Tag: AutoPacific

EarthDreams LogoIt has long been said that Honda is first and foremost an engine company and everything it does is really just to sell more engines. It sells everything from motor bikes and generators to jet planes with cars in between. Honda engines can be as small as 25 cubic centimeters used in lawn and garden equipment. The engines we are interested in are Honda engines powering their cars, minivans and crossover SUVs. The new evolution of Honda's car and truck powertrains is "Earth Dreams Technology". Earth Dreams includes a range of engines and engine technology, CVT transmissions and hybrid powertrains and EV technology. It is a comprehensive approach to updating Honda's automotive powertrains in response to looming United States and global emissions regulations.

What better time to visit London than early September when the weather can be anything.  The Owners’ Day of the Concours of Elegance (yes, Concours OF Elegance – it is England, after all) was held on a blisteringly hot day.  Blazing sunshine.  Temperatures near 90-degrees.  The owners and their ladies or gents were hard put to keep a dry upper lip.  This was a three day event and the weather was different on each day.  Following the hot, hot, hot Thursday, it rained on Friday.  Not downpours exactly, but enough to keep the car polishers busy keeping the 60 or so vehicles as pristine as possible.  Saturday was the public day and the weather dried and was overcast.  The cooler weather made the public day better without the blazing heat of the Owners’ Day.

Luckily or unluckily, AutoPacific attended the Owners’ [...]

America has a love affair with the pickup truck.  It boggles the mind of foreigners how we could continue to love these huge hunks of metal with solid axles and thirsty V8 engines.  With each calendar year, pickup trucks continue to get more comfortable, capable, and efficient.  The 2014 Silverado makes a huge leap over the previous generation and has left me pleasantly surprised at what GM has done to make their bread and butter so much tastier.

Honda's new Accord Hybrid joins the mid-size sedan hybrid wars with a two-motor hybrid that achieves 50mpg in the city (50 city/45 highway/47 combined). As one of the top selling cars in the USA, the Accord Hybrid has the potential to unseat the present leader Toyota Camry Hybrid (followed by the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in sales so far in 2013). Accord's bragging rights are for city fuel economy - highest in the mid-size class at 50mpg. Fusion gets 47mpg in the city (and highway). The best-selling is down on mpg compared with Fusion and Accord - Camry gets 43mpg in the city and 39 on the highway.

If there was a car out there that had the same rear legroom as a Ford Fusion, offered some of the technology of an Infiniti, and had a base price of $14,000? Would that get your attention? The all-new 2014 Nissan Versa Note might be worth a look then.

Back in 2008 I had an Impala as a rental for three weeks.  The mouse fur fabric of the seats combined with the awful instrument panel and wheezing powertrain left a lasting impression with me.  In 2008, it was clear that the Impala was developed during a dark time at GM where profits came before product.  Can GM shake off that awful stigma Impala has had for years?

The Ford Transit Connect has been a sales success for Ford. Based on a Focus platform from many years ago, the Transit Connect was added to the U.S. lineup and was quickly showing signs of age. It had a four-speed automatic that made it wheeze and moan. The infotainment system was clunky, slow, and unusable. Nevertheless, Ford held a unique position by being the only automaker to offer a car-based commercial vehicle that was solely offered as a commercial vehicle.

The GMC Terrain is one amazing vehicle.  Why, you might ask?  GM can’t seem to make enough of them.  Even as the Terrain ages, it is still selling incredibly well.  It was really the first vehicle where GM made the first good effort at interior design with a well-crafted centerstack, tons of 2nd row legroom, and features galore.  Does slapping the Denali name on the Terrain make it the ‘must have’ in the Terrain lineup?  Not exactly.

The Scion xD isn’t the most popular Scion model.  It isn’t even the most well-recognized model.  From the exterior it appears to be an automotive oxymoron.  It looks like a big compact car.  Versatile?  Yes.  Roomy?  Kinda sorta.

Mercedes-Benz has been in a slow launch mode for the new front wheel drive 2014 CLA sedan since the beginning of 2013. The car has just gone on sale and advertising is blanketing the airwaves. So, what's the story? The CLA is Mercedes' price leader in the USA. Mercedes proudly touts its $29,990 base price and admits its attempt to intercept drivers under 35 before they buy their first premium brand car from BMW or Audi. Most CLAs will be priced in the $35,000 range when you get the $2,300 premium package (garage door opener, premium sound w/iPod interface, heated front seats, dual zone climate control) and the $2,370 multimedia package (rear view camera and navigation system). For that mid-thirties price you get a fully featured front wheel drive 4-cylinder four door sedan and the Mercedes three-pointed star.