New Honda New cars review 2009

Honda And Toyota Dominates South African Auto Market
by Anthony Fontanelle

Japanese automakers have been known for their reliable vehicles which have become the favorite of most consumers. This can be clearly seen in the United States auto market where market share of Japanese automakers continue to increase while the Big Three’s decline. This trend is not only seen in the United States though as according to J.D. Power and Associates, Honda and Toyota dominated the 2007 South Africa Customer Satisfaction Index.
According to The Auto Channel’s report, the two Japanese automakers received top ranks more than any other automaker. For Honda, the Civic, CR-V, FR-V, and the Jazz topped their respective segments. For Toyota, the Avensis, Hilux, the Land Cruiser Prado and the Tazz received the highest rating in their classes. The Customer Satisfaction Index is a study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates to gauge the level of satisfaction of customers regarding the vehicles that they have purchased.
According to The Auto Channel, J.D. Power and Associates, the study focuses on the first 10 to 21 months of ownership. Four factors covering 77 attributes are taken into consideration to gauge the satisfaction of customers. Of the four factors, the highest weight was given to the quality and reliability of vehicles which is given a weight of 32 percent. Aesthetics is second with a weight of 29 percent. Satisfaction of customers is also based on their experiences on the dealership which is given 19 percent. Last but not least is the cost of ownership which corresponds to 20 percent.
Brian Walters, the vice president of J.D. Power and Associates’ Europe, Middle East, and Africa Operations, said that Honda and Toyota are showing their dedication to building quality vehicles. “Honda and Toyota models continue their strong performance in satisfying customers in South Africa,” said Walters.
“In both 2006 and 2007, four Toyota models ranked highest in their respective segments, while Honda has led in nameplate rankings in both years. These results are a testament to the commitment to high quality that both brands demonstrate. In addition, Mercedes-Benz maintains its ranking in the top five for a second consecutive year and improves in an impressive manner since 2006,” he expressed.
“The consistent improvement in overall satisfaction in the South Africa market is good news for consumers, franchised dealers and manufacturers,” continued Walters. “However, there is still significant room for improvement. While customers seem to be more satisfied with vehicle quality and reliability as well as vehicle appeal, service satisfaction and ownership cost satisfaction levels are not on par.” Honda is also the manufacturer of Acura vehicles and auto parts such as Acura cargo liners. (source:autopartswarehouse.com)

Honda Gets It Right With New Clarity - Sort Of :: New Honda CRV 2009
by GARKO
Honda’s new Clarity IS positively motion in the most optimum direction but others have already beaten it to the finish line. It is a saner pollution solution but there is an even better pollution solution. It is an historic milestone from a big player in the car making industry. And for all these positives which I will now share some information on, I applaud it!The mid-size Clarity is expected to (reportedly) return an EPA-confirmed sixty eight MPG. The Clarity also will ace federal safety standards, start in temperatures as low as 22 degrees below zero and survive trips out to Las Vegas (high heat). Refueling is ludicrous as it requires that you have a big and heavy natural gas powered home unit, which, as it runs on natural gas, seems to defeat the whole purpose or that you live near Santa Monica, Torrance or Irvine. For now. However, the per-tank range is 270 miles. The Clarity will be coming to a Honda dealer near you in Summer 2008 (provided that you live in or near one of those three cities), Honda will be happy to lease you a Clarity for “just” $600 a month. The FCX Clarity integrates Honda’s V Flow stack in combination with a new design smaller and powerful lithium ion battery and a single hydrogen storage tank to power the automobile’s electric drive engine. The main source of power is the fuel cell stack. Hydrogen mixes with oxygen from the atmosphere in the fuel cell stack, and energy from the reaction is transformed into electric power which then propels the vehicle. Another energy source is generated through the conservation of kinetic energy from slowing down and braking the vehicle (known as regenerative braking), and that is stored along with surplus energy from the fuel cell in the lithium ion battery pack, and supplements power from the fuel cell, when it is required. The only exhaust from this car is water. The distribution of the new Honda will be for starters only in Southern California. This is because they do not have sufficient hydrogen refueling stations set up yet in other areas which are sufficient for keeping the car running. These stations compare to gas stations, only they are specifically for use by vehicles powered by a fuel cell. Honda is advising potential buyers that they should not plan to drive the vehicle outside of Southern California.It’s a shame that only one hundred Clarity’s will be made available to drivers in the Los Angeles area. But I suppose for those one hundred drivers they will be in a position where the Jones’s ain’t gonna be able to keep up with them!So the question becomes… if you are not one of the fortunate few that a. resides in specific parts of Los Angeles b. have $600/month easily available c. can’t compute the numbers and realize that they will be paying two or three times as much for a car in order to save not more than about $100-200/month on gas. d. Don’t mind driving around with a hydrogen tank in your car. (In fact, mark my words, I am sad to have to look into my crystal ball and project that one of these Clarity vehicles will get involved in an accident that leaves a crater on some Los Angeles freeway and the thought of a hydrogen fueled automobile will be have a lable on it forever like a 1973 Pinto so that the idea will be abandoned). I usually rebuke cynicism but…Ok, so…then what do you do? Well there is a solution that you can install in any engine, even yours, at very minimal cost, using odds and end hardware store items and will make it so your current vehicle will do most of the things that the new Honda Clarity will do but with no inconvenience and without the risk of driving around with a hydrogen “bomb” (storage tank). You can acquire the information right now!If you are unindoctrinated, WATER4GAS is sharing information at a low price which consumers can use in their garage or wherever to put together a small device which infuses hydrogen into the fuel/air mixture that their car or truck runs on. The process makes smaller particles out of the ones that the engine burns as fuel. So the engine gets to use a lot more of the gas. By doing this you can reasonably expect to improve your gas mileage by 12%. But many are obtaining thirty to fifty percent improvement or significantly more. Those particles “musta” been pretty “blankin’” huge in some engines before. But with WATER4GAS they are made usable so you can improve your gas mileage. It also helps to lower emissions significantly. This information has been purchased by over NINE THOUSAND people already and happy members number about 99%! So how about you?