2012/2013 Compact Crossover Comparison: The 2012 Honda CR-V EX-L Navi

With the exception of 2011, when Japan's catastrophic earthquake and Thailand flooding choked production down to a trickle, the CR-V has been the bestseller in this class for years, and often the bestseller of all SUVs, great and small. Which raises the tricky question of what's next?

Honda essentially invented the segment in 1995 with the first-generation CR-V, and subsequent generations have kept the Civic-based crossover at the front of the pack.

Introduced last fall, Honda's response to the "what's next" challenge was conservative, even cautious.  The wheelbase is unchanged at 103.1 inches -- shortest in this group -- while length and height shrink an inch, to 178.1 and 65.1, respectively.

This puts the CR-V at the small end of our test-SUV spectrum, but in typical Honda fashion its interior volume seems to belie the exterior dimensions. Basic cargo capacity -- the space behind the rear seats -- is substantial at 37 cubic feet, as is the space with the rear seats folded: 71 cubic feet. There's also plenty of passenger room, front and rear, and numerous nooks and cubbies for small-object storage, another typical Honda strong suit.

Passive safety features are top drawer -- five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But the interior element that immediately grabs eyeballs is the quality of the materials, the straightforward logic of the various controls, the supportive front bucket seats, and the excellent forward sightlines. Honda's old advertising tagline -- "we make it simple" -- is in evidence here. Acclimating oneself to this vehicle is as easy as getting in, starting the engine, and driving off.

Pricing makes the CR-V's many strengths even more appealing. The window sticker bottom line on our EX-L Navi tester (Honda counts navigation-equipped vehicles as separate trim levels) was $29,575. This includes pretty much everything in the CR-V inventory -- (inhale) leather upholstery and trim, navigation system with voice recognition and rear view camera, power moonroof, DVD entertainment system, heated front seats with driver-side power adjustability, Bluetooth connectivity with streaming audio, USB audio interface and Pandora connectivity, SMS text messaging, 328-watt 7-speaker premium audio, 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels (exhale).

A power rear liftgate would be a useful addition to the foregoing, as would a blind-spot warning system, a la Ford. And, of course, in real 4-season climates all-wheel drive is always welcome -- and available, for a price. But beyond that, it's hard to think of anything to add.

One of the reasons Honda is able to offer the new CR-V with attractive pricing can be found in the powertrain. The engineers have squeezed a little more thrust out of the 2.4-liter engine -- now with 185 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque -- but while other carmakers are embracing the efficiency of direct fuel injection, Honda has been resisting the cost.

Honda also resisted the trend to 6-speed automatic transmissions -- the CR-V retains the 5-speed automatic of the previous generation.  However, this doesn't seem to extract much of a fuel economy penalty -- at 23 mpg city/31 highway the CR-V's EPA ratings are competitive.

Similarly, the Honda's straight-line performance stacks up well versus its 6-speed rivals: 0-to-60 mph takes about 8.5 seconds.

The Honda CR-V isn't as entertaining an SUV to drive as the Ford Escape or the Mazda CX-5. The suspension tuning is softer, the new electric power steering system is novocaine numb, conveying essentially no information to the driver, and the evolutionary styling update, with its bigger rear roof pillar, creates a good-sized rear quarter blind spot.

But the CR-V's blend of smooth ride, smooth power, competitive fuel economy, outstanding assembly quality, first rate materials, quiet operation, exceptional comfort, and excellent value story trump its few soft points. Just as it trumps the rest of this field.

Courtesy of Kelley Blue Book

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How to Keep Your Car Clean Like A Pro

Here are some tips for cleaning and protecting your car's appearance:

Washing the Car

Using concentrated car cleaner only, add two or so capfuls to a bucket of water to clean the entire car. NEVER use dishwashing liquid, as it strips all the wax off your car. Check the bottle for directions. After you wet down the entire car, use a washing mitt or sponge and start cleaning the roof. Don't use old rags, because they often leave hairline scratches in your car's finish. It is important to start from the top and work down so that dirty water won't run off onto the panels you just cleaned. Clean one panel at a time and rinse it off so that soap doesn't dry onto the car. Also, use just enough water pressure to get the suds off. Repeat until the entire car is clean.

Cleaning Wheels and Tires

When your wheels and tires are cool to the touch, start by thoroughly rinsing them down. Next, spray one tire and wheel with a good quality cleaner and work it into the crevices with a soft bristled brush. Only clean one at a time to avoid drying of the cleaner. Last, thoroughly rinse the wheel. Repeat with the remaining wheels.

Cleaning Bugs and Tar

Bugs and tar tend to build up on the lower body sides, the leading edge and the windshield. Apply a little bug and tar cleaner to the bug sponge and rub it onto these areas to remove the debris.

Drying the Car

Use a damp chamois or soft terry cloth towel (preferably just out of the washer) and remove excess water from the entire car. Start at the roof and work down to the lower panels.

Waxing the Car

Remove the car from direct sunlight. Wait for the car to cool. Start by wetting the wax applicator, often included with the can of wax. Next, put the wax on the applicator and frame out the area where you want to apply it. Then, fill in the middle portion. This way, you can avoid getting wax into the seams and jambs. Wax one panel of the car at at time. After a few minutes, the wax will have dried to a dull haze. Wiping in one direction, use a clean terrycloth to remove the film of wax. Use a polishing cloth (preferably a clean cloth diaper) buff in the opposite direction to a high shine. After you've done one panel, turn both towels to an unused section and start on the next panel. Repeat until you've completed the entire vehicle.

Courtesy of PepBoys.com

Honda Marks 30 Years of U.S. Auto Manufacturing

MARYSVILLE, Ohio — The Marysville Auto Plant has started production of the all-new 2013 Honda Accord, marking 30 years of automotive manufacturing in the U.S. The ninth-generation Accord will go on sale next month.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich along with other government and community leaders joined Honda associates at the plant as the first mass-produced 2013 Accords rolled off the assembly line. The Accord has been in continuous production at the Marysville Auto Plant since it started operations as the first Japanese automaker in the U.S. on Nov. 1, 1982, with production of the second-generation Accord Sedan. The plant has produced more than 9 million Accords during the past three decades.

Along with a total redesign of the vehicle, the ninth-generation Accord is the first in North America to apply Honda’s new "Earth Dreams" engine and transmission technologies. This includes a new four-cylinder direct injection engine paired with a new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and a new V-6 engine with six-speed automatic transmission that provide an excellent combination of fuel efficiency and performance.

Honda is investing $220 million to launch the CVT production for vehicles produced in North America, including $120 million for the new CVT line and nearly $100 million at the Anna Engine Plant for the production of the CVT’s high-tech pulley components starting next year. The expanded production will create 150 new jobs at the two plants.

Honda says the Accord also is an important product for domestic suppliers in Ohio and the rest of North America, which manufacture the vast majority of the parts and components for its production. More than 200 parts suppliers in the U.S. manufacture parts for the Accord.

Honda’s parts purchasing will exceed $20 billion this year in North America from more than 600 parts suppliers in the region, including 500 in the U.S. and 150 in Ohio. Parts purchasing has continued to grow in the region as Honda’s production has increased in North America and due to increasing exports of parts from North American suppliers to Honda plants in other parts of the world.

Courtesy of aftermarketnews.com

Paint by Numbers: A Honda Environmental Short Film

Inspiration comes from many places. Honda engineer Shubho Bhattacharya, inspired by his belief that global warming is one of the greatest challenges facing mankind today, developed technology to reduce energy in the auto body-painting process at the Honda manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio. Watch how Bhattacharya's Intelligent Paint Technology has cut the plant's energy use by 25 percent.

We would like to thank Mark for this excellent review!

Customer review:

"The Service Manager was very on the ball, took care of me quickly and was friendly."

THE SPORT HYBRID. Everything a Hybrid is, and isn't.

The intersection of sport and hybrid can be found under the hood of the CR-Z.

Hybrid Thrill

The CR-Z is powered by a 16-valve, 1.5-liter i-VTEC^® 4-cylinder engine with Integrated Motor Assist IMA^®. This combination delivers both spirited performance rarely seen in the hybrid world with impressive fuel economy[1].

IMA Power

The battery pack, positioned low in CR-Z's body structure for optimal center of gravity, supplies juice to the Integrated Motor Assist system, giving the CR-Z abundant low-rpm torque for quick off-the-line acceleration. This is an attribute unique to electric motors and something the CR-Z would not benefit from with just the conventional engine.

6-Speed or CVT

The CR-Z's sporting credentials include a 6-speed manual transmission—the first production hybrid vehicle ever to be equipped this way. The transmission allows enthusiasts to drive the CR-Z to its maximum capabilities. Those who choose the CVT automatic transmission, however, are treated to racing-inspired paddle shifters that also provide driving excitement and engagement.

Sophisticated Suspension

A low center of gravity, wide tread and a low overall height contribute to the CR-Z's excellent handling. These virtues, together with specially tuned independent front and torsion-beam rear suspension, provide an exciting blend of agility, stability and ride quality.

[1] 35 city/39 hwy/37 combined for CVT models. 31 city/37 hwy/34 combined for 6MT models. Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

 

Courtesy of automobiles.honda.com

How To Cope with Dropping Two Wheels off the Road

The answer is as easy as this: If you drop two wheels off the road, don't be in a hurry to get back on the pavement.

• Smoothly remove pressure from the gas pedal. Stay away from the brake pedal unless it can't be avoided (e.g., if you're headed downhill or there's an upcoming obstacle). Here's where ABS would be worth its weight in hundred-dollar bills.
• Drive parallel to the road: Allow the car to coast down to, say, 35 or 40 mph.
• Gently turn the wheel a very small amount: If you have to turn more than 5 degrees, you're going too fast. Let the car slow down more.
• If you face an obstacle, brake harder but don't try to reenter with more than 15 degrees of steering. The reason: If you have to turn the wheel, say, 45 or 60 degrees to get back on the pavement, the front tires will fully regain traction before the rears and either you'll spin out — likely hitting what you were trying to avoid — or shoot across the road into other traffic.

I once ran completely off a racetrack at 110 mph in an important turn. I straightened the steering up and allowed the car to slow down a bit. And I eased it back over onto the pavement. That mistake could have been tragic, but instead it cost me less than one second.

Even the curves you'll find on interstate highways need only the grip from two tires to stay firmly planted on the road.

Courtesy of Edmunds.com

Honda to unveil all-new Accord next week

Honda plans to unveil its new Accord sedan Monday at an Ohio factory.

The company promises a more athletic look with all-new engines and transmissions that will raise the car's fuel efficiency.

The Accord is important because it competes in the biggest segment of the U.S. auto market. In most years it's No. 2 on the list of best-selling cars. Toyota's Camry is No. 1.

Honda hasn't released many details but says the new model will have a sportier driving character than the current Accord.

A new four-cylinder engine should boost fuel economy above the current Accord, which now gets 34 miles per gallon on the highway.

The car will be made at Honda's Marysville, Ohio, factory near Columbus. Production is scheduled to start Monday.

Courtesy of cbsnews.com

Fans! At Serra Honda we are offering new Accords for only $99 a month or 0.9% financing for 60 months!

2012 Honda CR-V

With its great fuel mileage, stylish design, and ample cargo space, the 2012 Honda CR-V helps you live life to the fullest.

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How To Change A Flat Tire

Tools needed: Spare tire, jack, lug wrench.

1. Park your car on a flat surface. If you get a flat while on the road, pull your car as far away from traffic as possible . Make sure to put on the emergency brake. It’s also recommended to put a block on the tire opposite of the flat tire. Put to use that fruitcake from Aunt Gertie you’ve been toting around in the trunk. Here’s a blocking example: if your right rear tire is flat, put the block on the front left tire.

2. Remove the hubcap. If your car has a hubcap, remove it so you can get to the lug nuts. Use the hubcap to hold the nuts, just like the dad in A Christmas Story. Just don’t let your kid hold the hubcap or he’ll lose them and drop the F-bomb.

3. Loosen the nuts. Grab your lug wrench and place it on the flat tire’s lug nuts. Loosen them up by turning them counterclockwise. The nuts are probably on there really tight, so you’ll have to use all your man strength to unscrew them. Loosen the nuts a few turns, but don’t take any of them off yet!

4. Place the jack underneath your car. Check your owner’s manual for the correct placement of the jack. Turn the hand crank at the end of the jack to raise the jack until it comes into contact with your car’s frame. Make sure it’s touching a sturdy spot.

5. Jack it up! Start cranking the jack until the wheel is high enough above the ground to remove the tire.

6. Remove the flat. Remove the lug nuts from the wheel. You should be able to do it by hand because you’ve already loosened them. Remove the flat tire and lay it flat. You don’t want the wheel to roll into traffic during rush hour and cause a thirty car pile-up.

7. Slap on your spare. Take your spare tire and line up the lugs, or bolts, with the holes in the wheel and slide the wheel on. Once the wheel is on, take your lug nuts and tighten them by hand until you meet firm resistance.

8. Lower the car. Lower the jack until the wheel is firmly on the ground.

9. Finish tightening your lug nuts. These babies must be on super tight so the wheel doesn’t come flying off while driving to the tire shop to get the flat fixed. So you need to unleash the super power of the star pattern to get those lugs tighter than a deer tick. Use this tightening pattern if you have five bolts on your wheel. Start with any lug nut and then follow this pattern:

If your car has four, use this pattern:

Images and article courtesy of artofmanliness.com

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"Several years ago I visited Serra Honda Service Department, the service guy sold me on this dealership at this point. Recently I was in the market to purchase a new car. After comparing cars and dealerships I chose Serra Honda and to my surprised I had a wonderful sales experience. James met me on the lot and the amazement began. I was totally satisfied with the entire experience. It was basically a hassle free transaction. Each person I dealt with was very friendly, knowledgeable and customer oriented. Sorry, I don't remember each name. I look forward in using the dealership and have already referred two friends to James."

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5 Games for the Road: How to Pass the Time With Nothing But Your Fellow Travelers for Entertainment

Bus and train trips, flights, delays in airports and train stations, hostels without TV or much light; the list of situations where a traveler has time to kill is long. That’s right – travel is not always exciting. There will be dull downtimes, and you may not always be able to read a good book, play internet bingo on your smartphone, do crossword puzzles, play Tetris, or doodle in your journal.

That’s when you need a good repertoire of games to spontaneously play with your fellow travelers. Some will be long-forgotten games from your childhood, and you might be surprised just how necessary they’ll be – and how much fun you’ll have – when you want to fill some of those inevitably empty hours on the road.

A quick confession: I’m a bit of a game geek anyway, and an English teacher to boot, so I’ve been known to start these games even at parties. But I promise that they have all been road tested on a real road, somewhere in Tunisia, Finland, Canada or Germany or any place where I was bored and without a book.

#1 – I Spy

You’ve probably all played I Spy a long time ago, but I recommend dredging it back up from your long term memory. If you can’t, it starts off like this: “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with A”, and the other players have to guess what object you can see. I’ve played this in hostels (especially those hostel living rooms that have trinkets from all over the world gathering dust there), on train rides and in planes, but it didn’t work too well in the desert. “I spy … sand.”

How to play: I like to limit each person to three or four guesses. Otherwise they’ll exhaust every item in the room that starts with “B” and you’ll soon run out of objects to use. I also like the jet lag variation – play it in a dark room at night when you can’t sleep because your body’s on some other clock, and see if you can actually remember what’s in the room around you.

© Mariano Kamp

#2 – Donna’s Alphabet Game

This is not the official name, but it’s the way I like to remember it after my old school friend Donna got a car load of us playing this on a stop-start motorway in south-west England. It’s simple, as long as you’re traveling on a road with signs (and even better, advertising) and these signs use our alphabet. Don’t try it in the western provinces of China, for example.

How to play: Logically, Donna’s Alphabet Game starts with A. Be the first person to spot the letter “A” in a sign and yell out the word: “A is in motorwAy!” Continue with B and get right through to Z. It sounds easy, but there will be a few tricky letters, and if you’re playing in a non-English speaking country then pronouncing the words will be a lot of fun, too. The way we play, there’s no winner – anybody can scream out the next letter when they see it – but natural competitiveness spurs everybody on anyway.

#3 – Stadt, Land, Fluss: City, Country, River

This game has a German name because my German friends taught it to me – which is also perhaps why it always strikes me as being a bit intellectual, but still a lot of fun. It’s also a highly appropriate game for travelers to play because their geographical knowledge should be a bit better than average.

How to play: Choose three or four categories like the names of a city, country, river or lake. To be honest, I’m terrible with rivers so I always change the river category to something completely different – often food, because I like to talk about food. Take it in turns to challenge another player to think of a city, country and river all starting with a particular letter. If your friend challenges you with “D”, for example, you can win by getting out Dubai, Denmark and Danube in under sixty seconds – or whatever time limit you and your bored mates decide on.

Question Mark Art, Stuttgart Museum of Art © -bast-

#4 – Twenty Questions

An oldie but a goodie, and you can make it topical by restricting the choice of “What am I?” to be something related to the region in which you’re traveling. I did have a friend, though, who would choose objects like “pyramid” while traveling through Egypt or “chocolate” in Switzerland, and then we could have made it just two questions rather than twenty.

How to play: Someone chooses an object, and everyone else asks them questions about it, but the only permitted answers are “Yes” or “No”. (Or in my rules, “irrelevant”, if I think saying yes or no will send the guessers along a completely wrong path … I like to play fair!). If you’re playing with a group, whoever guesses the item correctly can choose the next word.

#5 – For RTW Trippers: Kalgoorlie, Balladonia …

I think it was my father who started this game when our family took a driving holiday across Australia. We were gone about two months and my sister and I, being about ten and twelve years old, needed a lot of entertaining.

How to play: This game only works with your traveling companions, and only on long trips. It’s more of a challenge than a game, but it always works for me. Simply start with the name of the town you stayed in first. On our trans-Australia trip it was the goldmining town of Kalgoorlie. You then try to name every other town you’ve stayed in, in chronological order. My sister and I were experts at this all those years ago, but today I can only remember the first and second stops.

There are tons of other word and guessing games you can play in those bored moments of travel, and you can adapt these games with endless variations, too. And while it might seem like just a way to kill time, playing games like these is something I really love about traveling. It’s almost as if we don’t give ourselves permission to have that kind of fun if we’re at home in our “real lives”.

Anyway, I’m very keen to learn some new games, too, so leave your favorite travel game tips in the comments. I promise to road test them soon.

Courtesy of vagabondish.com

Written by Amanda Kendle

A New Yorker Just Had A Full Fledged Funeral For His 30-Year-Old Honda Civic

Cars in New York City that aren't lucky enough to spend their days in a $600 per month garage see a lot happen on these mean streets.

That's why it is with great sadness that we let you know that Harry Ettling's 1982 Honda Civic, affectionately known as Bluey, has been carted off to the junkyard in the sky.

The Civic, which covered 170,000 miles in 30 years, has endured a lot of hardship. Right after he — Bluey is a dude — was purchased, Bluey was in a crash that rendered him totalled. But Ettling got Bluey repaired and kept on driving. Ten years after that incident, Bluey was flipped during the Washington Heights riots of 1992.

Bluey started right up after being flipped over onto his wheels and was brought back to drivable condition with a new door and windshield.

When Ettling became nervous that his feet might go through the rusted floor of the car, he decided to make Bluey an organ doner and send him off to the junkyard.

But boy was it sent off in style.

For the funeral, Ettling donned a top hat and suit and put a colorful wreath on Bluey's hood. A Dixieland band performed in the traditional New Orleans style. And once he was loaded onto the flat bed, Ettling and friends went to the local bar to remember his beloved friend.

Ettling says that he always considered Bluey to be the "most reliable friend [he] ever had. [He's] never had a friend that would be there for [him] like this car has." He isn't getting a new car yet. He needs a little time.

Courtesy of jalopnik.com

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Honda's future: a look at what's to come!

Honda's new Earth Dreams engine family will debut in the redesigned Accord this fall and then trickle through the rest of the lineup.

The new engines have direct injection and double-overhead cams. They will produce at least a 10 percent fuel economy advantage over Honda's current four-cylinders.

Earth Dreams engines will be added as each vehicle is redesigned, and in some cases will be available for mid-cycle revisions. Even the base four-cylinder will have a twin-cam profile setup, variable valve timing and direct injection. And there also is talk of bringing a 1.6-liter diesel with 220 pounds-feet of torque to the United States.

Honda also is putting heavy emphasis on continuously variable transmissions. While performance models and off-road vehicles will retain geared transmissions, mainstream cars will have CVTs.

With the introduction of Honda's large-car hybrid powertrain system next year, more vehicles in the lineup will have a hybrid option.

Here's a look at Honda's product plans:

Fit: Europe gets a hybrid version, but Honda has canceled plans for a Fit hybrid in North America.

A redesign of the Fit comes in summer of 2014. Because Honda will have a dedicated plant in Mexico to handle Fit production for the United States, expect some local market design cues and features that won't appear in the Japanese or European models. But Honda might not wait until then to install the Earth Dreams 1.5-liter inline-four with 127 hp and 111 pounds-feet of torque, as well as a CVT.

Fit EV: The electric version of the Fit went on sale this summer with an EPA-rated equivalent of 118 mpg. But its range is just 82 miles. Packaging the battery pack was difficult, so expect the next Fit to have a different suspension module for the hybrid and EV versions.

Insight: No word on whether the nickel-metal hydride battery pack will swap out for lithium ion before the 2015-model redesign.

Civic: Terrible reviews of the Civic's interior plastics have prompted a major freshening for this fall, just 18 months after launch. Expect a big improvement in the tactile feel of the instrument panel. A 1.8-liter inline-four Earth Dreams engine with 148 hp and 133 pounds-feet of torque, mated to a CVT, could be installed in the spring 2014 midcycle change.

Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ have American Honda product planners angling for a competitive model. But it is not a priority in Japan.

Accord: A redesign for the sedan and coupe comes this fall. The current Accord was considered too large, so expect a slightly narrower version that's about two or three inches shorter. The wheelbase may stay the same.

This will be the first Honda model with Earth Dreams engines. The base engine is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder with 181 hp, 177 pounds-feet of torque and much-improved fuel economy. The Accord will have a CVT as its only four-cylinder automatic offering. The V6 Accord will have a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

Honda is placing a major emphasis on crash safety, as well as such devices as a lane-departure warning system. The Accord also will be the first vehicle with Honda's new large-car hybrid system. Engineers say the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid will have a 2.0-liter engine teamed with a lithium ion battery pack and will easily beat the Toyota Camry Hybrid's 41 mpg.

Crosstour: A midcycle change in the 2013 model year will bring a six-speed automatic transmission but not an Earth Dreams engine.

FCX Clarity: Honda's hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle is trickling into Southern California garages as part of a test for an eventual launch in 2018.

CR-V: Redesigned for the 2013 model year.

Fit Crossover: According to Japanese press reports, Honda is studying a compact crossover that would slot below the CR-V. Honda's top U.S. manufacturing executive has said the plant in Mexico that will produce the Fit will have flexibility to build multiple variants for the North American market when it opens in 2014. Given Honda's typical factory ramp-up timing, that probably means a smaller, entry-level crossover will arrive in the United States in the spring of 2015 as a 2016 model.

Pilot: A full redesign on the shared Odyssey platform comes in fall of 2014, and sheet metal will move away from the "angry robot" look. It likely will get a 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6 with around 310 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque. Expect the front-wheel-drive version to have a CVT and the all-wheel-drive version to get a six-speed automatic transmission.

Odyssey: The minivan was redesigned in fall 2010 on a six-year cycle. That means the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6 probably will be incorporated during the 2014 model year.

Ridgeline: Honda's pickup will keep the Ridgeline name but won't look or feel the same when it is redesigned in 2014. Honda wants to keep the handling dynamics and packaging, but the styling, fuel economy and sticker price are weaknesses.

Courtesy of: Automotive News

Honda debuts Jazz Hybrid in Thailand!

Honda announced the official debut of its Jazz Hybrid in Thailand, marking the Japanese automaker's continued efforts to broaden its hybrid-vehicle production outside of Japan.

The hybrid version of the Jazz, known as the Fit in the U.S., is gaining popularity in Asian markets outside of Japan, hence the new production markets. Honda said the Jazz Hybrid, which pairs an 88-horsepower gas engine with a 14-horsepower electric motor, uses 4.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, which equals about 50 miles per gallon. In the U.S., the EPA rates the most-efficient 2012 Fit, the 1.5-liter 5-speed automatic, at 31 combined mpg, 28 in the city and 35 on the highway.

Earlier this month, Honda broke ground on a Malaysian factory line that will include Jazz Hybrid production. Honda's looking to more than double annual Jazz Hybrid sales in Malaysia to more than 10,000 units.

The Nikkei reported in May that Honda would take Jazz Hybrid production to Thailand. The Thai auto industry, the world's 12th largest, took a massive hit with last year's flood that killed more than 800 people. Plants owned by both Honda and Toyota suffered damage, though both have since reopened.

Courtesy: Auto Blog Green

This Honda Civic has 39 MPG HWY!

Browse our online inventory for other great gas saving Honda options.