2009 SEMA Show: World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976

Way back in 1974, long before there was an Acura NSX, Honda S2000, or even a Civic Si, there was Honda performance pioneer Bob Boileau, otherwise know as “Honda Bob.”
 
Bob campaigned this Honda Civic on race circuits years before anybody started thinking of Hondas as performance cars. Bob and his Civic earned the title of World’s Fastest Civic in 1976, when he was clocked at 146 mph at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. Bob went on to win six Sports Car Club of America GT5 championships between 1985 and 1990.

What makes all those championships even more notable is that Bob earned them back in the days when performance parts for the Civic were virtually unavailable. But he arguably helped set the stage for years of tuners and Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show exhibitors to come.
 
This year the tiny, unrestored Civic earned a place in the back of the Honda booth at SEMA, duct-taped fenders and all.
 
Hats off, Honda Bob.
 
—Jim Travers

First Impression: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

Starting in 1991, Honda Accord wagons began to roam American roads, but these practical cars disappeared from our market after just a few years. The rising popularity of SUVs, fueled by the emergence of “crossovers” based on car platforms, saw wagon-minded customers move to Honda’s CR-V and Pilot, as well as dozens of competitors. Now, history is about to repeat itself with import wagon-like vehicles making a revival, even if their sloping styling isn’t as practical as the Accord and Toyota Camry wagons of yore. Think of the Accord Tourer as Honda’s answer to the Toyota Venza.
 
Honda will return to the hatchback/wagon market this fall with several new model variants, including the Accord Crosstour. In addition, Acura is introducing a ZDX model derived from the MDX platform, and the luxury brand has recently announced it will also offer a TSX wagon (a wagon version of the Accord sold elsewhere in the world, called the Accord Tourer).
 
The front- or all-wheel-drive Crosstour will come only with a 271-hp, 3.5-liter V6 mated to a five-speed automatic. Three trim lines are available: base EX, EX-L, and EX-L Navi. All-wheel drive will be optional on the EX-L and EX-L Navi, making this the first Accord model to offer AWD.
 
The Accord Crosstour has created Internet buzz as due to its polarizing styling. We’ll leave that to you to debate. More importantly, we recently spent a day behind the wheel of the Crosstour, and we found the beauty is on the inside—with a familiar, Accord cabin with added versatility. However, the added functionality doesn’t rival a true wagon.
  
Behind the wheel
Unsurprisingly, the driving experience is much like the sedan, though I found the additional rear mass evident at times. The standard automatic has two “sporty” new features: gear-hold based on lateral G forces and rpm rev-matching when downshifting. The Crosstour feels, to me, far less sporty than the Accord sedan or coupe, cars where this technology might be more appreciated.
 
According to Honda, fuel economy according to the EPA is 18 city, 27 highway, for the front-wheel-drive Crosstour, while the AWD version will be slightly worse at 17 city, 25 highway.
 
Inside, the cabin is very much standard Accord fare, and any owner switching from an Accord coupe or sedan to the Crosstour will feel at home. The cargo area is roomy, measuring 55.7 inches at its widest point. A nifty feature, the carpeted floor lids can be flipped over to expose a hard plastic surface that is good for transporting dirty items. Underneath the panels is a removable 1.9 cubic-foot cargo box with two handles, making it easy to carry some items from the vehicle. 

The 60/40-split rear seats can be folded from the cargo area using one-touch levers, but when the seats are folded the narrowest point of the cargo area—just 31 inches across—becomes readily evident. While the Crosstour isn’t designed to carry sheets of plywood, this narrow area is something buyers should be aware of.
 
When the Crosstour goes on sale on November 20th, the base front-wheel drive EX model will start at $29,670. The Crosstour EX-L will have an MSRP of $32,570, which grows to $34,770 for the Navi version. All-wheel drive versions start at $34,020, with the Navi-equipped ones starting at $36,220.
 
—Jon Linkov

2009 Annual Auto Reliability Survey: 10 best and worst models

Just because a model is reliable doesn’t mean it is recommended by Consumer Reports. Four out of the top 10 most reliable vehicles don’t perform well enough in our tests for us to recommend them. The opposite happens as well—some vehicles that score well in our testing are not recommended because they have below average reliability. Seven out of the 10 least reliable vehicles have high enough test scores to be recommended, but their poor reliability prevents them from reaching that recommended status. So, it’s important to look at both performance in our tests as well as reliability because a high scoring car isn’t always a smart purchase choice if it isn’t reliable.

Our 2009 Annual Auto Survey reveals the best and worst vehicles in reliability based on our subscribers’ experiences with 1.4 million vehicles over the past 10 years (2000-2009). Our data helps determine which used cars to choose as well as to forecast how the 2010 models will hold up.

The vehicles listed below are the top 10 most and least reliable new cars in our reliability survey. Models with an asterisk (*) are based on data of one model year only. Click on the vehicles below to visit the model overview pages to see how they performed in our tests and also view a more-detailed look at reliability broken down by 17 potential trouble spots. (Model overview pages are available to online subscribers.)

Most reliable vehicles, listed in order of Ratings score starting with the best score.

1. Honda Insight*
2. Lexus SC*
3. Toyota Venza (4-cyl.)*
4. Mercedes-Benz GLK*
5. Toyota Yaris Hatchback
6. Toyota FJ Cruiser
7. Honda Fit*
8. Toyota Prius
9. Scion xD
10. Toyota 4Runner (V6)

Least reliable vehicles, listed in order of Ratings score starting with the worst score.

1. Volkswagen Touareg*
2. Jaguar XF*
3. Chevrolet Colorado (4WD)
4. GMC Canyon (4WD)
5. Ford F-250 (turbodiesel, 4WD)*
6. BMW 535i (AWD)*
7. Chrysler Town & Country
8. Dodge Grand Caravan
9. Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (turbodiesel)*
10. Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (V8)

For more details on our 2009 Annual Auto Survey including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability, as well as owner satisfaction.

—Liza Barth 

2009 Annual Auto Reliability Survey: Best and worst models by car maker

It is easy to assume that certain automakers build only reliable cars and others don’t, however, nearly every manufacturer have their share of winners and losers in our annual reliability survey. Each company and even brand product portfolio runs a spectrum of reliability performance, with its own best and worst examples. For some, the range can span from much better than average to much worse than average, whereas other may be centered around average. The key lesson from scanning the data within an automaker is not to make assumptions.

For example, the best Toyota Motor Company model in our reliability survey is the Lexus SC—its predicted reliability score is the second highest out of over 300 vehicles, but the worst is the Lexus GS (AWD), which scores in the bottom 10 percent, and receives a much worse than average rating, and is not recommended in our testing. While it is true that Lexus models tend to be reliable and test well, this is not the case for all Lexus vehicles.

The greatest disparity comes from Volkswagen. The VW Golf (aka Rabbit) is one of the most reliable small cars you can buy, but the Volkswagen Touareg has the lowest predicted reliability score in our 2009 Annual Auto Survey.

In most cases, the best model for reliability is a recommended model and the worst is not. However, Honda’s top reliable vehicle in our survey, the Honda Insight, is not recommended due to low scores in our testing. The least reliable Honda vehicle is the Acura RL, but it has an average reliability score and is recommended. Honda is one of the more consistent manufacturers and has no model that scored below average in reliability.

The two more reliable General Motors products are from two brands that are leaving the GM umbrella. The Saturn Aura (4-cyl.) is newly recommended this year and the Pontiac Vibe will be phased out in the coming months.

Below are the best and worst models in reliability. Models with an * are based on data of one model year only.

BMW
Best: BMW 328i (RWD)
Worst: BMW 535i (AWD)*

Chrysler
Best: Jeep Patriot
Worst: Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan

Ford
Best: Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan (4-cyl.)
Worst: Ford F-250 (turbodiesel, 4WD)*

General Motors
Best: Chevrolet Malibu (V6)
Worst: Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (4WD)

Honda
Best: Honda Insight*
Worst: Acura RL

Hyundai/Kia
Best: Hyundai Tucson
Worst: Kia Sedona

Mazda
Best: Mazda3 sedan
Worst: Mazda CX-7

Mercedes-Benz
Best: Mercedes-Benz GLK*
Worst: Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (turbodiesel)*

Nissan
Best: Infiniti M35 (RWD)
Worst: Nissan Versa sedan*

Subaru
Best: Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
Worst: Subaru Impreza WRX*

Toyota
Best: Lexus SC*
Worst: Lexus GS (AWD)

Volkswagen
Best: Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit)
Worst: Volkswagen Touareg*

Volvo
Best: Volvo S40 (FWD)*
Worst: Volvo XC90 (V8)*

The main take away from this information is don’t judge a book by its cover. Avoid assumptions and do your research before you buy your next vehicle. It takes just a few minutes to browse the model overview pages, or use the interactive new car selector tool, which sorts and filters by the parameters that matter most to you.

Either path will reveal Consumer Reports recommended models that did well in our road tests, score average or better in reliability, and performs at least adequately if included in government or insurance industry safety tests.

For more details on our 2009 Annual Auto Survey including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability as well as owner satisfaction.

—Liza Barth 

Honda Element gets dog-friendly, though doesn’t learn needed tricks

Honda has expanded its accessory offerings for the Element SUV to include new equipment aimed to improve the safety and comfort of the four-legged passengers. The new “Dog Friendly” system can be integrated at the factory into the 2010 Element EX cargo area and will provide a place in daily driving for the pet to be properly restrained and out of reach from the driver. It will also help to restrain the dog behind the rear seats, so that the pet and occupants of the vehicle will have a reduced chance of injury in the event of a crash. The concept behind this canine commuter was previewed at the New York auto show.

The Dog Friendly components include a soft-sided cargo area kennel made from strong seat belt material netting, a cushioned pet bed in the cargo area, a 12-volt DC fan, second-row seat covers with a dog pattern, all-season rubber floor mats and a spill resistant water bowl. An extendable ramp will also store beneath the bed, so it can be accessed when the tailgate is open.

The 2010 Element EX version has an MSRP of $22,635 for the 2WD model. The dog equipment will retail at $995 and be available to buyers on Nov. 16th. The 2010 Element in all trims will be available at dealerships in mid-October.

Though it’s always been versatile and reliable, the Element is a bit long in the tooth. The “Dog Friendly” system may be well-liked by some, perhaps many people, but we would also have welcomed a couple of new tricks, such as a powertrain upgrade like that bestowed on the 2010 Honda CR-V—14 more horsepower and 1 more EPA-rated mpg. As it is, the Element suffers from significant road noise, lousy visibility, a stiff ride, and tricky emergency handling.

While Dog Friendly adds some appeal, at a significant price, it really doesn’t teach this old dog any new tricks to make it more competitive, or earn it a Consumer Reports Recommendation.

—Liza Barth 

For more pet-related reports see:
Vacation travel for dogs
Best dogs for retirees
Tax break for pet care?

Video showdown: Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius

Some comparisons seem inevitable. Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. Windows, and now, Insight vs. Prius.
 
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
 
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.

But focusing on price or a few isolated features certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as our video shows.

See the full Honda Insight and Toyota Prius road tests, along with ratings, in their model overviews (available to online subscribers.)

—Tom Mutchler

Life after cash for clunkers: September auto sales

The much-publicized cash for clunkers program gave a shot of adrenaline to car sales this summer, inspiring purchases even from consumers who did not participate. With the $3 billion spent in moving people into more fuel-efficient vehicles, the question became, what would become of the market without the federal incentives? The answer: September sales figures show that all manufacturers saw a significant 35 to over 50 percent sales decrease compared to August. But--and here’s the good news--when compared to last September, a few manufacturers actually saw a sales increase, including Hyundai, Kia, and Subaru.

Here are the sales trends among the largest automakers:

Chrysler: Still struggling post bankruptcy, Chrysler saw a 42-percent decrease over last September and down 40 percent for the calendar year so far.

Ford: Helped by a sales surge from the redesigned Taurus, Ford showed only a small decrease of five percent over September 2008, but so far this year they are down 22 percent.

GM: Low inventory levels after the clunker program pushed General Motors to a decrease of 45 percent over last year and 36 percent decrease so far for 2009.

Honda: With a decrease in sales almost across the board (except the Pilot, which showed a small increase), Honda sales were down 23 percent over last year and 24 percent so far this year.

Hyundai: Continues to enjoy growth and increase market share. They reported a 27 percent increase over last September and a 1.4 increase year to date.

Nissan: Sales for September were down 7 percent over last year and 26 percent year to date. A number of vehicles, including the Nissan Maxima, 370Z, Pathfinder, and Frontier, as well as the Infiniti QX56, saw a gain over last year.

Subaru: Attributing its success to the redesigned Outback and Legacy models, Subaru saw an increase of 1 percent over last September and continues to have the highest sales percent increase of any manufacturer--up 10 percent for the calendar year so far.

Toyota: Overall sales were down 16 percent from last year and 27 percent year to date, but the Lexus division saw an increase of 7 percent over September 2008.

Even with help from last month’s cash for clunkers program, manufacturers are still struggling this year. As they enter the fourth quarter, we should see some more promotions and rebates to help drive up sales before the end of the year.

—Liza Barth 

Best new car deals--Honda and Toyota

The cash for clunkers program may be over, but there are still a number of deals available on a variety of vehicles. We recently updated our Best new car deals report, which highlights incentives and rebates available on Consumer Reports-recommended vehicles. However, the latest Honda and Toyota deal information missed our last update, so we’ve charted the standout models here. Note that there may be other trims available on these models, and these deals will be added to the regular Best new car deals.

Make & model	Expires	MSRP	Invoice Price	Customer rebate	Dealer incentive	Bottom Line Price	Potential Savings below MSRP
2009 Honda Accord 2.4 LX-P	9/30/2009	$21,905	$19,869	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Honda Civic EX 5AT	9/30/2009	20,105	18,515	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	10%
2009 Honda CR-V EX 4WD 5AT	9/30/2009	24,695	22,977	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	10%
2009 Honda Odyssey EX	9/30/2009	29,455	26,692	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Honda Pilot EX-L 4WD	9/30/2009	35,295	31,969	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	10%
2009 Honda Ridgeline 3.5 Auto RST	9/30/2009	31,305	28,363	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Toyota Avalon XLS	10/5/2009	32,145	28,607	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	10%
2009 Toyota Camry 2.4 LE	10/5/2009	20,600	18,643	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Toyota Corolla LE AT	10/5/2009	16,750	15,326	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Toyota Sienna XLE	10/5/2009	29,725	26,751	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%
2009 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Auto 4WD SR5 Crew Max	10/5/2009	34,285	31,369	No	Yes	Get the Bottom Line Price	15%

To make this list, a vehicle must meet our stringent requirements to be recommended. Specifically, the vehicle must have performed well in Consumer Reports' tests, have average or better reliability, and, if crash-tested, provide good overall safety. Vehicles also must not have tipped up in the government rollover test.

Whatever vehicle you choose, continue your research by comparing ratings, reliability, reviews, fuel economy, performance, and much more with our New Car Selector (available to online subscribers). For more advice on car buying see our New car buying guide.

—Liza Barth

Tires Q&A: How to choose the right tire for a Honda Odyssey

In our ongoing series of Q&A blog columns, we will highlight common and interesting questions posted to our Car forums, with answers from our automotive experts.

Question: I'm looking for some advice about tire sizing. I'm very interested in using the Michelin HydroEdge tires on my 2003 Honda Odyssey van. However, the size available for my van (225/60R/16) does not meet the load rating requirement.

I've noticed a lot of people are using this tire on the van over at TireRack, but I haven't seen any mention of the sizing. If I were to go up to a 235/60R/16 I would meet the load rating.

My question: Will there be any negative consequences of moving to a slightly wider tire? Perhaps lower mileage?

I'm also interested in the Goodyear Assurance TripleTread but the same issue applies for this tire.
 
Any good advice for choosing tires for this van? I'm looking for something that will last a good while and be very good in the rain.  

Answer: This issue is to swap-out Euro-Metric tires for P-Metric tires on the Honda. The Odyssey came with Euro-Metric tires, also called “Hard”-metric tires by some. This size designation is common in Europe, whereas in the U.S. a “P” precedes the size designation. The two size designation systems are similar, but not the same, adding to the confusion of making a tire purchase.  

In the case of the Odyssey, replacing the Euro-Metric original equipment tire with the same “size” P-metric version would result in load capacity shortfall of 44 pounds. (The load capacity and load index, a code that coincides to the load capacity both can be found on the tire’s sidewall.) Multiply that by four tires and the load capacity in down 176 pounds.   Most tire retailers may sell the tire in the two designations interchangeably, but tire manufacturers won’t recommend switching. Our advice when buying new tires is to follow the recommendations made by automobile manufacturer by replacing tires with the same size and load index as listed on the tire placard. The placard is usually found on the door jamb, under the fuel fill cover or in the glove box of most cars. With this knowledge, you can find a tire that best meets your performance and budget needs in our ratings.

—Gene Petersen

Before buying, be sure to consult our car, truck, and winter tire ratings and buying advice. And check out our new, interactive tire ratings tool.

Updated: More powerful 2010 Honda CR-V

Honda has announced some power and feature upgrades to the best-selling Honda CR-V for the 2010 model year. Most notable is a 14-hp increase to 180-hp. Along with more power, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine also boasts an increase in EPA-estimated fuel economy by one mpg in both city and highway driving, which becomes an estimated 21/27/23 for city/highway/overall for the EX AWD model. In our tests of the previous version, we measured 15/29/21. We also found the CR-V only had adequate acceleration, but the new increase in horsepower could help.

Besides the changes under the hood, the front grille gets a facelift with a single horizontal cross bar instead of the double trim accent from the previous design. The front fascia now has more paint color instead of the black lower valence and the hood now is flush into the grille, instead of wrapping down and around.

Other detail changes include a new interior door handle design with a rubberized grip and the front seat center arm rests increases in width by one inch. Ten-spoke alloy wheels, standard on the EX and EX-L, replace the seven-spoke design. Bluetooth connectivity will now be available on models equipped with the navigation package and automatic on/off headlights will be standard on the EX-L line.

Retail prices will range from $21,545 for the base 2WD LX to $29,745 for the top of the line EX-L AWD with navigation system. A $710 destination charge will be added. The 2010 CR-V will hit dealerships in the coming weeks.

The CR-V is one of the top-scoring small SUVs Consumer Reports has tested. For more on our Ratings, reliability, fuel economy, safety and more, see our Honda CR-V model overview.

—Liza Barth