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Posts Tagged ‘Honda’

Lawn Care Equipment & Your New Home

March 17th, 2010 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Home Tips

Thousands of new homeowners will be undertaking fresh projects for the first time as warmer weather begins to settle in over the coming weeks. That means people who purchased and moved in to their new homes since late last year will soon discover how much work is required to whip their lawns into shape.

edgerYes, the term “home ownership” is about to take on its true definition: the tethering of people to their lawns from early spring to late fall.

Fortunately, things don’t have to be so gloomy when it comes to lawn maintenance. Nor do new homeowners, who are getting used to making big monthly mortgage payments, need to overspend in order to bring up their yards.

What do you need for your lawn? How much money do you think that you will need to spend? Sure, you could buy everything new and find yourself struggling the following month to piece together enough funds for your mortgage payment. Or, you could consider some other sources for lawn equipment as well as putting off the purchase of “nice to have” but unneeded equipment until another time.

To that end, the following are some tips on how you can find lawn care equipment for less:

Yard Sales – Soon after the first daffodils pop up, expect someone in your neighborhood to hang out a garage or yard sale sign early on a Saturday morning. If you hit it right, you may be able to find some of the stuff you need to care for you yard such as a lawn mower, leaf blower, rakes, shovels or seed spreader. Sure, spending $350 on a shiny Honda mower at Lowe’s seems appealing, but if you can find a well tuned Toro mower for under $50, then you’ve just saved yourself a nice wad of cash.

Consignment Shops – Not every consignment shop welcome lawn equipment because not everyone wants to deal with leaking oil from a lawn mower or residual chemicals from a spreader. Nevertheless, if you have such a shop in your area and they accept lawn equipment, plan on staking the place out. Give them a call to find out when their donation acceptance days are and plan on showing up as soon as they put their latest donations out for customer display. Paying $10 or less for a leaf blower or finding rakes, shovels and picks priced from a few dollars each can make you feel that you are a lotto winner.

Web Ads – Craigslist offers a nice selection of stuff for sale and is light years better than eBay thanks to local listings. Sure, you can find some great finds on eBay, but you can’t check these items out in person before having them shipped to your home. Besides, who wants to pay for shipping for a hoe, mower or other heavy duty item. Check the online ad sites to find bargains locally.

Discount Stores – Sometimes you just have to buy new. In fact, please buy new if your grass is more than a foot tall and you still don’t have a lawn mower. There are discount stores who sell new or what amounts to be last year’s lawn mower model. Hit or miss when it comes to finding what you want, stores such as Ollie’s and Odd Lot may have what you want for significantly less that what you would pay the hardware store. You’ll still get new but you won’t get hosed. Speaking of hoses, you can usually find good deals at these types of stores too.

Lastly, do you really need an edger and can’t you borrow hedge clippers from a neighbor? With a little planning on your part, you can do realize a lot of saving—perhaps enough cash saved to buy a new bird bath, swing set, outdoor furniture, shed….

Adv. — Save money on just about everything! You can lower your bills and manage your finances, while taking control of your family expenses. Please see our wonderful budget management online tools — free too!

Photo Credit: Nadya Yasnogorodskaya


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Acura TSX: Baseline Luxury!

March 12th, 2010 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Autos Express

Luxury car buyers remain in the market, but like the astute consumers many are, value is also important to them. Honda’s Acura line has the right blend of luxury, price and reliability luxury buyers seek, with the TSX sedan offering the perfect entry point to this premium brand.

Based on a slightly shorter version of the platform underpinning the Honda Accord – indeed the Acura TSX is sold as the Accord in Europe – the five-passenger sedan features optimized suspension tuning for superior handling and cornering. A standard 2.4L I4 engine is paired with a six-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic transmission, the latter with paddle shifters for drivers seeking a more engaging experience.

In the cabin, the spacious interior is nicely laid out with easy to read displays, an attractive and sensible center stack, and comes optionally equipped with a navigation screen that pops up on the dashboard. That latter feature is part of an inclusive technology package which includes a voice recognition navigation system, real time traffic and weather, rear view camera and a Zagat Survey guide to help drivers review a local list of fine dining destinations.

Bluetooth connectivity means that a hands free call to a choice restaurant is accomplished via verbal command with the navigation display returning the best route there, adjusting for current traffic delays and detours. Acura claims that three-quarters of TSX buyers choose this package which also includes an upgrade to more supple Milano leather.

Driver and front passenger seating is firm, yet comfortable, offering ample bolstering with memory and heating features included, but lacking the cooling feature found in the RL. Rear seating is tight, even somewhat uncomfortable for six-foot tall passengers, which may move some buyers to the slightly larger and more expensive TL model.

A smooth ride and decent steering may not be enough for the TSX buyer, which is why Acura now offers an optional 3.5L V6 engine, the standard powerplant found in the TL. The V6 offers 280 horsepower, a vast improvement over the I4’s 201 horses. Importantly, there is only a one mpg difference in gas mileage between the two engine choices.

Trunk storage space is just under thirteen cubic feet, just enough room for three or four moderate sized suitcases stacked side by side. Additional storage space can be realize via the 60/40 split folding rear seat.

Like Honda, Acura scores at the top of all crash test ratings as the TSX comes equipped with stability and traction control as well as anti-lock brakes with brake assist. With a beginning price just under $30,000, a nicely equipped Acura TSX can be bought for about $35,000, comparably priced to other entry level luxury sedans.

Adv. – If you’re planning to buy a new car, then you’ll want to get price quotes or find a dealer to arrange for a test drive. You may also want to arrange for your own auto financing which can save you hundreds of dollars on your next car loan.


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Asian Brands, Ford Top Reliability Survey

October 29th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 2 Comments | Filed in Autos Express, Consumer Tips, News
The V6 Chevy Malibu scored well in a recent reliability survey.

The V6 Chevy Malibu scored well in a recent reliability survey.

Consumer Reports (CR) magazine’s 2009 Annual Auto Survey has been released, reflecting continued dominance by the Asian brands as well as good news for one domestic maker. In the their most recent survey, which was released on Tuesday, CR gave high marks to Toyota and Honda, while also recognizing that Ford has made significant strides to improve its reliability.

Subscriber Survey

CR’s reliability survey is based on the experiences shared by its subscribers, representing some 1.4 million vehicles. Notably, five of the eight top vehicles in reliability were hybrid vehicles, underscoring the growing importance of this category. CR also noted that while reliability is important, it doesn’t mean that these vehicles are recommended by them. For example, the Toyota Yaris and Honda Insight scored very high with consumers, but not so with CR who noted that both models operated with sluggishness.

In this most recent survey which is available to subscribers on CR’s website or through the mail with the December 2009 issue, there were a number of interesting findings including:

  • The two top selling midsize sedans – Toyota Camry and Honda Accord – were bested in the survey by American competitors including the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and V6-equipped Chevrolet Malibu.
  • The Mercedes GLK, a compact SUV, is one of the most reliable SUVs. The GLK was introduced this past January for the 2010 model year.
  • Ford continues to show strong improvement with 46 of its 51 surveyed vehicles meeting or exceeding reliability expectations. Notable exceptions: the all wheel drive versions of the MKZ, MKX and MKS, Lincoln models.
  • Of the 48 vehicles to win top honors, 18 were made by Toyota and 8 by Honda. Notable improvements were also realized by Hyundai/Kia and Subaru.
  • European brands, which have long trailed Asian makes but have routinely finished ahead of the American brands continued to show improvement. According to the CR survey, Mercedes and Volkswagen continued to improve although the VW Touareg had the worst reliability of any vehicle surveyed.

Survey V. Survey

Consumer Reports has emphasized that its reliability survey represents what its subscribers say about a vehicle, not what the magazine recommends. While the Annual Reliability Survey is published for the December issue, it is the April issue of CR which features the magazine’s Annual Recommendation Survey.

CR does remove a vehicle from its recommendation list if it finishes below average on the consumer reliability survey. A most recent example of this is the Porsche Boxster which will not appear as one of CR’s recommendations next spring.

Adv. — Christmas shopping? Get an early start by visiting the websites of well known retailers including Fingerhut, Sears and Wal-Mart. Lots of bargains will be available this holiday season, so shop and compare!


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New Honda Insight Hybrid Makes Global Debut

January 13th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Autos Express

John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., introduces the production version of the all-new 2010 Honda Insight, a dedicated gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, during its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week.

John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., introduces the production version of the all-new 2010 Honda Insight, a dedicated gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, during its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week.

Hybrid cars are pricey, not worth purchasing when fuel costs are low and cost much more to insure than standard automobiles. Well, if you believe that these points hold true, then you aren’t familiar with the Honda Insight, a five passenger hybrid model which made its international debut at this week’s auto show in Detroit.

True, your insurance premium may be slightly higher than a standard gas car, but in the case of this hybrid model, prices starting under $20,000 makes the Insight a real value. And, with an EPA fuel economy of 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway, the Insight can significantly reduce costs at the pump compared to a similar sized gas powered model.

“Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. “With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we’re opening up Honda’s fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost.”

Honda has developed proprietary technology which the automaker says will help Insight owners achieve the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, The Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)) which combines multiple functions:

  • A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;
  • A driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency; and
  • A unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.

All Insights will be powered by a 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT, along with a new generation of Honda’s IMA hybrid system to provide exceptional fuel economy.

Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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