When you walk onto the lot of your local Honda dealership, what do you expect to find? Quite possibly, your expectations are limited. Lack of familiarity with today’s Honda may leave you with little else but a faded memory of some older, tired models.
And when you walk onto the lot of your local Honda dealership, what do you expect to experience? Most likely, your expectations mirror that of any car buyer, anticipating a high-pressure environment focused less on your wants and needs, and more on closing the deal.
Well, if expectation is the mother of all disappointment, brace yourselves. Not only are today’s Hondas innovative, stylish, and affordable – while offering strong performance – they continuously garner a number of awards, from Car and Driver’s 10 Best to IIHS Top Safety Picks.
Sedans, Coupes, and Hatchbacks
If you’re not familiar with today’s Honda, we challenge you to set aside everything that you think you know. From cars, to crossover SUVs, minivans and trucks, and even eco-friendly offerings, Honda’s top-rated line of award winning vehicles tick a lot of boxes.
Starting with sedan and coupe styling, there is no lack of familiarity to such names as the Civic and Accord. You might be surprised at the range of offerings in Honda’s line, so don’t rely purely on your recollection…
Despite being around for a decade, the Honda Fit (starting at $16,190 MSRP) is among Honda’s lesser-known offerings. An affordable hatchback, it was named among the ‘Best Cars for the Money’ by U.S. News & World Report, as holding ‘Best Resale Value’ by Kelley Blue Book, and also received 5-Star Safety Ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It even offers another variant, that we’ll revisit down the line.
The Honda Civic may need no introduction, but may be deserving of a reintroduction. Ranking as an ‘Overall Winner’ by Kelley Blue Book, the Civic is an IIHS Top Safety Pick and another NHTSA award-winner. Available in sedan (starting at $18,470 MSRP), coupe ($19,150 MSRP), and hatchback ($19,700 MSRP) styling, the accessibly priced Civic serves up a phenomenal 39-40 mpg (highway, 28-30 city). You an also explore (the sport-inspired) Si variants on the Sedan ($23,900 MSRP) and Coupe ($23,900 MSRP) if that’s more your style.
The Honda Accord boast many of the same awards, earning a ’10 Best’ spot from Car and Driver, as well as safety accolades from the IIHS and NHTSA. Available in both sedan (starting at $22,455 MSRP) and coupe ($24,125 MSRP) stylings, there’s a lot to like about the Accord, including…
Eco-Friendly Alternatives
For those with an eye on sustainability, there is no shortage of offerings served up by Honda for its staunch (and aspiring) eco-warriors.
The Accord Hybrid (starting at $29,605 MSRP) delivers an impressive 48 mpg combined. And Honda customers interested in exploring leasing options have further choices available to them at very attractive rates. Like the Fit EV, which offers up 132 mpg (city, 105 highway), the Clarity Electric delivers 89 mpg, or the Clarity Fuel Cell, boasts a staggering 366-mile range.
Crossover SUV and Vans
Despite the heavy saturation of crossover SUVs within the marketplace, Honda boasts some of the most accessibly priced offerings with impressive fuel economy to boot.
The HR-V ($19,465 MSRP) has been named as one of the ‘Best Family Cars’ by Kelley Blue Book, and one of the ‘Best Cars for the Money’ by U.S. News & World Report, scoring Honda another 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA.
The CR-V ($24,045 MSRP) shares those same awards, as well as being recognized by Car and Driver as a ’10 Best Trucks and SUVs.’
Also rating among KBB’s ‘Best Family Cars’ is the Pilot ($30,745 MSRP) which is also (you guessed it) an IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ with a 5-Star Safety Rating from NHTSA.
And if you need to take the family-friendliness of the SUV to a whole other level, consider the minivan styling of the Honda Odyssey ($29,990 MSRP). Sure, we could point out that it’s among KBB’s ‘Best Family Cars’ and NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Rating, but you’re probably sick of hearing how safe and reliable Honda’s offerings are…
Need a Truck?
The newly-returned Honda Ridgeline ($29,630 MSRP) was named the 2017 North American Truck of the Year. Earning more ‘Thumbs Ups’ from IIHS and NHTSA, this safe and reliable truck is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 280 horsepower, 262 lbs-ft of torque and (properly-equipped) can tow up to 5,000 LBS.
Oh, and…
Remember the ‘tired Honda Civic’ that you had in mind when you began reading this? Well, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Civic Type R ($33,900 MSRP) which injects some adrenaline into the styling and performance of its mainstream sibling.
Your Time
Great inventory is one thing, but success thrives on empowerment. To create a lasting relationship, a Honda dealership needs to empower its car-buyers by providing them with knowledge and support. Why feel pressured standing on a lot, when you can do your research from the comfort of your laptop or smartphone? Why feel as though you have to ask countless questions, when the answers are provided to you?
The perfect Honda is waiting for you. Find it and explore the online convenience of scheduling a test drive, and even applying for financing. Because your time is important.
Learn the Difference
Whatever preconceived notion you have of both Honda, and car dealerships in general, can easily go out the window when you experience the perfect marriage of quality vehicles and quality Honda service. If you’ve been unsuccessful so far, don’t be discouraged. Make plans to visit your local Honda dealership, and find out today how different things can be.
