It was a week of celebration and we’re happy to have shared it with one of our faves of all time, the 2020 4D 1.5 Honda Accord Touring! With both Chinese New Year and my niece Jessica and now nephew-in-law Mitch‘s wedding (they’ve tied the knot after 13 years together, meeting in high school!) taking place in Niagara Falls, we had much to fête and a test drive of the Accord Touring made it all possible.

First thing’s first – the vehicle is nothing short of elegant. Its long body and sleek composition are a statement of class and we had the pleasure of driving it in a Modern Steel Metallic. One glance and you know you are starting at luxury.

The Accord Touring runs on a 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, i-VTEC® turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and operates at 192 horsepower. Our travels took us farther than ever. City, country, to the border and back to the burbs, the Accord Touring empowered us and it always reassuring knowing we can do it all on superb Fuel Economy, at 8.2 (city)/6.8 (highway)/7.6 (combined) litres per 100km. With a week of intense travelling and commuting, we spent only approximately $85 CAN on fuel which is very reasonable.

We were thrown an array of weather conditions this past week. We saw snow, rain and relentless flurries driving back from the wedding in Niagara Falls, but never once did we not feel safe. Vehicle Stability Assist was a major MVP in our travels. While we are lucky in the City and most rural areas reaping the benefit of plowed roads, we had a scary moment in particular out in the country in Caledon where we encountered a bit of slipping and sliding. Despite being mitigated by Vehicle Stability Assist, we found ourselves unable to proceed further up a small, unplowed road. With a clear head and no cars around fortunately, we reversed, went forward, reversed, applied foot to pedal and made it through the obstacle in no time to see our two namesakes Mr Will (Prince) and A Pic by Mrwill (Princess). The two met at long last. Mr Will happens to be training at the same facility where A Pic by Mrwill is enjoying her retirement as she readies for becoming a mom. Lucky me!

But above this, the Accord is jam-packed with intuitive safety features. A 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Auto high-beam, Brake Assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) System, Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display and Lane Departure Warning, among many others. I remember last year, previewing the 2019 Honda Accord Touring and dealing with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System indicator going off in the cold weather, but that never once happened with the 2020 model.

The rear camera is definitely an asset for parking downtown or at the mall, and while snow sometimes limits our ability to utilize this, covering the camera and the car’s sensors, the Accord Touring never stops trying and lets you know when it can’t do the job, managing your expectations. Bottom line, sometimes we become so dependent on features and need to rely on our eyes and just focus.

The car is armed and ready with the HondaLink™ Assist Automatic Emergency Response System™ and Assist Automatic Emergency Response System. It has no shortage of Airbags: Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor System, SmartVent™ side airbags and an i-SRS Airbag System (front).

The 7″ colour TFT meter display with Driver Information Interface gives the Driver plenty of insights and we adore its Display Audio System with Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System which believe it or not, we finally used after having depended on the Google Maps app on our phone for a long time now. It was simple to use and just as effective! The Accord Touring‘s 452-watt AM/FM Premium Audio System with MP3/Windows Media® Audio playback capability and 10 speakers including subwoofer provide for an outstanding driving experience. We adore our SiriusXM, but appreciate how simple it is to sync our Huawei P30 Pro via Bluetooth, customizing our drives with our Spotify Playlists. And let’s not forget all those charging options, including a charging plate for our phone.

In keeping with tradition, you can hear that sound system yourself!

Continuing with the direction of previous models, Climate Control is customizable for Driver and Passenger, with dual-zone options and an air-filtration system. Rear-seat heater ducts are available for those sitting at the back too. We cannot deny how much we love the seat heaters (coolers too!) and steering wheel heater on those unbearably-cold January mornings. Push-button engine starts and proximity entry make our experience that much simpler and we’re here for it!

The 2020 4D 1.5 Honda Accord Touring continues the Accord‘s history of excellence and starts at $38,976 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

How do you mess with perfection? Honda long has been refining its top-selling showpiece, the Civic, and we were lucky enough a second time to get to review the 2019 Honda Civic 5D Sport.  This time around we won’t talk about specs and features but more how it was our saving grace when we needed it most.

We had all sorts of plans to celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That is, until we got a concerning phone call from our Mom Thursday afternoon. I advised her to have Dad looked at as he was showing erratic behaviour last week, often tired and growingly-confused. After bringing him in to see their Family Doctor, he told her to have Dad checked-in at the ER right away and that’s when the phone call came. My Mom was inconsolable.

I began suspecting the worst, that maybe he had a stroke and having to leave work early to be by his side, every worst case scenario ran through my mind driving-up the DVP. I picked them up in the Honda Civic 5D Sport and off we went to the Hospital.

After several tests, ultrasounds, CT Scans and about eight hours of waiting, we were so relieved that while it was deemed his symptoms weren’t related to a stroke, it was revealed he had an infection incubating, which affected his coherence. It wasn’t till he was asked to do so, he wasn’t able to remember my name, the current year, nor could he write his own signature on his admittance forms at the Hospital. And this apparently is commonplace in elderly people experiencing this infection.

The Doctor sent us on our way after everything, referring us to multiple specialists to follow-up with. We had a late night dinner, all of us starving. Dad’s appetite was ferocious going for a third helping despite initially insisting he wasn’t hungry and didn’t want to eat. The Civic 5D Sport took us around as we struggled finding a place open in the wee hours  of  the morning. Google, while great at generating search results, isn’t always on-top of restaurant business hours. We were lucky finding a Pharmacy open late too to fill his urgent prescription, again made possible by our time in the 5D Sport.

Dad slept well that night and first order in the morning was getting him fed and medicated. He had no energy and insisted on sleep.  While I was ready to cancel my cross-border Black Friday shopping plans, Mom let me know a short road trip was in good order, so skipping out for a few hours while Dad caught-up on sleep while oddly-timed, worked out just great. One of my brothers came by also to help, thankfully. One, we missed all the traffic at the Border and two, the crowds weren’t so bad at the Walden Galleria as all the early-rising shoppers had cleared-out. Getting a table at The Cheesecake Factory (the only American restaurant she likes)  was quick and simple, as we ate an early dinner, beating the dinner rush. I snagged a couple winter coats – one dressy and one practical – got some Christmas shopping done and got Mom a new bag, which made her day. I even tried on a few ridiculous jackets which gave Mom some much-needed laughs! We then head back home to check-in on Dad.

See Gallery below. Hover cursor right to navigate.

Sometimes life’s roadblocks aren’t always on the road itself, sometimes they are. Sunday was my day to catch-up with our namesakes A Pic by Mrwill and Mr Will. I was less than thrilled to read the Forecast. While the weather was a mess to say the least, I was driven – pardon the pun – to see my beloved babies. While nobody likes driving in bad weather, we were pleasantly surprised by the few cars on the road. Our Snowplows on the 401 were working hard to keep us safe. And Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which notoriously is horrible for parking, was actually relatively empty for once enabling a quick visit for more Christmas odds and ends.

As we drove into Caledon on country roads, the scenic snow-filled route was actually meditative and driving was a breeze. This, paired with SiriusXM‘s Hallmark Channel blaring Holiday favourites, was just perfect.

While some roads were slippery, the Civic 5D Sport‘s Traction Control System kept us safe, as did its Forward Collision Warning, Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display and Multi-angle Rearview Camera  – which we can’t live without!

Now, with the heavy snow, we did get a warning: “Some Driver Assist Systems Cannot Operate: Radar Obstructed”, but as always, it is best to drive with that extra bit of caution in inclement weather and reduced visibility anyway.

The Civic 5D Sport‘s Fuel Economy using ECON mode remains a game-changer and our week of travels, taking us from the burbs to the City, to the countryside and even Buffalo, tallied-in at less than $100 CAN. Its Fuel Economy comes in at:

City 9.3 L/100km
Highway 6.5 L/100km
Combined 8.0 L/100km

This beauty in Aegean Blue Metallic is controlled by a 7″ colour TFT centre meter display. Climate control, an array of audio and entertainment options are at the control of your finger tips. We adore the charging plate for our Smartphone, plus several charging ports for our passengers. Our passengers and I loved the heated seating options which are a necessity in these frigid conditions.

That Audio System once again proves superb. It sounds so great, we thought we’d sprinkle a little of that Holiday mood over your way!

Every year we make a point of visiting some of our most valuable partners before the Holidays, dropping-off some Holiday goodies. We are happy we had a chance to do that, because our partnerships are what keeps us thriving! We are saddened our dear dog Billy couldn’t be our Co-Pilot like in past years.

The Civic 5D Sport certainly won’t solve all our life problems. Dad is feeling a bit better. We got more of our Holiday shopping done. And well, we can’t avoid some of the weather conditions we’ll face. The car was there for us and was a reliable friend when we needed it.
 
2020 Civic models are now available. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

I’ll be the first to admit I have an aversion to large vehicles so what better than to tackle that irrational fear on your Birthday? The 2019 Honda Odyssey Touring was my vehicle of choice to ring-in a weekend of low-key celebrations and was it ever a pleasant surprise! I’ve always had it in my head that mini vans were tougher to drive and harder to park,  but I learned otherwise. I have never felt more secure driving a vehicle than this and to be honest, it was just the same as driving any Sedan other than that it accelerates just a click slower with its additional weight.

The true test of comfort in this mini van empowered with a 280 horsepower, 3.5-litre, 24-valve, SHOC, i-VTEC V6 engine was driving my friend, who is that back-seat driver who panics at every thing on the road. A car drives along beside you, she freaks-out literally. Not once did she go into panic mode in our travels. Ditto for my mom when driving her to my Birthday dinner. She was safely nestled behind me minding her own business in her sizy chair alongside my dad, both seated  in the second of three rows in this ride which seats eight comfortably. The Honda Odyssey Touring offers a feeling of safety and comfort that calms the most anxious of passengers. That is a first for me.

We noticed first and foremost that the Odyssey Touring in gorgeous Obsidian Blue Pearl, was long and large. And with this came the expectation that it was a gas guzzler. Now it does have Honda‘s signature game-changing ECON mode, which certainly helps with fuel economy, tallying-in at 12.2/8.5/10.6L/100 km (city/highway/combined); it also has idle stop aiding our wallets and the environment a bit further. Overall, we were able to fill a tank on just over $60 with these fluctuating gas prices, which is highly-reasonable considering our long journeys from suburbs to city to countryside over six days.

The most amazing features on the Odyssey Touring are its power tailgate and quite possibly the largest and deepest trunk I have ever seen in my life! Passenger doors are powered and close and open on their own at the pull of the latch. So cool! State of the art.

Don’t be fooled by its mini van pedigree, the Odyssey Touring is packed with pure sophistication and luxury. It is highlighted by a beautiful moonroof, gray perforated leather seats, push-button gears, proximity entry, HD Radio, SiriusXM-capability, ambient lighting, plus heated steering wheel and seats too. If that weren’t enough, the driver and passenger seats have a cooling option as well, because we see basically all the temperatures here in Canada. 🍁

Charging ports are next-level with a variety of options, front and back for driver and passenger, plus a charging plate as well. We wouldn’t expect any less of Honda. Last but not least, passengers in the back are treated to a 10.2 inch screen with the mini van’s Advanced Rear Entertainment System, where they can watch Blu-rays and stream programs and movies!

It’s audio system boasts a 550-watt AM/FM/CD with MP3/Windows Media playback and 11 speakers with subwoofer. The acoustics make my heart sing! 🎶

In addition to feeling safe, the Odyssey Touring is loaded with safety features. Lane Departure, Road Departure Mitigation, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Hill Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist, i-SRS Airbag System, Front-Knee Airbags, SmartVent Side Airbags, Lane-Keeping Assist and let’s not forget that amazing Rear-View Camera which makes reversing and parking so simple! We love that the rear-view mirror adapts to lighting and tints slightly in the sunset, protecting the driver from that blinding glare.

I cannot speak highly enough of the 2019 Honda Odyssey Touring. It is a masterpiece and crowd-pleaser that any family would be honoured to call their own.

The 2019 Honda Odyssey Touring sells at $54,336 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

What a Canada Day weekend it was! We had the sheer joy of driving the 2019 Honda Passport Touring for the occasion and it was magical. While the Passport is just making a comeback after being absent from production since 2002, its return certainly is welcomed, enhanced with sensibilities of the now. The versatile mid-sized five-door SUV is a melding of style, sophistication and practicality. It spaciousness is an embarrassment of riches for a single driver like me, although I can’t deny it was super-handy for running errands and stocking-up for the weekend!  Fittingly, we got to drive it in a patriotic Deep Scarlet Pearl for our long weekend adventure!

Boasting a powerful 3.5-litre, 24-valve, Direct Injection, SOHC, i-VTEC® V6 engine, we were king of the road, navigating with its 9-speed automatic transmission with Grade Logic Control, operating at 280 horsepower. The Passport Touring‘s Fuel Economy tallies in at 12.5/9.8/11.3 City/Highway/Combined. We admire Honda‘s commitment to Fuel Economy and the environment with its dealbreaking for many, Eco Assist system, idle-stop engine and ECON mode button, easy on the wallet and the earth we live.

Power and economy aside, the Passport Touring is obsessed with our safety. It possesses 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, Honda LaneWatch Blindspot Display, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with Tire Fill Assist and Blind Spot Information (BSI) system with Rear Cross Traffic Monitor system and the ultra-convenient Auto High-Beam which helped greatly in our evening drives, taking us city to countryside. Its Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System is an added protection and we are notorious for fumbling for our keys and can’t live without Proximity Extry which the SUV has.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Honda‘s Multi-angle Rearview Camera with dynamic guidelines is life-saving and makes us a pro at parking at the trickiest spots. Fitting in between two trucks at the airport? No problem! Parallel parking downtown? Please.

Driving in the Passport Touring is a joy with its powerful 550-watt AM/FM Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media® Audio playback capability and 10 speakers including subwoofer. Everything from Bluetooth Audio to Sirius XM is an entertainment option and there is an abundance of charging options including 12 and 115-volt outlets, plus USB and wireless charging.

Keeping with our Honda Caraoke tradition, we’re still buzzing with delight after attending the sold-out Ariana Grande show at Scotiabank Arena! I’ll let the sound quality speak for itself!

The Passport Touring‘s extra-large moonroof was made for this weather we experienced Canada Day weekened, giving our drives pure mood and ambience.

Its Tri-Zone Climate Control and air filtration system is a thing of wonder, keeping my passengers calm and cool amidst the blistering weekend heat, letting them in both front and back, customize their own tenperature settings. Front seats have heating and cooling options as well, the latter which definitely got put to good use.

See some Snaps including our weekend at the historic Queens Plate Festival, our favourite event of the Summer! Strapped for time, we got to preview a smooth ride along the 407 which got us there right in time! Hover cursor on the right of each album to navigate further.

More on the 2019 HONDA PASSPORT TOURING starting at $49,900 CAN here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

There isn’t much to say about the 2019 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring that we haven’t already said in our previous peace. The beauty of a ride soars on all fronts and was just as superb as we recall in our Holiday adventures. More here.

The 2019 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring powered by its 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, i-VTEC® turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, offers outstanding fuel economy as our travels took us from the suburbs to the city, to the country! We had a busy, star-studded week at the 2019 Accord Hybrid took us there! With gas prices plummeting once again, we were able to make it through our five-day weekend on less than $40 and believe us, we saw a lot and had the AC on with the car’s highly-efficient Climate Control, as we finally saw some sun once again. Believe me, we put that moonroof to use as well, zipping through Burlington and working on our tan. We earned this amazing weather! We’ve seen this car now through sun, rain, snow, heat and cold and it prevails under all conditions.

One minor quirk we noticed after parking the park in the heat was that multiple alarming alerts with its Active Safety features among others, alerting us to bring the car to a dealer including:

• LANE KEEPING ASSIST SYSTEM
• ROAD DEPARTURE MITIGATION SYSTEM
• AUTO HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS

While this took place we also noticed a bit of freezing navigating Display Audio System, which led us to do a Factory Default Reset. After parking the car overnight we noticed the alerts went away for good. If you recall over the winter, the car’s Tire Pressure Monitor System alert came on as well which caused a minor panic on Christmas Day for us, but alas was nothing to be concerned about after verifying tire pressure at the gas station.

We can’t resist the abundance of charging port options and neither could our friends who tagged along and the luxury of the leather-trimmed seats, the driver’s seat adjustable 12 ways , putting you in control of your drive like never before.

The Accord Hybrid synced beautifully with the Huawei P3o Pro we’re testing on its 452-watt AM/FM Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media® Audio playback capability and 10 speakers including subwoofer, delivered audio magic and we can prove it! We’ve got Elton fever after witnessing the magic that is ROCKETMAN recently. You must see it!

See some more Snaps of our delicious, star-studded weekend:

Loved catching-up with my Godkids this weekend @APicbyMrWill x @MrWilltheHorse! Check-out their latest update on their Diary!https://t.co/0sbffE7cqP pic.twitter.com/nECVpivWPV

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) June 10, 2019

 

 

Glitches aside, we’re still in love with the 2019 Honda Accord Hybrid!

More here.

 

What a time to be a Torontonian! C’mon RAPTORS! 🏀
 

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

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