Elwood

It’s Shaping Up To Be A Great Year For Honda

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:01:10 +0000

Just last month in Detroit the 2006 Civic and Ridgeline pick-up were named North American car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year, respectively. Yesterday, AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada) named the Honda Civic Sedan and Honda Ridgeline pick-up as AJAC Car of the Year and AJAC Truck of the Year, respectively. Now if that’s not enough, Motor Trend Magazine named the 2006 Honda Civic as the Motor Trend Car of the Year, and the 2006 Honda Ridgeline as the Motor Trend Truck of the Year.One brand has never been awarded The North American Car of the Year and the North American Truck of the Year awards in the same year. Let alone winning the AJAC awards and the Motor Trend awards. Clearly Honda has designed two well thought out vehicles which raise the bar in their respective segments.Honda CivicThe 2006 Honda Civic is clearly the dominant player in its segment. With 140hp standard, it offers more horsepower than the previous generation. Clever engineering yields a completely flat floor for the middle backseat passenger, and the two tier dash looks great yet serves its purpose by keeping your eyes on the road. The Civic sedan has morphed into a mini-Accord. This point is not lost on Honda as they are getting ready to introduce the Honda Jazz as their new introductory sedan. And let’s not forget about the Civic Si, which offers 197hp, a 6-speed manual transmission, and a limited slip diff. That’s a formula for a lot of fun. In fact, the Civic Si has filled the void left by the discontinued Prelude. The Civic has raised the bar.Honda RidgelineWow. A Honda winning three of the most coveted Truck of the Year awards. It beat out the newly revised 2006 Dodge Ram and Lincoln LT amongst others. The Ridgeline comes with some very clever touches. The storage compartment under the bed, 4 wheel independent suspension, and the tailgate opens like a door or can swing down. Honda also put 4 lights in the bed for better visibility at night. These ideas sound simple enough but no other truck puts them all together in such a well thought out package. Honda has taken a different approach and made a truck that will satisfy people who need a truck for the versatility, but who don’t want a harsh ride and poor maneuverability. The Ridgeline is one of the rare vehicles that will have a big impact on its segment, making all of the competition better. And if the competition doesn’t get better, they won’t be able to compete.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Hybrid Car Reviews Information

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:01:10 +0000

As opposed to reviews regarding hybrid cars, owning one is not that simple. For most drivers of hybrid vehicles, it is not easy being the center of attention. This is proven each time they get behind the wheel.Driving a hybrid is a personal statement; something similar to crossing the urges to buy a diesel Rabbit and a Mercedes SLK. You always want good mileage in a car that turns heads.But out on the highways and byways, the heads being turned seem to lose those smiles on their faces. Whether through envy or just plain old unpleasantness, hybrid owners are generating their share of ire from the gasoline only drivers, or mono-drivers.Here are some of the reviews about hybrid cars and the reality behind them.Review Number 1: Driving slowIt is already known that driving slower saves gasoline. People who are civic minded have been driving their vehicles at or under the speed limit for years. But the popularity of hybrid cars has made that driving style more visible.The same thing applies when first putting the car into motion. Note that it is even more critical to the mileage to do so in a slow, controlled manner. On open roads, speed-limit may not be the thing. But when accelerating, hybrid cars have to move slowly or else the gas mileage gauge will take its toll.Driving slowly can also annoy other passengers in the vehicles, especially those who are in a hurry. In this situation, it is recommend to make a few more miles per hour. After all, your hybrid car will still be getting better mileage than almost anyone else on the road.Review Number 2: Pulse and GlideThere are a number of continuous discussions about how pulsing and gliding can result in substantially improved mileage.The concept is simple: when on level ground or even slight uphills, accelerate smoothly to the speed limit and then allow the car to glide to 10+ MPH below the speed limit. Then pulse and glide again, and again, and again.While this certainly seems to improve mileage, it would probably would not win you many friends on the roadway, especially those behind you. Both driving slow and pulse and glide will cause even more animosity with the mono world if more states allow solo hybrid drivers to use carpool lanes.Review Number 3: Refusing to inch forwardDuring traffic, mono-drivers would want to move on inch by inch. You cannot do the same thing with hybrid cars. Taking the foot off the brake pedal, auto-stop turns off and gasoline engine will restart, burning unnecessarily fuel.Some

Car Buying Behaviours And The Celebrity Factor

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:01:10 +0000

Buying a car can be hard enough; do I want a hatchback, saloon, 4-door, 2-door, convertible, four-wheel drive? How much can I afford to pay for insurance? Furthermore, being given the hard sell in the dealership showroom can add more pressure. However, do we need the hard sell or have we already subconsciously made a decision on the car we would like to buy?Studies have shown that many customers do not need the hard sell, but instead just a picture to show off the features of the car. We

Hello world!

admin — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:10:21 +0000

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