High Time for Hybrid

I left Sugar (my faithful '03 Honda Accord) at home this summer and took a road trip with a friend to Southern Utah.  Sugar and I had made all the big trips over the last few years, and I thought it was someone else's turn to drive.  My friend had just traded his 1997 Honda Accord for a 2003 Nissan Maxima (traitor!!), and I was eager to try it out.

Admittedly, it was cushy: The leather seats.  The miles of leg room. Very. Cushy.

But you know what else it was?  A big ol', irresponsible gas hog.

On every other trip we'd taken south, we'd gas up my girl Sugar once on the way out of town and once on the way home. Splitting gas costs was a breeze.

On the other hand, Big Bertha (as I lovingly named her) drank like a fish.  Every time we stopped for gas, my friend would mutter a few choice words and begrudgingly fill the tank.  In fact, every 50 miles or so, he'd say, "Will you look at that? My Honda had so much better gas mileage! Stupid !*@$%#."  It was a very colorful drive.  (I think he might be having a little buyer's remorse.)

For as long as I we've been friends, the only trade he'd ever talked about was a hybrid.  So when he finally sold his trusty Accord,  the purchase of Big Bertha was a bit of a shock. In fact, when I asked about it, he got cranky... so I'm guessing he considered a hybrid before making a different purchase.

The Maxima he's driving now ballparks at about 21-28 mpg, depending on whether it's in town or on the open road.  The Honda Accord Hybrid runs at a very attractive 45-50 mpg.  And the new Honda Hybrids are plenty deluxe.

So let's take a quick look at just three of the Hybrid Accord's fantastic features:

1. Honda LaneWatch: LaneWatch is an ingenious safety feature that comes standard on all Hybrid Accords.  It's a tiny camera, mounted on the passenger-side mirror that automatically activates when you signal right.  Its live video feed gives you four times more viewing power than using the mirror alone.
2. Earth Dreams Technology Engine: According to Honda, the 2.0-liter, 16-valve, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and the electric motor are fed by a lithium-ion battery pack.  They're all channeled through an electronic continuously variable transmission (E-CVT) for a combination of efficiency and performance like never before.  Roughly translated:  The new Hybrid Accord drives more like the Accord you already know and love than ever before!
3. HondaLink:  If you're like me, your car is more than just a driving machine.  It's your home-away-from-home and you need to be connected.  HondaLink is an application-based platform that connects you to your music, podcasts, and vehicle services, news and more!  This is serious (and safe!) connectivity. 

Are you hooked yet?  If you need to explore the Hybrid a little more, click HERE for the full tour.  And when you're ready, pop on over to Ken Garff Honda of Orem to take a little test drive. Any of our friendly staff will help you choose the right car for you.    

Good Things Happen On a Honda

Even in 1974, Honda was using only the very best talent.  Isn't Mr. Grease Lighting himself fantastic?

Rhonda Still Going Strong | Blogger Contest Runner Up

Meet Rhonda, my Honda. Rhonda and I have been together for 17 years now. I got her when she was brand new, and she has kept me going on all of my adventures ever since. It's hard to believe it's been as long as it has, and as you can imagine, a lot of wonderful things can happen in such a long time span!

Oh the fun that I have had with this car! A simple drive up the canyon to enjoy the beauty Utah has to offer, or a larger adventure to Las Vegas or California! It really doesn't matter where I take Rhonda, she is always reliable. And of course, she is always there to take me on my daily adventures to the grocery store and other errands too. I never have to worry when I drive my Honda. I know that no matter what kind of weather it is outside, my car will always start.

Another great thing about Rhonda? She came with an amazing sound system! Really! I used to be able to impress all the guys with my sound system back in the day. It still sounds great when I crank up the tunes. It came standard too! 

After trading in my single life for that of a wife, my Honda did double duty as a little "truck", helping me move house into that first married apartment. And later, helping both of us move into our very first house. Rhonda became "our Honda", not my Honda. To this day she is my little truck for all of our crazy DIY adventures making this house our home.

What can I say? Hondas are the best cars in the world. Aside from a few minor fix ups like getting new tires and brake pads, and changing the oil, our Honda has run like a dream. And at 17 years old that is saying a lot! I have a feeling this car might out live me!

Honestly I am quite attached to my current Honda. A lot of memories are made in 17 years. It will be hard to part with Rhonda when she finally has to go to the big car lot in the sky. Luckily I know that if I am lucky enough to be able to, I will be replacing her with another Honda when that time comes.

 Aimee Gertsch is a wife, animal lover, and DIY junkie. She blogs at http://4theloveofanimals.com, dhttp://thestylishnest.com, and for Salt Lake Comic Con. Twitter and Instagram: @aimeeroo

Favorite Hondas | Blogger Contest Runner Up

I've owned two Honda's in my life.  My first car was a 1980 hatchback Accord.  That car kept going forever. I fell in love with the distinctive purr of the Honda engine.  Sadly, I totaled that car and replaced it with a Ford. WORST mistake EVER.  The Ford was awful and broke down when it was only four years old!  The engine exploded and the repairs on the engine were costly. I felt betrayed. By this point, I was married, so my husband and I drove to the dealership and told them we ONLY wanted a Honda.  They totally delivered. We bought a sweet 1992 teal Accord with a sunroof and a car phone!  That was a plus at the time, for sure! This car took us everywhere, and did all that we asked of her. We had the Accord for six years and would have kept it for the life of the vehicle, if we could have. We only got rid of it because it was totaled when someone hit the car.

My fondest wish is to own another Honda!  Let me tell you what I love about these cars.  I love the room. Our current car is a little cramped with four kids.  I also love the storage space.  I have car envy with ALL of my friends who have room for their kids AND their stuff on long road trips.  I LOVE how long they last!  Did you know that the Odyssey is the only minivan that is proven to last 20 years!?  You probably did.  I love the two sliding doors with those sweet automatic doohickeys that open the doors from a remote!  My kids will love that.  I'd love to dispense with the DAILY fights of WHO is shutting the door.

The memories that come to mind when I think of our teal Accord aren't memories like the exploding engine from my Ford Escort, but the fact that we could take it ANYWHERE.  That Accord went to beaches in California, the hot desert in Arizona to the mountains in Utah.  I remember bringing home my first two children home from the hospital in this car.  Once, when we were driving in Arizona, on the lonely highway between Kingston and Phoenix, my one year old son choked on a piece of ice.  This was the kind of ice that had been frozen in a circle and the middle was hollow.  My son was chocking and gagging, but getting just enough air through that center hole. It sounded a bit like he was breathing through a straw.  We quickly pulled over to the shoulder in  HOT Arizona sun and I practically threw water in his face.  The end goal was his mouth, to melt that ice that was causing my son such panic.  In the end, my son was wet (crying about being wet), the car seat was soaked, but he was breathing and the car was just fine.  It just kept purring until we reached Tucson!

Kari Rutherford is a 37-year-old part-time stay-at-home mom, part-time blogger and part-time secretary.  She spends most of her days chasing around her four kids and trying to catch up on everything she has to do.  She rarely succeeds. Among other places, you can find her on the blog, MomPlusKids.com

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!    

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. 

My Honda Love Story | Blogger Contest 2nd Runner Up

My Honda Love Story begins in 1995. I was only 8 at the time but I remember as my parents were visiting different car dealerships, I had fallen in love with this beautiful new green Honda Civic. It was so much better than our 10-year old other car (not a Honda) and it smelled like heaven. My father worked with the car salesman until he got a great price for the car and we took it home.

Not the original car, but my neighbor happens to own one just like by old one except in blue! 

I remember going out to the garage and just admiring it. I've never been a lover of cars, but this thing was beautiful! And my mother even mentioned that I may get to drive it when I turned 16 which, to an 8-year old, was one of the most amazing things she could have ever told me!

As silly as it may sound, I grew up with this car. It took me to piano lessons, swim lessons, softball practices, and tennis practices. The Civic took me to school and picked me up from school. It took me to museums and the zoo. I even spent many hours sprawled out on its back seat on long car rides for vacations (back in the day, apparently it wasn't as big of a deal to have an 8-year old child laying down on the backseat ... or maybe it was and I was totally breaking the law). The comfortable backseat and door kept me propped up for rides to Grandma's house and gave me a nice seat to immerse myself in books or a nap.

Finally, I turned 15 and a half and my parents decided that I should learn to drive on the Honda Civic. I was so excited to drive this car that I had grown so close to for the past 7 years. And over the next few months, I cried a lot in that car. It was a stick shift so not only did I need to know how to drive, watch everything around me, and not hit anything, I also had to remember when to shift gears. There really had been nothing tougher in my life than learning how to not stall the car every time I started moving and how to not roll back a few yards after being stopped on hills.

This little Honda Civic gave me my freedom (after I learned to drive it, of course). I passed my driver's test with flying colors and there was no looking back from there. My friends and I had some fun adventures in that car and it even took me on one of my first dates as a teenager. When I think of my childhood, I think of this car because it was there for all of my big moments up until I was 18. It heard me laugh, cry, yell, and even sing at the top of my lungs. There really was not a better car than my beautiful, enduring, and reliable Honda Civic.

Again, not the original Civic I fell in love with, but exactly like it except in blue! 

Kim Corrigan grew up in Sandy, moved to Utah Valley for college, and has remained there ever since. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She and her family love to do anything but stay home. Picnics, bike rides, special events, and vacations are at the top of their "Most Favorite Things to Do" list. Kim started Utah Valley Moms and socializes on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, and Instagram.