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Agree. Previous gen had better styling. Especially the 2-door hatchback.
The new gen looks bland. Maybe Cumberford of Automobile Mag will do a review on it and point out good and bad elements of style.
For my money, the Hyundai Elantra is a knockout compared to the Civic.
Spent yesterday in a loaner 09 Accord. Yawn. Calling that car an Accord is a real insult. Yeah, I am sure it is dependable like an Accord and will hold its value but it makes me think I'm driving my dad's old 72 Impala.....
Just as I feared back at the end of March. The quake HAS screwed up Honda's launch of the new Civic. Indeed, in my neck of the woods, no dealer has had more than one or two in stock at any time since the supposed launch on April 20th. Now we hear word that they may attempt a "relaunch", to which I immediately respond with "how about doing a redesign first?!":
Honda weighs Civic relaunch in the fall
Tight supplies after quake crimped original rollout
LOS ANGELES -- The launch of Honda's redesigned 2012 Civic was disrupted so severely by the Japan earthquake in March that Honda likely will resort to a marketing relaunch in the fall.
Dealers held blowout sales of the outgoing Civic in March and April, but allocations of the new model have been slow in coming. And dealers are reporting defections to competing brands' products.
The standard-trim Civic sedan and coupe went on sale April 20. Initially, the high-mileage HF model was to arrive in dealerships May 10, followed by the high-performance Si on May 24.
But production of the Si started on June 29, and the car should start arriving at dealerships in mid-July. Honda declined to say when the HF will be available. The Si and the HF are built in North America.
Although Honda says the Civic Hybrid has been on sale since April 20, a check of dozens of dealers found few on U.S. lots.
Civic sales in June totaled 17,485, down 36.5 percent from the same month last year and down from 18,341 in May, 26,777 in April and 31,213 in March.
Now THAT'S a bad launch. Add to that the fact that critical praise for the new SI has been faint indeed, and that the Focus and Elantra have already replaced Civic as the "cars to beat" in the segment, and I'm not sure how much Honda could really hope for from a relaunch of the Civic a few months from now.
"The entire Civic line was impacted more than the rest of our lineup by the earthquake-related parts situation because of the timing of its launch," Martin said. "It's an all-new vehicle with a huge use of new and redesigned parts on all trims. A lot of our original plans have been altered. Inventories are going to be low for a while, and there will be a slow recovery."
Fall relaunch?
Dave Conant, whose Norm Reeves Honda in Cerritos, Calif., is the No. 2 volume Honda store in the United States, said a shortage of inventory has kept the Civic from getting a proper launch.
"Our trough for inventory lows is right now," he said. "After July 15 it begins inching back up, but we don't think we'll have sufficient supply until the fourth quarter."
.....Honda is trying to keep potential Civic buyers interested with the Honda Promise Program, which lets customers lock in 0.9 percent financing now for a Civic that might not be delivered for several months.
But dealers say many compact-car customers aren't willing to wait. As a result, if the right Civic is not in stock, some turn to competing products, such as the new Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra.
......According to market researcher Compete Automotive, shopper interest in the Civic in June was flat compared with January, despite a 47 percent increase in interest in the compact car segment since December.
Martin said that when inventories recover Honda intends to increase marketing efforts "as needed ... to reflect the current situation." But there is no timetable.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110704/RETAIL07/307049984/1- - 422
I don't think that with a mass-market model like the Civic you're going to get very far with promotional offers tied to a promise that the buyer will have their new car a few months from now, especially when the date of receipt is so up in the air and there are such outstanding new models on the market as there are now in the compact segment.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes, but now there are better alternatives to Honda than in the '80s, and we also know that supplies of Hondas won't be tight for long.
"The fact that Honda, hurt the worst of Japan’s manufacturers by the earthquake, made a profit at all was a surprise to analysts who predicted a loss. Honda said the quarter was in the black due largely to the strength of its growing motorcycle business, not its car operations. Honda’s January to March performance began to feel the impact of the earthquake with profits falling 38 percent."
Honda Profit Plunges, Still Forecast Is Raised (AutoObserver)
Current Accord slipping from previous Accords.
Latest Civic a dud.
Competitors surpassing Honda's former superiority.
Kind of sad.
I wonder if the new CRV will be a dud as well, or perhaps my feeble hopes that they have awakened again will be rewarded?
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Accord is too bloated now, and the Civic is just another face in the crowd fighting for attention, and not standing out for anything.
Ridgeline and Insight are oddities. The Fit is still neat, but really needs a 6th gear for highway use.
I hope the new CRV coming out is really a step up, because if Honda gets back on their A game with it, it could be perfect for my wifes next wheels.
Actually, there is 1 Honda I would consider: The Civic Si (assuming it still comes in a 4 door). A lighter TSX for a whole lot less money! Too bad it doesn't come in a hatch...
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Please let us all know if any dealer near you ever takes delivery of one. For a car that is supposed to have been in production for more than three months, there's nary a one out there.
I wonder if they will fix the Civic before the five-year mark....and ever get a hybrid that is competitive with other companies' hybrids for mileage....and ever make fun interesting cars again....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I've long felt that Acura should have followed the Lexus and Infiniti business model, and converted to rear-wheel-drive architecture for all of its current models. In the future, anything smaller than the TSX, which I view as Acura's BMW 3-Series competitor, could share its drivetrain architecture with Honda. This would have made Acura more competitive with its German and Asian rivals, and differentiated the brand more from the mass market Honda models. This change would have cost Acura more, in terms of engineering and manufacturing expenses, but I think the extra expenses could have been more than recouped through higher selling prices and more sales. All-wheel-drive versions could have been derived from the rear-wheel-drive architecture, as BMW and Mercedes do. The main benefit of rear-wheel-drive is better weight distribution, for better balance. This yields improved handling for sport sedan models and derivatives.
Honda Tops In Incentive Hikes (AutoObserver)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
A far cry from the old days of full sticker (if not ADM) and wait lists.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Great point.
Honda's Sporty New Civic, Heavy on the 'Ick'
Honda is continuing to descend.
I especially like that they made the cargo area bigger (footprint) supposedly, and even better, with a lower floor for more vertical space. Yes, I am one of those OCD people that refuse to have cargo stick up above the back of the seat blocking the sight line out the back window!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
"SACO, Maine (AP) — A Maine man and his car are celebrating a million-mile milestone.
Joe LoCicero (luh-SISS'-er-oh) was given a 2012 Honda Accord at a parade in the city of Saco on Sunday after surpassing the million-mile mark on the odometer of his 1990 Accord. He reached the milestone last Thursday.
A Honda spokeswoman tells The Portland Press Herald (bit.ly/otOqd1) it's the first time the manufacturer has documented an Accord reaching one million miles.
LoCicero says he bought the car in 1996 with 74,000 miles. The former mechanic did much of his own work. The secret he says is following maintenance schedules, using quality parts and driving safely.
He swears the transmission and engine are original.
Now that he has a new Accord, he's not sure what he'll do with the old one."
I would have thought that Honda would have wanted Joe's old Accord, as a museum/marketing item, in exchange for the new one they gave him.
Thai Floods Slow Honda Output, Delay CR-V (AutoObserver)
But in most other ways Honda is really slipping. Apparently their reliability is still excellent, but their newest vehicles have been mostly unimpressive.
"...the automaker is prepared to act quickly to address criticism of the materials quality in the revamped 2012 Civic -- and the car's somewhat disappointing sales performance (even accounting for the tsunami-related supply shortages). Instead of waiting until mid-2014 to do a refresh on the Civic, he said, a mid-cycle overhaul could come in 2013."
Inside Line
The cuts, which come just as Honda was recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, will run from Wednesday at least through Nov. 10 as Honda tries to find alternate sources for microprocessors that are made in Thailand.
The flooding, which began in July and has forced many auto parts plants to close, also affected Toyota Motor Co., which cut overtime for production in North America through the end of this week.
Honda Motor Co.'s announcement comes the same day the Japanese automaker announced that its quarterly profit tumbled 56 percent, battered by the strong yen and production disruptions from the March tsunami disaster.
The automaker, which makes the Accord and Civic sedans, said Monday that net profit for the July-September fiscal second quarter fell to 60.4 billion yen ($788 million).
Quarterly sales sank 16.3 percent from a year earlier to 1.885 trillion yen ($24.6 billion), with sales in North America falling the most -- 22.3 percent.
Flooding in Thailand, where Honda has parts suppliers and assembly lines, made it too difficult to forecast earnings for the full fiscal year through March 2012. A projection will be announced when it becomes available, the company said.
Honda also said it will stop all production in the U.S. and Canada for one day on Nov. 11, and all Saturday overtime work will be canceled through November. Spokesman Ed Miller said it's too early to tell if there will be a repeat of model shortages that occurred during the summer and early fall due to parts shortages from the earthquake and tsunami.
The company said in a statement that the December sale date for the 2012 version of the popular CR-V crossover vehicle could be delayed by several weeks. Honda says it will announce the sale date in the near future.
Last year, 87 percent of the Honda and Acura luxury vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, the company said. Most of the parts are produced here, but a few critical electronic parts such as engine control modules come from Thailand and other countries, Honda said.
Miller said the company is trying to find other sources for the parts made in Thailand, but production of newer models such as the Civic compact and CR-V will be most affected by the parts shortages.
Honda said it will not lay off any workers at its U.S. and Canadian auto plants. The company has 21,000 U.S. factory workers and 10 U.S. and Canadian auto factories in Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario.
Other major automakers also were affected by the flooding in Thailand, but only Honda and Toyota reported factory disruptions in North America. Nissan Motor Co. said its plant in Thailand would be down until Friday because of parts shortages, while Ford Motor Co. said production had ceased at plants in Thailand and South Africa. General Motors Co., Chrysler Group LLC and Hyundai Motor Co. reported no production problems.
The Thai floods are the latest blow to Japanese manufacturers as they struggle to recover from the tsunami while also being pummeled by the yen's record surge.
Earlier Monday, Japanese authorities intervened in the currency market to weaken the yen against the dollar and ease pressure on Japanese exporters. That caused the dollar to jump nearly 5 percent to above 79 yen after earlier touching a post-World War II low of 75.32 yen -- a level that is excruciating for exporters such as Toyota and Nintendo Co.
Honda said revenue from nearly all regions declined. Domestic sales were down 13.2 percent, revenue from Europe sank 10.4 percent, and in Asia outside Japan, sales fell 10 percent. Sales to South America, Africa and the Mideast inched up 0.8 percent from a year earlier, the company said.
The Thailand floods were fed by unusually heavy monsoon rains and a string of tropical storms. They have killed 381 people and affected more than a third of the country's provinces. The flooding has destroyed millions of acres (hectares) of crops and forced thousands of factories to close.
Officials said Monday they hoped seven submerged industrial areas would be running again in about three months. They house the factories of global companies including Honda, Toshiba and Western Digital.
Uh, why can't Honda make those critical parts here in the U.S. and Canada? :confuse:
That's a good question. Asia has certainly taken their turn in the barrel with unforseen issues and complications. I expect this will have them reassessing their supply chain. Ironically, vehicles like Accord and CRV have more US and Canada content than many D3 vehicles, so I expect this, along with currency valuations and rising shipping costs may benefit US vendors down the line. Companies like Honda and Toyota have very strenous qualification requirements and often work closely with vendors, so these things tend to happen more slowly than with D3. However, I think D3 purchasing may be starting to wake up that "low cost" contracting is self defeating, so I think some of their vendors may be in for some culture shock soon too. One other thing, sometimes its the vendor, not the automaker, that decides to off shore the component or part.
For the same reason Ford and Chrysler couldn't get black paint pigment for quite a while after the earthquake and tidal way and meltdowns?
Ford reintroduced "Tuxedo Black" just last month.
What is disappointing is that they needed the market to tell them that they had cheaped out on the interior and numbed up the handling. At the same time that GM, Ford, the Koreans, and yes, even Toyota are improving their interiors.
Not the mark of a company that leads like it used to.
After months of major stumbles, Honda recovered the sales lead in several market classes last month, according to sales data released today. The Accord was October 2011's best-selling midsize car, the CR-V was the best-selling SUV of any size, the Pilot was the best-selling three-row midsize SUV, the Odyssey was the best-selling minivan, and the Civic nearly overtook the No. 1 small car.
...the new CRV looks pretty good on the outside. The leather was nice, too. I thought the interior was fair. But the thing I really noticed was when I went to open the rear door, I heard the hollowness even pulling the door open, before I shut it. Was the previous model this tinny?
As a comparison, we looked at the new Ford Escape, and it has a nicer interior and much more solid doors IMHO. The only thing I liked better on the CRV was the individual armrests. The Ford's dash vents are also a bit overstyled - not sure that look will age well.
I don't see Honda doing enough yet to improve. While the lady was doing the announcements in the Honda area about how all Hondas have responsive handling and driver involvement, the reviews say their newer cars are more numb than ever.
:shades:
I'm particularly fond of the new RDX even if it is really just a mini-MDX style-wise. And the NSX, welcome back! :shades:
With the ILX, will the TSX be phased out, or will it be competing with something in the same brand?
More pix of the RDX
2013 RDX
Honda needs to find someone with the should of the designers who got them started in the first place. Used to be a new Honda design was an immediate "I need!" Now it's "that's OK...."