Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve been a Honda fanatic for awhile. I’d struggled with other cars that left me stranded, or just fell apart well before their prime. (Don’t even get me started on our ’02 Malibu.) But I’m usually excited to see new Honda models come out, since Honda keeps their models on a strict 5-year schedule now. At the North American International Auto Show back east in Detroit, Honda has unveiled two cars. Read on for a couple of “borrowed” pictures!

Since these images are rather large, click on the thumbnails below to view in full size. The quality isn’t the best, since I had to crop them from a Flash presentation on Honda’s site, but they’re good enough to get an idea of what the new models look like.

First, here’s the upcoming 2009 Honda Pilot. I had wondered if Honda was going to drop the Pilot, but it’s clear that the Pilot has a new style with a more rugged appearance. Like earlier Pilots, there is a third row rear seat that folds into the floor, which makes it perfect to haul around a truckload of kids and adults. The interior is more “fresh” looking as well, and a neat detail is a “cubby” above the glove box door. Details are scarce on other new features, but it’s nice to see an update to this vehicle.

The other Honda model that caught my eye was a concept vehicle called the CR-Z. While Honda doesn’t appear to admit it, the CR-Z seems to capture the same spirit as the venerable 2-seater CRX that was sold in the mid to late 80s, built on the Civic platform. One styling cue from the CRX is the glass rear hatch. We’ll find out more details on engine and possible for-sale date in the near future and report back here. The picture alone, though, is exciting enough and in our opinion, the styling gives anything Acura sells a run for the money.