Tag: Honda

Buy/Drive/Burn: Basic Japanese Compacts From 2008

Today’s Buy/Drive/Burn trio are the 2008 versions of the same Japanese compacts from last time. Many of you were split on the relative goodness of 1998’s Civic versus Corolla, but agreed Sentra should burn. Do those views change when the cars are from 2008?

Honda Civic

The eighth-gen Civic is in its third model year in North America, where it’s available in sedan and coupe formats. Civic is a bit edgier and serious-looking than its older Nineties sibling but promises the same overall value. In 2008 there are seven total trims That range in price from $14,800 to over $23,000. The most affordable sedan is a DX trim with a five-speed manual transmission. DX uses a 1.8-liter inline-four good for 140 horses and asks $15,010.

Nissan Sentra

Sentra entered its sixth generation in 2007 and continues unchanged for the 2008 model year. Sentra is available only as a sedan and rides on the same C platform as the Rogue. Unlike Civic which offers standard automatic transmissions, Sentra is offered only with a six-speed manual or a CVT. Five trims are available that range in price from $16,140 to $20,570. The base 2.0 has a CVT, so we upgrade to the 2.0 S for its six-speed manual. 140 horses arrive via the 2.0-liter engine. Nissan asks $16,370.

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla is in its ninth generation, and its final model year; it’s been on sale since 2003. Not to worry, Corolla was refreshed for 2005 to keep with the times! North America receives only the Corolla sedan, though wagons and hatchbacks are available elsewhere. Trims are three and have a narrow price range of $14,405 to $16,250. The cheapest CE with a five-speed manual asks $14,405. A trailing 126 horses arrive at the front wheels from the 1.8-liter engine.

Three late 2000s economy sedans, all of which are arguably build with less care and concern than their Nineties counterparts. Which one is worth buying?

[Images: Toyota, Honda, Nissan]

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America’s Top 10: the bestselling vehicles in the United States

If America’s favorite flavor is vanilla, it’s a preference that can be seen in its 10 most popular vehicles. With the first half of the year now in the history books, it’s interesting to note that while the Pandemic changed much in Americans’ lives, it did little to change their automotive preferences.

Toyota nabbed four of the ten most popular vehicles, Honda two. Nissan, GM, Ford and Stellantis round out the list. Notably, the list mirrors the current new car market, with cars accounting for 30% of the slots, with the remainder consisting of trucks and SUVs. 

10. Toyota Highlander: 144,380 units

Now in its fourth generation, the Toyota Highlander continues to please with its practicality, comfortable nature, impressive safety, and frugality with fuel. Boring? Perhaps. But it excites those who needs a stellar family hauler. Prices start at $35,085.

9. Honda Civic: 152,956 units

A perennial favorite now in its 10th generation, the newest version reached dealer showrooms in June. The combination of clearance pricing on the old Civic and the arrival of a new model contributed to a 19.6% sales increase. Prices start at $21,700.

8. Toyota Corolla: 155,531 units

Given that the Corolla sedan and hatchback’s sales rose nearly 42% this year, Toyota’s decision to continue producing passenger cars when Detroit automakers dropped them seems like a winning idea. Prices start at $20,025.

7. Toyota Camry: 177,671 units 

It’s no surprise that the Camry remains America’s most popular passenger car, a position it’s held since 1997 – with the exception of 2001. Sales rose 41% this year, a gift handed to them by GM, Ford and Chrysler. Prices start at $25,045.

6. Nissan Rogue: 182,289 units

When it comes to nomenclature, there’s nothing rogue about the redesigned 2021 Nissan Rogue. Yet its boxy new wardrobe, roomy cabin, and vast range of capabilities make it far more competitive. No wonder sales rose 70% this year. Prices start at $25,850.

5. Honda CR-V: 213,199 units

The CR-V has long proven adept at serving middle America on its virtues: a spacious cabin, lot of space to stash stuff, great fuel economy and the choice of a turbocharged or hybrid driveline. Demand rose 54% in 2021. Prices start at $25,350.

4. Toyota RAV4: 221,195 units 

With the addition of a plug-in hybrid model, the Toyota RAV4 remains the most popular crossover SUV in the country, with year over year sales up 20.6%. Credit its dynamic design, which is no longer a stylistic sleep aid. Prices start at $26,250.

3. Chevrolet Silverado: 286,410 units

If there’s any sign that the Silverado’s redesign missed the mark, it can be seen in its decline to third place behind its competitors from Ram and Ford. Sales were up 8.3%, although light-duty model demand rose only 3%. Prices start at $29,300.

2. Ram Pickup: 313,068 units

Boldly styled with a sophisticated well-thought out cabin, Ram pickup sales have risen 27.5% this year on the strength of a constant flow of special edition models, including the new high-performance TRX edition. Prices start at $33,250.

1. Ford F-Series: 362,032 units

Entering the year with an all-new look, a new hybrid model, in addition to its high-performance and forthcoming all-electric variants, the F-150 remains America’s best-selling vehicle for 39 consecutive years for good reason. Yet microchip shortages has contributed to a 1.5% sales decline this year, with Ram outselling it in the second quarter. Prices start at $29,290.

Honda Makes it Official, Lifts Cover on the 11th-Generation Civic Sedan

The 2022 Honda Civic sedan is the 11th generation of the company’s compact sedan in the U.S.

In typical fashion, Honda spent the past several months teasing the arrival of an all-new Civic sedan. Now, we’re getting the first close-up look at the 11th-generation model, albeit virtually, thanks to the COVID pandemic.

The 2022 Honda Civic adopts a new design that the automaker describes as more “simple,” “clean” and “modern.” It also adopts plenty of new technologies, both for infotainment and safety. Traditionally, this would have been the sort of formula that kept Civic high up on the sales charts. The question is whether the 2022 model can maintain momentum in a market where SUVs and CUVs, such as the Honda CR-V, have largely displaced conventional sedans and coupes.

“Civic has been the go-to choice for compact car buyers for almost 50 years and the all-new 11th-generation Honda Civic builds on that leadership with simple and sporty styling inside and out, best-in-class features and class-leading performance,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations for American Honda Motor Co.

Jumping in the wayback machine

Designers adhered to the mandate to pick up on the brand’s original “Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum” design philosophy with the 2022 sedan.

The goal for designers was to reach back into the history of the Civic, which made its American debut in 1973. They were given a mandate to pick up on the brand’s original “Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum” design philosophy. That said, no one will call this a retro-mobile.

A “thin and light” body design adopts a low hood and front fenders, with a small grille above the front bumper, a larger one below giving the new Civic a more planted feel. The new Civic migrates to LED lighting, both front and back.

Subtle flaring around the wheels yield a more aggressive and premium feel, or so Honda designers contend. The windshield pillars, meanwhile, have been moved rearward two inches, the glass flowing into a coupe-like roofline that tapers into a short rear deck.

Even with the windshield pushed back, the new cabin offers reasonable space for both front and back passengers, especially considering competitors in the compact segment. The sedan’s low beltline and ample glass provide for good visibility and enhance the sense of spaciousness.

Changes to the interior

The low instrument panel is accented by a honeycomb mesh, Honda claims, “serves both form and function, creating a dramatic visual dividing line between the audio, information displays and the climate controls.” The approach also helps keep things feeling less cluttered by largely concealing the sedan’s air vents.

The Civic’s interior features new premium materials for the next-generation sedan.

Honda says it adopted more premium materials for the 2022 model’s cabin. And it also upgraded the front seats on all trims, using a “body stabilizing” design that keeps driver and passengers firmly in place, whether on long trips or during aggressive maneuvering.

From a technology standpoint, base trims now get a 7-inch color touchscreen for an infotainment system that comes with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s an upgrade to a high-definition, 9-inch touchscreen that is paired with wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2022 Civic becomes the first to offer a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, and Touring models come with Qi wireless smartphone charging.

The push for more technology can be seen with the latest version of the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems. Along with existing features, such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, the 2022 Civic adds a new front wide-view camera, new Traffic Jam Assist and, on the Civic Touring, Low-Speed Braking Control.

The new model also adds what Honda describes as “groundbreaking” new front airbags designed to reduce traumatic brain and neck injuries. The 2022 model also becomes the first Civic equipped with side airbags for rear seat passengers.

The 2022 Civic becomes the first to offer a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, and Touring models come with Qi wireless smartphone charging.

Options under the hood

The 2022 Civic will offer two 4-cylinder options, like the outgoing sedan. That includes a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter package making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque.

The powertrain now comes standard with stop/start capability, as well as a new catalytic converter. Paired with an updated CVT, it gets a bump up in fuel economy, according to the EPA. The LX trim is rated at 31 mpg city, 40 highway and 35 combined, as much as 2 mpg better the outgoing 2021 model.

The Civic EX and Touring get an updated 1.5-liter turbo-4 now making 180 hp and 177 lb-ft, up 6 and 15, respectively. The package is paired with a CVT offering Step-Shift programming. The Touring package yields 31 mpg city, 38 highway and 34 combined.

As is the norm for Honda, we can expect to see more Civic variants roll out in the next year or two, including the sportier Si and Type-R models. Whether the automaker will offer all the packages of the past, considering the decline of the passenger car market, does remain to be seen.

Look for the 2022 Honda Civic sedan to roll into U.S. showrooms later this spring.


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Ford, Honda Top Latest “Most Stolen” Lists

Ford and Honda topped the lists of U.S. auto thieves in 2019.

New statistics show that if you drive a Ford F-Series pickup, your vehicle is more likely to be stolen than any other.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released its annual “Hot Wheels” report that chronicles annual trends in auto thefts using data from across the U.S.

Suffice to say, since the F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for decades, finding it atop this list isn’t all that surprising. In fact, 38,938 F-Series trucks were stolen in 2019 with the 2006 model year being the most popular among car thieves.

(Auto theft fell 3.1% in 2018; California had most stolen vehicles.)

However, the most stolen vehicle in the U.S. last year was the 200 Honda Civic with 4,731 of them being swiped off the streets. The aforementioned 2006 Ford pickup finished third overall. Hondas have led the way both in terms overall thefts and specific thefts by model year for some time.

Ford’s “ascension” to the top spot overall is really a sign of the popularity of pickups as four full-size pickup models found their way onto the “Most Stolen” and “Top 10 Model, Makes and Years” list in 2019.

Following the Ford F-Series on the “Most Stolen” list was the Honda Civic, Chevy Silverado line-up, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Toyota Corolla, Dodge/Ram pickups, GMC Sierra line-up and Honda CR-V.

When it comes to the specific models, the 2000 Civic was followed by the 1997 Honda Accord, 2006 Ford F-Series, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Ram, 2001 CR-V, 2015 Altima, 2001 Dodge pickup, 2019 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee and 2018 GMC Sierra.

(Honda adds new tech, tweaks styling to keep 2021 Accord fresh.)

Although newer vehicles do have more built-in safeguards, it there’s one thing that these new lists make clear, those won’t stop a car thief from trying to – and successfully – steal your vehicle. In 2019, the top three model years stolen were 2018 vehicles (47,859 thefts), followed by 2019 models (45,188 thefts), and 2017 models (39,425 thefts).

The NICB offers suggests vehicle owners be proactive in the protection of the vehicles, employing common sense tactics, such as not leaving keys in vehicles, locking doors and parking in well-lit areas. The group also recommends having a warning device such as an alarm or other device to let potential thieves know the vehicle is protected.

It also recommends a device that can immobilize your vehicle to prevent thieves from hot wiring your car, kills switches, fuse cutoffs or wireless ignition authentication. Finally, the group says tracking devices can help limit the damage done to a stolen vehicle as police can track the vehicle to a location. Some of these devices will even let the owner do so.

Car thefts are on the decline after three years of increases from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, the number dropped 3.1% to 748,841 vehicles, according to FBI statistics. Final numbers for 2019 haven’t yet been released.

(Ford planning mid-2022 launch for F-150 EV.)

About $6 billion was lost to motor vehicle theft in 2018. The average dollar loss per theft was $8,407. Motor vehicles were stolen at a rate of 228.9 per 100,000 people in 2018, down from 237.7 in 2017. In 2018, 748,841 vehicles were stolen, down 3.1 percent from 772,943 vehicles in 2017.

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Cash in Your Chips: Automakers Ask FTC to Seek Appeal After Losing Qualcomm Case

<img data-attachment-id="1732976" data-permalink="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case/shutterstock_1369505351/" data-orig-file="http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-5.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,681" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Qualcomm sign" data-image-description="

Michael Vi/Shutterstock

” data-medium-file=”http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-2.jpg” data-large-file=”http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1732976″ src=”http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”415″ srcset=”http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case.jpg 610w, http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-1.jpg 75w, http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-2.jpg 450w, http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-3.jpg 768w, http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-4.jpg 120w, http://greatoldtrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cash-in-your-chips-automakers-ask-ftc-to-seek-appeal-after-losing-qualcomm-case-5.jpg 1000w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

Frequently on the cutting edges of technology, the automotive industry has been slamming chips into vehicles to facilitate communications ever since General Motors launched OnStar back in 1996. This evolved into cars boasting reliable navigation systems and remote vehicle diagnostics until they literally started becoming mobile internet hot spots.

Now the industry wants to further ingrain connectivity by equipping all vehicles with 5G — opening the road for new features and the ability to harvest your personal data more effectively.

This has required deals with tech chip manufacturers like Qualcomm, which requires companies to sign a patent license agreement before actually selling any of its hardware or software. But regulators around the globe worried the practice may be monopolistic, violating antitrust laws. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought a case against the business in 2017. Despite winning that case in 2019, a U.S. appeals court overturned the decision earlier this month, deciding Qualcomm could continue conducting business as usual. Now, tech companies (mainly Qualcomm rivals) and a gaggle of automakers are urging the FTC to seek an appeal following the loss.

In May of 2019, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California sided against Qualcomm after stating it had engaged in extensive anti-competitive behavior against smartphone makers and automakers in need of chip modems, threatening to withhold suppliers and service if it didn’t like the way it bundled the fees associated with wireless patents.

She decided the best course of action was to issue an injunction limiting Qualcomm’s business practices, ordering it to renegotiate the licensing agreements.

However, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District overturned that ruling in August of 2020 after deciding there wasn’t enough evidence against the chip manufacturer. “We decline to ascribe antitrust liability in these dynamic and rapidly changing technology markets without clearer proof of anticompetitive effect,” Consuelo M. Callahan, circuit judge for the ninth district, explained.

According to Reuters, the automotive sector is concerned that giving Qualcomm a pass will increase the price of their products. It also diminishes an automaker’s ability to have control over the equipment installed into vehicles to network them, though that aspect has been downplayed in both the courts and the press.

From Reuters:

Automakers have increasingly put chips in vehicles to connect them to the internet, which requires them to sign patent agreements for communications standards such as 5G. The companies had previously argued that connected car prices could go up if Qualcomm won its case.

Qualcomm won its appeal of that ruling before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in an Aug. 11 ruling by a three-judge panel. In a letter sent Monday, the automakers, as well as Qualcomm rivals Intel Corp and MediaTek Inc, urged the FTC to seek an “en banc” rehearing of the case by the full appeals court.

“If allowed to stand, the panel’s decision could destabilize the standards ecosystem by encouraging the abuse of market power acquired through collaborative standard-setting,” the group said.

In addition to tech companies and cell-phone manufacturers, the letter was signed by Tesla Inc, Ford Motor Co, Honda Motor Co and Daimler AG.

“This decision would endanger domestic competitiveness, as well as weaken the ability of the FTC to protect consumers through future enforcement actions,” reads the letter. “Qualcomm’s licensing practices reinforced its product monopoly, excluded rivals, and harmed the competitive process.”

Ironically, loads of the names that have signed on to ask the FTC to keep up the fight seem to have flirted with monopolistic practices themselves. But wanting to buy a product from a company like Qualcomm and then not wanting to be smacked with licensing fees or restrictions on how its utilized seems a fair request. Hopefully automakers remember that as they roll out egregious concepts (like placing already-equipped features behind a paywall using the same 5G technology they’re fighting for now) — because several of the automakers included in the letter are already flirting with the concept.

[Image: Michael Vi/Shutterstock]

Honda Rebounds From Cyber Attack; So, What Happened?

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Struck by a cyber attack on its global computer network that temporarily knocked out a few factories and most of its customer service centers, Honda is reporting that things are gradually returning to normal.

“Work is being undertaken to minimize the impact and to restore full functionality of production, sales and development activities,” the company said in a statement earlier this week.

Impacted facilities are supposedly already in decent shape, and the business hopes to move past this in short order. But what actually happened? 

According to the informed nerds at Tech Crunch, Honda was made subject to “Snake ransomware.” The file-encrypting malware basically jumbles all the data on a network (or access to it) so it cannot be used by its owner and can be rescinded after the criminals are paid off — usually with digital currencies. Honda said that it doesn’t believe any files were pulled but its network had been held for ransom by unsavory actors. It also admitted that it didn’t have all the answers just yet.

Factories, including the plant in Marysville, Ohio, are said to be resuming operations today or tomorrow. Customer service is still reporting issues, however. There are also lingering concerns from experts that the corporation could be vulnerable to subsequent attacks until a rigorous investigation has been completed.

From Tech Crunch:

Brett Callow, a threat analyst at security firm Emsisoft, said a sample of the file-encrypting malware was uploaded to VirusTotal, a malware analysis service, referencing an internal Honda subdomain, mds.honda.com.

“The ransomware will only encrypt files on systems capable of resolving this domain but, as the domain does not exist on the clear net, most systems would not be able to resolve it. mds.honda.com may well exist on the internal nameserver used by Honda’s intranet, so this is a fairly solid indicator that Honda was indeed hit by Snake,” said Callow.

Honda finds itself in similar company to IT giant Cognizant, cyber insurer Chubb, and defense contractor CPI, all of which were hit by ransomware this year.

Honda was hit with ransomware before, in 2017 — along with Renault, Nissan, Dacia and a bunch of other companies we don’t care about because they don’t build cars. It’s no stranger to digital shenanigans. But the aforementioned WannaCry attacks haven’t made it invulnerable to similar intrusions. Likewise, a lot of the more recent cyber attacks are presumed to have state backing due to their increasing levels of complexity. We don’t envy corporations having to contend with these attacks, least of all now that they seem to be coded by professionals.

Honda hasn’t mentioned what was lost in the attack, or even if it caved to the demands. For what it’s worth, it did say that there was “no current evidence of loss of personally identifiable information” and that most facilities are already operational. Let’s hope it stays that way.

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