Honda Problems

Being green is easier than you might think; you don't have to buy an expensive hybrid or oil-burner as some people would have you believe.A smaller car, one with a smaller petrol engine, will do the trick for most folks. While hybrids are still expensive and diesel fuel is dear small cars like Honda's Jazz are economical and affordable.Often, when you think about it, they will get the job done for most people as well. Why carry around all that sheetmetal and cast iron when you don't have to?Besides, small cars are easy to drive, easy to park, and easy on the pocket. There's plenty of choice when it comes to small cars and prices vary wildly from brand to brand.The Jazz, like Hondas tend to be, is one  of the premium models in its class, but that didn't hold it back when it came to popularity. The second generation GE arrived in 2008 and built on the first generation and the success it enjoyed.There was a new body, although it looked much like the old one that had proved popular, particularly with women buyers who were taken with the styling. The same two engines continued to be offered, but they were revised.The 1.3-litre entry-level engine in the GLi was given four valves per cylinder, which made it rev easier and more smoothly. Its output also went up substantially. The VTi and VTi-S were both powered by the larger 1.5-litre engine and its output was also boosted by a healthy amount. Gone was the quirky CVT transmission of old that had been some what troublesome, and in its place was a regular five-speed auto. For those happy to shift themselves there was also a five-speed manual on offer.The Jazz, with its upright peoplemover type body, is a practical little car offering good interior room, flexible seating and clear   visibility. On the road it steers well, handles with assurance, is comfortable and is easy to park.IN THE SHOPHondas generally have a good reputation for being reliable, although parts and servicing can be more expensive than some other brands. Good independent service agents specialising in Hondas are a good alternative to dealers if you want to save a few bucks. It's important, however, that the Jazz is well serviced and has the recommended oil changes.Fresh oil and clean filters keep modern engines alive longer, so check for a service record for any potential purchase. The switch from the CVT transmission in the older model to a regular  auto is good news; the CVT suffered a number of problems that caused buyers headaches, none of which will bother buyers of the auto in the GE model.IN A CRASHANCAP judged the Jazz as a four-star performer when it came to safety, it would have probably got an extra star had Honda made electronic stability control available. It didn't, but the Jazz did have ABS braking across the board, and traction control on the VTi and VTi-S. Dual airbags were standard on the base GLi, while the VTi and VTi- S also had head and side airbags for added protection.UNDER THE PUMPFuel economy is one of the most important considerations when most of us sit down to select the next car we will buy. Hybrids and diesels have been the flavours of the month in the last few years, but both come at a hefty cost that most people refuse to pay.Small petrol-engined cars, like the Jazz, are a viable alternative, especially when they return fuel consumption figures of 5.8 L/100 km (1.3) and 6.4 L/100 km (1.5) as the Jazz does.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $17,990 to $23,920 Engine: 1.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol, 73 kW/127 Nm; 1.5-litre 4-  cylinder petrol, 88 kW/145 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, 5-speed manualBody: 5-door hatchVariants: GLi, VTi, VTi-SSafety: 4-star ANCAPVERDICT:Practical, roomy, economical, it's hard to beat. 

The return of Honda to the sporty coupe field with the petrol-electric CR-Z has rekindled interest in the Japanese marque long known for its sporting successes.As a follow on from that buyers are starting to take an interest in other, sadly superseded, sports models from Honda. And in particular the Integra range.All Honda Integras are built to a high quality in the Japanese manner and the combination of sportiness and quality means they retain their value well. Resales may further increase due to the aforementioned revival in interest, no promises though...Honda Integra can be confusing as it changed its character on more than one occasion over the 15 years it was on sale in Australia from 1993. The positive side of that confusion is that many will find an Integra to suit their particular needs. Because you can get either an attractive cruiser, a full-on sports machine, or somewhere in between.Integra was almost a four-seater in its earlier periods, prior to 2001, and can be used as a nice family machine while the junior travellers are still small. This makes a good compromise for the person who wants a good looking coupe, but who is forced by financial circumstances in the direction of practicality.At the other end of the scale, the third-generation Honda Integra Type R, is a semi-race machine. While it had been on sale in Japan for a long time the Integra Type R didn’t reach Australia until August 2000, and even then only in limited numbers.It's a really hot little beast aimed at the serious driver. Those wanting a comfortable cruiser should look elsewhere as this Type R has no compromise suspension settings.Having introduced us to the delights of a genuine sports machine in that first Type R, Honda went and spoiled things with the fourth-generation, launched in August 2001. It is a softer car than its predecessor, though still reasonably easy to punt hard if you put your mind to it.It wasn’t until October 2004 that Honda Australia woke up to itself and brought in another ‘proper’ sports Integra, this time tagged as the Type S. Now you can understand why the word confusing appears above...Engines are 1.8 litres until the fourth-generation model of 2001, when the capacity climbed to 2.0 litres. However, Honda's ability to get big power from smallish engines is renowned and the hottest of them all, the limited edition Type R of 2000 managed a hefty 141 kW from its 1.8 litres.Transmission choices are five-speed manual in most models, with the high-performance Type R and Type S getting six-speed manuals.Four-speed automatic transmissions with a conventional change were offered until the 2001 fourth-generation Integra arrived with a five-speed auto using sequential manual overrides.Even the standard Honda Integras handle pretty well, with good turn-in and not too much understeer if pushed hard.The hot sports models are amazingly good for front-wheel drive cars, but can be harsh in their ride. There is a good number of Honda dealers Australian wide, with this Japanese company being reasonably well represented in country areas.Spare parts and servicing are usually well priced, with Honda having put some hard work into pulling prices down a few years back when it had a reputation for charging top dollar for spare bits.Insurance charges are about average for a sporting coupe, meaning fairly expensive but not outrageously so. Few companies seem to understand that there are some really hot variants amongst them.The Integra suffered from the general decline in popularity of sports coupes that began early in the 21st century. Though it hung on for longer than some of its competitors, production eventually ceased in 2007.WHAT TO LOOK FORBeware of the Honda Integra Type R that has been thrashed on race tracks, or traffic-light drag racing.Look for a body kit, extra instruments or a large exhaust tailpipe extension, these may be a sign of hard driving, though many dress up their cars with go-faster.Excessive brake-pad dust, usually at its worst on the insides of the front wheels and callipers, is another indication of hard driving.Check for repairs to crash damage by looking for paint that doesn’t match correctly from panel to panel. Ripples in the panels, easiest to spot while looking lengthways along them in good light, are another solid cue. If in doubt, call in an expert.Make sure that the engine starts properly and idles easily. These sports engines are complex items, particularly for their day, and can be expensive to repair. They really should be checked by a Honda dealer, or at least a specialist technician from a motoring association.Pay attention to the transmission during your road test and be sure it works smoothly and easily with a minimum of noise.Look over the interior for signs of damage. Though they usually age well they can suffer rough treatment. Listen for squeaks or rattles inside the car during the test drive, a rough road will magnify.CAR BUYING TIPCoupes aimed at cruising buyers may be thrashed, and hot coupes may be driven gently - there’s no logic in this market segment. So don’t jump to conclusions, get a full technical inspection before buying.

Honda execs implored Australians to look past the badge when shopping for a prestige car, and add the new Legend to their shopping list alongside the prestige heavyweights from Europe.The new all-wheel drive Legend had the engineering to compete they cried, it also had all the bells and whistles, but at the end of the day it didn't have the badge some buyers valued above all else.As a result the big Honda was relegated to older folks, ones who wanted a softer, more relaxed ride, those who preferred a zippier drive mostly went the Euro route. There's no doubt that the Legend was a sound choice, it offered good value for the prestige dollar, was safe and refined. It accommodated five in comfort, with three in the back seat, and had a large boot.Anyone who cared to dig deeper would find it also had decent performance courtesy of its high-tech 3.5-litre V6, which put out 217 kW and 351 Nm, and its five-speed auto with sequential sports shifting.The Legend was quite a sizable car and relatively heavy, all of which hindered its performance somewhat, and any idea that it could be considered a sports car.In normal situations it drove as a front-wheel drive car, but its smart all-wheel drive system could detect when a wheel was slipping  and redirect drive to the other wheels as needed to maintain progress.If you signed up for a Legend you drove away in a car with heaps of features. On top of all the things regarded as normal in a car today, you also got leather seats, a sunroof, electric seats, power adjustment of the steering column and a rear view camera.On the road the Legend was comfortable, refined and relaxed. It did everything well. If it lacked anything it was that it wasn't a very thrilling drive, but if that didn't matter to you it delivered everything you could wish for.IN THE SHOP On average the Legend would have done between 50,000 and 75,000 km, a good time to buy used when they're still in their prime. With such relatively low kilometres on them you wouldn't expect any nightmare stories and there hasn't been any to date.Given Honda's track record on engineering you would expect that to continue, given proper and regular servicing. Check the service record of any car under consideration.IN A CRASH You can't do any better than five stars on the ANCAP scale and that's what the crash body gave the big Honda. That's no surprise as the Legend had it all, front, head and side airbags, ABS braking with all the associated trimmings of Emergency   Brake Assist, traction and stability control.UNDER THE PUMP Honda's claim for the Legend was a rather poor 11.8 L/10 0 km, while the Carsguide road tester returned a rather more optimistic 9.7 L/100 km in real life driving. Prospective buyers should be aware that the Legend requires premium unleaded.AT A GLANCEPrice as new: $74,500Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol, 217 kW/351 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, sequential shift, AWDEconomy: 11.8 L/100 kmBody: 4-door sedan Variants: Legend sedanSafety: 5-star ANCAPVERDICTRelaxed, refined ride packed with features, all it misses is the badge.COMING UP Do you own a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series?  If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

Peoplemovers have never been particularly fashionable, they're the ugly ducklings of the motoring world, but there's no denying their practicality when it comes to family transport.There's plenty of reasons to consider buying a peoplemover, particularly one like the Honda Odyssey, instead of an SUV. Honda had done its level best with the Odyssey to make the peoplemover sexy and rid it of the old image of a converted van as most once were. Compared to other peoplemovers the Odyssey is quite a stylish vehicle, it really doesn't evoke images of a delivery van at all. For a family of five or more it makes a lot of sense.The 2009 Odyssey was the result of an extensive makeover, with a new body, improved safety, and better performance and fuel economy. Under the sleek new skin the mechanical platform was basically the same as the previous model. Honda offered two models, the well-equipped entry-level model and the Luxury, which came with leather and a host of other neat features. All it lacked was a parking aid, which would have been a welcome addition in a vehicle of its type. With just 2.4 litres doing the work the Honda is no fireball in the road, but has enough grunt to make for a smooth, comfortable drive with sufficient get and go to get the job done.The five-speed auto is smooth and well matched to the engine. On the road the suspension is supple and delivers a comfortable ride while still giving the feeling that it's clamped to the road. The secret to the Odyssey has always been its comfortable, flexible cabin, which is more like a car than a van. It seats up to seven and the seats can be slid, folded and removed to create the perfect space for your family.IN THE SHOPA Honda specialist mechanic once bemoaned to me that he wished he had of done his apprenticeship on another make as it was tough making a living out of Hondas when they rarely broke down.His mate, who's done his apprenticeship on another make, a German one, was making a nice living from fixing the cars he chose to specialise in. It's not a guarantee that Hondas don't, or won't, break down, but it is testament to their overall level of reliability. They need to be well maintained and service according to the book, but if they are you should enjoy a good run out of them.The Odyssey is no exception. As the Odyssey is primarily aimed at families check the cabin closely for the things that happen when kids are transport, things like stained and torn trim, broken hardware etc. Also look for damage from incidental contact with the scenery because of the lack of parking aids.IN A CRASHWith front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, ABS braking the Odyssey is well equipped to handle a crunch. ANCAP gave it a four-star tick when it was tested.UNDER THE PUMPThe 2.4-litre engine has to work quite hard to propel the Odyssey, but even so it's quite a frugal unit, with a claimed average of 8.9 L/ 100 km. Carsguide recorded an average of 10.1 L/100 km when testing the stylish wagon, and that might be closer to real life reality.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $41,990 to $47,990Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol; 132 kW/218 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, FWDEconomy: 8.9 L/100 kmBody: 5-door wagonVariants: Base and LuxurySafety: 4-star ANCAP.VERDICTStylish, comfortable, efficient, and sensible means of transporting a family.