Honda and Toyota are the silent killers. Year after year they continue to pump out high quality vehicles that resonate with buyers and make the executives at other companies sweat. The cars you see in today’s post will probably be responsible for killing off long running nameplates like Legacy, Impala, and Passat. And they’ll be doing it in style.
A lot of digital ink has been spilled recently in regards to the waning influence of the sedan. A few years ago the idea of an auto show Accord being devoid of any humans would have been unthinkable. Now its the norm. Yes, even the new Accord garners less attention these days, even if it remains near the top of the food chain.
Perhaps I wasn’t being entirely honest. There was a popular Accord at the show, it just wasn’t the white one. You know how I keep saying that color matters? It’s true. This is the car that little kids want to photograph.
And this is the interior car bloggers want to photograph. Yes, even Honda is taking inspiration from Mazda. Only they’re doing it better. That shouldn’t be surprising, right? The setup in the Accord is superior because the infotainment screen is a really nice width. Plus, its not one of those units that require the user to interface with a mouse type of device or buttons near the shifter, which a lot of modern Mazda vehicles have.
The Accord also got some very nice digital displays in the cockpit.
We’re moving on from the Accord, despite what you might think. That display is deceiving and I had to go back and enlarge this picture just to be sure, but the car is in fact the new Insight. You may remember the old Insight as a mediocre Prius wannabe. The new generation is more unique and it looks much more competitive than its forebears.
Instead of a Civic hybrid, buyers can opt for a sedan based on the same platform that gets 55 mpg highway and 49 mpg city in its more basic trims. That’s within spitting distance of the Prius, which achieves only a negligible amount more.
And the Insight does so in a more attractive package, inside and out. Honda may have copied Mazda on the Accord but in the Insight they took the floating screen motif and molded it into a very original design.
Overall, the Insight is the Civic variant that resonates with me, due to its more mature look, great fuel economy, and reasonable price. The Insight starts at $23,725, but I’d opt for the EX, which starts at $24,995. That gets you the 8 inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, among other things.
Other vehicles based on the Civic aren’t as fuel efficient but they’re far more popular. The CR-V, like the RAV4, Escape, and Rogue, now outsells its sedan brethren. And that’s probably a permanent shift too. The current generation of crossovers, no matter the size, are better than ever. And Honda’s latest continues the tradition of forward momentum, even if it isn’t the best selling in its class.
Like the Civic, the CR-V adopts a quasi-floating screen design. It’s a good look that Honda should spread throughout the rest of the lineup.
The rear end of the Honda may be a bit busy, but its not the Rogue, which is really just an anonymous blob.
This was the first year I was able to get a decent shot of the HR-V. It’s a decent looking subcompact crossover. And the recently refreshed model looks good too.
And the interior is a nice place to spend time in, but that comes at a price. As Alex Dykes points out, the Honda will cost about 25 percent more than competitors like the Nissan Kicks, a vehicle that is just starting to trickle into Nissan dealers around the country. Based on my experience with both, my conclusion is that the Honda is definitely worth checking out if you value a quality interior.
The Clarity definitely won’t pull in numbers comparable to its crossover stablemates, but it does have an available fuel cell powertrain, which is pretty cool. At the auto show, pretty much no one cared.
But I care! Actually, no. This thing is fugly. Fortunately Honda can build an attractive alternative energy vehicle. They just chose not to with the Clarity. And don’t let the vehicle’s profile fool you: that’s a sedan, not a hatchback.
Even a slow seller like the Ridgeline will be more popular than the Clarity.
And it’ll find customers by being available with some interesting visual packages like the Black Edition. Outfitting a vehicle with blacked out alloy rims, mirrors, and body cladding is all the rage these days, so it makes sense Honda decided to equip their pick up with the stuff.
Yup, those are some pretty black rims. Honestly, I don’t find black appearance packages bad on cars with black paint.
Honda also decided to outfit their vehicles with one other thing. Let’s call it the Protective Film Package. I’ve never seen anything like this before on any display vehicle, including models from luxury automakers. Does the film actually prevent scratches? And did Honda explicitly have a problem with their show cars being torn up? Are their lower door trim materials especially susceptible to this sort of thing? I have so many questions.
Over at Toyota, the new Corolla hatchback looks pretty damn good. This will be the first Corolla based on the TNGA platform, which already underpins the Camry, Prius, C-HR, and Avalon. It also marks the elimination of the iM nomenclature, which originally debuted when Scion still existed and carried on after the division’s demise by being branded as a Corolla. This hatch is also known as the Auris in other markets.
Toyota already released early examples of the hatch to the automotive press so they could review them. The overall consensus is that the car has very good handling that is a step up from the current model. Will the sedan also handle as well?
Probably not. The hatch comes standard with an independent rear suspension that will likely be swapped out for a torsion beam to cut costs. The Corolla has never commanded high prices in its segment and I doubt Toyota will change that.
And here’s the interior. I spent about a day trying to figure out what car this interior belonged to without realizing that it was the 2019 Corolla all along. Ugh! Anyway, it’s about what you’d expect from a Corolla. Very nice buttons and high quality materials up top. Cheaper stuff below the knees.
Why did I take a picture of the shifter? It felt pretty small in my hands. Notably smaller than other shifters I’m familiar with. Obviously not a big deal, but I thought it warranted a mention.
Whether or not you like Toyota’s design choices on their most recent vehicles, you’ll probably agree that their new models look more interesting than they ever have. The Prius, Camry, C-HR, and Avalon are less boring than their predecessors, for better and worse. This white sedan is the new Avalon, and it definitely looks a bit less sedate than the previous generation. Although the front grille on this particular trim level is a bit garish. I actually think this may be one of the rare vehicles where adding a front license plate improves the look. Otherwise that gaping maw is just too big.
Out back things are a bit more conservative. In fact, the rear borrows pretty much all its style from the previous generation. But that’s not a bad thing, because the evolutionary changes make the car look far more premium than it previously did, even if the designs are largely similar.
Toyota, like other manufacturers, is focusing on increased differentiation between trims, at least on certain models. The white Avalon at the show was a Touring model while this example is a Hybrid Limited. The more sedate grille is the most obvious difference between this and the Touring model, which seems to be oriented more towards sportiness, with a hint of luxury.
The Limited is definitely luxury-oriented. The trim gets exclusive leather seating with non-traditional perforation and two tone stitching, along with real wood. While the idea of an upscale flagship may seem redundant given the existence of the ES, there are people who live too far away from a Lexus dealer that may still want a luxurious product from Toyota. For example, I’d have to travel at least 40 minutes to get to one.
Regardless of trim, all Avalon owners will get an interior with a floating center stack. This is probably the best use of the floating motif to date. I really dig it. And those buttons are reminiscent of ones you’d find on older stereos from the 80’s or 90’s.
Toyota recently announced it was remaining a “full line” auto manufacturer in response to the decline of the passenger car. Obviously that term is generally used to describe a car company that offers a sedan in every size class. Otherwise the term wouldn’t apply to Toyota, since they don’t offer any commercial vans or a mid-size crossover. Regardless, one way the company has managed to stay in the game is by offering The Car Formerly Known As The Scion iA, essentially a rebadged Mazda 2, to its customers. I’m curious if we’ll see more rebadged vehicles in the future. Given the corporate partnership between Mazda and Toyota, it would make sense for the next generation 6 to switch to being a Camry in different clothing. Mazda’s car lineup doesn’t exactly sell in self-sustaining numbers these days.
The 2019 model fully shakes off its Scion roots by being renamed a Yaris. Yes, Scion is truly dead. May all their quirky cars rust in peace.
The Camry’s influence may be waning, but its still a juggernaut in the segment, and will likely be one of the last mid sizers standing after other automakers purge their cars from their respective lineups. Toyota finally created a mid size that isn’t boring. Crazy, right?
On the inside and out, the new model has style and color!
Cockpit Red adorns the cabin of this XSE Camry. It would have been unthinkable for Toyota to equip their mid size with something similar to this five years ago, but with the RAV4 now leading the pack, the company can attempt to sell the Camry to those looking for something that handles a bit better than the average crossover.
Like the Avalon, the Camry gets a very unconventional center stack adorned with buttons that hark back to a different era. Somehow it all works. Just don’t forget to leave your micro fiber cloth at home. You’re gonna need it to clean off all those fingerprints!
Two tone color schemes: no longer limited to the Ford Flex or the Mini lineup.
Another vehicle that offers an available two tone paint scheme is the 2019 RAV4. Like the Camry, the compact crossover gains some confident new styling. It also joins its stablemates by migrating to the TNGA architecture, which means it should handle better than the current model.
Toyota definitely borrowed some design elements from the Tacoma and 4Runner for the RAV4. The end result is a much more aggressive look.
In addition to two tone paint jobs, the new model also gets an all wheel drive system that can completely disconnect the rear driveshaft. Presumably this allows the vehicle to return fuel economy numbers as close to a front wheel drive model as possible. GM started equipping its newer crossovers with the same type of system. I wonder how many people actually use it. 
I forgot to take a pic of the rear, so here is the butt of the RAV4. Not bad! Overall I’d say the new model looks way more impressive than the current one.
And let’s not forget the interior! Unlike the Avalon or Camry, the RAV4 plays it safe. Of course its has to, now that its the best selling vehicle in the Toyota lineup. I don’t see anything unreasonable here. Just a simple cabin. Nothing wrong with that.
Genuine concept cars are a rarity at the show these days, so it was a treat to see the Toyota “Fine-Comfort Ride” made an appearance. I wonder if it was a Scion at some point, because it sure as hell looks like a concept for a new xB or something similar.
Toyota is still flirting with fuel cell vehicles, just like Honda does with the Clarity. Are they just compliance vehicles? Probably. But maybe the technology will gain more traction in the near future. Probably not though.
I believe I’m contractually obligated to include at least one shot of a swag display case in every post on the auto show, so here you go! Interested in a Toyota branded watch, headphones, or gloves? Worry no more, because those things exist.
I conclude this section with all the vehicles adorned with graphics of the New York area sports teams.
Stay tuned for part 7!
Related Reading:
CC Visits The 2018 NY International Auto Show, Part 1: GM and Nissan
Part 2: European Luxury Brands
Part 3: Subaru, Volvo, Lexus, Acura, Genesis, Mazda, and Revero
I’ll just come out and say it: I hate the interior of the new Accord. I sat in a couple of them at NAIAS, and that stupid-looking wide design with the glued-on iPad does absolutely nothing positive for me. The 1980s digital displays for the climate controls don’t work for me either.
Toyota has finally managed to make a Corolla that looks decent. The last Toyota I had a chance to drive, a 2015 Camry rental, drove well enough-it felt like they heavily benchmarked a 2012 Fusion but didn’t quite hit the sweet spot. And at least on the Camry and Corolla, their interiors finally feel up to the state of the art instead of stuck perpetually five years in the past.
Also, the wood in the Avalon was real? I wasn’t particularly impressed by it at NAIAS.
As a former Civic owner, I agree that the Insight is all together a better looking proposition than the Civic, and also the Prius. I would gladly spend the extra money over the Civic, too.
Thank you for the swell write up! I actually like the Hybrid Clarity and would be tempted by one if I had the money. The one I drove was quite nice I thought. How long do you think the Accord Couoe has to live by the way?
The Accord Coupe is no more. It ended with the 2017 Model Year. The 2018 does not come in a coupe. You CAN still get a Civic Coupe, although for how long, who can say?
Sorry about the grammatical errors. Anyway, I am surprised to hear that the coupe is dead but not surprised at the same time.
No big deal… Thankfully for all of us, the Grammar Police don’t patrol this site. ;o)
Honda has a funny way of keeping things under wraps and then revealing it later. When the Civic came out in 2016, the Coupe (or Hatchback for that matter) did not come out right away. Then they unveiled the coupe in the Spring of 2016 after the new Civic had been on sale a while. The hatch came out in 2017, along with Si versions. The Type R then hit the scene for the 2018 model year, but we knew that was eventually coming to America.
It would not surprise me if Honda revives the Accord Coupe in say 2020 or 2021, but we probably shouldn’t hold our breath. I’d love to see it, being a fan of coupes, but if the Sedan is a dying breed, what hope is there for a new Accord Coupe?
When I was shopping for a commuter car in August of 2016, a Civic wasn’t even on my radar at the time (I favored the Mazda 3), but then I read a positive review (results of a test) on Motor Trend that raved about the Civic Sedan. They picked it as the winner of the test. When I went to the lot on a Sunday where I wouldn’t get accosted by a salesman, I spotted it… I said to my wife, “It comes in a Coupe?!?!?!?” I was so excited. It was in my driveway 3 days later. The search was over….
Of the cars profiled here, the Corolla hatchback is the most appealing to me personally.
The Insight is probably a preview of the Civic’s midcycle refresh; on the “what were they thinking?” front, is *anyone* clamoring for a hybrid without a hatch?
The new CR-V has been selling like hotcakes. I strongly suspect the only thing keeping it out of the #1 slot is Honda’s continued refusal to cut fleet deals. If you don’t have to, why bother?
I wonder what the fate of the Yaris hatchback is. I wouldn’t mind if they tagged in the hatch version of the Mazda 2, but Hyundai’s abandoned the segment in the US and it seems like the 500lb gorillas of the subcompact hatch genre are the Mitsubishi Mirage because it’s the cheapest and the Honda Fit at the relatively-high end.
Now if only Honda would build a Fit Si…
The new CRV is selling quite well, you are correct. I have not driven one but have been in several and the interior is very attractive and the exterior is not offensive (to me). It seems to be a perfect size as well. I kind of want to drive one and see how the turbo’ed engine feels.
I’ll bet the Yaris will be dropped immediately if there is any kind of tariff increase seeing as how it’s built in France. Or, as you indicate, all of a sudden be “refreshed” by slapping the Yaris badge on the Mazda2 hatch.
I was in a Mirage the other day and I see why it sells. It’s extremely basic but has enough room to not feel completely cramped. That price and warranty makes up for a lot of sins. A 5year old Civic or Fit MAY be a better value in the extreme long run but I don’t know.
Actually, in other markets I believe the Fit (or Jazz as it is also called) is available as a hybrid. Considering that the “regular” Fit is only about as fuel efficient as the larger Civic, I can sort of understand Honda offering a Fit hybrid and not an Si.
Well, it’s finally happened, and I’m still reeling from the shock of it. Of all the current new models in my theoretical price range, I’ve become somewhat smitten with the latest Camry. A co-worker just picked one up in that very deep, highly flecked metallic navy color, and it is really a beautiful automobile, with just the right amount of space, a very high quality, well-laid-out interior and all-around ideal proportions from my perspective.
Either I’m getting old (which kinda goes without saying) or this model has just jumped the shark from a marketability standpoint, because throughout the Camry’s reign I’ve never been a fan of any generation, so clearly it’s about to be relegated to the ranks of the Buick Centurys of yesteryear or it’s going to go the way of the Dodo within 5 years.
The Corolla in the top picture looks like a Samurai Warrior ready to run your ass over ;-]
“…Are their lower door trim materials especially susceptible to this sort of thing? I have so many questions…..”
Speaking of the “Protective Film Package”, Edward, I wish I wouldn’t have checked the option delete box for this when I got my 2016 Civic EX-T.
Only ONCE have I kicked the speaker grille off of my driver’s door of my 2007 Mustang, but I kick the door panel of my Civic daily! – I’m just about 6′ tall, but the Civic Coupe has plenty of room for me and is a great commuter car and fun to drive. This is a major drawback to these. Getting in is no problem, but getting out, the toe of my size 12.5 shoe hits this panel almost every time as I swing my legs around to exit the vehicle.
Presumably, Honda wanted their show car properly optioned with so many folks getting in and out of the cars as always happens at these shows….
My sons have had great success with their Honda Civics. I believe the next SUV in the Moparlee driveway will have the H in the centre of the grille up front. I was never thrilled with the CR-V, but reading that you said it is based on the Civic helps me look past the awful styling a bit better.
I still have a vague memory of an early smallish SUV that I think Honda put out back in maybe 1980, that the CR-V styling evolved from. At least I think so. It was very cheap looking and it had that stupid spare tire hanging on the back door. The fellow told me it was going to be the future of car-dom. What a joke! Turns out he was right!
The CR-V has always been based on the Civic. (Apparently you didn’t notice that the CR-V hit world markets just about the time that the Civic wagon left the market? )
Honda did sell a completely different model of the HR-V in non U.S. markets about 30 years ago. That model was front wheel drive only and was originally 2 door only….don’t know if it had a rear mounted spare.
Other than the Clarity, i see nothing interesting in either brands lineup. They are boring as all get out. boring to look at(since they all look a like. It’s CUV’s and SUV’s that will kill off those cars you mentioned……….not the bor-mobiles for people who have been assimilated. this is one of the reasons i don’t go to the auto show anymore. nothing interesting to look at.
I read somewhere that all the versions of the Corolla will have the IRS. They are consolidating the various different global Corollas into one, and the cost savings of doing that allow them to put the same multi-link IRS in all versions.
I think I like almost everything I see here. Well, maybe not so much the Clarity, the exterior design is a little too much for me. But otherwise, were I in the market for a sedan one of these two makers would likely have me covered.
“Otherwise the term (full-line manufacturer) wouldn’t apply to Toyota, since they don’t offer any commercial vans or a mid-size crossover.”
I think between the RAV4 on the smaller end, and the Highlander and the 4Runner in the true midsize market, Toyota has the midsize CUV/SUV market pretty well covered. I just don’t see another slot in there to fill. With the CH-R and the Sequoia as well above and below along with several of these ac couple of being body on frame, a couple of hybrid options, 2WD and 4WD choices, I think one would be hard-pressed not to be able to find something for every need (barring personal subjective preference).
I also don’t doubt that they could offer a commercial van here but choose not to bring one of their various international offerings over due to the chicken tax and don’t want to take up manufacturing capacity for one stateside.
But it brings up an interesting question – Who really is “full-line”? Surely a minivan would have to be part of it since we pretty much all agree it is the single most useful vehicle type, various sedans as well as wagon variants, a range of SUV/CUV’s, trucks in a couple of sizes and weight levels, alternative propulsion beyond ICE, I suppose as mentioned maybe commercial vehicles…does ANYone actually fill this in the US? I don’t think they do.
GM
Where’s the minivan? I guess they still have the fullsize as a passenger van but nothing smaller. Or am I totally glossing over something (could be).
Forgot that segment- mental block (grins). But GM also climbs above Toyota on the truck scale, as does Ford.
And Ram. Oh I don’t disagree re the trucks just didn’t see anyone really being a “full-line”, at least not in this market alone.
I think it’s interesting to compare and contrast the notes of viewers, Automotive Journalists, and actual buyers getting their checkbooks out.
1. Honda, from a volume standpoint, has a three (or four) model lineup- the CR-V, the Civic, and the Accord. Maybe the Pilot, if we’re feeling generous. They offer a lot of other models, but that’s what works in terms of actual sales. (FCA owns the mini-van market, the Ridgeline is a niche product, and Hybrids… in spite of manufacturer enthusiasm, is generating a big consumer yawn).
2. Of those three, the Accord’s in trouble, in spite of high praise from the automotive press. This is starting to remind me of the Mazda 6, another highly praised car that’s relatively a non-starter on the showroom. I personally think hi-tech little turbo motors and CVT’s have questionable merit in mainstream family sedans. Now to clarify, the Accord is the 3rd largest selling mid-sized sedan… after #1 & #2 Camry and Altima. You see where I’m going with this?
3. Mrs. Bear’s pretty excited about the new Rav4… which makes me deeply nervous. Keep your eyes away from my side of the garage honey!
Through June of this year, FCA has sold 86,778 Caravans and 63,024 Pacificas. Honda has sold 51,225 Odysseys. Honda is hardly a minor player in this segment, particularly since those Odysseys went to retail, not fleet, customers.
As for the Accord – Honda does not sell large numbers to fleet customers, and until late last month, special lease deals and other incentives were minimal compared to those available on the Camry and Altima.
Meanwhile, Toyota released the Camry with generous incentives, and both Nissan and Toyota have not been shy about about selling the Altima and Camry, respectively, to rental fleets. Honda managed to sell 138,290 Accords through the end of June to retail customers, and without much in the way of incentives until recently, which is hardly shabby.
Also note that the Accord, Civic and CR-V are now based on a common platform, so that reduces costs for Honda.
Through June, 2018, YTD
FCA: 86,778 Grand Caravans
63,024 Pacificas
s/t 149,802
Honda: 51,255
Toyota 46,004
KIA 10,388
Total Segment Sales: 257,455
FCA market Share 58.18%
They own this segment- have for 30 years.
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2018/07/minivan-sales-in-america-june-2018/
We’ve discussed the retail/fleet aspect before. Bottom line- unlike GM in the 90’s, Toyota doesn’t do fleet at a loss… and judging from residuals, it certainly hasn’t impacted their business. On Honda’s side, a lost sale is exactly that- a lost sale. 0% of a lower profit is still zero, no matter how you care to word it.
Let’s see where FCA is in a few years. Are they going to keep selling the Caravan – which generates the most sales – indefinitely?
The future of both the Dodge and Chrysler brands is in doubt at this point. (Although the Pacifica could be re-badged as a Jeep without much problem.)
I also doubt that many retail customers are purchasing those Caravans – which are hardly cutting edge at this point – without hefty incentives.
Turning to the Accord, to put things into perspective – through April, the average incentives on the hood of the Accord and its chief competitors were:
Camry – $2,483
Altima – $3,445
Accord – $0
If Honda has managed to sell Accords without dumping them into fleets, and without hefty incentives, it is still making a nice profit, even at a lower sales level. Sharing a platform with two other high-volume models – the Civic and CR-V – also helps profitability.
The bottom line is that, if we are judging how successful a manufacturer is by the number of “actual buyers getting out their checkbooks,” it appears that Honda is doing just fine.
The market is swinging away from sedans, but Honda has the volume to stay afloat in that segment and weather the decline. Its crossovers and minivan are hardly failures.
Accord and Camry were always very close to 1:1 in sales. Since the new body style, it’s more lie 1.5:1. That’s a huge swing- and do the math on that while you’re at it. Honda has- the Accord incentives started rolling out last month. They know what I’m stating- they’re getting killed in a segment that they’ve always been highly competitive in. The accord is a new design- there’s a lot of R&D money that needs to be paid for before the model can even be called profitable (ditto the Camry).
In minivans, Honda, Toyota, and KIA are splitting up the 30% left over that FCA doesn’t have. That’s neither a dominant nor desireable place to be competing from.
RE: MDX. If Acura didn’t have that model, I doubt there would be an Acura. A few years ago, they decided they didn’t have to build attractive cars anymore. The public agreed- and stopped buying them. It’s a division on suicidewatch.
We agree on the bottom line. I’ll be interested to see how relative profitability looks at year end on the Corporate Balance Sheets.
Toyota has been maintaining sales of the Camry through the use of hefty incentives – on a brand-new model that has received good reviews – and fleet sales. So, in that respect, it’s not surprising that it has pulled away from the Accord.
The Accord gives a truer picture of the state of the sedan market. People aren’t buying them without hefty incentives.
The new Civic has also stolen more than a few Accord sales.
As for Acura – the new RDX has come roaring out of the gate. You’re right about the state of Acura sedans – the ILX and RDX, in particular, are lost causes at this point – but the crossovers are selling very well.
IMO the Caravan’s biggest advantage to the typical private minivan buyer is that it’s the last one left in the class that hasn’t succumbed to Must-Have-A-Console Syndrome, and thus the last to offer the traditional minivan advantage of entering the driver’s seat Millennium Falcon-style after strapping your kids in. Everything else forces you to go back out in the rain.
Only the lower trim levels offer this.
A minivan with a compact-cat pricetag is a bonus on top of that…
PolarBear: RE: MDX. If Acura didn’t have that model, I doubt there would be an Acura. A few years ago, they decided they didn’t have to build attractive cars anymore. The public agreed- and stopped buying them. It’s a division on suicidewatch.
Yet it outsells Lincoln, Volvo, JLR, Infiniti, and possibly Cadillac. I’d hardly call them on suicidewatch. Tarted up Hondas outselling America’s two traditional premier brands? Gee, what loser!
” a lost sale is exactly that- a lost sale. 0% of a lower profit is still zero.”
That could be true, or not, depending on how much extra production capacity sits unused. If you’re already at a point where you’re maxed out without further outlay to add a shift, it might not be worth it.
I think what works for Honda is that the Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline and MDX are all built on the same line (if I am not mistaken). I don’t know if Chrysler’s line is as flexible. The point being that all 4 of those vehicles are almost interchangable from a production volume standpoint and perhaps part of the reason why Honda doesn’t need to discount the Ridgeline or the other very much; spread across four distinct models, as long as something is selling very well or several are selling moderately well they are doing just fine. If anyone has more insight, I’d be interested in hearing (reading) it.
I think the Accord is in trouble due to its styling that I happen to find attactive. Then again I have not tried to get into the backseat and don’t have to strap kids into a sedan anymore either.. That coupelike roofline is not and has never been conducive to actually using, entering, or exiting the backseat. The others with the same style have the same issue, no? I don’t think the “average” buyer really knows or cares what’s under the hood as long as it has a warranty. The second or third buyer may care but not the first. The first buyer is much more interested in getting close to 40mpg.
All this presentation about jazzed up appliance cars like Honda and Toyota and no mention of drive train equipment other than the size of the shifter?
Let’s face it, these car manufacturers are trying to appeal to the millennial and younger crowd and really are producing boring driving machines as they have in the past. There is nothing unique about these models other than the bends in the sheet metal and the curves in the ABS panels. I thought CC was about older iron and somewhat more in depth analysis other than how big is the computer screen in the new shiny Civic?
Nice work by the OP though!
Agreed! I would have appreciated a little more drivetrain info, too, but then I also get that for today’s younger buyers attending shows like this, none of that matters at all. I doubt you’d see anyone there looking under the hoods of the cars here… (And why would they? There’s nothing to see).
These folks don’t care, in part, because they don’t know. Think about it: we have a whole generation of younger drivers coming of age now who will never know anything but the awful non-responsiveness of a CVT automatic… never mind experiencing the thrill of driving a manual trans car, they won’t even know what it’s like to drive a vehicle with a geared auto box that actually responds (imagine!) properly to throttle inputs.
Unless, I suppose, their parents are wealthy and driving Audis and BMWs; these individuals at least will get a taste. I’ve hated German cars my whole life, due to their long history of woefully complex engineering and shoddy electrics, but I’m at a point now where if I ever had to buy a new car, I might have to choose something like an A4—not only because it delivers actual performance, but also because the Germans, at least with their sedans, have largely taken a pass on the ridiculous tortured metal styling approach so favoured by automakers like Honda and Toyota.
Not sure if I care for the “angry catfish” front ends of the new Toyotas and Lexuses. I don’t care for “buck tooth” floating stack in the Avalon. I think it will age about as well as the digital dashes that GM did in the 80s.
That being said I think most models will sell well because people don’t buy Toyotas for their looks. As long as they don’t let the quality slip too much, they will be fine. The only exception is the Avalon because the full size sedan market as a whole is dying out.
No A90 Supra? No Tacoma footage here?
I admire Toyota for their new direction: reviews indicate their cars are more fun-to-drive, while I also find their interiors more interesting than before. The styling doesn’t always overwhelmingly impress me – the Avalon is a bit much and the C-HR’s belt-line kick-up makes me feel sorry for rear seat occupants – but otherwise it’s a breath of fresh air. The new Corolla hatch looks great. The new RAV4 may be the best-looking car in its class.
Then there’s the Camry. I actually caught myself gazing at one the other day. It was in the sporty trim level, in white, with a bright red leather interior. Wow. I never thought I’d find a Camry so attractive! I sat in one recently and found interior material quality has also taken a huge step up. Nice job, Toyota! And you can still get a V6 even as Honda and Nissan finally get rid of theirs. You could say that’s Toyota’s recent recalcitrance with powertrains at work but at least it’s a good V6.
As for Honda, sales have skyrocketed in Australia. People love the look of the Civic and I believe the CR-V and HR-V are also driving growth here. We still don’t have the new Accord and it’ll remain a niche player anyway but I’ll be curious to see it once we get it. I don’t think we’ll get the Insight though which is a shame – a very handsome car!
Oy, I still can’t get over that Camry interior. That red leather! Beautiful.
Maybe that would be a nice heading for a CC Story: “What Makes A Car Fun To Drive?”
Perhaps there has been a write-up like that already and I just missed it . . . ?
I like that new Insight. I was disappointed that the previous “mediocre Prius wannabe” (that’s a good description) Insight didn’t get mileage that was all that much better than a regular Civic, even if it was priced lower than a Prius.
And am I the only one who finds the “Black Edition” ironic. I remember when having parts that were black instead of painted denoted the cheapest trim level.
Consider something- YTD, Subaru sold almost as many Outbacks as Honda sold Accords. I can barely get my head around that.
Cancel that last post please. A decimal point away from fact.(oops)
I really, really wish they’d put the insight out as a lift back rather than sedan…it might be my perfect do it all car with a hatch, but getting stuff through a trunk lid is just not my bag.
I hope that the more mature styling from the insight and accord drifts down to the civic at the mid cycle refresh–I’ve always felt like the early nineties accord wagon hit a sweet spot for size and utility, and the current civic hatch seems to finally fill that niche again, although I haven’t checked the numbers to verify. Civic styling is tough on the eyes despite the good overall proportions…if I bought a hatch I’d probably drive myself crazy trying to find a way to get bodycolor paint to look good on those hideous black hexagons on the rear bumper
I think the Toyota grille-where-the-bumper-should-be is a huge design fail and grandma in middle America is going to make them pay for that mistake by not buying those things.
Honda’s ugly maw, Toyota’s lack of a bumper, ford pulling out, gives the market to the Altima/Maxima, Malibu and Subi’s – maybe Mazda too.
Either that, or Toyota’s gonna make a mint on bumper crumble….If I was Geico I’d jack up comprehensive prices on these things right away…
Re: Honda HRV
I think it’s facelifted for 2019, but essentially the same car. The photo of the dashboard shows one of its better points. It’s based on the Fit/Jazz platform so it has the fuel tank under the front seats so the rear seat area can be devoted to passenger/cargo space, hence the “Magic Seat” deal.
I was about to buy a 2018, but after a couple of test drives decided not to. Like the Fit, there is significant engine and road noise and the ride in general isn’t that good. I’ve been a passenger on many miles of the current Honda Fit and even on good highways and interstates the NVH level is nothing like other modern cars.