2014 Honda Civic EX-L Model With Navigation

Call it Civic responsibility; Honda has been giving the current generation of its compact-car line new and meaningful improvements each of the past several years. 

And this year is no different. In the 2014 Honda Civic, there are two major additions: a continuously variable automatic transmission, and a completely new in-dash interface.

We recently spent a week with a top-of-the-line 2014 Civic EX-L model with navigation (with a bottom line of $25,030), revisiting this model to sample those things, and how they affect the way the Civic fits into the market.

Getting right to the point: While we never saw any real drivability issues with the former five-speed automatic, which the CVT replaces, we can see how this new CVT will be an even better fit for most drivers, and that most drivers will see better fuel economy from it.

2013 Honda Accord For Steering Problems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched two separate investigations into reports of steering troubles on Honda and Infiniti vehicles.

By far, the larger of the probes involves the 2013 Honda Accord. According to NHTSA (PDF), there have been at least 24 complaints of power steering loss in the Accord, four of which resulted in crashes. Field data provided by Honda suggests that there may be a persistent problem, though investigators haven't yet identified a possible root cause.

Interestingly, 13 of the complaints state that the power steering warning dashboard light lit up as the steering went out. Although some owners say that the problem corrected itself after the Accord was turned off and restarted, others say that the problem persisted.

The probe covers some 374,000 Honda Accords registered in the U.S.

The Infiniti investigation includes a much smaller number of vehicles: roughly 17,000 Infiniti EX cars from the 2008 model year. Unlike the Honda investigation, NHTSA states (PDF) that the Infiniti probe is based on complaints of steering wheel shaft separation. According to one of the two incident reports:

"The driver reported that the steering became loose while driving home and completely separated after stopping in his driveway. A service invoice provided by the owner indicates that the dealer replaced the steering column and shaft assembly after finding a failed steering shaft bearing."

Both of these investigations mark the first step in NHTSA's three-step recall process. If problems are found to be persistent across makes, models, years, dates of manufacture, or some other factor, they'll be moved to phase two, the Engineering Analysis, during which the agency will attempt to recreate the problems in lab settings. Depending on the results of those tests, NHTSA may request a full recall of the vehicles.

Honda Hr V Rear Side View 2015

The 2016 Honda HR-V, a new crossover related to the Fit subcompact, will make its official U.S. debut at the 2014 Los Angeles auto show next month. Meant to slot in below the CR-V in size and price, the HR-V shares its name with a previous Honda small SUV not sold in the U.S., but is built on the all-new global platform that underpins the redesigned 2015 Honda Fit.

2015 Honda Hr V Front Side View 2015 Honda Hr V Rear Side View 2015 Honda Hr V Side View Though this model has been a long time coming, as previewed by the Urban SUV Concept in 2013, the Japanese-market Vezel, and the announcement earlier this year at the New York auto show, the production car will finally go on sale this winter. 

We don’t have many details about the powertrain and features of the 2016 Honda HR-V, but expect to hear more when it officially debuts November 19. We do know that the 2016 Honda HR-V uses the same center-mounted fuel tank layout as the spacious Honda Fit, which should make for huge amounts of cargo space inside. 

Honda also says that the HR-V uses the same so-called Magic Seat as the Fit, which folds flat into the floor and also offers other configurable features like flip-up seat cushions for additional vertical space. The Fit’s 1.5-liter EarthDreams four-cylinder engine is a likely choice for the 2016 Honda HR-V’s base engine, though a larger engine from the Civic or CR-V may be offered as well. All-wheel drive will be an option, and the HR-V will compete with other small crossovers like the new Chevrolet Trax, the Nissan Juke, and the Jeep Renegade. Keep an eye out for more details about the 2016 Honda HR-V as it nears its official debut next month.