Entries Tagged 'honda' ↓

The first hybrid car to hit our shores, the Honda Insight set the bar high and put gas mileage front and center. The two-seat Insight’s in-your-face design used the Civic CRX as a starting point, hearkening back to the eighties, when the CRX HF was Honda’s gas mileage champ. While both the Insight and CRX HF were lightweights when it came to the scales, they were true heavyweight contenders when it came to fuel economy.

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While today’s hybrid gas mileage figures may seem impressive when compared to the majority of conventional vehicles on the market, there’s still a long way to go. This unfulfilled dream is clearly evident when studying the historical chart of hybrid gas mileage. The earliest models of the Honda Insight set the bar remarkably high (regardless of the change in the EPA’s testing procedures implemented in 2007); so high that they remain to be equaled by a production vehicle today.

Viewing the statistics, it’s easy to understand how the Insight hybrid achieved those remarkable gas mileage results. Weighing in at under a ton, Honda’s little spaceship had a big headstart, with a diminutive 1.0 liter three cylinder engine providing just enough oomph and efficiency to land the micro hybrid’s gas mileage in the stratosphere.

With the Insight put out to pasture after the 2006 model year, the Toyota Prius snatched the hybrid gas mileage crown, edging out the Honda Civic Hybrid.
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Alternative Fuels and Vehicles 2008 conference attendees were in for a rare treat at the Bosch sponsored a clean diesel ride-n-drive event on Monday evening, May 12th.

After opening remarks from diesel hot rodding legend Gale Banks, attention turned to the race course laid out though the parking lots of the Rio Hotel and a generous selection of Euro-diesel gems from Bosch’s fleet.

Attendees were treated to some of the finest examples of diesel engineering currently prowling the streets of Europe, including a Honda Accord i-CDTi and i-CDTi CR-V, Chrysler 300, BMW 535d M Sport, Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, and a Mercedes-Benz E320.

Two of the newest and smallest additions to Bosch’s fleet proved to be the hits of the evening, with the MINI Cooper D and BMW 123d M Sport hot hatchbacks especially well suited to the tight curves of the Rio track.

For those that had never driven a modern clean diesel vehicle, the event was an eye opener, with each vehicle delivering exceptional performance and economy in their respective classes.

For attendees that missed the event … there’s always next year …

The best-selling Honda Accord competes in the family sedan market with the Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima, Chevy Malibu, and Ford Fusion among others.

The 2008 Accord is available with a 2.4 liter inline four or a 3.5 liter V6 engine. Our test unit performed admirably with the 2.4 liter i-VTEC four. After experiencing the four cylinder’s thrifty performance, we’d be hard pressed to upgrade to the V6, given the current price of gas. For most folks, the 2.4 liter four cylinder will get the job done.

We took our four-door test Accord to the highway, loading it up for five hour trek to Vermont for some spring skiing.
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We’ve been smitten with the thought of a diesel-powered Honda Accord coming to these shores since first hearing about the Accord i-CTDi diesel.

The Accord i-TCDi is a game changer. The 2.2 liter four cylinder common rail turbo diesel produces 140 horsepower, 250 foot pounds of torque, and fabulous fuel economy. It’s tough to argue with a highway mileage rating of over 50 miles per gallon (adjusted for US gallons) in a four door sedan of this caliber.

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