2015 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Update: One Year In The Bag

One year ago, we drove home in a brand new 2015 Honda Odyssey EX. 

We'll be keeping it, probably, for another three.

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Long-Term Introduction: 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
U.S. & Canadian Monthly Minivan Sales By Model

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To be truthful, we didn't really drive home. We acquired our Odyssey at Centennial Honda in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, roughly 300 kilometres from GCBC's HQ in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. We drove from the dealer to my in-laws' house, and then we drove home a couple of days later.

The GCBC Faithful will recall reading about the process of getting our van. Our previous vehicle, a Kia Sorento, was smashed while parked in front of our house by our neighbour in his Ford F-150. The insurance claim, nearly equal to the value of the vehicle, resulted in two whole months with a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited rental. In our locale, the value of our Sorento plunged. One Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealer wouldn't even provide us with a trade-in appraisal after learning about the value of the claim. Our local Honda dealer made an offer, but it was an offer they knew would embarrass themselves. 

We wanted big league space, six or more usable seats, reasonable fuel efficiency, and on-road behaviour that – though I'm not the typical Odyssey driver in our family – wouldn't leave me feeling like I was driving a minivan.

2015 HONDA ODYSSEY EX Base Price: $32,145 * As-Tested Price: $37,195 * Tires: 235/65R17 Michelin Primacy MXV4 Cargo Volume: 1087 litres C/V Behind 2nd Row: 2636 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 4205 litres EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 28 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km June Observed: 23.5 mpg June Observed: 10.0 L/100km Lifetime: 10.0 L/100km Monthly Mileage: 872 km Total Mileage To Date: 14,631 km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

Ford Flex? Too expensive, and very difficult to source even in still-pricey lower trim levels. 

Crew cab pickup truck? We came close, but we weren't ready to mix a 70-pound dog in with the human occupants, rather than behind them. 

Rival minivans? They drive like minivans. Ick.

Ford Transit Connect Wagon? Wildly overpriced. 

Honda Pilot? Deals on end-of-the-line second-gen models weren't that great, and we wouldn't wait to buy the new Pilot (or any vehicle, for that matter) in its first model year. 

Full-size SUV? Eventually, we will have a Chevrolet Suburban, I suspect. But not yet.

Volkswagen Golf GTI? It's the theoretical answer to all my automotive decisions except this one. 

Meanwhile, the Odyssey's lease offer from our friends at Centennial Honda, which made the only fair offer on our trade-in, was almost too good to be true. Even stepping up from base LX through SE to EX hardly altered the payment. With our low-mileage lifestyle – remember, we always have a manufacturer-supplied press car in the driveway – leasing a really nice vehicle with high residuals saved us a lot of money.

We've been steadily pleased with essentially every major facet of the Odyssey, and still find ourselves saying, after driving some really nice stuff: "This is a nice van." 

It's not perfect. The 6-speed automatic transmission wasn't great to begin with and isn't great now, but shift smoothness is much more consistent twelve months into its stay. The sunglasses holder is way too small. The armrests move with the seats and have no detents, so my shoulder is driven into my neck if my right arm utilizes the thin armrest. The dual-screen infotainment cluster isn't straightforward, but a year later, the only trouble we have is switching between audio from two iPhones.

We have not yet paid a penny for routine dealer maintenance. Our first service was completed at Centennial Honda free of charge. The only vehicle-related charges aside from fuel were tire swaps (winters on and off), a punctured tire repair, and the addition of Bosch Icon front wiper blades, to which I'm addicted.

Speaking of fuel, we've averaged a consistent 10.0 L/100km (23.5 mpg on the U.S. scale) for the last year, never straying too far above or below. Most of the driving occurs in an urban environment. Canada's Office Of Energy Efficiency rates the Odyssey at 12.3 L/100km in the city and 8.5 L/100km on the highway.

Reliability? The sliding doors developed some dreadful squeaks or groans or scrunches – call them what you will – that were quickly remedied under warranty by one visit to Portland Street Honda. There have been no other issues besides a recall which required changing one of the stickers inside the door panel, done during the first service.

We have a few years to go with the Odyssey and will likely switch to bi-monthly updates in the near future. There's very little to suggest we wouldn't be motivated towards acquiring another Odyssey when the lease on our 2015 model is up, though it remains to be seen what that vehicle will look like and how it will be equipped. We'd love to see Honda offer an all-wheel-drive option on the next-gen model and a smoother transmission as well as greater availability of sunroofs and power tailgates.

Hardly the complaints or wishes of a dissatisfied owner.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Official: Honda CR-Z Discontinued In Canada, 2016 Model Year Is The Last

It's official. 2016 will be the last model year for the Honda CR-Z in Canada. And everywhere else, as TTAC's CR-Z articles suggested earlier today.

Honda Canada spokesperson Maki Inoue told GoodCarBadCar that, while the 2016 Honda CR-Z is technically available in Canada, this will be the end. "As Honda aligns its product portfolio to best take advantage of growth opportunities in the marketplace, it will add a new Accord Hybrid, and discontinue CR-Z this year," Inoue wrote in an email this afternoon.

The CR-Z was a sales flop from the start, generating only 517 Canadian sales in its best year, 2011, the CR-Z first full year on the market. Since launching in September 2010, only 1324 CR-Zs have left Canadian Honda showrooms. Only 55 were sold in calendar year 2015. Only 17 were sold in the first five months of 2016, a 48% year-over-year drop.

The numbers were bigger south of the border, but American Honda wasn't able to turn the CR-Z into a success, either. Meanwhile, Honda's U.S. dealer network is ladened with a surprisingly vast amount of CR-Z inventory: about seven months' worth.

The CR-Z was very much a forgotten part of the Honda lineup. A U.S. Honda spokesperson seemingly forgot that the cancellation hadn't already been announced.

Back in The Great White North, Hyundai Canada has sold 19,543 copies of the Veloster, a car which went on sale after the CR-Z. But the Veloster wasn't really the CR-Z's undoing so much as the reasonable expectations of Honda's loyal fanbase. A CRX successor this was not. Underpowered, not as efficient as the hybrid badge led us to believe it would be, and maybe a touch pricey, the Honda CR-Z wasn't a worthy follow-up act.

Find one at dealers if you can, but don't expect massive discounts on remaining models. That's not the Honda way. Canadian CR-Z sales topped out at 100 units in April 2011. The trickle of sales now suggests Canadian dealers aren't exactly awash with CR-Z stock.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar or @timcaingcbc and on Facebook.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring Turbo Review - This Could Get Really Good In A Hurry

A streak which began in 1998 is all but certain to continue through calendar year 2016. The Honda Civic was, is, and will continue to be Canada's best-selling car.

In order to keep the momentum alive, Honda reinstated the two-door coupe version of the Civic to a lineup which launched in sedan form late last year. This won't be the end of the Civic's bodystyle additions, either, as a hatchback will return in the near future, as well.

THE GOOD + Plenty quick + Solid structure + Spacious rear seat + Distinctive style + CVT isn't that offensive

THE BAD – Bring on the manual shifter – Not as sporty as it looks – Some odd exterior angles – Gets noisy inside – Volume knob, please

The hatchback, however, will look very much like the Civic sedan.

This Civic Coupe, on the other hand, is a far flashier design from the often conservative Honda style department. It won't please everyone, but after the frumpy ninth-generation Civic Coupe did the nameplate no favours, after the edgier eight-generation coupe wasn't terribly transformative, after conservative coupe designs were par for the course in prior Civic eras, this new car's unique tail treatment, prominent sweeping character lines on the two long doors, and plunging roofline conspire to create a sporty look on a car which is, let's remember, just a Civic.

Civic. It's the car your neighbour drives. In fact, your other neighbour drives one, too. Oh, and look over there, two of your coworkers just leased new Civics. Come to think of it, you owned one or two Civics when you were younger. Your father knows a guy whose Civic odometer just ran past the 1,000,000 mark. Your cousin's buddy tuned an old Civic's engine to make 800 horsepower. Or was it a stereo with 8000 watts? 

Whatever: Honda's compact car is everywhere. Nearly one out of every ten passenger cars sold in Canada in the first four months of 2016 were Civics.

The question, then, is how do car buyers make sure that their purchase of a venerable, reliable, durable Honda Civic doesn't create a situation where they can't find their car in the Tim Hortons' parking lot? That's easy: they buy the Civic Coupe, thereby acquiring the same reliable Civic as everybody else but with a newfound sense of style, an athletic appearance furthered by ostentatious Turbo badging and flamboyant Rallye Red paint. 

WHAT IS IT?
Honda's tenth-generation Civic sedan appeared in dealers late last year accompanied by critical praise and ready acceptance. 

Although the ninth-gen Civic continued Honda's success in the compact car marketplace, it seemed like a regression for Honda, which typically built small cars which deserved to be nominated for top-of-class honours throughout their lifespan. 

2016 HONDA CIVIC COUPE TOURING TURBO Base Price: $21,150 * As-Tested Price: $29,250 * Colour: Rallye Red Assembly: Alliston, Ontario Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: continuously variable Engine: 1.5L DOHC 16-valve turbocharged I-4 Horsepower: 174 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 162 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm Curb Weight: 2903 pounds Length: 176.9 inches Width: 70.8 inches Height: 54.9 inches Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Tires: Continental ContiProContact Tire Size: 215/50R17 Passenger Volume: 2509 litres Cargo Volume: 337 litres EPA City: 31 MPG EPA Highway: 41 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 7.5 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 5.6 L/100km Observed: 37.9 mpg Observed: 6.2 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1695 in fees.

But while the ninth-gen Civic felt as though Honda built it to a price, the tenth-generation car is anything but. Structurally more solid, built better and with better materials, more technically advanced than most rivals, and more distinctively styled, the Canadian-built 2016 Honda Civic is quite rightly a hot seller. 

The arrival of this new coupe derivative serves to turn up the heat.

Like it or not, the Civic Coupe is arguably more differentiated from its sedan sibling than it's been over the course of the last number of generations, and the very fact that the Civic offers a two-door version at all is noteworthy. You won't find coupe versions of other top-selling compacts: Elantra, Corolla, 3, Cruze, Jetta, Sentra, Focus. 

Like for like, Honda Canada asks $400 extra to lop off the Civic sedan's two rear doors. (The Civic Coupe isn't offered in the sedan's base DX trim.) Pricing for the 2016 Honda Civic LX Coupe begins at $21,150 – a continuously variable automatic transmission adds $1300 and, with the CVT added, the Honda Sensing suite of safety kit (collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist) adds another $1000. 

The 174-horsepower turbocharged 1.5L engine first appears in the $26,250 EX-T, which comes standard (at present) with the CVT. Honda Sensing is once again a $1000 option, but comes standard on the $29,250 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring we tested last week. Only the EX-T (sans Honda Sensing) and the Touring are offered in the Energy Green Pearl paint Honda first showed on the concept version of the new coupe. 

In addition to the EX-T's standard equipment, the Touring model adds navigation, leather seating, upgraded audio, auto high-beams, auto-dimming rearview mirror, wireless phone charging (which still hasn't worked for us), and rain-sensing wipers. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
Every inch a tenth-gen Civic under its more eye-catching clothes, the 2016 Civic Coupe rides on the same 106.3-inch wheelbase of its sedan sibling. The two-door and four-door Civics also share the same 70.8-inch width. In terms of height, however, the new Civic Coupe is nearly an inch lower than the sedan. Bumper to bumper, the Civic Coupe is a very noticeable 5.4 inches shorter than its donor car. 

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
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Naturally, rear seat ingress is more complicated, and it's a particularly challenging exercise from the driver's side. But space in the Civic Coupe's rear seat is exceptional – Honda's specifications say the sedan provides only 38 extra millimetres of rear legroom, and the sedan's 59 additional millimetres of rear headroom wasn't necessary for me to get comfortable back there. 

It's not a perfect family car, particularly for a family with an infant car seat, but our 31-month-old had no trouble getting in and out and was an easy reach for buckling up. It's genuinely usable space, not just when you're in a pinch. The 337-litre Civic Coupe trunk is pretty decent, too, and slightly bigger than the ninth-gen Civic Coupe's cargo area.

DOES IT WORK?
16 extra horsepower and 24 additional lb-ft of torque really do make a difference, particularly when that torque arrives just off idle at 1700 rpm. The 2.0L four-cylinder that comes standard in the 2016 Civic is undeniably effective, but the 1.5T creates a genuinely quick car. Car & Driver says the 0-60 mph time drops from nearly eight seconds in a  2.0L with the manual to sub-seven-seconds in the CVT 1.5T, yet fuel economy improves in the more powerful engine.

The Civic may be quick off the line and torquey in the mid-range, but the continuously variable transmission still conspires against acceleration. It simply doesn't sound pleasant, and droning high-rpm acceleration isn't the kind of acceleration a keen driver seeks. In daily driving, the CVT isn't adversarial, and the paddle shifters add a measure of control to the proceedings, as well. But there's no fun in accelerating here. With such an impressive powerplant, that shouldn't be the case. Bring on the manual.

In comparison with the four-door Civic's configuration, the 2016 Civic Coupe's firmer ride and unnaturally weighty steering don't do the cars any favours, either. Too firm, too weighty? No, but it's all done in an attempt to convey the aura of sportiness, rather than being manifested as symptoms of a genuine performance car. 

And yet the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Touring is certainly a composed handler, an easy car to hustle through a series of bends. At no point in its rev range is the 1.5T out of sorts, left wondering where the power went or why lag mysteriously appeared. 

Hardly the sharp and interactive Integra Type R for which you sought out a co-signer during your senior year at McGill, the Civic Coupe is still powerful enough and grippy enough to embarrass your brother's Elantra. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Honda doesn't provide a Civic sedan/coupe sales breakdown, but we do know that the overall Civic family is on a roll. At its current rate of improvement, Canadian sales of the Civic in 2016 could challenge 2008 as the best year ever for the overall Civic family.

South of the border, U.S. sales of the Civic jumped 29% to 122,634 units in the first four months of 2016, tops among compact cars. In fact, the Civic was America's best-selling car outright. Based on current inventory, approximately 12% of the Civic's U.S. output comes from the coupe bodystyle. 

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
At a hair over $20,000, the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe is very much in a world of its own, both because of its impressive dynamic ability and the amount of interior space it offers in a style-centric coupe format. But for a buyer considering an example the new Civic Coupe that's this expensive, the number of viable alternatives increases sharply. 

With a 6-speed automatic and the $1000 051A option package, the 2016 Ford Mustang V6 is a riot to drive at $30,648. Honda's own 185-horsepower Accord Coupe is available with a manual transmission for $265 less than this Civic Coupe. Prices for the more enjoyable 3-door Volkswagen Golf GTI start at $30,300. The base price of a 2016 Scion FR-S is $29,285, just $35 more than this Civic Coupe Touring.

The Mustang and FR-S are both rear-wheel-drive with imperfect rear seats. As for the two all-rounders, the Accord offers a more mature real-world driving experience; the GTI provides greater performance appeal.

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HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
Even loaded up with luxury kit and safety equipment and a surprisingly swift turbocharged engine, $29,250 seems like an awful lot of money for a Honda Civic Coupe that isn't an Si, doesn't it? Particularly when there's not even an option (yet) for a three-pedal layout.

The true Honda aficionado may be wise to consider the base 2016 Honda Civic Coupe LX with the manual transmission, a car which still provides heated seats, bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto,  and 158 horsepower. The money that's left over to make the LX look nice – at $21,150 the LX is $8100 less than our Touring tester – is downright plentiful. 

If you're keen on spending serious coin on a new Civic Coupe, we strongly encourage waiting to see what Honda can do when they turn this much-improved tenth-gen car into an Si or Type R edition. 

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
You expect a $29,250 Honda Civic Coupe to be a little bit more fun, more firm, more engaging, and more stylish than the four-door $28,850 Honda Civic we drove earlier this year. And on those counts, the 2016 Civic Coupe lives up to its billing.

Less expected, however, is an entirely usable rear seat and a capacious trunk with a large opening. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Honda Civic Sales Figures
2016 Honda Accord Touring Driven Review
2016 Honda Civic Touring 1.5T Driven Review
2016 Honda HR-V EX-L Driven Review

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There are improvements which could be made. I'd like less road noise from the Continental ContiProContact tires. I'd like a conventional volume knob or a conventional volume setup on the steering wheel. If Honda is going to make the Civic Coupe look this fast and slather it with turbo badges, the firm ride should be married to slightly sharper handling with quicker turn-in response. 

Honda also needs to get that manual transmission into this car in a hurry. 

Yet for the traditional two-pedal buyer, this CVT isn't a reason to avoid the Civic. And with so many reasons Canadian car buyers already have for automatically choosing the Civic, the dearth of reasons to avoid the new coupe assures Canada's most popular car of continued success. 

But determining whether you should buy a new 2016 Honda Civic Coupe depends on your answer to this leading question: aren't you tempted to wait and see what else Honda can do with this platform, particularly in this two-door format?

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Civic was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.

2015 Honda Odyssey EX Long-Term Update: 11 Months

In our last long-term update, we called them squeaks. Or were they high-pitched groans? 

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Long-Term Introduction: 2015 Honda Odyssey EX
U.S. & Canadian Monthly Minivan Sales By Model

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Whatever the noise was, it got much worse in both doors. Our long-term tester, a 2015 Honda Odyssey EX, was squeaking and squawking and scrunching and groaning upon entry into driveways, over rough sections of road at low speeds. 

The sound resembled a structure that was flexing in all the wrong ways.

This isn't an unknown complaint with low-mileage, fourth-generation Honda Odysseys. We found similar complaints from Odyssey forum users. A technician who specializes in listening for abnormal sounds at our local dealer, Portland Street Honda, wasn't familiar with the issue in vans this new. But there was no mistaking the noise. 

2015 HONDA ODYSSEY EX Base Price: $32,145 * As-Tested Price: $37,195 * Tires: 235/65R17 Michelin Primacy MXV4 Cargo Volume: 1087 litres C/V Behind 2nd Row: 2636 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 4205 litres EPA City: 19 MPG EPA Highway: 28 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 12.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km May Observed: 23.1 mpg May Observed: 10.2 L/100km Lifetime: 10.0 L/100km Monthly Mileage: 834 km Total Mileage To Date: 13,759 km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

After lubricating both rear sliding doors, the noise wasn't gone. After adjusting both rear sliding door strikers, the noise wasn't gone. Further cleaning of the sliding door tracks didn't do the trick. 

But after further lubricating the sliding doors' rollers the noise was gone. We confirmed it together on a brief test drive, knowing that the noise was most likely to resound in a parking lots' heaves and manhole covers.

"If noise comes back might want to replace upper door mid rollers," says the service report for our long-term Odyssey's visit. 

Ryan, the technician, was forthright about the possibility of the noise returning, and both he and the service advisor insisted that any owner of a new Honda ought to bring their vehicle in if there are irritating noises. 

They felt strongly that they can almost always eliminate the squeak or rattle, which will once again provide the customer with a satisfying machine. 

Otherwise, the customer grows increasingly frustrated and possibly turns to another automaker when replacing their Civic, Accord, CR-V, Pilot, or Odyssey.

We didn't realize just how much we'd adapted to the noisy doors until our van was restored to like-new condition. The door scrunching must have gotten very loud, because now we were asking, " Was it really always this quiet?"

Odysseys, like most minivans, aren't paragons of silence. Noise gets in their and starts endlessly bumping around off all four walls. But this was the van we loved so much to begin with, and it's nice to once again be assured that the 2015 Odyssey isn't showing premature signs of age.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Auto News For Tuesday, May 10, 2016 - Buick Kills The Verano

Here are the eight must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Tuesday, May 10, 2016. 

BUICK
Buick knows most of its U.S. buyers want Encores, Envisions, and Enclaves. What to do with the Verano, Buick's entry-level sedan based on the previous-generation Chevrolet Cruze? Buick won't renew the car in North America, Automotive News says, although there's already a new version of the car in China and the Verano currently accounts for 15% of Buick's U.S. volume; 35% of Buick's U.S. car sales.

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO
"Fundamentally the Giulia just has a beautifully balanced rear-wheel drive chassis," writes evo's Henry Catchpole. Says CAR, "Audi’s A4 has it licked for interior quality, but it’s more stylish, vastly better finisher than Jag’s XE and massively more roomy." More succinctly, from Top Gear: "Alfa Romeo has made a brilliant car."

HONDA
We published links yesterday to a bevy of 2017 Honda Ridgeline reviews. After we published that special edition of The News, Jalopnik's Andrew Collins published this 2017 Ridgeline review, and it's the one you must read. – Truck Yeah!

MORE HONDA
Honda sold more than 50,000 Ridgelines in 2006, claiming 1.7% of the overall pickup truck market, finishing 13th among pickup trucks that year. The market share figures and rankings don't look impressive, but 50,000 Ridgelines make for a profitable Honda pickup truck. So can American Honda sell 50,000 copies of the new Ridgeline? Supply may be constrained, as the Odyssey is built in an Alabama plant that already builds the Odyssey, Pilot, and Acura MDX. – Wards

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SCION
Just in time for brand-wide death, Scion is on track to make 2016 the Toyota sub-brand's best year since 2008. – TTAC

CANADA
The Canadian auto industry reported more new vehicle sales in April 2016 than in any prior month in the history of the auto industry. But what was the mood in the market during the first ever month of more than 200,000 sales? – Autofocus

CHRYSLER CANADA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles currently builds vehicles in two southern Ontario locations: big cars in Brampton; minivans in Windsor. But is the next-generation Chrysler 300 going to be based on the Chrysler Pacifica? And will it therefore be built in Windsor, as well? – Windsor Star

WATCH
Too many reviews of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline – and many other vehicles – end up as attempts to forecast future success, rather than critical considerations of the vehicle itself. When it comes to the Honda HR-V, however, we knew it would be a successful subcompact crossover entry. But would it be any good? GCBC's review of the HR-V is here; our TTAC takedown is here. And below, you can watch Alex Dykes' video review of the 2016 Honda HR-V, the most detailed and thorough review on YouTube.

Auto News For Monday, May 9, 2016 - Is The Honda Ridgeline's Arrival Perfectly Timed Or Poorly Timed?

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Monday, May 9, 2016. During the first week of sales releases, GCBC does not traditionally supply morning news recaps. But The News is back with a special Honda Ridgeline edition in concert with the release of an embargo preventing auto reviewers from sharing their week-old opinions after Honda hosted an event in San Antonio, Texas, last week. The Ridgeline was a modest sales success for a brief spell in 2006, but sales tanked thereafter.

POSITIVE
"No matter how it's outfitted, the Ridgeline is a no-brainer of a truck: unmatched in smoothness and comfort, and full of innovation well beyond its unibody construction." – Car & Driver

MORE POSITIVE
"Because of its four-wheel independent suspension, car-like interior, soft yet supportive seats, and torque-vectoring rear wheels on all-wheel drive models, the Ridgeline drives more like a well-balanced, comfort-minded sedan." – Automobile

POSITIVITY
"One other area is clearly dominated by the Ridgeline in the midsize segment: handling... The only part of the truck that felt strained with the trailer was the engine, as it has to reach high into its rev-range to access the power needed to pull the truck over hills." – Autoguide

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MORE POSITIVITY
"There’s no reverberation through the body after hitting bumps that is common on body-on-frame designs, and the chassis is taut and very responsive on twisty roads, benefiting from the rigid chassis structure, as well as all-round independent suspension." – Driving.ca

YET MORE POSITIVITY
" On worn Texas pavement, the Ridgeline absolutely erased the small-amplitude pavement ripples that juddered the Tacoma, and the body-on-frame groans that the two traditional trucks made over larger pavement imperfections were entirely absent in the Honda." – Road & Track

REALITY
Car reviewers loved the first-generation Ridgeline, even if we were all put off by its styling. And it's not surprising to see car reviewers expressing admiration for the second-generation Ridgeline. For the right buyers – who number in the hundreds of thousands – this truck is more than enough, and by not going for too much, Honda crafted a pickup truck that works better as a car than its conventional truck rivals. But is it too late? Pickup truck sales are very healthy; perhaps too healthy. Can this level of sales growth continue? – Automotive News

WATCH
Prefer to watch, rather than read? Here's The Car Connection's Marty Padgett's video review of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline.

GCBC's The Good 12 For 2016

GCBC's The Good 12 for 2016 includes the vehicles that would be most welcomed as permanent members of the GCBC Towers driveway. Park them out front on Christmas morning. Tie them with a bow. We appreciate your kindness.

None have base prices above USD $67,000. They reflect many different parts of the market, they come from different places, they're powered by very different engines, they're accomplished in different areas. And when any one of them drives by, I want it for myself. 

Click any of the images to be taken to the model's Sales Stats page. Don't forget to check out GCBC's The Bad 8, the cars which we don't want to receive even as gifts. For more on what The Good 12 really is, visit the GCBC Awards page.

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	Chevrolet Suburban Can it ____? Yes. What about ___? Of course. Even ____? Yeah, that too. Fill in the blanks however you want. The Chevrolet Suburban is what you buy when you need one vehicle to meet every potential vehicular need.
	Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Remember the first Dodge Charger SRT-8 with its audacious 425-horsepower V8? That car was an edgy and affordable Detroit riposte to the typical German muscle sedan. This Charger SRT? 707 horsepower. Edgy, indeed.
	Ford Mustang There isn't just one good Mustang. The V6 is fun and affordable. The GT is fast and evocative. The Shelby GT350 is a proper European sports car fighter. They all look terrific. They're all far more modern than Mustangs were just two years ago.
	Honda Odyssey The value quotient with every minivan is unbelievably convincing. The Odyssey separates itself from the people-carrying pack with the sort of steering, ride, and handling that, rather than punishing you, rewards you instead.
	Jeep Wrangler Just ask the politicians who flop because they couldn't pull off the cowboy-boots-at-the-Iowa-state-fair look: authenticity matters. The Wrangler is exactly what the Wrangler is supposed to be.
	Mazda 3 5-Door Mazda's most popular car is the best all-around small car money can buy. It's sufficiently quick and fuel efficient, tackles a corner with aplomb, and marries attractive interior styling to terrific exterior styling.
	Mazda MX-5 Miata You wake up early on a Saturday morning in July. You took care of the day's pressing concerns last night. You own a Miata, so you leave the house to go for a drive. To nowhere in particular.
	Mini Clubman Most Minis are simply too small. The first two big Minis – Countryman and 4-Door – are awkward. So why not a Mini wagon? Mixing great on-road behaviour and a small wagon body at an affordable price produces a winner.
	Porsche Macan S 20 years ago the idea would have sounded foolish. But what's so categorically wrong about a Porsche with Porsche-like dynamics, all-weather appeal, and space for five people and their stuff?
	Ram 1500 EcoDiesel The Ram 1500 is a very good pickup truck, with or without the diesel. Highly regarded handling, true full-size capability, and attractive styling are integral to the equation. But mixing all this torque with so little fuel is a remarkable achievement.
	Volkswagen Golf GTI Before you even spend time with the GTI, you know it will be good. But then it's better than that. More space than you expected. More power. More expertise on a twisty road. And a more mature blend of performance attributes than you thought possible.
	Volvo XC90 Nobody does wagons quite like Volvo. But the modern wagon isn't really a wagon, is it? We want to ride high, climb snowbanks, and see the traffic beneath us. Thus, Volvo presents the second-gen XC90, with one of the best interiors in the current automotive universe and a prototypical Swedish exterior.

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RECOMMENDED READING
2015's The Good 12
2014's The Good 12
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2015 YTD U.S. Sales
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2015 Canadian Sales
2016's The Bad 8

2016 Honda Accord Touring Review - GCBC's Favourite Midsize Car

The last time we tested a Honda Accord was in January 2014.

That car, an Accord Hybrid, isn't part of Honda's lineup for the 2016 model year, a year that's hosting a round of updates to other Accords.

THE GOOD • Classy exterior • Great ride/handling balance • Typically smooth Honda four-cylinder • Super stiff structure • Apple CarPlay!

THE BAD • Not the biggest rear seat in midsize class • 19" wheels make ride too firm for some • Interior could be more intuitive • Increasingly unappealing sedan format • Irritating moments with CVT

Midsize cars aren't the force they were just a few short years ago in Canada, and the market's turn away from these intermediate sedans is particularly apparent in Hondaland. The Accord produced 15% of Honda's Canadian sales as recently as 2008; the CR-V compact crossover just 13%. But those numbers have undergone dramatic change since the recession. The Accord is responsible for less than one-in-ten Honda sales in Canada; the CR-V accounts for a quarter of the brand's volume.

Nevertheless, there are still 9000 Canadians who buy or lease a midsize car each month. 

Which one should they choose? We have a recommendation.

WHAT IS IT?
Launched in 1976 as a curious three-door, Japanese upsized compact hatchback, the Accord has managed to stand the test of time with significant updates every four or five years and mid-generational refreshes. For model year 2016, the ninth-generation Accord which debuted for model year 2013 is slightly restyled inside and out, structurally stiffened, and safer. Also, the Accord is now available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

2016 HONDA ACCORD TOURING Base Price: $25,945 * As-Tested Price: $34,785 * Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: continuously variable Engine: 2.4L DOHC 16-valve I-4 Horsepower: 185 @ 6400 rpm Torque: 181 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm Curb Weight: 3435 pounds Length: 193.2 inches Width: 72.8 inches Height: 57.7 inches Wheelbase: 109.3 inches Tires: Continental ContiProContact Tire Size: 235/40R19 Passenger Volume: 2854 litres Cargo Volume: 439 litres EPA City: 28 MPG EPA Highway: 37 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 8.6 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 6.4 L/100km Observed: 27.4 mpg Observed: 8.6 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

Pricing for Accord sedans in Canada starts at $25,945, or $27,245 with the optional continuously variable automatic transmission. That $1300 CVT can also be tacked on to the base price of the $28,485 Accord Sport four-cylinder and this $32,885 Accord Touring four-cylinder. 

To get a V6 in the Accord, you must now skip past the LX and Sport trims and head straight for the EX-L and Touring. The V6 adds $3280 to the cost of a four-cylinder EX-L or $2800 to the cost of this Accord Touring CVT. 

If you want to pair the V6 to a 6-speed manual, however, you need to sacrifice a couple of doors. The Accord Coupe Touring V6 6MT costs $37,625, $4740 more than the Accord Coupe Touring I-4 6MT.

HOW BIG IS IT?
The Accord's available passenger volume, while substantial and sufficient, doesn't measure up to the 2016 models of the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Subaru Legacy, Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, Nissan Altima, and Chrysler 200. Similarly, the Accord's cargo volume places the Honda seventh in its class behind the Sonata, 200, Fusion, Optima, Passat, and Chevrolet's new Malibu. 

Yet at 193.2 inches long and 72.8 inches wide, the Accord is 2.3 inches longer than the more spacious Toyota Camry and an inch wider. The Accord is by no means a loser when it comes to the efficiency of its space usage, but other automakers have produced slightly more with slightly less.

Relative to Honda's growing, tenth-generation Civic, the Accord is 10 inches longer, two inches wider, and two inches taller. This creates an Accord cabin that's 6% larger, but the Accord's trunk is less than 3% bigger than the Civic's. 

In addition to size and space and available power, much of what historically separated bigger cars from their compact brethren was refinement, the aura of expense, the impression of solidity. Is that still true with the 2016 Civic, a car which isn't that much smaller than this Accord? We'll find out when we spend a week with the new version of Canada's best-selling car in late January.

DOES IT WORK?
The Accord's interior is not without its letdowns. There's no volume or tuning knob, as Honda's stylish but unnecessarily flush touchscreen makes an unwanted appearance here. The heated seat buttons near the shifter are clunky and only offer two settings. Excessive piano black finishes quickly appear tarnished. And with a modest centre hump, the Accord's rear seat doesn't have the vast large car feel of so many so-called midsize cars.

Yet criticisms against Honda's built-in infotainment unit are now all but moot, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now standard across the board. We're among the iPhone faithful here at GCBC, so we didn't test Android Auto. But this, our first experience with Apple CarPlay, was a revelation. Apple didn't do anything spectacular with this system, but everything in Apple CarPlay operates the way you'd expect it to, rather than in the convoluted, nonsensical fashion of so many automotive infotainment units. The music app is better than iTunes on your iPhone or iMac. Messaging, completed through Siri, is safe and simple. And your occupants will love when someone texts you a message full of emojis.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Honda Accord Sales Figures
2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Driven Review
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Driven Review
2016 Honda Pilot vs. 2015 Honda Odyssey - GCBC Comparison Test

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Underway, with my iPhone plugged in, the Accord's seats aren't quite as bolstered as I'd like in a car that can tackle a corner as capably as an Accord Touring on 19-inch wheels with relatively low profile tires. Unless you're accelerating with some haste, the continuously variable transmission is mostly inoffensive, but it will cramp your enthusiastic style.

Only if you do actually possess an enthusiastic style, that is. Accord buyers who don't truly enjoy driving probably won't want this Accord. A less sporting Accord, without this car's more lively, quicker steering and low profile tires will be more suited to a ho-hum daily commute. An Accord on 17-inch wheels won't ride this firmly, nor will it turn in this sharply.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View
Photo Location: Fisherman's Cove, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

But oh, for the common Mr. Smith who enjoys driving; who wants to take the long way home in his Mr. Everyday sedan; who wouldn't spend extra on the CVT if he could convince his 17-year-old daughter to learn how to drive a manual; who understands that the expensive 3.5L V6 is unnecessary because this Mr. Commonplace 2.4L I-4 revs so sweetly; the Mr. Nineties who remembers Hondas with double wishbones out back and in front; for that guy, this Accord is the one to have. 

Sweetly balanced, poised and polished, fun but never raucous, the 2016 Honda Accord is a luxury sports sedan without the outlandish power or luxury price tag. It's a quiet and composed sedan that only ever lets its hair down when asked, always hinting at an underlying foundation of traditional Honda dynamics but never displaying the expected accompaniment of excessive wind whistling, road noise, and ugly wheels.

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
In the United States, the Accord isn't just America's second-best-selling midsize car, it's the second-best-selling car overall. Only the Toyota Camry sells more often. Accord volume in the U.S. is down 10% in 2015, however, even though year-over-year volume increased in each of the last three months. Segment-wide, midsize car volume has fallen 2% in the U.S. through 2015's first 11 months.

In Canada, meanwhile, where midsize car volume is down 7% this year, Accord volume has tumbled 16%. Only the Optima, Altima, and Passat are tumbling faster. November Accord sales spiked to 22% to a segment-leading 1306 units. Honda Canada sells 4.5 Civics for every Accord that leaves the showroom.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
No.

Well, maybe. 

The tradition continues in Korea, with the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima offering more equipment for the dollar. If the Volkswagen Passat once again becomes available with a diesel engine, the fuel economy benefits of that car make it an interesting choice. The Mazda 6 is a true driver's choice, but it might not be big enough inside for your needs. The Ford Fusion is an enjoyable drive and offers available all-wheel-drive. The Subaru Legacy is bland but provides standard all-wheel-drive. The Toyota Camry, particularly in the XSE V6 format we tested last winter, is priced like this Accord and, surprisingly, is unlikely to disappoint the semi-enthusiast driver. 2016 also sees the debut of an all-new Chevrolet Malibu, a handsome, lightweight car that's earning early plaudits.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
If all you need is an Accord that drives like this Accord, the 2016 Honda Accord Sport costs CAD $29,785, or $1300 less if you stick with the 6-speed manual transmission. The Accord Sport features the Touring's big wheels and quicker steering but loses some of the interior's less vital bits. 

In between the Accord Sport and Accord Touring you'll find the Accord Sport with Honda Sensing safety kit: CMBS, FCW, LDW, RDM, ACC, LKAS. (Look'em up.) That car, which comes standard with the continuously variable transmission, adds $1000 to the cost of the non-Honda Sensing Accord Sport with the CVT.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
The Honda Accord is the best midsize car on the market today. But that's not to say other midsize cars don't do certain things better than the Accord, nor does it mean that some of the Accord's faults aren't glaring. Indeed, the factors which cause GCBC to declare that the Accord is the best midsize car on the market may not be important to you. You may place greater value on the Camry's legendary reliability, the Mazda 6's curvaceous exterior, the Subaru Legacy's all-wheel-drive, or the Hyundai Sonata's value equation.

But while some competitors are somewhat superior in some areas, the Accord is among the class leaders in every area. At less than $35,000, the 2016 Honda Accord Touring also makes a case for itself as a veritable competitor of $40,000 German sports sedans. The same simply can't be said of the Accord's direct rivals.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Accord was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.