2013 Honda Fit 33 Hwy Mpg Automatic Transmission And Low Miles on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is Honda working on airbags for smartphones?

Smartphones are expensive yet delicate - a single impact on a hard surface can shatter their touchscreens, often damaging them beyond repair. Fitting a case offers only so much protection, but what about an airbag? Honda has explored the concept with the airbag-equipped Case N and even made a video about it. But alas, it isn't real.
For some reason, we really want it to be. Honda has a knack for surprising us with nearly unbelievable inventions designed to improve mankind's quality of life, contraptions like the Walking Assist Device and the UNI-CUB personal mobility devices, so the Case N isn't as far-fetched an idea for the company as you might think.
Head below to watch the video, where you can see the Case N concept in action. You'll also see its generous proportions, which is one reason why it's just a case of Honda humor - not (yet) a market reality.

Junkyard Gem: 2001 Acura MDX

The point of the Junkyard Gems series is to share automotive history, and the period of the middle 1990s through early 2000s is a very interesting one for U.S.-market new vehicles. The SUV revolution went into high gear with the introduction of the 1991 Ford Explorer and 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and sales of sedans, hatchbacks, and minivans began their steady decline. The Detroit companies were in good shape to cash in on the commuter-truck craze, with plenty of additional models ready for a quick slathering of luxury features. Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Isuzu were ready as well … but Honda was completely unprepared for the Next Big Thing at that point. With American sales absolutely critical to Honda (which has never held much market share for four-wheeled vehicles in its home country), a deal was made to rebadge the Isuzu Trooper as the Acura SLX and the Isuzu Rodeo as the Honda Passport while an all-Honda big SUV could be developed. That SUV was the Acura MDX, which debuted for the 2001 model year. Here's one of those first-year MDXs, a huge turning point in Honda history, found in a Denver-area self-service boneyard recently. Oh, sure, Honda began selling the CR-V over here in 1997 and so wasn't completely out of the SUV game during the 1990s, but that little Civic-based machine was never going to lure away many Explorer or even Montero shoppers. The MDX was a proper three-row crossover SUV, despite being based on the same platform as the not-so-imposing Accord, and a Honda-badged version (the Pilot) followed two years later. Here's that third row, which looks quite cramped, but so what? MDX sales started out respectable and stayed that way. Every 2001-2013 MDX ever sold here came with a VTEC-equipped V6, automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive (some later MDXs could be bought with front-wheel-drive). This engine is a 3.5-liter DOHC plant rated at 240 horsepower and 245 pound-feet, decent enough for a truck that tipped the scales at well beyond two tons. The MSRP on this truck was $34,370, which amounts to around $58,260 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars. The base '01 Ford Explorer started at just $25,210, but the swankified Eddie Bauer Edition was better-suited to the Acura-shopper demographic and listed at $32,025. You could buy a new Montero XLS and do some serious off-roading for $31,397 that year, but it had warlord-grade ride to go with its warlord-grade abilities in the bundoks.

1991 Acura NSX Luggage Test: Will a Motocompacto fit in the trunk?

I know I know, the wait has been killing you. From the second the Honda Motocompacto electric scooter/suitcase was introduced, you've desperately been begging the universe to answer the following question: "Will the Honda Motocompacto fit in the trunk of a 1991 Acura NSX?" Believe me, the suspense was killing me, too. Well, rest assured, your answer is finally here.  I stumbled upon old friend Tyson Hugie and his predictably pristine 1991 Acura NSX at Radwood Socal two weekends ago. While chatting about my/his old Acura TSX finding a new home with a collector in North Carolina, a gentleman on a Honda Motocompacto whizzed by and finally pulled up to a stop among the small group of people gathered around the NSX and an Integra Type R. We initially thought it had been brought by the Honda PR rep who was attending Radwood (he did in fact have one in his trunk, an Acura 2.3 CL), but it actually belonged to the person riding it. Patrick Vidal had only just got his Motocompacto the previous Monday, but had already put it to work as his last-mile transport. He says it fits behind his seat in his Toyota MR2 Spyder, as if this story couldn't get more rad. As I stood there with Tyson and Patrick chatting about life with Honda's latest creation, I started staring at the back end of Honda's finest creation. Then I looked back at the Motocompacto ... and back again at the NSX.  "Um, do you think that would fit in the NSX's trunk?" I asked, turning to Tyson. "Oh, that's happening," he quickly replied. We asked Patrick if he'd be game, and no shocker, he was. Tyson cleared out the trunk and Patrick started the process of transforming the Motocompacto from a scooter into luggage.  The transformation is certainly not a seamless process. There's lots of steps, and Patrick said that he's still getting the hang of remembering all the bits and pieces. Again, though, he'd only had the thing for five days.  Initially, I doubted the Motocompacto would fit, but as it got smaller and NSX trunk got emptier, I got a lot more confident. "OK, let's do this," said Mr. Luggage Test, rubbing his hands together.  Officially, the 1991 Acura NSX was listed as having 5 cubic-feet of trunk volume. That's actually the same as my 1998 BMW Z3's trunk, but when you're talking about such a small amount, the shape of the space really matters and in this case, the NSX trunk is basically a big rectangular cavity with a protrusion from the engine bay.  OK, let's get to the bags.