Honda Problems

Your electrician has done the right things so far, Ken, starting with making sure that the battery is charged and being charged by the alternator and that the car is earthed (grounded) properly. Those are traditionally major causes of this type of problem, but unfortunately there are many more possibilities in a modern car with its electronics. My first thought is that the functions you’re having trouble with are all controlled by the car’s body computer. So I think that’s where your electrician should start looking next. These computers can develop software and hardware faults that allow for these random and intermittent problems. So maybe borrowing a body computer from the same make and model and seeing if that fixes your problems (and at least ruling out the computer) is a cost-effective way forward.

I’d also be having a chat to the workshop that replaced the steering rack to see if there’s any way that a connection or sensor related to the on-board computer could have been bumped or damaged during the rack-replacement process. It would certainly be a coincidence (and it’s possible that this is exactly what this is) if these problems started straight after the repairs, no?

The US market Honda Pilot dimensions reflect the fact that this is, in some configurations, an eight-seater vehicle. The Pilot has a length of 4991mm, a height of 1793mm, width of 1996mm and a wheelbase of 2819mm.

The Honda Ridgeline towing capacity depends on the layout of its driveline. Front-wheel-drive models can tow a braked trailer of 1600kg, while the all-wheel-drive Ridgeline can legally tow (in the US where it’s sold) 2270kg.

It doesn’t sound right to me that simply having the navigation turned on would preclude listening to the radio as well. The navigation will certainly cut across the radio when it needs to deliver the next direction, but beyond that it should just work away in the background. If that’s not the case, I’d say you have a problem within the system.

My insiders at Honda tell me that the MY2021 HR-V (released last month) has an upgraded entertainment system that has been developed in response to customer input and is said to be a better all-round device with greater connectivity. At this stage, there’s no word on whether the system will be able to be retro-fitted to your model Honda, but there’s a chance that it might be. A chat with your dealer sounds in order.

It’s a fact that the top-rung version of a particular make and model will not only get all the luxury and convenience items, it’ll also usually be the first to score new safety tech, too. That’s why CarsGuide gives car-makers a pat on the back when they make new safety gear standard across the whole range. However, that’s the exception rather than the rule here, and most car-makers, including the ones you’ve mentioned have the same policy of loading up the more expensive variants in their line-up.

But before you dismiss all-wheel-drive as something you have to pay for to get better safety gear, understand that AWD itself is a safety boost. The extra grip given by driving all four wheels makes a car safer in all conditions, but especially in low-friction conditions. So, if safety is a concern (and it obviously is for you, Mark) then I reckon AWD is for you anyway.

Besides which, even though you’ve said you only driver to the snow every now and then, when those times arrive, you’ll be very pleased you paid for AWD.

You really need to go out and test drive both vehicles, because they both have their plusses and minuses and those will be graded according to your personal preferences. Overall, the RAV4 is a bigger vehicle (almost as big as the original Kluger, in fact) so that might come into the reckoning based purely on the size of your parking space at home.

The RAV4 rides a bit more softly but your choice of the range-topping VTi-LX in the Honda is a good one because that’s the only model in the line-up that includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping and adaptive cruise-control. That said, the RAV4 has all those features, too, but extends them to the bulk of the models offered, not just the top-spec version.

On warranty and fuel economy, both compare pretty closely, so it will come down to the little things that you personally find important; things like the Honda’s doors that open almost to 90-degrees and the Toyota’s vast rear seat legroom and cavernous luggage space. Over to you.

There’s a bit of detail missing from your question, Peter, but I’ll take a stab in the dark and guess that you’re talking about the Honda Jazz city car. The MY06 Jazz was, in fact, known as the GD model, while the GE you’re comparing it with was released in 2008.

The GE was an all-new model Jazz, so fundamentally they’re entirely different cars. Yes, they share a similar mechanical specification and share a place in terms of their market segments, but beyond that, the GE is a newer design with better dynamics and superior safety levels.

If you can afford the later GE model, then it would definitely be a better car.

A few factors determine engine longevity, so let’s start with the first of those, the basic materials and design of the engine in question. Both the Toyota and Honda have advanced small-capacity engines that are made from quality materials. So that’s in their favour.

The second factor is servicing. A lack of regular maintenance including fresh oil and filters will kill engines fast, so that’s crucial. And finally, how they are driven will also play a part. An engine that only does long distances in the country will always last longer than one that is subjected to frequent cold starts and stop-start traffic. An engine that is regularly revved to redline between the gears will also potentially die younger than one that is driven sensibly and with a bit of mechanical sympathy.

The bottom line? There’s no short answer. But I have seen small-capacity Honda and Toyota engines clock up 250,000km and more with correct maintenance. Things have certainly changed from the 1950s when the average car engine needed a rebuilt every 100,000km and what was called a de-coke and valve-grind every 30,000km. Ask your grandfather about it.

Well, if you’re looking for a fuel-efficient car, then a Honda Jazz is a very good choice. With an official combined fuel-consumption figure as low as 5.7 litres per 100km, and the ability to run on the cheaper 91-RON unleaded, the Jazz’s weekly fuel costs will be among the lowest around.

But $15,000 is a crazy figure. The entry-level Jazz was only about $16,000 when brand-new, so even though the kilometres showing on this one are extremely low, the price being asked is astronomical. The most expensive 2008 Jazzes out there are asking around $8000 (and that’s too much) with plenty out there for $4000 or less.

The difference would be if you meant to type 2018 instead of 2008 (which is a better match with the odometer reading you’re quoting) at which point $15,000 starts to look like roughly the right price to be paying. Either way, the Jazz is nicely built, drives well and will be very economical.