Its hard enough for a lot of kids just going back to school after summer, but for some kids its really tough due to not having adequate school supplies because thier families are having difficult times. DCH Gardena Honda has partnered with the Garrdena Valley Chamber of Commerce to try and lend a hand, and a backpack! This Saturday we will be hosting 'Operation Backpack' here at the dealership and helping almost 100 kids get ready for school with backpacks full of the things they will need as they renew their education. Friends, fans and family of DCH Gardena Honda can also help buy donating any of the following; college ruled notebook paper, 3 ring binders, pens/pencils, erasers, notebooks and pencil pouches. Donations can be dropped off at the Chamber office or here at DCH Gardena Honda. For more info on 'Operation Backpack' please contact the GVCC at 310.532.9905. Activities will take place here at DCH Gardena Honda on Saturday, August 27th from 12:00 - 2:00, food, drinks and music will be provided and fun is sure to be had by all! Many thanks to all supporters, especially; Hitco Carbon Composites, Edison International, Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce and DCH Gardena Honda. A special thank you to the following indivuals who have made this great event possible; Connie Turner, SCE. Barry Magnus, DCH Gardena Honda. Shad Rezai, Golden State Water. Quin Lodge, Gardena Walgreens. Dave Saunders, Hitco Composites. Wanda Love, Friends of My Place Hair Salon. Russ Temple, GPOA Gardena Police. John Wilks, J-Wils Sound Production. Sara Colomonico, Assured Coin and Loan.

2011 has been a year of ups and downs for Honda, faced paced sales began the year with anticipation of the 'road to recovery' and its rewrds and then the tragic events that struck Japan brought us back to a slower pace. Here at DCH Gardena Honda we went a couple of months with low inventories on many models and few new cars being shipped to us. As things get back to normal and production/inventories reach 100% again we can once again look to the future with hope and our friends at Honda also are getting back to looking ahead. In addition to the all new Civic launched in April there are a number of exciting things coming from Honda, here is a brief breakdown:
2012 CR-V. Available in late October, the latest generation of America's best selling CR-V has been fully redesigned and a 3rd row WILL be available!
2013 Accord. Available in Spring 2012, will be a bit shorter and narrower than the current model yet increase interior space and keep the same wheelbase! A hybrid version is rumored but not a V6 as in the past...
2013 Insight. Available in Spring 2012, will receive a freshen up that is said to include a boost in MPG as well as updated looks.
2014 Pilot. Available late fall 2013, will be a full redesign that is said to be based on the Odyssey platform and less truck like with out losing its muscle!
2014 Pick Up... As the Ridgeline is phased out our lil CR-V is rumored to be providing the foundation for Honda's compact pick up, we're excited to see where this goes!
2018 Clarity. Although being tested in a small number with consumers now the Clarity is targeted to be released full scale by 2018. Hydrogen power to the people!
As always stay tuned here to the Honda Hangout for the latest in whats new and whats news in the world of Honda and for whats NOW stop in to see us at DCH Gardena Honda today! :)

The recent devastation in Japan caused by the earthquake, has led to inventory shortages for Honda and other major manufacturers. Here at DCH Gardena Honda we still have a great selection of new Honda's however we cant always have one of every model in every color available. Does this mean that our customers have sacrifice getting the vehicle they have their hearts' set on? Absolutely not. If due to recent events the Honda you desire is not currently on our lot, The Honda Promise program, offers the following special programs to ensure you drive home happy: Existing Customers may be eligible for:
•Current lease or financing offer or the best available offer at the time of your vehicle's delivery.
• $500 Loyalty Offer
• A lease extension
• Complimentary 12-months/12,000-mile zero-deductible Honda Care Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) for existing HFS lessees.

New Honda Customers may be eligible for:
•Current lease or financing featured specials (on eligible vehicles) or the best available offer for at the time of your Honda's delivery.
The Honda Promise Program runs from June 15, 2011 through August 31, 2011.
Customers who commit with a buyers order in August have until the "Commitment End Date" of 10/31/11 to take delivery. For full details stop in to DCH Gardena Honda today to get an amazing deal on a new Honda now, or lock in your deal for the near future! :)

As our regular readers know most of the staff here at DCH Gardena Honda are huge fans of racing, all kinds of racing but most especially racing that involves Honda’s! One of our favorite forms of racing is the National Auto Sport Association (N.A.S.A.) and its Honda Challenge classes. The HPD Honda Challenge series is one of several series in N.A.S.A. and the rules are based around Honda factory parts and making the most of the parts that Honda has provided as an O.E. manufacturer. The Honda Challenge is divided into five classes, based on the type and amount of modifications allowed and thereby the speeds at which the cars run.  ”Anybody who has interest in driving a Honda fast and safely can hop on a racetrack with an instructor, learn what he or she needs to do and get up to speed while developing the skills required to become an excellent racer. That’s N.A.S.A.’s philosophy: to provide a safe and fun environment for people to partake in high-performance, on-track driving”. The Honda Performance Development Team has an awesome blog page an regularly posts entries written by Honda backed racers, it’s a must read for any fan of racing and a regular for us here at DCH Gardena Honda! The latest post is by one of our favorite drivers Jeremy Croise, who has been dominating the SoCal regional Honda Challenge races this season and already looking ahead to the National Championships, held this year at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Click HERE to read his great post in the ‘I Race A Honda’ section and check often for some well written insights from the exciting world of grass roots motorsports!

The CR-V has always been one of the best selling vehicles here at DCH Gardena Honda however as more and more compact SUV's are introduced to compete with our lil slugger its time for a freshen up! Honda agrees and is going to give us way more than just an update to the CR-V, in fact its a nearly complete overhaul! Most of the details are still sketchy and there is a whole lot of speculation floating around the Internet as we get closer to the release later in the year. One thing we do know for sure is that an EX-L model will be available WITH rear seat entertainment, which could mean it will have a third row OR it will be the first Honda SUV with RES in a two row configuration... Our friend Woody is convinced there WILL be three rows but we can get any confirmation from our inside Honda guy as of yet. Another tid bit is the addition of a new color, White Diamond Pearl for EX and above models. Below is a collection of spy shots and artist renderings for your review but none have been accepted as factual yet so dont blame us if they are ALL wrong! Stay tuned here for the latest on the new 2012 CR-V, or stop in to DCH Gardena Honda and see the whole Honda line up!

UPDATE!! July 17, 2011:
Our good friends over at the Temple of VTEC JUST posted the best pics yet of the elusive new CR-V! The folks from the super auto spys at Brenda Priddy & Company also sent along a few thoughts about what they feel is coming for our fav lil SUV:
"Honda has been doing a good job of hiding the next-generation CR-V, but today, we've finally gotten close up to a lightly disguised prototype!
The biggest changes appear to be at the rear, where Honda almost looks to be taking a page from the Volvo design handbook. It's possible that the extra space in the back is making room for a 3rd row. There seems to be some significant changes up front as well. The 2.4L four-cylinder VTEC motor should continue to be the only choice. Though we expect it to get a modest bump over the current 180hp, as well as a modest gains in fuel economy.
While the earthquake in Japan has delayed the start of production by about a month, expect the new CR-V to start rolling down the assembly line in Ohio, as well as Alliston, Ontario, in late Fall of this year."
Many thanks to the folks at VTEC.net!

UPDATE II!! July 18, 2011:
Our good friend and the most 'in the know' car guy on the 'net Woody just posted an undisguised rendering that gives the best side view yet. As always, our hat is tipped to you Woody! :)

All during the online coverage of last weekends Pikes Peak Hill Climb we asked ourselves there wasnt a bigger Honda presence. The folks at HPD seem to have heard us!  From the HPD site: "Both Honda Performance Development (HPD) entries at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb made successful runs Sunday, as the racing division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., made its first foray in the "Race to the Clouds" with both a one-off HPD Desert Pilot and a production-based B-Spec Rally Fit. The HPD Desert Pilot features a power train co-developed by the engineers at HPD and the California Race & Rally team. Driven by veteran off-road racer Gavin Skilton, the Pilot completed the 12.42-mile run up the Pikes Peak course in 15 minutes, 37 seconds to finish eighth in the "Open" class." Read the whole scoop here. With their outstanding first time runs we are sure that Honda will return with an even bigger contigent next year and we here at DCH Gardena Honda cant wait!

As an extension of the DCH Auto Groups commitment to Students Against Destructive Decisions, SADD, we here at DCH Gardena Honda have partnered with Leuzinger High in Lawndale and sponsor their SADD chapter. We have held fund raiser events here at the dealer ship with the efforts of many volunteers this weekend we are happy to be able to help four students along with their teacher/sponsor attend the SADD National Conference in Chicago. The event is organized and hosted by the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC), a group of highly motivated and enthusiastic student leaders from across the country. The SLC plays a major role in the nationwide success of SADD: members work directly with the SADD National staff on new and continuing projects while maintaining active leadership roles with their own local chapters. Our own Michelle Villanueva will be accompanying the group and will be coming back with a review of the conference activities and accomplishments so stay tuned here at the Honda Hangout for complete coverage! :)

We love Honda's, we think thats fairly self eveident because we work here at DCH Gardena Honda! We also know that our customers love the Honda's we help them take home but what about the whole country, does EVRYONE love Honda the way we do? Well as it happens, JD Powers has just published the latest numbers that show that they do! From the Honda Press Release:
 "The Honda brand earned its best-ever ranking in J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) for 2011, finishing second among all surveyed brands, including premium makes, the company announced today. Honda also led the industry with seven models earning the highest initial quality ranking in their respective segments, including its top-selling Accord and Civic models.
The Acura brand finished third overall in the 2011 IQS.
In the manufacturing realm, the 2011 study recognized three Honda plants for superior quality, including Honda's newest U.S. auto plant in Greensburg, Ind. Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, producing the Civic Sedan, was one of only three plants around the world to earn the Platinum Plant Quality Award. The Suzuka, Japan plant, line 1, earned a Silver Plant Quality Award, Asia Pacific (tie), for production of Civic and Insight, while the East Liberty, Ohio, plant took home a Bronze Plant Quality Award, North/South America, for production of the Accord Crosstour, CR-V and Element. Of the seven Honda models earning the highest initial quality score in their segment – the most segment leaders of any brand – five were manufactured in North America: the Civic (compact car); the Element (compact crossover SUV—followed by the CR-V in second place); the Accord (midsize car); the Accord Crosstour (midsize crossover SUV); and the Ridgeline (midsize pickup). Those five models were joined on the 2011 segment leader list by the Insight hybrid (compact car, tie) and Honda Fit (sub-compact car)."
Stop in today to find the Honda you will Love at DCH Gardena Honda, and to read the rest of the survey report click here. :)

We have all been missing the drop top rocket that was the S2000 around here at DCH Gardena Honda, there is something top be said for sure about flying down the highway with the wind in your hair.... Just the other day we read that Honda will be re-inventing its much loved Honda Beat and assumed it would be like it was in its first generation, not available for US to drive but its looking like we may have been hasty! First broke by our good friend Woody on his site, now MotorTrend and even the mighty Jalopnik are reporting that the coming Honda Beat WILL indeed be US bound! Woo Hoo! The first time around the Beat was powered by a 660cc four and its drop top inspired many a coastal drive daydream. This time Honda has a world of technology and performance experience that should allow for and even more amazing lil roadster and we cant wait! Read the full scoop at MotorTrend here and for all the very latest car stuff check out Woodys site here. Of course to see what awesome rides Honda has for you today, just stop in to see us at DCH Gardena Honda! :)