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2015 Honda Fit earns 5 Stars from NHTSA

Honda's emergency redesign of the new Fit's front end not only had a positive effect on its scores from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – it recorded a Top Safety Pick after being retested – but it helped the compact hatch record an impressive NCAP five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those are two significant achievements for the Fit, and surprise, surprise, the Honda was quick to tout the news. "The Fit shows that owning a smaller car doesn't mean you need to skimp on space, comfort or crashworthiness," said Honda's VP of auto operations Art St. Cyr. "Honda's commitment to the safety of our customers and other road users is second to none, and the Fit demonstrates this commitment in a powerful way." Check out the official PR on the NHTSA announcement, available below. All-New 2015 Honda Fit Achieves Highest Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Feb 2, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Subcompact Fit achieves both an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score and an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK rating Fit is the fifth Honda vehicle for 2015 to achieve top crash safety ratings from both from IIHS and NHTSA The spacious, fuel-efficient and versatile 2015 Honda Fit (http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/), has received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the top score available in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The Fit, completely redesigned in 2014, earns both a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA for 2015, making it even more of a standout choice in its segment. "The Fit shows that owning a smaller car doesn't mean you need to skimp on space, comfort or crashworthiness," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Honda's commitment to the safety of our customers and other road users is second to none, and the Fit demonstrates this commitment in a powerful way." Already the benchmark subcompact in terms of passenger and cargo space and innovative features, occupant safety features for the 2015 Honda Fit are further enhanced through the next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure. The ACE™ body structure improves frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes.

American motorcycle brands most satisfying, Japanese most reliable, says Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports started tracking motorcycle reliability last year through its regular reader survey, just like the magazine's well-known auto guide. For the 2015 edition, CR now has data on over 12,300 bikes, compared to 4,680 in 2014, and the extra info means it can include more brands, like Suzuki, Triumph and Can-Am, to the list. However, the final results remain largely the same. As with last year, Japanese bikes are the best choice for buyers who prioritize reliability. Yamaha comes out on top yet again and is followed by Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda. Victory and Harley-Davidson hold the middle of the list, and the European cycles from Triumph, Ducati and BMW sit at the bottom. The major outlier in this regional distinction is the Can-Am Spyder from Canada's Bombardier Recreational Products that comes in dead last in the dependability survey. Still, even the most dependable model is occasionally going to break, and the average repair bill across all brands is $342, according to CR's readers. Kawasakis are the cheapest to keep on the road at a median of $269 for fixes, versus BMW as the most expensive at $455. Through all of the companies, electrical gremlins are the most common issue, causing 24 percent of problems, but faults with the cooling system, pistons or transmission are the smallest concerns at 4 percent each. While Japanese cycles might be the easiest to keep on the road, they aren't the most beloved by riders. In CR's gauge of satisfaction, the Americans reign supreme. Victory owners love their bikes the most with 80 percent reporting that they would buy another. Harley riders are known for having a close bond to the company's models, and the brand comes in second with 72 percent. Finally, Honda rounds out the top three at 70 percent. Head over to Consumer Reports to see more results. News Source: Consumer ReportsImage Credit: Toby Brusseau / AP Photo BMW Honda Suzuki Motorcycle Ducati bike victory

eBay Find of the Day: Ayrton Senna's 1993 Honda NSX

It's not often that things owned by the late Ayrton Senna come up for sale, but the seller of this black-on-black 1993 Honda NSX (aka, Acura NSX) eBay find claims it was once owned by the Formula One legend, and that he left a footprint on the factory carpet that can still be seen today. (Footprint, or vacuum lines?...)
NSX no. T000999 was given to Senna as a gift from his mentor and sponsor, Antonio de Almeida Braga, the seller claims, and it was stored at a palace near the Estoril F1 circuit in Portugal. He also was known to drive two other NSXs, a black one and a red one - the latter in which he was seen often.
The seller claims to have owned T000999, which is still in Portugal, for 17 years, and the 31,000-mile odometer indicates it was driven about 1,500 miles per year on average. Thankfully the car has been kept stock, so whoever buys it can enjoy driving it just as Senna did - that is, if the car actually is what it's claimed to be. If the story checks out, then this is one valuable NSX, which is reflected in the high minimum starting bid of 47,500 pounds ($73,620). There have been no bids at time of writing, but with nine days left in the auction, we'll be keeping our eyes on this one.