New Honda New cars review 2009

The highly acclaimed Civic and Accord saw Honda make rapid international progress. Today, the company makes everything from cars and motorbikes, robots, jets and jet engines, to lawn and garden equipment. Honda’s current crop of cars includes the Accord, CR-V, Civic, FR-V, Jazz, Legend and S2000.

HONDA HISTORY
In 1948 Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, started a new company: Honda Motor Co. They soon came up with the “batabata”, a motorised bicycle named after the sound the engine made which became a huge hit across Japan. Later, Honda’s most popular model, the Dream, could be spotted all over the Japanese islands.

Honda introduced its first car in 1957, the N360. In 1958, the American Honda Company was created. In 1972 Honda entered the American market with the small fuel efficient Civic - just as the energy crisis was hitting economies. In 1986 Honda introduced a luxury line of cars and in 2007 Honda announced plans to launch low-priced hybrids.

HONDA FACTS

• Type: Public company
• Founded: September 24, 1948
• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
• Key People: Soichiro Honda, Founder. Takeo Fukui, CEO
• Industry: Automobile & Truck manufacturer & Motorcycle
• Products: cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, electrical generators, robotics, marine equipment, jets and jet engines, and lawn and garden equipment, Acura vehicles.

FEATURED MODELS

• HONDA ACCORD - manufactured since 1976, first as a compact hatchback and then evolving into a premium large family estate and saloon car
• HONDA CIVIC - a compact car first manufactured in 1972 and now in its eighth generation. The Civic Type-R is a widely respected hot hatch, while the Civic IMA is a hybrid with an electric motor and petrol engine
• HONDA CR-V - public demand for a sport-utility vehicle from Honda led to the creation of this compact crossover SUV in 1996
• HONDA FR-V - a clever six seat MPV, which features three seats in the front and three in the back
• HONDA JAZZ - a five-door hatchback car first produced in 2001. It rivals the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris and is known as the Fit in Japan, China, and America
• HONDA S2000 - a two-seat roadster created to celebrate Honda’s 50th anniversary and launched in April 1999
• HONDA LEGEND - a large luxury car which is currently in its fourth generation

DID YOU KNOW?

• The Honda Cub motorcycle is the best-selling vehicle in history, with around 50 million sold worldwide
• Soichiro Honda was president of the Honda Motor Company until retiring in 1973. He was labeled “the Japanese Henry Ford” by People magazine in 1980
• The first passenger vehicle in the world to have four-wheel steering technology was the Honda Prelude in 1987
• In 1964, Honda entered Formula One racing for the first time, recording its first victory the following year. It’s current F1 campaign is headed by British racer, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello from Brazil
• In 1991, Honda posted its 10th consecutive win in the Isle of Man TT.

First, you will want to examine the specific hybrid’s estimated gas mileage - and be sure to ask when the gasoline engine kicks in, too. You may find that if you drive a lot of highway miles at faster speeds and the gas engine kicks in at 35 mph, you may not save as much money on fuel as you expected.

You’ll also want to consider any tax saving credits that being offered. There is a federal income tax credit (up to $3,400) given on the first 60,000 hybrid models sold. After that benchmark is met, the credit is gradually phased out. Fueleconomy.gov maintains a list of eligible vehicles and the current tax credits available, but you should also confirm with your dealership.

Also, you may want to think about hybrid car insurance. Some insurance companies offer a discount on hybrid car insurance - others do not. Hybrid cars are still relatively new to the marketplace, and shopping around for discounts that come with hybrid car insurance will pay off in the long run.

To be truly eco-friendly, you’ll also want to check the green rating for that particular hybrid car. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), four of the top 12 greenest vehicles of 2008, feature hybrid powertrain engines. However, there is a bigger environmental impact to consider. Some of the hybrids feature nickel batteries, which cause more long-term environmental damage than their gasoline counterparts. If you are interested in a hybrid car, be an informed consumer and check the air pollution scores, greenhouse gas scores, and other features that impact the environment.

Be aware that as a result of the growing popularity of hybrid cars, especially the Prius, you may pay over-sticker price because of the demand. You may also have a hard time locating the exact model you want, or be placed on a waiting list.

The best-selling hybrid cars of 2008 include:

Toyota Prius

With a $21,500 base sticker price, the Toyota Prius isn’t exactly cheap. However, it’s still a reasonably affordable hybrid car option for many consumers, especially after factoring in the fuel savings achieved due to the Prius’ 45 city/48 hwy mpg rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is classified as the most fuel efficient car in the U.S.

Currently the best-selling hybrid car, the Toyota Prius has been embraced by Hollywood - it’s a favorite among celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Larry David, Julia Robers, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow and Harrison Ford.

Many Prius owners claim to achieve over 60 mpg, and those employing hypermiling techniques may fare even better. For consumers averaging much less, the Prius sounds like a gift from heaven. However, the Toyota Prius may take some getting used to.

Overall, getting into a Toyota Prius seems more like entering a spaceship than an automobile. However, once you get beyond its odd shape, you’ll find alarge on-dash computer screen offering instant feedback on your gas mileage, as well as a rearview camera (you’ll need it in this vehicle due to blind spots). And you may miss other options, like a sunroof, which reduces fuel economy, too.

Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic Hybrid car has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 40 city/45 hwy mpg and a base sticker price of $22,600, comparable to that of the Toyota Prius. The Honda Civic hybrid features an Advanced Technology Partial-Zero-Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating, which is the most stringent emission standard achieved by a gasoline-powered vehicle in the U.S. In fact, it is classified as one of the most fuel efficient cars in America, along with the Toyota Prius.

In terms of looks, it’s hard to tell the standard Honda Civic from its hybrid counterpart. They are nearly identical.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid car has a base sticker price of $25,650 and is a good option for those looking for a little more luxury and fuel efficiency. It looks like the standard Toyota Camry on the road, but offers a quieter ride due to the special acoustic-dampening windshield made to absorb road noise.

The Toyota Camry hybrid car has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 33 city/34 hwy mpg rating, which not as good as either the Prius or Civic Hybrid cars. However, as a mid-size sedan, it offers room for the entire family.

Ford Escape Hybrid SUV

Known as the most fuel efficient SUV on earth, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 34 city/30 hwy mpg rating and base sticker price of $26,640. It’s available in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive, and features a tough, rugged look, although technically it’s still considered a cross-over vehicle.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the Ford Escape hybrid is ranked 15 out of 27 in terms of affordable compact SUVs, a few spots below the gasoline version. The new 2008 model was redesigned to provide a more comfortable rise and mature appearance.

Overall, the Ford Escape hybrid has received good, thumbs-up reviews in publications ranging from the New York Times to Newsday.

Hybrid Insurance

You’ll find plenty of information online at FuelEconomy.gov, from a specific vehicle’s energy impact score, carbon footprint statistics and EPA air pollution score to its eligibility for a tax credit. Other helpful green vehicle information is available at the EPA Web site.

It’s funny what you remember about your childhood. Ask me what I had for my eighth birthday or where I went on holiday when I was eleven and I honestly cannot remember. Despite forgetting the large, important milestones in my life however, I can still remember the night I closed my eyes and thought I’d opened them two seconds later only to have slept for ten hours, or when I scored a dipping volley off the crossbar playing football up the park.Another useless memory is accompanying my dad around every conceivable car showroom on his quest to find the latest family car. I remember getting very excited about a Volvo with pop up headlights, a Chrysler Neon because it accelerated far quicker than it had any right to and a Honda NSX which the dealer informed me I could have if I worked hard at school. Well Mr Honda dealer I did and it appears you’ve forgotten my NSX because my driveway is looking sparse.

The Honda dealer must’ve impressed my dad though, because once we’d clambered out of the NSX my dad bought the next best thing to a Ferrari rivalling super car - a Honda Civic. I must admit that despite this drastic step down the car ladder I was over the moon. The Civic in question had leather seats, electric everything, alloy wheels, air conditioning, CD player and Pearle sent paint that glowed green, purple, blue and everything in-between.

As we left the Honda dealer I’m sure you can picture the scene, my dad sitting tall and proud behind the wheel with me looking up at the great man, swinging my legs as I teetered on the edge of the leather upholstery, straining to peer over the dashboard. And then it happened. The drive to see my grandparents yielded approximately fifteen Hondas, mostly Civics, that were all driven by post retirement folk.

“Dad, why is everyone in a Honda grey?” came my cry to which my dad could only twiddle some electric buttons to cheer me up but it was too late. Honda was soiled, Honda was un cool and Honda was not a boyhood dream anymore.

It takes a lot to win back my faith and trust but a few years ago I was watching television and saw every single part that makes up a Honda Accord clunk and clatter into one another in a domino/crazy inventor’s laboratory way and was blown away. Another advert had a diesel engine being smashed to smithereens by cartoon rabbits and then there was Jacques Villeneuve, my favourite formula one driver. His car was a Honda and he was really cool, the adverts were cool and at the age of eighteen my love of the Honda brand was restored.

The power of the brand is one thing, having the cars to match is quite another. Happily your local Honda dealer can oblige with the simply stunning Honda Civic Type R. Originally a Japanese edition, the Civic Type R (that’ll be Type Racing) finally made it to our shores in 2001 and became one of the biggest selling and best performance hatchbacks not only in the noughties, but in the history of motoring. A bold statement yes, but a truthful one. A 2.0 litre VTEC engine gave 197bhp and 0-60 in 6.6 seconds, all for £16,000 and things have just gone space age with the latest offering.

The only criticism with the older model was that if you looked past the 17 inch alloy wheels it essentially looked like the standard car. The new Civic Type R however cannot be missed. It’s still all triangles like the base model, but features deep front and rear bumpers, huge 18 inch alloys, and a growling bonnet bulge. Racing seats hold you in place and there’s plenty of ‘Type R’ badges dotted around in case you forget you’re in a special car. A high roof spoiler does just that to your rear view but looks fantastic and the car also features twin triangular exhaust that gracefully emerge from the rear bumper.

My favourite feature has to be the speedometer which changes colour the higher the revs go, and boy does it rev, all the way onto 8,000rpm. The exceptional VTEC engine remains the same 197bhp as before, which means that the only grey haired people you’ll see driving one were turned that colour with the whiplash inducing acceleration.