2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

With the Accord Crosstour, Honda finally has a five-passenger mid-size crossover in this important market segment. The car maker may have taken its time – but it’s got it right

Honda Canada has unveiled new 2010 Accord Crosstour at dealerships across the country on 24th November.

The Accord Crosstour comes in different models, including EX-L which is a four wheel drive, and also a EX-L top of the line version with comes with luxury trim as well as Honda's satellite navigation system. All the models come with a 3.5 litre 271 horsepower V6 engine.

The 271 horsepower V6 VTEC engine features Honda's Variable Cylinder Management system which improves fuel consumption and increases power. The car comes packed with a 5 speed automatic transmission as well as a real time 4-wheel drive system for offroad and towing use.

The Accord Crosstour offers a dual heated front seats, leather trim pieces, dual climate control, XM Radio with USB Audio input, a fold down rear seat, 18 inch rims and tires, and a moon roof.

The car is designed with the ACE body structure which helps to protect the users in front end collisions, and also includes the Electronic Stability Control, Anti-Lock brakes and front and side airbags, the company said.

The EX-L 2-Wheel Drive has is expected to be retailed at MSRP of $34,900, EX-L 4-Wheel Drive has MSRP of $36,900 and the EX-L 4-Wheel Drive with navigation has MSRP of $38,900.

Honda Element Gets A Second Chance

The first-generation Honda Element didn’t give the Japanese automaker the sales that they expected. Nevertheless, Honda is giving the Element yet another start with its planned all-new model.

The Element went on sale in 2003 and since then rarely had minor updates, and never really fired up the sales charts. As such. Honda execs are still keen on keeping Element in production as it is part of the platform usability strategy of the automaker. Honda is also aware that the Element brings in a different kind of buyer to the Honda showrooms.

The Element fell below with its 75,000 sales goal per year, selling only 67,500 units on its first year on the markets. Having a new model hopefully boosts the sales this time.

Honda Insight EX

The Insight EX is one of Honda’s Release in hybrid models. This machine is a fuel saver and an impressive gas mileage. This is a roomy car for you and your family. It has ample room at the back for your belongings and not to mention, the Honda Insight EX’s interior design is a knock-out. You can choose from an array of different exterior colors that will suit you. Anyway, whatever color you choose is perfect. The Honda Insight EX is simply amazing. Affordable for tight budgets but the overall performance is as good as it gets. Sporty, cool design and a unique experience in driving… The Honda Insight EX is “The” car.

Toyota FT-86 and Honda CR-Z Concepts

The Honda stand featured everything from an EV-Cub to a butane-powered garden tiller, but the bright spot both for enthusiasts and environmentalists was the CR-Z Concept 2009. Name notwithstanding, the CR-Z is very close to what we'll see in production come fall 2010. Featuring a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder paired with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist, nickel-metal-hydride batteries, and a six-speed manual, it promises to be the most engaging green vehicle on the market this side of a Tesla Roadster. Styling for the two-seater (or two-plus-two in Japan) hews closely to that of the 2007 concept, but the wheelbase has been shortened to improve handling. The original concept's swoopy interior has, predictably, been largely replaced with parts found in the Civic and the Fit. The car won't be a straight-line rocket, but we nevertheless expect it to offer all the cheap thrills of the original CRX. Look for the actual production model at the Detroit show. Enjoy the CR-Z, because it's likely the only sporty product we'll see from Honda in the near future

vote nowBuzz up! Details Leaked on 2011 Honda CR-Z

Honda enthusiasts who miss the small, light, high-performance coupes the brand was once known for have something to look forward to. Something green. Details on the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid have made their way into the automotive press, in the form of a leaked brochure – and the new CR-Z increasingly looks like a worthy successor to the CRXs of old.

The base model may not offer impressive performance. Autoblog reports, “The CR-Z nets a relatively uninspiring 0 to 62 mph time of 9.7 seconds.” The CR-Z will be powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 112 horsepower, with a 14 hp electric motor boosting power.

Motor Trend notes, “The fuel mileage claims translate to around 55 mpg, but Japan measures mpg with a different standard. You can expect the U.S. version's numbers to settle a little under the Insight's combined 41 mpg, as the CR-Z has a little more displacement.”

Those looking for a CR-Z as sporty as the old CRX may need to step up to a high-performance edition. Few details are known, but the automaker’s high-performance Mugen tuning team will offer its own edition. Motor Authority says that version is “Destined to be one of the first hybrid vehicles to be adopted by the mainstream performance community.”

2010 Honda Civic

2010 Honda Civic Sedan

If you've known the Civic as a source of inexpensive, economical transportation in the past, it's easy to think that on first glance at the feature set of our test 2010 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan—and its price tag: $24,515.

Although that's certainly not pricey for a vehicle today (the average price of a new vehicle lands a bit below $30k), the level of equipment is surprising, because—probably like you—I tend to associate the Civic either with frugality and basic transportation, geeky maximum fuel-efficiency (Civic Hybrid) or edgy tuner-style performance (Civic Si).

Go for the top-of-the-line EX or EX-L and you'll end up with a bit of a different experience. For starters, you get the same curvy yet slab-sided exterior and odd dual-tier instrument panel that had shoppers quite polarized on introduction. But it's accented with a few more soft-touch surfaces, upgraded trims, and perforated leather steering wheel trim. The center console has a padded, sliding armrest, while back-seat passengers get a pull-down armrest with integral cupholders.

Honda Plans Element Successor

It's hard to call Honda's boxy Element SUV a runaway success, but it certainly has carved a niche filled with loyal, passionate supporters. As such, the automaker is looking at replacing the compact SUV with a similar vehicle, which may or may not use the Element name.

In 2003, the first year for the model, Honda managed to sell 67,478 Elements. In spite of a facelift and a spiffy S/C model, Element sales have fallen short of the original 75,000-unit estimate. Thus far, only 13,458 Elements have been sold in 2009. In contrast, 172,528 examples of the CR-V -- which shares most mechanicals with the Element -- have moved off dealers' lots this year.

While it may seem that the CR-V may have stolen all of the Element's thunder, Honda executives argue otherwise.

"In the showroom," American Honda vice president John Mendel told Automotive News, "you couldn't get most Element buyers to even sit in a CR-V."

Element buyers are typically dramatically different than CR-V owners, complete with the oft-touted "active lifestyle." As such, the flexible interior, washable rubber floors, optional surfboard and kayak carriers, and a new Dog Friendly package appeal to these shoppers. The CR-V, on the other hand, is more luxurious, and is positioned towards catering to young families.

Honda plans to settle Civic Hybrid mileage suit

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid

If you buy a hybrid, you'll be rewarded with excellent fuel economy, right? Well, that's the idea, but sometimes things don't turn out exactly as we had hoped. Such is apparently the case with a number of Honda Civic Hybrid owners who claim that their vehicles don't even come close to achieving the mileage figures estimated by the EPA, leading to a class action lawsuit against Honda.

Back in the summer of 2007, we conducted a telephone interview with John True, one of the two men who started the suit. At the time, True claimed he only achieved, at best, 34.6 miles per gallon and had averaged well under that figure. The window sticker showed EPA estimates of 49 city and 51 highway, though the EPA's revised 2008 rating sits at 40 city and 45 highway.