Honda To Build Two High-Tech Hybrid Systems, More Fuel-Efficient Standard Engines

Honda’s powertrain lineup is starting to look stale tech-wise compared to the competition. Despite the fuel-economy increases, the recently redesigned Honda Civic and CR-V essentially have carryover technology underneath their hoods. Under Honda’s just-announced three-year powertrain plan, that landscape is about to change … quickly.

In real-world testing, the Civic has outperformed 40 mpg cars from Ford and Hyundai. Honda’s updates will help reposition it as the most fuel-efficient automaker, overtaking Hyundai, according to the carmaker’s plans.

Best Cars for Black Friday Shopping

A successful Black Friday shopping trip is all in the planning. Bargain hunters study store ads and websites as though they're cramming for a test, and now they have less time to do so as several major chains — Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's — will open their doors at midnight instead of 4 or 5 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving.

There's one thing that Black Friday shoppers can plan for before the deal-laden store circulars arrive: which car to take.

Black Friday shoppers might think bigger is better — big SUVs, minivans — when it comes to picking a car for hauling all their bargains. They're not wrong, especially if they're hoping to bag a gigantic flat-screen TV at a low price. But nimble small cars in busy parking lots shouldn't be left out of the Black Friday fun. Here are our top picks for Black Friday haulers:

2013 Honda Fit EV: Up Close

The Honda Fit EV is based on the gas-powered Fit, but styling changes give the all-electric hatchback a distinctive appearance. It starts up front, where the regular Fit's grille has been swapped for a solid panel and a chrome bar that gives the car a bit of a grin. Changes to the rear include a hood-like spoiler that's quite a bit larger than the one on the Fit Sport — it's aerodynamic, Honda says — and sharp corners on the sides of the bumper like those on the Toyota Prius.

More 2011 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The transformation into an electric car has consequences in the cabin, as the Fit EV loses one of the gas model's signature features: the Magic Seat second row.

2013 Honda Fit EV at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Mitsubishi i
• Looks like: A pucker-mouthed Honda Fit
• Drivetrain: 92-kilowatt coaxial electric motor with 20-kWh lithium-ion battery
• Hits dealerships: Summer 2012

Honda's Fit EV is an all-electric version of Honda's subcompact hatchback with an estimated combined city/highway range of up to 76 miles using the EPA's testing. (According to the EPA, the Nissan Leaf would reach 73 miles.) In the city, Honda expects a maximum electric range of 123 miles.

More 2011 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The combined number puts the Fit's estimated range higher than other EVs' ratings, besting the Nissan Leaf by three miles. What happens in the real world may be different, but the EPA's official combined range ratings are close to what we've achieved with our long-term Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.

2012 Honda Fit: Ch-Ch-Changes

Relatively little has changed for Honda's entry-level model, the Fit, for the 2012 model year. If you opt for the Sport trim, though, the Fit looks a little different than last year's model.

The 2012 Honda Fit Sport will get unique aesthetic upgrades that distinguish it from the base Fit, which keeps the same look as the previous model year. Updates include a new front grille and bumper, headlights and sportier alloy wheel designs. The Sport’s interior features dark metallic trim on the dashboard, replacing the gray-colored trim from 2011, and there are new chrome accents around the instrument cluster.

What's the Most Affordable New Car?

Used-car prices are going up, and gas prices remain high.

That makes new small cars with good mileage even more attractive to car shoppers. However, low starting prices under $15,000 don’t really translate to the transaction price most buyers face when you include equipment that’s almost a prerequisite today, such as an automatic transmission and power windows.

Over the 2011 and 2012 model years, more than a dozen new small cars will, or have been, released. They range from the traditional — like the Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent — to the quirky Fiat 500.

We decided to add another factor into this comparison that we haven’t included in the others: the cost of gas. For each model, we also included a year’s worth of gas to the total cost of the car — 15,000 miles’ worth of traveling in a mix of city and highway at $3.96 per gallon.

Subcompacts Lag Behind Compacts in Sales

Written by Tim Cain

Small cars are popular. Yet in spite of rising fuel costs and small cars’ affordable prices, subcompacts remain mostly low-volume accessories in their respective model ranges.

Subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit can’t be considered unpopular. True popularity and profit, however, result from more expensive, larger compact cars like the Ford Focus and Honda Civic.

Most popular among subcompacts in April was the Fiesta with 9,147 sales, which is little more than half the Focus’ 17,265 sales total. The Fiesta wasn’t on sale in April 2010, but the Focus landed a 22.4% year-over-year jump. Five out of every hundred Fords sold in April were Fiestas; in April, 9.5% of Ford’s 182,542 sales came from the Focus. The Fiesta was Ford’s 11th best-selling model. The Focus was fourth among Blue Oval vehicles.

Honda Spotlights No Money Down Leases in April

Despite potentially tight supplies of some Honda vehicles, the automaker continues a robust lease and low-financing incentives campaign throughout April. Honda calls it “The Really Big Thing Sales Event,” and by now, you've likely seen the commercials for it, which feature oversized lapel pins. Like other recent Honda sales events, the carmaker is pushing leases with $0 down payment, $0 security deposit, $0 first month's payment and $0 due at signing on most of its lineup.

The no-money-down lease deals include $380 a month on the 2011 Odyssey minivan and $250 a month for a 2011 Accord. Keep in mind that $0 down doesn’t include tax, license, title, registration and documentation fees, which will likely cost thousands of dollars before you leave the lot. If you want to reduce your monthly payments, Honda’s also offering lease deals with money down — typically $1,999 — knocking off about $60 a month on the lease deals we highlight below.

Panic Purchases Are Side Effect of Japan Quake

It seems consumers are buying specific fuel-efficient models produced in Japan — namely, the Toyota Prius and Honda Fit — quickly and for more money than they did before the recent earthquake in Japan.

Fear of short supplies and high gas prices are the main reasons, but neither should influence most car shoppers. Why?

Hybrids like the Prius make up their additional costs faster when gas prices are higher. There’s a good chance that gas prices will retreat in the next year, much like they did after $4 gas in 2008. There’s no denying, though, that a $22,000 Prius will cost you half as much at the pump annually as a $22,000 Hyundai Sonata, or about $1,000 a year at $3.57 a gallon. Gas prices have fallen slightly the past few days to $3.54 nationally.

However, dealers say they are only left with more expensive Prius models. The most expensive Prius left in Cars.com’s national inventory is $34,210. Only 288 are currently listed on Cars.com, an extremely low number. Short supply with higher demand also means dealers will be less likely to offer discounts on these specific models. Honda has also told its dealers that it will suspend ordering of new vehicles assembled in Japan scheduled for May assembly. Most Hondas are assembled in North America. But the Fit, CR-Z and Insight, as well as the Acura TSX and RL, are not.

Recall Alert: 2009-2010 Honda Fit

Honda said it is recalling 97,201 2009-2010 Honda Fits due to a problem with the engine that could lead to engine damage or stalling.

Honda has identified a problem with the motion springs, a component in the engine’s valvetrain, which can bend or break over time. If this happens, you will hear an abnormal noise coming from the engine, which could eventually stall or become damaged.

Honda says no crashes or injures have occurred because of the defect. Starting in early March, Honda will begin notifying affected customers and will encourage them to bring their vehicles in for service.

If you believe your vehicle is affected, you can call Honda's customer service department at 800-999-1009 (select option 4) or go to Honda’s customer recall website.