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The new, redesigned and reengineered 8th generation Honda Civic was finally revealed to the public of Trinidad & Tobago. We at trinituner.com feel this his fully loaded sedan will set a new benchmark in quality and performance for our market.

We test drove the 2006 Civic and can definitely report that the build quality both interior and exterior is exceptional. There are details on the interior that prove that Honda has ‘upped the ante’ with regards to ammenities, esthetics and features that are not usually expected in a small sedan. We will refer to it as ‘upscale ambience’ as it really impressed us. The forward thinking two-tiered instrument cluster is a real eye catcher with its “indiglo” blue ambient light.

The handling was commendable and especially soft. The 1.8 iVTEC engine with CVT pulled relatively strong through the powerband, though the CVT never let us feel any gear ratio changes. We were not able to test drive a unit with manual transmission but we are sure that it would carry the rewarding feel of previous Honda gearboxes when mated to this 1800cc engine. We assume the suspension will be stiffer on the new Si Coupe model which should arrive in a few months with an estimated price of TT$250K.

From a tuning perspective (considering the Civic is the most tuned and modified automobile in the world) the 2006 Civic has some issues that had us thinking: The catalytic converter is directly on the exhaust manifold along with the O2 sensor. In fact it would seem there isnt much of an exhaust manifold at all! This should make setting up for AFR tuning simpler and we should see some interesting header designs in the future.

Also the engine bay is very short and so the front shock mounts are under the windshield but still accessible through removable plastic panels finishing the cowl. We wondered what interesting strut tower braces and pillow ball strut mounts the aftermarket industry would have to devise to facilitate this radical cab forward design.

Four wheel disc brakes is standard on all models and much to the delight of many tuners the wheels are also 5 hole from the factory. The trunk is huge and the sound system is good with options for MP3 and steering wheel controls. Seems like someone at Honda has been listening to its customers.

We can deifinitely see the new 2006 Civic will take the industry by storm and will have everyone from salesperson to casual driver to track-day tuner thinking outside of the proverbial box.

We definitely liked what we saw!

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All the car blogs lately have been speculating on the direction that the Ford Motor Company is going to take in the wake of declining sales and stiff competition. We know that Ford has too much capacity and we know that the company will be closing some key plants and laying off an as yet to be determined number of employees. What hadn’t been clear is which models would be cut from the line up. Now, it appears that Ford will exit the lucrative minivan market. That’s right, Ford apparently will stick with building cars, trucks, and SUVs, and leave the minivan market to the other players.

Ever since the Chrysler Corporation invented the minivan market back in the early 1980s with its line of “K-car” derived minivans - the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and the Chrysler Town & Country - Ford has been playing catch up. Indeed, a series of forgettable “star” named minivans were served up by Ford and summarily rejected by consumers: the Aerostar, Windstar, and the Freestar. Later, both Honda and Toyota brought out their own entries and Ford, along with Chevrolet found themselves trailing badly in an overcrowded segment. Indeed, several GM divisions sell minivans, as does Kia and Nissan, making the market especially tight.

Should Ford decide to go ahead with plans to ditch the minivan market, it wouldn’t be a complete retreat. For one, many consumers prefer the automaker’s popular Ford Explorer SUV while its all wheel drive Freestyle wagon/crossover competes well too. Finally, another vehicle - the Edge - will soon make its debut and likely pull many minivan customers over. The Edge will be yet another crossover vehicle - somewhat of a SUV/wagon hybrid - and fill the need for consumers.

Yes, Ford appears ready to ditch the minivan market. No loss to consumers and probably a smart move for the beleaguered automaker.

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

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It is common knowledge that motorcycle lenders base high importance on your FICO credit scores when approving motorcycle loans. However, what many people overlook is that their FICO credit score can highly impact the term on their motorcycle loan along with the interest rate that is assigned to the motorcycle loan.

In order to gain better motorcycle loan rates it is important that you think of your FICO credit score as a picture of how risky you are to the lender. Your FICO score is essentially a benchmark which lenders use to grade you and assign a risk to you when applying for a motorcycle loan. Since factors about your credit change on a daily basis so can your FICO credit score.

The below 5 steps are designed to help ensure you improve your creditworthiness as your credit score changes. Ultimately these steps should help you obtain better motorcycle loan rates in the future.

Watch Your Debt- Keep your account balances below 30% of your available credit limit. This is especially true with your credit card because many motorcycle lenders see credit card debt as more risky. If you have a credit card with a $5,000 limit, you should try to keep the balance owed below $1500 when you apply for a motorcycle loan.

Make Your Payment On-time - Paying your current credit bills on-time is one of the biggest factors that contributes to a higher FICO score. Typically when motorcycle lenders see potential customers that do not pay their bills on-time then they either decline them or issue a motorcycle loan at a much higher interest rate. Late payments, collections and bankruptcies have the greatest negative effect on your credit score and how lenders rate you when getting a motorcycle loan.

Establish Credit Early - Time is very important part of improving your FICO score. Therefore, it is recommended that you start building credit early. Getting one or two credit cards can significantly help build credit. However, the key to this strategy is keeping your purchases small and frequent and paying off the balance every month on time. When establishing credit you should also keep the oldest account on your credit report open in order to lengthen your period of active credit use. The length of your credit history can make a big difference in getting approved for a motorcycle loan.

Avoid Excessive Credit Inquiries - A credit inquiry normally happens when you apply for credit. If you have a large number of credit inquiries in a short time period many motorcycle lenders see this as a negative since it affects your FICO score. Therefore, when you are applying for credit or shopping for motorcycle loans be careful how many times your credit is accessed. Be advised that sometimes motorcycle dealerships will pre-screen you by asking you for your driver licenses and social security number. Normally this results in a credit inquiry on your credit report. Be prudent in shopping for credit and motorcycle loans.

Check Your Credit Regularly - In today’s age it is easy to get online to check your credit. Checking your free credit report regularly is very important because it can help you uncover inaccuracies that are affecting your FICO credit score. Don’t let your credit health suffer due to inaccurate information. If you find an inaccuracy on your credit report contact the creditor associated with the account or the credit reporting agencies to correct it immediately.

Copyright (c) 2005, by Jay Fran This article may be freely distributed as long as the copyright, author’s information and the following active live link with anchored text is published with the article:

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About The Author:

Jay Fran is a successful author at http://www.motorcycle-financing-guide.com - A comprehensive resource to compare low interest rate motorcycle financing, military motorcycle loans, after bankruptcy motorcycle loans and new & used online motorcycle buying tips for Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and more.

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