Honda Recalling More than 50,000 2012MY Civics Over Faulty Driveshafts

A potential problem with a driveshaft assembly has prompted Honda to issue a voluntary recall of 50,190 Civics from the 2012 model year in the States. Read more »

Spied: Bing-Winged Prototype Could be a Test Mule for the Next Honda Civic Type-R

Honda, a brand that used to be synonymous with performance cars for the masses, has toned down if not…completely erased its sporty side these past few years, something that has not gone unnoticed by consumers and fans alike.

However, it seems that the Japanese automaker has received the message and is making plans to revitalize itself by returning to its roots, as evidenced by the new NSX sports car that will go on sale within the next three years.

For the mainstream crowd in Europe, Japan and other markets worldwide sans North America, Honda appears to be preparing a replacement for one of its more popular models, the Civic Type R.

Our spy shooters spotted a prototype of the latest generation of the European market Civic hatchback featuring a large rear wing near Honda’s technical center at the Nürburgring, which we believe could be a test mule for the next Type R.

Read more »

CR Finds that Fuel Efficient Versions of Focus, Cruze and Civic May Not be Worth the Extra Cash

When is it worth paying extra money for a more fuel-efficient version of the same model? The answer to that question depends on the price of gas, how much more fuel-efficient is said car and how long it will take to recoup the added cost.

Consumer Reports (CR) set out to see if buyers would benefit in the long run by choosing the fuel-economy variants of the Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic. While each of these models returns better mileage than their standard counterparts, they also cost between $500 and $800 more.

The following calculations were based on driving 12,000 miles (~19,300 kilometers) annually with an average gas price of $4 per gallon (€0.85/lt).

Starting with the Ford Focus, CR found that the $495 SFE (Super Fuel Economy) package, which adds flush hubcaps, a rear spoiler, and low rolling resistance tires, provides a 3-mpg improvement in overall and city fuel economy, to 31 and 21mpg, respectively.

Read more »

Bugatti Veyron Replica Based on Honda Civic Now Offered For Sale as a Complete Car

Remember back in February when we told you about the availability of a fiberglass body kit that attempted to replicate the looks of the $1.6 million Bugatti Veyron on 1992-1995 Honda Civic Coupes?

At the time, the seller was offering the eight-piece kit alone for $4,500, but we have now discovered that you can buy a completed model on eBay.

Read more »

Bugatti Veyron Replica Based on Honda Civic Now Offered For Sale as a Complete Car

Remember back in February when we told you about the availability of a fiberglass body kit that attempted to replicate the looks of the $1.6 million Bugatti Veyron on 1992-1995 Honda Civic Coupes?

At the time, the seller was offering the eight-piece kit alone for $4,500, but we have now discovered that you can buy a completed model on eBay.

Read more »

Honda Wins Appeal of Small-Claims Court Over Civic Hybrid's MPGs

In February of 2012, Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters was awarded US$9,867 by a small-claims court in California after she accused the Japanese automaker of overstating the car's 50mpg fuel economy figures.

However, being that Peters wasn't the only one to refuse Honda's class-action settlement that offered some 200,000 owners US$100-200 each and a $1,000 credit on purchasing a new car, the Japanese company decided to appeal her win.

While lawyers are not allowed in small claims court in California, they are permitted on appeal. And unfortunately for Peters, Honda pulled the big guns hiring a national law firm with more than 800 lawyers to represent the company in court.

Read more »

Honda Wins Appeal of Small-Claims Court Over Civic Hybrid's MPGs

In February of 2012, Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters was awarded US$9,867 by a small-claims court in California after she accused the Japanese automaker of overstating the car's 50mpg fuel economy figures.

However, being that Peters wasn't the only one to refuse Honda's class-action settlement that offered some 200,000 owners US$100-200 each and a $1,000 credit on purchasing a new car, the Japanese company decided to appeal her win.

While lawyers are not allowed in small claims court in California, they are permitted on appeal. And unfortunately for Peters, Honda pulled the big guns hiring a national law firm with more than 800 lawyers to represent the company in court.

Read more »

Honda's April Fool's Day Anti-Theft Negotiator

Yes, yes, we know that April Fool's Day is done and gone for 2012 but this is one trick video that somehow escaped our attention, and since there's a good possibility that some of you may not have noticed it as well, we thought we'd share.

Hop over the break to meet TERII, Honda's "most advanced vehicle theft-deterrent system ever made" in the video that follows.

Read more »

Karma Strikes Again: Civic Driver Chasing Scooter in Tawain gets What he Deserves

One can only speculate what took place before we see the black car, which looks like a previous generation Honda Civic hatchback, madly chasing a scooter on a road in Taiwan, but the driver's intentions are clear.

Luckily for the person on the scooter, the car driver miscalculated the gap between the parked cars on the side of the road and the yellow vehicle in front of him (or her), and ended up crashing.

Hover past the break to see the dashcam footage for yourself.

Read more »

Badass Honda Civic NGTC Racer Filmed Testing at Brands Hatch

Wouldn't it be great if your regular Honda Civic hatch would look, sound and go like the new Civic Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC)? We mean, sure it would pose some problems in everyday use, but something tells us that those pesky morning rides to work would become far more entertaining...

However, back to reality, we found the first video footage of Honda UK's new BTCC racing model filmed during its shakedown at the Brands Hatch racing circuit in England, which you can watch right after the break.

Just be warned to turn down a notch the volume on your speakers cause thing is loud, really loud…

Read more »

Euro NCAP Says Jeep Compass "Disappoints", Honda Civic "Impresses" in Latest Crash Tests

The latest results from Euro NCAP, which is equivalent to the IIHS in North America, brings good news for some, and bad news for others.

The two vehicles tested by the European body are the new 2012 Honda Civic 5-door hatchback and the redesigned Jeep Compass crossover.

Starting with the good news, Honda's compact model was awarded the maximum five star rating, achieving high scores in all areas of assessment and putting it on a par with the top models in its category.

Euro NCAP said that the passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal impact while the car scored maximum points in the side barrier test. It also offered adequate protection in the more severe side pole impact, and scored top points for the protection it offered to pedestrians.

Read more »

Meet Honda's New European Civic Touring Car Racer

In its two last generations, the European market Honda Civic hatchback has followed a different path from its sedan siblings in other markets; however, the admittedly impressive looking Civic you see pictured here isn't the regular model but the Japanese firm's new contender in British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

Revealed without its racing colors, the new Civic Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) made its first public test outing today at the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in England.

Read more »

DUI: Man Turns Honda Civic Into a Bugatti Veyron, Wants You to Do the Same

We will agree that a 1990s Honda Civic Coupe won't open any doors for you in this life, but is there really anything you can do about it aside from getting a better set of wheels - if that's your goal, we mean?

Well, that depends on whom you ask and how much you're willing to spend. For eBay seller "Fiberglassdesign4you", the solution is a fiberglass kit that will turn your mundane, mid-1990s Honda Coupe into something that tries very hard to replicate the looks of a Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

Read more »

Nissan SUV Slams Stationary Honda Civic that was Getting Ready to Street Race [NSFW]

We're not saying it can't happen, but the last thing you expect to see on an open road at night is two motionless vehicles occupying both regular lanes. Is it that difficult to see that this is something extremely dangerous for all parties involved? Apparently, the answer is yes…

Too bad these drivers had to find out the hard way when an unrelated Nissan SUV slammed into a Honda Civic hatchback that was standing still revving its engine as the owner was preparing to race another Civic on an unnamed road in Tampa, Florida.

The person who uploaded the video said that despite the severity of the crash, -fortunately- no one was hurt. You can watch the accident as it happened in the clip that follows after the break (beware; foul language).

Read more »

Honda to Display NSX and European CR-V Concept Plus New 1.6L Diesel at the Geneva Salon

Honda today revealed its line-up for the Geneva Motor Show that takes place in March. The highlight of the Japanese firm's display will be the NSX Concept that features a mid-mounted V6 and a hybrid all-wheel drive system. The production version will arrive within the next three years.

The second Honda concept that will make its European debut in Geneva will be the EV-STER, an electric roadster, akin to a 21st century version of the early ‘90s Beat Kei-car.

Much closer to production, and of bigger interest to a most customers, is the European version of the all-new CR-V crossover. Although it will be displayed as a prototype, the new CR-V, which is already available in the U.S., will effectively preview the European model that is set to go on sale this autumn.

Read more »

Woman Wins $10K in Spat with Honda over Civic Hybrid's Fuel Economy, Carmaker Says it will Appeal

Lately, fuel economy figures are becoming something of a hot issue in the U.S. After the Consumer Watchdog-Hyundai Elantra debacle we told you about earlier today, we have another case of a car manufacturer accused of misleading customers about one of its model’s fuel economy claims.

Heather Peters, a former lawyer who lives in Southern California, took Honda to a small-claims court. She accused the carmaker of lying about her 2006 Civic Hybrid's fuel efficiency as she never managed to reach the estimates advertised by Honda.

And guess what? Peters won the case and the court awarded her US$9,867. LA Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan wrote a 26-page decision, which included a long list of misleading statements made by Honda and identified by Peters, such as “amazingly little fuel” and “save plenty of money of fuel with up to 50 mpg during city driving.”

Read more »

Honda to Race New European Civic Hatch with 1.6-liter Turbo in the WTCC

Honda is getting ready to put on its racing suit for the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), in which it will participate with the new European Civic hatchback.

“We have made a decision to enter into the WTCC with the European Civic," said Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, on the announcement. "We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge."

The Japanese automaker revealed that its Research and Development division will design a bespoke 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder racing engine with direct-injection in accordance with FIA’s Super 2000 regulations.

Read more »

Video: Things Honda Car Guys Say [NSFW]

If you regularly surf the internet aimlessly for hours, there's a good chance that you are aware of the new fad to hit YouTube with a string of videos usually titled "Shit –insert something here- Say", and which may or may not have started with the "Shit Girls Say".

Not surprisingly, someone came up with a car-related clip titled "Shit Honda Guys Say" which you can watch right after the break. We must warn you, though, there is some foul language…

Read more »

Watch Roadside Assistance Pull a Honda Civic from the Top of a Cadillac CTS

We just got our hands on fresh footage from the January 5 accident in Wellesley, Massachusetts, when a 51-year old driver of a Honda Civic sedan slammed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake and hit a curb that sent his car a flying into a garage and on top of a fairly new Cadillac CTS.

Fortunately, no one was hurt from the accident, though both cars were significantly damaged.

The newly released video, which you can watch after the jump, shows the roadside assistance trucks as they were trying to extract the Honda from the parking lot the same way it entered the building.

Read more »

Oops…Honda Civic Driver Flies Onto a Cadillac CTS at a Parking Lot

Unless we knew better, we'd say that some drivers are purposely trying to get their automobiles airborne…

Following a bizarre incident earlier this week when a thief managed to perfectly land a stolen car on the roof of an apartment building in California, another driver, this time in Massachusetts, somehow piloted his burgundy colored Honda Civic sedan onto a Cadillac CTS at an office parking lot in Wellesley.

The Civic driver allegedly stepped on the gas instead of the brake pedal and hit a curb, which slung the car into a parking lot and onto the Cadillac.

Officer Chris Cunningham of the Wellesley Police Department said that no one was hurt from the accident that took place on Thursday morning. Video follows after the jump [pun intended…].

Read more »