Honda can’t keep up with orders for its light trucks, says vice president

Honda’s inventory for light trucks is low – a sign of revitalized consumer confidence, according to Executive Vice President John Mendel. In an interview at the Moving Ahead sustainable-transportation conference, Mendel said that inventory is very short on the light-truck side, “whether it’s Pilot or Ridgeline or Odyssey or CR-V.”

He said that the demand for light trucks appears to be increasing for the company as well as for the industry. He pointed out that this demand is even higher than the car segment. Honda, including Acura, recorded a 33% gain in US truck sales in April 2010 compared with April 2009.

Last month, total Honda sales rose by 13%. For the first four months, Honda’s US truck sales increased by 13%, compared with a 12% increase for both Honda and Acura. Total US light-truck sales increased by 24% in April and 15% for the first four months. Meanwhile, sales of all US vehicles improved 20% in April and 17% for the first four months.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/honda-cant-keep-up-with-orders-for-its-light-trucks-says-vice-president/

Honda CRV; the Most Popular SUV

The times have certainly changed for the sport utility market. While SUVs enjoyed tremendous sales success in recent years, the rising price of gasoline coupled with a weakened economy has driven down SUV sales more recently. As a result, dealers are struggling to move SUV inventory these days, even with attractive incentives. The hardest hit by this trend may be domestic automakers as they have relied on the sales successes of gas guzzling midsize and large SUVs.

Larger SUVs, however, not only were hit hard by fuel prices, but were also hit hard by an alternative - the crossover. Crossovers deliver the capabilities of truck-based SUVs, but with a car-based chassis, along with a more car-like ride and fuel efficiency.

According to MSN Autos, the top 10 most popular SUVs are mostly crossovers or small sport utilities. Thanks to high seating position, flexible people- and cargo-carrying capacities, and a lighter more fuel efficient platform, it should be no surprise. With many SUV owners that don’t use their SUVs for towing and hauling or off-roading, the smart choice is clearly going with a crossover rather than a truck-based ‘ute.

1) Honda CR-V
At the top of the list of most popular SUVs, which should be no surprise, is the Honda CR-V. Honda’s reputation for reliability and value alone go a long way on any vehicle, but the latest CR-V also adds sleek styling and a powertrain that delivers 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 27 miles per gallon on the highway. While Salinas CA Honda and Los Angeles Honda Dealers‘ customers are drawn to the the CR-V’s fuel economy, many site the crossover’s reliability and resale value as strong factors in their decision to purchase this vehicle.

2) Toyota Rav4

3) Nissan Rogue

4) Honda Pilot

5) Ford Escape

6) Subaru Forrester

7) Toyota Highlander

8) Acura MDX

9) Nissan Murano

10) Ford Explorer

Source with blurb on each vehicle;
http://www.autointheknow.com/top-10-most-popular-sport-utility-picks/

2009 Honda CRV gets a 2WD Model

Well, this is confirmed, Honda has added a 2 Wheel Drive version of the EX to their lineup. It has always been the LX (base model) that had the 2WD option, so it's nice to see a mid-level trim step to the plate with a 2WD. Their are alot of people that like the CRV's utilitarianess (is that a word?!?) but don't necissarily need the AWD. The cute-ute is still a front wheel drive vehicle and will handle most of what the roads have to offer anyway.

And yes, this is for Canada.

Car & Driver Magazine Small SUV Comparison

9X SUV's. The Ford Escape VS Honda CR-V VS Hyundai Tucson VS Jeep Liberty VS Nissan Rogue VS Mitsubishi Outlander VS Saturn Vue VS Suzuki Grand Vitara VS Toyota RAV4. This is a pretty cool comparison, comparing the different vehicles 'off-road' worthiness! A few surprises here.

1st PLACE: 2008 Toyota Rav4 4X4 4cylinder

Highs: Spacious back seat, Toyota ergonomics, Toyota resale value.

Lows: Noisy at WOT, needs a fifth gear, ought to come with alloy wheels.

The Verdict: Chassis, drivetrain, and body all speaking the same language.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14481/2008-toyota-rav4-4x4.html

2nd PLACE: 2008 Honda CRV EX 4WD 4cylinder

Highs: Amazing fit and finish, a cockpit as cheerful as an Easter hat.

Lows: Odd-looking nose, could use a manual lock for the rear axle.

The Verdict: Dynamically a TKO. A tsunami of quality, verve, and value.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14480/2008-honda-cr-v-ex-4wd.html

3rd PLACE: 2008 Nissan Roque SL AWD 4cylinder

Highs: Go-get-’em handling, steering, and acceleration.

Lows: Grim rear visibility, nervous off-road, somber interior.

The Verdict: A stunning example of extracting the most from the least.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14479/2008-nissan-rogue-sl-awd.html

4th PLACE: 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4WD 4cylinder

Highs: Clever liftgate, carlike on pavement, hauls a lot o’ stuff.

Lows: Cheap-looking interior, gritty engine noise, vague steering.

The Verdict: Crisp exterior styling but dynamically bland.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14478/2008-mitsubishi-outlander-se-4wd.html

5th PLACE: 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD XSport 6cylinder

Highs: Strong in the muck, macho styling, as solid as a tank.

Lows: Cramped interior, noisy at idle, somber and soulless cockpit.

The Verdict: A mini SUV with the heart of a Hummer.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14477/2008-suzuki-grand-vitara-4wd-xsport.html

6th PLACE: 2008 Saturn Vue XE AWD 6cylinder

Highs: Luxo interior, soothing interstate cruiser, Euro suspension tuning.

Lows: Daggerlike lumbar supports, smaller inside than it looks.

The Verdict: A handsome lad who is 400 pounds overweight.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14476/2008-saturn-vue-xe-awd.html

7th PLACE: 2008 Ford Escape XLT AWD ?cylinder

Highs: Open and airy cockpit, an accomplished long-distance cruiser.

Lows: Needs more isolation from road noise, could use a fifth gear.

The Verdict: Honest and attractive, but the freshening didn’t go far enough.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14482/2008-ford-escape-xlt-awd.html

8th PLACE: 2007 Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD 6cylinder

Highs: Vaultlike platform, a bull in the mud, a brand name with cachet.

Lows: Cramped seats and footwells,too heavy, dismal fuel economy.

The Verdict: Happy in the mountains of Montana, unhappy on errands in Minneapolis.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14475/2007-hyundai-tucson-limited-4wd.html

9th PLACE: 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 6cylinder

Highs: Vaultlike platform, a bull in the mud, a brand name with cachet.

Lows: Cramped seats and footwells,too heavy, dismal fuel economy.

The Verdict: Happy in the mountains of Montana, unhappy on errands in Minneapolis.

Link: http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/14474/2008-jeep-liberty-limited-4x4.html

Interesting read.

BTW: Here is a link to the overall scores;

http://www.caranddriver.com/assets/download/TinyUtes_final.pdf

How the Honda RealTime 4 Wheel Drive Works

The CRV and the Element both use the RealTime 4WD system, different from the Pilot and the Ridgeline's VTM-4 Lock (which I explained in an earlier article). Here is how it works (technical explanation);

The CR-V’s 4-wheel drive system is designed to best match the majority of driving situations that SUV’s realistically encounter. The fully automatic Real Time 4WD system enhances the CR-V’s all-weather and light duty off-road capabilities when driving in rain, snow, dirt roads and sandy conditions – without the significant weight, fuel economy and handling performance drawbacks of a conventional four-wheel-drive system. Enhancements have been made to the system for improved performance by optimizing materials and construction, resulting in a more rigid assembly with the capacity for up to 20 percent more torque transfer to the rear wheels.

The CR-V's Real Time 4WD system sends power only to the rear wheels when there is insufficient traction for the front-wheel-drive system. The system consists of the conventional front-wheel-drive system, a compact transfer case that distributes torque to a propeller shaft running the length of the vehicle, a dual-pump system with a multi-plate clutch, a cam unit mechanism, the rear differential, and left and right rear-wheel driveshafts.

The core of the system is the dual-pump unit. It consists of two hydraulic pumps, one driven by the front wheels via the propeller shaft and one driven by the rear wheels via the rear differential. A hydraulically actuated, multi-plate clutch, similar to the clutches used in Honda automatic transmissions, connects the propeller shaft to the rear differential.

When the CR-V is operating with the front and rear wheels turning at the same speed, for example on dry pavement, the front and rear hydraulic pumps operate at the same rate. Hydraulic fluid circulates between the two pumps; however, no pressure is generated. In effect, the fluid pressure created by the front pump is equalized by the rear pump.

If the front wheels begin to turn faster than the rear wheels, as would be the case if they were spinning on snow or ice, the two hydraulic pumps would turn at a different rate and hydraulic pressure proportional to the difference in their speeds of rotation would be generated. The resulting hydraulic pressure opens a valve body and feeds pressure to the multi-plate clutch, which engages the front propeller shaft to the rear differential. The rear differential then feeds the drive torque to the right and left rear wheels.

To provide a quick torque transfer response time for transparent 4-wheel drive operation to the driver, the multi-plate clutch is supplemented by a one-way ball cam unit mechanism. The cam unit mechanism consists of two plates separated by six ball cams (large bearings) that move within ramped grooves. When a slight difference in rotation speed exists between the rear wheels and front wheels when driving forward, the ball cams move within the ramped grooves and create pressure that instantly begins the engagement of the main clutch (prior to the build-up of sufficient hydraulic pressure). By engaging the main clutch at a sufficient force even before the hydraulic pressure is generated by the two hydraulic pumps, the driving torque is transferred without a hint of time lag.

Overall system operation is completely automatic; no electronics or driver action is involved. The greater the degree of front-wheel slippage, the greater the amount of torque fed to the rear wheels. Real Time™ 4WD is also low maintenance. The Maintenance Minder system will indicate that the dual pump fluid should be changed at about 100,000 kilometers.

Source: 2008 Honda Product Guide for the 2008 Honda CRV.