Honda is the Most Durable, Longest Lasting Brand in its Class for Past 25 Years

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda vehicles are the most durable and longest lasting of any mainstream automotive brand*, according to Polk vehicle registration statistics from 1988-2012. No other mainstream brand had a greater percentage of vehicles on the road than the Honda brand. In the mainstream segment, an industry best 75% of all Honda vehicles sold in the last 25 years were still on the road.

"One of the most important considerations for a new vehicle purchase is how long that vehicle will last and this study demonstrates that Honda quality and reliability is not just part of our hard-earned reputation but represents our industry-leading performance on the road," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president of automobile operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "If consumers want the most durable, longest lasting mainstream brand, Honda vehicles are the clear choice."

The quality and reliability of Honda vehicles is a major factor in their long-standing leadership in earning key industry value awards. For instance, for the second year in a row, Honda won ALG's top honor of Best Mainstream Brand in its annual Residual Value Awards for vehicles that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year period. Honda has won the top honor more than any other automaker—a record 8 out of 11 years they've awarded a mainstream brand. In 2013, Honda also earned multiple awards for individual models for Best Resale Value from KBB.com and Best Retained Value from Edmunds.com.

* Durability based on longevity. Longevity based on IHS Automotive, Polk U.S. vehicles in operation registration statistics 1988-2012 for Honda and non-luxury competing brands.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. Honda has more than 30 years of experience producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc

Honda Odyssey was Made for a Long Family Trip

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite arrives at a hotel in Arroyo Grande, Calif.,
 at 1:11 a.m. after an 857-mile drive on Christmas Day.    Photo by Mary Lowry

By Mary Lowry

Minivans are largely the laughingstock of the automotive world, ridiculed for not being sporty or cool, put down for being mommymobiles. And I know moms who don't even want to be seen in them.

But after a long road trip that began on Christmas Day and put a car to a very grueling test, I'm here to praise the lowly minivan and give it the credit it deserves.

My niece Cate was getting married in Arroyo Grande, Calif., three days after Christmas. So I and my son and daughter-in-law who live near Portland decided to drive down there together, along with their two children, 9-year-old Lizzy and 4-year-old Ben. We wanted to get there as fast as we could, to have maximum time with all the rest of the family, so we decided to drive straight through. The distance between their Oregon home and the California hotel is 857 miles. It's a drive that would take about 14 hours, according to Google Maps.

Well. Three adults and two young children, all closely related, together in a car for 14 hours, could potentially be as stressful as Nik Wallenda crossing the Grand Canyon on a wire. But we would be in the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite minivan, with comfortable seating for eight, three rows of seats, and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. I knew the Odyssey would increase our chances of survival as a family, but I had no idea what a profound difference it would actually make.

We started loading up the Odyssey on Christmas morning. Lizzy had already staked out a corner seat in the third row and she set to work arranging her traveling necessities – an entourage of Uglydolls and stuffed animals, her iPad Mini, Rainbow Loom, fleece blanket, Pillow Pet, food snacks, water bottle, backpack, suitcase, and one of the two headsets for the car's DVD player – until she had effectively turned the third row area into her own apartment.

We positioned Ben in a second-row seat on the opposite side of the car, so the kids would be out of arm's reach of each other. We folded down the middle seatback to create a big center console with cupholders and bins Ben could use to stash his snacks, water bottle, Insignia Flex tablet, a few of the toy cars from his backpack full of them, and his own headset for the DVD player. On the floor, we put a tote bag full of children's classic DVDs I got from a Sno-Isle library, plus two new ones the kids got for Christmas: "Despicable Me 2" and "Monsters University."

Even with the third row seat upright to create Lizzy's apartment, there was still lots of room in the Odyssey's rear cargo area because its bottom has a deep well. We were able to get three more carry-on-size suitcases in there, along with several duffel bags, assorted tote bags, a sleeping bag in a stuff sack, various extra shoes, heavy winter parkas, our snowstorm emergency equipment, and the equivalent of a survivalist's food pantry so we wouldn't have to stop for dinner (it would take too much time and most places would be closed for Christmas anyway).

And then off we went. And a miracle happened: The children were angels the entire time. A 4-year-old and a 9-year-old in a car for 14 hours with no whining, no crying, no fighting, no fidgeting, no screaming or yelling, no complaining, no kicking the seat in front of them, no freaking out, no driving the adults crazy. This is unprecedented in human history. And the return trip was very much the same. We owe it all to the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite minivan, we really do, because the miracle wouldn't have happened without it.

Here are a few more of the many things we liked about the Odyssey:

• Power sliding doors on both sides. In addition to being convenient for entry and exit, and loading and unloading, the doors were fun for the kids (especially Ben) to operate. So, we didn't have to plead or scold to get them into or out of the car. They were happy for any legitimate opportunity to open or close the doors. And, with Odyssey's low step-in height, the kids could get in and out easily.
• Manually-operated mesh shades on all second- and third-row windows. Great for relief from too much sun on the face, and for more privacy, particularly at night when the DVD player is lighting up the interior. Manual operation allowed the kids to raise or lower their own shades to suit themselves.
• A built-in vacuum cleaner system. A godsend for people like me who like a clean car and don't often have children on board. Located inside a side wall in the rear cargo area, it has a flexible hose long enough to reach all the way to the driver and front passenger footwells. It includes crevice and upholstery attachments. I used it several times during the trip to control the incredible mess kids can make of a car. Does anything they eat even make it into their mouths? Without the vacuum system, if we had left a door or window open too long, the Odyssey would have had seagulls circling above it.
• The many plug-ins for electronic devices and convenient stowage spaces located throughout the vehicle. No space is wasted inside the 2014 Odyssey, and we used every inch of it during our trip. We three adults agreed enthusiastically that the people who designed Odyssey's interior really knew what they were doing, and that they had thought of everything.
• Blind Spot Information System. One of the best recent advancements in automotive safety technology (and available on more new cars and trucks all the time), it was extremely useful during our trip, which included long stretches of driving in pitch dark or heavy fog, and sometimes both at once. Automatic notification of a vehicle in the blind spot on either side eliminates lane-change anxiety in those sketchy conditions.
• Power and performance. Odyssey's 248-horsepower V6 engine did a remarkably good job under the most demanding circumstances: hauling us, all our stuff and the heavy car itself up steep grades at Grants Pass and Siskiyou Summit in southern Oregon, and the Mount Shasta area in California. The six-speed automatic transmission, also faced with a tough task during those circumstances, was downright saintly. When the road was level, the combo soared.
• We averaged 23.8 mpg fuel economy on our trip, better than the Odyssey's EPA combined city/highway rating of 22 mpg. (Its city rating is 19 mpg; highway is 28 mpg.) About 90 percent of our driving was on freeways and highways, but with all the extra weight, the mountain passes, and the definitely un-mommyish driving habits of all three of us, 23.8 could be considered darn good.

2014 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING ELITEBase price, including destination charge: $45,280
Price as driven: $45,280

Mary Lowry has been reviewing cars for more than 20 years. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a board member of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.

Original article via Herald Net

Valery Voyles - A Legacy for Excellence

Originally Printed in Southern Seasons Magazine.

BY EILEEN GORDON

From the high-fashion runway to automotive aristocracy, Valery Voyles has led a diverse and impressive life, encompassing her natural assets of brains and beauty. There are all kinds of glass ceilings in the world of business, but none has been more traditionally male dominated than the automobile industry, until now! Atlanta’s legendary family of the Ed Voyles Automotive Group is a stand-out in this city’s history as one of the most respected family-owned and operated companies. It is now led by Valery Voyles.

TIME Magazine sponsors the annual competition and award for the “TIME Quality Dealer of the Year,” where all 50 states select a nominee whose excellence and achievement represent them. This year, Valery Voyles is the proud recipient of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association nomination for this national award. The winner will be announced at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention, set for Feb. 8-11, 2013, in Orlando, Fla.

Valery grew up at her family’s dealership, helping out after school and working during the summers learning the business, under the watchful eye of her father, Ed Voyles. “I loved the smell of new cars in the showroom. I even loved the smell of the service department,” Valery said, recalling her earliest childhood memories of visiting her dad at the dealership. “I guess this business was in my blood from the beginning.”

Valery was a model from 1977 to 1981, at which point her daughter was born and she left the modeling industry for motherhood. “It was always my priority to be a full-time mom when my kids were small,” said Valery, who is happily married to Rob Jordan, mother to Jessica and Chase Singleton, and step-mother to Trey, Taylor and Sean Jordan.

In 1990, with her children both in school, Valery eagerly returned to the family business that was her legacy. When her father passed away in 2004, she took over as CEO/Chairman of Ed Voyles Automotive Group. Now, three generations of Valery’s family is working in the thriving family business, including her brothers, her children and her nephew.

A MATTER OF TIMING
With the sudden passing of her father, sudden decisions had to be made. Around that time, it was Valery whose life and circumstances were most flexible to assume leadership of the company. Her brothers, Bill and Ben, whole-heartedly supported Valery’s ascension to run the company. She had been so active in the operations of the company that the transition was logical.

With the support of her Senior Management Team and general managers, Valery currently oversees the daily operations of the six dealerships, including Ed Voyles Honda, Ed Voyles Hyundai, Ed Voyles Kia, Ed Voyles Acura, Ed Voyles Kia of Chamblee and Ed Voyles Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, which is the #1 Jeep Wrangler Dealer in the country!

Under her leadership, the dealerships have continued to prosper and earn numerous factory awards, including the Honda President’s Award, Acura Precision Team Award and Hyundai Board of Excellence award.

When asked what has made the company so successful for so long, Valery replied, “Any business without great employees cannot survive. Our employees are as important as our customers. We have over 500 employees and historically very little turnover. To me, this means I am responsible for the livelihoods of 500 families. It is a trust and a stewardship.”

The collapse of Chrysler and General Motors drove many American family-owned dealerships out of business. In the case of the Voyles, they were strong and diverse enough to survive these historic events and continue to thrive.

The largest number of dealerships are now publicly traded companies with 200 or more locations. Valery expands, “Perhaps our success has to do with lessons our father taught us, beginning with the importance of building relationships with our customers based on integrity, trust and excellence, to make them customers for life.”

The very fact that she’s female might well be another secret to her success. Today, 50% of all cars are purchased by women and 90% of all cars purchased are influenced by women!
In addition to the changing face of the car buyer, automotive technology and quality have improved dramatically in the past 10 to 15 years. “I am particularly enthusiastic about the new KIA plant in West Point, Georgia, which is producing the KIA Optima Sedan and the Sorento SUV,” Valery said. “This positive economic impact has created so many jobs in our state, both in the plant itself and for suppliers. Its success has led to plans for further expansion.”

PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS
Throughout its 65-year history, the Ed Voyles dealerships have always been heavily involved in their communities, from United Way and American Red Cross to March of Dimes and other organizations. Valery is proud to continue this staunch support.

As was her mother, Valery is a cancer survivor who helps numerous cancer charities. The Ed and Dora Voyles Breast Health Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital is a cancer treatment center named after her late parents.

Among Valery’s professional community involvement and affiliations: Chair Emeritus of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board, Advisory Board Member for the Shepherd Center, Advisory Circle Member of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Special Appointee of the Cobb Chamber Board of Directors, Board Member of The Cumberland Academy, Sponsor of the Teacher of the Year Program (partnered with Cobb County Chamber of Commerce), 2007 March of Dimes Annual Evening of Excellence Honoree, and United Way Campaign Annual Partner.

When asked about the best car she has ever driven, Valery replied: “Personally, I change cars every 5,000 miles! The fact is I love every car we sell. I currently have a minivan, a sports utility vehicle and a sedan.”

Southern Seasons Magazine is available on newsstands or by subscription.

Come to Ed Voyles Honda and Let Us Show You Our Appreciation

In appreciation of their military service, Honda is offering select U.S. Military individuals and their spouses $500 toward a new 2013 or 2014 model year Honda automobile when they finance or lease through Honda Financial Services^SM (HFS).

Honda Military Appreciation Offer is available to Individuals who are:

• in active duty status in the U.S. Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Coast Guard and active Reserve), or
• in U.S. Military Ready Reserve, (Inactive National Guard, Individual Ready Reserve, Selected Reserve), or
• a U.S. Military Veteran within 180 days of separation from active service, or
• a U.S. Military Retirees within 180 days of separation from active service, or
• a spouse of an individual in a category listed above.

Eligible customers must meet the following conditions at the time of purchase:

• Provide Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) as proof of military status or active service at the time of purchase or lease.
• Spouses of a member of the U.S. Military must provide proof of relationship by presenting a Military ID, and provide spouse' LES. Only a copy of the LES will be retained by the dealership for verification.
• Receive credit approval through Honda Financial Services.

Only one $500 Military Appreciation Certificate per vehicle. The certificate can be combined with all other Honda Financial Services programs, except Zero Due at Signing Lease program. Offer valid through March 31, 2014 unless terminated earlier by HFS.

NOTE: During the term of the retail installment finance contract or lease with Honda Financial Services, buyer may not take their vehicle outside the United States without the prior written consent of Honda Financial Services. During the term of the retail installment finance contract or lease, buyer must notify Honda Financial Services immediately of any change in the buyer's address.

To learn more and see the conditions and eligibility requirements, visit the Honda Military Appreciation Offer page.

For more information, please visit http://automobiles.honda.com/military-offers.aspx

Ridgeline Redesign: Is Honda Getting Serious About Trucks?

From the Wall Street Journal

By JONATHAN WELSH

Rumors of the Honda Ridgeline’s demise apparently were exaggerated.

The Ridgeline, a crossover pickup truck that Honda rolled out a decade ago, has never been a great seller despite a number of features the make it more practical for many drivers than a traditional pickup.

For the last few years industry insiders have speculated Honda would scrap the model, which the company expected to revolutionize the pickup market and draw what was thought to be a huge group of potential customers who wanted a vehicle roughly halfway between a family sedan and a truck.

Those swarms of shoppers never arrived, and critics said the truck was too odd-looking to have truly wide appeal. Now Honda is giving the Ridgeline a second chance by redesigning it, and the new version looks more like a “normal” pickup.

Honda released a sketch of the coming redesign, which has a profile that resembles the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and other pickups that have been on the market longer. Honda has not revealed details about the vehicle’s exact layout and whether it will retain some of its best features, including a trunk underneath the cargo bed, a smooth, car-like ride and better fuel economy than many other trucks.

The company did say it expects the next-generation Ridgeline to “play an even more important role in our future product portfolio.”

Honda said it will end production of the current Ridgeline at its Lincoln, Ala., plant in the middle of next year and plans to roll out the new model in “less than two years.”

Entirely Logical: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

From the January 2014 Issue of Car and Driver

2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

What it lacks in transmission, it makes up for in mileage and zip.

• DECEMBER 2013
 
• BY RON SESSIONS 
• PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC URBANO

TESTED

If Lieutenant Commander Spock were shopping for a mid-size sedan, we think he’d find the Honda Accord hybrid to be an entirely logical mode of transport. Luxury-car roomy inside with a quiet cabin suitable for Vulcan cogitation: check. Cogently arrayed controls and consistently engaging vehicle dynamics: affirmative. Class-leading energy conservation: The Accord hybrid’s 50-mpg EPA city rating is particularly germane here. That’s Prius territory and not a number we've associated with mid-size sedans capable of comfortably transporting, say, five Klingons.

As with the Accord plug-in hybrid introduced last year, this no-plug hybrid Accord features a 141-horse Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder augmented by a 166-hp AC permanent-magnet electric-drive motor. The difference is the battery. The regular hybrid doesn’t need the big lithium-ion battery the plug-in uses to achieve its 13-mile gasoline-free range, instead employing a smaller, lighter 1.3-kWh unit that gives back 4.1 cubic feet of  trunk space and shaves about 200 pounds.

You’ll notice that we didn’t talk about the new Accord hybrid’s transmission because, technically, it doesn’t have one. (Head here for a deep dive on the Accord hybrid’s clever powertrain.)

Honda’s first Accord hybrid incorporated a V-6 and delivered lackluster fuel economy. This time around, Honda nailed the formula

The Accord hybrid’s powertrain has three ways of moving the car: EV drive, engine drive, and hybrid drive. In EV drive, the electric drive motor powers the front wheels via energy stored in the lithium-ion battery. In engine drive, such as when cruising or accelerating lightly on a flat road at higher speeds, the 2.0-liter four helps drive the wheels through a clutch. And in hybrid drive, the engine powers a generator, which supplements the current drawn from the battery. In this mode, there is no physical connection between the engine and the drive wheels.

Hybrid mode is where this Accord spends most of its time, and here engine speed will “flare” to what the hybrid system’s brain thinks is the most efficient rpm for any given road load and throttle position. There is a prominent wail when the car accelerates briskly or climbs a grade. We were also mildly annoyed by a whirring electric-motor sound at low speeds and a slight, momentary sag when the electric motor/generator spools up the engine prior to clutch engagement as it switches from EV mode to engine-drive mode.

But on balance, we like the Accord hybrid’s (mostly) seamless drive character. Compared with its arch rival, the Camry hybrid, Honda’s planet-saver doesn’t sacrifice the driving experience on the altar of eco frugality. The Accord hybrid’s electrically boosted steering mirrors the gas-engine Accord’s steering ratio and effort, and it gives the fine-grained response we’ve come to appreciate in the nonhybrid car.

The same goes for the Accord hybrid’s new electrically assisted brakes: While totally reengineered to use mostly regenerative braking, they give crisp top-of-pedal response that’s easy to modulate. The brakes are neither grabby nor laggy like those in many other brands’ hybrids and electrics (they can get rather binary in panic snubs, however). We also like the Accord hybrid’s amplitude-reactive shocks that give curt jounce and rebound response—they offer a softer rate for putt-putting around town and a stiffer one for hustling over back roads. Low-rolling-resistance tires do sacrifice some grip, but the hybrid’s 184-foot 70-to-zero stopping distance was only four feet longer than that of the last nonhybrid Accord we tested.

Speaking of numbers, our Accord hybrid test car went from rest to 30 mph in 2.9 seconds and reached 60 in 7.2, both 0.2 second quicker than the nonhybrid Accord CVT. Not exactly warp speed, but the hybrid gains those tenths thanks to its 11-hp combined gas/electric power advantage and the electric motor’s 226 pound-feet of maximum torque just off throttle. It does this despite being 202 pounds more affected by gravity than the nonhybrid Accord.

Still, the most pertinent reason to buy the new Accord hybrid is fuel economy. Even with our typically heavy collective right foot, we saw observed mileage in the low 40s—compelling for a mid-size car. But how does it pencil out? There’s about a $3600 delta between a comparably equipped, EX-L–trimmed regular Accord and the Accord hybrid. Using the EPA-recommended guidelines of $3.50 per gallon and 15,000 miles driven per year, and calculating in the Monroney sticker’s combined EPA ratings of 30 mpg for a nonhybrid four-cylinder CVT and 47 mpg for the hybrid, the latter model’s annual fuel savings are $633. That computes to a 5.7-year break-even point, which happens after the three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranties expire (although the expensive lithium-ion battery is warranted for a minimum of eight years and 100,000 miles).

So what’s a Vulcan to do? It doesn’t hurt that the regular Accord is a 10Best winner for the 28th time since 1983 (although the hybrid was unavailable this year). We think Spock, logically, would take the long view—one that looks at Honda’s new mainstream hybrid to conserve known ­fossil-fuel resources without sacrificing performance. We would be more inclined to stick with the nonhybrid Accord.

Just a few years ago, pundits were wondering how in the world 2025-model-year cars would achieve the government-mandated 54.5 mpg CAFE bogey. Now we know: without a transmission.

Ed Voyles Honda Recognized with 2013 Sam Olens Business Community Service Award

COBB CHAMBER NAMES THE 2013 SAM OLENS BUSINESS COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

Marietta, Ga. (Dec. 2, 2013) – The Cobb Chamber recognized 20 local companies for their contributions to Cobb’s non-profit organizations at its First Monday Breakfast, sponsored by the Cobb Community Foundation, today at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Since the inception of this prestigious awards program, Georgia Trend magazine has served as its sponsor. Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Neely Young presented each honoree with an award designed by Marietta Trophy. The Home Depot donated $500 gift cards to each non-profit that nominated an award-winning business.

The Sam Olens Business Community Service Awards recognize deserving Cobb businesses for their commitment to our community and their support of Cobb’s non-profit agencies. Earlier this year, Cobb’s non-profit community was asked to nominate businesses that have enhanced the lives of all Cobb County residents through gifts of time, money and charitable donations. Congratulations to our 2013 honorees:

• 524 Creative; nominated by Cobb Community Foundation and Cobb & Douglas Public Health
• Assurant; nominated by the American Cancer Society
• B + C Studio, Inc.; nominated by Fountain Gate Life and Wellness
• Chattahoochee Technical College; nominated by Cobb Library Foundation and Cobb County Community Services Board
• Ed Voyles Automotive Group; nominated by Marietta City Schools
• Elite Telecom Services; nominated by Bill Thrash Kennesaw Teen Center
• First Landmark Bank; nominated by YWCA of Northwest Georgia
• GenuineParts Company; nominated by The Center for Children and Young Adults
• Georgia Power Company; nominated by The Center for Family Resources
• Henssler Financial; nominated by Kennesaw State University Coles College of Business
• Holt Ney Zatcoff & Wasserman LLP; nominated by Cobb Library Foundation

• The Home Depot Foundation; nominated by Nobis Works
• Kenny’s Great Pies, Inc.; nominated by Cobb County 4-H Club
• LOUD Security Systems, Inc.; nominated by YWCA of Northwest Georgia
• MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service; nominated by Cobb Safety Village Foundation
• Prestigious Cleaning Team; nominated by Bullock Hope House
• Resurgens Charitable Foundation; nominated by The Georgia Ballet
• State Farm Insurance, Floria Izadi Agency; nominated by Reconnecting Families, Inc.
• United Distributors, Inc.; nominated by NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity
• WellStar Health System; nominated by American Heart Association

During the program, the Cobb Community Foundation named Doug Hertz, CEO of United Distributors, Inc., as the 2013 James L. Rhoden, Jr. Visionary Philanthropist. The award recognizes an individual for their outstanding commitment to service. For more information on the Sam Olens Business Community Service Awards, visit the Cobb Chamber online or contact Sue Leithead at 770-859-2326 or sleithead@cobbchamber.org. To learn more about the Cobb Community Foundation, click here.

About the Cobb Chamber

As one of the most influential business advocacy organizations in Georgia, the Cobb Chamber is dedicated to bringing the community and its leaders together to create jobs and strengthen the economy and quality of life so businesses and the community can achieve more. The Chamber achieves this by creating jobs and driving economic development; strengthening the community and the region; growing member businesses and nurturing leadership; and connecting businesses, government and the community.