[QUOTE=2ndJenn;2335430]Honda has lost focus on selling a low cost high quality car for younger people. They have lost an entire generation of perspective car buyers. They took great cars (Integra and Civic) and down sized them into small unattractive cars (RSX) and forced unwanted redesigns on to their customers ( dash mounted rally shift, really who thought that was a good idea?) while denying access to the cars people wanted ( Civic Type R).
That is why you see so many KIA Souls on the roads, like Civics in the 90s! They are a good quality car for under $20,000.
Honda needs to get back to their roots, and give the people what they want!
The last straw for me was the RSX. I never liked the design of the interior, mostly the dash and the rear seats were basically not useable for anyone other than a child. The interior just seemed cramped and bland. I always hated the name change to RSX (and all of the others for Acura). When a car has a name it has recognition. When someone says “I have a Legend” you instantly get a picture in your head. When someone says “I have a 3.2 CL” my mind refuses to acknowledge the information and I’m like “what the hell is that?”[/QUOTE]
I sort of agree. But…
Gotta remember the RSX was an American thing. The JDM RSX was still an integra. I think they did the best they could with that car… yes the interior wasnt for everyone (more on that later) and the exterior styling was hit or miss, but, the car was a rather affordable 2 door sports coupe with arguably the best engine for the platform. The K engines are awesome, well developed and loaded with potential. The backseat issue was just a compromise between adhering to augmenting safety standards and keeping the compact, fun coupe. I dont fault them for that.
Honda isn’t after the fringe anymore though. They are after the mainstream. We’ll probably never see another CRX (they tried to while making it ultra efficient… again going after that mainstream. It was a classic example of not committing to what you’re doing). Cars now are so overly complex, laden with electronics and computers that they aren’t all that friendly to the builder… the engine that you get is probably the one you’re keeping. Honda made the civic into the ultimate, affordable, pedestrian sedan. I’ve driven a few new ones… the interior is the best example I can think of in a modern vehicle that tries to appeal to everyone. It’s so blah.
The ultimate move that honda has made in recent years to reinforce the fact that they are after the mainstream, in my opinion, has been the move to drop the manual transmission from their entire Acura line. Nothing says yuppie soccer mom quite like the current offerings from Acura.
It’s a reaaaal shame too… cause the Japanese Import offerings in North America are terrible, save a few examples. Subaru has stuck true with their STi’s, I really applaud Toyota on the FR-S, even though they are weak engine wise, but really, that’s kinda it… we’re past the days of Import Wars as we would like it, for now. Currently, the import war is targeting the people who need an appliance… the ones who look at sticker and how many options they can get for X price. The Civic competes directly with the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla and Mitsu Lancer. It that’s not a sad list, im not sure what is.
And really, why would they venture out? They make a killing in the non-enthusiast market. It seems now the enthusiasts have shifted towards muscle cars (this is just like the 60’s and 70’s). My father just bought himself a 2016 Mustang GT. That car corners like it’s on rails, it’s a 2 door car with a manual transmission that is geared directly at the enthusiast. The styling is aggressive, the interior is bold… pretty much what JDM cars used to be. I doubt we’ll see a resurgence out of Japan for a few years. They have a huge market and there seems to be enough for all of them.