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!    

Perdiddle

www.clarineyecare.com

Remember when Sugar and I got pulled over for her tail lights being out?  Well, we're having a run of funny luck.  I thought I was suddenly driving a bit dim and it was time to haul Sugar over to my friends in the service department at Ken Garff Honda, but you know how life is... and I just hadn't gotten there.  I knew I was pushing my luck, but every day, I thought... tomorrow... I'll get in tomorrow.  Well, let the record show: Don't push your luck.  The universe knows and it's always going to have the last laugh.

It was late one night and I needed to gas up and run a couple of errands.  Off I went into the night, knowing I was a perdiddle time-bomb.  (Remember playing "Perdiddle!" as a kid?  You'd have to touch the roof of the car and be the first to shout Perdiddle!! every time you passed a car with a headlight out... Maybe it was just us...) Anyway, it was late and I was hedging my bets that there wouldn't be any cops out at that time of night.  This is not sound logic.  At all.  Cops come out at night.  They're the definition of nocturnal.  Nevertheless, off I went.  There's a gas station RIGHT by my house and lo-and-behold there were TWO cops there getting gas.  In a panic, I thought I shouldn't stop there.  If I pull in, I thought, they'll see my perdiddleness and I'll get a ticket for sure.  So I decided to get gas elsewhere.  

Genius. 

I worked my way up a few side streets to another gas station, filled up, and headed on my way. I blew right on by another police officer hidden in a parking lot. Pleeeeease, don't see me... Pleeeeeease don't turn on those lights... I told the universe.  He didn't.  Whew.  Then of course, I got cocky.  Foolish girl.  I told myself that I was just fine.  I'd already seen three cops and no one seemed to mind that Sugar had a perma-wink.  I could finish my errands in peace, right?  Ha. 

Off I drove, very careful to abide the speed limit (why thumb your nose at fate more than you need to?), to finish my night's to-do list.  I was humming a happy tune and rounding the last curve when I saw an SUV make a quick U-turn.  Nooooooooooo.  

Yes.  

The lights came on and my luck ran out.  Let me be clear: I do know that driving with only one headlight is both dangerous and illegal.  (Don't try this at home, kids!)  I pulled over and waited for the officer, license and registration in hand.   He was super nice, pointed out which headlight was out, and made me promise to get it fixed... oh, say... TOMORROW.  How about first thing in the morning, eh?  I promised and he gave me back my license without issuing a fix-it ticket.  I'm not sure when I've breathed such a sigh of relief.  I hurried and finished my errands and went home (passing yet ANOTHER cop... we're up to FIVE now... who kindly did not pull me over.)

First thing next morning Sugar and I went to see our friends in the Ken Garff service department.  Jesse had me in and out in about 20 minutes.  Seriously.  I got to eat a cookie and have a diet soda.  Can't argue with that, right?  

Anti-Boring

I was chatting with a friend about upgrading Sugar to a CRV sometime in the near (as soon as I save up a little bit) future.  I sort of can't get that week I spent driving one out of my head.

"Hondas are so boring," he said.  "But I guess they're practical."  

Excuse me?  Says the guy who drives the beige beater?!

It was a little bit like he'd insulted my child... or at least called my pet ugly.   Either way, Hondas are not boring.  Not even a little bit.  

Let's take a look at three of Hondas new beauties.  

Does the new CR-Z look boring?

The Honda CR-Z is the world's first production hybrid vehicle to offer a 6-speed manual transmission. These six speeds reward CR-Z drivers with the perfect gear for every driving occasion — including a high final-drive ratio for excellent fuel efficiency[1]. From the S2000 to the Civic Si, Honda has considerable experience with 6-speed manuals. So it's no surprise that the CR-Z's 6-speed gearbox is as efficient as it is engaging. Adding to the experience is an easy-to-grip shift lever finished in aluminum and black leather (EX).

Nope.  Not boring.

How about the new Crosstour?

The Crosstour EX and EX-L models feature a powerful 192-hp (SAE net) 4-cylinder engine. The DOHC i-VTEC® system enhances the effect of VTEC® on Crosstour's 4-cylinder engine by adding Variable Timing Control™, or VTC™.

Does that sound boring to you?  Me neither.

Or the new eco-friendly FCX Clarity?

 

The FCX Clarity is an electric vehicle. A fuel cell vehicle is powered by an electric motor running on electricity generated by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell stack. The more efficient Honda E-Drive electric motor lets you drive with peace of mind knowing that you are helping to reduce the amount of CO2 being released in our atmosphere. The compact coaxial motor is quieter and can run at higher rpm, for greater efficiency and speed.

I'm not sure where my friend is getting his information, but there's nothing boring about a Honda.  I think I need to talk him into a test drive.  Better call my favorite Ken Garff guy, Wendell Wood, and get him behind the wheel for a test drive!

The Salt of the Earth

http://images.cars.com/

Sugar and I took a little trip to the car wash this weekend. (So did everyone else in Utah Valley!)  After a couple of afternoon tries, only to discover that the lines were horrendous everywhere we went, we finally gave up and made it a midnight rendezvous. (I’m lucky I live next door to a car wash!)  Sugar was pretty filthy from a winter’s worth of driving me just being too busy (lazy) to care for her properly.  Still, as I watched weeks of salt a grime slide right off, I felt a little guilty.  You hear it all the time: “Salt eats car paint!” And I suppose I hoped it was just a car wash marketing racket or an old wives’ tale like your eyes sticking “like that” when you crossed them too much as a kid.   But I’ve done my homework lately and discovered that while it’s a huge factor in road safety (like decreasing the number of auto accidents by about 80% in winter conditions), salt really is sort of a monster to your paint job.  

Here are four easy ways to prevent any permanent damage to your car during these long, salty, winter months:

1. An Ounce of Prevention…

… is worth a pound of cure.  One of the best things you can do to protect your car from rust and other road salt damage is to give it a good wax in the late fall before the snow starts to fall.  Waxing helps prevent the road salt from corroding the paint.  You should also have a sealant applied to the undercarriage of the car.  This part of your car is bombarded with road salt all winter long and things like brake lines are very susceptible to rust damage.  So next Thanksgiving add “wax the car” to your to-do list!  

2. Weekly Washing

Really?  Every week?  Yep. If you are in an area where rock salt is used to keep the roads safe (and we are!), even if it is mixed with sand, you need to wash your car every 7 to 10 days regardless of the weather.  I’m totally guilty of the old, “but it’s just going to snow again tomorrow” excuse!   That’s how I wound up going a few weeks without tidying Sugar up. But  really, I should wash her again directly following any heavy snowstorms.  This routine will remove the salt residue from the car before it can cause any damage.  Make sure you are thoroughly washing the underside of the car or using a car wash that includes this service.  For best results, try and wash your car when the temperature is above 40 degrees (that’s not always very practical around here, so find a good car wash with a drying cycle).  After you wash the car, open all doors, hatches, and trunks and allow them to dry or dry them by hand to keep them from freezing shut.     

3. It’s Not Just About the Paint

Even though that obvious, crusty, white coating is cringe-worthy, make sure to clean out snow and ice that has become compacted into wheel wells and under or against the fenders, too.  These areas are very susceptible to rust damage and leaving snow and ice filled with road salt increases the likelihood of damage.  Wheel wells packed with snow can also impact the way the car handles and make braking, turning, and maneuvering difficult.  I make a regular habit of kicking the daylights of that snow-pack.  I’m pretty sure my neighbors think I’m strange, but it’s weirdly satisfying.

4. An Inside Job

The outside of the car isn’t the only part that can be affected by road salt.  Every time you step in the car with snowy shoes you are bring salt and dirt with you.  You wouldn’t leave snow and salt all over the carpet in your house, would you? No way.  Make it a habit to vacuum the carpets in your car every time you wash it to prevent long term damage to the carpet and interior of the car. 

Pretty easy, right?  If you want something even easier, let Ken Garff Honda of Orem handle the car washing for you!  Their super sweet Advantage Care plans include car washes, oil changes, and tire rotations!

Driving in a Winter Wonderland

by Andrea Harris

I love the idea of snow… while gaze dreamily out the window as it blankets the ground in fluffy whiteness.  It’s so calm and peaceful.

Then I remember I have to go outside, get in my car, and drive somewhere.  Oy.  

Front wheel drive, 4-wheel drive, all-wheel drive… sometimes it just doesn’t matter.  Mother Nature is gonna laugh in your, anyway. At Ken Garff Honda of Orem, we love you so much that we’re going to share this little cautionary tale of winter morning just last year.  

Ohhh, SNAP!!! I’m pretty sure most of those poor people wish they’d just stayed home that day.

As we enter this icy, snowy season, please remember to slow down and use caution when you’re out driving! (Your car, other drivers, and probably even the UHP will thank you!!)

The Ticket

by Andrea Harris

Sugar and I got in trouble last week.  I was zipping along to work when I saw the dreaded flashing lights. I checked my speedometer. I wasn’t speeding. Certain I’d dodged a bullet and that the flashing lights must be for someone else, I pulled over to let the officer pass.  He didn’t.  

Let it be known that I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket, or any other kind of ticket in my life. (Well, ok, there was that one time in college when a Jetta met my Buick during an ill-timed U-turn, but otherwise, I swear I’m clean!)

When the officer pulled up behind me, I started running down a mental list of what on earth was going on.  I also panicked a little bit because I’m not the best with paperwork and there was only about an 80% chance I’d be able to find my current registration.  Minorly losing my mind, I pilfered through my glove-box, procured all the paperwork and was ready to go by the time the officer was at my window.  

The officer explained that the reason he was pulling me over was because I had no tail lights. I think I said something stupid like, “Are you serious?”  Don’t ever say that to a police officer. Trust me. He took my license and registration back to his car… for a REALLY long time.  I’m sure it was like 2 minutes, tops, but 2 minutes in cop time is at least 20 in me-panicking-because-the-DMV-mistyped-the-address-on-my- license-and-I-just-asked-a-cop-if-he-was-serious time.

By the time he got back to my car, I might have been hyperventilating just a tiny bit.  Nevertheless, he was very nice and explained that I was getting a “fix-it ticket.”  Having no tail-lights is extremely dangerous, especially as it gets darker earlier. What I would have to do is have them fixed and return to the police station to have an officer confirm I was safe to drive again.  If I did that, the ticket would be waived and I’d be on my merry way.  Ok, he didn’t say “merry way,”  but that was the jist of it.  

I drove off a little annoyed and a little relieved.  Of course, I was thrilled I didn’t have to pay a fine (the cost of fixing my faulty tail-lights was plenty, thanks). But I was annoyed at myself for not having known I had any issues.  I lamented this fact to the officer who came out to sign me off as safe and he laughed and said, “Well, how would you ever know?”  I agreed, of course, but it got me to thinking.  When was the last time I had just double checked to make sure my car was in good working order? I mean, I change my oil and have routine maintence like a champ, but I confess, I mostly just race out to my car in the morning, drive to work, run errands, keep her clean, and park her in a garage as often as I can… but is that enough?  

When was the last time you just walked around your car to see if all the lights worked (that includes whether they are so yellowed with age that they’re too dim to be safe!), the tires were all full of air, or had that chip in your windshield fixed before it cracked? Has it been a while?  If so, take 5 minutes and do a quick walk around.  The weather’s changing, so it’s a perfect time to make sure you’re safe and legal on the roads!    

Muscle

I was shopping at my favorite store (*cough* Target) the other day when I had to do a parking lot double-take. It was like a high school dance… when you catch a glimpse of the “perfect one” from across a crowded room and suddenly time stops and no one else exists.  I did the slow-mo stride toward what I knew was going to be my next great love and on my life, I swear I said something corny like, “Sweet mercy, what is THAT? No way… it’s the new Accord.”   He had the carved lines of an American muscle car (don’t judge…everyone loves a little American thunder) paired with the clean elegance that is oh-so-distinctly Honda. I parked my grocery cart a safe distance away (There was no way I was risking any kind of cart/car mishap!) and did a walk-around.

Will you just look at that smile?  How on earth could a girl resist?  And he was a color I can only call Have Mercy Red. (Honda calls it Basque Pearl… which is woefully unsexy. Obviously no one looked at the color in the afternoon sun. It’s spectacular.)  Now, if I’d had any sense, I would have taken a couple of pictures, but I’d been already gawking for a really long time and my frozen veggies were starting to thaw. Plus there was a fair chance that I was going to get caught drooling over some nice person’s new car.  THAT would have been awkward.  So I bid him goodbye and hurried home to see if I could finagle my budget enough to bring one of these strapping beauties home… tomorrow. 

Trust me when I say you’re going to want to explore one inside and out.  Go ahead... get started here.

Hydro-Phobia

by Andrea Harris

A couple of friends and I took Sugar for a little drive to Southern Utah, not too long ago.  The end of my summer is always signaled by a jaunt to the Utah Shakespeare Festival. It’s the perfect little getaway and the last chance to get in on Utah’s gorgeous sunny weather.  This year, though, Mother Nature had made other plans.  It was a little rude of her not to consult me, frankly.  I was planning to work on my tan.

Nevertheless, off we went, into our blue sky hopes.  But somewhere around Beaver, UT, Mother Nature started to get a little cranky.  It rained. It blew. It howled.  No big deal, right?  I’d just had my tires checked and one replaced.   We were riding on easy street.  

We arrived safely in Cedar, a little wetter for the wear and settled in for a weekend of amazing plays.  It drizzled and spit most of the weekend, but not enough to dampen our spirits.  The drive home, however, was another matter.  You know all that nasty, torrential, house flooding, monster rain that’s been moving across the state?  Well, I got to drive Sugar home through that just as it was ramping up over the southern half of the state.  I know I shouldn’t be such a pansy, but I’m from Utah. THE DESERT. WHERE THERE IS NO RAIN. Usually.

We set off for home in a deceptively light sprinkle. Everything was fine, I assured everyone. It looked like we’d be driving right out of the storm.  But somewhere around a place called Meadow, the freeway turned into a river and we were driving blind.  I couldn’t have been going more than 55 mph on the freeway (in the slow lane, of course) and was still not really in control.  I felt my tires suddenly floating on top of the flood drowning I-15.  With the skill of a (very frightened) ninja, I got to drier ground and headed for the nearest exit.  I may or may not have been in a full blown panic and saying kind of creative things.  It happens. Three cheers for the Chevron station where I nursed my pride and a Vanilla Coke.  We waited for about 30 minutes for the rain to ease up before I let my friend from Connecticut (where they know about REAL rain) take the wheel and get us home.  

So let’s be honest, it seems like we’re in for a seriously rainy Fall. Which is great because we need it around here, but tricky because we’re desert dwellers and rain is usually an occasional affair.  So let’s take five and brush up on our rain driving skills. The video below from DefensiveDriving.com has a great little movie about rain safety.  And don’t forget your new teenage drivers.  Anyone in Driver’s Ed?  Make sure they get some serious rain practice, too!

Verses

by Andrea Harris

So, I was talking cars with a friend the other day.  He’s in the market for a nice trade-up from his Geo Prizm (seriously, so sad) and of course, I was all for selling him on a Honda.  You all know my feelings about my Accord, Sugar, so it wasn’t hard to get passionate about it.  I mean, I felt like it wasn’t even an argument.  Honda is just a flat out better car, right?  But he wouldn’t budge.  He wants a Dodge Charger.

Dude, really?

My heart broke just a little, despite the fact that I do actually get a real, red-blooded thrill from an all-American muscle car.   But they’re like a Disney vacation… it’s fun to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  

The only catch is, this is a guy who does his homework.  He’s an engineer who takes no choice lightly.  We went to dinner once.  It took him 30 minutes to come up with what he wanted to eat.  (Yikes.) So I decided to do a little homework myself.  I wanted to see what my choice of an Accord was up against.  Turns out, not much.  We’d both buy used, so I based my comparison on the J.D. Power Ratings of the  2009 model of each car.

Photo Credit: Autos.yahoo.com

It’s pretty obvious there’s no real competition.  Honda outranks the Dodge in nearly every single category. So while I give the guy full props for buying with his all-American soul, the ratings speak for themselves. I’ll be taking my bragging rights now.  

The Heat is On...

by Andrea Harris

Photo credit: allwaystowingfremont.com

Every summer of my childhood we loaded up the old family car (a veritable monster of steel and pleather seats by today’s standards... ah, the good old days!) and hit the road.  Then we’d trek from gas station to gas station trying to keep the car from overheating.  I have so many memories of rooooolling into the station, my dad going in search of ice... and then waiting and waiting while the car cooled down.   I know... you’re SUPER jealous of my childhood.  

To be honest, I thought that overheated cars were a thing of the past; something modern automotive technology had mostly overcome. But it’s hot around here and every summer I still see cars overheating in traffic jams and out in the middle of nowhere.  (Clearly it’s not often for a Honda owner... but it can still happen!)  

Since we’re experiencing an epic heatwave here in the West (think 128 degrees in Death Valley! Yikes!), let’s review a few tips to keep your car from overheating this summer. These are brought to you by the good people at Dummies.com.

Cars overheat most often in very hot weather. It’s rare with modern vehicles, but even a well-tuned automobile can overheat. If you find yourself in stop-and-go traffic or climbing a steep grade on an extremely hot day, and your dashboard temperature indicator starts to rise or a malfunction indicator light comes on, here’s how to help your vehicle regain its cool:

• At the first sign of overheating, shut off your air conditioner and open your windows: Doing so decreases the load on the engine and helps it cool off.
• If you continue to overheat, turn on the heater and blower: Doing so transfers the heat from the engine to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. (This does wonders for your overheated engine but very little for you!)
• If you’re stopped in traffic and the temperature gauge is rising, shift into Neutral or Park and rev the engine a little: Doing so makes the water pump and the fan speed up, which draws more liquid and air through the radiator. The increased air and liquid circulation helps cool things off.
• Try not to ride your brakes: In stop-and-go traffic, crawl along slowly, on little more than an idle, rather than moving up and then braking repeatedly. Brake drag increases the load on the engine and makes it heat up. If traffic is crawling, move up only when the gap between you and the vehicle in front of you gets too large.
• If you think that your vehicle is about to boil over, drive to the right-hand side of the road, open the hood, and sit there until things cool off. Remember, don’t open the radiator cap under these circumstances, and if your engine has boiled over, don’t add water until the engine is quite cool again.
• If you must add water when the engine is still a little warm, add the water slowly while the engine is running in Neutral or Park.

Although hot weather is the most common cause of overheating, many other factors can cause the same problem. If your vehicle overheats in traffic in normal weather, one of the following may be the culprit:

• The water and coolant level in the radiator is low.
• There’s a leak in the cooling system.

If you can’t locate any leaks, your thermostat may be malfunctioning. Obviously, you can’t replace the thermostat at the side of the road. In the meantime, if you can park and get to the thermostat safely, you can eliminate this malfunction as a possibility. Wait until the engine cools down completely, and remove the old thermostat and reconnect the hoses without it. If the engine starts up and runs well without the thermostat, the old one was probably screwing up the works.

Get a new thermostat immediately if you find that your old one isn’t working. Driving for long distances without a thermostat can damage your engine.

Don’t you love the Dummies.com people?  They’re so practical!  Now you know exactly what to do if  your car overheats this summer! If it’s just the 115 degree weather you’ll be able to get on your way with a minimum of hassle...if it’s something more serious like a malfunctioning thermostat, of course your Ken Garff Service Reps will be glad to help get you up and running again!

Spring Fling

by Andrea Harris

I cheated on Sugar.  Scandalous, I know!  She was having her cosmetic surgery after this winter’s little mishap and I needed something else to drive in her absence.  My favorite guy at Ken Garff Honda of Orem, Wendell Wood, kindly set me up with a brand new Honda CR-V for the week. Don’t tell, but I was nervous.  Is that weird?  While I cut my driving teeth bombing around many a parking lot in my dad’s huge, red pickup truck, I think of myself as an almost exclusively small car person.  I like the way I connect with the road and the car just feels like an extension of my body. (Not that I’ve given it any thought... ever.)  Honestly, I feel like I’m just floating around loose in anything much bigger than my Accord, so when Wendell handed me the keys to a mid-size SUV I tried to not have a stroke.  

I shouldn’t have worried. The CR-V handled like a car and I mean that as a compliment.  I didn’t feel like I was hogging the road at all.  Even better?  When I got into the labyrinth of the underground parking at my work, my new, silver best friend handled the 90 degree turns it takes to squeeze into the mirco stalls with surprising ease. I loved (LOOOVED!) the rear view cameras, too.  It made backing out against the behemoth SUV who had parked opposite me a breeze.  I could see exactly where I was in relation to everything in my path.  Frankly, it was one of my favorite features.  ( Shhh...I may or may not have backed into a parked trailer or pile of rebar or two in my time.)  And while I don’t have kids, I live in a condo complex FULL of kids who love playing the parking lot.  Every spring, I worry that one of those kids is going to zip behind me on a scooter in the .25 seconds I’m looking the other way. So, the feature that I enjoyed as a luxury for the week is literally a lifesaver.  I’ll say it outloud, I was falling in like pretty hard.

But the CR-V wasn’t just a pleasure to drive. The morning I’d come to pick Sterling (What? I’m just a girl who likes to name her rides...) up Wendell had shown me the a few of his bells and whistles.  In about 1 minute, we had linked my phone to the car stereo so that I could stream Pandora, iTunes, or even make a quick phone call.  The only downside was my uber-awkward chick music (**cough** Alanis Morissette? Who put that in my iTunes?!) blasting from the stereo once we got the blue-tooths talking.  Wendell was nice enough to pretend he didn’t notice and frankly, I was too busy getting good and drunk on that new car smell to switch songs.

The deluxe features didn’t end there, though. “Hey,” Wendell said, pointing to a green button by the steering wheel, “Push that.  It’s your Econ button. It’ll take a little away a from your power, but it gives you great fuel economy.  You won’t even notice.”  He was right. I didn’t notice a thing. I don’t know how much more giddy-up Sterling had compared to Sugar, but I’m lucky I didn’t get pulled over!  It drove so smoothly that I really had to pay attention to the speedometer. Driving to work every morning, I found myself zooming right along.  I can’t imagine what would happen if I turned off the Econ feature.  I had a wild urge to turn it off and completely turn him loose, but I resisted.  

I wasn’t the only one in digging my new ride.  I was actually stopped by a guy in parking lot who started asking all about the newest CR-V features.  When I showed him all the new perks, he looked a little disappointed when he had to go back to his older model, you guessed it, CR-V.  This is a vehicle with a fan base!   

Honestly, if I could justify it, I’d get one in a heartbeat. Mentally I added the Honda CR-V to my “cars-that-are-way-cooler-than-a-mini-van-but-just-as-practical” list.  It would have comfortably fit a couple of carseats, a stroller, groceries, 2x4s for that new fence project, and a happy couple in the front seat.  In short, Sterling was the perfect fling that really made me want to settle down so I could spend the rest of my life getting great fuel economy and vacuuming graham cracker crumbs.