Thursday, July 31, 2014

Sly, the Not-So-Italian-Stallion (aka, the Honda Civic)



Sugar was having some struggles, so I needed to borrow a car for a couple of days.  I had never driven a Civic before, so I was a little skeptical. Compared to my Accord, I thought it would feel small and under-powered (clearly, I need to get out more!).  Because of the design of the interior, I actually felt extremely roomy.  And under-powered? That couldn't have been a bigger misconception! Sly was a car ready for drag-race (not that I would ever do that... or encourage others to... but if I had been challenged by a heady teenager, I could have dusted just about anyone!).  


Have you seen the specs on this baby?  According to Motortrend, "The 2014 Civic is now available with a CVT that replaces the five-speed automatic. Matched to the same 1.8-liter I-4 that pumps out 3 more hp and 1 extra lb-ft of torque thanks to a new exhaust system, the gearbox is so smooth that people have to ask whether it's a CVT."  

Yep.  Honestly, Sly handled so beautifully and had so much get-up-and-go, I found myself looking for cops when I realized how fast I was going without even breaking a proverbial sweat.  

Now, don't judge me, but I also like a car with some swanky (but affordable) amenities, and the Honda Civic didn't disappoint in that department either.  Sly came with a 5-inch LCD screen and customizable feature settings, rear-view camera with guidelines, Bluetooth hands-free link, SMS text message function, and the list goes on.  

Frankly, my slightly aging car felt a little low-tech after my weekend fling with Sly and I had the strangest urge to trade it in on the spot.  And considering the prices Ken Garff Honda of Orem is offering the Civic for, it wouldn't have made much of a dent in my wallet.  Another test drive might be in my near future, and if you haven't looked at a new Civic lately, it should be in yours too!    



Friday, July 18, 2014

Honda Stages | Blogger Contest Runner Up

By, Lee Gientke

Looking back over the years, there has been a Honda at every major stage in my life. You might say the Hondas I’ve owned were rites of passage.

The very first car I bought for myself was a 2000 charcoal gray Honda Civic. I bought this car in 2003 as the second owner shortly after I graduated from college, where I didn’t have a car. Buying this car was a marker of adulthood for me. I found the car in the newspaper listed for $5500 – a huge sum of money for me at the time. I can remember thinking how much I loved the styling and how quick the car felt even though it had a whopping 127 horsepower. I was also attracted to the things most people love about Honda’s: the reliability and fuel economy. As a recent college graduate I didn’t have much money to dump into a car so my maintenance regimen consisted of changing the oil and filling the gas tank. Fortunately, my Civic didn’t require much more than that.

My Civic lasted until 2006 when I got what I would call my first real serious job for a startup in Los Angeles. If you’ve ever lived in Southern California, you know that your car is a marker of who you are. While my Civic was great, it was time to upgrade the wheels. Here I was, finally making good money, living the single life in Los Angeles and while my Civic was awesome, it was time to get something more fun. The more fun car for me was a 2002 Honda S2000.



With a drop top, 240 horsepower and a redline of 8900 RPM, my S2000 was a blast. I loved dropping the top and driving along the California coast or later, up Provo Canyon on a spring morning. I loved how it felt like driving a go-cart and how it was quick around the corners. It was also amazing how smooth and stable it was going 80 miles an hour (or more!) as it was going 20. It was a really confidence inspiring and it just wanted to go fast. It was also the car I received my first speeding ticket in and it was the car that moved me from Los Angeles to Utah.


Unfortunately, getting married a couple months ago meant that my s2000 had to go, I know that there’s another Honda in my future. I would love to say my next Honda would be another screamer like a Civic Si or a S2000 (if Honda brought it back) but my wife is thinking more along the lines of a Pilot or Odyssey so we can transport more than just us.