2013 Odyssey Touring Wheel Cair Van Leather 107k on 2040-cars

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Chevy Malibu Hybrid wins 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year

From the Washington Auto Show today, Green Car Journal's Ron Cogan announced three different fuel-efficient vehicle awards. They were: 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year: Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year: Volvo XC90 T8 2016 Green SUV of the Year: Honda HR-V The Volvo was nominated in two categories, but it did not win the Connected Green Car of the Year. Speaking of non-winners, the other green SUV finalists were the BMW X1 XDrive28i, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The other Luxury Green Car finalists included the BMW x5 xDrive40e, Lexus RX 450h, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and the Mercedes-Benz C350e. Finally, the Audi A3 e-tron, BMW 330e, Toyota Prius, and Volvo XC90 T8 were the runners up for Connected Green Car. 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year, Luxury Green Car of the Year Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has announced the winners of its prestigious 2016 Green Car Awards at a press conference held today during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day in Washington DC. Distinguished as 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ is Volvo's new XC90 T8. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid tops the field as 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year™ and Honda's HR-V earns Green Car Journal's 2016 Green SUV of the Year™. "These are stand-out vehicles in an increasingly sophisticated and appealing field of 'green' cars," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "To make the cut as a finalist is a real achievement in itself considering the considerable competition in the market today. Rising to the top as award winners means these three exceptional vehicles set a benchmark in the auto industry's effort to create vehicles that are desirable and efficient, while also achieving environmental milestones so important for our driving future." The Green Car Awards are a key feature of The Washington Auto Show, the "public policy show" on the auto show circuit and one that puts a priority on safety and sustainability. "We are extremely proud of our partnership with Ron Cogan, whose eagerly anticipated suite of awards help shape the national conversation on the innovations that will drive our industry and country forward," said Geoff Pohanka, chairman of The Washington Auto Show.

Honda airbags are being stolen

The latest hot target for car thieves might just be the airbag mounted inside your steering wheel. And late-model Honda and Acura vehicles are a particularly hot target right now, for reasons not well understood. USA Today reports that criminals across the country are stealing airbags out of relatively new Honda models for apparent resale online or to black market repair shops. It's a trend that has caught the attention of law enforcement agencies in cities like Miami, New York City and Washington D.C. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) estimates that around 50,000 airbags are stolen each year. In Miami-Dade County, thieves stole 875 airbags in 2017, up from just 13 in 2013, according to police records obtained by USA Today. In the Virginia suburbs outside Washington D.C., thieves recently smashed the windows of 10 Hondas at an apartment complex to steal the airbags. Second Lt. Jonathan Bryant told the local Fox affiliate that stolen Honda airbags often end up in chop shops and can command between $300 and $500 each. A quick search of eBay listings for Honda steering wheel airbags turns up results being sold for as high as $700, though most are listing for hundreds less than that. New replacement versions purchased from dealerships approach $1,000. Many dishonest repair shops install the stolen airbags as new and charge the owner or their insurer full price for the replacement, a version of insurance fraud. Last year, police in Coral Springs, Fla. published an alert on the neighborhood social networking site Nextdoor urging residents who own a Honda or Acura to park in a garage or well-lit area, "or if you have another vehicle, pull it as close to your driver's side door as possible," they wrote. "We have seen an increase in airbag thefts, primarily in Acura and Honda models," the posting added. "The suspect(s) often disarm the alarm by cutting the battery, punch the driver side door lock or smash the window. It is believed these criminals take approx. 5-10 minutes to steal the airbag." One theory for the apparent rise in airbag thefts is that a spate of airbag recalls in recent years — including the ongoing recall of nearly 50 million potentially explosive Takata airbag inflators that left suppliers scrambling to make new parts — may have boosted demand for replacements. Most of the vehicles involved are late-model Honda Civics and Accords, but it's not clear exactly why Honda is being targeted.

Honda previews next-gen JDM Odyssey minivan

Some automakers market the same cars around the world, while others offer different models - even under the same nameplate - for different markets. We're thinking of cars like the Volkswagen Passat or the previous Mazda6. Honda's been known to do so as well, with models like the Accord and Odyssey, which are completely different in North America than they are in other parts of the world.
Now Honda has provided the first glimpse at the Odyssey minivan it offers for the Japanese Domestic Market (as well as Europe and other parts of the world). Though more compact than the US-market version, the new overseas Odyssey appears larger than the model it replaces, with a taller roofline increasing interior space.
Though Honda hasn't released the model's full specifications, power is expected to come from a 2.4-liter inline-four mated to a continuously variable transmission. Beyond that, buyers will likely be able to choose between front- and all-wheel drive, two cabin layouts, two interior colors and seven or more exterior paints. The images also point towards blind-spot and auto-braking systems and an apparent eco mode. Although unconfirmed, we expect to see the new JDM Odyssey make its debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.