Monday, October 7, 2013

2013 Honda Fit: Car Stories


Source: cars.chicagotribune.com | Date: Oct 04, 2013 | Author: Deborah Siegel | Go to clip...

2013 Honda Fit: Car Stories

We hear from automakers, industry experts and auto writers all the time. In Car Stories, we want
to hear from the people that matter most to the auto industry: The drivers. Just like every house
has its own smell, every car has its own story.Writer Deb Siegel strays from the Car Stories form
to deliver this story on how she was able to replace her 1993 Toyota Corolla, which had reliably
taken her family around from newborns until they were college students.

I drove my Toyota Corolla for over 20 years. I got it when my son was two, I was pregnant with my
daughter, and I wasn't sure the old Tercel handed down from my mom would carry us through the
winter. I did not want to be breaking down with a two-year-old and a giant belly.

My kids grew up riding in that car, from the graham-cracker-crumbs-in-the-carseat days, to the
teen learning-to-drive years (which, in the case of my son, meant numerous bruises and
contusions visited upon the poor Corolla), to my daughter's first solo drive to her camp counselor
job two states away. But once again, the time came when I began to fear a winter breakdown. The
kids were off in college, but I needed to get to my downtown job five days a week by 9 AM.
I started doing my research. I am, if you want to put it nicely, frugal. I loved the Corolla and would
not accept any car with less than the very top predicted reliability (I spent a lot of time checking
out those little red circles in Consumer Reports); I wanted another 20-year car. I was interested in
a little more capacity for carrying stuff than the Corolla had, but I like to drive (and park) a small
car, and good gas mileage has always been important to me, even when it was not trendy. (My
husband has a minivan - almost 200,000 miles on the old Sienna - for hauling lumber or long trips
with lots of passengers and gear.)

I researched many cars, and test-drove the Prius C, the Toyota Matrix, and the Honda Fit. There
were other small cars that I liked the look of that had great mileage, but if they were not at the
pinnacle of reliability or were strongly dissed by Consumer Reports, they fell off my list.


I ended up choosing the 2013 Honda Fit. The amount of cargo this little vehicle can hold is
amazing. The back seats fold down flat to create a large surface, or the seat bottoms fold up to
create a tall area. The front passenger seat can be reclined all the way to carry long items (I know
of someone who carries her kayak in her Fit), and the car has a lot of headroom for cargo or
humans. I am short, but my 6'3" hubby was surprised at how much headroom he had - lots better
than the old Corolla where the top of his head had polished a spot on the ceiling. And even though
this car looks tiny on the outside, it feels spacious inside.

The Fit springs out of a stop. It is definitely more spritely than my old car, and much spunkier than
the Prius C. The mileage is not as great as the Prius, but the get-up-and-go, the capacity, the
significantly lower price, and the cushier interior, swayed me. I liked the Matrix a lot, but it didn't
give me enough to justify the extra cost and lower MPG.

And one more reason for my choice: a car is a sculpture. I like the look of the base model Fit. The
curvy bean shape appeals to me. I am not a big fan of the little hat brim ("roofline spoiler") on the
back or the extra skirt ("side underbody spoilers") around the bottom of the Sport model. The only
option that I would have liked from the Sport model was the wheels, having had bad experiences
with repeatedly stolen hubcaps on my old Corolla.

I purchased one add-on when I got the Fit. Knowing I would miss the security of leaving items out
of sight in the trunk of my car, I bought the cargo cover, which hides whatever is stashed behind
the back seats.

I have been putting off this write-up because I wanted to be able to say more about my MPG and
how the Fit behaves at higher speeds, but though I've had my Fit for almost a month now, all the
driving I've done has been in rush hour on the Ike - really bad rush hours at that - the kind with
way more stopping than going, and crawling rather than rolling. The Fit has a constant MPG
readout, which I've been having a lot of fun watching. So far, my rush-hour mileage is averaging
about 29.3 - not so bad considering I am mostly sitting still listening to NPR. I look forward to
taking the little bean out for a run, but it hasn't happened yet. The U.S. Department of Energy
website gives a highway mileage of 35 for the automatic transmission.

And though my kids were despondent that I'd sold their childhood friend, the Corolla has gone on
to her next job, and the Marge figurine that graced her dashboard has taken up residence in the
new car, continuing to protect us as we battle though daily traffic.

Find your Honda Fit at Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City. We are your Northern Nevada Honda Dealer.

The new four-door Accord is the first sedan with an EPA 50 mile-per-gallon rating for city driving.


The new four-door Accord is the first sedan with an EPA 50 mile-per-gallon rating for city driving.

By Doron Levin
131004171407-honda-accord-hybrid-620xa
FORTUNE -- Honda's new Accord hybrid, appearing in dealer showrooms this month, will grab the attention of shoppers motivated by a desire to save money on gasoline. The new four-door powered by a gas-electric system is the first sedan with an EPA 50 mile-per-gallon rating for city driving.
It's also the first Honda (HMC) hybrid built in the U.S. and the Japanese automaker's latest salvo in its vigorous competition with Toyota (TM), whose Prius models have dominated the hybrid segment. The new Accord features "full" hybrid technology, with an electric motor and gasoline-powered engine that can drive the vehicle independently or in tandem.
Honda's "mild" hybrid technology in previous models "wasn't able to generate Prius-type fuel economy numbers," said Bill Visnic, an analyst for Edmunds.com. "I predict Honda is indeed going to chip away at the Prius with what is an extremely compelling hybrid play with the 2014 Accord Hybrid."
Honda and Toyota introduced their first hybrid models in the late 1990s. Honda's Insight mild hybrid didn't sell strongly. Toyota's full hybrid Prius, by contrast, was wildly popular and over subsequent generations and variations became one of the automaker's top sellers worldwide. U.S. automakers, especially General Motors (GM), were skeptical about hybrids; they developed their own once the success of Prius was impossible to ignore.
"Honda put in all we had," Koji Ninomiya, chief engineer for the Accord Hybrid, said to reporters. "We did our best, and we ended up at 50 mpg." The city-highway combined rating is 47 mpg, identical to the combined rating for the Ford (F) Fusion hybrid.
Honda engineers have been working on the new system for about a decade, considering all sorts of approaches and combinations of electric motors, batteries, regenerative braking, and internal combustion engines.
Honda's hybrid has two electric motors, one gas engine, and can run in three modes: electric-only; a combination of motor and gas-engine, in which the engine charges the battery that keeps an electric motor driving the wheels; and a gas-engine only mode.
The new system uses an Atkinson cycle gasoline engine, which optimizes efficiency at the expense of power by adjusting valve openings. Also in use is a regenerative braking system that sends power to a lithium-ion battery the moment the driver's foot is lifted from the accelerator -- as opposed to the typical regenerative system that starts when the brake is applied.
Due to the space occupied by the battery behind the rear seat, the Accord hybrid's trunk will offer 12.7 cubic feet of space, versus 15.8 cubic feet in the conventional model.
Starting at just under $30,000, the Accord's fancier versions will cost up to $35,000 or more, depending on optional equipment. The Prius, which is a smaller vehicle, starts at about $25,000.
Honda once dominated the automotive market when it came to fuel efficiency and steadily was supplanted by Toyota and others that made competitive strides and closed the gap. One of Toyota's marketing innovations was to come up with a unique name for its hybrid -- Prius -- while other manufacturers simply have added "hybrid" to whatever model it's powering.
The Accord's phenomenally loyal owner base is likely to pay attention to Honda's new approach to hybrid, especially if fuel prices spike. At the moment, they've moderated a bit to $3.49.9 a gallon at the end of September, from $3.62.3 a month earlier.
But the trend of gasoline prices remains upward -- a reality no one likes but one that Honda engineers have addressed forthrightly with the newest Accord.
Find your 2014 Honda Accord at Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City, near Reno NV. 

Scott Dixon Beats the Heat in Houston!

Houston
U.S.A.
October 5, 2013

Dixon Beats the Heat in Houston

Scott Dixon thrust himself back into the thick of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series Driver’s Championship battle, and Honda claimed the lead in the fight for the Manufacturers’ Championship with a dominant performance Saturday in Houston, Texas, as Dixon took his fourth and Honda’s ninth win of the season in the first of two 90-lap races on the Reliant Center temporary street circuit.
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing)zoom
Scott Dixon
(Chip Ganassi Racing)
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing)zoom
Scott Dixon
(Chip Ganassi Racing)
 
On a very hot and humid afternoon, Dixon spent the opening third of today’s 90-lap contest stalking early leader Will Power, then claimed the lead with a quicker service by his Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew and faster “out-lap” during the first round of pit stops. Dixon and Power continued to lead the field during the middle race segment, but Dixon was able to seize a big advantage when his second stop took place just before one of seven caution flags to wave today.

On the final restart, on Lap 77, Dixon rocketed away from second-place Simona de Silvestro, opening up a lead of more than 2.5 seconds in the opening lap. Dixon continued to pull away in the closing laps, as de Silvestro became embroiled in a battle for second place with the Honda-powered cars of Justin Wilson and Simon Pagenaud. But yet another yellow, with just three laps remaining, froze the field to the checkers.

Dixon’s win is a series-high fourth of the season, and closed him to within eight points of championship leader Helio Castroneves, with two races remaining in the season.

The late-race yellow ended Wilson’s chances of finishing second, but the Dale Coyne Racing driver still posted his fourth podium finish of the season. Pagenaud also kept his championship hopes alive with a fourth-place finish for Schmidt Hamilton Racing. He goes into tomorrow’s 90-lap race third in the championship, 50 points behind Castroneves with 104 points still in play.

Takuma Sato, who started on the pole for the Houston-based A.J. Foyt Racing team, led the first seven laps before a cut tire forced an early pit stop and ended his chances at victory. After a crash in practice Friday, Josef Newgarden battled his way through the field to finish fifth for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, his second consecutive top-five result this season. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan duo of James Jakes and Graham Rahal finished sixth and seventh, respectively, as Honda drivers and teams claimed seven of the top eight finishing positions.

Honda Fastest Seat in Sports winner Morris Feigel from Edmond, Oklahoma, led the field prior to the green flag in the two-seat Honda IndyCar driven by two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk.For more information on how you can receive the ride of a lifetime in the Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes, go to www.shophonda.com.

Today’s race was the first of a double header weekend in Houston. Sunday’s 90-lap contest, the 18th and penultimate round in the 2013 season, starts at 1:30 p.m. EDT, with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing)zoom
Scott Dixon
(Chip Ganassi Racing)
Takuma Sato (A.J. Foyt Racing)zoom
Takuma Sato
(A.J. Foyt Racing)
Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara) started 3rd, finished 1st, his 4th IndyCar victory of 2013; Honda’s series-leading 9th race win of the season:
 
“The car was fantastic, as you could see on the first stint [run until the first pit stop]. I struggled for a bit mid-race, but then we were able to pick it up again at the finish, just when we needed it. You know in racing, you've got to have some luck, and to be honest, today I was lucky on the restarts. We didn't get ‘collected' [hit]. But you've got to keep pushing, and that's what we did today, all the time. I pushed hard on the last restart against Marco [Andretti] and ‘TK' [Tony Kanaan]. It was an awesome job for the entire team. They've been fantastic all weekend, and I guess it's good for the championship, too!”
 
Justin Wilson (#19 Boy Scouts of America Dale Coyne Racing Honda Dallara) started 14th, finished 3rd:
“The car was great early in the race and we started to move up, but then I felt a tire going down and we had to pit a bit early. After that, I had to conserve fuel [to make the finish], but I was pushing the whole way. Hopefully, we can qualify stronger tomorrow and put ourselves in a position to win”
 
Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race:
 
"Today’s result illustrates
the total commitment by everyone at HPD to winning the 2013 IndyCar Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championships, and we moved one giant step closer to both of those goals today. It’s gratifying to see that same commitment from the Chip Ganassi Racing organization, and all of our teams. Congratulations to Scott [Dixon] on his series-leading fourth victory this year, and to Simon [Pagenaud] for his fourth-place result, as both remain in the thick of the championship fight. Honda swept both previous double header weekends this year [Detroit and Toronto] and our goal now is to finish the sweep tomorrow.”
Takuma Sato (A.J. Foyt Racing)zoom
Takuma Sato (A.J. Foyt Racing)
IndyCar Series
Round 17: Houston
Rank Driver (Team)
1
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing)
2
Simona de Silvestro (KV Racing Technology)
3
Justin Wilson (Dale Coyne Racing)
4
Simon Pagenaud (Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports)
5
Josef Newgarden (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing)
6
James Jakes (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
7
Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
8
Sebastien Bourdais (Dragon Racing)
9
E.J. Viso (Andretti Autosport)
10
Luca Filippi (Barracuda Racing/Bryan Herta)
11
Charlie Kimball (Chip Ganassi Racing)
15
Dario Franchitti (Chip Ganassi Racing)
16
Mike Conway (Dale Coyne Racing)
17
Takuma Sato (A.J. Foyt Racing)
22
Tristan Vautier (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports)

Honda Sets All-Time Monthly Production Record for Automobile Production in USA

Honda Sets All-Time Monthly Production Record for Automobile Production in USA

September 25, 2013 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of August 2013.

Worldwide Production

August 2013Year-to-Date Total
(Jan. - Aug. 2013)
Unitsvs.'12Unitsvs.'12
Japan62,129-10.6%479,212-35.7%
Outside of Japan260,817-0.8%2,253,663+7.6%
Worldwide Total322,946-2.8%2,732,875-3.8%

Production Outside of Japan

August 2013Year-to-Date Total
(Jan. - Aug. 2013)
Unitsvs.'12Unitsvs.'12
North America161,038*1+8.2%1,202,601+4.6%
(USA)121,208*2+12.2%881,355+6.2%
Europe5,752-22.0%89,003-17.0%
Asia79,013-11.7%853,266+17.3%
(China)41,021-17.8%446,290-5.0%
Others15,014-13.2%108,793-1.2%
Overseas Total260,817-0.8%2,253,663+7.6%
*1 Record high for the month of August
*2 Record high for any month
Production in Japan for the month of August 2013 experienced a year-on-year decrease for the ninth consecutive month (since December 2012).
Production in regions outside of Japan experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in 19 months (since January 2012).
Production in North America experienced a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month, setting record high production for the month of August. This includes all-time monthly record for production in USA.
Worldwide production experienced a year-on-year decrease for the fourth consecutive month (since May 2013).

Sales in the Japanese Market

Vehicle typeAugust 2013Year-to-Date Total
(Jan. - Aug. 2013)
Unitsvs.'12Unitsvs.'12
Registrations18,978-22.1%198,774-41.4%
Mini-Vehicles28,581+23.9%274,204+28.3%
Honda Brand Total47,559+0.2%472,978-14.5%
Honda’s automobile sales in the Japanese market for the month of August 2013 experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in eight months (since December 2012).
New vehicle registrations experienced a year-on-year decrease for the 13th consecutive month (since August 2012).
Sales of mini-vehicles experienced a year-on-year increase for the 20th consecutive month (since January 2012).
<Vehicle registrations - excluding mini-vehicles>
Fit was the industry’s sixth best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of August 2013 with sales of 6,193 units. Freed was the industry’s seventh best-selling car with sales of 5,782 units. Step WGN was the industry’s 10th best-selling car with sales of 4,384 units.
<Mini-vehicles - under 660cc>
N BOX was the industry’s top-selling car in the mini-vehicle category for the month of August 2013 with sales of 17,995 units. N-ONE was the industry’s ninth best-selling car with sales of 7,036 units.

Exports from Japan

August 2013Year-to-Date Total
(Jan. - Aug. 2013)
Unitsvs.'12Unitsvs.'12
North America8,247+4.0%64,286-37.8%
(USA)8,183+4.5%62,966-37.8%
Europe782+76.1%4,176-72.9%
Asia307-80.7%5,949-77.7%
Others1,693+105.5%12,542-55.4%
Total11,029+2.2%86,953-49.9%
Total exports from Japan in August 2013 experienced a year-on-year increase for the first time in 14 months (since June 2012).

Monday, September 30, 2013

About Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City, near Reno NV. Your Northern Nevada Honda Dealer.


About Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City, NV

About Michael Hohl Honda

Michael Hohl Honda has proudly been serving the Northern Nevada area since 1984. We are a family owned, third generation dealership. We carry a complete lineup of Honda vehicles and services for our customers in the Reno, South Lake Tahoe, Sparks, Fallon, Fernley, and Carson City, Nevada area. Our lot has a large inventory of all-new Honda cars, trucks, and SUVs, as well as a wide selection of quality pre-owned Hondas for sale or lease. We have the all-new Honda Accord, CR-V, CR-Z, Civic, Civic Hybrid, Crosstour, Fit, Odyssey, Pilot, and Ridgeline. We invite you to browse our entire inventory online, or contact us to schedule a test drive or to learn more about any of our vehicles. Our sales staff has many years of experience and will offer you friendly and courteous customer service. Their goal is to give you a positive and unique shopping experience.

Michael Hohl Honda also offers our customers exceptional Honda repair and maintenance in our Service Department. With our Factory Trained and Certified Technicians we can help you keep your Honda running in top condition for years to come. Our Parts Department also carries a wide selection of Genuine Honda Parts and Accessories to help enhance the performance and styling of your Honda. Our friendly Parts Specialists will be happy to help you find just the right part for your specific Honda vehicle. And if you're in need of a new Honda car loan or lease, our financial experts work to offer you the best rates for you and your family.

We encourage you to visit our dealership located at 2800 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701 and experience our great customer service for yourself. It is our goal to make your experience at our dealership a memorable and simple one and we will always offer you our services in an honest and straight forward manner. We look forward to your visit at Michael Hohl Honda today!



http://www.michaelhohlhonda.com/about-michael-hohl-honda.htm

Honda Releases "3D-View"


Honda Releases "3D-View," Interactive Web Content Using CG to Reproduce Ayrton Senna's Fastest Lap at Suzuka Circuit

TOKYO, Japan, September 27, 2013 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today released the 3D-View, new interactive web content that enables users to experience the engine sound and driving trajectory reproduced into 3-dimensional computer graphics (CG) based on data recorded of Ayrton Senna driving the McLaren-Honda MP4/5 in the FIA*1 Formula One (F1) World Championship at Suzuka Circuit in 1989. Honda developed this content as part of the "dots"*2 project through which Honda studies how people enjoy relationships with automobiles, and the content was posted within the "dots lab by internavi" section of the Internavi website. (URL: http://www.honda.co.jp/internavi-dots/dots-lab/senna1989/)
Image of the 3D-Viewzoom
Image of the 3D-View
Image of the 3D-Viewzoom
Image of the 3D-View
The 3D-View reproduces the engine sound based on the analysis of actual data, including accelerator control, engine speed and vehicle speed, that was recorded when Ayrton Senna marked a then lap record at Suzuka Circuit during qualifying for the 1989 F1 Japan Grand Prix. Moreover, data of his driving trajectory was given new life through 3-dimensional CG expressive technologies, enabling users to enjoy it while changing from various points of view.
The 3D-View was created as part of Honda's "Ayrton Senna 1989" project*3, through which Honda has already released a movie titled "Ayrton Senna 1989" that reproduces Senna's then fastest lap at Suzuka Circuit using sound and light, as well as an iPhone*4 app called "Sound of Honda" that enables users to enjoy driving with the sound of the McLaren-Honda MP4/5 by synchronizing it with their own car.
*1
FIA is an abbreviation for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
*2
The "dots" stands for "design our transportation story." Through the dots project, Honda strives to provide useful services to more users by combining information collected through the Honda Internavi system and various real-time information made available in society.
*3
Honda's project to create new experiences through precise reproduction of driving data recorded during the qualifying for the 1989 F1 Japan Grand Prix when Ayrton Senna marked the lap record of Suzuka Circuit at that time.
*4
iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Honda Compact SUV Concept Model "URBAN SUV CONCEPT"


All-New Honda Compact SUV Concept Model "URBAN SUV CONCEPT," Makes World Debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show

DETROIT, Michigan, U.S.A., January 14, 2013 - Honda today exhibited the world premiere of an all-new compact SUV concept model, the "URBAN SUV CONCEPT," at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan (Press days: January 14-15 / Public days: January 19-27).
"URBAN
URBAN SUV CONCEPT
The URBAN SUV CONCEPT is a concept vehicle for a global model. This model features sporty and dynamic design unique to an SUV, while also offering a spacious cabin realized by the Honda-original center-tank layout with high functionality. The exterior design was developed featuring the sharp and sporty character lines of a coupe while maintaining the dynamism of a crossover model to express an emotional and sensual design.

The all-new compact SUV model based on this concept will go on sale in Japan by the end of 2013, followed by sequential introductions in other countries around the world. In North America, Honda plans to begin production of the compact SUV at the new plant in Mexico, which will become operational in spring 2014, and begin sales in the U.S. before the end of 2014.

Featuring Earth Dreams Technology, Honda's next generation powertrain series that greatly enhances both driving performance and fuel efficiency at a high level, the all-new compact SUV will be available with three types of powertrains - gasoline, hybrid and diesel - evolving a product lineup which accommodates the unique characteristics of each region on a global basis.

Honda plans to sell more than 1.5 million units annually of the three "Global Compact Series" models, namely the Fit, the City and the all-new compact SUV, which utilize the Honda-original center-tank layout, by the end of 2016. Starting with the Global Compact Series, Honda will pursue a transformation of its global operations to promptly respond to the needs of customers around the world and evolve models with the best specifications for each region at affordable prices.