2004 Honda Odyssey Ex Mini Passenger Van 5-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Top 10 small cars with the longest total driving range

Editor's Note: Since this article was originally posted in the spring of 2015, much has changed in the automotive landscape, especially among those shopping for small car economy. With thanks to Volkswagen for their blatant cheating – and subsequent cover-up – on diesel emissions, the largest player in the diesel passenger car segment isn't playing – they're paying; billions are going for both car buybacks and federally-imposed penalties. And for a few VW execs there exists the very real possibility of jail. With the absence of a big player and the abrupt entrance – via Chevy's new Bolt – of an affordable EV with 200+ miles of range, we've limited the diesel listings to Jaguar's new XE. And for those wanting an updated look at efficiency and range, Autoblog has it – or the EPA has it. Long before electric vehicles were part of the mainstream conversation, car lovers and skinflints alike would boast about the total range of their vehicles. There's something about getting farther down the road on one tank of gas that inflames the competitive spirit, almost as much as horsepower output or top speed. Of course, the vehicles with the very best range on today's market are almost all big trucks and SUVs; virtually all have the ability to carry massive reserves of fuel. Top up a standard Chevy Suburban and you can expect to travel almost 700 miles (you'll need to stop before the Suburban stops...), while a diesel-fed Jeep Grand Cherokee manages almost as many. But what about vehicles that are smaller? The EPA has, essentially, three classifications for 'small' vehicles: Minicompact, Subcompact and Compact. All three are measured based on interior volume, meaning that some cars with rather large exterior dimensions and engines slot in next to traditional small cars. But even though impressive GT coupes from Porsche, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz may have much larger gas tanks to feed their powerful engines, that capacity is offset by higher rates of consumption... in most cases. We used the EPA's Fuel Economy Guide for model year 2017 cars as a start, calculating the official highway miles per gallon rating with each vehicle's tank capacity. The resulting numbers aren't necessarily real world, but they do offer a spectrum for total theoretical range. The eventual top ten surprised me on a few occasions, and comprised quite a varied list of vehicles. 10.

Renewed deal continues to give Honda power to Ariel models

You can expect to hear screaming Honda engines in Ariel's stripped down vehicles for even longer; the two companies have just reaffirmed their exclusive powerplant supply deal in the UK. Ariel's models have used Honda power for the last 16 years. Just in time for the updated agreement, the eight technicians at the sports car brand's tiny factory just completed their 1,500th model with the Japanese automaker's high-revving engine. The basic Atom in the UK comes with the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter K20Z engine, and Ariel fits the mill with an exhaust and custom ECU tuning to make 245 horsepower. An optional supercharger can push the output to 310 hp or up to 350 hp. The top versions can reach 60 miles per hour in less than 2.7 seconds and a top speed over 155 mph. Ariel's other products have different Honda powerplants. The company's new Nomad uses a 2.4-liter K24 with 235 hp, and an optional supercharger can give the off-roader 290 hp. For those that prefer two wheels, the Ace motorcycle packs a 1,237cc V4 with 173 hp. In the US, the Atom wasn't always available with Honda power. Brammo, which previously imported the sports cars here, fitted them with a 2.0-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine from General Motors. Ariel toyed with other powerplants, too, like its 500-horsepower V8 in the Atom 500. HONDA (UK) AND ARIEL RENEW EXCLUSIVE ENGINE SUPPLY DEAL AS 1,500TH HONDA-POWERED ARIEL ROARS OUT OF THE FACTORY Honda (UK) and Ariel renew exclusive engine supply deal as 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel roars out of the (very small) factory Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company renew exclusive engine supply deal for Atom and Nomad 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel in 16 years roars out of the factory Supercharged Civic Type R engine delivers a scorching 350bhp and top speed of more than 155mph in the famed Ariel Atom Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company have renewed their 16-year strong exclusive engine supply agreement which sees the famed Atom powered by the Civic Type R engine, and the new off-road Nomad by the Civic 2.4 unit. The news comes as the two brands celebrate the 1500th Honda-powered Ariel roaring out of the small factory in Somerset, where just eight highly skilled build technicians spend 100-200 hours painstakingly hand-crafting one vehicle each at a time, from start to finish. Over the last 16 years 1,500 new Ariels have been built here – just a few day's work for Honda's Civic-producing Swindon plant.

Mixed sales results, but automaker stocks rise on need for cars in Houston

DETROIT — The Big Three Detroit automakers on Friday reported better-than-expected August sales and issued optimistic outlooks for demand as residents of the Houston area replace flood-damaged cars and trucks after Hurricane Harvey, sending their stocks higher. General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler posted mixed August U.S. sales, with GM up 7.5 percent and Ford and Fiat Chrysler down. Japanese automaker Toyota improved sales by nearly 7 percent, while Honda fell 2.4 percent. Still, analysts focused on the potential for Detroit automakers to cut inventories and stabilize used vehicle prices as residents of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, are forced to replace tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of vehicles after the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Mark LaNeve, Ford's U.S. sales chief, told analysts on Friday that following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 "we saw a very dramatic snapback" in demand. That said, Ford sales fell 2.1 percent in August. It sold 209,897 vehicles in the United States, compared with 214,482 a year earlier. Sales were down 1.9 percent in the Ford division and off 5.8 percent at Lincoln. Demand was down for cars, crossovers and SUVs. It was not clear how many vehicles in the Houston area will be scrapped, LaNeve said, saying he had seen estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 to 1 million. Ford's Houston dealers may have lost fewer than 5,000 vehicles in inventory, he said. Ford is the No. 1 automaker in the Houston market, with 18 percent share, according to IHS Markit. The company plans to ship used vehicles to Houston dealers and has "every indication we would have to add some production" of new vehicles to meet demand, LaNeve said. Investor concerns about inventories of unsold vehicles and falling used car prices have weighed on Detroit automakers' shares most of this year. Now, automakers can anticipate a jolt of demand from a big market that is a stronghold for Detroit brand trucks and SUVs. "It's got to be a positive for the industry," LaNeve said. Investors appeared to agree. GM shares rose as much as 3.3 percent to their highest since early March. Ford increased 2.8 percent at $11.34, and Fiat Chrysler's U.S.-traded shares were up 5.2 percent $15.91, hitting their highest in more than five years. GM reported a 7.5 percent increase in U.S. auto sales in August, helped by robust sales of crossovers across its four brands.