Honda Car Reviews

Honda Legend

2007-04-06T08:25:00.001-07:00

The Honda Legend, currently marketed as the Acura RL in North America, is a full-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was originally developed as part of Project XX, a joint venture with the Austin Rover Group of the United Kingdom; the resultant "twin" was the 1986 Rover 800 series.

Background

The Legend was initially a four-door sedan (saloon), with a two-door coupé being added later. The first Honda Legend used a 2.0 liter V6 C20A. This was Honda's first V6. In subsequent models, a larger version of the same engine was used, the 2.5 C25A, then the 2.7 C27A, and then a turbocharged C20AT was introduced that was the most powerful Honda engine ever made at the time, and also was Honda's first turbocharged engine. This motor used a revolutionary wing turbo system. Only recently has Honda turbocharged another gasoline engine. The C-series engines were very capable/reliable and highly regarded engines. All 2nd Generation Legends used a larger version C32A, of this motor. Also, all NSX's used a more powerful C-series engine C30A and C32B, which were essentially based on the original C20/C25/C27 used in the first Honda Legend. The sedan was the model which launched Honda's premium Acura brand in the North America. The North American market did not get the C20A or the C20AT. The first generation Acura Legend did use the same C25A, and later the C27A, although power output varied slightly from the Honda Legend versions. The newest iteration is the 3.5 liter C35A used in the 3rd generation (1996-2004) Honda/Acura Legend.

The first-generation Honda Legend was manufactured from 1985 until 1989, with a second-generation model (also offered as a sedan and coupé) launching in 1990. The Rover 800 was not renewed, continuing on the old XX platform, although it did receive a major update in 1992. The third-generation Legend was released in 1996.

The first and second-generation Honda Legend was known as the Acura Legend in North American markets and in Hong Kong from 1986-95, and in 1996 the third-generation was renamed the Acura RL, while the Legend name continued on in Japan and other markets onto a third and fourth-generation. Although this naming convention change is now regarded by many as a complete blunder, at the time Acura was trying to compete with the similar Mercedes/Lexus/BMW model names. At the same time, the new Acura RL/Honda Legend was considered a step down in performance and style by many. It is believed by some that Honda/Acura suffered these bad decisions and others due to the death of Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda motors, who was known for his active role in the Honda/Acura Legend. Only recently has Acura recovered in lost sales and brand image. These changes applied to other Acura models as well, including the Vigor to the TL, and a few years later, the Integra to the RSX.

Variants

The second-generation Legend was also manufactured by Daewoo in South Korea from 1993-2000 under the name of Daewoo Arcadia, for the domestic market mostly.

The third-generation model was offered as a sedan only. A mid-term facelift came in 1999.

The swoopier fourth-generation Honda Legend was launched on October 7, 2004 and became Japan's Car of the Year for 2004-05, marking the fourth time in five years that Honda had taken the award. The new car has a 300 PS engine and an intelligent night-vision system to detect pedestrians.

The Legend went on sale in Australia for the 2007 model year, based on the third-generation Acura RL.

In 2008, Honda plans on bringing the Acura brand into the Pacific. The Honda Legend will likely be rebranded into the Acura RL.

Honda Acty

2007-04-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Honda Acty is a series of pickup trucks and minivans from Honda, made for the Japanese market. They are keicars, with very small overall dimensions, and a very small engine displacement (currently around 660cc). They are designed to be economical, agile work vehicles, and generally lack creature comforts, though air conditioning is available as an option.

The base price of the pickup model is 756,000 yen as of February 2006. The base model is mid-engine, rear drive. Four-wheel drive is available as an option on some models, making the Acty one of a handful of mid-engine, AWD vehicles. (Most other vehicles with that layout are supercars.)

The Acty is powered by a 12-valve straight-3 gasoline engine making 34 kW (45.5 hp) at 5500 rpm and 60 Nm (37 ft·lb) at 5000 rpm.

Trivia

* In the film Battle Royale, Shinji Mimura builds a truck bomb with an Acty pickup truck, but fails when he is killed by Kazuo Kiriyama.

* In the comedy "Mr Jolly Lives Next Door" (produced by the Comic Strip) Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson drive around, usually paralytic, in a white Honda Acty.

* The Acty was sold on the Australian market in 1982. However it was not sold in Sydney, as Honda believed the vehicle would not be powerful enough to cope with Sydney's hilly terrain.

2005 Honda Odyssey Touring

2007-03-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

'05 Honda Odyssey Touring

Type:
Front-engine, front-wheel drive, seven-passenger minivan

Price:
Base, $38,810

Engine:
3.5-liter V-6; 255-hp; 250 lb-ft torque

EPA fuel economy:
20 mpg city/28 mpg highway

Likes:
Power tailgate. Power adjustable pedals. Lazy Susan in-floor storage. Stowable toddler seat in second row. Roll-down windows with sunshades in second row. Split third-row seat easy to fold into floor.

New benchmark in minivan segment. Powerful V-6 with frugal cylinder-deactivation feature. Deep cargo well accommodates fold-flat rear seats. Best-in-class standard safety features. Center-mounted shift lever. Michelin PAX run-flat tires. Rides and handles like a luxury station wagon.

Honda VTX Series

2007-03-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Honda VTX series is a line of Honda V-twin cruiser motorcycles inspired by the Zodia concept shown at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. The Honda VTX 1800 was introduced in 2002 , and a smaller 1300 cc version was introduced in 2003. At the time this bike was introduced the Honda VTX 1800 engine was the largest displacement production V-Twin engine in the world, with the largest pistons ever produced for a car or a motorcycle. This title didn't last long however as the displacement race still continues today. There are several differently styled models available for each displacement class.

Features

The VTX series has a muscular looking body, it is quite long and low to the ground featuring significant rake and trail. The 1800 puts out 120 ft·lbf of torque at only 3500 rpm and 106 bhp @ 5000 rpm, making the VTX series one of the more powerful production V-twin motorcycles of its time.

On the VTX 1800, Honda updated its linked braking feature, instead of having the usual separate hand and foot brakes, the hand brake operates two-thirds of the front pistons while the foot operates the other third in front and all the rear via a proportioning valve. The throttle is updated with Honda's new Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) system, using a vacuum sensor within the first ten percent of opening to more precisely meter torque, until the standard throttle position sensor takes over.

The VTX 1300 uses standard unlinked brakes, with a single large front disk. The 1300 also uses a carburetor unlike the fuel injected 1800, and therefore is much simpler in terms of design. Although the engine is similar to the 1800, it is not just a smaller bore/stroke but a different design.

Criticisms

The VTX series has a small back seat and provides few luxuries for passengers. It also features a soft suspension with short travel which fails to smooth bigger bumps despite mitigating mild roughness. The VTX also has an unusual key placement.

Honda Fit

2007-03-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

Although the Honda Fit is now one of Honda’s global models, it experienced a very slow progression as it made its way around the world. The car first debuted in the June of 2001 in Japan and immediately became a big hit. It was then introduced to Europe (early 2002), Australia (late 2002), South America (early 2003), South Africa and South-East Asia (mid 2003), China (mid 2004), and Mexico (late 2005). A production model for the United States and Canadian markets debuted on January 8, 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The car was released in Canada on April 3, 2006, and in the U.S. on April 20, 2006. Unlike most Honda models, which traditionally have 4 or 5-year model cycles, the current generation Fit will remain for a longer period of time due to its late release in North America.

Type:
Front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger hatchback.

Price: Base, $14,400 (inc. $550 shipping charge)

Engine:
1.5-liter I-4;
109-hp;
105 lb-ft torque.

EPA fuel economy:
33 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Where built:
Japan

Cool blue backlit gauges. Roomy, versatile cabin with clever reconfigurable rear seat. Peppy engine with adequate power for passing and merging. Lots of Scion-like accessories. Quick, responsive steering makes car easy to maneuver and park. Loads of standard features on the base model, including air conditioning, CD player and power accessories. Traditional three-ring instrument cluster.

Honda Element SC

2007-03-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

* Original MSRP range: US $22,695
* Available in Nighthawk Black Pearl, Root Beer Metallic, Galaxy Grey Metallic & Alabaster Silver Metallic

A new "urban cruiser" trim level called the SC will be offered with a custom bumper, lower roofline and 18 in alloy wheels. It will also feature upgrades to the original Element such as projector-beam halogen headlights and a custom tribal print seat fabric.

Honda Civic

2007-03-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

Honda completely redesigned the Civic giving it a more athletic, curvier look. All models (including the base model) come standard with ABS and side and curtain airbags. Additionally, the 2006 models acquired a ULEV-2 (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) rating and boast a more powerful 1.8 liter engine than the 2005 counterparts, but still retain almost equal fuel economy. In the North American market, the sedan, coupé, coupé Si, and Hybrid models are available. A Sedan Si has been announced for the 2007 model year (this is the first ever Civic Si sedan). The Sedan and Coupe all come in 3 available trims (DX, LX, EX) while the Civic Si and Hybrid are sold "as is" with relatively few options (such as a navigation system, automatic day/night compass mirrors, and wheel locks).

Trims and Models

The DX model is the base model that comes equipped with LATCH, immobilizer theft-deterrent system, power windows, daytime running lights (DRL), 15" wheels with covers, driver's seat height adjustment, and other features (All Canadian sold Civics have the 160 watt stereo system) as well as the DX-G model in Canada adds air conditioning, auxiliary input jack for portable audio players, power door locks, remote keyless entry and storage console armrest.

The LX model adds a 160 watt 6-speaker stereo system, air conditioning, 16" wheels with covers (Alloy wheels in Canadian LX models), cruise control, MP3/audio jack, passenger side walk in with memory (Coupe only), floor mats, security system with remote entry and Canadian sold models (except for DX) include heated exterior mirrors.

The EX model adds a moonroof, 4 wheel disc brakes, 16" alloy wheels, an additional 12-volt accessory outlet (for a total of 2), a 350 watt stereo system with 7 speakers (Coupe only, the Sedan EX comes with a 160 watt stereo system), exterior temperature indicator, a foldable rear arm rest with integrated cupholders (Sedan only), and an optional voice-activated navigation system.

The Coupes come standard with a rear lip-spoiler and on the EX models (only) have round chrome finish on the exhaust pipe. They are typically a bit sportier than their Sedan counterparts and cost US$200 less in the US and CDN$200 more in Canada at base MSRP. It should be noted that the EX model of both the Coupe and Sedan are actually a bit smaller, in terms of interior room (because of the moon-roof, which takes up head-room), than their DX and LX counterparts. MSRP is US$14,810 (18.881) for the DX Manual Coupe to approximately $21K for the Si models.

Only a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is offered for the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, which gains more power and a mileage boost to an EPA estimated 49/51 mpg (city/highway). It achieves an AT-PZEV emission rating.

Production
2006-present

Body style
2-door coupe (FG1/2)
3-door hatchback
4-door sedan (FA1)
5-door hatchback

Engine
1.3 L LDA-MF5 I4, IMA engine (Hybrid)
1.8 L R18A1 I4
2.0 L K20Z3 I4
2.0 L K20Z2 I4 (Japanese market only)

Transmission
5-speed manual
6-speed manual
5-speed automatic

Wheelbase
104.3 in (264 cm) (coupe)
106.3 in (269 cm) (sedan)

Length
174.8 in (441 cm) (coupe)
176.7 in (447 cm) (sedan)

Width
68.9 in (172 cm) (coupe)
69.0 in (175 cm) (sedan)

Height
53.5 in (134 cm) (coupe)
56.5 in (142 cm) (sedan)

Fuel capacity
13.2 US gal

Honda CR-V

2007-03-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

A redesigned CR-V was launched for the 2007 model year. The redesigned CR-V made its auto show debut at the 2006 Paris Auto Show.

The third generation CR-V is powered by the latest version of Honda's standard K-series 2.4 L 4-cylinder engine, similar variants of which can also be found in the current-generation Honda Accord and Honda Element. A 2.4 L engine upgraded to 166 hp is used in the North American market. A 2.2 L i-CTDI diesel is offered in the European and Asian markets. The European market Honda CR-V offers a new R20A 2.0 L engine, based on the Honda R-series i-VTEC SOHC engine found in the Honda Civic, as opposed to the previous CR-V offering the K20A.

Previously, all CR-Vs produced for the North American market are imported from Honda's plants in Japan and the UK, where production will continue for those respective regions.

The 2007 CR-V features a real liftgate, unlike previous models. There is no longer a spare wheel attached to the back door. The new CR-V is lower, wider and shorter than the previous models; the length decrease stems mostly from the fact that the spare wheel no longer adds length to the back of the vehicle. A lowering of the center of gravity is another benefit of the spare wheel being located underneath the vehicle.

An iPod adapter is optional equipment on US models.

Mugen Motorsports, the well-known Honda tuning company, announced that they will have a full catalogue of performance and cosmetic upgrade parts available for the third-generation CR-V, the first time the company has made parts for the CR-V line.

Engine
2.0 L I4
2.2 L turbodiesel I4
2.4 L I4

Transmission
5-speed manual
5-speed automatic

Wheelbase
2620 mm (103.1 in.)

Length
4520 mm (177.9 in.)

Width
1820 mm (71.6 in.)

Height
1680 mm (66.1 in.)

Related
Honda Civic
Honda Element

Honda Accord Seventh generation (2003–2007)

2007-03-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

In 2002, the Accord underwent another major redesign. This time, Honda decided to create two different cars that would bear the Accord name in different markets. The car known as the Accord in the US, Brazilian and Asian markets is based on the JDM Honda Inspire. Meanwhile the Japanese and European markets received a smaller, sportier Accord. This car was later released in the US as the Acura TSX.

Larger than ever, the Accord is given a new level of refinement with chrome interior accents and higher grade materials. The lineup still includes the seemingly de-facto DX, LX, EX, LX-V6 and EX-V6. Mechanically, the 4-cylinder engine was the new K-series, and the 6-cylinder was the same J-series V6 as the sixth generation's, but revised intake, intake manifold, exhaust, and exhaust manifold contributed to a 40 hp (30 kW) increase. The seventh generation V6 exhaust manifolds are cast together with the cylinder heads, there are no headers. A 5-speed automatic transmission was also new for 2003. Now a vastly different car to the worldwide Accord, the North American model grew larger still, gaining more interior room and weight than its international counterpart. Honda sold the North American Accord in a few other markets including Asian (now made in Thailand), Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Australian and New Zealand markets with mixed results. For the first time, Honda offered an "enthusiast" version of the Accord in the US, adding a sports suspension and mating the 6-speed manual transmission from the Acura CL to the V6 Honda Accord Coupe. A specific 4-cylinder model is the first production car in the world to meet California's Super Ultra Low Emission standards. The 2003 model year also debuted Honda's GPS assisted Navigation system as an option for the Accord. Prior to 2003, it was only available on the higher end Acura line as well as the Honda Odyssey. The first 2003 Honda Accord rolled off the Marysville, OH assembly line on September 26, 2002.

In 2004 Honda announced that they would release a hybrid version of the USDM Accord called the Honda Accord Hybrid featuring Honda's IMA technology. In 2004 Honda also first offered XM Satellite Radio as a factory installed option.

For 2005, the Accord received minor updates such as revised taillights (all red) and new wheel designs. The Accord became Canada's top-selling mid-size car, and this was the first model year of the Accord Hybrid.

For its 2006 model year, the Accord received several new improvements. This was motivated on the Accord's 30th anniversary. Some enthusiasts argue that the 2006 model year should be called generation 7.5,[citation needed] and the Accord gives it reminiscence to its competitors for 2006 (e.g. Chevrolet Impala and Hyundai Sonata). The exterior was revised with new rear end styling (most noticeably for the sedan), LED taillights, daytime running lights (DRLs) and heated side mirrors for US EX models. Heated mirrors and DRLs were previously available only on Accords sold in Canada. The 2006 model year also featured new wheel designs. Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), also known as Electronic Stability Control, and Brake assist became available on the V6 models for the first time. 17" wheels also became standard on the V6 models. The interior was also slightly redesigned with changes such as a new steering wheel cover, differently colored gauges and a differently styled shift knob for automatic transmission models. The GPS Navigation system was updated (4th generation) with a faster processor, more memory, and several new features, such as restaurant information from Zagat. A revised maintenance minder system was also added which gave owners reminders for scheduled maintenance such as oil changes based on operating conditions.

The 2006 model year is also the first year in which the V6 sedan was offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as an option.

Powertrain improvements were made across the Accord line-up in 2006. The V6 engine's horsepower was increased to 244 hp (+4 hp, SAE net revised 8/04*) and the 4-cylinder engine's horsepower was increased to 166 hp (+6 hp, SAE net revised 8/04*). Horsepower gains were achieved with extensive improvements to the airflow of the intake and exhaust systems. The 4-cylinder engines were now controlled with Drive-By-Wire (DBW), rather than a throttle cable, providing for smooth operation and enhanced throttle response. (Accord V6 engines already utilized DBW prior to the 2006 model year). Due to these improvements the V6 engine was renamed the J30A5 from the previous J30A4, and the 4-cylinder from the K24A4 to the K24A8. For the Brazilian market, the 2.4L engine was dropped in favour of a smaller 2.0L 4-cylinder i-VTEC K20A engine generating 150 hp. This was done to make the car more competitive against the newer Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Vectra.

The 2006 Accord Hybrid got the same revisions as the other Accords except for a 3.0 L V6 now making 253 hp and a larger battery pack. The things that differentiate the Hybrid from other Accords are the different rear light clusters, the antenna, the wheels, the mirror turn signals and the lack of a folding rear seat. In addition, the Hybrid version does not have the 4-way passenger seat.

The trim levels were also revised, with the DX trim being eliminated, instead being replaced by the VP (Value Package) trim which included air conditioning, keyless entry, power locks, and cruise control as standard features.

For its 2007 model year, a new SE-V6 trim was introduced and the color "Cool Blue Metallic" became available for the sedan. That color was previously only available for the coupe.

Body style
4-door sedan
2-door coupe

Engine
2.4 L K24A4 I4
3.0 L J30A4 V6

Transmission
5-speed automatic
5-speed manual
6-speed manual

Wheelbase
105.1 in (coupe)
107.9 in (sedan)

Length
187.6 in (coupe)
191.1 in (sedan)

Width
71.3 in (coupe)
71.6 in (sedan)

Height
57.2 in (sedan)
55.7 in (coupe)

Fuel capacity
17.1 US gal

Related
Acura TL
Honda Odyssey
Honda Pilot

Honda Accord Eight Generation

2007-03-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

In May 2006, renderings of the 2008 Accord in Japanese car magazines suggested the sedan would take many styling cues from the new Honda Civic. In December 2006, Honda showed a sketch of a soon-to-be-released Accord coupe concept. On 8 January, 2007, Honda debuted the 2007 Accord Coupe Concept at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The car displayed styling to be used in the eighth-generation Honda Accord which will be sold as a 2008 model.