2001 Honda Accord Lx on 2040-cars

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A best-seller that's better than ever | 2017 Honda CR-V First Drive

Compact utility vehicles make up the largest single segment in the American automotive industry. And with good reason – crossovers today very nearly match up with sedans in refinement and driving manners while providing respectable fuel efficiency and lots of cargo capacity. People buy them because they are practical, potentially filling multiple needs with just one vehicle. The Honda CR-V was the best-selling vehicle in the compact CUV segment last year, and it has been redesigned for 2017. Major updates mean more space inside for passengers and cargo, a bit more power and efficiency from a new 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and a quieter, more comfortable driving experience. The previous CR-V was already one of the best vehicles in its class, and the fully redesigned 2017 CR-V remains the best bet for your buck. The first thing we noticed about the 2017 Honda CR-V was its size. We're all used to vehicles getting successively larger with every new generation, and true to form, Honda's compact crossover isn't really very compact anymore. The 2017 edition's wheelbase has been stretched 1.6 inches over the previous CR-V's, and it's 1.4 inches taller and 1.2 inches longer overall. Thankfully, those extra inches equal more room inside. Rear-seat passengers get more than two extra inches of legroom compared to the 2016 CR-V for a total of 40.4 inches. Competitors like the Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, and Toyota RAV4 all have around 37 inches of rear legroom. With the back seats folded flat, the cargo area is nearly 10 inches longer than before. There's 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, or 75.8 with the second row folded. Those capacities are at least as good as those of its main competitors, though it's worth noting that the Rogue is offered with a small third row for a total of seven seats. Honda designers did a decent job of masking the new CR-V's bigness with shapely bodywork highlighted by muscular, bulging fenders and detailed lighting elements front and rear. A prominent horizontal chrome bar leads the way, flanked by LED headlights with strong Nike-swoosh-shaped daytime running lights. The rear light clusters are massive, with a clear plastic enclosure that juts far out from the bodywork. It's strange, then, that the actual amber turn signals are small vertical slits that don't really stand out in daylight.

No S660 for US, but Honda wants sporty cars

Honda, best known lately for being a mainstream player rather than the brand that brought us the CRX Si, NSX, Integra Type-R, and S2000, apparently wants to builds sporty cars for the US again. With that in mind (or not), Honda has ruled out bringing the tiny, sporty S660 roadster across the Pacific. "I wouldn't put my chips on [the S660]," American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel told Automotive News. At nearly 11.1 feet long, the S660 slots in between the 12.8-foot Mazda MX-5 Miata and the 8.8-foot Smart ForTwo. Yet Mendel says the tiny two-seater wouldn't work here. "When the practicalities of the market come in, and the car only so big, that might not be the best car for the US market," Mendel said. "It might be better for India or China or somewhere else." Honda is considering its options here in the US, though. As AN reports, after his takeover earlier this year, new CEO Takahiro Hachigo promised more sporting models, like the new, US-bound, 300-horsepower Civic Type R. And while it's no secret that Honda has filed patent drawings for a mid-engine model, Mendel offered little to indicate that it'd become a reality. Calling the project from Honda's Silicon Valley research and design facility a "design study," Mendel wouldn't answer AN when it asked whether this new model was successor to the S2000 or a more attainable, lower-powered NSX. He did, however, say his company was getting pressure from dealers over the lack of verve in the company's lineup. "They want anything in the sports car world," Mendel told AN. "They're going, 'Gimme a sports car.' They want a retractable hardtop; they want a high-horsepower $20,000 sports car. Because that's the nature of what they do." There you are, Honda. Your dealers want it, which means your consumers are probably are asking for it, and your CEO wants it, too. Make something happen.

Honda updates Takata airbag recall status for some models

The net enveloping vehicles in the Takata airbag inflator recall just seems to keep widening. Honda is now updating its previous campaign to revise the status for even more models that were ever registered in (or originally sold in) 13 high-humidity US states and territories.
All of these vehicles were included in the company's earlier repairs. However, at the time this fix was titled "a safety improvement campaign." This latest action upgrades that condition to "a formal recall," according to Honda's official statement. The models include: the 2003-2005 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic (pictured above), 2002-2005 CR-V, 2003-2004 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003-2005 Acura MDX and the 2005 Acura RL. All of these need to have their passenger-side, front airbag inflator replaced, and the recall affects Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam and American Samoa.
As with the rest of these affected vehicles, it's possible in a collision for the inflator to rupture spraying metal shrapnel at occupants. There are at least 139 injuries attributed to this problem from a variety of automakers so far. Among this latest population of vehicles, Honda says there have been no confirmed injuries or fatalities related to these exploding inflators.