News Opinion (Page 108)

American Honda rolled out a teaser announcement as to a major refreshed 2018 Honda Fit offering, featuring not only expanded active safety features, but an edgy looking “sport” edition. Can a mainstream subcompact Honda economy hatchback be sporty?

We’re reading on the internet about 2017 Civic Si buyers agreeing to pay a premium for the relatively limited production 2017 Honda Civic Si. True enough, the 10th generation Civic Si is a limited production offering. But, is it worth a premium?

The last generation European/Japan Civic Type-R was and remains a limited production offering as Honda goes. The final production run of the last generation Civic Type-R was 700 units, it sold out in hours. So will the first Civic to wear the Type-R designation in the United States.

Although 2018 Honda was purpose designed as an exceptionally safe, transformable kid hauler, I take a look at Honda’s latest and greatest with the mature eye of a “driver” whose kids are long grown. For me, I like 2018 Honda Odyssey for the comfortable, well connected long haul.

Admittedly, I’ve spun a headline based on Honda’s iconic buzz phrase of the 1960s. What can I tell you, I’m old school. Our story begins on the Big Island of Hawaii. Aloha!

We read about it in the news, and now see zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles roaming the streets of southern, central, and northern California. Is the fabled “Hydrogen Society” now upon us?

It’s Star Wars Day, since it’s May the Fourth, and Ford is saying that the nose of the 2018 Mustang was inspired by one of the most famous villains of all time – the franchise’s iconic Darth Vader. Seriously.

New-car sales have been on a losing streak in recent months, and some analysts and market observers are worried (I am not, I think it’s a natural plateauing after two or three years of record sales), but notably, sports cars are bucking the trend. That includes Mazda Miata sales.

You see them running the roads of the too often wet Pacific Northwest from time to time. Damn practicality, I want one. Unfortunately. for too many Honda performance fans, the dream of owning a rear-axle driven, Honda powered roadster ended in 2009. Is Honda setting the stage for a return?

Earth Day 2017: Riding on the heels of Auto Shanghai 2017, Honda’s announcement of a dedicated 2018 CR-V Hybrid for the world’s biggest emerging auto market has green car proponents in the U.S. asking, why not here?

With a scheduled major refresh for 2018 Acura TLX, Torque News drops behind the wheel of the maker’s best selling sport sedan to revisit initial impressions of greatness.

With everything from the cellphone in your pocket to that advanced long-lived lithium-ion battery installed in that new 4-motor drone you surprised the wife with last Christmas, a very limited world-wide supply of the mined, rare earth element Lithium, may be the greatest obstacle in mainstreaming the electric car.

Last month we took an extended drive review in Mazda’s exceptional 3 series 4 door sedan. Frankly, we loved everything but the road to cabin noise transference. And then I took a closer look at the tires.

If you want a luxury SUV, you can’t go wrong buying a new Range Rover. But while a fully loaded Range Rover costs well over $200,000, Land Rover should consider adding a new, more-expensive model to take on the Bentley Bentayga and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

It’s not often that a manufacturer lends a less than fully loaded car or light truck offering to a journalist for drive review, so I rented one, and set out on an 800 mile, 24 hour turnaround in the rain. I learned a thing or two as to Santa Fe Sports, front-wheel-drive road worthiness, mostly good.

We drive the 2017 Honda Clarity FCV, a glorious glimpse into Honda’s electrification of the automobile.

It’s not unusual for a sub-premium compact sedan to run a bit noisy in the cabin. Such is the case with Mazda’s top-trim 3 series touring sedan. In the case of 2017 Mazda3, running Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tires exponentially increased cabin noise.

With so much virtual ink being spent these days on 0 to 60 MPH sprint times, and higher than reality check fuel efficiency, how is that a relatively slow, subcompact crossover, claiming average fuel efficiency, leading the segment in sales for 2017.

The viable future of long-range electric is tied to battery module size and cost, that’s a given. Longer range equates to size, weight and MSRP proportionately. Honda opts for shorter range, affordable access.

Like an old friends that shows up for a long weekend, “with just a little work done,” the notable changes for 2017 Acura MDX Advance are subtle, but welcomed. “Good looking and capable” pretty much sums it up for me.

We spend a week in the seat of Honda’s reinvented compact SUV, and walk away with a lesson in segment refinement, and how to produce measurable engine performance through turbocharging, while preserving exceptional fuel efficiency.

With old-school turbocharged engine detractors obsessing over the new-age fuel efficient, high-torque output 4 cylinder engine technology, I’m here to tell you, not only is the 4-cylinder turbo engine the future I.C.E. of choice, Honda’s 2017 CR-V is a much improved performer because of it.

Looking to the initial purchase MSRP, ( manufacturer's suggested retail price) and ongoing cost of maintenance and operation, Kelley Blue Book then factors in predicted residual value and acknowledges one midsize car offering above all others. “Best” in this application means affordable.

Positioned slightly above the entry level Civic Hatchback LX, the not so bare-bones Civic Hatchback Sport returns us to the age of the manually shifted Honda performance hatchback of yesteryear, with a twist, it’s civilized, full efficient, comfortable, and you can have it all for under $22K.

Here we are, just over a month into 2017 and BMW have dropped the bombshell of the all new exclusive 5 series touring, more space and more tech, but IS IT all new?

Well, have you driven one? This week U.S. News and World Report rated 2017 Honda HR-V “Best Subcompact SUV for the Money.”

That headline took me several attempts to land on. Archimoto’s founder Mark Frohnmayer’s unique take on electrified personal transportation, may look simple enough. But once behind the handlebars, my imagination took over as to the “what if” of this equation. Arcimoto SRK Trike brings motorcycle inspired adventure to the EV segment.

Volvo’s Hybrid SUV flagship comes standard with a steep learning curve, and it’s pricey. Granted while not for everyone, even the well heeled of Volvo’s discriminating loyal, may find that this hybrid fails to meet individual "superior hybrid" expectations.

With industry-wide car sales slowing a bit, Volkswagen's diesel repurchase program may prove the law of unintended consequences. It was instituted to get cheating diesel vehicles off the road and in doing so it may also keep the sales recovery going.

The Dieselgate scandal took another step toward winding up in th United States as Volkswagen agreed to pay up to $4.04 billion to take care of repairs 78,000 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesels affected by the diesel cheating scandal and buybacks to another 22,000 that cannot be repaired.