Re: [Paddlewise] Small car capability

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 21:18:17 -0300
>From: Fernando Arbarello <uktkayak_at_interar.com.ar>
>I personally find HONDA cars even better quality than SUZUKI. The civic is
>bigger than the swift so maybe more comfortable. You Americans always
>preferred bigger cars so maybe the accord is better option. All of them are
>stronger than they look like.

Or even better yet the civic's sister car, the Acura Integra.  It is hatchback with rear seats that fold down, giving you all sorts of room for gear and easy loading.  With Yakima racks I can easily load and unload two kayaks.

The best part of the Integra over the Civic?  A larger engine.  The base LS or GS has a 1.8 liter 140 hp engine while the top of the line (what I have) is one of Honda's little sports cars with 170 hp.  I drove from Kansas City to Ross Lake last year loaded with gear and both boats.  Cruised at 80 mph.  Never had the temperature gauge rise over normal temps that it has unloaded. (Oh, and this was in July).  The worst I had was to drop from 5th gear to 4th gear climbing the continental divide.

Mileage did drop with the kayaks though.  Normally on the highway we can get about 30-31 mpg.  With the kayaks it dropped to about 23 mpg in the flat stretches and about 20-21 mpg while climbing mountains.  (Later when we went to the BWCA with the canoe we got 26 mpg, so one canoe is better than two kayaks.)  That still put us ahead of the trucks and SUVs.  :)

Mel


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