2012 Honda Civic Ex Sedan 4-door A/t 1.8l Low Miles Sunroof Moonroof on 2040-cars

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Honda says Accord is America's best-selling car among actual consumers

The latest round of new vehicle registration data has been good for Honda - three of the Japanese brand's models are retail sales leaders and the Accord was the most registered car built in America in 2013, according to the data compiled by Polk. In fact, 360,089 units of the family sedan were purchased by individual consumers last year, an increase of 12.2 percent.
There was also good news from the Civic and CR-V camps, as those two models topped their respective segments in terms of retail (non-fleet) sales, with each notching over 300,000 registrations. Combined with the Accord, this trio of Hondas accounted for a whopping 1.11 million retail sales last year.
Honda spokesperson Sage Marie reflected on Polk's findings, telling Autoblog:

The Honda Ridgeline returns for 2017

The midsize truck segment is red hot right now, thanks to the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, not to mention the redesigned Toyota Tacoma. So after killing the unibody Ridgeline truck a few years ago, Honda's back with another attempt. The 2017 Ridgeline keeps all of the old truck's rhythms intact, in a fresh, modern package. Slab-sided and with a tweaked version of the new Pilot's face, the Ridgeline is at the very least a brawny looking pickup. Honda says the truck's bed is five feet wide and five feet, four inches long, two figures that are larger than the first-gen Ridgeline, not to mention the four-door versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. But while those trucks offer different cab and bed configurations, the Ridgeline should be a one-size-fits-all affair. Keeping with that theme, the Ridgeline only offers V6 power, courtesy of Honda's excellent 3.5-liter VTEC six-pot. Honda doesn't give any power figures, but the Pilot does its job with 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, so we expect similar numbers for the Ridgeline. But here, Honda will forgo the Pilot's nine-speed automatic in favor of a more traditional six-speed box. An optional torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system is available, but base Ridgelines will send power to the front axle only. Yes, a front-wheel-drive pickup truck. This one's definitely not for those who need true truck capability. Here's the best thing we can say about the new Ridgeline: it will continue to be a stellar tailgating partner. The first-gen truck was perfect for partying before a big game. There was room for four, and the ample bed had plenty of room for stuff and featured a unique dual-opening tailgate for easy unloading. The highlight, though, was a drainable, water-tight, 8.5-cubic-foot compartment built into the bed. A bed to sit in, and a place for the drinks. And a secure place to hold cargo the rest of the time. Those innovative features are joined by an industry first in-bed stereo system. In the cabin, that stereo system will be able to pump out the tunes from an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that comes complete with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

Recharge Wrap-up: Pikes Peak Honda CR-Z, Tesla's liquid-cooled cable

Honda will race a CR-Z hybrid in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car will use Electric SH-AWD, which probably means it will be using electric motors to power the rear wheels. Whether the Pikes Peak CR-Z uses the same powertrain as the upcoming Acura NSX or the 3.5-liter V6 with three-motor hybrid system used in the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is still unclear. The car will also use Acura's Precision All-Wheel Steering (P-AWS) system. The CR-Z will be piloted by Tetsuya Yamano. Read more at Hybrid Cars, or, if you read Japanese, at Response. Tesla has introduced a thinner, liquid-cooled Supercharger cable. While the convenience of not having to "wrestle a good-sized snake into the car," as Elon Musk calls it in a shareholder speech, is wonderful, it could also allow for faster charging in the future. The liquid-cooled charging cable "also has the potential for increased power of the Supercharger long-term," says Musk. A cable able to withstand larger loads could mean shorter stops when it's time for a charge. Tesla has installed the first next-generation cable at the Mountain View Supercharger. Read more at Charged EVs. Smart is offering its Twinamic automatic dual-clutch transmission on more models in Europe. In addition to the 71-horsepower Smart Fortwo, the DCT will now be available in the 90-horsepower Fortwo and the 71-horsepower Forfour. In the Fortwo, the Twinamic DCT adds ˆ1,275 (about $1,437) to the price over the manual transmission, and is an extra ˆ1,425 (about $1,606) in the Forfour. The option of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters as part of the Sport package makes driving the efficient microcar even more fun. Deliveries of the newly equipped vehicles begin at the end of July. Read more in the press release below. smart extends twinamic range for fortwo and forfour: Even more models with automatic transmission Stuttgart. Following in the footsteps of the smart fortwo with 52 kW/71 hp, the smart fortwo with 66 kW/90 hp and the smart forfour with 52 kW/71 hp are now also available with fully automatic twinamic dual clutch transmission. This costs an extra 1275 euros compared to the versions with 5-speed manual transmission (forfour: 1425 euros). This means that both model series now offer a choice between no fewer than nine engine/transmission combinations. Delivery of the new models will begin at the end of July 2015.