2011 Odyssey Reigns in Car & Driver Head-to-Head Comparison

The redesigned 2011 Honda Odyssey continues to impress, this time it is the editors at Car & Driver.  In a head-to-head test vs. Sienna, Quest, and Town & Country, the Odyssey came out on top with its impressive list of features, incredible versatility and class leading 28 Highway MPG.

Click here to read the full comparisons.

2012 Honda CR-V Spy Shots Revelaed

According to Car and Driver online, a reader has submitted photos of the 2012 Honda CR-V, slated to be released some time this fall.  Click here for the full article.  From  C&D:

A fearless Car and Driver reader in Washington, D.C., snapped this picture of the next-generation Honda CR-V crossover, which will debut this fall. The vehicle looks ready for production, wearing its own sheetmetal (rather than the modified body of an existing Honda model) with the badge buried in tape on the tailgate.
Like other Japanese auto companies, Honda is as tight-lipped as can be about its future products. We’re left to use recent history and this photo to determine that the next CR-V will represent a gentle update to the current car, rather than a radical redo.
Figure on a naturally aspirated four-cylinder being the only engine available. It should displace 2.4 liters like today’s CR-V engine, and we expect it to make between 180 and 200 hp—although the number may be closer to the bottom end of that range. Fuel economy also should improve slightly; in front-drive spec, the current model is rated for 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. (All-wheel-drivers are rated for 21/27.)
If there are any major changes to the upcoming CR-V, it could be in the seating layout. Until now, every CR-V has been a strictly five-seat affair. Given the long rear overhang of the car in this photo, however, it looks like there just might be room for a small third row of seats for short-legged passengers. Toyota sells a three-row RAV4, but most others in the segment serve a maximum of five.
Few would call the CR-V in its present form a pulse-raising vehicle, but it’s a staple for Honda, offers good driving dynamics, and is a sensible choice for more than 200,000 Americans per year. Even without concrete details on the next-generation CR-V, we feel confident saying it will maintain the current car’s sales success. We expect the 2012 CR-V to debut at the Los Angeles auto show this November.

10 Tips to Help You Save Gas

As gas prices continue to soar, everyone is looking for ways to minimize trips to the pump.  One easy thing to do is get behind the wheel of a fuel-effecient Honda, with 10 models that get over 25 MPG!  Here are some more ideas from Kiplinger's Kip Tips:


With gasoline prices at $3.84 per gallon, on average, and likely to hit $4 by summer (see our outlook), you're probably feeling the pain at the pump. However, there are ways to keep gas costs under control. Chris Faulkner, CEO of Texas-based Breitling Oil and Gas Co., offers these ten tips:

1. Download a gas app to find cheaper prices. You can use your smart phone to comparison shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app such as GasBuddy. If you don't have a smart phone, visit GasBuddy.com or gasprices.mapquest.com before you leave home or the office to check gas prices online.

2. Don't buy gas near the highway. People like convenience, but gas stations near the highway charge 10 cents to 15 cents a gallon more, Faulkner says. Drive a little farther from the interchange to find a better deal (this is where the GasBuddy app is handy). If you're traveling, gas up in a rural town rather than a large city because prices will be lower.
3. Use a discount gift card. Discount gift card sites, such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, sell cards at less than face value for gas stations, such as BP and Shell. They go quickly, though, so sign up for e-mail alerts to be notified when they're in stock. Also look for discounted gift cards for Walmart or grocery stores that have gas stations.
4. Keep car windows closed on the highway because open windows add drag and reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, lower your windows to reduce air-conditioning use, which will drain your gas tank.
5. Develop good driving habits. You can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 5% by avoiding quick starts and stops. Gas mileage also decreases as you accelerate beyond 55 mph.
6. Don't carry unnecessary items in your car. Every 200 pounds to 250 pounds lowers your car's fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon.
7. Keep your tires properly inflated. Faulkner says he tested this with his mother's car. She added 7% to her gas mileage by keeping her tires properly inflated.
8. Fill 'er up with regular. Most cars don't need the premium-grade gasoline, which cost 24 cents a gallon more, on average, than regular grade gas the week of April 18, according to the Energy Information Administration.
9. Combine errands with other driving you're going to do so you aren't making multiple trips and using more gas.
10. Don't overfill your tank. If you top off, you're just wasting money on the gas that inevitably sloshes out of the tank.

Kiplinger's Names Their Best-in-Class Winners, Odyssey Takes Top Honors

Kiplinger's Magazine has awarded their best-in-class winners for 2011 and Honda earned multiple number one rankings.  Here is the award fro Odyssey in the minivan category.  To read more, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

Autos

Best in Class: Minivans

2011 Honda Odyssey
Sticker price: $28,580 (LX)
Invoice price: $25,976
Fair Purchase Price: $28,580
Five-year service cost: $3,995
One-year insurance cost: $960
Resale value after 3 years: 54%; 5 years: 34%
MPG city: 18; highway: 27

Redesigned for 2011, Odyssey takes back the throne it surrendered to the Toyota Sienna in 2010. With class-leading resale values and fuel-efficiency, plus the lowest insurance cost among minivans, there’s not much this ride can’t handle—including entertaining five passengers with a nine-inch rear-seat entertainment screen (available on EX-L and standard on Touring).