Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thank you Jimmy for letting us know how we're doing! Great work Rich and Amanda, keep it up!
- My whole experience at Paragon Honda was great! I have no idea what these other people are complaining about on here, but I sure didn't have any problems. Everything went as smooth as can be when I leased my 2012 Civic over there. I couldn't have asked for better service from my salesperson (Rich Perez). With all the features on the car, it seemed like it would take forever to learn them all, but the delivery coordinator Amanda went over everything thoroughly to where when I pulled out of the lot, it seemed like I've been driving the car for months! Love the car and will definitely be going back for another one when my lease expires. -Jimmy S.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Honda gets new Civic NGTC out on the track to defend BTCC title
Courtesy of AutoBlog
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thank you Ariel, for sharing this great review!
- Car shopping is not easy and after months of researching online and crunching numbers I was finally ready to go the dealershship and get the 2012 CRV that I wanted. I was expecting the stereotypical oily and rude salesman and instead I got Richard Perez who was excellent througout the entire process. I guess it helped that I did my homework but regardless Richard was polite, respectful and an overall pleasure to work with. I went in on a Saturday at about 2pm. By 4:30 I was out of there with all papers signed. They told me the car would be ready in a week. It ended up being ready 4 days later! Went back and the delivery took about 2 hrs. I was given a complete walk-through of the car twice, by the salesman and by the delivery specialist (she was also awesome). -Ariel J.
Thank you to the author of this review for sharing their wonderful feedback with us! Great work team, keep it up!
- Customer service was excellent every step of the way. They were very friendly and professional and helped us find the car that best suit our needs with no pressure or trying to steer us one way or another. Their price point was extremely competitive and they also gave us a good deal on our trade in vehicle. -Benjigold
Friday, February 17, 2012
Happy Presidents' Day, everyone! One of the following presidents marked the official change from horses to cars in the White House. Who was our first motoring president?
b. William Taft
c. Woodrow Wilson
d. Warren G Harding
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
How I Put 750,000 Miles On My Honda Civic In Just Five Years
This is the story of man, machine, and their ceaseless quest for long mileage glory.
The first thing to know about Habib, Jr. is his job. He delivers medical supplies and other items for a pharmacy in Kentucky. He lives near Evansville, Indiana and routinely drives to Murray, Kentucky on the southwest corner of Kentucky and then to Campbellsville in the central part of the state before returning home.
In an average week he used to hit around 3,600 miles, which means he drove the average amount an American motorist drives in a year in just three weeks. He's since chopped that down to around 2,700 miles a week. Habib, Jr. dismisses this gargantuan driving load as "Just cruise'n in Kentucky."
He starts at around 1:30 pm five days a week and doesn't get home until near 4:00 am. He also drives a shorter shift on Saturday. On Sundays he works on his Civic and rests.
The second thing to know about Habib, Jr. is his car. It's a 2006 Honda Civic LX four-door with a manual transmission he bought used from a dealer in May 2007 with approximately 22,000 miles on the odometer. It was a replacement for his Ford Probe, which had 300,000 miles when it went out on him, and a Honda Odyssey minivan that he loved but didn't quite get the mileage he'd hoped for.
"I fell in love with the 8th gen Civic the first time I saw it on the Interstate, Habib, Jr. tells Jalopnik. "It's beautiful."
Through the first 227,000 miles the engine was all original with only plugs, filters, and a PCV valve changed. Habib, Jr. is methodical about some of his maintenance and blasé about other bits of upkeep we take for granted.
For instance, he started out changing the oil himself every 1,000 miles after the vehicle notification (if he changed it every 3K he'd have to do it more than once a week) and then traded up to a super endurance synthetic — he keeps in touch with the oil manufacturers about his progress as he's a rolling test bed for them. His spark plugs? NGK Laser Iridium plugs that are still the original after more than 600,000 miles.
Habib. Jr. keeps all of his major updates noted on this epic thread at 8thCivic.com if you're curious the kind of commitment it takes to achieve such insane distance.
Amazingly, the car almost didn't make it through the beyond the first 230k miles. In mid-2008 Habib, Jr. thought the engine died.
Post From 2008
And yes, the engine is DEAD!! it didn't free up after cooling down. After I get my new engine in (in about 2 weeks) I'm going to strip the old one down and see what the hell happened. The car was running perfectly, it was about 92 degrees out and I did some "spirited" driving around a slow f*ck (I'm blaming this indecent on him) and then pulled into the parking lot.
It turns out the starter was just jammed, so the original engine went back in after some fluids were replaced and the starter was repaired. It should also be noted he did the entire engine pull and reassembly completely DIY and impromptu because he "didn't have a shop manual to go by."
One of the best moments came at 274,000 miles when the local Honda dealer sent a note to Habib, Jr. offering to buy his current car back and sell him a new Civic for the same payment or less.
"When I got there I talked to the guy that sent the letter and told him that me may not want to do a trade-in since my car had 274,000 miles on it; you should have seen the look on his face," says Habib, Jr.
At around 342,000 miles Habib, Jr. thought it would be a good idea to finally use that backup used engine and installed it along with a used transmission. The original engine was "still running strong" but why take anything for granted?
Because of his job it ends up experiencing its fair share of abuse on the road, including numerous strikes from what he calls "kamikaze" deer darting out in front of him. With about 385,000 miles on the clock he hit one and thought the car was totaled, but after looking at the amount the insurance company was willing to pay he just decided to write it off and fix it himself, which he did for less than $2,000.
Remarkably, Habib, Jr. did most of this work in the parking lot of the apartment complex he used to live in. This is a wake up call for those of us who complain about not being able to work on our cars because we don't have garages.
By April 2011, the Civic was getting close to 1,000,000 kilometers (~621,000 miles) so he switched over to metric on the odometer with the hope of getting it to rollover but, as he learned, it just stops at 999,999 KM!
The car just surpassed 745,300 miles and is well on its way to Habib, Jr.'s goal of maxing out the odometer in miles.
According to Honda's site devoted to high-mileage owners, the next closest Civic driver lives in Las Vegas and has 805,000, but that's a 2003 with a four-year head start.
"We love our loyal Honda customers," says Alicia Jones, Honda's Public Relations Manager. "Stories like these are a testament to how people have come to count on their Hondas for more than 50 years to get them to where they need to go."
So what's next for the Civic?
"I'll keep driving this car 'till I hit another deer. After that it's getting put up in the garage where I'll start rebuilding it from the ground up as my daily driver," Habib, Jr. says. "I'm hoping to find another 1st gen Ford Probe to continue my deliveries in."
If you see a well-worn galaxy grey 2006 Civic criss-crossing Kentucky some afternoon make sure to let it pass, it might be carrying a legend.
Courtesy of Jalopnik
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Honda Indy V8 Honored by Race Engine Magazine
Race Engine Technology magazine, a respected British technical publication, has named the Honda Indy V8 engine as its "North American Race Engine of the Year" for 2011.
In its latest issue, the Honda Indy V8 engine was recognized by Race Engine Technology for its combination of reliability, performance and equality during its just-concluded six-year run as the engine supplied to every team taking part in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Honda took on the role of single engine supplier to IndyCar racing in 2006, after scoring back-to-back Manufacturers’ Championships the previous two seasons. Throughout six years as single engine supplier, 98 different drivers completed more than one million miles (1,188,366) of practice, qualifying and racing, with only six in-race engine failures. No in-race failures were reported during the entire 2008, 2010 and 2011 race seasons.
In 2011 alone, 41 drivers completed 206,113 miles of IZOD IndyCar Series competition without a single race-day failure.
From 2006-2011, Honda also powered the entire 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field. For a record-setting six consecutive seasons - and the only six times in Indy history - there were no engine-related retirements during the running of the Memorial Day classic.
"The Honda Indy V8 engine had quite a run, and we are honored to be recognized for its accomplishments by Race Engine Technology," said Roger Griffiths, technical director of Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "In addition to its well-deserved reputation for reliability, we take pride in the effort made by our associates at HPD, and our technical partners at Ilmor Engineering, to ensure equality and reliability to all teams and drivers throughout our time as engine supplier to the IndyCar Series, during which performance levels of all the engines varied by less than one per cent."
In 2012, manufacturer competition returns to the IZOD IndyCar Series with both Chevrolet and Lotus joining Honda. All three companies have produced new, turbocharged V6 engines to new series specifications. Honda’s new engine, the HI12R, will make its competition debut March 25 at the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida.
Features of the new design include a combined direct/indirect fuel injection system, single Borg-Warner turbocharger, "drive-by-wire" throttle technology and a series-spec McLaren Electronics Engine Control Unit (ECU).
Established in 2003 and published eight times a year, Race Engine Technology is a professional review and technical journal, covering contemporary racing power-train developments and technologies. Under the direction of publisher Simon Moss, the magazine is read by professional power-train designers, engineers and industry professionals throughout the global racing community.
Founded in 1993, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California.
Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series - as both a Manufacturers' Championship competitor and single engine supplier - since joining the series in 2003.
The company scored its first Indianapolis 500 victory in 2004 with Buddy Rice; Manufacturers' Championships in 2004 and '05; and became engine supplier to the entire IZOD IndyCar Series in 2006. The 2010 Indianapolis 500, won by Dario Franchitti, marked Honda's 100th race win as a manufacturer and engine supplier in IZOD IndyCar Series competition.
In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2010 American Le Mans Series, 2010 Le Mans Series and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.
HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.
Article courtesy of Honda Media Newsroom.
Big thanks to Joanne for her kind feedback.
"One week ago I leased the 2012 CRV from Paragon Honda. I usually do not write reviews but felt compelled to write about my very positive experience. After visiting another Honda dealership where the Sales associate never left his desk, I was fortunate enough to meet Kevin Milan from Paragon. He literally bent over backwards to get me what I want at the price I felt comfortable paying." - Joanne
Click here to read more great reviews.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Our 3 Good Reasons Sales Event Lasts through February 29, 2012!
Three Good Reasons to get a Honda from February 1 - February 29, 2012:
> New Hondas for as low as $3 pre day.
> As low as 0.9% APR financing available up to 36 months.
> Up to $2500 over Kelley Blue Book value your trade.
Click here for more information on our sales event.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Honda Delivers 2013 Fit EV to Google and Stanford University
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Honda recently delivered 2013 Fit EV battery-electric vehicles to Google Inc. and Stanford University as a part of the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program. Along with the city of Torrance, Calif., each participant is now conducting general testing as well as providing specific feedback related to the future introduction of electric vehicles. The Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program participants are the first recipients of the 2013 Fit EV in the United States.
“The goal of the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program is to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the advancement in battery-electric technology,” said Steve Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. “Honda has a long history with electric vehicles beginning with the introduction of our first battery-electric car, the EV Plus, nearly 15 years ago. Honda’s experience and the unique feedback that Google, Stanford University and the city of Torrance will provide will be valuable to the future introduction of battery-electric technology.”
Honda debuted the 2013 Fit EV at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and announced plans to begin leasing the 123 city-mile per charge (76 mile range combined adjusted city/highway)1 battery-electric commuter vehicle to customers in select California and Oregon markets during the summer of 2012 with a rollout to east coast markets planned for Spring 2013. Equipped with a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery and 92- kW coaxial electric motor, the Fit EV battery can be fully recharged in as little as 3 hours when connected to a 240-volt circuit.
Google Inc.
The delivery of the Fit EV to Google Inc. was marked by an employee ride and drive. Nearly 100 ‘Googlers’ took the Fit EV for a spin around the Google Mountain View, Calif., campus. Google will now use the Fit EV as a part of its G-Fleet, an employee car-sharing service that features numerous plug-in vehicles. Google’s participation in the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program will involve analysis of vehicle usage including CO2 reduction, energy consumption on a miles/kWh basis and overall energy cost.
Stanford University Automotive Research
Over the past year, Honda has collaborated Stanford University professors, researchers and students from several departments including Mechanical Engineering and Psychology through various seminars and classes. The year-long collaboration resulted in a research direction on how to study the psychological and physical reactions of using battery-electric vehicles and how these reactions differ when driving a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle.
With the Fit EV now at Stanford, the research team will use both the battery-electric vehicle and a gasoline-powered Fit to test their theories. Successful methodology implementation will yield a goal of not only decreasing anxiety associated with new technology, but also increasing joy in the driving experience. Ultimately, the research results will help Honda to better understand customer acceptance of battery-electric vehicles and how to overcome physiological obstacles associated with the adoption of new technologies.
CourtesyofHondaMediaNewsroom
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Chicago Auto Show opens to the press tomorrow and the new Accord is ready for the spotlight. Take a look at this sylish near-production concept from Honda!
Courtesy of ChicagoAutoShow
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Sparks fly with Honda's cool new European Civic ad
Courtesy of AutoBlog
