Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers

Honda Motors and the other two big Japanese automotive companies, Nissan and Toyota, have led the front in areas factory automation and technology that is environmentally friendly. The one area they have not been as quick on, to date, has been their reluctance venture into emerging markets. This trend is quickly changing, however. The big three in Japan are expanding into new and uncharted territory in emerging markets, with Honda cars and plant popping up in places such as the former Soviet Union, the Saharan region of Africa and especially southern India.

In some respects, these moves come as an attempt to avoid what happened a decade ago in China. General Motors and Volkswagen entered that emerging market early, and have had a long string of success over the Japanese manufacturers who entered later in the game.

India is a nation with more than one billion people, and it is just entering an automotive revolution age. As such, India is an area of particular interest for the Japanese Big Three. After China, India may be the next big megamarket in the world. According to some studies, it is estimated that vehicle sales in India and other developing regions may increase by as many as 10 million units during the next six years. In the past, these emerging markets were an afterthought. Today, they are becoming essential to the future of companies like Honda.

Honda has sold motorcycles in India for years. In India, Honda is expanding its production capacity from 30,000 units just three years ago to 160,000 planned units next year.

You don’t have to travel to southern India to see why Honda cars are some most popular cars in the automotive industry. Stop by our local Lehigh Valley Honda dealer. We’re within striking distance of the entire Lehigh valley, and we can help you pick the best Honda for your needs.

One of the areas that Honda cars have improved the automotive world in recent years is with the advent of the VTEC system. The VTEC system helps maximize a car’s performance at both low speeds and high speeds. It does this by creating, in essence, multiple camshafts.

A camshaft is a system in the vehicle that uses cams (also known as lobes) to push against valves as the camshaft turns. These allow exhaust to come out of the engine and allow air to come into the engine. The way the camshaft performs can affect how the engine performs, overall.

At slower speeds, however, the camshaft has to perform differently than it does at higher speeds. A higher speed camshaft, for example, will hurt performance when the car is at lower speeds. A lower speed camshaft, likewise, will keep a car from functioning at its best when its at higher speeds.

VTEC fixes this problem. It, essentially, creates multiple camshafts. As the engine moves up and down in its speed through a variety of RPM ranges, the VTEC makes some changes. The car’s engine computer causes specific cams or lobes to become active. This creates a situation in which the timing of the valves can be customized to the car’s exact performance needs at that moment.

If you are interested in learning more about how VTEC works in our Honda cars , or if you want to test drive a vehicle with VTEC technology, come see us at our local Honda dealer in Emmaeus. We serve the entire Lehigh valley, which consists of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, PA near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

CVT is not a new technology. The Continuously Variable Transmission has been around for half a century. The modern incarnation of the CVT has been around just a few years, though, becoming much more popular in other countries than it has been in the U.S. Interest has risen for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that vehicles with CVT tend to get better gas mileage than the same vehicle without CVT. For this reason, many Honda cars today feature the CVT technology.

CVT isn’t a new technology. In fact, the technology involved in CVT has been used for a variety of industrial applications, such as running light duty drill presses or lathes. As vehicle parts like advanced hydraulics, high-density rubber belts and microprocessors have appeared, it became more and more likely that CVT would be ported to the automotive industry.

A CVT is much simpler than a traditional transmission. In fact, there are only a few components to a CVT, as opposed to many more with a traditional transmission. A CVT includes a driving pulley that’s operated hydraulically, a driving pulley that is mechanical that senses torque, sensors and microprocessors, and a high power, high density rubber belt.

CVT is becoming more and more compatible with powerful engines, as well. Increasingly, CVT transmissions are being used with engines larger than 1.2 litres, and even being used with some V6 engines.

Come see us at your Lehigh Valley Honda Dealer . Check out the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid CVT, which not only utilizes CVT technology but saves greatly on gas with its hybrid technology.

One of the newest and most exciting safety technologies available on today’s Honda cars is ESC. ESC, which stands for Electronic Stability Control, is a technology that helps to know when you’re experiencing a loss of steering control. ESC then tries to make up for that loss of control by applying individual brakes to steer you in the direction you intend to steer.

ESC works like this: sensors measure the angle at which the river is steering the vehicle. An algorithm helps ESC to decide what direction the driver intends to go. Using other sensors, ESC then determines the actual direction the vehicle is traveling. It measures this using a number of factors, including vehicle rotation, lateral acceleration and individual road wheel speeds. ESC compares the driver’s intended direction against the actual direction of the vehicle and then applies brakes to specific wheels to correct the steering problem.

While there are a number of sensors involved in ESC, there are four that make up the core of the system. The first is a steering wheel angle sensor. This sensor determines where the driver is trying to steer. The next sensor is the yaw rate sensor, which determines the rotation rate of the car. The lateral acceleration sensor tells the system about the lateral acceleration of the vehicle. Finally, the wheel speed sensor measures the wheel speed.

ESC isn’t a way to guarantee accidents won’t happen. ESC can’t push a car past its own natural physical limits, or magically increase a car’s traction. However, ESC does help the driver maintain control utilizing the car’s abilities and traction.

Come check out some of our Honda cars at your Lehigh Valley Honda dealer today to find out more about Honda’s ESC options, including their Vehicle Stability Assist and Electronic Stability Program technologies.

It was bound to happen eventually.

When gas prices rise to a certain level, people are going to drive their cars less. A report from AAA suggests that is exactly what happened this past Memorial Day holiday.

During the last 12 months, the average price of gas has risen by nearly $.70 per gallon, to the highest levels ever. Some experts even suggest that $6 per gallon gas will be a reality by the end of this year, and that may be just the tip of the iceberg.

For the first time in history,these high gas prices are dramatically affecting how much people drive. Unfortunately, this is having some unintended consequences. For example, In some places, the tourism industry is suffering because people just don’t want to have to fill up the tank. In addition, public transportation rates are at an all-time high, and many metropolitan areas are struggling to keep up with the demand. In fact, public transportation rates are the highest they’ve been in the past 50 years.

There may be an upside to high gas prices, however. High gas prices also prompt people to drive slower. Driving slower uses less gas, down to a certain point. Instead of driving 70 MPH on the Interstates, some drivers are driving as slow as 55 MPH. This not only saves gas, it is generally thought to be safer.

Unfortunately, many people can’t afford to change their driving habits. They might have a long commute to work for example, or they may have to travel for work. For these folks, a more fuel efficient vehicle is an absolute necessity.

If you’re in the market for a more efficient vehicle, check us out. We’re your local Honda Dealer , and we serve the Lehigh Valley. Lehigh Valley Honda is the place to find new Honda cars , trucks and suvs as well as a huge selection of used cars in the Lehigh Valley which consists of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, PA near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gas has gotten expensive, tripling in price over the last several years. For this reason, consumers are turning to other vehicles, such as smaller vehicles or hybrid vehicles. Still, there’s no guarantee that a car’s mileage will be what the stickier indicates. Fortunately, there are 3 simple things you can do in order to get the best mileage possible from your car:

1. Drive slower. Driving fast creates a certain amount of drag on your car. The faster you drive your car, the more drag you create. This drag increases exponentially, too. The drag when driving 70 miles per hour is roughly twice the drag you have when driving 50 miles per hour. Driving slower saves power and energy.
2. Drive consistently. By keeping a constant vehicle speed, you keep the use of energy at an even keel. When you speed up your car, you use extra energy above and beyond what you use when you’re just driving at a constant speed. This is why gas mileage is so much better when driving on the highway than it is when driving through town.
3. Stop slowly when possible. While you’re stopping the hybrid car, the electric motor functions as a generator, using energy while slowing it down. If you stop slowly, you allow the car to maintain more if its energy. If you slow down quickly, the brakes wind up doing all of the work. This not only uses more energy, it also wears down your breaks more quickly.

Most of what we ask our cars to do requires just a small portion of its potential energy. For example, driving down the highway at 60 miles per hour requires only about 20 horsepower. All the rest of that horsepower is only used when accelerating. By maintaining consistent speed, you use less power and less energy.

If you want to find out more ways to save gas, visit your Lehigh Valley Honda dealer today. We’ve got a large selection of fuel-efficient Honda cars for you to check out.

The Honda CR-V is one of the hottest SUVs on the market. Some Honda dealerships have trouble keeping them in stock, and with good reason. In addition to providing a quiet and comfortable ride, the CR-V is especially fuel efficient, getting 35 miles per gallon on the highway.

This vehicle has been around for over a decade, and was a pioneer in the compact SUV market, offering families an alternative to minivans and to larger SUVs.

As gas prices rise, families are looking for alternatives to larger gas guzzling sport utility vehicles. The CR-V is meeting that need. While this SUV is smaller than the rest, there’s still quite a bit of cargo space. In fact, the 2008 model year Honda CR-V features 73 cubic feet of space for cargo.

There are three different configurations for the Honda CR-V. The LX model includes a CD player and powered accessories. The EX model adds a moon roof, privacy glass, keyless entry and alloy wheels to the mix. The EX-L model tops all of that off with dual-zone climate controls, an eight-way power driver’s seat and a high end sound system.

This vehicle has plenty of safety features, as well. It has a 4-wheel antilock brake system, head and side airbags, stability control, traction control, and child seat anchors, as well.

The 166 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine in the Honda CR-V doesn’t offer the same power that bigger SUVs with a V6 or a V8 offer, but it does well enough for most people. In addition, the smaller engine provides that wonderfully high fuel economy.

If you’re looking for a new vehicle for your family, come by our Lehigh Valley Honda dealership today. Test drive the Honda CR-V, or take a look at some of the other great Honda vehicles we have to offer.

Just when you think there’s a website for everything under the sun, you come across something like CarTango .
CarTango, according to their website, is the place where “Girl meets car” and where “your car soulmate is just a few clicks away.” An animated graphic shows the outline of a woman in a skirt and beehive hairdo making a “match” with a car.
If CarTango sounds like a place for a woman to fall in love with a car, then it’s doing exactly what it wants to do.
What is this? What exactly is going on with CarTango? CarTango is a website dedicated to helping female buyers through the process of buying a vehicle. It offers research tools, purchasing tools, and a buying process more geared toward women.

CarTango uses a four-step process:

1. Determine the vehicle that meets a consumer’s personality and her needs
2. Locate the right car through inventory listings
3. Communicate anonymously with dealers about their vehicles for sale
4. Invite dealerships to compete for their business.

So, for example, a woman logs on to CarTango. After a brief survey, the site recommends the Honda Civic. Cartango searches through the Honda cars at various Honda dealers to find the right Honda Civil for that woman. Up to three dealers, then, compete for the sale.

One of the ideas behind this website is that it will make it easier for women to find and buy their ideal car. CarTango claims that it eliminates some of the frustrating aspects of the purchasing process for female buyers. For example, it turns the often-frustrating process of price negotiation on its head. Rather than trying to negotiate with a sales person, the female car buyer using this website gets dealers to compete for her purchase.

CarTango is not without its critics, however. Some women claim that CarTango plays on the fears of women, and that it actually perpetuates the kind of behavior that it claims to be avoiding. In addition, it makes all sorts of assumptions about what women do or don’t know about cars, or what they are or aren’t looking for based on a very few relatively superficial questions.

If you’ve checked out a Honda car on CarTango but would like to see it in person, come by your local Honda Dealer right here in the Lehigh Valley and take a look or a test drive today.

One of the sleekest of all the economy car models has to be the Honda fit. In addition to being sleek and sporty, the Honda Fit features a unique seating arrangement that supports a number of different configurations, providing a huge amount of flexibility. This is the coolest car at the Honda Dealer .

The Honda Fit’s coolness hasn’t gone unnoticed.

In a recent report entitled "Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000 ," the editors at Kelly Blue Book put the Honda fit right up towards the top of the list. They based their choices on versatility, practicality, and just how fun the vehicles were to drive. They looked for technological features as well, such as Bluetooth and iPod integration.

On top of being cool, the 2008 Honda Fit is also extremely safe. In fact, the 2008 Honda Fit earned a 5-star frontal crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It has as standard equipment a whole range of airbags. it has dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. The 2008 Honda Fit also features energy-absorbing crush zones and passenger safety cells to help protect you in the event of an accident.

The 2008 Honda Fit features a 109-hp, 1.5-liter, 16-valve, SOHC VTEC® engine that utilizes VTEC technology. That VTEC Technology is used to boost power and torque, no matter what speed you’re at. The 2008 Honda Fit also also has the Drive-by-Wire throttle system, which controls the delivery of power and make acceleration smoother.

Other vehicles on the list include the 2008 Ford Focus, the 2008 Jeep Patriot, the 2008 Mazda3, the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, the 2009 Pontiac Vibe, the 2008 Scion XB, the 2008 Subaru Impreza, the 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit, and the 2008 Suzuki SX4.

Stop by and check out our 2008 Honda Fit at your local Honda Dealer today!

If you’ve got a commute of any sort these days, you know the impact that high gas prices have on your wallet. You might even be looking into getting a more compact car to drive for work, but you’re concerned that your can’t fit the family into a smaller car, or that a smaller car might look too boxy or plain. If this describes your situation, go to your Lehigh Valley Honda Dealer and take a look at the Honda Civic.

The Honda Civic has long been a great compromise vehicle. Honda Civic models have always been sleek and compact, and provide reasonable fuel mileage.

The 2005 Honda Civic hatchback is one of my personal favorites. This car is sleek and sporty, and gets much better gas mileage than a family-sized SUV. The seats, especially, look like sports car seats. On top of that, you can brag about the "sport-tuned suspension" in the 2005 Honda Civic hatchback. The 160 horsepower engine isn’t the fastest one on the market, but it gives the care a good bit of zip.

The first thing you’ll notice when you take a test drive of this car at your local Honda Dealer is that the ride is especially smooth, and there’s plenty of leg room. It’s perfect not only for the commute, but for longer drives, as well.

The best thing about this particular car is the hatchback itself. If you need to transport small equipment or materials as part of your job, the hatchback is ideal. You can load and unload the vehicle without having to hassle with a trunk. If you have small but heavy equipment, such as electronics, this is especially useful, and can really help prevent back and muscle strain.

Honda has a wide range of other fuel efficient cars worth taking a look at. Check out what new and used Honda cars we have at your local Honda dealer, right here in the Lehigh valley.