Honda Dealership in Baton Rouge | Richards Honda

Source: Honda in the News

Knowing that safety is a key priority for its customers, Honda put significant efforts into ensuring its all-new 2011 Odyssey minivan offered impressively high levels of protection, and that hard work is reaping rewards: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently named the Odyssey a “Top Safety Pick” after the vehicle received the highest possible grades in IIHS front, side, rear and rollover impact testing.

It’s a particularly noteworthy achievement because this is the first year of the IIHS’ new, stricter roof-strength evaluation. While the federal government only requires a vehicle’s roof to withstand 1.5 times the vehicle’s weight, the Odyssey withstood a force equal to 5 times that amount. Needless to say, Honda’s minivan already passed the federal testing, by the National Highway Safety Transportation Association (NHTSA), earlier this year.

In the NHTSA testing, also revised to be more stringent for 2011, the Odyssey became just the second vehicle to score a five-star rating—the best possible mark—for all seating positions in all crash-test scenarios.

Key drivers of the Odyssey’s performance include a wide range of standard active and passive safety measures, such as:

• Vehicle Stability Assist with traction control
• Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
• A Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure
• Three-point seatbelts at all positions
• Front seatbelt load limiters and automatic pre-tensioners
• Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags
• Front-seat side airbags
• Side-curtain airbags with rollover sensor
• Active front-seat head restraints
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system in second- and third-row seats

The 2011 Honda Odyssey is on sale now at your local Baton Rouge, LA Honda dealer.

Source: Honda in the News

The Honda CR-Z truly marches to the beat of its own drum. While power from its 122 horsepower engine isn’t overwhelming, this “sports hybrid” does providing a thrilling driving experience combined with impressive MPG.

Under the hood of this sleek, short compact is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine along with an electric motor. This system doesn’t allow the CR-Z to run on electric power alone like some other hybrid models, but the electric motor assists the engine and helps the CR-Z achieve an impressive 35 miles per gallon in the city and 39 miles per gallon on the highway.

The CR-Z is the only hybrid vehicle available with a six-speed manual gearbox, adding to the sportiness quotient. For those that don’t want to shift their own gears, a CVT automatic transmission is also available.

Priced from $19,345, the Honda CR-Z is one of the most affordable hybrid vehicles available. Richards Honda has a great selection of hybrid cars in Baton Rouge, Louisiana!

Source: Honda in the News

Honda was once again honored for its commitment to long-term vehicle dependability recently, when both the Fit and the CR-V finished atop their segments in the 2011 J.D. Power & Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The annual study, one of the nation’s most anticipated gauges of vehicle durability and reliability, was based on information provided by more than 43,700 original owners of 2008 model-year products, who evaluated their vehicles for problems within a 12-month period in more than 200 different measures.

And in addition to the Fit, which was the highest rated vehicle in the Sub-Compact Car category, and the CR-V, which was ranked as the most dependable Compact Crossover/SUV, both the Honda Odyssey and the Honda Ridgeline finished among the top three in their classes.

Looking for a dependable new or used car in Baton Rouge? Turn to the experts at Richards Honda! We have hundreds of new and used cars, like the Honda Fit and the Honda CR-V, ready for you to drive home today!

Source: Honda in the News

The all-new, ninth-generation 2012 Honda Civic may carry-over many cues from the previous generation. However, the new model differs significantly as it offers more refinement and even better fuel-efficiency.

As before, the Civic model range is extremely diverse, consisting of sedans and coupes powered by conventional gasoline, high-performance, hybrid, and compressed natural gas engine choices. All Civic models also feature robust technology such as n available “intelligent” Multi-Information Display (i-MID), an available Eco Assist system and a new Motion Adaptive Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system.

The Civic has always been synonymous with fuel-efficiency, so it was no surprise that Honda improved fuel economy for this new generation. Compared to 2011 models, fuel economy is up by as much as 8 percent on the highway in Civic Sedans and Coupes equipped with automatic transmissions. And, the Civic Hybrid in particular boasts the best city, highway and combined EPA-estimated fuel economy rating for any currently available sedan (44 mpg).

The 2012 Honda Civic range includes:

• Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe – Still the optimal balance of comfort, value and performance. The Civic Sedan and Coupe models are powered by a 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with a 16-valve i-VTEC producing 140 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque.
• Civic HF — New to the Civic lineup for 2012. This model is a value-conscious “high fuel-economy” sedan equipped with lightweight alloy wheels and aerodynamic enhancements under the body and an exclusive rear spoiler. The Civic HF Sedan is EPA rated for 41 miles per gallon on the highway, an improvement over the Civic Sedan’s 39 miles per gallon.
• Civic Si — The enthusiast driver’s Civic. The Civic Si Coupe and Sedan models are all about performance, and feature a sport-tuned suspension and a powerful 201 horsepower 2.4-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine. The Si’s performance is matched by a number of exclusive exterior and interior enhancements that add to the sporting look and feel.
• Civic Hybrid — The 2012 Civic Hybrid has long been the most fuel-efficient choice within the Civic range. But this year, Honda has revamped its IMA parallel hybrid system to increase efficiency using an electric motor placed inline between the engine and transmission. As a result, the latest Civic Hybrid achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 44/44/44 miles per gallon.
• Civic Natural Gas — Available nationwide for the first time, the Civic Natural Gas is powered by a dedicated natural gas variant of the 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder engine similar to the one used in the Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe. This model is the only OEM-built, dedicated CNG passenger car assembled in America and the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2 Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards.

“The all-new Civic builds on the tremendous popularity of the previous generation with a complete technology makeover and a higher level of refinement and style,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Only the Civic provides the most diverse car lineup in the industry to best meet the needs and preferences of individual customers.”

The new 2012 Honda Civic is at Richards Honda, Louisiana’s Original and Most Experienced Honda Dealer, located in Baton Rouge, LA!

Source: Honda in the News

Calling it “the gold standard of minivans,” the automotive experts at Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com website recently named the 2011 Honda Odyssey to their “Top 10 Family Cars of 2011” list. The only minivan to make the lineup, the Odyssey won over the KBB.com analysts with a package that’s “designed to please the whole family.”

Judging for the honor was based on family-oriented characteristics such as safety, comfort, economy of operation, child-friendliness, a reasonable purchase price and good resale value—all of which come standard on the Odyssey.

For the driver, Honda’s family hauler offers both more power and better fuel efficiency than in past years, thanks to its advanced 3.5-liter V6. This engine, which relies on the automaker’s innovative i-VTEC technology, makes 248 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, yet is still capable of achieving EPA ratings of up to 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway22 mpg combined. That’s the same city rating as Toyota’s four-cylinder minivan, along with the best highway and combined marks in the segment.

And the kids will love the Odyssey’s wide range of available entertainment alternatives, including a factory-integrated Rear Entertainment System that boasts a 16.2-inch-wide screen—the largest ever offered by Honda. In fact, it’s so wide (and versatile) that it can function as two separate monitors, showing video from two separate sources, with the included pair of wireless headphones providing two separate soundtracks.

The cabin of Honda’s minivan is notable for its incredible functionality, too. Second-row seats are wider, more comfortable and more configurable than ever before, with the ability to slide both fore and aft as well as laterally. As a result, the Odyssey’s second row can quickly and simply go from providing high levels of comfort for two adults to the ability to fit three child seats in just minutes. Third-row seating also has been greatly enhanced by Honda’s groundbreaking 60/40 split Magic Seat system. It provides extra comfort, along with increased legroom, and can quickly fold down to handle cargo with just a single touch of a button.

All wrapped in bold new styling, the 2011 Honda Odyssey is on sale now at Richards Honda in Baton Rouge, LA