For 2012, Honda’s four-door, five-passenger pickup receives styling upgrades and improved highway fuel economy. A new Ridgeline Sport model targeted at the entry four-wheel-drive truck segment provides many high-value features.
The 2012 Honda Ridgeline is now available in four models, including the Ridgeline RT, new Ridgeline Sport, Ridgeline RTS and Ridgeline RTL. Upgrades on all models for 2012 include a refreshed grille design, aerodynamic improvements, friction reduction measures in the engine and a new EPA fuel rating of 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. [click to continue…]
Joe LoCicero of Maine drives a lot. More than a lot, actually. He’s logged more than 1 million miles in about 15 years on his 1990 Honda Accord. Quite the feat, considering that most people drive an average of 14,000 miles a year and don’t keep a car long enough to rack up anything like that kind of mileage.
So to honor LoCicero’s achievement, Honda threw a surprise parade in his honor in the town of Saco, Maine, on Monday that featured:
- giant odometer float powered by six people spinning life-sized hamster wheels;
- airplane banner congratulating Joe;
- floats made by Biddeford High School students;
- Westbrook High School marching band and color guard;
- Saco Middle School Marching Band;
- Shoestring Theater stilt walkers; and
- over-the-top costumed characters.
The parade interrupted a ceremony in which LoCicero was being presented an oversized key to a new 2012 Honda Accord from Ms. Maine, Ashley Marble.
LoCicero is a stickler for following the owner’s manual, switching oil weights between summer and winter and changing the oil every 5,000 miles and checking the fluids weekly. He’s replaced the fuel pump, both cooling fans and the radiator twice. In addition to not driving his Accord hard, LoCicero’s only received one speeding ticket in a million miles. H0nda setup a Facebook page to track and celebrate the achievement.
Offering the highest fuel-efficiency of any vehicle priced under $20,000, the 2012 Honda Insight adds fresh features and even higher mileage ratings for the new model year, while still boasting an MSRP that starts at just $18,350.
Leading the way is a subtle, yet thorough, upgrade to the Insight’s aerodynamics. Thanks to restyled front and rear bumpers, along with changes made to improve airflow beneath the vehicle, the 2012 Insight is 2 percent slipperier than the past model, helping raise fuel-economy ratings by a full mile per gallon in all EPA measures. The bottom line: 2012 fuel-efficiency marks of 41 mpg city/44 mpg highway/42 mpg combined. [click to continue…]
While the guidelines for the recent Cars.com “$37,000 SUV Shootout” may have been a bit unexpected – starting with the fact that none of the vehicles involved were actually body-on-frame SUVs – the results were anything but. That’s because even though it was facing all-new competition from a number of rivals, the refreshed 2012 Honda Pilot came out on top in this unique comparison test: The goal here was to see which three-row “SUV” was the best fit for a family of four, so not only were automotive experts from Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek involved in the judging, but so was a family of four – the Kochs, from Hoffman Estates, Ill. [click to continue…]
Designed with the same attention to detail and customer satisfaction found in the rest of the 2012 Honda Civic family, the Civic Natural Gas—formerly known as the Civic GX—is now easier for drivers to enjoy than ever. Not only does it offer affordability, with an MSRP of just $26,155, but it’s also currently on sale at 200 dealerships in 35 states across the country; the 2011 version was sold only in California, New York, Utah and Oklahoma.
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Honda Aircraft Company announced its selection of Greensboro, NC, as the location of its new HondaJet Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility. The company will invest $20 million to build the new facility, which brings the company’s total investment for construction its North Carolina facilities to more than $120 million.
The MRO facility will provide HondaJet owners with services that complement those they receive at dealers in North America and Europe. The facility will provide extensive repair and overhaul work for the light business jet.
The MRO facility will be an expansion of the company’s Greensboro Piedmont Triad Airport headquarters campus, where R&D, manufacturing and headquarter buildings take up 500,000 square feet on about 80 acres.
Honda Aircraft, a subsidiary of American Honda Motors, was founded in 2006, and says the HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, most quiet and fuel efficient business jet in its class. It’s capable of a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet and a maximum speed of 425 knots true airspeed (489 mph) at 30,000 feet.
The Honda CR-Z was released with a flurry of interest. Unlike any other hybrid on the market, it promised performance and sporty driving dynamics without sacrificing fuel economy. And, with a base price of $19,545, the 2012 CR-Z is also a stellar value.
There are two models available for the 2012 model year. There’s the base CR-Z and a well-equipped EX. Based models feature a six-speed manual transmission with and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is available as an option. [click to continue…]
It was the end of an era recently, when a California exemption that allowed hybrid drivers to travel solo in that state’s “High Occupancy Vehicle” (HOV) highway lanes expired. But that doesn’t mean all Golden State drivers who want to save on fuel costs will now have to put up with California’s infamous traffic jams. The Honda Civic Natural Gas—which runs entirely on compressed natural gas (CNG)—will remain eligible for HOV lane access until January 1, 2015.
According to Honda Dealers CT, other similar vehicles may eventually qualify as well, but at this stage, Honda is the only OEM in the U.S. that sells a dedicated CNG-powered light-duty vehicle that’s been designed and manufactured for retail sale. And speaking of sales, the Civic Natural Gas (formerly known as the Civic GX) has been earning plenty in California this year: Sales there have tripled through the first six months of 2011. That momentum should stay in high gear, too, since the all-new 2012 model is slated to hit the road later this year, bringing all the updates and improvements found on the rest of the completely redesigned 2012 Civic family. [click to continue…]
In an effort to create jobs, the U.S. Department of Ene3rgy may soon devote more cash for researching plug-in vehicles. That news comes as Energy Secretary Steven Chu revealed a new strategy intended to reduce oil imports and slash pollution. According to Honda Dealer CT, this initiative could also shift billions of research dollars towards plug-in vehicles and modernizing the electric grid.
In the new Quadrennial Technology Review report, the DOE prioritized research that it deems could be ready for commercialization within ten years. Honda Washington DC confirmed that plug-in vehicles are among the items on the list. [click to continue…]
Honda has just built its 11th LEED-certified facility in North America, which is the most LEED-certified buildings of any automaker.
According to AZ Honda Dealer, Honda Engineering North America’s Powertrain Division, in Anna, Ohio, is the automaker’s latest “green building.” The facility provides manufacturing tooling design and engineering support for the production of engines at the adjacent Anna Engine Plant, the largest automobile engine plant in Honda’s global production network. [click to continue…]
