2007 Honda Ridgeline Rtl/nav on 2040-cars

Auto blog

November U.S. new car sales mixed as automakers deepen discounts

DETROIT — Major automakers posted mixed U.S. November new vehicle sales on Friday and predicted a competitive December as they rushed to sell vehicles and boost their numbers before 2017 ends. Automakers are trying to sell down 2017 model-year vehicles, offering high discounts to consumers as the year-end nears. In 2016, the industry reported record annual sales of 17.55 million units. According to consultancies J.D. Power and LMC, discounts have been above 10 percent of the average transaction price for 16 of the past 17 months, a level experts say is unhealthy and unsustainable. The November sales results come as the National Automobile Dealers Association said on Friday it expects new vehicle sales to decline to 16.7 million units in 2018, after dropping to 17.1 million for the full year in 2017. If that forecast comes true, the race to move new vehicles off dealers' lots will only intensify next year. Brandon Mason, a director at PwC's automotive practice, said a worrying trend for the industry was a rising number of subprime loans. He said subprime levels are at just over 20 percent of originations, against more than 30 percent prior to the Great Recession, but recent increases remain a concern. "That's a bit of a red flag," Mason said. "It's something to keep an eye on as we move into 2018." November results by automaker: General Motors: Sales fell 2.9 percent, with sales to consumers flat against the same month in 2016. Much of the decrease was driven by lower fleet sales. GM said strong SUV and crossover sales pushed its average transaction price for the month above $37,000 for the first time. The level of unsold cars, which has been a concern for analysts and the industry, rose slightly to 83 days' supply, from 80 days at the end of October. "More vehicles are sold in December than any other month, and we are very well positioned because we have momentum in so many segments, but especially in crossovers," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of sales operations. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: Fleet sales are low-margin, and FCA in particular has targeted a significant reduction in this type of sale in 2017. It posted a 4 percent overall decrease in sales for November, but fleet sales were down 25 percent while sales to consumers were up 2 percent on the year. Ford: The No. 2 U.S. automaker reported a 6.7 percent increase for the month, with fleet sales up nearly 26 percent and retail sales 1.3 percent higher than in November 2016.

Boston woman's car finally free from 100 inches of snow

It's a car owner's worst winter nightmare: Snowfall so heavy that you can't dig your vehicle out of it. That's exactly what happened to Jillian Tenen, whose 2007 Honda Civic was buried in the snow in Boston for seven weeks after historic winter storms. Tenen's car was initially stuck after a snowfall in late January, but she didn't dig it out because she had the flu. "I'm 5' 2," and it was all ice, an iceberg on top of my car," she told the Boston Globe. "I couldn't reach it. I couldn't lift it. And even if I could, there was nowhere to put it. I just didn't know what to do," she said. Tenen reached out for help to the city, her insurance company and a tow truck company, but they refused to help her. Finally when the weather warmed up, Tenen used an ice chopper to get into her car. The windshield was damaged, however, the car started on its own. "If I had to do it again, I would definitely do one thing differently... I would not park on the corner," Tenen said.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe is a functional, fuel-efficient fastback

Listen, everyone was all excited when Honda introduced the new Civic Sedan, because it was a huge step forward over the previous generation. But while everyone was busy praising the new styling, more refined interior, and turbocharged engine, they were secretly pining for a more literal translation of the New York Auto Show concept car. People wanted the Civic Coupe. We wanted the Civic Coupe. And ahead of the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda has delivered. The new Coupe shamelessly apes the Civic Concept from New York, featuring a similarly svelte front end. In back, the fastback roofline and overarching taillight compete for attention without appearing busy or unnecessary, while the profile presents a more rebellious take on the greenhouse and character lines of the current Accord Coupe. Like the Civic Sedan, the Coupe gets an overhauled interior that puts emphasis on material quality and focuses on tech. That includes soft-touch, contrasting details, as well as more practical stuff like the optional TFT main gauge and seven-inch touchscreen display. Expect the powertrain options to mirror the Civic Sedan, with a naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder as a base entry and a turbocharged, 1.5-liter four-pot as the higher-end engine. Outputs and fuel economy figures are identical to the four-door Civics, while CVTs remain the transmission of choice – the only way you can snag a manual box is with the 2.0-liter engine. If you were one of the fans hoping Honda would see the light and at least offer the turbo with a manual trans for Coupe buyers, we understand that this is rather devastating news. We feel your pain. And we're sure you, like us, are looking forward to sportier iterations of Honda's little coupe, specifically the Si and Type R. Honda has provided an array of images of the new two-door, although you can count on our live images in the near future. Take a peek up top for the stock stuff, and then scroll below for the official press release. Dynamically Styled, More Powerful and Fuel-Efficient 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Makes First Public Appearance at Los Angeles Auto Show Nov 17, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif.