Honda Civic News
-
Sadly, they're not actually orange. Nor do they smell like citrus when they get hot. But by infusing orange oil into natural rubber, a new line of tires from Yokohama cuts four-fifths of the petroleum needed to manufacture a tire. They lower rolling resistance too, meaning better fuel efficiency. Subcompacts and fuel cells and hybrids, oh my Yokohama is initially offering its dB Super E-Spec lines of tires in four different sizes for both 15-inch and 16-inch wheels, to fit smaller vehicles. The company names one subcompact, four hybrids, a natural-gas vehicle, even one hydrogen fuel-cell car...
-
Preview: 2011 Chevrolet CruzeFor the first time ever, U.S. automakers are getting ready to sell small cars that go beyond adequate to potentially great. Certainly the styling, specification, and safety equipment of upcoming compacts and subcompacts is a giant step above their predecessors. The latest example is the 2011...
John Voelcker -
Do Hybrids Hit Pedestrians More Often? NHTSA Report May Say So
Advocates for the blind have long been pushing for hybrid and electric cars to make some kind of artificial noise at low speeds, to alert people with vision impairment of their presence when operating in all-electric mode, which is quieter. But data on whether electric-drive cars actually hit...
John Voelcker -
Is Toyota Planning To Build a Camry CNG Hybrid?
If you've followed any of the news coming out of the 2009 SEMA Show, the mecca for modified cars, you may have seen that Toyota's display included a modified version of the Camry CNG Hybrid it showed last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show.The Toyota Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG, which pairs the...
John Voelcker -
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact Car Launch Delayed Til Next Fall
As U.S. carmakers get serious about building world-class compact cars, one of the most eagerly awaited entries is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which will face off against a totally new 2012 Ford Focus as well as revised models of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Nissan Sentra. Now reports say that...
John Voelcker -
Greenest Car Company, Honda, Goes Greener Yet, Harder and Faster
Honda has the highest average fleet mileage of any volume carmaker selling in the U.S. market today. And it's had that distinction for many years. But in the face of the car-market meltdown, oil prices that have risen from $30 to $80 a barrel within months, and growing global environmental...
John Voelcker -
Nissan has made a bigger bet on electric cars than any other automaker, with plans to launch its 2012 Leaf electric car globally. But if electric cars are the future of green vehicles, hybrids are today's state of the art. And there, Nissan has lagged. It is developing its own hybrid system, but CEO Carlos Ghosn told Automotive News at the Tokyo Motor Show that Nissan will just add hybrid technology to existing models. No special bodies Translation: It does not plan to offer any "dedicated" hybrids, or vehicles that are sold solely as hybrids, without a plain gasoline equivalent (e.g. the...
-
Hybrid Sales Plummet After Cash-For-Clunkers Credits Quit
We knew all along that the Cash-For-Clunkers program induced July and August car buyers to go for vehicles they might not otherwise have chosen, specifically smaller cars with higher gas mileage. Especially hybrid-electric vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Ford, and others. But now comes the hybrid...
John Voelcker -
2010 Hyundai Elantra Blue: Higher MPG, Just $25 More
The 2010 Hyundai Elantra is the latest iteration of a compact car known for frugality and low price. This year, Hyundai has boosted the mileage, raising the standard five-speed manual model to 26 mpg city / 35 mpg highway from last year's 24 mpg city / 33 mpg highway. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder...
John Voelcker -
Top Clunker Buys Compared: Toyota Corolla vs Ford Focus vs Honda Civic
Thinking about trading in your clunker for a nice, new, fuel-efficient car? Take a breath; the first-week success of the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program, better known as "Cash for Clunkers," looks to be continued at least through Labor Day. Last Friday, the US House of Representatives...
John Voelcker -
House: $150 Million for R&D, Natural-Gas Hybrids--But No Tax Credits
Less than two weeks after a bipartisan bill was introduced in the Senate to provide tax credits for buyers of natural-gas vehicles, or NGVs, the House has passed an entirely different bill that funds research and development of NGVs. Unlike the tax credits in Senate bill S.1408, which would...
John Voelcker -
Prius Perks In Peril From Plug-In Privileges?
There's been a fair amount of grumbling about so-called "Prius perks," including parking spaces set aside for hybrid vehicles at Ikea, Whole Foods, and other retailers. In fact, the spaces--although designated "hybrid"--are more properly allocated to any alternative-fuel vehicle. That includes...
John Voelcker -
Kyle, our high-school correspondent, spends a lot of time driving himself among classes, sports events, and the other commitments in a heavily scheduled teenager's life. And often it's not just him in the car. Remember the old days of riding around with your friends? Kyle does his share of carpool duty for friends, so accommodation for people and stuff is an important part of any car for him. How does the interior space for people and stuff compare? The Prius has a noticeable amount of extra room compared to the Insight. I haven't needed all the extra room yet, but the Prius is a relatively...
-
2011 Honda CRZ Sports Hybrid: The Future of the Sports Car?
Honda Brings Something Toyota Doesn’t Have to the Table
Jonathan McGrew -
2009 Honda Civic GX: The Other Green Fuel Is Natural Gas
Natural Gas is often overlooked, but the Honda Civic GX is the single greenest car you can buy
John Voelcker
