Lost in Mediocrity: What Is It Going To Take To Get Honda And Acura Back On Track Again?

Agent009 submitted on 2/18/2013 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 3:09:27 PM

27 user comments | Views : 7,505 | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: jalopnik.com

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Honda, you used to be one of my favorite automakers in the world.

In a world of boring Toyotas, you were an exciting alternative. But somewhere in the last decade you forgot all of that. It makes me sad, and Honda, you're better than that.

You've always had beige in the fleet, but that was balanced out with some excellent performance rides. There were cars from Honda that I used to lust after. The CRX was one of the greatest little hot hatches to ever hit the street. The Civic Si continued that tradition in a larger, more user friendly package. I actually wanted a 1999 Civic Si more than a girlfriend in high school. The S2000 was a modern update of Honda's classic sports car tradition.




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Lost in Mediocrity: What Is It Going To Take To Get Honda And Acura Back On Track Again?

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Agent009

Honor thy error as a hidden intention.

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MorePower

Same story, different tagline.

— MorePower (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 4:06:47 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

PUGPROUD

Honda stood for great engines, reliability, tgood value and good design. They have fell behind on all counts. Another example of a company that has lost its way once the founder/founding family has ceased to run company. The ideals, passion and understanding of what made them successful went with them.

— PUGPROUD (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 4:11:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

gkearns56

I have been driving for almost 40 years now. I've owned 4 Honda Accords, 2 Acura TLs. The quality of their product was outstanding. However you have to have MORE than just quality and reliability. The ONLY product of Honda I would buy now is the Accord. Everything else is so UGLY. We have the bird beak Acura's; the Civic has way too much plastic interiors and WTF is going on with that multi layer dash in Civic. The SUV looks like someone crush the front. Build some beautiful products where you want to look over your should when you're walking into work from the parking deck or something. People movers are a dime a dozen. Give me some style, curves and cool looks. How about a new design team please.

— gkearns56 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 5:08:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

ErnestHouse

Buy from the maker that makes what you want. Brand loyalty only helps the manufacturer. Problem is we have a couple generations that haven't a clue how to think critically and make crutches out of social media allowing others to tell them what's good and bad. As long as people by the beak, Honda will keep making them.

— ErnestHouse (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 5:46:24 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

cidflekken

Is that a legal practice to use another writer's article with your own headline? A headline which paints, or could paint, a very different picture from what the article truly says. In this case, it's not as divergent, but in past cases here, the headline says something very different than the article.

That being said, I'm sick of this: I want Honda and Acura to be what I want Honda and Acura to be. Go elsewhere, then. Honda and Acura are no longer making cars you want, and their overall sales numbers are suffering. The cars you seem to want, specifically from Acura, are over at other brand names, two of which STILL can't sell as much as Acura.

— cidflekken (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 6:52:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

cidflekken

Meant, their overall sales "aren't" suffering.

— cidflekken (View Profile)

Posted on 2/18/2013 8:36:56 PM | | Votes: 3   

AlleVier

"It's 009's mission to slander that which he dislikes."

Isn't that similar to what you do in your non-Honda/Acura posts?

— AlleVier (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 6:19:24 PM | | Votes: -1   

cidflekken

well, I wouldn't say its' 009s mission to slander vs. input his own personal opinion into another author's article.

— cidflekken (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 11:21:42 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

PLAY

Whats wrong with Honda and Acura? They are safe, reliable, efficient, well priced cars. I don't want to see Honda turn into a "sporty" car maker. That is not what they are or should be about. They are about delivering a great product to the mass market.

Thew new Accord for example: Without a doubt the best midsizer out there. That is what Honda is all about.

— PLAY (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 12:03:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

gkearns56

Nobody said the car must be "sporty". I want a reliable car but also don't want something ugly looking driving around. If I didn't care about the STYLING of the car, I would have bought a Pontiac Aztec years ago. As a matter of fact, I feel auto makers try to go too far to make their car unique or different looking. Interior design is also considered by some people. Example: The new Toyota Rav4 looks so ugly in the interior. It doesn't have to always be EXTERIOR. It can be inside looks terrible this time. There are so many layers of dash in the new RAV4. The Honda Civic is the same way. The exterior is not bad; Honda stuck close to the vest, but the interior on the Civic was awful. So bad Honda did a "refresh" on their interior because of how cheap it looked and how many people complained about too much plastic being used. Sometimes "desgn" isn't always about exterior.

— gkearns56 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 12:15:37 PM | | Votes: -2   

Sciros

Honda used to have some sporty cars. I never gave a shit abou the Accord, but the S2000 was neat. And the Acuras used to be nice -- the old TSX and TL were fantastic cars. The TL Type S was one of the best sedans in its price range, if not the best. But lately their cars have been some weighted combination of boring, ugly, and slow. That's it, full stop. No sportiness, no good looks (CRZ looks ok from some angles and embarrassing from others, sorry). The new NSX is pretty, but it's going to be expensive and on top of that it's a hybrid so sadly you don't even want its philosophy to trickle down to the rest of the fleet. Meh. I gave up on Honda ever since I saw that beak they put on the Acuras.

— Sciros (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 12:51:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Sciros

Yeah they have more hp now but that's not all we're talking about. There's a lot of horsepower in a Caddy STS-V but it's not a sporty car. Obviously the horsepower wars mean that no matter how ugly and pedestrian a car company is designing its fleet, it'll be more powerful than it was a few years ago. But Honda is simply... unexciting lately. Heck, I find the Kia Optima (200hp?) more fun looking than the entire Acura fleet. And don't get me started on the Pilot. About the only car from Honda that I find interesting, personally, is the Accord coupe. Unfortunately the powerful Accords push 40k when fully outfitted.

— Sciros (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 2:54:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

CarCrazedinCali

focus on style and innovation

— CarCrazedinCali (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 4:42:08 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

HughJass

More cars like the Accord.

I wonder why Hyundai decided not to copy this hideous thing too? Oh wait, maybe that's the plan and what it'll take to get the Koreans off of Honda's designer ass. Creating cars so ugly that Hyundai/KIA wouldn't copy, especially when they can design cars just as ugly themselves.

— HughJass (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 7:42:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

MrEE

The latest Accord, Civic, and CRV models stepped up Honda's game and to be best in class and their sales reflect this.

— MrEE (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 8:30:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Sciros

@sportbike82 to each his own in terms of car looks, I mean if you find the current Hondas and Acuras exciting then I suppose this article really isn't targeted toward you as much anyway. As for where are Accords 40k? Well a fully loaded touring trim one has a $38600+ sticker so that's where I got that. C&D or R&T (I can never tell them apart) tested on recently and put price-as-tested at $39k or so.

— Sciros (View Profile)

Posted on 2/19/2013 8:44:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

irishmike

The beak. Enough! I agree, it's not that attractive. But seriously, is that keeping you from buying the car? I bought my first BMW 40 years ago at a time when they couldn't sell 40,000 cars a year(all models total)and one of the goofiest styling elements of the car was the twin-kidney grill on this butt-ugly box of a car. If BMW removed it tomorrow, their sales would certainly drop since their clientele knows that grille is satisfying their need to make a statement. And their purchase is based on very little more.
There are not enough sales out here for the niche Hondas of years ago that you talk about. Honda discontinued them for a reason--they died in the marketplace.
As has been mentioned here, they are going for numbers, the mainstream. They are building great cars that have exceptional quality, get good mileage ratings that are HONEST, excel in all the safety tests, and offer the best resale.
I will agree that the current Acura TL and TSX are a disappointment, considering the previous generation. Honda seems to be awakened by the 2012 Civic disaster. We can only hope that they are listening to the critics and us, and that they will continue to react.

— irishmike (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 12:33:11 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

lexworld

Man you guys have to pay attention to detail! -PUGPROUD hit the nail right on the head...Bingo!! This is why we see, if you are earnestly paying attention to who is doing the most in just about every concievable way, Toyota has unleashed the Kraken as it were through out both its Divisions and literally doing so much in terms of what their philosophy has been from day one. Check out Akio Toyoda's legacy and you will fine so much richness, persistance and relentless perfection mastered early on by his forefathers and cousin Ejji Toyoda who literally was instrumental in paving the way for the introduction of Lexus in the late 80's. To top it off, you have the now President of the Corp. Akio Toyoda who is also a skilled race car driver and is the reason why the IS-F and LFA exist. Mr. Akio being an heir, has said that he will return his family's Company to its founding purpose and make sure their Toyota and Lexus Automobiles be the best made products in the world. You would think that Mr. Ferrari could have done the same, that is make one of the best names in Exotics and have that Lexus build quality, but it aint so. Only Toyota and Lexus can do that!

— lexworld (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 12:54:11 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

lexworld

...And as for Honda, well, they are lost!

— lexworld (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 12:54:56 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

irishmike

We have two Lexus cars in the family. Neither are reliable, and one of them has been downright awful. A huge sticking point for me, regarding ANY Toyota product, is a total lack of entertainment behind the wheel. While there are few Asian cars that offer a truly engaging driving experience, Honda seems to come the closest.
For that reason, you will find a difference in the demographics of each company's customers. Toyota buyers are typically older and more conservative. They find limp steering pleasurable along with the mushy ride. The issue is part of any critical comparison by the auto media. I have to agree that yes, they have slipped a bit most recently. But the 2013 Accord and Civic are proof that they are aware and listening.

— irishmike (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 10:44:41 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

cidflekken

The problem here is that everyone wants Acura to be the car company they want it to be, as I stated above. Fair enough. And all this grumbling about the current lineup being not up to par with either the competition or with past Acuras.

I don't recall past TLs being compared favorably to S4s, which the current TL SH-AWD was in a comparison by Road and Track. The TSX is now being compared to entry-level 3 and C classes whereas the previous generation was being compared to the Jetta. I'd say the TSX has stepped up its game. The MDX, even in its old age, continues to trounce the other luxury marques it has bested in the past. The RDX, while middle of the road, is directly competitive with the Q5, X3, and RX.

Is this new RLX competitive? Based on the numerous reviews I've read (about 10), yes, it is competitive. It's received accolades for its spirited driving despite the FWD, very high quality interior, and interior space. And it's absolutely loaded with available tech. Does it set new performance standards? No. But neither do any of its direct competitors. Is it a styling marvel? No. But neither are any of its direct competitors.
If there seems to be on major critique for Acura with the RLX, it's that they should have introduced the 370-hp, SH-AWD, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic version first, right out the door. Though all the reviews of the RLX, with the possible exception of Edmunds' initial review, are very good, they are not great. And Acura needed great from the start gun. They will probably get "great" with the soon-to-follow version, but people may already have forgotten about the RLX by that time.

— cidflekken (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 11:53:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

skytop

Joe Biden said it best today. Honda is a four letter word.

— skytop (View Profile)

Posted on 2/20/2013 10:32:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

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