Sedans aren’t helping many automakers right now. That’s certainly true for Honda. The Civic remained flat for the year and the Accord slipped by about 8%. At Acura, things were even worse. It appears desirable Acura sedans are firmly a thing of the past. There were no real victories for Honda in 2019.
I have a confession to make: I’ve been getting lazier with each subsequent auto sales coverage article. You may have noticed it yesterday when I resorted to posting simpler numbers for GMC and Cadillac. These articles have been more grueling than anticipated. More importantly, they haven’t been terribly popular. But they were an experiment of sorts, so it’s not all bad. Next year we’ll be posting sales numbers by segment instead of automaker, which should make things more interesting.
Fortunately, Honda released a nice chart that was easily to screenshot. As you can see, Honda doesn’t have much to boast about. The HR-V posted a notable gain but the Accord lost some of its luster. A slight increase in CR-V sales was counteracted by decreasing interest in the Odyssey. Customers seem to be shying away from the Pilot too. None of the aforementioned models qualify as fresh. The Accord will probably receive a refresh this year but otherwise continues with the same face it’s worn since late 2017. It’s the same story for the other models too. Which of these models truly makes a case for themselves when stacked against the competition? The HR-V. Honda outfitted the cabin with very nice materials. Otherwise, things were kind of glum for the brand. It’s nice to see the Insight and Ridgeline gain traction, but their increases were insignificant because they’re basically niche vehicles.
Acura didn’t do so great either. The ILX is a bit of a bright spot but in terms of volume it’s an insignificant player. The RLX probably won’t live to see another generation and neither should the TLX, although based on rumors it seems like a successor is on the way. Hopefully it’s more compelling than the current model. Acura’s real problem is the MDX. The three-row crossover is barely holding its ground at a time when models like the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, and Mazda CX-9 offer more premium cabins and superior driving dynamics. A redesign should have arrived at least a year ago. The RDX was redesigned last year so it gets a bit of a reprieve. But it needs to perform well this year.
Honda wants to play things extremely conservatively this decade. That wouldn’t be such a concern if their products elicited a bit more excitement. Honda is betting against EVs in the short term. The company’s thinking is extremely pragmatic in that regard. But they could stand to freshen their lineup and fix their recent quality woes. Honda increased incentive spending 8.5% last year and average transaction prices fell by 1.4% during the same period. That’s not encouraging. Wayne Gretzky famously said that you miss 100% of the shots you never take. Honda doesn’t seem to even be thinking about making a goal right now.
Wouldn’t hurt if their products were a little less ugly.
Good to see Acura is finally starting to get some styling direction, but Honda is still a mess. Toyota has finally realized that the remaining sedan buyers need some excitement, and the latest Camry and Corolla styling updates are so successful I would almost consider getting one. Hyundai is also upping their styling game with the latest Sonata and Optima.
To each his own. I find the latest Toyota, Honda and Hyundai models are paragons of grotesque future-baroque over-decoration; truly catastrophic aesthetic disasters. To me, there’s no style, its just excessive bizarre angular details, jammed in everywhere. There’s no appeal for me, and I come across other people who feel these brands’ appearance looks overdone and cheap.
Ironically, the more expensive European brands have more smooth, harmonious and pleasing style, with less fussy details, and subsequently are more ‘tasteful’ by comparison as if they don’t have to bludgeon people over the head with their appearance.
I have a longtime place for Honda in my heart, but I have to admit that there is not a lot of product in their showrooms that I find terribly compelling. As someone who drives a product of “old-Honda” every day, I have a hard time seeing myself in one of their new ones, that don’t seem to stand out from anyone else these days.
I am very pleased with my latest Accord, a 2019 Sport model. Comfortable, good handling, decent power with the 1.5L turbo anf GR8 gas mileage! What’s NOT to like, other than the all blACK interior???
My wife drives a CR-V, IMO a cramped, ill handling POS. Americans are SUCKERS for the latest “thing”……….DFO
Should have optioned the 2.0t from the CTR. The 1.5t has documented “sludge” issues – search the Honda forums. So bad that some customers want Honda to recall the engine.
I wouldn’t touch a Honda 1.5t.
I daily drive my 2016 Civic EX-T Coupe 34 miles each way on mostly the highway. It doesn’t have a chance to build up any sludge.
The issue that I am watching very closely is the gas mixing with the oil problem I keep hearing about, but I think that (like sludge) is more of a problem with short trip usage.
Anyone know how you even can tell if the gas is mixing with the oil? While I change the oil in my Mustang and Lancer, I just let the dealer do the Civic.
I’m a bit surprised the Pilot is struggling year-on-year. Granted, it looks like a whale on roller skates, but it seems to have all the fundamentals covered in a popular vehicle segment.
Perhaps the increased incentives and lower transaction prices will take some of the snoot out of the dealerships.
My belief is that a good chunk of Pilot intenders ended up in the Passport – several thousand less, looks butcher/off-roadier, and perhaps buyers questioned their real need for a third row. With Pilot down 25k and Passport finding 35k buyers it’s a possibility.
Kia and Hyundai may have siphoned some away too with their new 3-rows. Explorer and more likely Highlander both being new may exacerbate this trend going froward.
“My belief is that a good chunk of Pilot intenders ended up in the Passport”
I agree- For those unfamiliar with the nameplate, the new Passport uses a shortened Pilot platform, only offers 2 row seating, and slots between the CR-V and Pilot. Think Ford Explorer versus Ford Edge.
There is a new Acura TLX coming. Spy shots of the car being tested on public roads have been posted on other sites.
Considering its age, and the state of the passenger car market in this country, the Civic holding steady in sales is an achievement. With the Accord, Honda has resisted resorting to fleet sales, and the incentives still haven’t been as good as what one can get from the direct competition.
The Pilot is being hammered by serious competition. Its age and lackluster styling aren’t helping matters.
Am I correct in believing that since Odyssey, Ridgeline, Passport and Pilot are all built on the same flexible assembly line and can be built in any order every day and as a group are up about 2.5% for the year, then it doesn’t really matter to Honda if the relative sales of any of them swing around a bit? As long as the assembly line in total stays busy or busier than it was the prior year it’s all good, no? Unless one version or the other completely craters due to competition or whatever, as long as they don’t all go down there isn’t much difference.
The HR-V might be a larger breakout star if it was offered with AWD as an option unless that would then affect CR-V sales.
I don’t think it is quite as simple as building them in any order any day since the body shells are unique and either need to reset tooling or produce them on a different set of equipment. However the line certainly can assemble any shell that comes down the line as long as the parts are fed to the station at the right time. So yeah Honda is going to be less concerned with individual model sales as long as the group performs well overall.
It’s debatable as to whether or not flex assembly helps these particular models, but the Odyssey and Passport have experienced quality issues since their debuts, which probably doesn’t help things.
And the HR-V is available with all-wheel drive.
American Honda was up 0.2%. The US market overall was down 1.3%. So Honda outperformed the market by a fairly healthy margin, given where it is with its product cycle.
I’ve written about my oldest son’s ’93 Accord multiple times here…
Not so much about my youngest son’s two Accords – a ’11 and a ’14.
My understanding is that the 2003-07 generation was the low point for Accord, and the 8th generation was more engaging to drive. I got to drive the 2011 once and have ridden in it a few times. Nice, I get the appeal, but the ’93 actually felt a little more dynamic, even after the ravages of age and miles.
The 2014, to me, feels like a tiny step backward. I know components like struts, shocks and tires can make an enormous difference, but all were nearly new on the ’14 Accord.
Wonder how the new one drives in relation…
There was a time when Honda Could Do No Wrong. I’ll offer that if it hadn’t been for Detroit’s Deadly Sins in previous generations – the kinds of things that sent people to Honda and Toyota in droves in the first place – Honda might be in a lot more trouble. They’re most definitely a beneficiary of old perceptions about competitors dying hard.
Honda has consistently chosen the lowest bidder as it moved to outsource more and more of what goes into it’s vehicles. IMO , that more than anything has led to the decline in their products as well as Their over-all image.
Bill, I’d be curious to learn more about this- can you provide some information or your research?
Thank you
The luster that was once a given with all things Honda hasn’t been present for quite some time. It no longer is the cool innovator , it no longer offers up a level of quality that it once did. It’s become the American Motors of the 21st century. Just like GM , it shows no interest in defending it’s growing list of miscues.
I agree with all of the above. I was a true Honda fanboy & thought I would be a lifer. Eventually I gave up waiting for the new CRX/ CRZ & moved away from the brand. Something is very much amiss at Honda. Why they would leave the CRZ hang out to dry for so long makes no sense. Something is very amiss.
I dont know if I agree with everything said here. I think Honda has a persuasive lineup. Looking around at work, an extremely high percentage of the engineering department drives a late model Honda, with Toyota a close second place. We just recently purchased an off-lease, bare bones CR-V and I find it capable with a “no frills” attitude. Certainly customers are fickle and designs change from year to year, but in general I think Honda still has a positive vibe from their customers and in the market place.