Honda Accord Coupe adds some panache to a tried and true recipe
By Jim Bray Friday, April 12, 2013
Honda’s new Accord, at least in sedan form, appears to be taking the market by storm. And there’s good reason for this.
Ninth generation Honda Accord Touring a nice step in both directionsBy Jim Bray Thursday, January 17, 2013
If this new Accord is any indication, it looks as if Honda may be back in the saddle again, and that’s a very good thing.
Acura ILX – a TSX in cheaper clothingBy Jim Bray Friday, October 19, 2012
Acura’s new entry level sedan is a nice blend of luxury and performance – and if you get the upmarket engine it’s also more darn fun than you might think it should be.
The new car, dubbed the ILX (maybe it’s the only one of its, er, ilks?), is based on the Honda Civic, which isn’t a bad place to start, but you’d never know that to look at the car. It’s luxurious enough to deserve the Acura badge, but not so high end that it’s priced in the stratosphere. In fact, with a starting price of just under 30 grand, it offers excellent value considering what you get.
By Tim Saunders Friday, October 19, 2012
Travel over three-hundred-and-fifty miles in style, on just 40 litres of petrol, while being environmentally friendly.
That’s the offering from Honda with its sleek, aerodynamic Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe where the road tax is just £20 a year because of its low emissions. But there’s a drawback, if you want reasonable efficiency, you have to be really light-footed. That said travelling at 50mph for a straight 30-mile stretch still seems to use as much fuel as slowly hauling it up to 70mph over the same distance, according to my interpretation of the digital reading.
Honda Civic road testBy Tim Saunders Saturday, September 15, 2012
Over the past few years car manufacturers have tried to re-invent the handbrake. Step inside a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover or Renault and you’ll find that it has been replaced by a simple switch. This is all very well if the vehicle is automatic as these have a helpful anti-roll feature. The difficulty is when they’re manual – they should all have anti-roll but it doesn’t always seem effective - requiring nifty foot work of the clutch and accelerator. Hence, I still prefer the traditional handbrake that can be found in Skodas and Hondas.
Honda Fit gets “Sport” and updated features for 2012
By Jim Bray Friday, July 13, 2012
Honda’s entry level car comes into the 2012 model year mostly unchanged, but that could be due to the fact that it’s a terrific little car already.
Mazda CX-9 Meets Honda PilotBy Jim Bray Friday, May 11, 2012
They’re both big, three row SUV/Crossovers, from Japan, and both sell for about the same price. But are they mostly the same, or are they two distinct variations on the theme?
Canadian Production of the All-New 2012 Honda CR-V Begins at Honda of Canada Mfg. in Alliston, ONBy Guest Column Monday, January 23, 2012
ALLISTON, ON, - Production of the all-new 2012 Honda CR-V, Canada’s top-selling import SUV, officially began today at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, ON. With the addition of CR-V to the Ontario facility, Honda Canada’s two best-selling vehicles, the Honda Civic and CR-V, are now being made in Canada by Canadians.
“The Honda CR-V has set the gold standard in the compact SUV segment and has been embraced by Canadians since it arrived here in 1997,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president, Honda Canada Inc. “We’re proud that the all-new 2012 CR-V will be Canadian built.”
The addition of the CR-V to HCM’s production lineup makes it the first Honda plant in North America to produce four distinct models (Civic, CR-V, MDX and ZDX) on one line, demonstrating the flexibility and capability of HCM and its Associates.
All-new Honda Civic and other vehicles return to regular supply at Honda dealershipsBy Guest Column Wednesday, October 19, 2011
ALLISTON, ON, - Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, Ontario, announced today it has returned to regular production levels. As a result, the supply of vehicles, including the all-new 2012 Honda Civic, is returning to normal at Honda dealerships across Canada. After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan this spring, HCM production was reduced to approximately 50 per cent during the summer months due to the shortage of critical parts from that region.
Honda Civic Coupe – Manual DexterityBy Jim Bray Saturday, October 8, 2011
The 2012 Honda Civic Coupe is a great little car, comfortable, efficient and will undoubtedly be long serving for its owners. It also shows how much difference a manual transmission can make if you value a “fun to drive” factor.
Honda Civic 2012 – A New Generation Joins a Crowded Market
By Jim Bray Thursday, August 11, 2011
Honda’s classic Civic is back with a new suit of clothes for 2012, the eighth such makeover since the car came to North America in the 1970’s. And it appears Honda has chosen to play it safe with this latest iteration rather than push the envelope.
Nothing necessarily wrong with that, of course, especially since the Civic was a great car already. And there have certainly been copious changes and innovations over the decades since the Civic appeared on these shores as a two door coupe/hatchback. The car has definitely been a success story for Honda, and deservedly so.
Honda Civic Still Offers Good Transportation; Si-Tech Wipers Make a Clean SweepBy Jim Bray Saturday, February 5, 2011
The 2011 Honda Civic is proof that even a pretty basic car can still offer a decent driving experience. Meanwhile, PIAA’s Si-Tech silicone windshield wipers are a nifty item for helping keep a driver’s visibility optimal when the weather gets wild.
The Civic, whose 2012 replacement was just introduced at the North American International Auto Show, has been going strong in North America since the mid-1970s. I had a 1976 hatchback for three years and, though it was more like today’s Honda Fit than today’s Civic, it was a fine car that served us very well. Okay, it rusted out to beat the band, but all Japanese cars did back then – they’ve come a long way since those days.
Next Gen Minivan a Honda You OdysseyBy Jim Bray Saturday, January 22, 2011
Minivans are the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive industry: they get no, or little at least, respect. They’re not particularly attractive, they’re not the most lithe of vehicles nor are they the most subtle.
Look no farther than my own life. For years, my wife thought it would be nice to have a minivan and I always found a way to steer our vehicle purchases in different directions. It wasn’t hard, since we tend to keep our vehicles until they fall apart and therefore don’t sally forth to the local auto mall very much other than to ogle or “goal set”.
Acura RL Offers Comfort, TechnologyBy Jim Bray Monday, September 27, 2010
Acura’s freshened flagship may not be all new, but it’s still a great tool for the right audience.
Honda’s Hot New Hybrid a Blast from the PastBy Jim Bray Sunday, August 22, 2010
Anyone who remembers the Honda CRX fondly will probably find a soft spot in his or her heart for the new CR-Z sport hybrid.
Honda bills the CR-Z as “the world’s first sport hybrid” but, first or not, what really matters is that this is a nifty little car, cute as a bug’s ear, fun and efficient – and priced reasonably to boot.
For what more could anyone ask?