2010 Honda Cr-v on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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

Google poised to release Apple CarPlay rival this month

Apple and Google. They're the Michigan and Ohio State of the tech world. They're New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, Real Madrid and Barcelona, or whatever sports-based rivalry you want to cook up. Bottom line, if one company expands into a segment, it's only a matter of time before the other follows suit. And now, that rivalry is about to carry over to your car's dashboard.
Unnamed sources are reporting to Automotive News that Google will unveil its very own challenger to Apple's new CarPlay in-car operating system later this month at the Mountain View, CA company's annual developer conference. The system, allegedly called Google Auto Link, will be the first product to come from the Open Automotive Alliance, a partnership between Google, General Motors, Hyundai, Audi, Honda and hardware manufacturer NVIDIA.
The official announcement is expected to be made on either June 25 or 26, at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. Expect to hear a lot more about Google Auto Link then.

Honda issues second Fit window recall, this time for 143k units

Honda has announced it is recalling certain 2007-2008 Fit models in the US to fix what could have been faulty repairs made in a previous round of recalls. The vehicles may have been manufactured with a master driver's window switch that could allow rain water or spilled liquids into the switch. If that happens, the liquids could cause the switch to overheat, melt and potentially damage the vehicle's wiring or cause a fire. Honda says no accidents or injuries have been reported due to the problem, but warns owners to park their Fit hatchbacks outside until a dealer can inspect the switch.
All told, the recall covers 143,083 Fit units. Back in 2010, Honda recalled the 2002-2008 model-year Fit for the same issue. That recall covered some 646,000 units worldwide after a two-year-old child in Cape Town, South Africa burnt to death while sleeping in a Fit. Honda says the repair made during that round of recalls may not have been sufficient, and the latest fix should take care of the problem for good.
You can read the full press release on the latest round of recalls below for more information.