2014 Odyssey To "Clean Up" In The Big Apple

By Chris Paukert

Much of the minivan segment's volume has been sucked up by the industry's ever-increasing appetite for crossovers, but a few major players are hanging in there, eager to serve as beasts of burden for America's families. Chief among those players is Honda, which is showing its revamped 2014 Odyssey at this week'sNew York Auto Show with a potential game-changing feature – an in-car vacuum.

Co-developed with Shop-Vac, the HondaVAC system will come standard on the range-topping Touring Elite model. The system includes a replaceable filter and canister bag, along with a range of attachments located in the cargo hold. Honda says this first-ever feature includes a hose that is long enough to clean the entire interior. Better still, the vacuum will run for up to eight minutes after the vehicle is turned off, so you can get every last Cheerio out of the seat cushions, and it never needs plugging in or recharging, as it runs off of the vehicle's electrical system.

In other news, the 2014 Odyssey gets a new aluminum hood and fenders to pair with its revamped grille and lower fascia. Headlamps get a more sinister look thanks to darker surrounds, and there are new LED taillamps out back, as well as revamped side mirrors on the doors. Underneath the skin, Honda says the 2014 Odyssey has received structural changes to help it ace the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's new small-overlap frontal crash test, and it's also added active safety features like lane departure warning and forward collision warning to the optional features list.

Honda has chosen to make no mention of any drivetrain innovations, so we assume it will continue to be motivated by a 248-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 powering the front wheels.

Inside, existing Odyssey owners will note a revamped center stack and new trim finishes, along with available new features including pushbutton start, HondaLink cloud-based infotainment options with smartphone integration, HD radio and so on.

Us? We just want to go spill some things and try out that vacuum. In the meantime, sit tight, kids – we'll have live photos of the new Odyssey from its New York debut before you can finish sucking down that sippy cup.

Source: Honda, Autoblog.com

Honda Civic Tour Guess the Headliner Sweepstakes

To kick-off the 12th year of the Honda Civic Tour, Honda is asking fans to guess this year's tour headliner for the opportunity to meet the act in person. Starting March 21 at 9:00 am ET and running through April 1, fans can enter the 'Guess the 2013 Headliner' sweepstakes on the Honda Civic Tour Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hondacivictour). Additionally, all sweepstakes entrants receive a special pre-sale code redeemable for the purchase of up to four tickets* starting April 2.

One grand prize winner will be selected to fly with a guest to Los Angeles, attend a Honda Civic Tour video shoot in Hollywood and meet the headliner. Prize includes round trip airfare and hotel accommodations. The 2013 Honda Civic Tour headliner will be announced on April 1.

For more information on the Honda Civic Tour, visit www.hondacivictour.com or the Honda Civic Tour Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/hondacivictour.

* Tickets to the Honda Civic Tour are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed. Acquisition and possession of a pre-sale code does not guarantee access to tickets. Each pre-sale code is good for up to four tickets per show, with a limit of 12 tickets for the tour. The pre-sale code may be used starting on April 2, 2013 until the pre-sale closes.

Full disclosure here: http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles/releases/honda-civic-tour-launches-guess-the-2013-headliner-sweepstakes

Source: http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles/releases/honda-civic-tour-launches-guess-the-2013-headliner-sweepstakes

Really Big Spring Event: Honda CR-V

2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid To Offer Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive cruise control is one of the coolest new safety technologies in the automotive industry. It works just like regular cruise control, except by using radar in the front end of the vehicle, it detects when you’ve reached an unsafe following distance and automatically adjusts your speed to create a safer gap between you and the vehicle in front of you.

Really Big Spring Event

Make a trip down to Pacific Honda to see what kind of crazy savings are available during the Really BIG Spring Event! With such a large selection of great rides, Pacific Honda can put you in the car you want for the best price possible. Check us out online at: www.pacifichonda.com! 

2013 2WD Honda Pilot

Come down to Pacific Honda and test drive the spacious 2013 Honda Pilot. With roomy third row seating, above average fuel economy, and useful interior storage areas, the Pilot is the perfect fit for your active lifestyle!  Check out some more amazing offers at: www.pacifichonda.com

Honda Recycling Old Batteries To Go Even Greener

When Lemon Grove Honda owners like yourselves read about “green” vehicles, you tend to think that the car’s “greenness” has everything to do with the efficiency of the engine. Maybe, if you’re really into how vehicles earn their miles per gallon, you might know about things like aerodynamics and tire inflation and so on, but for the most part, green cars, as far as most of us know, are the ones with the highest EPA numbers.