Friday, December 25, 2015
DRIVE NOW
B01
SPECIAL SECTION courtesy of
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Question of the Week
Will any manufacturer without plans for may well fit the bill. The HR-V has the a small crossover please stand up? now obligatory coupe look, without Barely a month seems to go by without sacrificing rear headroom, reasonable a manufacturer announcing a new leg space in the rear, and even with the model aimed at the hottest market seats up there’s ample stowage for the segment – crossover vehicles. These Big Shop and weekends away. vehciles are becoming as ubiquitous on Space is maximized by mounting the our roads as minivans became in the fuel tank in the centre rather than 30 years following their introduction the rear and the remarkable foldaway The all-new in 1984. second row seating. The official specs It shouldn’t surprise because they check 2016 Honda HR-V reveal 2,835-litres of passenger volume all the boxes for today’s drivers: they (LX) and 1,665 of cargo volume with will likely cut into sit higher than the family sedan a thus the second row seats down. I’ll stick the market carved providing a commanding view of the with my recommendation on family road and provide the seating and stow- out by other lesser size, no matter how big Honda says age required by the modern active fam- manufacturers, it is! ily. In appearance, they are modelled on especially with a The base LX is very well equipped and much more expensive and larger sport the EX and EX-L Navi trims ramp up utility vehicles and can even mimic an base sticker price the specs in luxury and technology. under $21,000. SUV’s roadholding abilities – to a deStandard safety features in all models gree – in poor weather, when equipped Keith Morgan include vehicle stability assist with with all-wheel drive. traction control; an Anti-lock Braking Honda’s compact CR-V has been a winner for years System (ABS); side curtain airbags; dual-stage, muland its prestige division – Acura – has solid performtiple-threshold front airbags; and front side airbags. ers in the larger MDX and compact RDX. It has been Thanks to its so-called Advanced Compatibility Engislow to introduce a subcompact version but the allneering (ACE) body structure with enhanced frontal new 2016 Honda HR-V will likely cut into the market protection it’s also achieved the highest overall score carved out by other lesser manufacturers, especially for collision safety from the National Highway Traffic with a base sticker price under $21,000 (loaded EX-L Safety Administration. navi - $29,990). If that’s not enough for the safety conscious, extras If your family includes active teenagers (they aren’t available across the range include LaneWatch, Hill all that way) this car is not for you, look at a CR-V Start Assist, Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with or one of its many competitors. However, if you Guidelines, Forward Collision Warning and Lane are a twosome or have one or two youngsters this Departure Warning, with the latter two available in
It’s hard to avoid the advice not to drink and drive this season. What made you quit getting behind the wheel after a couple of drinks?
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK!
Safety Tip: CounterAttack roadchecks are underway across the province and police are targeting impaired drivers. Plan ahead for a safe ride home if your holiday festivities will involve alcohol – arrange a designated driver, call a taxi, Operation Red Nose or take transit.
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keith.morgan@drivewaybc.ca
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EX-L Navi only. Not a big fan of many passive safety systems as my theory is they encourage lazy driving habits and inattention. The interior features belie the HR-V’s frugal price tag. Soft-touch materials abound and the stitch lines, brushed chrome and piano black highlights are more typical of the Acura marque. Instrumentation is clear and controls logically placed. On the road, you can expect more than adequate performance, which may sound like I’m damning it with faint praise but I’m not. Honda describes it as having a “sporty performance” but to me that’s a buzz phrase all manufacturers trot out. However, if you want a ‘sporty looking’ machine that gets up to speed in a respectable time, accelerates easily when passing, without inducing whiplash, then this should be on your test drive list. It’s grippy on the road, handles well in the corners without lurch, and overall is pleasant to drive in the city and on a road trip. You will get decent fuel economy from the 1.8-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve SOHC i-VTEC engine, which pumps out 141 horses. The engine can be paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or a short-shifting 6-speed manual transmission, on LX and EX models with 2WD. Drive efficiently and you could achieve 6.7L/100 km on the highway (8.3 city) in the 2WD CVT version. The manual stick economy is rated 9.3/7.0 L/100km (city/hwy). A repeated word about CVT: contrary to many of my colleagues I like today’s CVT. Much smoother than earlier iterations.
7364665
Yet another sporty coupe crossover hits the market
Dealer #30377
www.peacearchtoyota.com 3174 KING GEORGE BLV, SURREY