Honda lineup for the Geneva Motor Show

Honda has revealed two Sports Car Concepts: a prototype of the European CR-V as well as the debut of the all-new 1.6 Diesel engine all appearing on the Honda stand.

Honda's next generation supercar, the NSX Concept features a V6 mid-mounted engine featuring the innovative new technologies including the innovative Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All Wheel DriveTM) hybrid system.

The Honda EV-STER is an electric rear wheel drive two-seater open sports car.

Honda will also present the preview model of the European CR-V Prototype, the fourth generation which is set to go on sale in Autumn 2012.

New Honda CR-V ad

The latest Super Bowl ad.

The new 2012 Honda CR-V

New Honda Civic concepts

Honda unveiled the ninth-generation Civic concepts at the North American International Auto Show in in Detroit, Michigan.

This two new cars are the Civic Si Concept coupe and the Civic Concept sedan. They will come as hybrid and natural-gas variants. The new Civic hybrid will feature a lithium ion battery cell, the first ever for a Honda hybrid.

Honda CR-Z sport hybrid on sale

The new Honda CR-Z sport hybrid is now available. This two-passenger coupe has a 1.5-litre i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine combined with six-speed manual transmission and Honda's unique Integrated Motor Assist IMA® system.

The CR-Z EX version has some extra features including fog Lights, High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlights with Auto-On/Off, Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel and Shift Knob, etc.

Honda Odessy Concept unveiled

Honda has just unveiled the Odyssey Concept at the Chicago Auto Show. It is sleeker and lower than the older Odysseys.

What do you think?

Honda CR-Z hybrid

Honda unveiled the amazing looking new CR-Z hybrid coupe at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

With it's low profile and sporty looks, it is definitely a way forward from the ugly looking Prius. The CR-Z has a 6-speed manual transmission along with a high tech 3-mode driving system - Sport, Normal and Econnomy.

See the video for more info.

D&C Honda website review

When talking about cars, several of my friends are die hard Honda fans. And it is not difficult to see why. According to the latest Auto Pulse survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, the Honda brand was ranked highly by American consumers (the second best in the US). Their cars are well known for their styling, reliability, fuel economy, safety and best of all, their resale value. They are also the favourite for people who are into modding and a huge industry exists to support them.

Anyway if you are a resident of Paramus, NJ and thinking of buying a car, do take a look at D&C Honda of Tenafly, a premier Paramus Honda dealer. They offer the latest Honda as well as used vehicles. Their site lists hundreds of Honda models ranging from the best selling Honda Civic to the popular Honda CR-V SUV.

What really stuck me were their amazing benefits and as far as I know, no other Honda dealer can match them in that respect. This includes:
10 Day money back guarantee on used vehicles,
48 Hour money back guarantee on new Vehicles and
10 Day best price guarantee.

The home page is really informative though my wife thought that it looked a bit too busy. If I was a customer looking to buy a car, I would really appreciate any information I could get my hands on before actually going down to the dealership. That’s why I really liked their interactive chat feature where you could chat with a sales person live online. Another feature that makes this website different is their user friendly online loan calculator. I also liked the fact that using the search facility on the site brings up results with images of the car – and they are not blurry small resolution images you get in some car site. Other car dealers can learn a thing or two form D&C Honda.

One way to gauge a dealer is to hear from previous customers and it was interesting to know that D&C Honda now part of DealerRater.com where you can read the experiences of customers at the dealership. They were rated 4.6/5 (on a 24 Month rating) when I last checked and that is definitely not bad.

Official photos of the new Honda Accord Crosstour

These are the first official photos of the new Honda Accord Crosstour. The car is based on the award-winning Honda Accord.

The car features a bold front grille, a longer, wider stance and a versatile, spacious cargo area.



The Crosstour will be going on sale later this fall.

New Honda Fit

Check out the new Honda Fit which will be available in the US in Fall 2008.

It is powered by a new 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, i-VTEC® engine and sportier handling, it is perfect for driving in the city. It comes with a choice of either the 5-speed manual transmission or the sporty 5-speed automatic transmission options.


Getting around will be a breeze with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System.



As for safety features, the Fit is equipped with the Vehicle Stability Assist(VSA®), Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, Active front head restraints, Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, Front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), Side-curtain airbags,
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).

Next generation Honda Pilot

Honda showed off a concept of the next-generation 2009 Honda Pilot at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.



This mid-sized SUV has better on-road handling and a more spacious interior.

Latest car test results from Euro NCAP

Test results for 6 cars were released by Euro NCAP yesterday:

In the Supermini category, the Daihatsu Materia and the Mazda 2.

In the Small Family Car category, the Honda Civic

In the Large Family Car category, the the Mercedes Benz C Class, the Renault Laguna and the Volvo V70

Out of these, four cars received five stars in adult occupant protection. These were the Mazda 2, the Mercedes Benz C Class, the Renault Laguna and the Volvo V70.


Mazda 2

During the trest, delay in the deployment of airbags was detected in the Mazda 2 and the Volvo V70 even though they were not part of Euro NCAP tests.

In the frontal impact test of the Mazda 2, a small disturbance shortly before impact led to a delay in the firing of the airbags and protection of the front seat occupants was compromised. Although these disturbances are not part of Euro NCAP’s tests, they could occur in real life accidents. In the case of the Volvo V70, curtain airbag deployment was delayed in the side pole test.

Both manufacturers have taken steps to rectify the problems.

Read the full press release here: "Euro NCAP - up to speed on testing".

Honda FCX emits only water vapour

A car that only emits water vapour - this has been the dream of many people. People have proved it is possible but Honda has actually put a car on the road.



The Honda FCX Clarity is a “dedicated platform hydrogen fuel cell vehicle", that runs on electricity powered by hydrogen, and emits only water vapor and heat into the air.



Unlike hybrid car, it does not use gasoline and is therefore a Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV). The car is certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and by the EPA as a Tier-2 Bin 1, the lowest possible federal EPA emission rating. It will also receive an EPA Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) rating due to its entirely sealed fuel system.

Presently it only comes in one clour, Star Garnet, a unique deep-red tone.

It is certainly not aimed at motorheads who like powerful cars as the car only has a top speed of 100 miles per hour on a test track

Right now, they are not on sale and only a limited number of the FCX Clarity vehicles will be available for lease only in the Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine areas in mid-2008. The lease should cost around $600 per month for three years (including maintenance).

New 2008 Honda Accord coming to the US soon

The new 2008 Honda Accord (the eighth-generation of assembled cars in America) will go on sale in mid-September in the US. Honda's flagship model has completely been redesigned with increased dimensions for a more spacious interior with an aggressive stance and muscular look.

It is powered by a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine which produces 268-horsepower. It comes with a new generation of fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology and achieving a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV1) rating. The VCM system operates in six-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency. Honda claims that this gives an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating of 19/292 miles per gallon for the Accord Sedan V-6.

The Accord is available in sedan and coupe body styles with 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and 3.5-liter V-6 engine choices. Available transmissions include a 5-speed manual (standard with all 4-cylinder engines), a 5-speed automatic (standard on sedan V-6 models, available with all 4-cylinder engines and V-6-powered Accord Coupes,) and a 6-speed manual transmission (exclusive to the Accord Coupe EX-L V-6 6MT).

2.4-liter, DOHC, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine (Sedan LX, LX-P)
3.5-liter, SOHC, i-VTEC V-6 engine (Sedan EX V-6, EX-L V-6; Coupe EX-L V-6: 5AT)
3.5-liter, SOHC, VTEC V-6 engine (Coupe EX-L V-6: 6MT)

Interior
The larger Accord Sedan total interior volume of 120.0 cubic feet (+3.3 cubic feet compared to 2007) moves the EPA classification from the midsize sedan class to the large sedan class. The additional space is intended to provide "equal" seating comfort for front and rear passengers. Rear legroom of 37.2 inches (+0.4 inches) approaches the impressive second row legroom of the Honda Pilot SUV (37.4 inches). The wider interior (+1.5 inches) allows the front seats to be positioned farther apart to allow for a wide center console.

A zone styling approach separates operation-related instruments (top) and information-related instruments (lower). At night, the controls are further separated by color to distinguish between climate controls (aqua green) and audio controls (white). Classically-styled gauges for the speedometer and tachometer are perfectly round (instead of being truncated at the bottom). Steering wheel audio controls are standard on every Accord.

Redesigned front bucket seats are larger, and feature substantial lateral support to complement the Accord's sporting side. The fold-down lockable rear seatback increases cargo-carrying versatility; the sedan includes a lockable pass-through.

Three audio systems are available - all with MP3/Windows Media® Audio (WMA) playback capability and an auxiliary input jack. The standard system features 160 watts, a single-disc CD player and six speakers. A Radio Data System (RDS) displays information broadcast by participating radio stations that often includes call letters, station type and programming information.

The Accord Sedan EX and Coupe LX-S add a 6-disc in-dash changer. The premium audio system, which comes standard on Accord EX Coupe and Sedan EX-L models, has a six-disc CD changer, 270 watts total amplification and seven speakers including an 8-inch subwoofer. XM® Satellite Radio is standard equipment on all Accord EX-L models.

The latest-generation of the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice activation (available on EX-L) uses an 8-inch screen and an interface dial for user input. Features include the Zagat Survey™ guide for restaurants, nightlife, hotels and attractions. Navigation-equipped models also include Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®.

Exterior
Dimensionally, the Accord Sedan's overall length of 194.1 inches (4-cylinder models, V-6 models add 0.2 inches for front spoiler lip) is 3.0 inches longer than the 2007 model. The width of 72.7 inches is 1.1 inches wider, and the height of 58.1 inches is 0.9 inches taller. Even though the size is larger in every dimension, the vehicle's torsional rigidity has increased by 20 percent as a result of advanced body construction that uses 48 percent high-tensile steel - the most high-tensile steel by volume of any Accord to date. A significant benefit to the advanced body construction is that total vehicle weight increased only by approximately 5 percent despite the larger size, greater rigidity and added features.

The Accord Coupe styling radically breaks from the sedan with a uniquely aggressive image. Its long hood, sleek roofline and muscular lines suggest power and a heightened agility compared to the sedan. Dimensionally, the Accord Coupe's overall length of 190.9 inches is 3.2 inches longer than 2007 model, its width of 72.8 inches is 1.2 inches wider, and its height of 56.4 inches is 0.6 (LX-S) to 0.7 (EX, EX-L) inches higher. Compared to the 2008 Accord Sedan, the Accord Coupe is 3.2 inches shorter in length, 1.7 inches shorter in height and 0.1-inch wider.

Chassis
The Accord Sedan wheelbase of 110.2 inches is 2.3 inches longer than the 2007 model, while the 62.2-inch front/rear track is 1.1 and 1.0 inches wider, respectively. The Accord Coupe wheelbase of 107.9 inches is 2.8 inches longer than the 2007 model (track is identical to sedan). Ultimately, the suspension design with wider tire sizes, standard ABS and standard Vehicle Stability Assist is intended to enhance driver confidence and handling performance.

The 2008 Accord Sedan also comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, or16- or 17-inch aluminum wheels depending on model. (The Accord Coupe has 17-inch aluminum wheels standard, with 18-inch aluminum wheels available on the Coupe V-6). The 17-inch wheels are the first for a four-cylinder Accord and the Coupe's available 18-inch wheels are the largest ever for a Honda car.

Safety
Also new for the Accord is an Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure that enhances frontal collision compatibility with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. Additional safety equipment standard to all Accord models includes Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as Electronic Stability Control; side-curtain airbags; dual-chamber front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), active front seat head restraints, anti-lock brakes and more.

Additionally, the Accord has active front seat head restraints that are designed to help reduce the severity of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features include VSA, a four-wheel disc anti-lock brake system (ABS) with brake assist and electronic brake distribution (EBD), front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system and load limiters, and a pedestrian safety design in the front of the vehicle. Passenger-side seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment.

FYI, the Honda Accord was first Japanese car assembled in the United States and this year, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of its manufacture here. The first Japanese-built Accord was introduced as a 1976 model, and by 1982 it was being manufactured both in Japan and in a brand-new automobile assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio.

For more information read the full press release.