2012 Honda CR-V EX-L W/Navigation

Pop the rear hatch on the Honda CR-V and you're in for a surprise: the load floor is very, very low. I went to throw some groceries in the back of the car last night and stood in the store parking lot for a minute, wondering exactly how it's possible to have such a low load floor, a fully-independent rear suspension, and all-wheel drive. 

Reach over to either side of the trunk and you can fold the 60/40 split rear seats flat with one lever pull. The cargo cover assembly is spring loaded, so it comes out of its brackets with little or no effort.

Having wrangled both a 42" television and a flat-packed television stand into a similarly sized Suzuki Grand Vitara two weeks ago, I admired the CR-V because the process of loading large items into the back -- a process that took many minutes and considerable swearing with the Suzuki -- would have taken seconds in the Honda. 

The Honda CR-V is supposed to be the benchmark of the compact utility segment, and during moments like this, when you're manhandling a 70-pound IKEA box into the back, it acts like one. Combine that with a spritely engine, good handling and ride quality, and great ease of use, and you've got a benchmark car all over again. Not bad. 

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2012 Honda Civic EX Sedan

It's funny how negative the reaction to this generation of Honda Civic has been. You'd think Honda was building a terrible Civic based on some of the press out there. The Civic is still a commendable compact car; it just isn't as impressive as the other recently redesigned cars in this class. 

Honda's decision to play it safe with the Civic may draw criticism from the press, but consumers keep buying the cars. In the first quarter of 2012, the Honda Civic handily outsold everything else in the compact class. How can the Civic succeed? It has an intuitive interior, for starters. Other compacts may offer more connectivity options, but the Civic sticks with tried-and-true buttons and knobs that are easy to use and look more modern than the equally simple controls in the Mazda 3. 

The design of the Civic is also familiar. Other compacts have upped the design game to the point of compromising visibility or usability while Honda stuck with a basic sedan shape and more timeless lines. With legendary reliability and a reasonable $21,275 sticker price, the 2012 Honda Civic EX doesn't need to offer a lot of gimmicks to attract buyers. 

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2013 Honda Fit EV

If it appears to wear a sly grin, the Honda Fit EV may have good reason. The Fit EV is another clever adaptation of an existing nameplate for electric-car duty. However, it doesn't share much besides the doors, roof, liftgate, and front suspension with the Fit we know and love, and the fact that it still has the same dashboard is its biggest downfall.

Unlike the Ford Focus Electric, which is built on the assembly line with other Focus models, the Fit EV is made in the same special, low-volume workshop that has produced other Honda specialty models like the S2000, and it uses powertrain hardware that's also found in the FCX Clarity hydrogen-fuel-cell car. Given a new face, cladding, and rear spoiler in order to reduce the coefficient of drag by fourteen percent, the Fit EV looks quite different, as though it has driven through a clothesline. It stands taller by 2.2 inches, gains agility through the addition of a multi-link rear suspension, and of course, just like the clothes dryer that it sometimes mimics, has a prominent lint-trap door -- except this is the dual-voltage charging port.

In fact, charging is a Fit EV forte. To replenish the 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Honda introduces an onboard 6.6-kW charger. With the right 240-volt charging station, the car can be up and frothing in just three hours. Honda puts range at 82 miles. Of the three driving modes, easily selected in full stride by pressing buttons to the left of the leather-wrapped wheel, economy is said to offer up to a seventeen-percent efficiency improvement. Our experience in urban driving suggested economy's output of 47 kW would suffice in ordinary circumstances, and this could return combined efficiency of 118 MPGe. Normal mode makes up to 75 kW available. 

Powertrain

Motor: AC synchronous electric
Power: 123 hp/92 kW
Torque: 189 lb-ft/256 Nm
Transmission: Single-speed
Drive: Front-wheel

Chassis

Steering: Electronic power-assisted
Suspension, Front: Macpherson strut
Suspension, Rear: Independent multi-link
Brakes: Ventilated front disc, rear drum, with ABS and regenerative capability
Tires: P185/60R-15

Measurements
L x W x H: 162.0 x 67.7 x 62.2 in
Wheelbase: 98.4 in
Track F/R: 58.5/57.6 in
Weight: 3252 lb

Performance
0-60 MPH: N/A
Top Speed: N/A
EPA Mileage: 118 MPGe combined

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