CD Players in Cars Are So 8-Track These Days
Automakers still put CD players into the dashboards of the majority of their cars, which seems strange 14 years after the iPod ushered in the intangible music revolution. Now, finally, the in-dash device’s days might be numbered. Compact-disc players have been slowly following cassette decks into the automotive-interior dustbin for a few years, and their disappearance is suddenly accelerating. A couple dozen 2016 models are rolling...
Honda Civic Tops Compact Class
Everyone has a Honda Civic story. Since its arrival on U.S. shores in 1973, it has slowly established itself as a cultural touchstone, the car that everyone turns to the way those who came of age during the Age of Aquarius turned to the Volkswagen Beetle. OK, maybe the Civic never became a movie star like the Beetle did, and it never could claim to possess an iconic shape. Instead, it was a cultural shape-shifter, one that changed...
GM Recalls Crossovers, Chevy Spark and Sonic
Detroit — General Motors announced recalls last week, including about 686,000 midsize crossover utility vehicles made between 2007 and 2012 because their rear lift gates could fall off and injure people. The recall covers about 94,000 additional vehicles outside the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, the vehicles are equipped with power lift gates that are supported by gas struts when they...
Outside-the-Box Thinking by Honda
When the Japanese automaker last redesigned the Pilot in 2009, Honda designers gave the three-row crossover the look of a true SUV, with big, boxy proportions. While successful, the model lacked the conservative, sophisticated elegance that buyers had come to expect. This has been rectified with the release of the 2016 Honda Pilot. The Pilot is 3.5 inches longer than the previous Pilot, with 1.3 inches of that going to the cargo area....
