Its Shop Time Mondays: Acura, Chevy, GMC And Honda Are On This Week's Recall List

 

1. Air Bag May Deploy Unintentionally During a Crash

An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000

Manufacturer Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Components AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected 750,114

2018 Detroit Auto Show: 2019 Kia Forte, 2019 Jeep Cherokee And 2019 Honda Insight Concept

The 2019 Kia Forte takes styling cues from the performance-oriented Stinger. The Forte has an estimated 35 combined MPG. 

The 2019 Jeep Cherokee drops its slanted grille for a more traditional, yet, contemporary design.

The 2019 Honda Insight Concept, which arrives later this year, takes styling cues from the all-new Accord. The estimated fuel economy in this five passenger hybrid should exceed 50 mpg.

Honda's 2012 Prius-Fighter Adds New High-Tech Look, Improved Fuel Economy and More Features

Honda's Prius-fighter receives extensive changes inside and out for 2012. Exterior changes include a more distinctive grille design that introduces a thin, blue accent bar representative of the Insight’s high-tech hybrid identity. Restyled front and rear bumpers, along with changes under the vehicle, contribute to a 2-percent increase in aerodynamic performance. New designs for the headlight and brake light internal reflectors further complete the refreshed look. Insight and Insight LX models have new 15-inch wheel covers and the Insight EX has newly styled 15-inch alloy wheels. Slightly wider 185/60R15 tires, up from 175/65R15 tires on the prior model, contribute to confident driving performance.

The Insight’s interior refinements for 2012 include a reconfigured rear seat area for better leg and head room; a redesigned gauge cluster background with a more technically sophisticated appearance; reshaped center-console beverage holders that accommodate larger drinks; and a more supportive front armrest (Insight LX and EX).

The Insight LX has new, more premium seat fabric, while the Insight EX is upholstered with a combination of synthetic leather (new) and premium fabric. Rear-seat headroom improves by 0.6 inches with changes to the rear headliner shape and deeper sculpting of the rear seat cushion to improve rear passenger comfort. Rearward visibility improves with a more compactly mounted rear-wiper motor housing and a thinner rear spoiler that creates a larger viewing area out the lower back window. The Insight becomes quieter for 2012 with increased thickness to the vehicle’s existing noise-insulation materials and additional insulation panels in the cargo area.

Gas mileage also increased by 1 mpg and they managed to hold the price down to under $20,000. However, there was no additional oomph added to boost the horsepower of this hybrid hatchback.

Honda Insight: America's Cheapest Hybrid

What’s New:

The Honda Insight, which is a hybrid-based vehicle, has been redesigned to compete head-to-head with Toyota’s popular Prius. The space aged exterior design looks similar to the previous generation Prius.

Must Have Goodies:

If you’re investing in the redesigned Insight, two trim levels are available: the base LX and the fully-equipped EX. While the LX include power windows, power locks with remote entry, a tilt and telescopic steering column, the EX include an electronic stability system known as VSA, a six-speaker audio system and alloy wheels. And if you need a navigational system, you can step up to the EX with the navigational system, with the voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity.

What We Like:

The Eco Assist feature, which is designed to help the drivers achieve maximum fuel economy, changes color on the instrument panel to reflect how efficiently the driver is accelerating and braking. Unfortunately, we struggled to achieve maximum fuel efficiency in Georgia’s summer heat when the a/c was in use. Conversely, we like the fact that we can buy a hybrid for around $20,000. Unlike most hybrids, this vehicle is in reach of the average consumer, shopping for a new ride. As of now, this is the most affordable hybrid on the road today. And, while this vehicle is classified as a compact, the Insight provides additional utility with the seats folded down.

What We Dislike:

While the Insight was designed to go after the Prius, we found a few design flaws with the vehicle. For one, the rear sloping two-sectional review glass window obstructed our view. Furthermore, it was impossible for our eyes to align with the instrument panel because of the positioning of the driver’s seat. Often we had to slouch down to view the gauges on the instrument panel. Moreover, the rear sloping bubble shaped rear roofline made it impossible to seat average size adults in the rear.

Any Juice:

While we realize this is a hybrid, the vehicle seemed unpowered when driving on the highway and in city traffic, with the 98 horses underneath the hood, especially when carrying passengers and using the a/c.

The Verdict:

For those looking to get into a no frills hybrid, the Honda Insight could be the perfect vehicle for you. Because of our led foot and Georgia’s summer heat, maybe this is why we were unable to achieve the 40 miles per gallon suggested by Honda’s engineers. While we appreciate the Asian automaker introducing an economical hybrid, Honda’s popular Civic, gas powered or hybrid, could be a better fit for most consumers. In fact, a base Civic hybrid can be purchased for the same price as a loaded up Insight EX, with the navigational system. Added to that, purchasing a base Civic hybrid will provide you more room and horses underneath the hood.

Moreover, the compact size Insight doesn’t have the high-tech gadgets offered on most hybrids, which helps to keep the price competitive. Pricing for the base LX starts at $20,510 and barely climbs to $23,810, when equipped with every feature available on the Insight.

Competition: Ford Fusion (hybrid), Honda Civic hybrid and Mercury Milan hybrid, Toyota Prius

Visit our New-Vehicle Pricing Guide to configure an Insight or another model.

Four New-Rides with High Resale Values

2010 Ford Mustang
Base MSRP= $20,995 - $35,995*
Mustang's 3-year Average =56% of MSRP
Ford's 3-year Average= 37% of MSRP
Sporty Segment 3-year Average= 48% of MSRP

2010 Lexus IS C
Base MSRP= $38,490-$43,640*
IS C's 3-Year Average= 52% of MSRP
Lexus' 3-Year Average= 43% of MSRP
Premium Convertible 3-Year Average= 42% of MSRP

2010 Honda Insight
Base MSRP= $19,800-$23,100*
Insight's 3-Year Average= 63% of MSRP
Honda's 3-Year Average= 49% of MSRP
Mid Compact 3-Year Average= 45% of MSRP

2009 BMW Z4
Base MSRP= $45,750 - $51,650*
Z4's 3-Year Average= 44% of MSRP
BMW's 3-Year Average= 43% of MSRP
Premium Convertible 3-Year Average= 42% of MSRP

If you're in the market for a new-vehicle, we've featured four new vehicles which are expected to outperform their segment and brand - retaining an above average resale value in three years - according to the American Leasing Guide. So, if you like trading your ride in quite frequently, you're likely to get more for the aforementioned vehicles than other make and models. Furthermore, if you plan on leasing, which currently accounts for less than 10 percent of all new-vehicle sales, these vehicles payments will be cheaper, as opposed to conventional financing methods. Ironically, both the Lexus IS C and BMW Z4 compete in the same segments. While it costs more to buy the BMW, the Lexus is expected to retain a higher percentage of its value over three years.

Sources: American Leasing Guide and JeffCars.com's New-Vehicle Pricing Guide

*Prices do not include destination charges, options or accessories.