Palladino Honda News

One of the highest rated mini vans on the market. This is a 2006 Honda Odyssey loaded with luxury. With full leather interior and electric sunroof, it won't last long. With only 79,000 kilometers it qualifies for our Honda Certified Used Vehicle plan, giving you piece of mind motoring for many years to come. Come and take it for a drive and bring the family to try out this 8 seater ready or the summer.

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Service Department Announcement

I am pleased to announce the addition of 3 new Customer Service Advisors to the service counter. We now have 4 service advisors available to handle your needs with your busy schedules in mind. Please introduce yourself to Jennifer, Rylee and Jessica , they look forward to meeting all of our customers as they complete their advisor training over the next few weeks.

Best Wishes

Brett Williamson

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TORONTO (January 19, 2010) - Honda announced a donation to the Red Cross of more than $300,000, as well as portable generators, water pumps and other Honda products for use during humanitarian relief and recovery efforts in Haiti.
 

 
The donation represents the collective contribution of the Honda family of companies in North America, which consists of sales, manufacturing, finance and research and development operations in Canada, the United States and Mexico, with employment of more than 31,000 associates.
 

 
"We want to help address the dire human need that Haiti is experiencing as a result of this disaster," said Manabu Nishimae, president & CEO of Honda Canada Inc. "Honda has supported the Red Cross in the past and will continue to work with them to assist with the effort to provide much-needed relief.
 

 
"The disaster in Haiti deeply affects Canada, since a large number of Haitians have made this country their home and many still have families in Haiti. Additionally, Canada has sponsored significant humanitarian efforts in Haiti for many years, which has strengthened the bond between our two countries."

The Red Cross has emphasized that the greatest current need is funding to support on-site emergency response teams. Honda has also been in close communication with the Red Cross regarding its need for material and equipment such as generators and water pumps on site, and Honda will continue to work with the Red Cross to determine its need for such support in Haiti.

The Honda donation consists of more than $300,000 in cash. This pledge will be augmented by a company matching gift available at various Honda companies, with funds designated to the Red Cross Haitian earthquake relief fund.
 

 
Honda Canada, now in its 40th year of operations in Canada, employs more than 4,600 associates through its Canadian sales, manufacturing and finance operations.

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What we have here is an official C/D comparison test in which the photo vehicle, a Honda Pilot, proved far quicker than any of our contestants. These cars make you feel guilty about eating red meat. Convicted road ragers should be forced to do time in any of these three.
 
Both hybrids here are brand-new, if not all-new. The Honda Insight, which made its debut in 1999, has undergone the most radical transformation, gaining one cylinder, 25 horsepower, a back seat, and a shape that no longer resembles a tadpole in a spandex body wrap. In fact, what the Insight looks like is the Prius but with a smiling-fish grille instead of the Toyota's frowning-fish grille.
 
We drove these mileage maestros on a 600-mile odyssey--a mix of interstates, country two-lanes, urban loops, and hilly whirligigs. The route led us from Ann Arbor through Columbus and ultimately to the southern Ohio towns of Knockemstiff and Tranquility via a side trip to Serpent Mound, a six-foot-tall earthen replica of a huge snake that was either produced by Native Americans 1000 years ago or by a '50s-era farmer with a strong John Deere and an even stronger sense of humor.
 
There were no driving rules. Eco mode was not mandated. Using the air conditioner was legal. So were jack-rabbit starts and dangerous cornering speeds, neither of which we were able to accomplish. In short, we drove as we always do, trying to eke out some fun, and our observed fuel-economy figures reflect that. Indeed, that was the whole point of this test--to drive these things the way we'd drive regular cars. The regular-car control group was represented here by a 1998 Chevrolet Metro, and it was exceedingly regular. Funny that both hybrids' consumption computers were optimistic--the Prius's by 4 mpg, the Insight's by 3 mpg. Final note: Knockemstiff didn't. Tranquility was.
Yes, this is a 1998 three-cylinder Chevy Metro that when new, 110,000 miles ago, didn't even include hubcaps. It landed in this group as a consequence of a rhetorical question: Might 12-year-old technology producing 55 horsepower in an 1840-pound package satisfy hypermilers? Answer: Not sure. We don't know any hypermilers.
 
Let's start with the Metro's faults: It takes 20.3 seconds to cover the quarter-mile, roughly twice the average span that Americans will listen to Kenny G before changing channels. Top speed: 87 mph. Amenities? Well, it came originally with oil in the engine, a full tank of gas, two windshield wipers, and a dome light. Fit and finish? Some. Side airbags? Nope, but there are two horn buttons. Steering-wheel adjustment? Negative again, although strategically arranged pillows removed from the Comfort Inn can easily overcome this dilemma.
 
The perks? The green upshift light serves as the Metro's eco mode. If you desire a hybrid-like auto-stop feature, merely twist the ignition key counterclockwise--works every time. There's not one single LED or digital readout on the instrument panel. The shift knob is almost as shiny as the Prius's (a 12-year patina of Armor All is something everyone should see). The ashtray is real, ready for any flaming embers the Marlboro man might have produced. There's no key fob to open the doors remotely, but the key is attached to a metal strip featuring a stunning likeness of Jeff Gordon. The steering courteously features four to six inches of on-center slop so your arms never get tired. The HVAC's slider controls require perhaps two pounds of finger pressure, ensuring no inadvertent selections. There's not one single piece of fake chrome inside the cabin. There's a custom-looking, raffish blue stripe atop the cam cover. The tread-wear rating of the tires (420) suggests they might outlast the car itself. And the Metro's rear strut suspension is more sophisticated than the Insight's or the Prius's.
 
We know folks who own vacuum sweepers more powerful than this eco-wheezer. Big deal. A Smart Fortwo Passion--weighing 25 fewer pounds than the Metro--managed observed economy of 32 mpg. The Metro nailed 42 mpg, equaling the Prius's best efforts. Metro sexual, baby.
 
Yes, this is a 1998 three-cylinder Chevy Metro that when new, 110,000 miles ago, didn't even include hubcaps. It landed in this group as a consequence of a rhetorical question: Might 12-year-old technology producing 55 horsepower in an 1840-pound package satisfy hypermilers? Answer: Not sure. We don't know any hypermilers.
 
Let's start with the Metro's faults: It takes 20.3 seconds to cover the quarter-mile, roughly twice the average span that Americans will listen to Kenny G before changing channels. Top speed: 87 mph. Amenities? Well, it came originally with oil in the engine, a full tank of gas, two windshield wipers, and a dome light. Fit and finish? Some. Side airbags? Nope, but there are two horn buttons. Steering-wheel adjustment? Negative again, although strategically arranged pillows removed from the Comfort Inn can easily overcome this dilemma.
 
The perks? The green upshift light serves as the Metro's eco mode. If you desire a hybrid-like auto-stop feature, merely twist the ignition key counterclockwise--works every time. There's not one single LED or digital readout on the instrument panel. The shift knob is almost as shiny as the Prius's (a 12-year patina of Armor All is something everyone should see). The ashtray is real, ready for any flaming embers the Marlboro man might have produced. There's no key fob to open the doors remotely, but the key is attached to a metal strip featuring a stunning likeness of Jeff Gordon. The steering courteously features four to six inches of on-center slop so your arms never get tired. The HVAC's slider controls require perhaps two pounds of finger pressure, ensuring no inadvertent selections. There's not one single piece of fake chrome inside the cabin. There's a custom-looking, raffish blue stripe atop the cam cover. The tread-wear rating of the tires (420) suggests they might outlast the car itself. And the Metro's rear strut suspension is more sophisticated than the Insight's or the Prius's.
 
We know folks who own vacuum sweepers more powerful than this eco-wheezer. Big deal. A Smart Fortwo Passion--weighing 25 fewer pounds than the Metro--managed observed economy of 32 mpg. The Metro nailed 42 mpg, equaling the Prius's best efforts. Metro sexual, baby.
Climbing out of the Insight or the Metro and into this third-gen Prius feels like climbing into a Lincoln Town Car. The Toyota's interior volumes are up: The back seat is now all-day spacious for two pizza-fed adults, and compared with the Insight, the Prius boasts a bonus six cubic feet of cargo space.
 
Engine size and battery output have swollen, too, resulting in a combined 134 horsepower. That oughta demolish the wimpy 98-horse Insight, right? Nope. The Prius is 436 pounds fatter and was only 1 mph faster through the quarter-mile.
 
Toyota has continued to curse this latest Prius with a shifter connected only to electrical circuits, making it as exciting as flipping on the kitchen light. Worse, the shift pattern is Goldbergian: Push left and forward for reverse. Left and down for drive. Between the two, with no detent, is neutral--tricky to locate and notably embarrassing when the carwash guy shouts, "Come on, dude, I said, 'Put 'er in neutral.'  " Push straight down for "B," which summons extra engine braking. And to engage park? Oh, that isn't possible via the shifter, chief. You gotta press a button on the center console for that.
 
Then there are three power modes. First, there's EV for driving with the electric motor alone. This supposedly works for up to one mile "if conditions permit," warns Toyota. Here's one condition: We never got farther than about 100 feet before the enraged guy behind us had a fit in his Fit. Second, there's eco mode, which reduces A/C operation and deadens throttle response until you feel as if you're pressing the already stiff accelerator pedal about six inches for a gain of 5 mph. Finally, there's power mode. Until fuel returns to $4 per gallon, you'll remain in power mode with B (max engine braking) for 90 percent of your Prius occupancy.
 
We recorded other bummers. The dull-green digits in the instrument panel are difficult to read in bright sunlight. The center stack comprises 30 buttons and switches. And the brakes--depending on how much re-gen they're facilitating--are hopelessly nonlinear.
 
In its favor, the Prius offers a cushy ride and is quiet at speed. Its cockpit is filled with amenities, including battery-draining heated seats (in Prius IV trim). It tracks better and is less susceptible to crosswinds than the Insight. And its engine is silkier at max revs, drawing little or no attention as it transitions from auto stop to auto start.
Above the Insight's instrument panel is an organic-looking eyebrow that contains an eye--well, white digits indicating speed--and behind that is a halo-like iris that slowly changes color. When it's green, your driving behavior is eco-friendly. When it turns cold blue, you're driving like Gary Busey. There's some Big Brotherishness in all of this, but the alternating hues do serve as subliminal reminders that eventually lead to the path of Mother Earth righteousness.
 
The Insight wins this comparo because it's more a car than a cocoon-like transport module. Its cloth seats are comfortable, with more lateral support than the Prius's. The HVAC controls are integrated into one huge rotary knob with easy-to-read icons. There's a real tach. Offering appropriate heft and satisfactory accuracy, the steering feels connected to actual wheels. The brake pedal is firmer and less quirky by a factor of, oh, five. Body motions are few, the suspension is tight and difficult to disrupt, and someone has even dialed in a touch of lift-throttle oversteer to help rotate that cliff of a tail.
 
One of the EX model's most endearing features is its paddle shifters. Pull the left paddle for downshifts, pull the right for upshifts. Of course, this is a CVT, so the "gears" are merely artificial steps, and there are seven of them. Seven? Why not, say, 27? At least then we'd know that Honda was in on the joke. No matter, because in sport mode the transmission is tenacious about holding onto those "gears," at least until redline. All of which helped keep the engine on the boil in Ohio's hills, supplied all the engine braking we needed, and lent the driver a sense of involvement and control that was sorely lacking in the Prius.
 
With an as-tested price of $23,770--including nav--the Insight is also a bargain. Some of that cost cutting, however, came at the expense of sound-deadening materials because this platform is a little overeager to transmit road noise, and its engine, at wide-open whack, is downright gritty, a rare thing to say about any Honda powerplant. The Insight automatically turns off its engine when the car is stopped and your foot is on the brake, then it restarts automatically when you hit the gas. (Unlike the Prius, the Insight's engine is on whenever the car is accelerating.) This auto-stop/auto-start cycle, however, is affected by the level of charge in the batteries, and the batteries, of course, are affected by the number of accessories you may be using--A/C, radio, headlights, fan, and so forth. When the Insight transitions from electric to gas motivation, it evinces a noticeable shiver. After an auto start from rest, in fact, we found it best to wait a sec for the engine to attain a smooth idle before pushing the accelerator very far. Otherwise, the car would lurch.

Palladino Honda and Honda Plus are pleased to announce they have increased their optional New Car coverage upto 8 years or 200,000km. This means that any customer who purchases a vehicle from the 1st April 2009 can now increase their parts and labour warranty coverage until April 2017 or 200,000km!! This also includes Roadside Assistance and is with NO deductible. !!

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The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid hatchback is now on sale, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $23,900 for the Insight LX.
The distinctively styled, 5-passenger, 5-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(tm) (IMA(tm)) system comprised of a 1.3-litre i-VTEC® gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to a Transport Canada fuel economy rating of 4.8 L/100 km (city) and 4.5 L/100 km (highway). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(tm)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.
"Honda Insight is designed to bring hybrid technology within closer reach for many new car buyers in Canada with its affordable pricing," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. "In addition to making sound environmental sense with higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions, hybrid technology is now entering an era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers."
A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight's highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.
Standard features on the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist(tm); automatic climate control; tilt-and-telescopic steering column; cruise control; manual driver's seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player; auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.
A premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with an MSRP of $27,500, adds Honda's Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Bilingual Voice Recognition; Vehicle Stability Assist(tm) (VSA®); Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®; alloy wheels; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface; a centre console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and more.
The navigation system on the Insight EX provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest in North America. The Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® provides hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of the navigation and hands-free telephone systems.
A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA(tm) hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle's forward momentum during braking.
The Insight's IMA(tm) system can operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary.
The Insight introduces Eco Assist(tm) to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist(tm) is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing a dash-mounted ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems, including throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation.
Eco Assist(tm) also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colours from blue to green to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking. The driver's results are continuously tracked as fuel economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be 'earned' as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.
Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver's and front-passenger's active head restraints; and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. Insight also features Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE(tm)) body structure, which provides improved frontal-crash compatibility between vehicles of differing size and ride height.
Honda Canada, now in its 40th year of operation in Canada, manufactures the Honda Civic sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX and MDX at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its engine plant adjacent to the Honda manufacturing facilities.

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Terms of Service
Palladino Honda Shuttle Service
 
Palladino Honda offers a complimentary shuttle service within the bounds of the Greater City of Sudbury. Our objective is to offer a safe, efficient service to those customers without access to alternate transportation. This document details the service guidelines for the shuttle service balancing the needs of our customers as well as cost efficiencies for the dealership.
 
. Shuttle service is highly dependant on customer flow. Outbound waits of up to ½ hour, especially during busy times may occur.
. Alternate means should be sought if you have a pressing appointment. We cannot guarantee shuttle drop off times.
. The Service Night Drop Box is an effective means to avoid delays at the dealership.
. Shuttle direction is dependant on the first customer ready for the shuttle.
. For efficiency sake, first choice is to transport as many customers as possible going in the same general direction
. We can only perform a 'to and from' shuttle service. The shuttle demand load will not permit multiple stops for the same customer.
. We will endeavor to be on time for pickups bearing in mind traffic and weather conditions. To date our performance for 'on time pickups' is 98% plus.
. Should a customer be more than 5 minutes late for a pickup we will attempt to contact them using the phone number provided. Failing that, the shuttle will continue on to the next appointment. The customer will be expected to call to reschedule the appointment or make alternate arrangements

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North America Accounts for Nearly 4 of Every 5 Hybrid Sales
TORONTO (February 18, 2009) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo, has announced that global sales of Honda hybrid passenger cars passed the 300,000-unit mark on a cumulative basis at the end of January 2009, since the introduction of the first-generation Honda Insight gasoline-electric hybrid car 10 years ago. Nearly four of every five of Honda's hybrid sales (78 per cent) were in the North American market.
Honda is now selling its hybrid vehicles in approximately 40 countries around the world, including Canada.
Insight, which goes on sale April 22 in Canada and the U.S., is a five-door hatchback model that utilizes the latest generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist(tm) (IMA®) hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods.
The new 2010 Honda Insight defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology, designed to provide hybrid customers with a new level of affordability, fun-to-drive performance, and an estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 4.8/4.5 L/100km.
Sales targets have been set by Honda of approximately 60,000 units in Japan, 30,000 units in Europe, and about 100,000 units in North America. The annual global sales target for Insight is approximately 200,000 units.

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