Introduced in 2015 - Honda Roadside Assistance

Honda Roadside Assistance is a 24-hour emergency road service

Honda Roadside Assistance is a 24-hour emergency road service

available to you in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico

throughout your 3-year/36,000-mile warranty term starting

with 2015 vehicles.

24-Hour Roadside Service

With the Honda Roadside Assistance Service, if you experience any of  the following while on the road, just call our toll free number and we will dispatch a unit to provide services that can let you proceed to your destination. You are covered for any of the following services (limitations apply):

24-Hour Emergency Towing

Honda Roadside Assistance will arrange to transport your vehicle to the

nearest Honda dealer in the event of a mechanical disablement that renders

it inoperative. Your vehicle must be accessible to our dispatched transport

unit (as determined by our local facility) to receive this service.

Please note: You will be required to pay up front for warranty repairs

performed by any facility other than a Honda dealership. Please submit

claims for warranty reimbursement to your Honda dealer.

Emergency Lockout Service

If your keys are lost, broken or locked in your car, Honda Roadside

Assistance will assist you in unlocking your vehicle.

» Winching

» Jump start

» Fuel delivery*

» Lockout

» Flat tire

» Mechanical tow

» Accident tow

Call toll free:  1-866-864-5211

 

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

You may call this toll-free number any time you may require any

of these Honda Roadside Assistance services from anywhere in

the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada.

*Two gallons provided, not to exceed twice in a calendar year. Requires VIN at time of service request.

 

Cross Country Motor Club, Inc. (CCMC) acts merely as a dispatcher or referral service to persons or entities who provide the actual service. These persons and/or entities are independent contractors. Accordingly, CCMC assumes no responsibility for the acts, errors, omissions, negligence, malfeasance or misfeasance of such persons and/or entities. All persons availing themselves of this benefi t of Honda Roadside Assistance are to look solely to such persons and/or entities for liability arising in connection therewith, and not to CCMC. Honda Roadside Assistance services are provided through Cross Country Motor Club, Inc., Medford, MA 02155, except in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Wisconsin and Wyoming, where services are provided through Cross Country Motor Club of California, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Honda reserves the right to limit services or reimbursements to an owner or driver when, in the judgment of Honda, the claims become excessive in frequency or type of occurrence. Honda also reserves the right to alter or withdraw the Honda Roadside Assistance program at any time without notice.

AND THERE IS MORE....

 

Trip Interruption

 

Trip Interruption benefits are available in the case of mechanical

disablement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

» The vehicle must be disabled 100 miles or more away from the Honda owner’s primary residence.

» Reimbursement consideration is for expenses incurred during the first three days following the disablement.

» The total Trip Interruption benefi t is $300; $100 per day for three days maximum.

» Reasonable expenses for food, lodging and alternate transportation such as a rental vehicle and/or commercial transportation are covered.

» Costs for reuniting the Honda owner with the vehicle are included in the total of $300 maximum benefit.

 

 

Alternate Transportation, Rental Vehicle**

Upon request, Honda Roadside Assistance will attempt to secure a rental

vehicle or taxi service for you.

Hotel Reservations**

Upon request, Honda Roadside Assistance will assist in locating emergency

lodging when you are away from home, at a hotel that best fi ts your needs.

Airline Information

If your Honda is disabled, Honda Roadside Assistance will assist in

obtaining fl ight information, such as fl ight times and fares.

Message Relay

Should an emergency arise, Honda Roadside Assistance will attempt to

contact those persons for whom telephone numbers are provided in order

to relay important messages, such as your spouse or your offi ce.

Enhanced Directory Assistance

Honda Roadside Assistance will attempt to locate nearby service stations,

ATMs, and/or banks and provide telephone and address information,

including directions.

**Any third party costs (such as vehicle rental, taxi, lodging, fl ight fares, etc.) associated with

the rendering of the Trip Continuation Services noted with an asterisk (**) above shall be

borne by the driver requesting such service.

©2014 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. - All Rights Reserved 00X31-HRA-6000 AJA51465

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smokin' Performance - Team Hendrick - Congrats Jimmie Johnson!!!

#NEVERQUIT
It was a battle that began before the green flag waved. The No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS started at the rear of the field, but he soon made quick work of driving to the front.
He passed 34 cars in the first 41 laps, breaking inside the top five on Lap 48.
Following a couple slower visits to pit road, Johnson and the No. 48 team worked hard to rebound, even after briefly going a lap down on the track.
"Obviously you never give up until that checkered flag waves," Johnson's former teammate Jeff Gordon said. "You know, there were moments throughout the weekend where I thought Jimmie and the No. 48 team were the best ones out there and there were times when it looked like we were going to settle for less than the championship. But those guys never stopped fighting or gave up."
Johnson's hope for #se7en seemed like it might be just out of reach when he restarted fifth with 10 laps remaining, but the No. 48 team never gave up.
That restart is the one that changed the entire race, as a red flag was thrown due to a multi-car incident involving two of Johnson's Championship 4 contenders.
As a result, Johnson assumed the fourth position for the restart before another caution was thrown, placing him on the front row in second for the overtime restart. Johnson jumped out to grab the lead at the green and never looked back.
"The best pit stops came at the right time and the calls that Chad made came at the right time," Gordon said. "Jimmie had the most incredible moves and restarts at the end when it counted most and that is why those guys are seven time champions and proved it again tonight.”

Worth the Wait? - Time will tell!

A Must Read - Alway Safety First - Safety for Everyone

There's a booklet online that every car owner should read in my opinion.  Knowledge is not only power, it can mean safety.

Here's a link to a broad overview of some key safety features you will find in many Honda Cars and Trucks.

 

Please Click Here

 

Please take a few moments to read.  The more you understand how your safety equipment works, the safer you and your passengers will be.

Since some equipment may not be specific to your model,

be sure to consult your owner’s manual.

2017 CR-V? Yes it is all new!

The all-new 2017 Honda CR-V just made its official debut in Detroit last week (October 2016). 

The completely redesigned and reengineered CR-V boasts bold new styling, a more premium interior, the model’s first-ever turbocharged engine and a host of new features and technologies. It goes on sale this winter.  So with that, is it true that the 2016s are being sold at clearance prices.

I'll keep you informed as more details become available about the 2017s availability.

Unit-body Construction - Have a look at the 2017 Ridgeline's new body

Unlike many trucks, which use body-on-frame design, Ridgeline features unit-body construction. This uses different strengths of steel throughout the entire structure — higher grades of steel where it’s needed — and then it’s completely welded and/or bonded together to create an extremely rigid structure. Benefits of unit-body construction include a lower floor height making loading cargo and getting in and out easier, improved isolation from wind noise and vibration and better driving characteristics.

Ridgeline features a powerful, 280-horsepower direct-injected engine that not only provides brisk acceleration, passing power and towing capacity, but also is impressively efficient for a truck.*

• Towing capacity: 5,000 lbs. (AWD) – 3,500 lbs. (2WD)*
• 262 lb-ft. of torque*
• Variable Cylinder Management^TM (VCM^®)  
• 24-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®
• Eco-Assist System™
• Hill Start Assist®
• High-Capacity Radiator with 2 High-Power Fans

Honda S-Dream Streamliner Sets Bonneville Records

The evolution of the Honda product is a synergy of engineering, technology and rigorous design and testing and human factors....to name a few.  I felt this article illustrates a couple facets of that synergy.

- Honda R&D Japan-led effort sets FIA Class record of 261.875 mph-

 

- Fastest speed ever recorded for a Honda vehicle-

 

- Volunteer team surpasses previous mark set by Honda F1 car-

 

 

 

TORRANCE, California, September 21, 2016 - Honda products have won dozens of motorsports championships throughout the world, dominating competition at legendary venues from Indianapolis to Monaco, and on surfaces ranging from the sands of Dakar to the dirt of Carlsbad.

But this past week, an intrepid group of young Honda engineers took to the salt flats of Bonneville, Utah to post the fastest speed ever recorded for a Honda vehicle.
Not only did the Honda engineers post a new FIA World Record of 261.875 mph (1 mile), 261.966 mph (1km) for a vehicle in its class (Category-A Group-1 Class-4), it posted a speed faster than any Honda-powered car ever including the record established by BAR Honda F1 car at Bonneville in 2006, by using a 660cc engine based on the three-cylinder powerplant designed for the Honda S660 sports car.
The project "Bonneville Speed Challenge" was internally announced at Honda R&D in Japan in 2015 and 16 members were chosen from a pool of 100 volunteers, including the project leader Keisuke Tsuta, to build the car that would be known as the Honda S-Dream. The goal of the project was very simple: "Achieve world speed record with 660cc engine."
The team carefully re-investigated every part of the S660 engine and renewed many of them including cylinder block, pistons, crankshaft and valves in hopes of coaxing more than three times the power for which it was designed. Additions such as the replacement of the lower block with a steel unit and reinforced connecting rods gave the unit the rigidity it would need to withstand the record run, and the car completed several test runs in Japan before heading to the U.S.
But as can happen when building racing machines, an unforeseen problem popped up once the team made its first test run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Test driver Hikaru Miyagi returned after his run and told the team that he could not see properly through the narrow canopy.
The vision had not been a problem on the test track due to the abundance of landmarks and road marking, but on the bleach-white expanse of the salt flats, the former Japan motorcycle champion was having trouble keeping the car pointed in the right direction.
So the team took the car back to Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, California where they restyled the canopy and most parts of the upper body just 10 days before the first day of the Bonneville.
The Honda S-Dream made several strong runs at Bonneville Speed Weeks but was unable to reach the record speed that it sought. But soon after the conclusion of Speed Weeks, Honda was officially invited to Mike Cook's shoot out at Bonneville to take another run at the record.
The team broke the FIA record mark with a run of 227.776 mph on the first day of the shootout, then went quicker on subsequent runs until officially topping out at 261.875 mph (1 mile), 261.966 mph (1km). In fact, the team reached 266 mph on one of its runs late in the event, but was unable to duplicate the speed on the return run as required to set an official mark.
With the run of 261.875 mph (1 mile), 261.966 mph (1km), the Honda S-Dream has surpassed the record BAR Honda F1 machine established at Bonneville in 2006 to become the fastest Honda car ever.

Safety For Everyone

Honda Collection Hall

 

Here's a site well worth visiting.  In lieu of a trip to Japan please follow the link below.  Pretty sure we'll be seeing a lot more virtual reality ports on the internet in the very near future. 

 

Honda Collection Hall

“Machines never lie.
Success will always come if they’re really good.
So let’s show the world what we’ve done.
Then they can see the real Honda!”
- Founder Soichiro Honda at the inception of the Honda Collecti on Hall.

All the machines on display at the Honda Collection Hall embody the dreams and passion of not
only the people who founded Honda, but also everyone who has ever used and come to love a Honda product.




Please Click Here

Honda's LEGACY BEGAN WITH A PIECE OF SHEET METAL AND A DREAM.

Meet Serial One, the first Honda automobile imported to the U.S. It was one of the first Honda test vehicles for America and it’s getting a new life as Honda brings it back to its original glory. After collecting dust in a junk pile for nearly 50 years, it’s safe to say this hidden gem has seen better days. Through fate, this vehicle found its way to the only man who could bring it back to life, Tim Mings. Tim has owned and restored over 300 of these vehicles, but none as special as Serial One. During this 12- to 18-month rebuild, we will be documenting Mings’ progress and sharing some special surprises along the way.  Have your attention?  Check this out: http://www.serialone.com/

 

 

Honda Customer Mobility Assistance Program

The Honda Customer Mobility Assistance Program is proud to support the mobility needs of drivers and passengers with physical disabilities. Honda will provide a reimbursement of up to $1,000 to each eligible, original retail customer for expenses incurred to purchase and install qualifying adaptive equipment on any eligible purchased or leased Honda vehicle.

Adapting Your Vehicle

Honda suggests that you request a copy of the Department of Transportation brochure "Adapting Motor Vehicles for People with Disabilities." Copies are available by visiting www.nhtsa.gov.

The process includes these steps:

1. Determine your state's driver's license requirements.
2. Evaluate your needs - Contact the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) for further information.
3. Select the right vehicle - Consult with your evaluator, an adaptive installer and your local Honda dealer to determine the best Honda model to meet your needs.
4. Choose a qualified mobility equipment installer - Shop around and ask about qualifications, capabilities, experience, warranty coverage and service. Confirm that they are members of NMEDA.
5. Obtain training on the use of the new equipment - When this process is complete, follow the guidelines and complete and submit an application for assistance to recover up to $1,000 of the cost of your adaptive equipment and/or conversion.

For all of the information, online...Please Click Here

If you have questions visit the Honda Owners Site

With all the great technology that is embodied in any of the latest Honda cars and trucks, information resources need to be 24/7....AND THEY ARE.

 

If you haven't registered yet...anytime is a good time to do so.  Did you know that you can register for free to get these online resources:            

Schedule service appointments
Buy Genuine Parts and Accessories.
Get recall information.
Order an owner's manual.

Learn more about these benefits and more at the Honda Owners Site.

Accord is Second Most American-Made Car - How right is that?

This makes Honda's investment in America obvious:

 

Last year more than 99 percent of Hondas sold in America were made in America (using domestic and globally sources parts). No wonder three Honda models – Accord, Odyssey, and Pilot – recently snagged spots on the American-Made Index (AMI) from Cars.com.

 

Usually the AMI includes the top 10 cars made in the U.S., but this year only eight cars met the criteria. The list rates vehicles produced and purchased in the U.S., taking into account factors such as the percentage of parts used for the car that are considered domestic, cars assembled in the U.S. and U.S. sales. Models with a domestic-part content of less than 75 percent were disqualified as were models built exclusively outside of the country, information from Cars.com said.

 

Taking those ratings into consideration, the Accord was named second on the AMI, followed by the Odyssey at fourth and the Pilot in fifth.

 

 

Where Are They Made?

Below, find out where Honda’s North American models are currently made.

 

Honda of America Mfg., Marysville Auto Plant, Marysville, Ohio
Honda Accord Sedan
Honda Accord Coupe
Acura TLX
Acura ILX

 

Honda of America Mfg., East Liberty Plant, East Liberty, Ohio
Honda CR-V
Acura RDX
Acura MDX (beginning in 2017)

 

Honda of America Mfg., Performance Manufacturing Center, Marysville, Ohio
Acura NSX

 

Next Level Personal Mobility Device - What?

Honda is in the business of moving you in every sense of the word.  Honda has developed intelligent technologies that enrich lives and make the world more fun to move around in — on the road, on the water, in the air and beyond. Our driving inspiration will always be to enhance the joy and freedom of mobility for all. 

 

Mobility Today and Tomorrow

What will the future of mobility look like? At our advanced North American facilities, we’re building exciting answers to that question. The Power of Dreams is about watching these answers come to life. The Honda UNI-CUB mobility device was featured in a video by alternative rock band OK Go. Watch now. 

 

Click here for a glimpse>>>> 

Vehicles that THINK - You can drive one today!

Honda is committed to the safety of its customers—and everybody else on the road. To help keep all drivers safe, Honda has developed suites of features that assist drivers in lowering the risk of collisions. It's as if Honda stepped into the realm of making vehicles that think.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Conventional cruise control has always been welcome on long highway trips but is of little use on an urban driver’s daily commute. Available Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) allows the driver to set a desired speed but also maintain a desired following interval to a vehicle detected ahead so you enjoy the benefits of cruise control in light traffic.*

Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™)

To help reduce the likelihood or severity of a frontal impact, Honda developed the Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™). Powered by a combination of radar transmitter and forward-facing camera, the CMBS™ determines the distance and closing speed of detected objects that lie directly ahead. If the system determines there is a potential for a crash, it will alert the driver to take action via audible and visual warnings and, in some models, a light tug of the seat belt. If the driver does reduce speed or take other avoidance actions, the CMBS™ will begin light braking.
If the system senses that a frontal collision is unavoidable, and even if no prior alerts have been given or light braking applied, the CMBS™ will automatically apply strong braking to help reduce the impact velocity and collision force; in some models, the front seat belts also will be tightened to help ensure proper occupant positioning.*

Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

If momentarily distracted, a state-of-the-art warning system can alert the driver to a potentially dangerous situation ahead. The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system—using both visual and audible warning—alerts the driver to a potential collision with a vehicle detected ahead. FCW can detect vehicles directly in front of the vehicle. If the distance between the two vehicles is diminishing, the system compares the vehicles’ current speeds to determine if a collision may occur.
To alert the driver to apply the brakes, FCW issues a beeping sound and flashes an amber “Brake” message in the Multi-Information Display. To avoid unnecessary warnings, the FCW will not operate at speeds below 3 mph.*

Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)

Using a forward-facing camera mounted above the inside rear view mirror, the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) works proactively to keep the vehicle centered in a detected lane. If the LKAS system has been engaged and you start to drift away from the middle of the lane, it will gently apply steering torque and help guide the car back to the center of the lane.
The system will not steer the car indefinitely. If it senses no steering input from the driver for a certain period of time, the system presents a message instructing the driver to begin steering again.*

Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)

The Road Departure Mitigation system uses a camera to identify lane markers such as painted lane lines, Botts Dots and cat eye markers. When the system detects the vehicle is about to leave the road or lane marked by solid lines, it warns the driver with visual and audible warnings; on some models, it will also tug the front seat belt.
If the driver fails to take action and the system determines the vehicle had crossed outside of the marked lane, it can apply moderate torque to the steering in an attempt to guide the vehicle back into its detected lane. If it determines that steering assistance will not suffice, it will apply braking to help keep the vehicle from leaving the roadway altogether.*

Honda Celebrates Four Decades of Accord – America’s Best-Selling Car Over the Past 40 years

• With sales of more than 12.7 million units since its debut in 1976, Accord is America's most popular, best-selling car over the last four decades^*1
• Honda has produced more than 10.5 million Accords in the U.S. since the start of production in Ohio in 1982
• Accord is the top retail-selling car in America for the past three years^*2 and most popular midsize car with under-35 buyers for five of the past six years^*3
• Honda pays tribute to rich heritage of Accord through "40 Years of America in Accord" video (https://youtu.be/YxjH4mXK6j) and "Then and Now" video (https://youtu.be/EUaaMsG6VBQ) featured on YouTube

 

Not just a car company - a mobility company

Honda is a mobility company—we move people. But, for us, safety is an enormous priority. We don’t just want to move you; we want to move you safely.

Real World Tests

That’s why we created another world’s first: a multi-directional crash test facility. Our multi-directional vehicle-to-vehicle crash test facility at the Tochigi R&D center opened in 2001 and is the world's first indoor all-weather facility of its type. In addition to standard barrier tests, the facility tests in situations that simulate actual traffic collisions between vehicles.

Virtual Tests

To supplement these tests, Honda partnered with 3DEXCITE to develop software that results in extremely reliable, accurate, and cost-effective crash simulations. These simulations are so accurate that the metal deformation from a virtual test and a real test can differ as little as 15mm. The simulations can also be run again and again with differing inputs/parameters in a much smaller time period. This kind of flexibility and affordability allows Honda to make the road safer for everybody on it by engineering for worst case scenarios in an unprecedented way. See more in the video below.

 

Your Safety - Our Passion - By Design

Honda designs all of its vehicles with safety in mind, not only the safety of Honda vehicle occupants, but safety for the occupants of other vehicles and all road users, including pedestrians.


“Passive” and “Active” Safety Systems

There are two main types of safety systems: active and passive. “Active safety” technologies, like those in the Honda Sensing™ suite of safety and driver assistive technologies, are working while you’re driving. This includes the automatic emergency braking (a component of CMBS) and other technologies that help mitigate the potential for a collision or its severity. Other technologies, such as rearview cameras, can augment your view of the road.

Then, there are “passive safety” systems. These are the systems that you hope you never need. But they’re critical to your safety in the event of a collision. One of most innovative Honda passive safety systems is the ACE™ Body Structure.


ACE™ stands for Advanced Compatibility Engineering™, and it’s a Honda-exclusive body design that uses a network of front frame structures to absorb and deflect the energy from a frontal collision. This helps reduce the force transferred to the cabin and more evenly disperse the forces transferred to other vehicles involved. That means it’s not just Honda drivers that are safer in the event of a collision—it’s everybody.

To help us create a safer driving experience for our customers—and to continue the refining ACE™ Body Structure—Honda operates two of the world’s most sophisticated crash safety research and testing facilities, in Ohio and Japan. This includes the world’s first multi-directional crash test facility at our automobile R&D center in Japan. Not all collisions in the real world are head on, so Honda didn’t want to test only head-on collisions, but many types of crash scenarios including: car-to-car impacts, car-to-barrier collisions, front, side and rear impacts and offset and oblique-angle collisions.

Virtually Protecting our Customers

Honda has recently helped develop an advanced safety visualization technology called Real Impact. This technology creates highly detailed three-dimensional models of a vehicle’s crash safety structure and allows Honda engineers and designers to better visualize how these systems work in a variety of collision scenarios.

Engineers are able to manipulate the 3D rendering, rotate the view in any direction and strip away parts of the vehicle to isolate a section or component for more thorough analysis. The crash barrier can also be rendered transparent in the virtual environment so the immediate effects of a crash can be viewed from multiple points of view, including from the driver's seat.

We do this work because it’s part of our company DNA – clean, safe fun. We work every day to create safer driving experiences for everybody on the road. Honda asks everyone on the road to help make it even safer by buckling up, putting away phones, and texting only when you’ve arrived safely at your destination.

Our Collision-Free Future - The Power of Dreams continues...

OUR COLLISION-FREE FUTURE

Creating a world where collisions no longer happen is one of our most monumental dreams yet, and we’re already working toward making it come true. Join us on our mission to reduce collisions by 50% by 2020, and make them a thing of the past by 2040.


We are passionate about the safety of not just everyone who gets in a Honda, but of everyone who shares the road with them too — from other drivers, to bicyclists, to pedestrians.

That’s why we are leading society toward a radically transformed mobility experience, one that is safer than most can currently even imagine. Our goal is a world where collisions simply no longer happen.

We call this dream a Cooperative Car Society, and we’re already working hard to make it real. It will be made possible by a remarkable convergence of technologies, including self-driving cars, connectivity between vehicles and everyone else on the road, and other unprecedented collision-stopping capabilities.



“We have a responsibility — to each other, to our industry, and, most importantly, to society — to think bigger.” —Frank Paluch, President of Honda R&D Americas, Inc.



On the way to building this collision-free world, highly automated vehicles will become the platform for a completely transformed mobility experience.


By the Year 2020

People, vehicles and infrastructure will be connected like never before through an omni-directional safety system. New technologies will emerge that will help to reduce driver workload and enable a 50% reduction in collisions involving Honda vehicles.


By the Year 2030

It won’t be only cars that are connected now. By this time technology will have comprehensively linked all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycle riders.


By the Year 2040

Honda-connected vehicles will be collision-free, paving the way for radical changes in the way people move and live. We wholeheartedly expect our efforts in this area to inspire other vehicle makers too, and we look forward to being inspired by them in turn.

2017 Ridgeline - Must See This

There's been a lot of interest recently in pickup truck beds and the 2017 Ridgeline has one of the most versatile in the industry. CLICK HERE to watch and retweet a video that shows 60 rough-cut landscaping stones, weighing about 14 to 16 pounds each, being dropped from a loader into the Ridgeline's standard composite bed. Is the Ridgeline bed tough? You be the judge.

Steel bed vs. aluminum? Nah. See the #HondaRidgeline composite bed stand up to over 800 lbs. of rock.https://t.co/4FTAaPRR8h

— Honda (@Honda) June 16, 2016

Honda's Advanced In Car Technology - Not So Complicated

 



Your new Honda is likely equipped with some truly value added technology.  Much of it is the next generation of traditional function like GPS/Navigation, Audio, and Camera technologies that make for a more comfortable, safer and enriched driving experience.

So what happens when you have questions.  Sure your sales person covered much of the technologies from a brief introduction on that test drive and at delivery by going over the personalized settings checklist with you.

Now there are myriad videos on YouTube to refresh what was covered during the delivery of your new car or truck.

Did you know that a QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of or two-dimensional barcode. (aka matrix barcode) first designed for the automotive industry in JAPAN.  Wow!  Scan the QR code above to check out some awesome 'how to' videos.

Spoiler Alert - Studies show that 98% of people can't multitask, and that the more confident you are in your ability to multitask, the more mistakes you make.

#PhoneDownEyesUp

Honda is a force in our society.  Having a reputation for making the safest cars on the road, it would appear that the focus on both passive and active safety features plus enhanced  ergonomics inside each and every Honda vehicle, Honda is creating a synergy of state of the art safety.

"Honda is deeply committed to enhancing the safety of everyone on the road, so it's imperative that we encourage everyone to stay focused, and remind them about the dangers of texting and other potential distractions while behind the wheel," said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President of Marketing at Honda. "This campaign is intended to be both relatable and sharable content that will reach millennials and deliver an easy-to-understand message about the very human limitations we all have when it comes to driving while distracted."

This month is Distracted Driving Awareness Month!!

Honda is encouraging safer driving habits through a new social media campaign titled #PhoneDownEyesUp in support of Distracted Driving Awareness month in April.

Since distracted driving is a form of multitasking, Honda is launching a new social media video series demonstrating the difficulty and danger in trying to do two things at once. The #PhoneDownEyesUp 'Distracted Texting' videos will be shared and promoted on multiple social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube(below).  Which one is your favorite video!?


                 

2017 Honda Ridgeline - Reaction?

Rick Hendrick Named 2016 Citizen of the Carolinas



Rick Hendrick has been named the 2016 Citizen of the Carolinas by the Charlotte Chamber. It is the most prestigious honor given by the chamber and will be presented at the organization’s Annual Meeting next December.

Hendrick was chosen for his significant contributions to Charlotte’s business community, his indelible influence within NASCAR and his tireless work with local charitable organizations such as Levine Children’s Hospital and Together We Feed Charlotte. In 2015, he served as the honorary chairperson for the annual Charlotte Observer Summer Camp Fund, which set a new fundraising record.

"The Charlotte Chamber is pleased to recognize Rick Hendrick for his invaluable contributions to the Charlotte business community and the community as a whole. Rick embodies the collaborative spirit that sets Charlotte apart from any other major city in the United States," said Bob Morgan, chamber CEO and president.

Hendrick joins an impressive list of past winners that includes Erskine Bowles, Mac Everett, Dan DiMicco, Julius Chambers, Harvey Gantt, Leon and Sandra Levine, Ben Bernanke, Dean Smith, Marian Wright Edelman, Hugh McColl, Reverend Billy Graham and Jerry Richardson, among others.

"I’m humbled," Hendrick said. "We’ve been fortunate to call Charlotte home for nearly 40 years. It’s been such a wonderful place for our family, and now our grandchildren are growing up here. I cannot imagine a more giving community or a better city to live and do business. The people at the chamber help make that possible, and I’m truly grateful for the work they do for Charlotte."
A self-described "gearhead," Hendrick turned his passion for the automobile into successful business ventures in the retail automotive and professional auto racing industries. In 1976 at the age of 26, he became the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States. He turned a struggling franchise in Bennettsville, South Carolina, into the most profitable in the region.

Hendrick moved to Charlotte in 1978 when he purchased City Chevrolet, which today is the flagship location for Hendrick Automotive Group. Now the largest privately held dealership group in the country, the company operates collision centers, accessories distributor installers and more than 130 retail franchises across 14 states. Hendrick leads the organization, which employs more than 10,000 people, as its chairman.

In 1984, Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports. Today, the original race shop overlooks a state-of-the-art facility with 430,000 square feet of workspace on 140 acres in Concord. It houses more than 600 employees to support four full-time Chevrolet teams in the elite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Now one of the sport’s premier operations, Hendrick Motorsports has garnered a NASCAR record 14 national series owner’s championships and 15 overall. Its roster of stock-car drivers includes Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hendrick is a recipient of the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, NASCAR’s Bill France Award of Excellence and The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is bestowed upon outstanding North Carolinians. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2013 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

The Best Gets Better: More Powerful, Fuel Efficient and Technologically Advanced 2017 Accord Hybrid Launching this Spring

We've had our share of interest expressed by many prospective customers new to Honda as well as our loyal customer base.  Those of you that have been fortunate enough to find and own a 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid have been provided enthusiastic and positive feedback.  Well the next edition of the Accord Hybrid is on the horizon:

Next-generation two-motor hybrid powertrain expected to receive class-leading EPA fuel economy ratings; including 49 mpg city

Most powerful and refined midsize hybrid sedan with 212 total combined horsepower

Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive technologies standard

Doubled production capacity for expected sales increase

Automobiles play such an exciting part in our early lives

Young drivers have been getting their first chance to experience the thrill of life behind the wheel since Disneyland Park opened on July 17, 1955. Notice how close Autopia is to its big brother just beyond the berm, Interstate 5.

  My introduction to motoring wasn't quite as exhilarating as that of kids today.  I remember, vividly the first time I visited a new car showroom.  It was with my father, up in western New York.  And it was a now defunct manufacture's dealership.  Back then car dealerships could be found in the downtown area of many cities, both large and small.  Location, location, location, how things have change.

Typical Showroom Back in the day
(Circa 1966)

 

These days, many kids are introduced to motoring in more fun ways.  In the family vehicles(plural), and better yet motoring to tomorrow behind the wheel of miniature gas fueled cars at Disneyland!  They actually get to drive!  And these cars are powered by Honda.  How cool is that?

Recent Image of Autopia

 

 

 

Autopia Circa 1955

 

 

Gulf Coast Honda Dealers' Lightning Fan of the Year (as in Tampa Bay Lightning)

Yesterday  Erin Furlong opened the door  at her house to learn that she was officially the Gulf Coast Honda Dealers' Lightning Fan of the Year.  As the grand prize winner, Erin receives a 2-year lease of a 2016 Accord LX.  She will be ditching her beat-up Sentra and couldn't be happier to be joining the Honda family!

 

 

Representative of the Gulf Coast Honda Dealers association, members of the Lightning Marketing team, 2 of the Lightning Girls, the Lightning mascot, Thunderbug, and Lightning Alumni and Captain of the Stanley Cup-winning team, Dave Andreychuk arrived at Erin's house in "Publishers Clearing House" fashion.

 

 

 

2016 Civic Coupe to Compete in Red Bull Global Rallycross Series

The Honda Civic Red Bull GRC team will begin racing on May 21 in Phoenix at the first event of the season.  I've run out of clichés for the new Civic.  I'm open to any new and creative ones that fit the new Civic Coupe.  You may want to stop in to see/drive one today.  Nonetheless for the purposes of introducing the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe to you.... I'm going with a picture says a thousand words. 

Check this one out, more to follow.

 

"Global Rallycross is seriously extreme racing, and it's a terrific platform to showcase the new Civic Coupe to an enthusiastic, performance-minded young audience," said Nick Lee, National Advertising Manager, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. "We won't encourage our customers to take 70-foot jumps out on the street, but we will use this platform to tell people about all the incredible technology and performance capabilities of our new Civic Coupe."  

One!, Two!!, Three!!! Civic Variants on the horizon, on the road

ONE! AVAILABLE NOW!

 

 

 

TWO!! ARRIVING SOON!!

The 2016 Civic Coupe

The Civic Coupe is arriving at dealerships this month and in just a few weeks customers will be able to experience the sportiest, most sophisticated and tech-savvy Civic Coupe yet. And today in New York, Honda will hold the North American debut of the amazing new Civic Hatchback as they further up the ante on 10th-generation Civic styling, utility and fun-to-drive performance.

 

 

THREE!!!

THE CIVIC HATCHBACK!!!

 

And there's more...  On the heels of the just-introduced coupe, Honda is going to be building on that momentum with a new efour door hatchback version.  That combining sporty driving performance with hatchback utility.

Powered by the same 1.5-liter, 174-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in higher trim levels of the sedan, the big powertrain news for enthusiasts is that the hatchback will mark the first pairing of that engine with an available six-speed manual transmission, and that the manual will also be offered throughout the Civic lineup for 2017. A continuously-variable (CVT) automatic will still be available for those who prefer not to shift for themselves.

Who's Ready for the New Ridgeline?

 

It's apparent, the new Ridgeline is looking somewhat Americanized!   I like it.  Rumor has it that you can expect improved handling as well as improved mileage.  With that the Ridgeline would seem to fit the expectations of most Honda owners.  For the truck shopping crowd this may be the icing on the cake. 

When it comes to value added surprises there are a few notable ones...aside from the trunk that is tucked underneath the cargo bed, the A/C outlet that was formerly 115-Watt, it's now 400-watt outlet.  So you can plug your flat screen TV in now.  And there's sound in the bed as well.  (details to come) There's still a drain plug in the in bed cargo area. I frequently used mine as an open cooler for tailgating.  After the ice was melted...it was easy to drain the water.

Whether Buying or Selling - From the inside out

According to Rich Edmonds at AndroidCentral
Wednesday, Mar 2, 2016 at 6:10 am EST

"Maserati has announced that the new Levante range will support Android Auto, thanks to the on-board high-resolution 8.4-inch touch screen display. The ability to connect your Android-powered smartphone to your vehicle is almost becoming standard across numerous ranges, allowing you to better focus on the road."

And it's not just Maserati that is leading in all that in-car technology, check out the cockpit of the Lamboghini below:

And then this, a recent headline from the Verge, "First Click: Apple CarPlay pulls ahead of Android Auto at Geneva Motor Show " Yep, form has always followed function, functional demands of the market coupled with fierce fighting to dominate in the realm of product differentiation, the market has pushed the envelope. The results, a form factor, high in integration attributes, that is enabled by advancements in emerging technologies that have evolved to be both economically feasible, cost effective and technologically robust.

Here's a similar photo of the inside of the 2016 Honda Civic. Rich in design, both aesthetically, ergonomically and in technological integration. With seamless and automated, intuitive customization...say goodbye to that learning curve.

Wow it would seem that 'technology' is indeed as important as style, performance, engineering, safety, not to mention comfort, convenience and economy.

It's an age where we can have it all. So maybe it's time to present the product from the inside out because that is where the major value added resides! Just sayin'.

Kids Create - More Now than Ever!

Here's a link to two fun and informative "storytime" videos.  You will find each provides a charming twist on a typical product demonstration –told through stories by children. Just how cool is that.  Feel free to share this content on your own social platforms from Honda’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

2016 Honda Civic 4-door small overlap IIHS crash test

Honda Picks Up Six "Best Cars For The Money" Awards from U.S. News & World Report

Five Honda models have been honored with six "Best Cars for the Money" awards by U.S. News & World Report. The 2016 Civic was named "Best Compact Car for the Money," the 2016 Honda HR-V was named "Best Subcompact SUV for the Money," the 2016 Honda Odyssey was named "Best Minivan for the Money," the 2016 Honda Pilot was named "Best 3-Row SUV for the Money," and for the second year in a row, the 2016 Honda Fit was named both "Best Hatchback for the Money" and "Best Subcompact Car for the Money."

Top Safety Pick Too! - The 2016 Honda Civic

The dynamic, new-from-the-ground-up 2016 Honda Civic Sedan, 2016's North American Car of the Year, has received the highest available rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including a SUPERIOR rating for frontal crash prevention when equipped with the Honda Sensing™ suite of safety and driver-assist technologies, available on all 2016 Civic Sedan models.

Total Cost of Ownership Revisited - What have you missed?

While the most obvious expense component in purchasing a car is the price of the car. It may not be the most important. That's why the dominant message in most car ads is "PRICE". Of course there are other costs that one should consider prior to purchasing a car. Not so intuitively obvious. These costs are often found in the small print. You'll find Taxes, Registration costs, and miscellaneous fees, dealer installed equipment, items that also contribute to that bottom line purchase cost.

Many Items to manage

In the long term there's that concept of total cost of ownership. Cost items like maintenance, insurance, depreciation, fuel cost, also contribute to that figure, not just the price of the car. Indeed even if you pay your car off early you will continue to be paying depreciation, maintenance, etc.

Here is a list of Cost of Ownership elements:

MSRP
5-year Retained Value
5-year Depreciation
5-year Maintenance
5-year Repair Cost
5-year Fuel Cost
State Fees
5-year Insurance

The most elusive element of any car deal and the likely the most overlooked element is the cost of money.