Naming a sports car an "S2000" was not an auspicious start for Honda's open-top pocket rocket. It probably sounded way cool at the time, but it's SO four years ago. And yet the little roadster still has its supporters. Earlier this year, Car and Driver magazine included the Honda in their "10 Best Cars", calling it "pure and involving". Me, I call it old and aggravating.
To be sure, the S2000 looks the biz. While I preferred the original car's angular front, Honda's designers nailed the basic shape. It's aggressive, in an elegantly restrained sort of way. In the right color, in the right light, the S2000 sings a siren song to lure even the most Euro-centric enthusiast into its cabin. And then… Cue the Psycho shower scene violins. My God, is the S2000's cockpit a nasty place to spend your time. I'm not against– nor a stranger to– cheap and cheerful car interiors. The S2000 is neither. Admission starts at $32k, and the cockpit is an ergonomic and aesthetic disaster zone.
The S2000's cabin is small in every conceivable direction. Pop the top and you trade one problem for another; the metal roof catches rattle incessantly, just inches behind your head. That's after you press the starter button– on a four-cylinder engine? If only the rest of the switchgear lived up to the supercar pretensions. The S2000's rotary dials and cheap plastic switches wouldn't seem out of place in a '78 Toyota Corolla.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to honor the Acura RSX, whose life was cut short by overlapping products and muddled brand identity. Since 2002, this, the US version of the fourth generation Honda Integra, has enjoyed strong consumer support and numerous awards from erstwhile auto critics, including two consecutive year’s on Car and Driver’s 10Best list. But we are not here to debate the value of ad-sponsored gongs or mourn the passing of a beloved automobile. We are here to celebrate a life well lived.
Until it ceased production this summer, the Acura RSX was an upgraded seventh generation Civic coupe. To differentiate the two models, Acura’s brandgineers gave the RSX a lower and wider stance than its Honda counterpart. It also blessed the RSX’ snout with a vertical crease, bisecting the model’s nose from bumper to windshield, forming an aerodynamic point. The model’s steeply raked windshield starts an arc that terminates down the rear of the steeply raked rear window. The lift back design reveals the RSX for what it is: a longish three-door hatchback. Overall, the RSX’ clean and uncluttered looks lacked both brand identity and charisma, a lethal combination (ipso facto).
With its latest version of the hand-crafted NSX coupe, Honda has taken a great sports car and made it better.
In manual models, the engine capacity is up from 3.0 litres to 3.2 litres for a lift in power and performance, and the manual gearbox now has six speeds for an even closer spread of gear ratios. In addition, 3.2 litre models get bigger brakes, handling refinements and improved aerodynamics. The result is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding driving experiences available today.
However, building a limited production, advanced specification sports car largely by hand, inevitably means high production costs and consequently the Honda NSX experience isn't cheap.
The NSX range starts at $206,790 for the manual coupe (tested) and $210,790 for the SportShift automatic. Prices for the NSX-T (removable roof panel) model are $216,790 for the manual and $220,790 for the auto.
Naturally at these prices, equipment levels are comprehensive. Standard items include dual airbags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, all leather interior trim, a high quality sound system with multi-stacker CD player, power operated seats, automatic climate control air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and boot release, central locking, alarm and immobiliser.
Built mostly from aluminium, the spectacularly-styled NSX displays high quality finish standards in its paintwork, panel fit and interior trim. It was surprising therefore, to see some untidy welding joints at chassis members in the test car's engine bay.
For a moment, after pressing the little red "Start" button, it seems like nothing has happened. Suddenly, a kaleidoscope of colors erupts from the multi-level instrument panel, followed by the soft whine of a compressor. Honda's new FCX fuel-cell vehicle has come to life.
As regular readers of TheCarConnection.com are well aware, virtually every automaker is tinkering with hydrogen technology, and for good reason. Whether you burn the lightweight gas in an internal combustion engine or feed it into a fuel cell stack, what you get on the "dirty side" is effectively no more than water vapor. In a world worrying about smog and global warming, hydrogen is seen, by many, as the ultimate clean fuel.
In recent months, we've had the opportunity to test a variety of hydrogen-powered prototypes, such as the Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell vehicle and BMW's Hydrogen-7, which goes the internal combustion route. But Honda's FCX takes the technology to an entirely new level.
First seen at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda plans to begin leasing the FCX for $600 a month, and not just to carefully selected corporate fleets, but to everyday consumers. The costly experiment is also a risky one, exposing the Clarity to all the daily challenges faced by your typical motorist, from bad weather to fussy infants.
"The FCX Clarity is a shining symbol of the progress we've made with fuel cell vehicles and of our belief in the promise of this technology," proclaims American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. "Step by step, with continuous effort, commitment and focus, we are working to overcome obstacles to the mass-market potential of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell automobiles."
The 2012 Honda Crosstour® approaches the crossover SUV formula from a distinctively sleek, sporty and fuel-efficient perspective while also maximizing the interior's cargo capacity, versatility and premium feel.
The Crosstour's exterior design emphasizes a bold, aerodynamic look that also conceals an accommodating rear cargo area with a large, lift-over tailgate. Premium interior styling, appointments and details extend from the passenger compartment all the way through the cargo area. An under-floor storage area in the rear of the vehicle adds functionality, while reversible cargo floor panels accommodate dirty objects.
The Crosstour is available in two trim levels, the Crosstour EX and EX-L, with Real Time™ 4WD also available on the EX-L model. For 2012, new features on the Crosstour EX include auto on/off headlights, a rearview camera, Bluetooth®1 HandsFreeLink® and USB audio interface. Two new colors are also available on all Crosstour models: Twilight Blue Metallic replaces Glacier Blue Metallic, and Basque Red Pearl replaces Tango Red Pearl.
The Crosstour comes standard with a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) for power and efficiency. The engine produces 271 horsepower at 6,200 RPM and 254 lb-ft. of torque at 5,000 RPM, while achieving an EPA-rated city/highway/combined fuel economy of 18/27/21 mpg2 on 2WD models. Meanwhile the Crosstour EX-L with Real Time™ 4WD delivers an EPA-rated city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 18/26/21 mpg2.
It’s tempting to think of the CR-Z hybrid as the second coming of the CRX, Honda’s light, tossable mid-1980s funster, what with the two cars’ stubby rear ends, two-seat layouts, and frugal intentions. At the CR-Z launch, in fact, Honda plopped us down in a cherry 1985 CRX Si and told us to go nuts. We did, and we’re sorry, Big H, but the CR-Z just isn’t quite as awesome.
Where the impish CRX used lightness and a stripped-down approach to deliver entertainment and efficiency, the CR-Z looks to a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. The difference between the two paths is stark, or so goes conventional wisdom. With less weight and simplicity come fun and momentum-style hoonage, and with a hybrid powertrain comes, well, soul-crushing dullness. Somewhat shockingly, however, this hybrid is entertaining, even as it tries to marry the disparate concepts of sport and efficiency.
Nowhere is that conflict more evident than in the two transmissions. Opt for the six-speed manual, and the CR-Z delivers perhaps the most transparent hybrid experience available today, because you control the shift points and how quickly the gears are changed. Particularly with the three-mode adjustable drive system in sport mode, it’s a relatively fun little car. But go for the CVT, as Honda expects 75 percent of buyers to do, and besides being a downer of a person, you lose any sense of joy and immediacy. In the CVT’s manual mode—actuated via standard paddle shifters—you can wind through seven fake ratios, but the “shifts” into those ratios are slurred and slow. Moreover, although the four-cylinder is never sonorous even with the stick, the CVT causes an unpleasant droning.
Introduction
A sporty hybrid? At first glance, the 2011 Honda CR-Z might seem a bit oxymoronic. After all, Americans expect their hybrid cars to be purely about fuel economy, with flowers, rainbows and unicorns coming out of the tailpipe. But Honda is hoping that people are ready for a car that not only gets very good fuel economy but also happens to be fun to drive -- a hybrid without the drive-induced narcolepsy, if you will.
You might recall that Honda actually tried this approach a few years ago with the Accord Hybrid, a V6-powered Accord that promised strong performance and enhanced fuel economy. Sales were slow, however, and Honda cancelled the car after a short run. Of course, those of you with an even longer memory will also recall the original Honda CRX, the CR-Z's spiritual predecessor that crystallized Honda's reputation for building fun and efficient cars from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s.
Like the old CRX, the CR-Z is front-drive with two doors and just two seats. Mechanically, though, the CR-Z is related most to Honda's current Insight hybrid, sharing its basic structure and suspension design. To bring some sport to that formula Honda made the CR-Z shorter by about a foot, widened the track slightly and reduced overall height by a couple inches. This trimming doesn't reduce curb weight by as much as you might hope (the CR-Z only weighs about 80 pounds fewer than the Insight) but it does make the CR-Z one of the most nimble cars you can buy.
Latest deal price: from £14,748 to £24,888
On the road price: £16,325 - £23,220
For : Unique styling, modern interior design, sharp handling, excellent build quality, smooth and refined engine, practical cabin
Against: Poor rear visibility, heavy tailgate, crashy damping on really poor surfaces, speedometer can be hard to read for some drivers
Driving
As you'd expect, the Civic Type-S oozes engineering integrity. The six-speed gearbox has a light, accurate shift, while the clutch, brakes and throttle actions are all spot-on. Moreover, as we've said many times before, the 2.2 i-CTDi diesel engine is fantastic. It's free-revving, impressively refined and punchy. Against the clock, the Civic is potent - but it serves up its power in a smooth, commendable way, too. It remains our favourite diesel in this class, though the latest 1.8 petrol engine is a fair alternative. Like all Honda units, it thrives on revs, but is silky-sweet with it, even if it does lack the diesel's compelling torque. As for suspension, Honda's engineers have given the three-door a sportier edge. Spring and damper rates have been altered and the rear track is 20mm wider. The suspension remains supple over all but the worst potholes, and the Type-S is more composed and agile in corners than its key rivals. The steering is light, but the turn-in is positive and there's appreciable feel. It hints at the potential of the Type-R, and is fun to drive. Plus, stability control is standard fit, and the system works unobtrusively.
Honda’s racy Civic Type R is a delicious thing. Beautifully-balanced on road, it also has one of the best engines to be found anywhere - its i-VTEC DOHC four.
In a ‘hot-hatch’ segment dominated by thumping turbos, Honda’s masterful Type R takes a different approach.
INTERIOR
Quality: The Type R creates a premium impression with black Alcantara and red fabric seats, machined aluminium gear knob, alloy pedals, monogrammed carpets and tight vault-like feel.
On the downside, the dash design is a mess of lines. Also, in our test car, there was an ill-fitted plastic corner trim in the driver’s door.
Comfort: With well-bolstered seats and a superbly damped elastic suspension, the Type R is a comfortable drive with few of the expected compromises.
Its egg-shaped back also provides lots of rear leg and head-room. One niggling debit is that the front seat-backs do not return to their prior setting after being tilted forward.
Honda sells so many Civics that if the car were counted as a brand, it would be the 12th largest in the United States. More Civics went to new homes in the U.S. last year than did Volkswagens or Mazdas. With sales numbers like that, it’s not too much of a surprise that Honda is playing a conservative hand with the redesigned 2012 Civic.
When the previous-generation Civic arrived in 2006, the swept-back windshield and the futuristic styling were a bit of a shock. It has taken us practically the car’s entire life cycle to grow accustomed to the look. Honda designers aren’t taking the same kind of chance again. What we see for 2012 is a careful evolution of the past Civic. Actually, it’s almost more of a devolution, a step toward conformity. All the subtle changes—the longer hood, the sculpted bumpers, and the larger taillights—make the Civic look more conventional than before. They also improve its aerodynamics. Honda claims a lower coefficient of drag, in part thanks to the styling revisions but also because of a smaller grille opening and a flat underbody.
Yes, we know that this is akin to flogging a dead horse, however, as is the norm, vehicles which have been there in India and still are relatively easy to obtain from their owners, we review them. How many of the cars have we covered in our review section or atleast in the test drive section. To count, there are many. The Honda Civic Hybrid was in 2009 phased out, atleast in India. This car was introduced to the Indian market in 2009 and it was phased out in the same year since low demand for the product means that eventually there is no use bringing it in the market and then seeing it rot with the dealer. The Honda Civic Hybrid in India was more of a brand building exercise as also a toll for the company to showcase their prowess in the hybrid arena. Moreover, if arch rival is bringing in the Prius to India, then why not Honda with their star, the Civic Hybrid. Acquiring the car and stuff was a simple thing since some one we knew knows someone who in turn knows someone who actually brought one of this cars. Here is a test drive or review report of the Civic Hybrid.
Looks
Here, there is no major difference except for all those quirky stickers proclaiming it to be a hybrid. It looked more like a demo vehicle than the real one and when enquired, the owner said that it was part of the demo car that was sent to a certain dealership and upon request was sold to him at a discount. As it is Honda had to retort to 40 percent price cuts to get the Civic hybrids off the shelf. The look of the head lamps, the chrome grille and air intake is all the same. Moving over to the sides show that this one has got a wheel cap. No wait, it has got different alloy wheels which proclaim that they are something special. Something about the paint quality also said that it was somewhat better than what is there on the regular Civic. Is it the tyres or this car just has a lower ground clearance? Well, Civics usually have a lower ground clearance and this one seems to be made for it. The owner confirmed that this one has got a lower ride height than the normal Civic. So, we have to be extra careful over the speed breakers. At the rear, towards the right side, there is a small moniker proclaiming it to be a Civic Hybrid. Good, otherwise, the regular onlooker would definitely think that this is a regular Civic on the road with demo car pretensions. The set of sporty exhaust tips poke put as usual and even after all this years, they haven’t lost out on their novelty factor.
