Honda Crosstour – to Easier Living
 |
.. |
| .. |
By Casey Williams
MyCarData
A great read is Mary & Russel Wright’s Guide To Easier Living, published in 1950. It tells all of the stepford domestic divas out in suburbia how to while away their days without domestic help, keeping their homes organized and chipper. According to the book, it took 80 hours per week while the apparently underwhelmed breadwinner pecked away a measly 40 hrs. If those over-worked missuses lived today, at least a few of them would drive Honda Accord Crosstours to make their lives easier.
Houses were being designed with room to relax, and that’s exactly what you find in a Crosstour. It is a big car, roomy inside, with near crossover space, 60/40 split/fold rear seats, and a hatch as big as a cargo plane’s through which Buster, dollhouses, and wooden hobby boats can be loaded. Father could hide his stamp collection in the concealed rear underfloor storage bin.
Comfortable, informal space was also coming into vogue. Upholstered with heated leather front seats, and shaped like the inside of a BMW, the Crosstour is an upscale, yet unpretentious, place to ride. Eschewing formal parlors, use the Crosstour without concern for damage. Mommy and daddy can clean up Johnny’s and Susie’s messes with ease, as most surfaces are easy to wipe clean.
In a car or home, the deep interior is most reflective of our private lives. Tinted rear glass and a cargo cover keep peepers out of the Crosstour while everybody rides tucked down in the tall body sides. A backup camera, USB audio interface, 6-disc changer, Kevlar® cone speakers, aluminum dome-type front tweeter speakers, and Satellite-linked Navigation keep us tuned to the world through 360-Watts of delicious sound. Kids can sit back, relax, and color in their own space with only bathroom breaks to halt the fun.
All around the house, The Wrights lay down their ideas for making large entrances to control dirt, easy opening windows, and the best drapery designs. For the Crosstour, Honda fitted dual-zone automatic climate control with second row ventilation, auto up/down front windows, and a large sunroof with shade. They also advocated lots of closet space, which the Crosstour has everywhere from cubbies in the doors to a roomy front center console. To add more comfort, check the sheets for cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, and leather steering wheel. Reversible cargo floor panels defend against dirty puppy feet.
Perhaps outdoor living gives an impression of the interior. It took a jiffy more than a jiffy to warm up to the styling, but now I’m fan of the Porsche-like rear view, sleek roofline, and wide exotic grille. Wider tires on the optional 18″ aluminum wheels and larger chrome exhaust outlets would go well with the chrome door handles for high-road Panamera style.
The Wrights would have the Lady of the house put a stopwatch to her tasks and define efficient standard work. Time studies, my foot! Put a stopwatch to this: Honda’s 3.5-litre I-VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (runs on 3, 4, or 6 cylinders depending on need) lays down 271-HP at 6,200 rpm and 254 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,000 rpm. Taking a load off the family budget, the car achieves 18/27-MPG city/hwy. When Father needs to get to work in a blizzard, available AWD is nifty.
If you really want to get a handle on the dirty work, grip the wheel and head to the road for an old-fashioned family vacation. The four-wheel independent suspension system soaks up highways like a ’55 Buick, but carves the snaky two-lanes to the campground more like a European wagon. Cruising the neighborhood looking for fluffy, or moving momma’s bouffant hair, the Crosstour is a slick ride.
It is really hard to get good help these days, what with their demands for minimum wage and healthcare. Today’s automotive servants include Navigation, XM Satellite radio, and active sound control to erase harsh noise. The book provides tips on how to manage your domestic’s time effectively, but the only paid help you’ll require is a trip to the Honda dealership for oil changes and regular maintenance.
A good host cares for your entire being. Starting with its reinforced ACE body structure and including electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, side curtain airbags with rollover sensors, dual front bags, multiple threshold front airbags, and active front seat head restraints, this Honda serves brilliantly and will give up the ghost if the ultimate sacrifice is required. I doubt any cocktail-serving, coat-taking, housemomma would have done so much for her guests.
It’s a good thing I don’t live in the ’50s because I don’t think I would have much patience for going to work all day so Her Highness could re-decorate the house while drinking mint juleps on stylish patio furniture. I know, I know, it wasn’t that easy, life was much less automated then. But, with a Honda Crosstour in the driveway, she would have been much better off. At least father would have put some of his own hard-earned money towards the $36,220 as-tested price.
Honda Accord 2009 short test report
The car I’m driving is the Euro Accord 2009 (8G), in the US it’s called Acura TSX. Check out the exterior: www.youtube.com
Crash Test 2008 Honda Legend / Acura Rl EuroNcap
Comments Front impactStructures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. Side impact The Legend scored maximum points based on the dummy measurements in the side impact and pole tests. However, the rear door on the impacted side became unlatched in the side impact test and the car lost one point. Child-protection It is not possible to disable the front passenger’s airbag so a rearward-facing child restraint should not be used in that seating position. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked. Pedestrian protection The car detects when a pedestrian has been struck and has a mechanism to pop up the bonnet, increasing the gap between the bonnet surface and hard components in the engine bay. The bumper scored maximum points for the protection it offered to pedestrians’ legs.
Ford Sierra Cosworth vs Honda Integra TypeR
Ford Sierra Cosworth vs Honda Integra TypeR
Honda Challenge Buttonwillow April 9, 2006
In-car video of Buttonwillow race Finished 1st out of 18 cars Driver: Edik Stepanyan Car: 92 Acura Integra LS website: www.EdoMoto.com
Honda Element EX – Doggie Style
 |
.. |
| .. |
By Russ Heaps
MyCarData
“Dogging it” takes on a whole meaning when applied to the Honda Element. Having developed a reputation as a highly functional vehicle for active lifestyles, the Element is an ideal platform to stretch utility even further with its Dog Friendly Package. Available as a $995 dealer-installed accessory on any new Element EX, this package puts Fido in the driver’s seat; well, not exactly, but it provides upscale accommodations for hauling him in comfort and style.
Honda has thought of nearly everything for dog owners who want to their pet to come along. The core of the package is a removable soft-sided kennel that is clipped into the rear of the cargo area behind the second-row seat. Containing a soft-cushion stain-resistant bed and a spill-resistant water bowl, it can comfortably accommodate a fairly large-size pooch. There is also a special fan to help keep Precious cool. Whether your dog is too small, too old or just too darn lazy to leap up into the cargo area, accessing the kennel should be no problem thanks to a portable ramp that stows neatly beneath the kennel. Roughly 18 inches wide and six feet long when extended, the ramp is easy to use.
But wait, don’t order yet; there is still more. If you don’t want to relegate your pet to the far-away confines of the soft kennel, the Dog Friendly Package also includes a cover for the second-row seat in the same material covering the kennel’s bed. Protecting the front- and rear-seat floors are all-season floor mats with an embossed dog-bone motif Other package little extras include a tote bag, a leash and collar, and a Dog Friendly “paw-print” dog tag, as well as special exterior badging.
With no factory options, Element trim levels are the strict determiners of content. This simplifies the buying process, but confuses auto journalists a bit when attempting to establish a pecking order of trim levels. At the top of the pricing heap is the $26,295 EX 4WD with Navigation like my test Element. At the bottom, Element life begins with the $21,235 front-wheel-drive LX. Both LX and EX come as either FWD or 4WD. Increasing the number of drive wheels bumps up the bottom line by $1,250. GPS navigation is only available as an up-level EX trim and it swells the regular EX price by $1,700. Floating around in this mix is the SC trim that is offered only as FWD. Pricier than the FWD EX, it rings the register at $25,030.
Why, you may ask, is the Dog Friendly Package only available on the EX? I am told that it has to do with the “dog bone” floor mats that only fit the contours of the current EX. If you are willing to forgo the floor mats, theoretically all other components of the package can be adapted to any Element.
The dog isn’t the only occupant that will enjoy the ride. The roomy cabin and comfortable seats provide a positive passenger experience for four adults. Hinged on opposite sides, the doors swing open for cave-like access to the interior. The only hang up here is that the front door must be open to open the rear door. With the removable kennel in place, there is no real luggage space. When it is removed there is 25 cubic feet of room. Folding down the reclining split rear seat, swells the cargo room to 75 cubic feet.
Instrumentation and controls are 100 percent user friendly. Large gauges, big knobs and uncomplicated operation characterize the driver systems. Storage cubbies, bins and trays populate the cabin. The most elementary Element has full power accessories, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, four airbags, cruise control, tilt steering wheel and a four-speaker audio system with CD player. The LX and EX have a urethane floor covering that can be safely washed.
Ponying up the additional $2,110 to move up to the EX replaces the LX’s 16-inch steel wheels with alloy ones. Also included is a center console featuring a removable cooler, which happens to be the issue with the dog-bone floor mats and why they don’t exactly fit the other trim levels. A seven-speaker audio system with satellite radio and an auxiliary input jack, redundant audio controls on the steering wheel and a 12-volt power outlet round out the bulk of EX upgrades.
Giving it a little more flair, the SC trim cranks up the Element’s street creds with monochromatic paint, 18-inch wheels, a special grille and piano-black interior accents. Carpet also covers the floor in the passenger areas. It’s not all just cosmetics, however; the suspension is lowered and tightened as well.
A 166-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine delivers the Element’s go via a five-speed automatic transmission. The four-banger works hard motivating the Element. It has no problem keeping up with traffic, but the engine revs hard to do it. Fuel economy is so-so. The FWD versions are rated by the EPA at 20 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Adding the heft of 4WD chips 1 mpg from each measurement.
All Elements come standard with four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, emergency braking assist and electronic brakeforce distribution.
When it comes to utility, ease of operation and reliability, the Element is no dog.
Acura Honda NSX Spot
Spot of Acura NSX
Honda Fit Track Action @ El Tuque in Ponce Puerto Rico #2
Second time at the track, new mods from my previous run: -Progress Rear Swaybar -T1R Front A-Arm brace -RaceTech RT1000 FIA Bucket Seatr -SafeQuip 4 Point Harness -T1R Braided Lines -Kuhmo VictoRacer 205/50/15 Tires Times droped to 1’37.286″ (Thats 6 seconds faster than last time). At half way in the video you can see some action between me and a highly modified Acura TSX that belongs to a buddy of mine. 
Subaru Symmetrical AWD vs. Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen
Subaru’s All Wheel Drive Vs. Honda’s Real Time, Volkswagen’s All Wheel Drive. This is an internal video that was not meant for public consumption.IT IS NOT A PROMOTIONL VIDEO! It is a recap for those who attended a driving event in spring 2007 (hence the previous gen Highlander). The events in this video took place one year after the previous shared AWD video at a different location.
My JDM Honda civic ej6 hatch tribute
hate it or love it this is cloud9′s ej6 build!!!!! song by Lil Rain – Adore You
