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How many times have you come across a slow driver that refuses to let go of the fast lane? Probably more times that you can remember. In this video we see one of those drivers in a Honda Civic, the difference being that the person behind him / her is a state trooper.

Of course, when there’s a cop on your tail, you’ll slow down, but common sense says you should also move over and let him pass as soon as you find a chance to change lanes, something that this driver didn’t do. On the other hand, we see the double standards at play here with the police officer dangerously tailgating the Civic. But at least the video has a funny ending with the trooper forcing the Honda driver into the right lane. Watch the clip after the jump.

The wraps only just came off the all-new but not-so-new looking 2012 Honda Civic at this week’s 2011 New York Auto Show, yet the Japanese automaker has already launched an advertising campaign for its popular compact model. The fully integrated national campaign is called “To Each Their Own” and it’s the creative work of Honda’s long-standing agency, RPA.

The campaign touts the idea that consumers are all different and there's a unique Civic for each of one of them, bringing attention to the variety of different Civic models. The ads feature five distinct characters, with each one of them representing a different model.

The stars are: Jack the urban woodsman who shows off the Civic Hybrid; Mitch the zombie salesman who’s into high-tech gadgets and drives a Civic Sedan; Teeny the monster college student in the fuel-efficient HF model; Aiko the young Ninja girl paired up with the Civic Si and finally, Cesar, the Champion Luchador who drives a Civic Coupe.

The ninth-generation Honda Civic made its world premiere in New York today. The new Civic’s highlights are a mildly revised style and a fuel-efficient lineup, made up of the following models: the conventional gasoline-powered Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, the high-performance Civic Si Coupe and Sedan, the Civic Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas and the Civic HF (an all-new high fuel economy model).

For 2012, Honda announces higher fuel economy ratings, up by as much as 8 percent on the highway in the Civic Sedan and Coupe models equipped with automatic transmissions.

The base model Civic DX Coupe has an MSRP starting price of $15,605 (€10,750), which is unchanged from the outgoing model. The base Civic Sedan and Coupe models are powered by a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine that delivers 140 horsepower and 128 lb-ft (173.5 Nm) of torque.

Honda Insight hybrid sedan earned the accolade as the 2011 Cleanest Car in the event of Jaffa's Green Car Awards 2011 in England. These awards are created through the cooperation of Jaffa's, site milesperlitre.com and vcacarfueldata.org.uk to analyze the levels of emissions from various car manufacturers the world.

Research conducted three independent institutions in the field of environment is not only focused on the levels of CO2 emissions, but also take into account the emission levels of NOx, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, PM10 particles, and even though the sound pollution.

According to the research, PM10 particles are a major contributor to environmental pollution and health followed by hydrocarbons, and NOx. The best car is a car that has the lowest three levels, as well as sound pollution.

As a result, ten types of cars successfully elected as the "Cleanest Cars" for 2011 this. Of the ten cars, eight car brands made it into the ranks of the top ten of ten cars that entered the ranks of the top ten is a gasoline-fueled cars and hybrid. Five cars were gasoline-fueled cars while the other five are hybrid cars.

The result of research conducted by the three institutions were announced in London, England in late March 2011 through the arena of Jaffa's Green Car Awards 2011, whereby the Honda Insight get the title as the "Cleanest Cars" among nine species of other cars.
Honda Insight can achieve the perfect figure of 100% of the existing research results.

Insight is a hybrid sedan that carries the Honda i-VTEC engine power 1.3 liter combined with battery power of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA).

From the results of research, the Honda Insight petrol consumption per 100 kilometers is 4.6 liters. CO2 emission levels even below 100 mg per km is 60 mg per km. For emission standards, the Honda Insight meets Euro 5 emissions standard that is the new standard rate of motor vehicle exhaust emissions that came into effect in 2010 ago in Europe.

The second generation Honda Insight was released in 2009. Since its release, its market share is spread across North America (Canada and United States), Europe, South Africa, and Asia-Oceania (Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore).

Jaffa's is short for Jaffa's Juicy Bits, an independent institute that studies about technology "green", especially in this case the performance of modern cars environmentally friendly, which refers to mathematical analysis.

It’s been over a month since the first of a series of earthquakes along with a catastrophic tsunami hit Japan’s shores resulting in devastating destruction and flooding, but the country is still feeling the effects in more ways than one.

According to a news report, Japan’s big seven automakers have lost more than half a million units of output since the March 11 quake. To make matters worse, even though many factories opened recently, they have not yet reached their full production capacity due to a lack of parts.

2011 Honda Accord Crosstour Reviews

2011 Honda Accord Crosstour is a mid-sized vehicle available with two trim levels which include EX and EX-L trims.
2011 Honda Accord Crosstour will be installed with 3.5 L capacity V6 engine.
Interior of 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour is very much identical to Honda Accord with minor changes. Seats installed in this model are very supportive and comfortable.
2011 Honda Accord Crosstour will be installed with some active and passive safety accessories.
The 2011 Honda Accord is the eighth generation of the vehicle and is now selling in dealerships. Read on for a preliminary car review of the 2011 Honda Accord.

With the 2011 Accord, Honda is upping the ante yet again. With two different 4-cylinder engines available, and one souped-up V6, the 2011 Honda Accord should please those with a need for speed. Five-speed automatic and manual transmissions are available, and all Accords feature front wheel drive. With enhanced fuel economy, it's safe to say that the 2011 Accord is a definite winner.

Here are several of the specs on the 2011 Accord:
Pricing: prices of the new Accord range from $21,180 to $31,730 MSRP; no invoice data available
Fuel economy:23 mpg in the city, 34 mpg on the highway, 27 mpg combined
Engine: two four-cylinder engine options, one offering 180 horsepower, the other 195 horsepower. Drivetrain: four-cylinder engines can be paired with a five-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission; V6 Accord coupes are available with a six-speed manual
Acceleration: V6 2011 Accord completes 0-60 mph in about 7.5 seconds
Model lineup: no changes are expected to the current lineup of Accords despite rumors of a resurrected gas-electric hybrid Accord.
The brakes in the 2010 Honda Accord were sub-par, so Honda may tweak them for the new model year.
Handling is quite good, especially in coupe models. Although it performs admirably on the freeway, the 2011 Honda Accord does suffer from slightly elevated road noise that may bother some drivers.
The light, assured handling of the Honda Accord, combined with its fuel efficiency and punchy horsepower, makes it a true pleasure to drive. The 3.5-liter V6 engine produces a whopping 271 horsepower. Almost every auto review of the 2010 Honda Accord agreed that the car was in desperate need of a styling refresh, and Honda is expected to deliver on that in 2011. In initial photos of the 2011 Honda Accord, you’ll see an extremely futuristic-looking car with high body lines and pulled-back headlights. The new Accord has very short overhangs and pronounced wheel arches.

Interior Features
When combined with climate control, riding inside of a Honda Accord is an immersive, pleasurable experience.
Drivers have come to expect quality from Honda vehicles; the 2011 Accord does not disappoint. The enhanced navigation screen and new backup camera all round out the high quality of the interior of the Honda Accord to a considerable degree.

Performance
The Accord doesn’t need to improve fuel economy or add horsepower in order to remain competitive in the midsize sedan class, so changes are improbable. There are plenty of perks involved with the 2011 Honda Accord. Honda has comprehensive warranty policies that give drivers significant peace of mind.

Cons
For those individuals with families, the Honda Accord is the best choice in terms of maximizing comfort for multiple passengers.

Much like the similarly sized Toyota Venza, the Accord Crosstour is aimed mainly at those who simply want a higher seating position than a car, but a lower one than tall SUVs. Just get in and you'll see the advantage of the design; the Crosstour is very easy to slide into and doesn't require any contorting. It's 7.6 inches higher than the Accord sedan and rides a couple of inches higher—though its six inches of ground clearance are about the same as that of the sedan.

The 2011 Crosstour drives somewhat like the Accord sedan but with a heavier, more deliberate feel that's a step in the opposite direction of the nimble feel we've praised the Accord sedan for in the past. The 271-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 moves the Crosstour plenty quick, but you're going to feel that weight in stop-and-go traffic. The transmission hesitates to downshift when coming out of a corner, yet it holds lower gears for longer than needed during light acceleration. It steers well and has reasonably good body control on a curvy road, but there's quite a bit more fore-aft motion during hard braking or strong acceleration than we remember from the Accord.
Mainly because of its added heft and height, the Accord Crosstour gets significantly lower fuel economy than the Accord Sedan: just 18 mpg city, 27 highway for the front-wheel drive model, 17/25 with AWD.

Dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a 360-watt sound system, and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio controls are included in all Crosstours, while the EX-L, as tested at $35,480, included leather upholstery, front heated seats, a HomeLink garage-door opener, and heated mirrors, among many additional features, plus the navigation system with rearview camera system.

To find out more of our driving impressions and our overall take on the Accord—plus what more specs, pics, and news, plus what others have to say—read this drive piece on the Honda Accord Crosstour, then browse through our full review of the 2011 Honda Accord lineup.

The shortage of parts and electricity problems in Japan in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake may delay the production of at least 500,000 Toyota vehicles, according to market research company Advanced Research Japan.

The world's largest carmaker may subsequently see its operating profit drop by at least 100 billion yen ($1.2 billion) in the 2010 fiscal year (ending March 31 2011) and up to 200 billion yen in the 2011 fiscal year. Auto analyst Koji Endo says any impact on production destined for export will affect earnings even more. “Hardly any cars will be built in April and a very low level of production will continue from May,” Endo was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

All-New Honda Accord Sedan and Honda Accord Coupe 2011 slide in mid-August 2010. Honda North America beautify the outward appearance and the Honda Accord. In addition, Honda also increase the fuel efficiency of Honda Accord.

Improvements include the vehicle aerodynamics, engine friction and gear transmission ratio, contribute to improving fuel efficiency. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), USA gave a rating of 1 to Accord Sedan 4-cylinder with automatic transmission. In the town of Accord Sedan 4-cylinder spend 9.87 km / liter better 0.85 km / liter. While on the freeway (highway) recorded 10.2 km / liter, preferably 1.28 km / liter.

Revision 2011 and Honda Accord Coupe exterior found on the grille, alloy wheels, rear deck lid, and wheels. Luxurious and ergonomic interior increases with the presence of leather upholstery, lumbar support, leather steering wheel, heated seats, for a particular type.

Accord is offered in a choice of 2 petrol engine, 4-cylinder, 2.4 liter, DOHC, i-VTEC, with power 190 hp and 177 hp, and V6, 3.5 liter, SOHC, i-VTEC, Variable Cylinder Management (VCM ), powerful 271 hp. Accord Sedan V6 petrol consumption in city / highway carrying 8.08 / 12.75 km / liter, preferably 0.43 km / liter on the highway. EPA rank 3 for the Accord V6 Sedan.

and Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V6 was seeing a 6-speed manual transmission. While the Accord 4-cylinder option offered a 5-speed manual transmission and 5-speed automatic.

Less than two weeks after Honda issued a recall on 33,341 Odysseys from the 2011MY over a potential problem with the windshield wiper linkage rods, the Japanese automaker has announced a second recall for its latest generation minivan. This time Honda said it will voluntarily recall approximately 2,800 Odysseys from the 2011MY because of a problem with the side windows.

Mazda has suspended all US orders for cars built in Japan as the carmaker is preparing to shut down its plants once again after a short reopening period. According to the automaker’s American spokesman Jay Amestoy, the decision will affect shipments of cars that were due to arrive in the U.S. in May. The Mazda official added that it was uncertain when normal activity will resume.

Mazda USA imports almost all its range from the Japan, except the U.S.-built Mazda6 and Tribute. The models produced in Japan are the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5 / Miata, RX-8, CX7 and CX9. Mazda halted production at its Hiroshima and Hofu plants from March 14 through March 21, but three days ago, it resumed temporary production using parts it had in its inventory.

The devastating earthquake and its aftermath in Japan have forced Honda to postpone the market launch of its new Fit Shuttle. The introduction of the car in Japan was scheduled to take place this month. Honda said it has not yet decided on a new release date and that the company will follow up with an announcement with more details soon.

Ford's luxury division Lincoln moved up one spot in the annual JD Power reliability study to gain the title of most reliable brand sold in the U.S., ahead of Lexus and Jaguar. The industry overall vehicle dependability has also improved compared to 2010, but automakers still have problems with new technologies and features.

The 2011 study takes into account problems experienced in the past 12 months by more than 43,700 original owners of three-year-old cars (2008 model year). JD Power determines the overall dependability by the level of Problems encountered Per 100 vehicles (PP100). A lower score reflects higher quality and the good news is the overall vehicle dependability averaged 151 PP100, the best value since the creation of the study.

A defective fuel pump module is to blame for the latest Honda recall that affects 18,056 Civics from the 2011 model year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the roll-over valve inside certain fuel pump modules may have been damaged during production and could cause fuel leakage in the event of a roll-over incident. The safety agency said no crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this defect.

Honda today lifted the wraps off the Brio, a small city car designed for emerging Asian markets such as India, China and Thailand. Previewed last year by the Brio concept, Honda’s new model measures 3,610 meters long and 1,680 meters wide, making it 290mm shorter than the Jazz supermini and only 1 centimeter narrower.

The Brio uses a 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine sourced from the Jazz, which delivers 90 horsepower and an average fuel consumption of 5 liters/100 km (47 mpg US), while respecting the Euro 4 emission standards. The engine can be linked to a manual five-speed gearbox or a CVT transmission.

One of the biggest problems most see with Honda’s CR-Z hybrid sport hatch is the lack of a performance version. That may change soon enough as Mugen’s European division is readying a “highly-tuned” version of the CR-Z that it claims will deliver “Type R-like” performance. The faster and more powerful CR-Z Mugen prototype is being developed as a joint project between Honda UK and Mugen Euro, and it will make its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July.

“This will be one quick hybrid,” said Martin Moll, Head of Marketing for Honda UK. “With more torque, more power and MUGEN’s experience of working with Honda cars, we’re expecting great things. It promises to show how hybrid cars can be even more exciting to drive.”

Honda said that the CR-Z MUGEN prototype will feature modifications to both the 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine and the Honda IMA system to boost power and torque, adding that these changes may also result in greater mpg and lower CO2 emissions during some conditions. Final power, torque and fuel economy figures are not yet known.

It seems that the petrol-sniffing Yellow Sac spider that forced Mazda to issue a recall on some 52,000 cars in the USA last week has a thing for mid-size Japanese sedans as the eight-legged arthropod also caused problems to Honda in the past. According to reports, Honda posted a Technical Service Bulletin in the summer of 2009 alerting its dealers to check Accords for possible infestation by the Yellow Sac spider, but had not issued a recall then.

2011 Honda Element Review
The 2011 Honda Element is all about utility. An added plus, if you need more utility, is that the Element’s interior is easy to clean. Like the Element, the Forester features a practical interior. It starts at a few hundred dollars less than the Element, and has all-wheel drive standard (an all-wheel drive Element costs about$2,000 more than the base Forester). Part of the Element’s appeal isn’t its practicality, but its styling. If you love the Element’s squared-off looks but don’t need its cavernous space and rough ride, check out the Kia Soul.

The 2011 Element comes in two trims, LX and EX, both of which are available in front- or all-wheel drive (Honda calls it four-wheel drive). Be sure to check for current Honda Deals that may be available on the Honda Element. The "2011 Honda Element" is little-changed from the 2010 model. If you like the Element, you'll need to buy one this year. Honda has announced that Element production will end after the 2011 model year.

Inside, the Element is best described as no-nonsense. The 2011 Element has modest technical specs: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 166 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque; front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; and running gear that's evolved in part from the Civic and CR-V parts bin. The 2011 Honda Element has a box-on-wheels design that imbues it with a lot more interior space than models that take up more parking space.

And with its suicide-door (front-hinged front door and rear-hinged back door) setup, high roof and low cargo floor, it's seriously spacious. While most other vehicles of the Element's size have five seats, the Honda seats just four, and the two backseats are quite small. The 2011 Element comes with a rather basic set, though options like premium sound and a nav system can be had, along with a Dog Friendly Element package. Top crash-test ratings and a good set of safety equipment complete the Element's "get 'er done, safely" mindset.

The 2011 Honda Element represents the final model year for the original box-shaped crossover; decreasing sales mean there won’t be a 2012 Honda Element. Except for a mild model-year 2009 facelift, the 2011 Element is the same shipping-container-shaped wagon introduced as a 2003 model. Should you buy a 2011 Honda Element?

We initially reported that the 2012 Element would kick off this crossover’s second-generation design. Bottom line, it’s clear the 2011 Element’s design appeals to a shrinking number of buyers. The 2011 Honda Element styling is unchanged, though the sporty-trimmed SC model is dropped, leaving behind base LX and uplevel EX versions of this slab-sided four-seater. On the downside, every rival has four conventional side doors. Element, by contrast, uses long front doors in combination with quarter-sized rear doors hinged at the back. You can’t open a rear door unless a front is already open and can’t close it unless a front is already shut. Except for their wheels, the 2011 Element LX and 2011 Element EX models are virtually indistinguishable visually. Both use the same size tires on 16-inch wheels, though the EX comes with alloys and the LX uses steel wheels with wheel covers. Gone for model-year 2011 is the Element SC model, which affected a “street custom” look with lowered ride height, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a monochromatic exterior color scheme.

The Pilot is Honda's mid-size crossover utility vehicle, offering a rugged look combined with a very passenger-friendly package and surprisingly good on-the-road performance.
Four-wheel-drive models can tow up to 4,500 pounds.
From a practicality standpoint, the interior of the 2011 Honda Pilot interior brims with cubbies, holders, and bins for accoutrements of all sorts.

The 2011 Honda Pilot’s strengths are a spacious third-row seat, lots of storage cubbies, and a powerful engine, but it can’t keep up with competitors when it comes to interior quality and braking performance.

Along with its spacious third row and excellent safety scores, the Pilot boasts a powerful V6 engine and impressive towing capacity. It also comes with three rows of seats (though it seats seven rather than the Pilot’s eight) and boasts a better 19/25 fuel economy rating.

At a glance, the "2011 Honda Pilot" would seem to do a fine job as a family hauler. In sum, we think the 2011 Honda Pilot is an adequate choice for a midsize or large crossover SUV. The 2011 Honda Pilot is a midsize crossover SUV offered in four trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L and Touring. Each is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. The EX adds 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, painted body molding (versus black plastic), roof rails, heated exterior mirrors, an eight-way power driver seat (with two-way power lumbar), steering-wheel audio controls, tri-zone automatic climate control, an in-dash six-CD changer, and satellite radio. Optional on the EX-L is a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a voice-activated navigation system bundled with Bluetooth, an iPod interface and a 10-speaker premium audio system.

Powertrains and Performance
The 2011 Honda Pilot is motivated by a 3.5-liter V6 that generates 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all Pilot models are available with an all-wheel-drive system that automatically apportions power to the rear wheels -- up to 70 percent -- when front slippage occurs. This system also has a driver-selectable "lock" feature that routes maximum torque to the rear wheels at speeds below 19 mph.

Still the Pilot's EPA estimates of 17 city/23 highway mpg and 19 mpg combined (16/22/18 for AWD models) are merely average for this segment.

Safety
Standard safety equipment includes stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. In the government's new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Pilot earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and five stars for overall side crash protection.The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety likewise awarded the Pilot its top "Good" rating for both frontal-offset and side-impact crashes.

Interior Design and Special Features
Mimicking the 2011 Honda Pilot's utilitarian exterior styling, the interior features a rugged and blocky theme. The Pilot also keeps stride with the competition with its roomy third-row seats.

Driving Impressions
In terms of performance, the 2011 Honda Pilot is burdened by a lack of power and a hefty curb weight. On curvy roads, the Pilot also feels rather cumbersome. In our testing, however, that positive feel ran counter to the Pilot's rather long stopping distances.

It seems that the movie monster Godzilla is not only a threat on the silver screen, but in real life too. And if you’re wondering, no, it hasn’t actually come out of the ocean to wreak havoc on the Japanese shoreline. However, Honda could end up paying a...sea of money to Toho Co., the Japanese film studio that owns the rights to the Godzilla trademark, due to the allegedly unauthorized use of the sea monster’s likeness in an Odyssey minivan commercial.

The dispute concerns the part of the commercial showing off the MPV’s split screen entertainment system, which features a barely visible head shot of the mythological creature -no, really.

Potentially damaged lost motion springs are the cause of Honda’s latest recall in the U.S., which affects 97,201 2009 and 2010 model year Fit vehicles. Parts of the engine valvetrain, the lost motion springs may bend or break over time due to the compression forces exerted on them by the rocker arms, resulting in abnormal engine noise or even damage.

According to Honda, no crashes or injuries have been caused by the defective components. The Japanese automaker will start notifying customers by mail in early March, and have them take their vehicles for an inspection carried out at an authorized dealer.