For First Time In Years, Civic Isn’t ‘Recommended’

Whoa! I didn't think I'd ever see the day.... I got to say I'm not sure what to think, on one hand I do agree with consumer reports on the quality of materials taking a step back, but the noisy choppy ride I couldn't disagree with more, especially having done a comparison ride and drive between all the major competitors listed in the top 12 and knowing how each drives.

CR's also says that the rear seat room is a positive, well, I am no giant but I have noticed that there is less head room in the rear compared to the previous model. Hmm.

I think Honda is a victim of their own success, there is no doubt that the competition has gotten better, it's very hard to have a 'revolutionary' new bodystyle everytime but I do feel they made some improvements; safer (10% more high tensile steel), better fuel economy (with or without Eco mode), and more features (bluetooth is standard, new multi-informational display, USB is more standard, power seat in a Civic EX-L, and I could go on).

At the end of the day it is going to come down to what the consumer says and if early indications are anything, at least here in Canada, we can't get enough of them. I expect a revision to this rating some time, might not be until their May 2012 issue, but I expect something.
A popular consumer magazine known for its automotive road tests says it can no longer recommend the Honda Civic compact sedan. The Civic, which has been a top finisher in comparisons with rivals in the small-car segment for decades, finished second from the bottom in a 12-car shoot-out in Consumer Reports.

The magazine’s announcement, which coincides with distribution of its latest issue, marks “the first time in recent memory” that the Civic has not received its stamp of approval, a magazine spokesman says.

Summing up the Civic’s performance in its small-sedan evaluation, Consumer Reports says, “The Civic, long one of our top-scoring small cars, has slid backward with its latest redesign and no longer scores high enough in our testing for us to recommend it. The new Civic dropped a whopping 17 points — from a very good 78 to a mediocre 61 on our 100-point scale.”

The statement continues: “Compared with its predecessor, the 2012 Civic has lower interior quality and suffers from a choppy ride, long stopping distances, and pronounced road noise. Vague steering impairs its agility and robs it of its fun-to-drive feel.”

Among the positives, the magazine says, are the car’s rear-seat room and fuel economy of 30 mpg overall .

Honda released the following statement:
“In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports’ findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic’s greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, “… an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway.” Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading ‘Top Safety Pick’ rating from IIHS. Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well.”

Here is the finishing order in the Consumer Reports test:
1. Hyundai Elantra GLS
2. Nissan Sentra SL
3. Subaru Impreza 2.5i
4. Toyota Corolla LE
5. Kia Forte EX
6. Mazda Mazda3 Touring
7. Chevrolet Cruze 1LT
8. Ford Focus SE
9. Chevrolet Cruze LS
10. Mitsubishi Lancer ES
11. Honda Civic LX
12. Volkswagen Jetta SE

Source;
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/08/01/for-first-time-in-years-civic-isnt-recomended/

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For First Time In Years, Civic Isn’t ‘Recommended’

Whoa! I didn't think I'd ever see the day.... I got to say I'm not sure what to think, on one hand I do agree with consumer reports on the quality of materials taking a step back, but the noisy choppy ride I couldn't disagree with more, especially having done a comparison ride and drive between all the major competitors listed in the top 12 and knowing how each drives.

CR's also says that the rear seat room is a positive, well, I am no giant but I have noticed that there is less head room in the rear compared to the previous model. Hmm.

I think Honda is a victim of their own success, there is no doubt that the competition has gotten better, it's very hard to have a 'revolutionary' new bodystyle everytime but I do feel they made some improvements; safer (10% more high tensile steel), better fuel economy (with or without Eco mode), and more features (bluetooth is standard, new multi-informational display, USB is more standard, power seat in a Civic EX-L, and I could go on).

At the end of the day it is going to come down to what the consumer says and if early indications are anything, at least here in Canada, we can't get enough of them. I expect a revision to this rating some time, might not be until their May 2012 issue, but I expect something.
A popular consumer magazine known for its automotive road tests says it can no longer recommend the Honda Civic compact sedan. The Civic, which has been a top finisher in comparisons with rivals in the small-car segment for decades, finished second from the bottom in a 12-car shoot-out in Consumer Reports.

The magazine’s announcement, which coincides with distribution of its latest issue, marks “the first time in recent memory” that the Civic has not received its stamp of approval, a magazine spokesman says.

Summing up the Civic’s performance in its small-sedan evaluation, Consumer Reports says, “The Civic, long one of our top-scoring small cars, has slid backward with its latest redesign and no longer scores high enough in our testing for us to recommend it. The new Civic dropped a whopping 17 points — from a very good 78 to a mediocre 61 on our 100-point scale.”

The statement continues: “Compared with its predecessor, the 2012 Civic has lower interior quality and suffers from a choppy ride, long stopping distances, and pronounced road noise. Vague steering impairs its agility and robs it of its fun-to-drive feel.”

Among the positives, the magazine says, are the car’s rear-seat room and fuel economy of 30 mpg overall .

Honda released the following statement:
“In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports’ findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic’s greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, “… an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway.” Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading ‘Top Safety Pick’ rating from IIHS. Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well.”

Here is the finishing order in the Consumer Reports test:
1. Hyundai Elantra GLS
2. Nissan Sentra SL
3. Subaru Impreza 2.5i
4. Toyota Corolla LE
5. Kia Forte EX
6. Mazda Mazda3 Touring
7. Chevrolet Cruze 1LT
8. Ford Focus SE
9. Chevrolet Cruze LS
10. Mitsubishi Lancer ES
11. Honda Civic LX
12. Volkswagen Jetta SE

Source;
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/08/01/for-first-time-in-years-civic-isnt-recomended/

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Consumer Reports: Mythbuster: Can cars imported from Japan be radioactive?

As Japan struggles to emerge from the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and faces further potential disaster from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, the auto industry is wrestling with how to cope with the enormous logistic challenges these tragedies have created. Japanese automakers and their suppliers have suspended production, and it may be months before things are fully back up to speed. As the world waits to see what happens next, from when rebuilding the ravaged nation can begin to how its recovery could impact markets, some consumers have pondered, are there risks from cars imported from Japan being radioactive?

In a word, no.

The vast majority of factories are located well outside the evacuation range surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi complex. Automakers report they are taking precautions to ensure their factories, components, and staff are protected. Likewise, they will ensure that vehicles meet safe levels for radiation before distributing.

"Toyota will take any necessary steps to ensure the cars we deliver to customers are safe in every way," said Javier Moreno of Toyota Communications. He stated that the majority of Toyota Motor Corporation's operations in Japan are located about 240 miles southwest of the nuclear power plant and no unusual radiation activity has been detected.

We spoke with several companies, all of which have been working to protect their workers and consumers, while rebuilding their businesses. The sentiments expressed by the automakers were similar, though clearly some were harder hit than others.

"We are evaluating the situation very carefully, of course, safety is our number one concern," said Jeffrey Smith of Honda Corporate affairs. He added that the nearest port to the impacted area that Honda uses is about 125 miles away. Honda had 17 employees injured in the Tochigi area during the earthquake, plus an associate killed at an R&D facility.

Beyond the safety measures in place in Japan, consumers are further protected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency focused on preventing terrorists and weapons from entering the United States. Among its tools, the CBP uses sensitive, large-scale Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) to scan all maritime cargo and mail arriving from Japan. In addition, agents use a wide range of technologies, including radiation isotope identifiers, to scan people, vehicles, and cargo containers. The radiation isotope identifiers are hand-held devices that can detect gamma and neutron emissions from radioactive sources, including nuclear, medical, and industrial isotopes. With hundreds of such devices in the field, any car or other product carrying an unsafe level of radioactivity would be discovered and halted at the more than 140 Border Patrol stations and more than 150 ports of entry.

As one would expect, the CBP tells us that they are monitoring developments in Japan carefully and specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan's nuclear facilities.

There are many valid concerns surrounding the crisis in Japan, including the human toll, cultural impact, and market forces, but radioactive consumer goods is not one of them.

Learn what you can do to aid Japan (via CNN), and donate to the American Red Cross.

—Jim Travers and Jeff Bartlett

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/03/mythbuster-can-cars-imported-from-japan-be-radioactive.html

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Consumer Reports: Mythbuster: Can cars imported from Japan be radioactive?

As Japan struggles to emerge from the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and faces further potential disaster from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, the auto industry is wrestling with how to cope with the enormous logistic challenges these tragedies have created. Japanese automakers and their suppliers have suspended production, and it may be months before things are fully back up to speed. As the world waits to see what happens next, from when rebuilding the ravaged nation can begin to how its recovery could impact markets, some consumers have pondered, are there risks from cars imported from Japan being radioactive?

In a word, no.

The vast majority of factories are located well outside the evacuation range surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi complex. Automakers report they are taking precautions to ensure their factories, components, and staff are protected. Likewise, they will ensure that vehicles meet safe levels for radiation before distributing.

"Toyota will take any necessary steps to ensure the cars we deliver to customers are safe in every way," said Javier Moreno of Toyota Communications. He stated that the majority of Toyota Motor Corporation's operations in Japan are located about 240 miles southwest of the nuclear power plant and no unusual radiation activity has been detected.

We spoke with several companies, all of which have been working to protect their workers and consumers, while rebuilding their businesses. The sentiments expressed by the automakers were similar, though clearly some were harder hit than others.

"We are evaluating the situation very carefully, of course, safety is our number one concern," said Jeffrey Smith of Honda Corporate affairs. He added that the nearest port to the impacted area that Honda uses is about 125 miles away. Honda had 17 employees injured in the Tochigi area during the earthquake, plus an associate killed at an R&D facility.

Beyond the safety measures in place in Japan, consumers are further protected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency focused on preventing terrorists and weapons from entering the United States. Among its tools, the CBP uses sensitive, large-scale Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) to scan all maritime cargo and mail arriving from Japan. In addition, agents use a wide range of technologies, including radiation isotope identifiers, to scan people, vehicles, and cargo containers. The radiation isotope identifiers are hand-held devices that can detect gamma and neutron emissions from radioactive sources, including nuclear, medical, and industrial isotopes. With hundreds of such devices in the field, any car or other product carrying an unsafe level of radioactivity would be discovered and halted at the more than 140 Border Patrol stations and more than 150 ports of entry.

As one would expect, the CBP tells us that they are monitoring developments in Japan carefully and specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan's nuclear facilities.

There are many valid concerns surrounding the crisis in Japan, including the human toll, cultural impact, and market forces, but radioactive consumer goods is not one of them.

Learn what you can do to aid Japan (via CNN), and donate to the American Red Cross.

—Jim Travers and Jeff Bartlett

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/03/mythbuster-can-cars-imported-from-japan-be-radioactive.html

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Auto regulators drop rule for power window safety requirement

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withdrew proposed rulemaking for an automatic reverse function that would prevent a child’s neck or hand from getting caught in a closing window, if they inadvertently pressed down the switch that raises the window.

There are few fatalities or serious injuries that additional safety requirements could prevent, NHTSA stated in a notice about the nixed rule. Any new regulation “would instead address primarily ‘finger-pinch’ type injuries.”

Vehicle redesigns have largely addressed the issue, and now have window switches that need to be pulled up. Window switches that are pressed down to close automatic windows have been replaced, virtually eliminating the hazard. This leaves only older vehicles with that specific safety hazard.

NHTSA also asked for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars. Both measures are part of the 2007 Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, for which Consumers Union originally lobbied.

Consumers can check out which vehicles have auto-reverse safety features through safercar.gov
—Maggie Shader

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/03/auto-regulators-drop-rule-for-power-window-safety-requirement.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

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Auto regulators drop rule for power window safety requirement

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withdrew proposed rulemaking for an automatic reverse function that would prevent a child’s neck or hand from getting caught in a closing window, if they inadvertently pressed down the switch that raises the window.

There are few fatalities or serious injuries that additional safety requirements could prevent, NHTSA stated in a notice about the nixed rule. Any new regulation “would instead address primarily ‘finger-pinch’ type injuries.”

Vehicle redesigns have largely addressed the issue, and now have window switches that need to be pulled up. Window switches that are pressed down to close automatic windows have been replaced, virtually eliminating the hazard. This leaves only older vehicles with that specific safety hazard.

NHTSA also asked for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars. Both measures are part of the 2007 Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, for which Consumers Union originally lobbied.

Consumers can check out which vehicles have auto-reverse safety features through safercar.gov
—Maggie Shader

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/03/auto-regulators-drop-rule-for-power-window-safety-requirement.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

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Honda CBR250R is first entry-level motorcycle with ABS

If you’re looking forward to celebrating warmer weather by getting into motorcycle riding, Honda may have the bike for you. The company just introduced a new entry-level sport bike, the CBR250R, to compete with Kawasaki’s popular Ninja 250, which we tested (and liked a lot) in 2008.

Previously, Honda’s only entry-level bike this small and affordable was the Rebel 250, a cruiser which we also tested then. All our riders preferred the Ninja for its precise handling; smooth, free-revving engine; and slick-shifting six-speed transmission. Some riders also found the Rebel 250 too small and cramped.

Now the CBR250R offers a sport-bike seating position in an affordable, entry-level package starting at $4,500. Better yet for new riders, the CBR250R is available with antilock brakes, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown reduces motorcycle crashes by as much as 37 percent.

Consumer Reports would like to see ABS offered on more motorcycles, especially affordable models aimed at newer riders. We welcome Honda’s introduction of the CBR250R as a first step in that direction and consider the $500 premium for the optional antilock brake system to be money well spent.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/01/honda-cbr250r-is-first-entry-level-motorcycle-with-abs.html

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Honda CBR250R is first entry-level motorcycle with ABS

If you’re looking forward to celebrating warmer weather by getting into motorcycle riding, Honda may have the bike for you. The company just introduced a new entry-level sport bike, the CBR250R, to compete with Kawasaki’s popular Ninja 250, which we tested (and liked a lot) in 2008.

Previously, Honda’s only entry-level bike this small and affordable was the Rebel 250, a cruiser which we also tested then. All our riders preferred the Ninja for its precise handling; smooth, free-revving engine; and slick-shifting six-speed transmission. Some riders also found the Rebel 250 too small and cramped.

Now the CBR250R offers a sport-bike seating position in an affordable, entry-level package starting at $4,500. Better yet for new riders, the CBR250R is available with antilock brakes, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown reduces motorcycle crashes by as much as 37 percent.

Consumer Reports would like to see ABS offered on more motorcycles, especially affordable models aimed at newer riders. We welcome Honda’s introduction of the CBR250R as a first step in that direction and consider the $500 premium for the optional antilock brake system to be money well spent.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/01/honda-cbr250r-is-first-entry-level-motorcycle-with-abs.html

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Consumer Reports Test complete: 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L

“Mocked as Uncool, the Minivan Rises Again,” proclaims the headline in the recent New York Times’ business section. Long maligned for their dowdy image and shunted to the sidelines as buyers were attracted to SUVs, minivans are experiencing something of a sales resurgence.

Maybe buyers are rediscovering the appeal of minivans: no other vehicle offers their combination of passenger and cargo space, drivability, refinement, and fuel economy. It’s also entirely likely that sales are up because there is fresh product. Every player in the market has been redesigned or updated in the last 18 months.

That includes the Honda Odyssey, currently the top-selling minivan. Trying to appeal to a new generation of buyers who previously wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan, the redesigned Odyssey has much more swoopy styling and some new interior features. But as our test shows, a minivan that is now more interesting to look at isn’t necessarily more entertaining to drive.

Watch the video for highlights from our testing, and visit the Honda Odyssey model overview page for complete pricing, reliability, road test, and more.

—Tom Mutchler

Source;
Consumer Reports

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Consumer Reports Test complete: 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L

“Mocked as Uncool, the Minivan Rises Again,” proclaims the headline in the recent New York Times’ business section. Long maligned for their dowdy image and shunted to the sidelines as buyers were attracted to SUVs, minivans are experiencing something of a sales resurgence.

Maybe buyers are rediscovering the appeal of minivans: no other vehicle offers their combination of passenger and cargo space, drivability, refinement, and fuel economy. It’s also entirely likely that sales are up because there is fresh product. Every player in the market has been redesigned or updated in the last 18 months.

That includes the Honda Odyssey, currently the top-selling minivan. Trying to appeal to a new generation of buyers who previously wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan, the redesigned Odyssey has much more swoopy styling and some new interior features. But as our test shows, a minivan that is now more interesting to look at isn’t necessarily more entertaining to drive.

Watch the video for highlights from our testing, and visit the Honda Odyssey model overview page for complete pricing, reliability, road test, and more.

—Tom Mutchler

Source;
Consumer Reports

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Ford passes Toyota in Consumer Reports quality ranking (Honda 1st!)

Honda and Ford have pushed past Toyota in consumer views of quality, according to Consumer Reports’ 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey.

A series of massive recalls over the last 18 months tarnished Toyota’s reputation as a leader in quality, the magazine said Tuesday. Toyota also paid nearly $50 million in fines last year to federal safety regulators for failing to promptly inform regulators of defects in its vehicles and delaying recalls.

Honda ranked first, with 25% of the car owners participating in the survey naming it as the manufacturer with the best quality in the study. Ford was second, at 23%, and Toyota finished third at 19%, a drop of 11 percentage points for the former leader. Chevrolet, at 16%, and Mercedes-Benz, at 15%, rounded out the top five.

Despite Toyota’s dive in the quality rankings, the Japanese automaker still scored the highest in overall brand perception -– an amalgamation of separate rankings of safety, quality, value, performance, environmentally friendliness, design/style and technology/innovation.

Toyota, with an overall score of 147, narrowly edged out Ford, which scored 144 points on the Consumer Reports scale, because of its big lead as an automaker that is considered environmentally friendly, said C. Matt Fields, a magazine spokesman.

“Statistically, it really is a dead heat,” he said.

Consumers in the study ranked safety, 65%; quality, 57%; and value, 51%, as the most important factors in their car-buying decisions. When it comes to safety, Volvo was named by 70% as the leader. It had a giant 50-point advantage over second-place Ford at 20%. Honda and Subaru were both at 17% and Mercedes-Benz was fifth, with 14%.

In terms of value, Ford, at 25%, squeaked by Honda, 24%, and Toyota, 23%, as the brand most mentioned by consumers. Hyundai, with 17%, and Chevrolet, at 15%, rounded out the value rankings. The full report can be found here.

Consumer Reports saying that Ford has moved up in perception and that Toyota has declined matches other auto-market trends.

The Ford brand outsold Toyota’s line of vehicles last year for the first time since 2006.
Toyota saw its share of the U.S. auto market fall to 15.2% in 2010 from 17% in the previous year.

Meanwhile, Ford’s market share rose to 16.7% last year, up more than a full percentage point. This was the second consecutive year of rising market share for Ford and its first back-to-back increase since 1993.

Also last year, Toyota was the subject of more than a quarter of the complaints drivers filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a study by auto information company Edmunds.com. Its ratio of complaints to 100,000 vehicles sold jumped to nearly 87 so far in 2010 from 37 a year earlier.

Among large automakers, Ford and Honda had the lowest complaint ratios.

Source;
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/01/honda-and-ford-have-pushed-past-toyota-in-consumer-views-of-quality-according-to-consumer-reports-2011-car-brand-percepti.html

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Ford passes Toyota in Consumer Reports quality ranking (Honda 1st!)

Honda and Ford have pushed past Toyota in consumer views of quality, according to Consumer Reports’ 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey.

A series of massive recalls over the last 18 months tarnished Toyota’s reputation as a leader in quality, the magazine said Tuesday. Toyota also paid nearly $50 million in fines last year to federal safety regulators for failing to promptly inform regulators of defects in its vehicles and delaying recalls.

Honda ranked first, with 25% of the car owners participating in the survey naming it as the manufacturer with the best quality in the study. Ford was second, at 23%, and Toyota finished third at 19%, a drop of 11 percentage points for the former leader. Chevrolet, at 16%, and Mercedes-Benz, at 15%, rounded out the top five.

Despite Toyota’s dive in the quality rankings, the Japanese automaker still scored the highest in overall brand perception -– an amalgamation of separate rankings of safety, quality, value, performance, environmentally friendliness, design/style and technology/innovation.

Toyota, with an overall score of 147, narrowly edged out Ford, which scored 144 points on the Consumer Reports scale, because of its big lead as an automaker that is considered environmentally friendly, said C. Matt Fields, a magazine spokesman.

“Statistically, it really is a dead heat,” he said.

Consumers in the study ranked safety, 65%; quality, 57%; and value, 51%, as the most important factors in their car-buying decisions. When it comes to safety, Volvo was named by 70% as the leader. It had a giant 50-point advantage over second-place Ford at 20%. Honda and Subaru were both at 17% and Mercedes-Benz was fifth, with 14%.

In terms of value, Ford, at 25%, squeaked by Honda, 24%, and Toyota, 23%, as the brand most mentioned by consumers. Hyundai, with 17%, and Chevrolet, at 15%, rounded out the value rankings. The full report can be found here.

Consumer Reports saying that Ford has moved up in perception and that Toyota has declined matches other auto-market trends.

The Ford brand outsold Toyota’s line of vehicles last year for the first time since 2006.
Toyota saw its share of the U.S. auto market fall to 15.2% in 2010 from 17% in the previous year.

Meanwhile, Ford’s market share rose to 16.7% last year, up more than a full percentage point. This was the second consecutive year of rising market share for Ford and its first back-to-back increase since 1993.

Also last year, Toyota was the subject of more than a quarter of the complaints drivers filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a study by auto information company Edmunds.com. Its ratio of complaints to 100,000 vehicles sold jumped to nearly 87 so far in 2010 from 37 a year earlier.

Among large automakers, Ford and Honda had the lowest complaint ratios.

Source;
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/01/honda-and-ford-have-pushed-past-toyota-in-consumer-views-of-quality-according-to-consumer-reports-2011-car-brand-percepti.html

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Video: 2011 Mazda2 - Good, but not quite (Honda) Fit

You know that the Honda FIT is a good car when it's used as a benchmark when comparing other good cars....

The subcompact Mazda2 isn't a bad car, but "not bad" isn't enough to take the world by storm. In today's competitive car market, there are plenty of really good cars to pick from.

Good fuel mileage is a big reason buyers go for small cars. The Mazda2 returned an average of 30 mpg overall with an automatic transmission and 33 with the manual in our testing. While that's not too shabby, it isn't outstanding these days. The larger and more comfortable Toyota Corolla compact returned 32 mpg overall in our tests with an automatic, and the midsize Hyundai Sonata GLS clocked in at 27 mpg overall.

Both of those cars are newer designs than the wee Mazda, and that's one of the 2's problems: Engine, transmission, and other technologies are advancing so fast that an older design just can't deliver the fuel economy of newer models. And the Mazda2 is an older design, having been on sale in Japan, Europe, and other markets for several years before being introduced to U.S. buyers earlier this year.

That leads to the other problem. There's good reason why carmakers bring certain models to certain markets and don't bring others. Roads, driving habits, and lifestyles vary tremendously around the world. The Mazda2 does not drive like it was designed for U.S. roads. That's because it wasn't.

The 2 is a kick to drive around town, zipping in and out of tight spaces and easy to park. On back roads, it's also entertaining to toss around. But the 2 isn't a fun cruiser. It's noisy on those highways we Americans rely on to get around so much, with a choppy ride, and it can feel a bit darty, requiring a lot of steering correction to stay on course.

Honda brought the subcompact Fit to our shores a few years ago, and it, too, was a design not intended for the U.S market. But with much more interior room and a clever folding rear seat that turns it into a mini cargo truck, the Fit has been a hit with American buyers. It's one of our top-Rated subcompacts.

The Mazda2 entered the increasingly crowded subcompact category as a contender and outscored some others in our testing. But it isn't as Fit as some others.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/video-2011-mazda2-good-but-not-quite-fit.html

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Video: 2011 Mazda2 - Good, but not quite (Honda) Fit

You know that the Honda FIT is a good car when it's used as a benchmark when comparing other good cars....

The subcompact Mazda2 isn't a bad car, but "not bad" isn't enough to take the world by storm. In today's competitive car market, there are plenty of really good cars to pick from.

Good fuel mileage is a big reason buyers go for small cars. The Mazda2 returned an average of 30 mpg overall with an automatic transmission and 33 with the manual in our testing. While that's not too shabby, it isn't outstanding these days. The larger and more comfortable Toyota Corolla compact returned 32 mpg overall in our tests with an automatic, and the midsize Hyundai Sonata GLS clocked in at 27 mpg overall.

Both of those cars are newer designs than the wee Mazda, and that's one of the 2's problems: Engine, transmission, and other technologies are advancing so fast that an older design just can't deliver the fuel economy of newer models. And the Mazda2 is an older design, having been on sale in Japan, Europe, and other markets for several years before being introduced to U.S. buyers earlier this year.

That leads to the other problem. There's good reason why carmakers bring certain models to certain markets and don't bring others. Roads, driving habits, and lifestyles vary tremendously around the world. The Mazda2 does not drive like it was designed for U.S. roads. That's because it wasn't.

The 2 is a kick to drive around town, zipping in and out of tight spaces and easy to park. On back roads, it's also entertaining to toss around. But the 2 isn't a fun cruiser. It's noisy on those highways we Americans rely on to get around so much, with a choppy ride, and it can feel a bit darty, requiring a lot of steering correction to stay on course.

Honda brought the subcompact Fit to our shores a few years ago, and it, too, was a design not intended for the U.S market. But with much more interior room and a clever folding rear seat that turns it into a mini cargo truck, the Fit has been a hit with American buyers. It's one of our top-Rated subcompacts.

The Mazda2 entered the increasingly crowded subcompact category as a contender and outscored some others in our testing. But it isn't as Fit as some others.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/video-2011-mazda2-good-but-not-quite-fit.html

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