Japans Big Threes Models Named Best Deals?

Car buyers are always in the lookout for the car offering the best value for their money. Different firms have been guiding prospective car buyers on how to choose the vehicle the suits their needs best. From performance to fuel economy to safety, all bases should be covered in choosing a vehicle.

IntelliChoice, one of the leading sources of pertinent information to car buyers, recently announced their Best Deals?list. The list contains what the online outfit thinks is the best vehicle in different classes. For the month of April, IntelliChoice announced their Best Deals?and this has been done coinciding with the ongoing New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in the Big Apple.

This months list includes several models from Japans three biggest car manufacturers. These vehicles are seen as the measuring stick for future production vehicles unveiled and showcased at the New York Auto Show. James Bell, the publisher of IntelliChoice.com, has this to say with regards to the list and the vehicles showcased at the event: Even more than recent auto shows, the New York show offered a look at some very compelling future competition to many of the mainstays on our monthly Best Deals?list.?br />
The Honda Civic hybrid is rated as the best deal for the Compact Car over $16,000 class by IntelliChoice.com. For the Compact Car under $16,000 class, the best deal is touted to be the Honda Civic DX with an automatic transmission.

Aside from these two models, another Honda produced vehicle was named as a best deal in its class - the Honda Civic Si. The said model is named as the best deal in the Base Sport Car class. The Honda Odyssey is once again named as the best deal for the Minivan class. The Honda Odyssey has been dominating that class in recent history but will face strong competition in the form of the Ford Flex recently unveiled at the New York International Auto Show.

A Nissan model is also named as one of the best deals for the month of April. The Nissan Frontier King Cab XE 2WD with a manual transmission is named as the best deal for the Compact Pickup Truck 2WD class. The King Cab is the first crew cab body style compact pickup truck in North America and since its inception in the U.S. auto market has been popular among car buyers. With its trademark dependability, the Nissan Frontier is not a surprise choice as the best deal for its class. Its high performance construction and components such as the Nissan spark plug wires are one of the reasons why the Frontier sits at the top of its class.

Toyota, the surging Japanese car manufacturer, also landed several of its models at the Best Deals?list. The popular Toyota Prius is named as the best deal for the Midsize Car under $21,000 while the Prius Touring is named as the best deal for the Midsize Car over $21,000 class.

For the Large Car class, IntelliChoice picked the Toyota Avalon Touring as the best deal for consumers. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid with a third row seating and 2WD configuration is named as the best deal for the Midsize Crossover class. The Toyota Matrix Standard with manual transmission is also named as the best deal for the Small Wagon class.

For the Compact Pickup Truck 4WD class, IntelliChoice picked the Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab 4WD as the best deal. The Toyota Tundra Regular Cab V6 2WD Short Bed is named as the best deal for the Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD 1/2 Ton class.

Source: http://learnqfpkkyn.blogspot.com/2007/08/japans-big-threes-models-named-best.html

2008 Honda Accord Full Details and Photos

Honda has released details and full product images of the new 2008 Honda Accord sedan and coupe, but let's look at the Accord sedan first as it is more relevant to our local market. The Honda Accord sedan in the US comes with 3 engine options - two 2.4 liter inline-4 i-VTEC units as well as a 3.5 liter V6 engine for the top of the line model.
The 2.4 liter engine is available in two stages of tune - a 177hp @ 6,500rpm, 218Nm @ 4,300rpm basic unit that has 7 more horsepower than the 2.4 liter in the current Accord as well as a tuned up 190hp at 7,000rpm variant with 220Nm of torque at 4,400rpm thanks to a reprogrammed ECU and a high-flow muffler with a variable valve silencer.
The V6 unit grows from 3.0 liter in the current Accord up to 3.5 liters and makes 268 horsepower at 6,200rpm and 336Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. This SOHC V6 engine is equipped with Variable Cylinder Management which allows the engine to operate on three, four or all six cylinders to help boost fuel economy or power as needed. The coupe has this same engine without the VCM - the reduced valvetrain weight improves low to mid-range power.
Once again the 2008 Honda Accord rides on a double wishbone front suspension at the front, enhancing the driving experience. In the US market, this new Honda Accord marks a few firsts for a USDM Accord - disc brakes on all wheels for all models, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) on all models, power lumbar support, auto-dimming inside mirror, compass, multi-line display CD/MP3 player, auxiliary-input jack and subwoofer. I sincerely hope the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) as standard on all models make it to Malaysia - when you pay over RM130,000 for a car I think safety features such as traction control are very important.

The interior space of the new 2008 Honda Accord has been improved so much that it is now classified as an EPA Large Sedan in the US market. Honda says the interior offers "equal" front and rear seating comfort for four adults - the rear passenger comfort level is no longer a hit and miss thing if the front passengers move the seats too far rearward. If you measure the growth in size from the exterior, the new 2008 Accord is 76mm longer than the previous model, 28mm wider and 22mm taller. Torsional rigidity has been improved by 20% thanks to the usage of 48% high-tensile steel, the highest by volume of any Honda Accord to date.
Aerodynamics have also been improved thanks to a new frame rail system which positions the frame rails inside the Accord's body structure instead of underneath it, creating a nearly flat bottom to ruduce under-floor turbulence. The car is also more balance now in terms of weight distribution as the fuel tank has been moved lower and further forward.
It is not known at the moment when the new 2008 Honda Accord will be introduced in Malaysia, or whether these engine enhancements will be brought here or not as we usually carry the same engine specs as Thailand Accords, and one of the ways the new engine makes more power is because it has a higher compression ratio. Thailand fuel might not be able to handle that. A new Accord also usually means a new Honda Odyssey is coming soon, which is a lovely MPV.

Source: http://honda-accord-car.blogspot.com/2007/08/comment-on-2008-honda-accord-full.html

2007 Honda Stream

For those who remember, the 1995 - 1998 Honda Odyssey, you'll remember it was a smaller van (actually built on the then Accord platform), was a 4 cylinder van, and had 4 doors that opened like a sedan, not the sliding doors. Due to demand in the US for a bigger van, in 1999, the Odyssey grew into it's current incarnation with a V6 and sliding doors. The smaller van survived in Japan (I think was even still called an Odyssey) and continued to do well. In the US and Canada, the demand for a smaller van was still there, and it looks like we are going to be bringing the small van back!


Source: http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2007/09/2007-honda-stream.html

Honda Announces 2008 Honda Pilot Pricing

American Honda Motor Corp. has announced the pricing for the 2008 Honda Pilot which goes on sale today. The automaker also introduced two new variations to the lineup: the all-new Pilot Value Package and Special Edition trims.

As with previous Honda Value Package and Special Edition trim levels, these added features, says the companys press release, represent a significant value without a significant price increase. The Value Package and Special Edition start at $27,595 and $31,595, respectively. Destination and handling charges for all 2008 Honda models are $595.

"The Pilot was a conceptual pioneer within its segment when it was introduced," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "And it continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of customers."

For the first time in its six years on the market, the Pilot is available in two new trim levels, the Value Package and the Special Edition. The Value Package builds on and replaces 2007's value-leading LX trim, adding rear privacy glass, machined alloy wheels, XM?Satellite Radio, upgraded audio to include a 6-disc CD changer and additional speakers, roof rails, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and body-colored door mirrors, door handles and rear spoiler.

The Special Edition on the other hand, supplements the available EX trim, adding in-demand features like a DVD rear entertainment system, XM?Satellite Radio, power moonroof, 115-volt power outlet and ambient console lighting.

The Honda Pilot is Honda's second SUV fully built and designed by Honda, released in the summer of 2002 for the 2003 model year. The Honda Pilot is built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada and Lincoln, Alabama, and shares underpinnings and the powertrain with the Acura MDX -- which has a lineage that can be traced to the Honda Odyssey minivan. The Pilots unibody construction, however, is fortified with integrated perimeter frame rails, which helps it withstand light off-road use.

The Pilot was designed to fill a large American demand for SUVs. Prior to the introduction of the Pilot, Honda ?maker of quality Honda auxiliary fan switch only had the smaller CR-V based on the Civic, and the Passport. However, the CR-V lacked in features many American consumers looked for in an SUV, which are overall size, passenger space, and towing capacity.

The Pilot is at most designed to withstand light-duty off-roading, and has been a best-seller for Honda. Honda sold over 100,000 Pilots in 2004, an increase of almost 20% over 2003. The Pilot is sold in North America, while Japan and Australia get its relative, the Honda MDX instead. In the Middle East, the Pilot is sold as the Honda MR-V.
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Source: http://femalebwpbdjk.blogspot.com/2007/09/honda-announces-2008-honda-pilot.html

What’s the difference between a $31 and $60 oil change?

I took our Honda Odyssey to Grease Monkey to have have the oil changed. As I sat in the waiting area, several customers came looking to do the same. Listening to the exchanges was interesting. Whenever someone would ask for a basic oil change ($31), the person behind the counter would ask if they would like to upgrade to one of the following:

High Mileage Oil ($47) 
Synthetic Blend ($52)
Full Synthetic ($60)

Several people came in with cars well over 100,000 miles. These people would be good candidates for the high mileage oil. Yet I didn’t see a single person upgrade to any of the fancier, more expensive oils and I think I know why: The Grease Monkey employee could not explain the benefits in layman’s terms.
I would guess that most customers who use a quick lube and oil shop are also owners who don’t know all the nitty gritty technical details of their cars. They want to get in and out with minimal fuss. I’ll bet few know what kind of oil the manufacturer of their car recommends let alone the difference between 5W-20 and 10W-30.
The Grease Monkey employee might have given a great technical explanation on why a synthetic oil would be a better choice, but the soccer mom, the teenager and the elderly man I saw today were lost seconds into the explanation. The Grease Monkey employee was using words like grade, viscosity and SAE which confused the customer. And when a customer is confused they will revert to what the know. In this case it meant asking for the standard, least expensive oil they’ve used before.
Although the Grease Monkey employees were helpful and well trained from a technical level, they were not able to explain their services to customers who would benefit most of their services and upgrades.
Can your employees explain the services and products your company offers? Better yet, can they explain them in the terms your customers will understand?
Technorati Tags: Employee training


Source: http://blog.nordquist.org/?p=1518

Honda Is Top Mainstream Brand For 2006 AutoPacific Brand

During the recently concluded 2006 AutoPacific Brand Satisfaction Awards, the Honda brand received the top spot for the Top Mainstream Brand category. AutoPacific, Inc. is a noted automotive consulting firm. To actually provide the market and the audience with information regarding automobiles and within that category, AutoPacific created a study regarding the 2006 model year owner satisfaction research for brands and product segments and the results were just most recently concluded. The Vehicle Satisfaction Award of AutoPacific is also known as the VSA and it is an industry benchmark for objective measuring of how satisfied an owner is with their new car or light truck.

Honda took first place for the top rated Mainstream Brand segment. Not only that, but the company as a whole had some other things yet to be happy and proud of. The Honda Ridgeline became the top rated Sport Utility Truck. And the Honda Odyssey became the top rated Minivan.

The Honda Ridgeline has been in production just this year and it is a midsize pickup truck. Its competition include the Dodge Dakota, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and Subaru Baja. As per the Honda Odyssey, this minivan has been produced going back to 1995. It competes in the market with the Toyota Sienna, Ford Freestar, Nissan Quest, Dodge Caravan, Kia Sedona and Mazda5.

The AutoPacific VSA tries to establish numerical satisfaction ratings for every car and light truck in the United States. How do they do such a task? They take owner satisfaction and calculate it across 45 specific areas that are related to a vehicles operation, comfort, safety, and overall purchase or lease experience.

Auto Parts Fast gives you the finest Honda replacement and performance parts that are unmatched anywhere else. By simply accessing the site, you can actually find quality parts like Honda carpets, shocks, turn signals, hubcaps, lights, mirrors, and Honda radiators at great discount deals.
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Source: http://yahoo-incxlhaulss.blogspot.com/2007/08/honda-is-top-mainstream-brand-for-2006.html