Honda’s Automotive Misfits: The Element
This week’s Misfit is one of my personal favorites; one I came close to buying: the Element. Honda’s quirky and rugged “off-roader” that sparked a lot of mixed opinions.
Honda’s Automotive Misfits : Introduction
Honda is known for making reliable, affordable, and good looking cars. But over the years, they’ve also produced some brow-raisers. These cars, whether or not you liked them, deserve recognition. That’s what this blog series is going to be about: shining a spotlight on Hondas that were brushed under the rug. Read the rest of this entry »
Dream Car Garage Essentials
With Honda’s Dream Garage Sales Event going on, we wanted to ask you guys what kind of cars would you put in your Dream Garage?
And if you’re having trouble thinking of some, here are the essentials (some of these are optional of course, and are all Hondas):
1. Daily Driver
The daily driver is one of the most important cars you could have in your garage. It’s the one you put miles on, your grocery-getter, the one that gets you from A to B (in a hurry if you choose right), the one that gets you to work on time.
Our pick: 2018 Civic Hatchback, I personally recommend EX-L or above, or the 2018 Accord.
Top 5 Things We Want From Honda
Recently I sent out a feeler on our social media channels, asking you guys what you’d like to see Honda change or improve in the future and you guys really delivered. A lot of the responses were great ideas and hopefully, Honda would agree!
Here are the top 5 things we as consumers would love to see from Honda in the coming years:
1. Older Models Making a Comeback
Cars like the old Prelude and the S2000 were heavy hitters back in the day when Honda made performance affordable, so a modernized version of those two would be unbelievably popular now.
UPDATE: 600,000 Mile Man
Bill Diehl recently gave me some background and some stories along the way on his journey to 600,000 miles. To read his full story, click here: https://www.louisvillehondaworld.com/blogs/1377/uncategorized/600000-mile-man/
One of the stories Bill recounted to me starts with Dale Greathouse, our Service Director, recommending to Bill to put oil in his car every 1000 miles or so since he’s nearing the 500,000 mark. After four quarts of oil while stuck in the mountains, Bill high-tailed it back to the dealership only to find out he had been putting the oil in the transmission fluid reservoir. 150,000 miles later and the car’s still running great, original engine and all.
Thanks for the stories Bill, keep it up!
By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius
The 600,000 Mile Man
So recently I sat down with Bill Diehl, the owner of a 2003 Honda Accord coupe…with just over 600,000 miles. I had heard he was coming in for a celebration after just passing that milestone, so I thought it’d be a good opportunity for a Q and A session.
But before I get to that, I want to talk about the car. Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s Be Clear: Not Your Average Plug-In
It’s 2018. The future is here. Ever since the release of Tesla’s Model S, car manufacturers have been following suit by offering a full range of electric and hybrid vehicles, all with their own personal flair and somewhat-unique style, with more intent on gas mileage than aesthetics, which I cede is not the most important factor in car production.
Then there’s the Honda Clarity. It’s their newest contender in the race towards the future of the automobile industry. And its based on the Accord platform, one of their best-performing cars for nearly 40 years, so you know it’s got to be good.
7 Car Accessories Perfect for Winter Driving
With winter weather incoming, it might be time to prepare your car for the harsh conditions and slippery roads. Here are OEM accessories that could make driving in the winter time easier for your daily driver or weekend cruiser, Honda or not.
- Engine Block Heater: an engine block heater just warms up the engine compartment during cold temperatures. So instead of letting your car warm for 10 or 15 minutes, with an engine block heater it’ll only take less than a few minutes. You can pick one up at practically any auto parts store, for around $30 or $40.
- Remote Start System: allows the driver to start their car from roughly 30ft away, most likely in the comfort of their own house or office. The remote start systems keeps the car locked, and keeps it running for about 10 minutes before shutting itself off. Most modern cars come standard with these, but you could also pick one up for around $100 or less.
- First Aid Kit/Roadside Kit: bandages, flares, batteries, flashlights, jumper cables, tire-repair kits, etc. Anything to survive snowbanks…or the apocalypse.
- Heated Steering Wheel/Heated Seats: keep your hands warm with a little touch of luxury while you’re on the road in colder temps. Talk to your local dealership about having them installed.
- Roof Rack/Cargo Carrier (My Favorite): keep the contents of your backseat from flailing around (unless it’s a child, then use a seatbelt) by an easily accessible storage bin that’s also aesthetically pleasing. These roof-boxes are very useful for long road trips or trips to the ski resort. You can pick one up from nearly any auto store for around $200 or higher.
- Rubberized Floor Mats: keep your floorboards nice and clean, just in case you track in some snow or salt. Most dealerships offer these with the price of the vehicle, but you can also pick up some generic ones for less than $50.
- Winter Tires: You can find the studded tires in the northern parts of the country, but around here winter tires usually mean thick and knobby tread to give you more grip on slushy and icy roads.
Ask your local car dealer about other OEM accessories available for your car that better fits your style! See more at https://www.louisvillehondaworld.com/service-center-louisville.html or swing by our showroom here in Louisville and ask a Honda Genius about accessories today!
By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius
*Any MPG listed is based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-PHEV-label.shtml.
“Sport” Takes on a New Meaning
It used to be when you hear about or see an Accord Sport, you’d think “grandpa’s car” or “nothing really exciting.” And you’d probably be right. Granted there are a few exceptions, a few niche markets or certain demographics that enjoy it. But overall, the public’s general opinion of the Accord Sport has always been “meh.”
With a 2.4L four-cylinder engine that put out roughly 190hp (less than the Civic Si), 19” wheels and no other actual performance upgrades, the “Sport” badge was purely aesthetic. It didn’t handle differently, it didn’t have any more get-up to it than a regular Accord, it just let you “shift” the gears on its CVT for a little more fun. “Meh” indeed.
That was until the 2018 Accord Sport 2.0T released this month, with a plethora of new features that made it truly live up to its “Sport” badge. Along with the safety features, which come standard on every trim in the 2018 line-up, there are quite a few performance upgrades that come with the badge.
Under the hood, the Accord has a 252hp 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged engine, mated to your choice of a 10-speed auto with paddles, or of course a 6-speed manual transmission, available only on the Sport trims. Equipped with 19” wheels and Macpherson Strut suspension in the front and a Multi-Link rear suspension, it’s not going to feel like a regular front-wheel-drive car.
So while many prefer the manual transmission, I had the chance to drive the 10-speed auto. Having driven dozens of different cars with different CVTs, DCTs, and DSGs, I’m used to paddles and slushboxes. However, the Accord’s 10-speed-auto is by far Honda’s best-feeling shift, as far as an alternative to a six-speed goes. Even compared to a V6 Coupe, the shifts felt snappier and more responsive, and the car just seemed to play along. There wasn’t any lag between gears whereas the V6’s CVT just didn’t want to leave the gear it was in. The 2018 felt light and compact, compared to the V6 that just felt heavy and lumbering around corners and getting back up to speed.
Everyone has a different opinion on this whole V6-vs-Turbo-4 engine debate; on one side you have “no replacement for displacement,” while on the other side you have the trend of the nearly every car manufacturer that has fuel economy in mind. While I cede that six-cylinder engines are quite formidable and terribly fun to drive, turbocharged 4-cylinders can make the case – if done right.
Honda hit the mark on producing a fuel-efficient family car that also makes a case for a respectable and fun daily driver and a good substitute for the V6 Accord. If you were looking for a racecar, try the Type-R.
By Christian Olsson, Honda Genius
Numbers don’t lie – with almost 4 million sold since its introduction in 1997 and an impressive seven years of documented sales gains for Honda, the CR-V is proving itself an excellent vehicle for its owners. But what is it about this compact SUV that continues to bring new drivers to the wheel? We wanted to take a closer look at the car that Business Insider recently touted as their Favorite SUV in America to find out what keeps the CR-V at the head of the pack in a market that is definitely not lacking in options. Here’s what we found.
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