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Is The Natural Gas Honda Civic The Only True Green Car?

Dec 112011

2012 Honda Civic

One of the least known Honda Civic alternative fuel vehicles is the Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) vehicle. Environmentalists are all smiling about their hybrids and how much less fuel they use and how eco-friendly they all are for using electricity instead of gas. Well, the CNG Honda Civic is a hundred times more environmentally friendly on its worst day.

Why? The plants that produce the electricity used in a hybrid must burn oil, coal, or use a nuclear reaction to provide it. CNG comes from the ground and is easier to drill for than oil, so does not impact the Earth as much during extraction. A CNG vehicle’s carbon footprints is the size of an ant’s next to a hybrid’s. The Civic Natural Gas vehicle is the cleanest-running internal combustion engine ever certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

What about fuel economy you may ask. How about a Honda Civic that offers 38 mpg and 240 miles between fill ups? Not bad at all. Then there is the time it takes to refuel. Minutes for a CNG Civic. How many hours for your plug-in hybrid or EV? Hours, isn’t it?

Now the other shoe falls. There is a decided lack of infrastructure for the CNG Civic. Refueling stations are rare, even more rare than commercial recharge stations for electric vehicles. A CNG refueling point costs more to install than a traditional gas station, as well. The federal government is considering offering companies incentives and funds to develop CNG infrastructure. The end goal of some investors is to see CNG points next to traditional gas pumps, just like diesel is today.

The Honda Civic CNG was introduced in 1998. Honda has sold few vehicles to the general public, but has enjoyed limited success with municipal fleets. The car was awarded the 2012 Green Car of the Year Award. Hopefully, the added attention will hep to bring the vehicle more into the mainstream.

Mobile Apps For Finding The Right Price For A Honda Civic

Cars, Commercial No Responses »

Nov 102011

2012 Honda Civic

In today’s reality of smartphones and on-the-go living, thousands of people are using a mobile app every minute of every day. When you are car shopping, it is essential to know the correct value of the car that you are considering before signing any deal. The logical combination of the two is a mobile app to help you find the right price for a Honda Civic or any other vehicle. Here are three auto value mobile apps compared apples to apples.

Edmunds Mobile

We might as well start with one of the most recognizable names in the automotive review and value game. The app is actually called Inside Line, it allows iPhone and Android users to research new and used cars for value, safety, and current pricing levels. This free app allows you access to the True Market Value for your region. That means the price on the screen is directly relevant to your state or city in some cases. Several users have complained about the limited number of cars that are reviewed by this app.

Kelley Blue Book

Kelley Blue Book is probably the most recognizable name in the automotive value game. The company has been doing its thing for nearly 100 years. The KBB Mobile app is supported on the iPhone, Android, or most mobile browser platforms. The app gives you full access to all information on kbb.com. This app costs everyone’s favorite price: free.

Cars.com

This is another free app, because, well, why pay for the services these apps offer. This app stacks up third on the list. It does have one interesting feature: the ability to add your ”possibilities” to a list and rank them according to your likes. You can add a photo of a car if you see an interesting feature that makes you want to buy it more than others on your list.

Of the three, the Kelley Blue Book app offers the widest range of information on the greatest number of possible cars. Since the only way to get a good deal on a car is to have access to an accurate value, this is probably the best app to download. It could save you thousands of dollars over the life of an average loan.

Practical Honda Civic Parts For The Coming Months

DIY Projects, Projects No Responses »

Oct 262011

All weather floor mat

The inexorable march of the seasons is upon us. Winter is breathing down the necks of people everywhere. That means white powder everywhere. It also means slush, road salt, and general wet nastiness in your Honda Civic. All of it can destroy an interior over time unless you add a few practical accessories to protect your ride.

The first practical part to consider is a set of all weather floor mats. These mats are designed from durable plastic with channels so that water and other mess are pooled in a drainage area. The mat can then be lifted out of your foot box area and drained without ever letting a mess touch your Civic’s carpet. Along the same line is a cargo mat for your trunk area. A poorly maintained interior is a major detractor when you try to resell your car and can lower its value by several hundred if not a couple of thousand dollars. Before you buy either of these accessories, be sure to do some internet research. Companies like WeatherTech and Husky offer all weather products that are specifically designed for the Honda Civic, insuring a proper fit that does not interfere with pedal use.

One area of the interior that is often overlooked is the seats. You are constantly rubbing across them, but ignoring the effects that friction, zippers, and other materials can have on them. Ignoring them until a tear happens, that is. A set of seat covers could be the best solution. Whether you prefer neoprene or the look and feel of leather that leatherette provides, you need to take care to buy a product that is designed for your Honda Civic. Generic fit brands may cause the seat cover to bunch or just be too tight to fit correctly.

One last Honda Civic accessory to consider is a remote start. Installing a remote start has nothing to do with being too lazy to walk out to your car. It has everything with wanting to get into a warm vehicle first thing in the morning. Just remember to leave the heat running when you shut your car down for the night.

With snow in the immediate forecast in several areas of North America, now is the time to start thinking about your Civic’s interior and future resale value. A quick look online will lead you to the right products for your car.

What To Look For In A Honda Civic Lowering Kit

Parts, Tuning 1 Response »

Oct 162011

2012 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic has long been a a great project car for tuning. There are many places that you could start your project, but a lowering kit offers enhanced performance in handling and fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, not all Honda Civic lowering kits are created equally. Buying the wrong kit can have the disappointing effect of decreasing your car’s performance. Here are is the main point to look for in any kit before you purchase one.

The amount of travel that the lowering kit allows directly affects how much roll you experience in turns, thus affecting handling. The kit that you choose should only allow 1 inch of travel. Additional travel will cause your car to bottom out, anything less will not positively affect your car’s performance. After installing your lowering kit, you will need to have your car realigned. The lower center of gravity will throw off the suspension geometry of your car.

Keep in mind that a lowering kit will not completely optimize your Civic’s handling. In addition to lowering your car, you may want to consider adding front and rear sway bars, strut tower braces, or a two point under carriage brace. All of these parts are designed to help reduce squat during acceleration and roll turning a turn. None of these parts add noticeable weight to your car. One final part that can be overlooked is a larger set of tires. Adding one or two sizes to the standard tires can close any remaining gap between the tire and the wheel well of your Civic.

Adding a lowering kit to your Honda Civic is not a beginner level upgrade. Any time you change the suspension of your car, you can create a dangerous situation for yourself. Take care to have an expert install any of these parts. When you are finished you should be able to notice an additional 15% in fuel efficiency and a quicker time on the short track as well as any slalom type event. All of that and no one has mentioned weight reduction yet.

The world’s leader in affordable small cars fills the bill with 2010 Honda Civic

Cars, Photo's 4 Responses »

Nov 042009

It isn’t hard to believe that the 2010 Civic continues to rank #1 in the Affordable Small Cars Category. Honda continues to present a winning combination, which truly makes Civic a leader in its class, both for style and reliability. Its fuel efficiency pleases the frugal minded folk, but equally makes sense to all the people watching the gas prices closely.

The new 2010 model comes virtually unchanged, as the 2009 Civic was selected “Best Buy” by the Consumer Guide. So if the 2010 model is essentially the very same thing, one may consider buying a 2009 model and saving some dough. You can actually get a pretty good deal, as the dealers are eager to get the 2009 models of their lots.

Despite the outstanding reliability, and fuel economy the 2009 and 2010 Civics have received some harsh comments. The main dispute was its exterior, particularly the snub-nose and a rather odd minivan-like windshield. Some commented that the design was just uninteresting, “you could drive and not notice a half of dozen of Civics on your way to work.” Others criticized the dual-tiered instrument as overburdened and mesmerizing.

But can all of this really be a major drawback when we are talking about the unparalleled quality and solid reputation for quality? The engineering of Civic is as strong for the 2010 model as ever and they have always held their resale value well. The car has a truly dynamic performance combined with the fuel-sipping manners –setting a standard in the highly competitive compact cars class. In addition, Civic boasts excellent safety scores in both federal government and insurance industry, and comes equipped with anti-lock brakes and six airbags!

However, making your mind to buy a Civic is the easy part. What’s difficult is choosing the one that is right for you. The basic Civic is either a sedan or coupe and it comes in different trims such as DX, LX, LX-S, EX with the price range from roughly $15,500 to all the way up to $22,000. The Honda Civic SI boasts increased performance-oriented trim, with 57 extra horsepower, pushing the price up to extra $6,500. The other interesting options are Civic Hybrid with the prices of about $10,000 higher than for a base Civic, and the Civic GX which runs on compressed natural gas.

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