Bradshaw Auto Navigation

Friday, November 21, 2008

The 2009 Honda Odyssey Sets the Standard for Minivans

Get the best power, road handling and cargo/passenger versatility of any minivan.


The 2009 Honda Odyssey receives accolades for its class-leading powertrain, sedan-like handling, eight-passenger capacity, long list of standard convenience and safety features and solid record of reliability. U.S. News Ranking and Reviews says the Honda Odyssey ranks first over all other minivans based on their analysis of 45 published reviews and test drives of the Honda Odyssey and a review of reliability and safety data.



The 2009 Honda Odyssey remains atop the minivan class for its content and driving pleasure. Minivan owners know what they need from their family vehicle, and they consistently find it in the Odyssey. Following a major makeover for the entire lineup of last model year’s Honda Odyssey minivans, changes for 2009 are largely a matter of trim content. For example, the EX-L trim level is now equipped with features previously exclusive to the Odyssey Touring including a power tailgate and expanded Bluetooth wireless capabilities.



Odyssey is offered in four models. All have front-wheel drive, a 3.5-liter V6 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. Three rows of seats accommodate large families. A long list of safety features is standard. An available second-row jump seat increases passenger capacity to eight. The third-row seat folds into the floor.

The 2009 Honda Odyssey lineup starts with the LX model priced at an MSRP of $26,925 including Honda’s $670 destination fee. Power mirrors, locks and windows, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery and an auxiliary jack for connecting iPods and other digital audio devices are among the LX’s standard features.

Odyssey EX models list for $30,025 (MSRP including destination) and add such features as tri-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power driver and front passenger seats, power sliding side doors, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering-wheel audio controls, an outside temperature readout and other items.

The 2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L lists for $33,725 (MSRP including destination) and adds leather upholstery among other features. The EX-L is also available with a DVD rear-seat entertainment system, which makes it eligible for the optional navigation system, a package that includes a rearview camera that projects the view behind on the navigation system’s eight-inch dashboard screen.

The top-of-the-line 2009 Odyssey Touring model lists for $41,075 (MSRP including destination) and adds such features as a memory system for driver’s seat and outside mirrors, front- and rear-obstacle detection, power-adjustable pedals and a power rear liftgate. Touring models also come with the DVD/navigation combination and can be equipped with run-flat tires on special alloy wheels.

Odysseys equipped with the navigation system include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink technology, a wireless telephone interface that uses the Odyssey’s audio system and a built-in microphone to allow the driver to make or receive cell phone calls without handling their phone or taking their eyes off the road.


The 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine powering the Odyssey EX-L and Touring models uses Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM) technology to imperceptively deactivate either two or three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising and deceleration. An "ECO" light near the speedometer provides driver feedback when the vehicle is operating at an optimal level of fuel efficiency. This engine produces 244 hp at 5,700 rpm and 245 lb/ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. The Odyssey EX-L and Touring models achieve an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 17/25 mpg.


Known for its industry trendsetting One-Motion 60/40 Split Third-Row Magic Seat, the Odyssey's innovative eight-passenger seating areas (seven-passenger on LX) quickly and easily adapt between passenger and cargo duties. The Third-Row Magic Seat can accommodate up to three passengers and still allow 38.4 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the seats. It can be folded completely flat into the floor for cargo duty to create 91.1 cubic feet of capacity while retaining room for five passengers (four passengers on LX). With the second-row seats removed, total cargo volume expands to 147.4 cubic feet. The Second-Row PlusOneSeat integrates a storage bin inside the seat structure and is standard equipment on the Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring.


Designed with families in mind, a total of three Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) child seat attachment systems exist. Two are located in the outboard second-row seating positions, and one is located in the middle third-row seating position. All Odyssey models are equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA), also known as electronic stability control; standard antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist; advanced dual-stage, dual-threshold driver and front passenger SRS front airbags; front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Protection Detection System (OPDS); three-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; active front seat head restraints; daytime running lights and a pedestrian injury mitigation design in the front of the vehicle. An Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE) body structure provides enhanced occupant protection in a frontal collision.


The Odyssey achieves the highest five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both front and side impacts. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Odyssey as a Top Safety Pick with "good" ratings for frontal offset, side-impact and rear crash protection crash tests while including electronic stability control as standard equipment.


While the reviewers have made the Honda Odyssey number one in their assessment of the minivan segment, only Odyssey owners can truly testify to this minivan’s perfection as a family vehicle. We encourage you to perform your own inspection and take a test spin in the 2009 Honda Odyssey. See for yourself why the Odyssey is number one!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Best Selling Honda CRV

According to U.S. News Reviews and Rankings, the 2008 Honda CR-V ranked number one out of 27 rivals in the affordable compact SUV category based on their analysis of 68 published reviews and test drives, and analysis of reliability and safety data. We expect the CR-V will retain its leadership as the 2009 models arrive.

It’s no surprise the Honda CR-V was among the fastest-selling SUVs in America through the first half of 2008. As Motor Trend states, "Honda has taken the positive attributes that make the CR-V its perennial best-seller and added style, better handling and a hint of cool." Reviewers rave about its car-like ride and its large and flexible interior, noting the CR-V makes a fine family vehicle capable of doing just about anything and doing it well.

Edmunds.com praises the CR-V for its handling, observing that, “The 2008 Honda CR-V has a level of agility that most other compact SUVs can't match. Like other Hondas, it feels light on its feet with well-weighted steering that provides excellent feedback." U.S. News writer Rick Newman says, “On the road, the CR-V comes close to pleasing everybody. It feels light when you maneuver in traffic and perky when you accelerate to highway speed."

That responsive nature comes from the 166 hp four-cylinder engine and its five-speed automatic transmission. It’s well suited to the CR-V mission and delivers excellent mileage with an EPA rating of 20/27 miles per gallon city/highway for the front-drive models and 20/26 mpg for the all-wheel drive version.

The CR-V LX comes with fabric upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, power outside mirrors that fold, power windows, power central locking, driver's seat height adjustment, 60/40-split rear seatbacks that recline and fold, a tilt-and-telescope steering wheel, four-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA stereo, trip computer/information center, a collapsible tray between the front seats and 17-inch steel wheels with P225/65R17 tires.

The EX adds a tilt-and-slide power moonroof, intermittent rear window wiper/washer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls for a six-speaker stereo, an in-dash six-CD changer, dual-deck cargo shelf, lights-and-horn security system, rear privacy glass and an outside ambient temperature gauge. The EX-L features leather-trimmed seats, armrests, shifter and steering wheel, heated front seats, XM Satellite Radio with a 90-day trial subscription and a front center console with storage for 24 CDs. Automatic climate control, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar support and a 270-watt seven-speaker (including subwoofer) premium stereo are very nice amenities to be added. The EX-L can also be equipped with voice-recognition GPS-based navigation.

Standard safety features on the CR-V include the required three-point seatbelts at all five seating positions, child safety-seat anchors (LATCH), front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags (to minimize upper body injuries in side impacts), roof-mounted front and rear-seat side air curtains (to minimize head injuries in side impacts and rollovers) and front-seat active head restraints (to minimize neck injuries in rear impacts).

Active safety features include antilock brakes (which let the driver steer by keeping the wheels from locking during panic stops), electronic brakeforce distribution (which optimizes braking power front-to-rear during emergency stops), brake assist (which senses impending emergency brake application and boosts pedal pressure), Vehicle Stability Assist (Honda's electronic stability control system that helps avoid skidding in turns) and tire pressure monitors (which warn of dangerous drops in tire pressure).

As Automotive.com observes, “The interior of the Honda CR-V focuses on function with a bit of style tossed in to make things interesting. Everything is in its place…and everything feels the way it should. Most drivers will find the six-way adjustable seat and two-way adjustable steering give them the best of all worlds: a comfortable posture without compromising outward visibility.

Reviewers especially like the CR-V’s roomy feeling. Says Car and Driver, "Its cabin is airy with 360-degree visibility. It feels tall, inviting and vast, and the materials are expensively grained and stylishly matched.” Edmunds.com sums it up nicely, noting, "The CR-V's interior is its best attribute offering an impressively large and versatile cargo hold that tops out at 73 cubic feet of space. Additionally, there are plenty of bins, cubbies and cupholders to stash things."

Honda knows the compact SUV is an ideal solution to the family dilemma of needing space, but wanting economy. The 2009 Honda CR-V shows that you can solve this dilemma without giving up the utility that has made SUVs so popular. Sixty-eight reviews of the Honda CR-V affirm its superiority, but please plan to see for yourself. We’ll gladly offer one for a test drive and your full inspection.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

2009 Pilot


Wow the new 2009 Honda Pilot arrived yesterday and this morning was the first time I was able to see the Pilot up close and personal. The Pictures do not do justice to this vehicle, I was amazed just by the presence of the new Pilot. The exterior was flawless the fit and finish are stunning, a I took just a quick walk around the Pilot the new features were nice touches to an already great vehicle, the standard tow hitch, the rear door glass that pops open for easy access to the rear compartment, the turn signal placement on the mirrors on the touring model, all kinds of great improvements. Opening the drivers door exposed a clean classic dash and instrument panel that was easy to see and read. More room all around and just great looking. Can't wait to drive one.


Saturday, May 3, 2008

2009 Honda Pilot

The new Pilot was previewed with a concept version at the Detroit auto show in January. Based on an entirely new platform, the eight-seater offers more legroom and overall occupant space for all passengers. It also has more cargo space and easier access to the third row.

The 60/40 split second row, now more spacious, slides further forward for increased ease of access to the third row. The 60/40 split third row, now supplies enough knee room for an above-average-sized adult male to fit comfortably. Each side of the second and third row independently folds down for cargo. A flat floor is created when the second and third rows are folded down.

The 2009 Pilot's new body features the most extensive use of high-strength steel in any Honda product to date. This provides enhanced collision safety and better off-road durability.

The Pilot originally debuted as a 2003 model in July of 2002. Design and development of the 2003 Pilot and the 2009 Pilot were carried out at Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio, and Torrance, California. The Pilot is assembled at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln.

A new V6 engine introduces the latest generation of Honda fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology that operates in 6-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency, an improvement compared to the existing Pilot's available VCM system that works exclusively in 6- and 3-cylinder modes.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Greenville SC Auto Dealer Selected as Dealer of the year

Newsweek and AIADA selected William Bradshaw owner of Bradshaw Automotive as there dealer of the year. Mr Bradshaw was selected from a group of 5 finalist for the award Wednesday April 30 2008. Mr. Bradshaw has several dealerships in Greer and Greenville SC. He is the Owner of Bradshaw Acura, Bradshaw Infiniti, Breakaway Honda , and Bradshaw Automotive in Greer which host Bradshaw Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC & Hummer as well as use cars and trucks.