Thursday, August 27, 2015

A Good "FIT"

I met up with an old friend for dinner the other night.  I'd heard she'd gotten a new car, and I was eager to see what she'd chosen.  When she pulled up in a sporty little Honda Fit with vanity plates, though, I was a bit surprised.  Of course, being a Honda-lover myself, I was pleased.

She gave me the grand tour, and I was impressed.  From the outside, the Fit looks quite compact, so I was expecting to see rather of a cramped interior.  I couldn't have been more wrong! There were miles and miles of space, and with the added luxury being able to fold down the backseat, I was having visions of all the cargo I could fit in.  I've been doing some home improvement projects lately, and a little mental math told me I could fit a LOT of boxes of drywall mud back there.  I was slightly green with envy.  

Naturally, I wanted to get behind the wheel.  Anything that calls itself a "sport"  makes my heart race a little.  It handled exactly the way I hoped: clean and tight.  I confess, I was expecting a little more responsive acceleration. I felt a little under-powered, but I don't actually see that as a drawback.  I expect it would be an excellent snow car because it doesn't go jack-rabbiting off as soon as you hit the gas.  I think that also makes it an excellent teenager car.  It feels cool and sporty, but it would hard to abuse the speed limit.

My friend uses her Fit as a commuter car and again, I was green with envy.  At a cool 33 city/41 highway miles per gallon, she's saving loads on gas every month. The interior is extremely comfortable (as someone with back pain, this is moving WAY up my list of must haves) and had all the blue-tooth bangs and whistles I expected in a new Honda.   I had been considering a CRV or another Accord when I finally trade Sugar in (shhhh... don't tell Sugar, but it's about time to send her off to be some 16-year old's first car!), but I'm really thinking that the Honda Fit might be the way to go.

To see more of the Fit's features for yourself, take a little tour of your own starting here! (Try not to drool on your keyboard.)

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

New (Cheaper) Odyssey Trim with Vacuum and Entertainment

As you know, the Honda Odyssey is getting a completely new look in 2017, but that doesn't mean you should over look getting a 2016 model.  To sweeten up the final year of the current Odyssey design, Honda is adding a new trim level, SE.



Current Honda trims are the LX (base model), EX, EX-L (with leather), EX-L RES (rear entertainment system), EX-L Navi, the Touring and Touring Elite. Want rear entertainment? You have to get a EX-L RES or higher. You love the vacuum?  That's in the Touring Elite.

But in the 2016 models, you can now get the vacuum (GUYS!  THE VACUUM!) and the rear entertainment system in the new SE, which falls in the Odyssey lineup between the EX and the EX-L.    Not only will the SE be a good bargain now, but it hold it's value because of these special additions.

Check out what Car and Driver had to say about the new trim and see the Car and Driver vacuum test.