Happy Halloween 2007 from The Honda Portal!

2008 Honda Accord Concept

I stumbled across these pic's on http://www.autoblog.com/. Very nice. These are all factory installed accessories.

ASIMO's Development Process

I stumbled upon a neat illustrated picture on the development process of ASIMO the robot.

2008 Honda Accord Special Edition

This is the HF-S concept, created by Honda's accessory development team for the upcoming SEMA show. The SEMA show is put on to showcase the accessories that are available through Honda on a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe.

Honda Concept Pic

Don't know what it is, but it looks cool. Probably a couple of years old. I could see it becoming some kind of newer version of a Del Sol.

2010 Honda Stream Update....

Here's a nice shot of the front end of the van/wagon. Apparently the height of the vehicle makes it hard to classify.

Nice streamlined back end.

Interior snapshot of the Stream. Looks like the 3rd row folds into the floor, a-la Magic Seat, and the 2nd row looks like it will fold up against the front two seats.

Apparently there may be a AWD model available as well. A nice 2.0 Litre 4 cylinder engine, probably around 160hp, although I could see a 2.4 Litre 4 cylinder engine with 168-190hp.

2010 Honda FCX

Fuel Cells. This is another area that Honda's Research and Development has taken them. Not sure what the price point will be, or if we will even have an opportunity to buy one in Canada, but it sure looks nice.

It features a compact, Honda-developed fuel-cell stack in the middle of the car with two hydrogen tanks in the rear. The stack is actually much smaller than is now technologically feasible, but Honda says that it shows "our dream."

Honda Tops Consumer Reports Survey as Most Reliable

The latest survey from Consumer Reports (magazine to hit news stands by Nov. 06, 2007) has Honda Motor Co. toppling Toyota Motor Co. for top spot on the Reliability rankings. Not only did Toyota slide down, but they slid down to fifth. Wow. Toyota is still an amazing product, but this shows the first crack in some very strong armour.

From what I can make of most of the news, here's how I see the some of the list;

1) Honda

2) Acura

3) Scion

4) Subaru

5) Toyota

6) ?

7) ?

8) ?

9) Porche

10) ?

11) Mercury

12) ?

13) Ford

14) Lincoln

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/16/autos/cr_reliability/?postversion=2007101710

I will fill in the blanks as more information comes to light.

Depreciation Ratings as per Automotive Leasing Guide

We all know that a vehicle is not a sound investment, but a necissary 'evil' in these times. If I were an investor working for you and asked you to give me $30k and told you in 5 years that your investment would be worth $12k, you'd fire me! And rightfully so. All cars depreciate, however there is damage control! Some cars depreciate a heck of alot faster than others, and there are alot of cars to choose from out there.

Why do some cars hold their value higher (and in some cases 'head and shoulders' higher) than others you ask? Here are a few reasons that I can come up with;

a) Fleet and Rental cars depreciate fastest because when the rental company is done with the car, the manufacturer flips it back into the market at a heavily discounted price as incentive to move it. Not too many people go out of their way to get a rental car, because most people know how rental cars are driven/treated.

b) How does the car age? Does it develop squeaks and rattles? Overall fit and finish has to be high for a 3-5 year old car with decent mileage on it to do well in this catagory.

c) Safety ratings help a car stay current. Just take a look at some ratings 5 years ago to today, some cars have maintained a high rating throughout, where alot of cars have been 'hit and miss' or poor from the get go.

d) Low maintenance costs along with overall Reliability/Dependability of the vehicle. Consumer Reports has a nice study on this topic, and it's NO secret, the cars that tend to hold their value the most are usually the most reliable as well.

Here is a link to the Automotive Leasing Guide; http://www.alg.com/

"We are a leading provider of residual value information, analytical data products, software solutions, and consultation to the automotive industry. Please browse our web site for more information about our products and services, news involving ALG, and become a member to our online services. If you are a consumer or lessee, please visit Leasing 101 under the Consumers section for basic information on automotive leasing."

Now whether you Lease or Buy, cars depreciate the same, so here is a direct link to the 5 Star ratings system;

https://www.alg.com/deprratings.aspx?sid=43

It's a good read, and simple to use. Hope it helps.

2009 Honda Pilot; What to Expect.

A bigger engine is rumoured to be entering the fray, it's current 3.5L V6 should be replaced by a 3.8L (or 3.7L) V6. Expect Variable Cylinder Management on all models (shuts down from 6-4-3 cylinders) like the new Accord. An increase in horsepower will go without saying, I expect 270hp or so, up from the current 244hp. You can expect to see Dual Zone Climate Control and a power passenger seat, probably for Leather models only. Blue Tooth will make it's entry, again, if the new Accord is any indication, on Leather models only.

The big news will be a Diesel engine option. Honda rumours state that the Diesel engine will be introduced for 2009, however I am thinking it will be introduced a little later. Who knows.

As far as style goes, I expect a more urban look (sleaker lines), not so 'truck-like' (box-like).

The current model is still an outstanding choice and rates at or near the top in every catagory, so don't count it out just yet!