Archive for August, 2011
Cars.com Recommends the 2012 Honda Civic
Posted on 02. Aug, 2011 by admin.
Yesterday, Consumer Reports announced it would no longer recommend the Honda Civic after its 2012 redesign.
The editorial staff at Cars.com has tested various versions of the 2012 Honda Civic over hundreds of real-world miles, and today, we still recommend the car to consumers.
We recommend it for numerous reasons including its terrific mileage, comfortable cabin, top safety scores, high resale value and a long track record of reliability. When the class is so competitive, these factors are what many car shoppers focus on.
In our review of the 2012 Civic we did note that the interior was a step back from the heights of the 2011 Civic. In terms of ride, the new Civic actually is more comfortable than before, but it sacrifices sporty handling in the process.
In a recent Cars.com Shootout we pitted the Civic — an LX model with 15-inch wheels and tires, which is what Consumer Reports tested — against the redesigned 2012 Ford Focus, 2011 Kia Forte, 2011 Chevy Cruze and 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The Civic came in second to the Elantra and was well-ahead of the rest of the group in our scoring.
It was praised for superb visibility, front and rear seat comfort, and acceleration. “The Civic’s automatic is among the group’s most responsive,” Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays said.
The 2012 Civic, which gets an EPA-estimated 28/39 mpg city/highway, returned mileage of 36.8 mpg in our Shootout mileage test that mixed city and highway driving. It topped the Shootout competitors, besting the Elantra at 34.5 mpg. With gas prices still hovering near $4 nationally, the Civic is one of the most efficient non-hybrid models that can fit five people.
The 2012 Civic has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is IIHS’ highest safety award. The federal government has not yet tested the new Civic.
Consumer Reports with its well-earned history of studying car reliability gave the previous Honda Civic sedan its top score for predicted reliability the past three years, and the 2012 earns a Better Than Average score. No other compact car scores higher with Consumer Reports.
Automotive Leasing Guide currently rates the 2012 Civic at 58% residual value for a three-year lease. The segment average is 49%. Residual scores directly impact resale values down the line.
While it may have flaws, the 2012 Honda Civic is still one of the best cars in its class and should be on any short list for compact-car shoppers.
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Capsule Review: Mazda6 SKYACTIV-D Mule
Posted on 02. Aug, 2011 by admin.
The Sea-to-Sky highway in British Columbia, Canada, carves a winding route from the gorgeous – and occasionally riotous – city of Vancouver to the world-class ski resort of Whistler. Its looping curves were rebuilt to make it a high-speed corridor for tourists and athletes during the last Winter Olympics, and as a result, it’s probably [...]
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Recall Alert: 1997-2004 Ford F-150, F-250 and Lincoln Blackwood for Fuel Tank Straps
Posted on 01. Aug, 2011 by admin.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 11-month investigation into whether the steel straps holding the fuel tanks on 1997-2001 Ford F-Series pickup trucks can corrode and break has turned into a full-blown recall.
Ford is recalling 1.1 million trucks from the 1997 to 2004 model years, including the 1997-2003 Ford F-150, 2004 Ford F-150 Heritage edition, 1997-1999 Ford F-250 (with a gross vehicle weight rating under 8,500 pounds), and 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood.
Trucks included in the recall were originally sold or currently registered in the following cold-weather states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
Exposure to road de-icing chemicals may cause the fuel tank straps to corrode. A fire can start if a dragged fuel tank ruptures from road contact or if the tank falls away completely, causing fuel lines and linkages to leak or break.
Ford says it has eight reports of the tanks falling from F-150 pickups and three related injuries.
Dealers will replace the straps with new ones with more corrosion protection. If no straps are available, the dealer will install a cable support as an interim repair until new straps are available.
If you own an F-150 from the affected model years, you may want to inspect the fuel tank straps to see if there's rust.
Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.
[Source: NHTSA]
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Review: 2012 Ford Focus SE Take Two (With Sport Package)
Posted on 01. Aug, 2011 by admin.
As recounted in an earlier review, the new Focus in Titanium trim is good enough to justify a price tag over $27,000 for a compact Ford. But what if you don’t want to spend that much, or want a manual transmission, which is not available with the SEL or Titanium trim levels? How much do [...]
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Report: Honda Ridgeline Still Headed to Pasture
Posted on 01. Aug, 2011 by admin.
Even though the Honda Ridgeline will receive a new Sport Trim Package and an expected bump in gas mileage for 2012, there's word again that its days are numbered, this time according to Automotive News.
Automotive News says the Ridgeline will be discontinued by 2013, which is about the same time our sources said it would be killed back in 2010.
Honda had hoped to sell about 50,000 trucks per year when the Ridgeline came to market in 2005 for the 2006 model year, but halfway through 2011 only 5,185 Ridgelines have been sold through June. That's down 37.7 percent from the same period last year. Even the Dodge/Ram Dakota is outselling the Ridgeline in 2011, with 8,200 sold year-to-date.
A second-generation Ridgeline was planned, but we haven't heard about it since 2009.
Another bad omen for the Ridgeline: Honda Performance Development recently replaced California Race & Rally's two-time Baja 1000-winning Ridgeline with a Honda Pilot-skinned racer for the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and 2011 racing season.
What will replace the Ridgeline, if anything? Automotive News says a smaller Honda CR-V crossover-based pickup is being considered.
[Source: Automotive News]
