Find the best price deal on a 2012 Honda Pilot LX SUV.

The Honda Pilot is a mid-size crossover SUV with three rows of seating.  In other words, its market segment is those who want the smallest vehicle one can buy to carry the largest amount of people.  Honda has done a great job on smaller vehicles, but results are mixed on their larger ones.

On the positive side of the ledger, the Pilot has been a successful product for Honda.  Sales volume has been high, as has resale value.  On the other hand, they they tend to be sluggish, plain, and they take too long to come to a stop.   The current Honda Pilot is a second generation model, and there were a lot of improvements.  But are they enough to keep up with the improvements everyone else has made?

The 2012 Honda Pilot LX is the lowest of four trim levels.  It has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque.  It has 17-inch steel wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mph on the highway, and allegedly goes from zero to sixty in 9.7 seconds.

The Pilot LX comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel that houses cruise control, bucket front seats with driver height adjustment, cloth upholstery, split-folding and reclining second row seats with center armrest, and manual folding third row bench seats.  It also features power locks, power windows, power mirrors, speed-proportional power steering,  12-volt outlets in the front, rear, and cargo areas, front and rear air conditioning, and a trip computer.

There are plenty of storage nooks and crannies, too.  The front and overhead consoles are for storage, as are pockets on the backs of the front seats, front and rear door pockets, and the cupholders in all three rows of seats.  You will also notice a rear defogger, rear wiper, power liftgate window, a rear liftgate door, cargo tie downs, a trailer hitch, and trailer wiring.

The audio system has 6 standard speakers, a subwoofer, 229 watts of output, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, an audio jack, speed sensitive volume control, and a radio data system.

The Pilot also has antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags all the way to the back, brake hill holder, and active front head restraints.  In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Pilot got their highest score of “good” for frontal offset and side impact tests, but only their second-worst of “marginal” for roof strength.  Also, most people who have brake tested the Pilot get a stopping distance of close to 150 feet from sixty mph.  That is twenty to thirty feet longer than most vehicles, and requires conservative driving or quick reflexes to counteract.

Conclusions and Driver Feedback:

For 2012, Honda addressed one of the Pilot’s shortcomings: the confusing, user-unfriendly dashboard.  Now, the controls are mostly well-placed and a lot easier to find and understand.  The design is modern but plain, especially in a lower trim level without the navigation system.  The materials are midgrade, with nothing that looks too cheap, but nothing that will provide a lot in the way of visual stimulation, either.

There is plenty of room in the first two rows of seats.  The combined headroom and legroom measurement in the front is 81.4 inches, while the second row measurement is a generous 78.3 inches.  They don’t provide a third row measurement, but the third row can comfortably seat adults.  There are 87 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third row seats folded, with 18 cubic feet in the rear storage area behind the seats.

The Pilot is adjusted for passenger comfort.  The steering is not as responsive as one would like, and the suspension produces a lot of body roll.  The upside is that the ride is very comfortable.  The engine is not really enough for the Pilot’s body weight, though.  Basically, the Pilot is slow to accelerate and slow to stop.  Even though it has a unibody construction, it is still quite heavy.  It rides like a car, but drives more like a truck at times.

All in all, the Pilot is a decent SUV, but nothing special.  Honda does a superb job at compact and midsize cars, but they don’t seem to have as much experience with larger vehicles as the US “Big Three,” or even Toyota or Nissan.

The Pilot will provide solid performance for Honda fans.  It will, as is Honda’s main strength, get you from point A to point B with minimal drama.  We are concerned, though, with the braking distance.  For very conservative drivers, it probably won’t be a problem.  But for those who try to multitask behind the wheel in today’s busy society, it could be a problem.

Also, while Honda is putting out a decent product, the competition seems to be outworking them in this market segment.  Honda does such a great job at small cars that one could imagine they put most of their resources into those market segments.  We can’t really fault them for that, but we don’t really feel comfortable in recommending this vehicle without caveats, either.

The verdict: OK, but only if you are a very safe, alert driver, and really want a Honda.  Otherwise, check out some of the competition.

Options and other trims:

Honda doesn’t really list any major options on the LX.  Instead, you need to go to higher trims to get more features.  The second trim is the EX.  It will give you 18-inch alloy wheels, and adds an 8-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, foglights, 3-zone climate control, Bluetooth, 2 GB of music storage, and audio controls on the steering wheel.

The next trim is the EX-L.   It adds leather upholstery, a sunroof, heated front seats, a power liftgate, a power passenger seat, a rearview camera, satellite radio, and a USB/iPod interface.  It also gives you the option of a voice-operated navigation system and/or a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

The Touring model gives all of the above, plus parking sensors, roof rails, a premium 10-speaker audio system, and driver memory functions.

Find the best price deals on a 2012 Honda Fit Sport.

The Honda Fit has been around since 2001 in Asia, but was introduced to the US for the 2007 model year.  It is a 5-door subcompact hatchback that is currently in its second generation.  On pretty much every continent except North America and Asia, it is known as the Jazz.  When it was introduced in Japan in 2001, it was so popular that it outsold the Toyota Corolla, and was the bestseller in Japan for a total of nine of the twelve months of 2002.

The Fit has been quite popular in the US, and has remained near the top of its market segment.  The Fit is actually the car most cited in reviews of other subcompacts.  Its unique marketing propositions are that it has just a little more zip than other subcompacts, and the exterior styling is both attractive and very aerodynamic.

The 2012 Honda Fit Sport is the higher of two trim levels.  It has a 1.5 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower and 106 foot-pounds of torque.  It has 16-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, and goes from zero to sixty in 9.5 seconds.

The Honda Fit Sport comes with a tilt-telescope, leather-covered steering wheel that houses the audio and cruise controls.  It also has front bucket seats, a 60/40 split-folding rear seatback, cloth upholstery, keyless entry, power mirrors, power windows, a 12-volt power outlet, air conditioning, a rear spoiler, a chrome exhaust tip, a rear wiper, a rear defogger, foglights, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 160 watts of output, 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, a radio data system, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod input.

The Fit Sport also comes with antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints.  There are no US Government tests yet, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it their highest score of good for side impact and frontal offset impact, and their second-best score of acceptable for roof strength.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

Honda has done a great job of giving a small car made with lighter, less-expensive materials look like a more expensive car, both inside and out.  The interior, though some of the materials are hard plastic, looks very nice, and the design is practical while still attractive.  A few of the controls are counter-intuitive to some, but they are well-placed once you get used to them.

There is more cabin space than you would expect in a subcompact.  The combined head and legroom measurements are 81.7 inches in the front seat and 73.5 inches in the back seat.  The seats themselves are very comfortable for a compact, while still providing decent support.

In addition, the back seat folds down for a flat cargo surface.  There are 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, and a total of 57.3 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.  You can even fold the front seat down flat to carry objects up to 8 feet long.

The Fit is very maneuverable, partially because of its size, and partially because of  well-adjusted steering and suspension.    As you may expect from the name, the Fit Sport is tuned for sporty performance, and even trades a bit of fuel economy for extra response from the accelerator.  The steering is very responsive, and the steering radius is small.  The suspension keeps body roll to a minimum and the spoiler helps the Fit Sport hug the road.

The ride is more typical of a subcompact.  It is a little bit stiff because of the tightly-adjusted suspension.  The cabin is very quiet for its price range.  There is some buffering that keeps out a lot of the wind, engine, and road noise.  The aerodynamic tweaks help with the wind noise, too.

All in all, the Honda Fit is a great little car in what is rapidly becoming a competitive market segment.  It is a good choice for a single, couple, or a very young family.   It can be used for short commutes or long trips.  It also proves that a subcompact doesn’t have to be boring.

The verdict: if you can sacrifice a few miles per gallon of fuel economy for a more engaging driving experience, the Honda Fit is a good fit.

Optional equipment and the other trim level:

The Fit can be equipped with an automatic transmission.  The mileage is the same on the Sport, but it increases to 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway in the base, because the computer is programmed to use less fuel.  This, of course, decreases performance.  It all depends on what is important to you.

Bluetooth is available as an option on the Sport, as is a touchscreen navigation system with a digital audio card reader and voice controls.

The lowest trim is the base.  It has a more conservative suspension than the Sport does, and lacks the rear spoiler.  Here are the other things you give up with the Base trim: the leather-wrapped steering wheel, two speakers, foglights, the sport body kit with chrome exhaust kit.  Also, your 16-inch alloy wheels turn to 15-inch steel wheels.

We chose the Sport trim because it is different from the rest of the market.  Most of the smaller cars are concentrating on being mileage misers, with great success.  The Fit Sport just lets ‘er rip, forgets about stellar mileage, and gives you a great behind-the-wheel experience.  Despite the extra horses and cleverly fast gear ratios, the mileage isn’t all that bad, either.

The subcompact market segment is one of the most-improved segments in the business right now.  The Honda Fit is one of the reasons why.  We always suggest looking around, but we also don’t think you can go wrong with the Fit.

Anytime a subcompact gets high scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it is great news for the consumer.  It forces everyone else in the market to improve their product.  The bottom line: it is a lot safer to buy a subcompact in 2012 than it was in 2000.

Daily special deal!

2008 Honda Accord 2.4 EX-L, 34,059 miles.

2.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine, 190 horsepower, 5-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 17-inch alloy wheels, P225/50R17 all season tires, 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, 8-way power driver’s seat with height and lumbar adjustment, bucket front seats, leather upholstery, power windows, mirrors, locks, keyless entry, power steering, cruise control, leather-covered, tilt-telescope steering wheel with cruise and audio controls on wheel, 2-zone climate control, leather trim on doors, automatic headlights, audio system with AM/FM radio, 6-CD/MP3 changer, satellite radio, audio jack.

Safety features: traction control, stability control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, ABS.

The Honda Accord is a mid to full-size sedan with a spacious interior made with high-quality materials.  It has 14 cubic feet of trunk space.  The Honda Accord is traditionally manufactured with sporty handling and a comfortable ride; the 2008 Accord didn’t disappoint.  The steering and suspension are both a bit tight, which makes for great response and minimal body roll.  It doesn’t come at the expense of the ride, either.  The Accord’s ride is smooth and fairly lush.

While it doesn’t do anything spectacularly, it does everything right.  There are absolutely no negatives to this car other than trade-offs and nit-picking.  It also keeps its resale value very well.

Here’s another Honda Accord available in the St Louis area now:

2010 Honda Accord 2.4 LX, 4,795 miles.

2.4 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine, 177 horsepower, 5-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 16-inch steel wheels, P215/60R16 94H tires, 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway.

Tilt-telescope steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, bucket front seats with driver height adjustment, folding rear seatback, cloth upholstery, keyless entry, power mirrors, power windows, speed-proportional power steering, air conditioning, rear defogger, variable intermittent wipers, audio system with 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

Safety features: traction control, stability control, ABS, side front airbags, side curtain airbags.

The Accord was softened a little between 2008 and 2010.  The handling is a bit less sporty, and there is a bit more body roll, but the ride is a bit nicer.  Like its predecessors, the 2010 Accord doesn’t really do anything great, but does almost everything well.  Safety ratings from the IIHS were high, and it does hold its resale value well.

The 2010 Accord gives you lots of space in a very reliable car.  It won’t attract a lot of attention, but it will get you from point A to point B with a minimum of drama.

Please feel free to browse through our extensive database of both local and national dealers.  When buying any car, please remember to contact as many dealers as possible.  This will ensure that you are able to take maximum advantage of this database and get the best possible price.  We recommend contacting a minimum of three dealers, and ideally as many as you can handle.

The Honda Fit has been around since 2001, but the first model year in the US was the 2007.  It is now in its second generation.  It is a small, economy hatchback with a very sporty attitude.  With most cars, the “sport” trim involves a tighter suspension.  With the Fit, it just has a different set of conveniences.  The suspension and steering already come tuned for sport on the base model.

The 2010 Honda Fit Sport is the second of two trim levels.  It has a 1.5 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower.  It has 16-inch alloy wheels, low-profile tires, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

The Fit Sport comes with a leather-wrapped, tilt-telescope steering wheel that houses the audio and cruise controls, front bucket seats with a fold flat passenger seat, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, cloth upholstery, keyless entry, full-power accessories, air conditioning, a rear spoiler, a rear wiper, a rear defogger, foglights, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod input.

The Fit also comes with antilock brakes, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, and traction control, but no stability control.  The US government gave it a perfect 5 stars for frontal impacts and 5 stars for side impact front passenger, but 4 stars for side impact rear passenger protection.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, meanwhile, gave the Fit its highest score of “good’ in side and front impacts.

The absence of stability control makes the Fit more likely to roll over than a car with ESC.  The Fit got 4 stars out of five from the government for rollover protection, and the second-best rating of “acceptable” for roof strength from the IIHS.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The Fit is one of “those” cars that seems larger on the inside than it is on the outside.  There is plenty of headroom and legroom in both the front and rear seats.  In addition, the seats are comfortable enough that 4 adults could take a long trip in this car with no problem.  There is a total of 57.3 cubic feet of storage space if you fold the rear seat down, with 20.6 of it behind the seats.

Appropriately, the Fit drives and rides like a little sport hatchback.  It is nimble and agile, with great response from the steering and suspension.  Somehow, it doesn’t detract from the ride.  The curb weight is 2,500 pounds, which makes the engine more than large enough to provide a bit of punch to the accelerator during acceleration and highway driving.  The engine is a bit noisy on the highway, though.

All in all, this is a fun car to drive.  It is often the first car mentioned by experts as a point of comparison when talking about other small cars.  We don’t like the combination of sporty performance and no ESC, though.

The verdict: a great car for a talented, “old-school” driver who knows how to keep a car from rolling over.  Otherwise, you might want to opt for the 2011 model, which added ESC and front head restraints to make this car perfect.

Honda might be a Japanese company, but the Pilot is about as American as it gets.  It is made in Alabama, and was originally created to fill US demand for a midsize crossover with third row seats.  The Pilot is in its second generation.  It has the unibody construction of a car, but has been made to look more like a truck and given towing capability.

The 2010 Honda Pilot EX is a midsize crossover SUV that seats eight.  It has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque.  It has 17-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

The Pilot EX comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, an 8-way power driver’s seat with height and lumbar adjustments, 60/40 split-folding bench seats in both the second and third row, cloth upholstery, full-power accessories, cruise control, 3-zone climate control, 12-volt outlets in the front, rear, and cargo areas, a rear defogger, a rear wiper, a rear liftgate door with manual window, foglights, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 6 conventional speakers, a subwoofer, AM/FM/satellite radio, a 6-Cd/MP3 changer, and an audio jack.

The Pilot also comes with antilock brakes, brake hill holder, brake assist, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, and active front head restraints.  The Pilot got perfect test scores in all front impact and side impact tests from both the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The Pilot has a truck-like interior.  That means it doesn’t have a lot of frills.  The dash is a bit busy with controls, but everything else is straightforward.  It looks more like it was built as a work truck than as a passenger vehicle.  There is plenty of space, though.

The front seats are very spacious, while both of the back rows can comfortably seat three adults.  There is plenty of headroom all around, but the seats are a bit lower to the ground than many people like, necessitating a “knees up” seating position for many.  The seats themselves are firm and comfortable.  The total cargo space with the seats folded is 87 cubic feet, including 18 cubic feet behind the seating area.

If Honda is trying to make this vehicle both look and feel a lot like a truck, they have succeeded.  The handling is very truck-like, with a bit of a lag in steering, and the suspension gives a lot of body roll, partially due to the curb weight of 4310 pounds.  That means you have to slow down a bit on curves and corners.  The engine has enough power to get from point A to point B, and is OK for cruising at highway speeds, but acceleration can be a bit trying.

For all of this, the ride itself is great.  The suspension provides a very lush ride, not quite like a luxury car, but quite comfortable nonetheless.

If you are looking for an exciting vehicle to drive, this won’t work for you.  If you are looking for a very reliable crossover for family use, and would like to protect your family with a vehicle that obtained perfect crash-test scores, you will probably like this one very much.

The verdict: highly recommended for families whose kids play organized sports.

2010 was the last year of the third generation Odyssey.  It has been around since 1995, and was Honda’s first minivan.  It seats five, with an option for eight.  Even though the third generation Odyssey got a “mid-generational refresh” in 2008, the fourth generation in 2011 was a welcome arrival.  It was still a great minivan for the right demographic, but it was in danger of being overtaken by its competition.

The 2010 Honda Odyssey LX is a seven-seat minivan, and is the lowest of four trim levels.  It has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 244 horsepower.  It has 16-inch steel wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

The Odyssey LX comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, front bucket seats with driver’s height adjustment, a split-folding, reclining second row seats, a split-folding third row bench seat, cruise control, full-power accessories, 12-volt outlets in the front and rear, cloth upholstery, 2-zone air conditioning, a rear defogger, and a rear wiper.  The audio system has 4 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

The Odyssey also comes with side front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, antilock brakes, stability control, traction control,  and a rollover sensor.  The Odysssey aced all front and side impact tests by the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, getting a perfect 5 stars from the government and highest scores of “good” from the IIHS.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

One of the great things about a minivan is that passenger space is never an issue.  The Odyssey won’t disappoint in that department.  It seats seven comfortably, and has an extra eighth seat that can work for a small passenger on a short hop.  Also, there is a total of 147 cubic feet of cargo space if you remove all of the rear seats, 91 cubic feet if you remove only the third row, and 38.4 cubic feet with all of the seats intact.

The design is a bit plain for 2010, and the materials are mostly hard and inexpensive.  This works great for a minivan being used for kids, but adults might not like the aesthetics.  Some have a bit of trouble navigating the controls on the dash, too.

For all of its flaws, the handling and ride are almost flawless.  The Odyssey handles more like a sport coupe, with responsive steering and suspension that gives immediate feedback and keeps body roll to a minimum.  Somehow, this doesn’t detract from the ride, which is one of the best in its market segment.  The engine is powerful enough for good acceleration and smooth highway driving, though you will get a bit of road noise.

Ultimately, this is a great soccer mom minivan.  The hard materials make it easier to clean if kids are making messes, and more durable for the extra wear and tear they often cause.

The verdict: highly recommended for soccer moms and little league coaches.  Anyone else might want to wait for the 2011 model or check out the competition.

The Honda CR-V was the second-most popular crossover SUV in the US for the first half of 2011.  The CR-V has been around since 1996, and is in its third generation.  It is a ‘tweener crossover SUV that is somewhere between compact and midsize.  Honda has built a very nice niche with this crossover.

The 2010 Honda CR-V LX is the lowest of four trim levels.  It has a 2.4 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 180 horsepower.  It has 17-inch steel wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

The CR-V LX comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, front captain’s chairs with driver height adjustment, a split-folding rear seat, cloth upholstery, cruise control, 12-volt outlets in the front and rear seats, standard air conditioning, a rear defogger, an intermittent rear wiper, a rear liftgate door, and a trip computer.  The audio system has 4 speakers, an AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

The CR-V also comes with side front airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, and antilock brakes.  In tests by both the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the CR-V got perfect marks for front impact and side impact protection.  It got the second-worst rating of “marginal” in a roof-strength test given by the IIHS, though.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The CR-V’s interior is very nice for its market segment.  The controls and design are very practical, while the materials are mostly high-quality and soft-touch.  There is plenty of both headroom and legroom and the front and rear seats, and there are 35.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats.  If you fold the rear seats down, you can get 73 cubic feet of space.  There is also a divider in the rear cargo area that allows you to stack your cargo in two tiers, thus making maximum use of its already ample space.

The CR-V has very good handling.  The steering and suspension are tweaked toward sporty performance, with responsive steering and a firm ride with almost no body roll.  The engine is tepid, but is more than enough for family use or commuting.

The only real negatives here are roof-strength and a bit of road noise.

The verdict: a good choice for conservative driving, but we would prefer a stronger roof.

The Honda Accord was the second-best selling car in the US the first half of 2011.
The Accord has been around since 1976, and is currently on its eighth generation.  It has undergone a lot of change, but is still essentially a reliable but inexpensive midsize sedan that holds its resale value very well.

The 2010 Honda Accord LX is a midsize sedan, and is the lowest of four trim levels.  It has a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine that produces 177 horsepower.  It has 16-inch steel wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It is rated at 22 mpg in the city, and 31 mpg on the highway.

The Accord LX comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, an 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support and height adjustment, a folding rear seat, cloth upholstery, cruise control, full power accessories, a power sunroof, a rear defogger, and keyless entry.  The audio system has 8 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

The Accord also comes with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, side front airbags, and side curtain airbags.  In government tests, the Accord received 3 stars for rear passenger side impact, 4 stars for front passenger side impact, and 5 stars for all front impact tests.  It received the highest scores of “good” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in front and side impact tests.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The Accord’s interior has long been known as the best interior in its class.  They use high-quality materials and go out of their way to provide a great visual experience for their customers.  The rest of the world is starting to catch up, but the Accord still has a very nice interior.  The only quibble many have is the amount of buttons on the dash.  Some find them confusing and impractical.

The Accord is the king of cabin space in the midsize class.  There is plenty of headroom and legroom in both the front and rear seats, and squeezing that fifth passenger into the rear seat isn’t as much of a squeeze in this car as it is in many others.  The negative here is that many find the seats to be uncomfortable for longer trips.  The trunk is average for its class, with 14 cubic feet of trunk space.

Part of the Accord’s unique marketing proposition compared to the Camry was a sportier feel to the steering and suspension.  The eighth generation Accord, though, is tweaked more toward the Camry.  The problem is that it doesn’t succeed in being a Camry, nor does it any longer have its unique marketing proposition.  What Honda has done with the Accord is to make the steering, handling, and ride average, thus losing its edge.

Also, the engine, while enough for conservative acceleration, becomes noisy when challenged, either during acceleration or on the highway.

The verdict: still a decent car, but caught in an evolutionary bind.  We are waiting for the ninth generation Accord.

If it seems like the Honda Civic has been around forever, it’s because, for anyone under 40 years old, it has.  The Civic was introduced in 1972.  Since then, it has become an industry icon.  The Civic has a reputation as a safe, reliable compact car that gets good fuel economy, has great resale value, and just enough of a hint of attitude to keep the driver from being bored.  The EX-L fits right in.

The 2010 Honda Civic EX-L is a compact sedan, and is the sixth of nine trim levels.  It has a 1.8 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 horsepower. It comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It is rated at 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.  Estimates of its zero to sixty time are a bit under 9 seconds.

The EX-L comes with a leather-wrapped, tilt-telescope steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, heated front bucket seats, split-folding rear seats, leather upholstery, full power accessories, air conditioning, a sunroof, and a rear defogger.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod interface.

The Civic also comes with front side airbags, side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, and active front head restraints.  The Civic Sedan got perfect scores of 5 stars in front impact tests and front passenger side impact from the US government, and 4 stars for side impact rear passengers.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Civic its best scores of “good” in front and side impact tests.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is a bit different than what you are used to.  It takes awhile to get used to, but the speedometer and gas gauge are at the base of the windshield.  It means you don’t have to look down nearly as far to see it as you would in a “normal” car.  The interior design is practical but not particularly ornate, and the materials are of average quality.

The cabin space is very good for a compact.  The seats provide decent headroom and legroom in both the front and the rear, and the seats themselves are comfortable.  Rear seat passengers may fare better on long trips in the Civic than in a few of the more popular midsize cars.  There are 12 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk.

The Civic is adjusted slightly more for great handling than a comfortable ride.  The result is very responsive steering, a fairly tight suspension, and a little bit of road feel for the passengers.  The engine is enough for the car, but does get a bit noisy during acceleration and at higher speeds.

All in all, the Civic is a very nice compact, and is slightly more fun to drive than to ride in.  Despite the engine noise, it is still one of the most reliable cars on the market.  The crash test scores are comforting, too.

The verdict: highly recommended.

Estimated price from: $24,363

The Honda Accord Crosstour EX Hatchback is the ultimate crossover.  It is a cross between a crossover, a wagon, and a hatchback.  Think of it as a giant Accord hatchback with lots of headroom, extra clearance from the ground, and lots of cargo space.  The Accord has been one of Honda’s most popular vehicles, so any permutation is worth taking a look at.

The 2010 Honda Accord Crossover EX is the lower of two trim levels and seats five.  It has a 3.5 liter V6 engine that produces 271 horsepower.  It has 17-inch wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  It is rated at 18 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and goes from zero to sixty in 7.5 seconds.

The Crosstour EX comes with a 10-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, 4-way power front passenger seat, tilt-telescope steering wheel, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, 2-zone climate control, a sunroof, and foglights.  The audio system has 7 speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

The Crosstour also comes with stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake-assist, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is typical Honda.  The dash is a bit busy, while the rest of the cabin is understated, with high-quality materials and functional design.  There is plenty of headroom and legroom all around.  Because the Accord Crosstour is bigger than a normal accord, the hatchback curve doesn’t affect the seating area.  The total cargo space with the rear seats folded is 51.3 cubic feet, with 25.7 of them behind the seating area.

The Crosstour drives and rides like a bigger Accord; go figure.  The engine is enough for reasonable acceleration and smooth operation at highway speeds.  The steering is accurate and responsive.  The ride is like the Accord, but with a little heavier feel.  In other words, just a tad firm but still very comfortable.

The consensus of industry “experts” is that the Crosstour doesn’t succeed at being a good crossover.  They look at it as a crossover SUV and slam its “lack of cargo space” or “lack of a third row.”  However, if you look at it as a big hatchback that gets decent mileage and has plenty of space for five people, without making those sitting in the back seat have to hunch their heads down, the Crosstour is a success.

The verdict: forget the “experts.”  This is a very nice crossover crossover.