The New Truck From Honda: Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline is Honda’s new pickup truck on the market. It uses Honda's unibody large vehicle platform, shared with the Acura MDX and Honda Odyssey. It is powered by an all aluminum 255 hp 3.5 L V6 coupled to a 5-speed automatic transmission with all wheel drive capable of towing 5000 lbs. The Ridgeline will be the first pickup truck with a fully-independent suspension.

Some of the more innovative features of the Ridgeline are its tailgate, which can fold down or hinge to the side, and an 8.5 cubic foot “In-Bed Trunk" below the truck bed. The bed is integrated with the body, similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche. The Ridgeline comes with anti-lock brakes and side-curtain airbags as standard equipment.

The bed is 49.5” x 60” with the tailgate up. With the tailgate down, you get 49.5” x 79”. And remember, the tailgate also swings to the side so you can easily access the in-bed trunk. The tailgate is designed to support 300 lbs. While driving. The steel reinforced composite bed resists dents and corrosion. Another neat feature were ample tie downs in the beds and several cargo lights.

Standard towing features include prewiring 4 pin and 7 pin, along with a brake controller. Heavy duty radiator, power steering cooler, and transmission cooler keep things cool when the work begins. Huge 4 wheel disk brakes help stop quicker with the aid of the Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). All the dealer has to do is install the hitch and harness.

The 8” ground clearance works well with the 4 wheel independent suspension. Yes, all 4 wheels. Unheard of in a truck, but this is a Honda. They wanted their truck to instill confidence in the corners and a stable, responsive feel while maintaining ride quality. The closed box frame and unit body construction means this truck is tough and ready to work.

Traction control is standard along with a locking rear differential for extremely low traction conditions. It can stay locked with a push of a button up to 18 mph. Along with traction control, you get stability control called Vehicle Stability Assist. This corrects your cornering problems before they even become a problem.

The tires come with tire pressure monitoring systems which will be standard in all vehicles very soon (government mandate). Air bags are all around in front, side, and side curtain. It will only deploy what is necessary depending on the type of accident. These safety features along with ABS braking make this one of the safest trucks on the road.

There are three trim levels starting with the RT, RTS and the luxury RTL. You can get heated leather seats and a moonroof. These amenities were only thought to be available in cars. This truck also has available navigation system, homelink, and a hidden in dash cd changer.

The 22 gallon tank is ample for the 16 MPG city and 21 MPG highway EPA mileage estimates. The six color combinations come with 3 interior choices. Options include a bed extender, tail light “garnish”, chrome bumper trim, 17” wheels, body side protectors, roof rack, fender flares, running boards and a towing package mentioned above. I’ve also seen hard tonneau cover-locking for the bed, and in-bed trunk dividers. There’s a larger brush guard for the front bumper available for you off roaders.

All in all, looks to be a pretty good and well thought out truck from Honda. Check out my pictures of the Honda Ridgeline at the car show on my website.

Stuart Simpson
http://www.hondalinks.com

Honda Civic Performance

When upgrading your Honda Civic, there are three basic things most people would like to do to gain performance, style, and looks. The first is a body kit. Next, most people want to add personalization to the interior. Last, we want to talk about engine modifications. These upgrades you may want to do in any particular order, depending on your personality. I started with my engine. I want my car to be a “sleeper”. When I add a body kit, then I’ll have the muscle to back it up. But it all depends on you. Let’s start with the body kit for your Honda Civic.

If you have a pre-1988 Honda Civic, body kits were made, but they are hard to find. There really wasn’t much of an internet, so the market was limited to larger cities or Japan. Today, you could search for a used Mugen kit and probably find one on the internet. For later Civics, there are a couple of good choices. Stillen and Greddy offer quality components. When purchasing bargain components, remember you may have to modify the kit for proper alignment. For example, the exhaust may not be exactly in the right spot. Rework time to your Civic may end up costing you as much as a higher quality kit. I’ve looked at the kits you can buy a piece at a time due to my budget. Adding the front air dam to keep the car on the ground, side skirts and a rear valance all at once can be a little imposing on the pocketbook.

Interior modifications may not impress anyone as you drive down the street, but if the car looks good on the outside, you’ll want that Civic sharp on the inside. A torn seat or other imperfections are a good place to start. Most people start with the radio. But if you have a newer Civic or Accord and the radio is already pretty good, what can you do to add your own style? Add some gauges. You can add a pillar mount gauges the A-frame that supports the roof. A company called Lotek makes nice gauge pods.

When you add the gauges, now you have interior style and you can keep better check on your motor instead of relying on a red warning light. The first thing to do is get a free flowing intake. Not only do these look good in the engine compartment, but also they help the car breath better. There are several to choose from, but I’m biased towards K & N Products. They fit perfectly and are completely washable. Be warned, you can here the engine breathing when you hit the gas! It’s so cool!

I hope these gave you a good starting point on what you can do with your Honda Civic, Accord, or Prelude. Personalizing your car makes it your car, not just another Honda.

Stuart Simpson collects information and pictures on Honda cars at http://www.hondalinks.com

Delving Into the Honda Accord Coupe

The 2006 Honda Accord Coupe is yet another freshened vehicle for the mentioned model year. It holds two doors and it is a family coupe or a sports coupe. It has the capacity to take in a maximum of five passengers in its spacious cabin. It has also been made available in a couple of trim levels which ranges from the LX to the EX.

Upon its introduction, the Honda Accord LX 5 speed MT comes equipped with a standard 2.4 liter I4 engine. It has the capacity to produce some 166 units of horsepower and can attain 26 mpg for driving in the city and some 34 mpg for travails on the highway. Made standard for this trim level is a five speed manual transmission system with overdrive. As per the EX V6 five speed AT with Navigation and XM radio, this trim level comes with a standard 3.0 liter V6 engine. This engine has the capacity and capability to create some 244 horsepower. It can attain and achieve 20 mpg for driving in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Made standard for this trim level is a five speed automatic transmission system with overdrive.

Despite the great power and performance that this vehicle model holds, the Honda Accord Coupe still has been created with preserving the environment in mind. Truth is, Honda, the automobile manufacturer, has constantly been crafting vehicles that are focused on meeting the environmental challenge. And the company believes that their goal is to produce environment friendly products that still hold a wonderful performance and superb appeal to the market. Aside from that, the company still assures its customer base that just like all Honda vehicles, the 2006 Honda Accord Coupe is easy to own and fun to drive as well.

The 2006 Honda Accord Coupe has been made available with a wide range of exterior colors so that customers could choose from them. The list comprise of Cool Blue Metallic (Black), Desert Mist Metallic (Ivory), Graphite Pearl (Black), Graphite Pearl (Gray), Nighthawk Black Pearl (Black), San Marino Red (Ivory), Sapphire Blue Pearl (Ivory), Taffeta White (Ivory), Alabaster Silver Metallic (Black), and Alabaster Silver Metallic (Gray).

This 2006 Honda Accord Coupe features more power and more innovations. It also holds a wide range of safety features as well as superior standard equipment. And this kind of vehicle needs no less than superior Honda parts when the need arises. And this is where http://www.autopartscorner.com comes in. Having a vast array of well crafted and carefully designed Honda replacement parts, performance parts, aftermarket parts to choose from, Honda owners and aficionados will have a field day going through the collection.

Honda also offers additional accessories so as to spruce up the Honda Accord Coupe if owners would choose to do so. The list includes exterior accessories like a rear wing spoiler, wheel locks, 15 inch alloy wheels, 17 inch alloy wheels, a removable roof rack, a ski attachment, a snowboard attachment, a bike attachment, splash guards, a car cover, a half nose mask, a full nose mask, fog lights, a body side molding, a door edge guard, a moonroof visor, a door visor, a gold exhaust finisher, a Fenderwill trim, and a gold emblem kit. As per interior accessories and electronics, one could find front all season floor mats, rear all season floor mats, premium floor mats, a cargo net, a trunk tray, a leather steering wheel cover, an outside temperature gauge, a leather shift knob, an XM Satellite radio, a 6 disc in dash changer, a cassette player, an MP3 player, a Honda music link (for iPod), and a security system.

About The Author

Tracy Dawson is a 29 year old researcher and writer from Dallas, Texas with extensive experience in writing auto-related articles and covering automotive related events. She is currently a contributing writer for a leading automotive e-zine.

Auto Parts Corner http://www.autopartscorner.com/honda.html

tracy@autopartscorner.com

Check Out The Honda ATV Line

Got some tough terrain to cover? Forget the yuppie Hummer and check out the Honda ATV line. Sure both will cover that tough terrain without any trouble but the ATV is a smarter and much more affordable choice.

You'll get a four stroke engine with aggressive off road tires, all wheel drive, and carrying racks so whether you are in the lumber or oil industry, working the farm, or going on a hunting trip your ATV is capable of going the distance. The 4x4 will leave no terrain untouched.

Honda's entry back into the 4x4 utility class back in the late 1990s was a bonus to those Honda customers that had been forced to look elsewhere. The sideways motor meant a lighter unit coming in just over 500 pounds. That makes it quite a bit lighter than the competitions model.

And they offer a wide selection of colors so if you are looking for something that blends for that hunting trip Honda has you covered with their low key color schemes. Then again if you are looking for something a little racier they can offer that too.

There ATVS come with heavy duty triple drum brakes and a five speed transmission. This ones a real work horse. And there's no worry about storage as you can add the front or rear rack or both. And with so many styles to choose from you'll be able to select the appropriate style.

This is an ATV that's designed to get the job done. Top speed on the Honda varies but it runs around 50 mph depending on the model. That means you can get from one point to another in no time. And the heavy duty suspension will ensure your ride is comfortable even over the roughest terrain.

Honda's fender design makes it a great choice for any stream crossing you need to do. It offers adequate protection as long as you keep your speed under the 40 mph mark. And it keeps a good traction pattern going even in the water.

And if you need to put the Honda to the test with some serious pulling you won't be disappointed. Its 850 pound towing capacity means you'll have no problem dragging that pole across the property. Or that big log - no problem what so ever!

When it comes to ground clearance once again Honda was thinking. Obstacles won't be a problem and rugged terrain will be like a walk in the park. Over rocks, down the gully, whatever you can throw at it as long as you keep your speed low the engine won't let you down. And the Honda ATV is one machine that's tough to get stuck.

And as with everything Honda seems to do there is always that extra touch like the recoil starter just in case you land up with a dead battery. Won't matter that you are out in the middle of nowhere you'll get your ATV started with little effort.

Honda is a name you can trust. They've been building motorcycles, watercraft, and ATV's for years. If you are in the market and want to be sure you get reliability, durability, and affordability then a Honda ATV is the right choice.

About The Author

Donovan Keithly has been a SUV owner for the past 10 years. He’s an active outdoors person who loves to go off roading in his ATV. He has owned and operated countless ATVs over the years and shares his riding techniques as well as model reviews on his site at http://www.yokohama-cruising.com.

Honda's Sci-Fi 4WD in the Acura RL/Legend Fast Cars - Now

Honda has come up with the most amazing 4-wheel-drive system, not for off-roaders but to improve the handling and stability of fast cars. It is being used first in the new Acura RL (Honda Legend).

Why is it so advanced? This SH-AWD system has the potential to increase cornering power and cornering safety by leaps and bounds. It will be ideal for supercars as well as luxury coupes.(More information about supercars at http://www.fast-autos.com/supercars.html )

First, it allows the amount of power sent to the wheels to be varied from 30% front and 70% rear to 70% front and 30% rear. True, some other systems get near that, but this allows the system to adjust itself to completely different conditions. On top of that, it can alter the torque from zero to 100% to the left or right rear wheel.

In other words, all the power can one to the right wheel one minute, and if necessary can be reversed so that all the power goes to the other wheel in an instant. This might be needed in slushy or snowy conditions, where there was a patch of bare road for a bit on one side offering good grip, but a bit later on a bare patch on the other side.

In addition to those features, the outer rear wheel can be speeded up so that it goes faster than the inside wheel! All done continuously depending on conditions. A few years ago this would have considered desirable, but science fiction.

More power to the rear wheel for acceleration

Confused? Well, let's start with the front-to-rear power. When you accelerate, the weight of the car is thrown on to the back wheels by the force of acceleration, so you want more power to go to the back wheels - if it all goes to the front you get wheelspin. When cornering, you generally want as much or more power to the rear wheels. SH-AWD does that.

On the other hand, when you are cruising along, you want more power to the front wheels as this increases stability. SH-AWD also does that.

More power to outer rear wheel for better cornering

The side-to-side variation in power is used to improve cornering power and stability. For example, when you accelerate through a corner, extra power through the outer rear wheel counteracts understeer, letting the car corner on rails. In fact, stability control systems used on many cars now do this by reducing the amount of torque sent to the inner wheel - this means that you actually corner slower than you could do. SH-AWD lets you corner faster.

On the over-run, you don't need that, and less power is sent through the outer wheel for optimum stability. But that isn't enough because when a car corners, the outer wheels have to travel further than the inner ones - by 5-10% on very tight corners, so the outer wheel normally goes slower.

Honda overcomes this with some gears in the back axle gear set which actually drive the outer wheel faster when cornering! This improves maneuverability and cornering at low speeds.

Electro-magnetic multi-plate clutches

All this is accomplished by multi-plate clutches operated electro-magnetically - a world first - and the gear/clutch set used for acceleration. In fact, these gears also serve as the rear differential.

An advantage of the electro-magnetic clutches is that the electronic controller does not need to control a hydraulic actuation system as used normally but an electric actuator - this reduces cost and weight.

Is this the best thing since sliced bread? For the person who wants to have stability and control, and doesn't want to know what is happening to the car -yes. Such a system is bound to reduce the input the driver gets from the road.

He will be less aware of whether the surface is slippery, or whether the car is understeering more than usual because the SH-AWD system is correcting things all the time.

About The Author
John Hartley is editor of http://www.fast-autos.com an online magazine devoted to fast cars and supercars. He has written from many of the world's top auto magazines, and has written about 10 books about cars and the auto industry, including 'Suspension and Steering Q&A' and 'The Electronics Revolution in the Motor Industry'. He has been writing about fast cars and testing them for over 20 years, and has been involved in race car design, and has also raced cars.

The Honda CR-V Rolls Off The Line From Honda's East Liberty Plant Available For Honda Detroit

Honda production associates left their shift at the East Liberty Plant this morning having finished production of the first U.S.-made Honda CR-V, an all-new version of one of America's most popular sport utility vehicles.

Sixty units of the CR-V - all them in the color Nighthawk Black Pearl - rolled off the same East Liberty assembly line where Honda associates also build the Honda Civic Sedan and the Honda Element SUV.

"We're proud that our associates can build three distinctly different vehicles on a common assembly line with Honda's commitment to quality," said John Pleiman, plant manager and vice president of Honda of America Mfg. Inc. "Their dedication has been a key component of Honda's flexible manufacturing systems, which allow us to respond quickly to market changes."

Both shifts at East Liberty built the first batch of CR-Vs, which began to take shape in the body welding shop. They emerged from the paint shop on the first shift Monday and journeyed down the final assembly line. The first model was driven off the line at 7:17 p.m. Eastern time.

"Communication is the key part of making flexibility work on the line," said associate Paula Wilson of Bellefontaine, who has worked at Honda for 22 years and is one of the original associates at the East Liberty Plant, which opened in 1989.

Roy Preston of Springfield, an original East Liberty associate who has worked for Honda for 20 years, said: "This is the best start we've had of any of the new models. We were more prepared for it, since our plant has been flexible for so long."

Flexibility also is a key attribute of the nearby Marysville Auto Plant, where Honda builds the Accord Sedan, Accord Coupe, Acura TL luxury sports sedan and Acura RDX luxury sport utility vehicle.

"There was a considerable amount of teamwork around the world in redesigning and manufacturing the CR-V. Here at East Liberty, our associates were empowered to suggest process changes that made this vehicle fit in with the Civic and Element," said Dave Skidmore, engineering project leader for the CR-V.

CR-Vs made at East Liberty come equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC engine produced 40 miles away at Honda's Anna Engine Plant in western Ohio.

Between 2003 and 2006, Honda has invested about $750 million to keep its Ohio operations as state-of-the art facilities. Honda's total U.S. capital investment in research and development, design, manufacturing and sales operations has risen to more than $8.5 billion since 1979, when the company began U.S. manufacturing.

The East Liberty Plant inaugurated U.S. light truck production by Honda in Ohio when the Element went into production in November 2002.

The 2007 CR-V* goes on sale Thursday. The new crossover vehicle has a dramatic new body structure. Under the aerodynamic look are safety enhancements, including Honda's exclusive Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, six airbags, antilock brakes, pedestrian safety design and Vehicle Stability Assist with rollover sensor.

Honda of America Mfg. Inc. was established in 1979 to build motorcycles, adding car production in 1982. It's comprised of four manufacturing plants - the Marysville Auto Plant, the East Liberty Auto Plant, the Anna Engine Plant and the original facility, the Marysville Motorcycle Plant.

Honda employment in Ohio totals about 16,000. Major operations include Honda R

About The Author
Ann Knapp
HONDA BLOOMFIELD is the second generation of the original Honda Detroit Automobile dealership in Michigan. We provide the Detroit Metro area with new and used Honda vehicles. Finding used cars in Detroit is very easy where we value your trade. If you are looking for new Honda vehicles in Detroit, used car in Detroit please reach out to Honda Bloomfield as your car dealer in Detroit. Visit us at http://www.hondabloomfield.com

2007 CR-V Honda-Smart Interior With Advanced Features And Modern Styling At Goodson Honda Houston

The inside of the 2007 CR-V blends Honda's industry renowned ergonomics and clever storage integration with classy, modern and efficient architecture. Honda stylists and engineers prioritized sophistication to create a high-quality, advanced and sporty space with the latest technology and innovative storage solutions. For 2007, more standard features and available new features like a navigation system with voice recognition highlight the dedication to taking the interior to an entirely new level.

The increased body width allows the seats to be wider and more supportive, and a newly-designed retractable center tray table not only provides the prerequisite beverage holders and sub-tray, but EX and above models also contains an additional 12V power outlet and auxiliary audio jack. CR-V models outfitted with a leather interior (EX-L) provide a spacious multi-function center console that can accommodate up to 24 compact discs (on models without the navigation system).

On EX and above models, a dual-deck cargo shelf provides additional storage options in the cargo area and can hold up to 20 pounds, while providing enough clearance underneath for grocery bags or items such as a folded stroller. Key interior dimensions remain similar to the generous proportions of the 2006 model.

The latest generation of the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition and Rearview Camera is available on the CR-V EX-L featuring a 6.5-inch mechanical display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player and a digital audio card reader that can play MP3 and WMA files from Compact Flash(R) cards. The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and can control the audio system. The voice recognition is capable of recognizing and inputting numbers, street names and cities.

For 2007, all audio systems are more powerful with at least 160 watts. As much as 270 Watts and seven speakers including a subwoofer are available on the EX-L with Navigation. Auxiliary audio input jacks are standard equipment on all trim levels, allowing for portable music device playback through the CR-V's speakers. XM(R) Satellite Radio is standard on the EX-L. The LX trim level has a four-speaker 160-watt audio system with a single-disc CD player. All CR-V audio systems have MP3/WMA CD playback capability and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC) that automatically adjusts the volume based on vehicle speed.

You can find the new 2007 Honda vehicles at Goodson Honda Houston Texas. Goodson Honda, located in Houston, TX, is one of the areas finest Honda dealers. Whether you are shopping for a new Honda car or Honda truck, or pre-owned used Honda car or Honda truck, ordering Honda parts, or need service on your current Honda vehicle, you will find friendly, experienced people ready to help you. Our entire staff is dedicated to making sure your experience with us is pleasant and enjoyable.

Our dealership is one of the premier dealerships in the country. Our commitment to customer service is second to none. We offer one of the most comprehensive parts and service department in the automotive industry.

Our primary concern is the satisfaction of our customers. Our online dealership was created to enhance the buying experience for each and every one of our internet customers. Please feel free to call us at the number listed below or send us an email using the contact us page.

Our service department offers the best in automotive service to our customers. We are proud of our state-of-the-art facility, which features the most current diagnostic and repair equipment available.

Our highly skilled, factory trained technicians ensure that you and your vehicle receive only the best of care.

Manufacturer recommended parts are an important part of maintaining your vehicle's optimum performance.

We offer the same high quality parts your vehicle was built with and we keep a large inventory of these certified parts in stock.

You can find Goodson Honda at 17350 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77090 and call them at 866-850-8035.

About The Author
Ann Knapp

Honda Houston car dealer providing new car houston and used car houston vehicles. You can find honda vehicles at Goodson Honda Houston Texas, one of the areas Texas car dealers. Visit us at www.goodsonauto.com

View their website at: http://www.goodsonauto.com