A friend at work just had her Accord totalled (she was OK) and promptly bought an Accord hybrid. It was just the excuse. She said they bought the last one on the lot so we may be talking about the same dealer. LOL
are starting to stack up at my dealer, but not in the front where you can see them. In the back, where they won't interfere with selling the last dozen and a half of the old Civics! :-)
Several back there have "sold" tags in them nonetheless. I guess those are probably selling at full sticker right now.
This would be a great time to pick up one of those '05 Civic LX SEs - I bet you could get oodles and oodles off the sticker. Unfortunately, they have only autos in stock, otherwise I would be half tempted!
This new Civic is going to completely blow the Corolla out of the water for the next 18 months, until the revised '08 Corolla gets here. Not only is the interior much better, as are the seats, but the looks are way better, and make the Corolla look big and gawky. There are two limiting factors, and one is price - the EX auto 4-door is up to $19K plus with destination. The other, of course, is the extremely controversial digital speedo. Why Honda would do this when they have to know it will polarize people, is quite beyond me. You do not want to polarize with one of your highest-volume models. I think it looks ugly and weird in an otherwise VERY well put together interior.
It is noticeably bigger than the '05. It is not far off the size of the Accord - they had one parked side by side in the back lot. Seems like the Accord has a much bigger trunk though - it is probably just the visuals playing games with my eyes.
An '05 Accord EX auto in blue (my favorite color) has just turned up - don't know when that happened. This dealer had quoted me $20,188 for an EX auto about a month ago, I bet now they could even knock a few hundred $$ more off that price. Tempting, but I do much prefer the look of the rear on the '06...
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Dunno, most buyers are pretty conservative, they may like the more generic looking Corolla.
Another thing is that a lot of folks shop on price, perhaps one reason why Camry outsells Accord, and it looks like Toyota will have the edge there, too.
I think they'll get away with the price increase, but I dunno about a higher price and higher volume, that's tough. Especially when you have so much competitive pressure.
Timing is perfect, get a new and efficient model out right on the tail end of these gas price spikes, so I do think it'll get a great start. 30/40 mpg will draw in buyers, for sure.
Brochures - that's the way to do it, unlike Subaru, who launches a new model with a teaser brochure, then only gets the real brochures 3 months later. So lame.
There's a lot more to the LX/EX as far as safety and equipment to justify the price increase. It amazes me how people scream for a better product but expect it to be free. Better and free/cheap aren't synonomous. Cept maybe over at Hyundai. But even they are getting expensive lately.
that the biggest single complaint I keep seeing over and over again on the Corolla is the awkward seating position, where a lack of telescoping steering wheel makes it impossible for a lot of people to find a comfortable driving position.
Well, even the CHEAPEST '06 Civic has a telescoping wheel standard! I still think it is a mistake to have a Civic as stripped as the new DX will be, but I haven't seen any of those delivered so far. Of the dozen or so they have, about half are already sold, roughly a 50/50 split of EX and LX. The big rims of the new LX look weird with such large plastic covers on them, and they are the kind of open design that shows a lot of the black wheel underneath - kinda ugly. For $17,5, you think they could include some nice alloys on the LX as well. I guess that will be for the "SE" package later, when sales lag around year 4, LOL!
The new Civic looks long and lean the way they styled it, while the Corolla looks like it will blow over in a strong wind - too tall for its width. That sums up the difference between them. I prefer the Civic in that respect. Now Civic's front end leaves something to be desired, but the Corolla's face aint no great shakes either.
As to what gee said, I think one thing stands out - safety sells these days. The new Civic now has SAB and curtains standard along with the ABS. You pay extra for ALL of those on the Corolla. And while the Corolla is the current standard-bearer for side impact protection, that is only with the optional SAB. I bet when they finally get around to testing the new Civic, it will lead the pack.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm sure it will, they engineer them to do that nowadays.
Though there was an exception - they made a lot of noise about how the Element was reinforced for side impact protection, and the base models fared badly in IIHS tests. Not just the lack of air bags, but also structurally.
The local Honda dealer finally has two 2006 Civics on display. They are both sedans - an LX and an EX.
The car does look better in real life than in the photos. The front isn't offensive at all, and the resemblance to the Saturn Ion isn't strong in real life.
What really surprises me is the hood - it is VERY short! The fast-sloping windshield hides this from the side view, as the hood and the windshield almost become "one."
I can see why the dealer has been reluctant to show the 2006 models with several 2005 Civics still on the lot. The new one makes its predecessor look about as exciting as a 1960s Rambler sedan.
to read in Autoweek just now that the Civic coupes won't be available for another 3 weeks, and the SI not until December 1! Hey guys, what's the hold-up?
Honda is estimating the SI at 7.5 seconds from 0-60, despite it having the same powertrain as the current RSX-S, which I believe is faster (and only lighter by 100 pounds or so). Seems very conservative.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
the other site did some testing on an Si, and it supposedly dynoed to more than the rated HP, and 0-60 was calculated in the mid-high 6s.
One thing with the Si that makes it look slower than it is is the gearing. You have to shift to 3rd at about 58 mph, which adds a few 10ths to the time.
So, if you decide to race in the 1/4 mile, or maybe 0-55, no impact. And in real world use, it should still be plenty fast.
my local dealer has now completely sold OUT of the new Civics he had, despite selling at sticker. Doesn't seem to have sold a single one of his remaining '05s though. He should put up a banner: "FIRE SALE", in big letters, for the remaining '05 Accords and Civics. Has a steady supply of '06 Accords now, and I do like the new rear end, although it is confusing that they all seem to be "SE"s and whatnot now - whatever happened to the old LX/EX designations?
Ridgelines and Elements, OTOH, continue to pile up on his back lot.
I was hoping to test drive a new Civic this weekend, I hope he gets more by then. :shades:
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I read that the Pilot may be offered in a 2WD version, interesting. VCM, too. Wonder if it'll match the Ody for EPA, i.e. 20/28 mpg. Probably not quite that good, but still should be class leading.
Any idea when the EPA numbers will be released?
Right now I think the Murano takes the prize for best-in-class among the mid-size crossover SUVs. That CVT helps.
My local dealer has plenty of 2005 Civics on the lot. When the 2006 model is parked beside the 2005 version, it's easy to see why the new one is selling faster. It's like parking a 1954 Chevy Bel Air beside the 1955 model. No contest...
Now that doesn't stop me from idly thinking about picking up one of those leftover '05s, but too bad, there are no stick shifts left. Should I settle for an automatic? There is one EX SE four door, stickered at about $19,500, nice color, wonder how much he would come down on that one.
There is also a blue '05 Accord EX which the dealer has already e-mailed me I can have for $19,6. I will probably do nothing...
:-)
VCM is nice and all, but I would really like to see some sort of hybrid offering from Honda on the larger models, like Odyssey and Pilot. It would be nice to see 30 mpg (combined) offered on one/both of these.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
"Now that doesn't stop me from idly thinking about picking up one of those leftover '05s, but too bad, there are no stick shifts left. Should I settle for an automatic?"
Good gods man! Drink your morning coffee and repent for your blasphemy =]. (I vote no.)
EX 4 door Accord with a stick for 19.6? I'd go for that one if it was a decent color. MSRP for the '06 version is 23K even.
Actually, with the Odyssey and Accord recently Ridgeline too), Honda has seemed to adopt MSRP inflation, almost like a domestic. Bigger spread than they used to have between invoice and sticker (at least it seems that way to me), and much more common to see 2K+/- discounts, even when it isn't end of year clearance time.
the Civic doesn't seem quite so bad with the spread, even though it is somewhat pricey (at least the higher lines).
Maybe my memory is fuzzy, or it might just be because the models I looked at are more expensive (so the same % spread adds up to more $$). But, in the old days, Hondas were always priced lowish, but you didn't get much discount, because there wasn't much wiggle room built into the invoice/sticker spread. That, and they were popular.
I ran into the same problem. I decided an Accord might be nice to get, and I can live with an '05 if it is a killer deal, but there are no EXL sticks (or EXs for that matter) left that I can find. Plenty of ATs, at least last week. Not sure about the supply of Civics, but I know they are all ATs left.
The prices are a little higher, but not bad when you look at the greater picture. You can get an EX with Nav (manual trans) for under $20k. It's probably the lowest priced new car with Nav in that combination.
The Mazda3 and Mazda5 require certain packages and tend to run $22k or more with Nav.
Beyond those you'll probably spend mid 20s at least.
if yo look at the Civic holistically, it is a good value (lot's of car for the money). It's just that people still associate Civic with cheap, so 19K looks like a lot of money.
the civic seems to be popular, but IMO it still won't be long discounts become normal to keep the metal moving.
They do need the fit, if for nothing else to sell something to the people that can't afford the Civic, which seems to mostly be LX and EX now (don't expect to see many low level models).
doesn't just LOOK like a lot of money, it IS a lot of money! :surprise: But at the same time, I'm sure a $19K Civic is going to be pretty well loaded. And FWIW, way back in 1994, my friends paid something like $16K for a well-optioned Civic sedan (EX, I think?), so I guess when you factor in inflation, $19K today really isn't TOO evil...
the Civic DX will go away after the first model year, as the Fit will replace its price point in the Honda line-up.
And no, stickguy, the Accord EX is also an automatic. My dealer hardly ever orders sticks in the Accord. So I have to give up my priorities to get a super-cheap year-end Accord or Civic. I have a friend with an '04 Accord automatic, seems OK to drive, not constantly underpowered like my Matrix was.
And carlisimo, I am with you, I will probably leave it at the idle thoughts stage and maybe look at a stick in the newer models next year, when the prices are appropriately lower. Can't give up on my principles just for savings, can I? :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Don't do it - you said it yourself, give up your priorities? Just for a deal?
Long-term you will be happier paying more to get what you really want.
The EX comes in under $20k even with Nav, at least the manual tranny models. Remember that the average car costs something like $27k, so that's cheap in today's weak dollars.
What happened to Honda's styling? The Accord looked like a buick and the Civic looks a Saturn. Now I thought people bought a Japanese Car for Japanese styling and not GM styling.
On another not just with Honda but with Mazda also. The prices for the Mazda 3 and 06 Civic are alot of money. I mean I remember in 1998 and 1999 an Accord LX with power windows, power locks, auto tranny and A/C was 19,485 MSRP and the price for a 1999 Accord was 19,700 MSRP I think in 1999. Dang. the prices are going up so much. A Mazda 1998 626 ES4 cyl was priced at 19,675 with Leather interior(I think the one I was looking at came with auto tranny.) You pay as much for a Civic and 3 as you did for you and Accord or 626 as much as you did 7 years ago? Does anybody think the Japanese Car Companies are charging too much money to what Ford or Chrysler are charging? General Motors aren't even competitive anymore so I will count them out excluding their Cadillac line. I am a Honda and Mazda guy all the way but their prices are getting up there. At least with Honda you get everything standard but as I said earlier the styling is not to my liking. With the Mazda 3 I can't go for the coke bottle speedometer but I look like the looks of the outside with the sport package. I wonder if the Accord LX when it comes out in a new bodystyle will MSRP'D at 23K to spread the Accord and Civic pricing out a bit. Right now an 05 Accord LX will be MSRP'D at 21,090.
As for the new Civic with the digital guage I was reading consumer reports's overview of the current Suzuki Aerio and they said "the digital instrument display, reminiscent of the 1980's, has been replaced for 2005."
"Actually, with the Odyssey and Accord recently Ridgeline too), Honda has seemed to adopt MSRP inflation, almost like a domestic. Bigger spread than they used to have between invoice and sticker (at least it seems that way to me), and much more common to see 2K+/- discounts, even when it isn't end of year clearance time"
If Honda is discounting cars by 2K even before clearence time doesn;t this kind of kill their reputatation for high resale value. Honda has always has high resale values. One of the tools that Honda uses to lure customers into the showroom and some of the reasons why people buy a Honda is for the resale value. If Honda is using 2K discounts this basically brings them down to every other car manufacturer level. I;m not dissing Honda but I;m just making my opinion known on this topic. Remember I own an Acura.
The dollar has lost a *lot* of steam in the last 7 years. That's a looong time.
I bought a house that year, 1999. It recencly appraised for more than double what I paid. 100% increase in value. You're talking about cars going up just 10-20% or so.
And once you factor inflation, prices might even be flat.
I doubt many folks are paying sticker for the Civic, dealers just want people to think that so they're willing to pay it when they decide they want one.
Discounts will hurt resale at a % of MSRP, sure, but not necessarily hurt resale as a % of what you paid. That's a key difference.
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kirstie_h
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Honda isn't offering $$ back (like the domestics are, with rebates and employee pricing). Just some dealers are, which is no different than it has always been, except they have more room to drop from MSRP now.
So, they best situation for an individual buyer is a car that holds resale and normally sells for close to sticker that you happen to get for a nice discount. Almost like driving for free!
willing to believe that Civics will sell at sticker while the '05s are still on the lot, because it means that discount Civics are available, just not the new model. As soon as all the '05s are gone, I have no doubt they will be dealing on the '06s. My local dealer is notoriously hard-headed about dealing. According to him, Hondas poop roses.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Sounds like another good reason to wait before purchasing. It's not worth it to have the first 2006 Civic on the block.
Honda dealers will eventually have to come down from the sticker price on the Civic. There are too many good competitors out there. It isn't 1988 anymore...
Unless you want the madein Japan Civic. I think the first batch is from Japan according to many psots here and 06 Civic thread.
So if you wait a few months you probably won't get the Japan made Civics. NOt that it matters I don't think, but it would be cool to have a rare made in Japan Civic
Checked a couple other dealers tonight, only found one '06 Civic in stock, a white EX auto. Made in Japan. $19,600. The new model is much cuter and better proportioned than the old one, even the front is growing on me a little every day. Beats Sentra, Cobalt, Jetta, and Corolla for looks IMO. The Mazda3 still gets first prize for styling in my book.
The other dealer I checked had no '06 Civics but did have an '06 Accord EX manual, stickered at $23K right on the nose. I like the shifter, and it is much easier to find a comfortable driving position than my current car. Nice seats, and the new dash instruments look better than the old IMO. MUCH prefer the rear lights - all thoughts of a possible '05 for me are gone. Stereo isn't that great. I think I preferred the old alloy design, and this car was silver - ick. I hereby resolve that my next car will NOT be silver.
Read in MT this evening that Honda had only a 24-day supply of Ridgelines as of that magazine's writing (probably 4-6 weeks ago now), so even though my local dealer doesn't seem to very successful at selling them, they are selling SOMEWHERE.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Beats Sentra, Cobalt, Jetta, and Corolla for looks IMO. But not Saturn Ion, both cars are designed by the same gentle man and they look identical. I am surprised Saturn is not suing Honda yet, or was the Civic re-design part of Honda V6 for Vue Redline deal?
I plugged $16,000 into an inflation calculator. That's what my friends paid in 1994 for a brand-new Civic EX sedan. In today's dollars, that comes out to $20,424.29. So I guess cars really are becoming more of a bargain. I wonder how a 2006 Civic loaded up to $20,424 would compare to my friends' '94? I'm sure it's better in just about every respect, except that they might've used higher quality carpeting and fabrics, and a bit more soft-touch plastic back in '94?
"fingers do the walking" last night myself, and discovered that none of the half dozen or more of the largest Bay Area Honda dealers I pulled up were listing '06 Civics in inventory. Yet there MUST be some out there.
It is a little frustrating, because I would like to test drive one and see if it is worth waiting for, but they are coming and going so fast there's never one around to drive. I wish my local dealer would hang onto one and make it a demo car, but I guess he would rather reap the profits while the profits are really good.
I wonder if there is a supply problem somewhere, that has delayed deliveries? The reason I say that is it is obviously a little unusual for us to be getting Japan-built Civics, and yet that is what we are getting exclusively.
OTOH, '06 Accords are in good supply now at dealers all around.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Roaming around my neighborhood. They look nice on the road. i wouldn't mind having one. The Ion resemblance may be there but Honda's iteration looks more aggressive to me. It's just a resemblance, they aren't identical.
Will Honda discountinue the Acura RSX after the 07 model year or will a brand new RSX come out for 07? They can't wait 7-8 years like they did the last time with the Integra(94-01) for a redesign. I would hate to see Honda without a car in their Honda/Acura line-up with no street cred. I don't think making the 03+ Accord Coupe cater to former Prelude buyers helps their street-cred that much.
....a friend has owned a '95 Integra since new, and has had an RSX or two as loaners. She's now ready to sell/trade, and I'm trying to steer her toward a new Civic sedan, but she seems to want an RSX; on one hand, the RSX is nice looking, has leather available (her Integra has leather, guess it's hard to go back to cloth), and she definitely won't see herself coming and going in an RSX the way she will in a Civic. OTOH, she's to the point (age 62!) that she tends to keep cars around ten years (car before the Integra was an '86 Accord), and I'd hate for her to be buying a 'lame duck' that's been on the market four years; basically, I don't want her to be in a car that looks/feels old a couple years from now. She also has one son who's been married for a while, and I can't help but think she might become a grandmother at some point in the next few years, and I'd hate to be the one hauling a baby seat around in an RSX. Strange predicament, I know. I'm going with her next week, and I can't even find any listings for '06 Civics in anyone's inventory yet. Haven't seen an '06 on the street yet, either. :confuse:
Thanks for all the well-wishing. Zoe was born late at night on 9/15. Happy, healthy, cute, yatta, yatta, yatta. Back on topic...
I'm one of the folks who agrees that *some* of the lines in the Civic's front end resemble the ION. However, there are so many other lines and shapes which do not match up, comparison is really quite silly. I could just as easily find lines which resemble the S40 or shapes similar to the Mazda3. But the whole package looks like none of them.
I've seen a few '06 Civics on the road now. The other day I was following an EX sedan, which was pacing the new Passat. The back end makes the Passat look bloated and well... awkward. (VW really messed up that car, IMHO.) Except for drive-bys at the dealership, I haven't seen much of the front end. I still strikes me as unusual, but not in a bad way. It looks nothing like the Prius, but has the same "hey, what's that?" affect on me. If nothing else, it's attention getting.
If Honda has significantly increased the difference between invoice and MSRP, I really can't blame them. A large chunk of the market has been driven by incentives. And I don't think it will seriously hurt resale. Even if Honda pads the MSRP with an extra $300, the competition has been adding $600. So, relative to the others, Honda will likely continue to brag about resale.
Civic - only the grille opening looks like the Ion, I don't think the whole car does. I like the coupe's nose because it looks sharper, perhaps it's the thinner chrome strip. The sedan has a wider strip of chrome, which I don't like. Not a deal killer by any means.
Later on I noticed the family resemblance to the Accord's grille.
Passat looks OK except for the world's largest overhangs. They should have made the wheelbase about seven feet longer. Or the car about seven feet shorter. To really get an idea of how they screwed up the proportions, look at one next to a BMW 3 series.
The local Honda dealer had two 2006 Civic sedans on the lot...and they are both gone. Now only 2005 models are left. And there are plenty of them. A buyer could swing quite a deal on a leftover 2005 model, but I'd be kicking myself in about one month after seeing more 2006 models on the road. The extra cost would be worth it to have the 2006 model.
Comments
-juice
For some reason, this Honda dealer STILL doesn't have any 2006 models on the lot!
Several back there have "sold" tags in them nonetheless. I guess those are probably selling at full sticker right now.
This would be a great time to pick up one of those '05 Civic LX SEs - I bet you could get oodles and oodles off the sticker. Unfortunately, they have only autos in stock, otherwise I would be half tempted!
This new Civic is going to completely blow the Corolla out of the water for the next 18 months, until the revised '08 Corolla gets here. Not only is the interior much better, as are the seats, but the looks are way better, and make the Corolla look big and gawky. There are two limiting factors, and one is price - the EX auto 4-door is up to $19K plus with destination. The other, of course, is the extremely controversial digital speedo. Why Honda would do this when they have to know it will polarize people, is quite beyond me. You do not want to polarize with one of your highest-volume models. I think it looks ugly and weird in an otherwise VERY well put together interior.
It is noticeably bigger than the '05. It is not far off the size of the Accord - they had one parked side by side in the back lot. Seems like the Accord has a much bigger trunk though - it is probably just the visuals playing games with my eyes.
An '05 Accord EX auto in blue (my favorite color) has just turned up - don't know when that happened. This dealer had quoted me $20,188 for an EX auto about a month ago, I bet now they could even knock a few hundred $$ more off that price. Tempting, but I do much prefer the look of the rear on the '06...
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Another thing is that a lot of folks shop on price, perhaps one reason why Camry outsells Accord, and it looks like Toyota will have the edge there, too.
I think they'll get away with the price increase, but I dunno about a higher price and higher volume, that's tough. Especially when you have so much competitive pressure.
Timing is perfect, get a new and efficient model out right on the tail end of these gas price spikes, so I do think it'll get a great start. 30/40 mpg will draw in buyers, for sure.
Brochures - that's the way to do it, unlike Subaru, who launches a new model with a teaser brochure, then only gets the real brochures 3 months later. So lame.
-juice
Well, even the CHEAPEST '06 Civic has a telescoping wheel standard! I still think it is a mistake to have a Civic as stripped as the new DX will be, but I haven't seen any of those delivered so far. Of the dozen or so they have, about half are already sold, roughly a 50/50 split of EX and LX. The big rims of the new LX look weird with such large plastic covers on them, and they are the kind of open design that shows a lot of the black wheel underneath - kinda ugly. For $17,5, you think they could include some nice alloys on the LX as well. I guess that will be for the "SE" package later, when sales lag around year 4, LOL!
The new Civic looks long and lean the way they styled it, while the Corolla looks like it will blow over in a strong wind - too tall for its width. That sums up the difference between them. I prefer the Civic in that respect. Now Civic's front end leaves something to be desired, but the Corolla's face aint no great shakes either.
As to what gee said, I think one thing stands out - safety sells these days. The new Civic now has SAB and curtains standard along with the ABS. You pay extra for ALL of those on the Corolla. And while the Corolla is the current standard-bearer for side impact protection, that is only with the optional SAB. I bet when they finally get around to testing the new Civic, it will lead the pack.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Though there was an exception - they made a lot of noise about how the Element was reinforced for side impact protection, and the base models fared badly in IIHS tests. Not just the lack of air bags, but also structurally.
-juice
The car does look better in real life than in the photos. The front isn't offensive at all, and the resemblance to the Saturn Ion isn't strong in real life.
What really surprises me is the hood - it is VERY short! The fast-sloping windshield hides this from the side view, as the hood and the windshield almost become "one."
I can see why the dealer has been reluctant to show the 2006 models with several 2005 Civics still on the lot. The new one makes its predecessor look about as exciting as a 1960s Rambler sedan.
Honda is estimating the SI at 7.5 seconds from 0-60, despite it having the same powertrain as the current RSX-S, which I believe is faster (and only lighter by 100 pounds or so). Seems very conservative.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
One thing with the Si that makes it look slower than it is is the gearing. You have to shift to 3rd at about 58 mph, which adds a few 10ths to the time.
So, if you decide to race in the 1/4 mile, or maybe 0-55, no impact. And in real world use, it should still be plenty fast.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Any how, let's see what the car mags report and then what owners get in terms of real-world mileage.
-juice
Ridgelines and Elements, OTOH, continue to pile up on his back lot.
I was hoping to test drive a new Civic this weekend, I hope he gets more by then. :shades:
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Any idea when the EPA numbers will be released?
Right now I think the Murano takes the prize for best-in-class among the mid-size crossover SUVs. That CVT helps.
-juice
Now that doesn't stop me from idly thinking about picking up one of those leftover '05s, but too bad, there are no stick shifts left. Should I settle for an automatic? There is one EX SE four door, stickered at about $19,500, nice color, wonder how much he would come down on that one.
There is also a blue '05 Accord EX which the dealer has already e-mailed me I can have for $19,6. I will probably do nothing...
:-)
VCM is nice and all, but I would really like to see some sort of hybrid offering from Honda on the larger models, like Odyssey and Pilot. It would be nice to see 30 mpg (combined) offered on one/both of these.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Good gods man! Drink your morning coffee and repent for your blasphemy =].
(I vote no.)
Actually, with the Odyssey and Accord recently Ridgeline too), Honda has seemed to adopt MSRP inflation, almost like a domestic. Bigger spread than they used to have between invoice and sticker (at least it seems that way to me), and much more common to see 2K+/- discounts, even when it isn't end of year clearance time.
the Civic doesn't seem quite so bad with the spread, even though it is somewhat pricey (at least the higher lines).
Maybe my memory is fuzzy, or it might just be because the models I looked at are more expensive (so the same % spread adds up to more $$). But, in the old days, Hondas were always priced lowish, but you didn't get much discount, because there wasn't much wiggle room built into the invoice/sticker spread. That, and they were popular.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Sometimes it's hard to be a rebel.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The Mazda3 and Mazda5 require certain packages and tend to run $22k or more with Nav.
Beyond those you'll probably spend mid 20s at least.
-juice
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
In fact it might have been better to introduce that model first, just to emphasize that the Civic is no longer their entry-level car.
What do we know? Sales seem off to a good start despite the high prices.
-juice
They do need the fit, if for nothing else to sell something to the people that can't afford the Civic, which seems to mostly be LX and EX now (don't expect to see many low level models).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
And no, stickguy, the Accord EX is also an automatic. My dealer hardly ever orders sticks in the Accord. So I have to give up my priorities to get a super-cheap year-end Accord or Civic. I have a friend with an '04 Accord automatic, seems OK to drive, not constantly underpowered like my Matrix was.
And carlisimo, I am with you, I will probably leave it at the idle thoughts stage and maybe look at a stick in the newer models next year, when the prices are appropriately lower. Can't give up on my principles just for savings, can I? :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Long-term you will be happier paying more to get what you really want.
The EX comes in under $20k even with Nav, at least the manual tranny models. Remember that the average car costs something like $27k, so that's cheap in today's weak dollars.
-juice
On another not just with Honda but with Mazda also. The prices for the Mazda 3 and 06 Civic are alot of money. I mean I remember in 1998 and 1999 an Accord LX with power windows, power locks, auto tranny and A/C was 19,485 MSRP and the price for a 1999 Accord was 19,700 MSRP I think in 1999. Dang. the prices are going up so much. A Mazda 1998 626 ES4 cyl was priced at 19,675 with Leather interior(I think the one I was looking at came with auto tranny.) You pay as much for a Civic and 3 as you did for you and Accord or 626 as much as you did 7 years ago? Does anybody think the Japanese Car Companies are charging too much money to what Ford or Chrysler are charging? General Motors aren't even competitive anymore so I will count them out excluding their Cadillac line. I am a Honda and Mazda guy all the way but their prices are getting up there. At least with Honda you get everything standard but as I said earlier the styling is not to my liking. With the Mazda 3 I can't go for the coke bottle speedometer but I look like the looks of the outside with the sport package. I wonder if the Accord LX when it comes out in a new bodystyle will MSRP'D at 23K to spread the Accord and Civic pricing out a bit. Right now an 05 Accord LX will be MSRP'D at 21,090.
As for the new Civic with the digital guage I was reading consumer reports's overview of the current Suzuki Aerio and they said "the digital instrument display, reminiscent of the 1980's, has been replaced for 2005."
Wow people are paying for Civic's at sticker? Probably next year summertime you can probably buy one for 500 dollars over invoice.
If Honda is discounting cars by 2K even before clearence time doesn;t this kind of kill their reputatation for high resale value. Honda has always has high resale values. One of the tools that Honda uses to lure customers into the showroom and some of the reasons why people buy a Honda is for the resale value. If Honda is using 2K discounts this basically brings them down to every other car manufacturer level. I;m not dissing Honda but I;m just making my opinion known on this topic. Remember I own an Acura.
I bought a house that year, 1999. It recencly appraised for more than double what I paid. 100% increase in value. You're talking about cars going up just 10-20% or so.
And once you factor inflation, prices might even be flat.
I doubt many folks are paying sticker for the Civic, dealers just want people to think that so they're willing to pay it when they decide they want one.
Discounts will hurt resale at a % of MSRP, sure, but not necessarily hurt resale as a % of what you paid. That's a key difference.
-juice
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So, they best situation for an individual buyer is a car that holds resale and normally sells for close to sticker that you happen to get for a nice discount. Almost like driving for free!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Honda dealers will eventually have to come down from the sticker price on the Civic. There are too many good competitors out there. It isn't 1988 anymore...
So if you wait a few months you probably won't get the Japan made Civics. NOt that it matters I don't think, but it would be cool to have a rare made in Japan Civic
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Checked a couple other dealers tonight, only found one '06 Civic in stock, a white EX auto. Made in Japan. $19,600. The new model is much cuter and better proportioned than the old one, even the front is growing on me a little every day. Beats Sentra, Cobalt, Jetta, and Corolla for looks IMO. The Mazda3 still gets first prize for styling in my book.
The other dealer I checked had no '06 Civics but did have an '06 Accord EX manual, stickered at $23K right on the nose. I like the shifter, and it is much easier to find a comfortable driving position than my current car. Nice seats, and the new dash instruments look better than the old IMO. MUCH prefer the rear lights - all thoughts of a possible '05 for me are gone. Stereo isn't that great. I think I preferred the old alloy design, and this car was silver - ick. I hereby resolve that my next car will NOT be silver.
Read in MT this evening that Honda had only a 24-day supply of Ridgelines as of that magazine's writing (probably 4-6 weeks ago now), so even though my local dealer doesn't seem to very successful at selling them, they are selling SOMEWHERE.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But not Saturn Ion, both cars are designed by the same gentle man and they look identical. I am surprised Saturn is not suing Honda yet, or was the Civic re-design part of Honda V6 for Vue Redline deal?
-juice
It is a little frustrating, because I would like to test drive one and see if it is worth waiting for, but they are coming and going so fast there's never one around to drive. I wish my local dealer would hang onto one and make it a demo car, but I guess he would rather reap the profits while the profits are really good.
I wonder if there is a supply problem somewhere, that has delayed deliveries? The reason I say that is it is obviously a little unusual for us to be getting Japan-built Civics, and yet that is what we are getting exclusively.
OTOH, '06 Accords are in good supply now at dealers all around.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
-juice
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm one of the folks who agrees that *some* of the lines in the Civic's front end resemble the ION. However, there are so many other lines and shapes which do not match up, comparison is really quite silly. I could just as easily find lines which resemble the S40 or shapes similar to the Mazda3. But the whole package looks like none of them.
I've seen a few '06 Civics on the road now. The other day I was following an EX sedan, which was pacing the new Passat. The back end makes the Passat look bloated and well... awkward. (VW really messed up that car, IMHO.) Except for drive-bys at the dealership, I haven't seen much of the front end. I still strikes me as unusual, but not in a bad way. It looks nothing like the Prius, but has the same "hey, what's that?" affect on me. If nothing else, it's attention getting.
If Honda has significantly increased the difference between invoice and MSRP, I really can't blame them. A large chunk of the market has been driven by incentives. And I don't think it will seriously hurt resale. Even if Honda pads the MSRP with an extra $300, the competition has been adding $600. So, relative to the others, Honda will likely continue to brag about resale.
Civic - only the grille opening looks like the Ion, I don't think the whole car does. I like the coupe's nose because it looks sharper, perhaps it's the thinner chrome strip. The sedan has a wider strip of chrome, which I don't like. Not a deal killer by any means.
Later on I noticed the family resemblance to the Accord's grille.
Passat looks OK except for the world's largest overhangs. They should have made the wheelbase about seven feet longer. Or the car about seven feet shorter. To really get an idea of how they screwed up the proportions, look at one next to a BMW 3 series.
-juice
I liked the previous Passat better.
Back to topic: no honda's run has not ran out
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The local Honda dealer had two 2006 Civic sedans on the lot...and they are both gone. Now only 2005 models are left. And there are plenty of them. A buyer could swing quite a deal on a leftover 2005 model, but I'd be kicking myself in about one month after seeing more 2006 models on the road. The extra cost would be worth it to have the 2006 model.