The most advanced Honda Accord to come out of Ohio is not selling as well as anticipated by the automotive press, including yours truly. There are several key factors that keep Honda Accord from selling as well as predicted.
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Historically, Honda Accord is the best selling retail-only 4-door sedan in North America. I, along with my fellow automotive press journalist, applaud 2018 Honda Accord as the most tech-advanced, and best overall drive and ride experience available in today’s sub-premium midsize sedan segment. It’s affordable, fuel efficient, and easy to look at.
From the base model 1.5 L turbocharged 4-cylinder Accord, to the top-of-the-mark 2018 Honda Accord Touring, there’s a nicely appointed, active safety equipped, and comfortable, Honda Accord for almost any budget. So, what’s keeping Honda Accord from selling at record numbers? I believe there are a couple of factors here that go beyond price-point and dealership availability.
To much, too soon, with a delayed 2.0 turbo Accord Touring offering
According to Automotive News, Honda Accord dealership inventory sits at an unprecedented 103 days -- unheard of in the world of Honda. According to several sources, Accords arch nemesis Toyota Camry, is outselling Honda’s family transportation staple due to Toyota’s exceptional consumer purchase incentives and attractive lease rates -- could be. Me, I wouldn't dump my preferred auto brand for a few dollars a month. But then again, that’s just me.
I believe Honda Accord sales are suffering due to consumer turbo engine concerns
It’s that lingering belief that a turbocharged engine is less reliable than a normally aspirated one. In the latest generation of cars and light trucks, Honda’s opted to eliminate one, if not the best V6 engines available to the auto industry from the Honda Accord lineup. Also gone, is the mechanically bulletproof i-VTEC 4 cylinder fuel injected 4-cylinder gasoline mainstay; replaced by a rather good lineup of Earth Dreams VTEC turbocharged 4-cylinder marvels.
Toyota Camry, although redesigned from the tires up, is not turbocharged. And, is available with a 3.5 Liter V6. Also, on closer inspection, Camry appears to have the superior finance terms, and a purchase inclusive 2-year free service binder -- the higher rated Honda Accord does not.
Or, new Honda buyers may simply be opting for Civic, HR-V and CR-V
With a larger and more powerful Honda Civic comes a viable, less expensive, option for many would-be-Accord buyers. Civic in it’s several 4-door variants, comfortably seats 5 adults. Why buy an Accord? Also, when we look to monthly Honda sales, we note a month over month uptick in Honda HR-V, CR-V and most recently with increased production, Honda Pilot. Honda currently offers an expanded lineup of several award winning cars and light trucks. Perhaps the greatest competition for Honda Accord comes from within.
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Honda also doesn’t sell 7-10%
Honda also doesn’t sell 7-10% to fleet sales. Hard to find a rental car that is not a Toyota right now.
It's not just the turbo ...
It's not just the turbo ... it's a 1.5 liter Civic turbo. The Accord should at least have a different engine... like a 2.0 liter base. Crazy decision based on corporate economics, not what the consumer expects.
Welcome Dave. You do have a
Welcome Dave. You do have a high output 2.0 L turbocharged VTEC engine option available in the Accord Sport, and Touring variant. Drive one and get back to us with your opinion. Cheers!
It's because they have become
It's because they have become too ugly!!! Especially the new Accord. Honda buyer since 1985 - just bought my 1st Acura.
I concur the body style is
I concur the body style is very ugly. Surprisingly the auther didn't add "ugly" as a factor.
I always was Honda Accord
I always was Honda Accord lover, but this new 2018 model is ugly. Now I'm driving Camry XSE with V6. Shame on Honda,..
Maybe I'm frugal (or cheap!)
Maybe I'm frugal (or cheap!) but I keep my cars for lengthy time periods - usually 8+ years. I don't want the expense of having to replace a turbo conglomeration on an aged vehicle. It seems to me that Honda doesn't want my business if I can't have a v6. Turbos - Bah!
I love my accord, and was in
I love my accord, and was in the market for a new one. Hoping the 2018 was going to be it. After looking at it, i just cant get used to that back side.. the interior is among the best..and the front i can get used to... love the wheels.. but why did they make it a fast back and then make the taillights ugly to top it off. Hope they take a hint from the new Insight and change those in the 2019 version.
YOU GUY,S ARE VERY VERY RIGHT
YOU GUY,S ARE VERY VERY RIGHT THE CAR IS TO UGLY, HONDA, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE 2019 ALTIMA PLATINUM 2.0 TURBO. IM GETTING ONE AS SOON THEY SHOW UP AT DEALER, I THINK THAT HONDA GAVE THE PENCIL TO THE WRONG GUY.
The lowered stance of this
The lowered stance of this car makes it hard to get in and out of. You have to turn into a human corkscrew. Also even the premium audio system has cheap sounding speakers compared to prior generations. This is not a car for seniors or anyone with back issues.
Welcome Tom. True enough! As
Welcome Tom. True enough! As first experienced in the 10th generation Civic, Honda engineering and interior design "puts "one with the road" through a lower seated position. While the lowered seating position creates a wonderful over the road view, the downside to the lowered seat (1.5 inches) is a change in angle of the legs and feet to the cars brake and accelerator, and subsiquent increased pressure on the lower back. Also, at 6'5" tall, my knees are on the dash, despite a relatively short inseam of 33 inches. Other than that, 2018 Accord is perfect!
Yep, it is ugly. I never
Yep, it is ugly. I never heard anyone say the previous model was ugly. This one seem to have half the population saying it is ugly. I have two recent accords and love them both, and how they look. They have taken one of the sportiest looking sedans, and made it the ugliest. It is ordinary looking at best, but the kicker is the fast-back affect. It looks like a humping dog, like the Audi A7. It also has a lot of weird/odd lines all over the car, like how the side modeling comes up at the rear... yuck. Accord was hands-down my preferred car, but now I might end up with a Camry next because it looks better. I have had one parked next to me at work for about 3 months. In that time it went from don't like it to hate it. Please deuglify the Accord for 19 Honda!!!
IT is UGLY: the 2018
IT is UGLY: the 2018 redesigned Honda Accord. Face it, no one wants to buy the new Accord. Sales are way down from the previous 2013-2017 models, which by the way are selling like hotcakes at Honda, and are topping the CPO market records! The Camry is currently selling almost 50% more Camrys than Accords, YTD!! So in conclusion, old Accord, good, setting sales records for CPO cars. New Accord, bad, ugly, shameful, sell so few cars, that there is a 104 day dealer supply, or a 200(!) day supply in Detroit, AND the Honda Accord factory announced that it will shut down for a total of 11 days this year, because of full dealer supplies, and the unexpected Accord sales slump.
Welcome West Coast Cars.
Welcome West Coast Cars. Style is a matter of personal preference. Toyota Dealer? Yes, Honda design may be a bit a head of the curve on the redesigned Accord. However, there is little arguing how refined, well handling and quiet the redesigned Accord is. I recommend a comparison test drive between Camry and Accord before buying. If the consumer's purchase choice comes down to off setting $50 per month, I say , buy used. Or, take a closer look at Kia and Hyundai.
I'm sorry, you have failed to
I'm sorry, you have failed to read the majority of messages left here. And there are only 20-30 messages. Most of the messages say the Accord LOOKS UGLY! Wake up and realize that a significant portion of the population think that the New Honda Accord is HIDEOUS! NO MATTER HOW WELL IT DRIVES! (I wouldn't be caught dead in an AMC PACER, no matter how well it drove.). And unfortunately for Honda, the Toyota Camry looks better. I mean much better. Especially on the exterior. The Honda Accord looks like somebody barfed!! Sorry Accord, it was nice knowing you, I am replacing my 2014 Honda Accord Sport with a nice Toyota Camry XSE in the color White with the 19" Std Black/Machined wheels, Black Roof, Black Lip Spoiler on the Trunk, and std Quad Exhausts! Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!! Just Image Google "2019 Camry XSE" to take a look!! GOODBYE HONDA ACCORD...
Have not seen very many new
Have not seen very many new Accords and have seen many new Camrys. When my wife saw the Accord, she said it looks like something fell off the front. It is ugly!
I grew up with Honda and in
I grew up with Honda and in the market of buying one. I've been waiting for the the right moment and yes, 2018 model has the right amount of boost I need with 252 horsepower and 273 lbft torque. BUT.......WHY does it look so, not just UGLY, but FUGLY. Really Honda? If you just use the 2017 exterior or close to that, I would've driven Accord 2018 Sport 2.0 Manual by now. But why? The front looks very odd though i'm getting it they wanna look modern, futuristic, aggressive whatever the word is. I can get over that, I'll accept the front, BUT the BACK and especially the shape of the TAIL LIGHT, its so FUGLY, and yes it's FUGLY. i tried so hard for 10 months to get over it, but I can't..... I just can't. The design just doesn't flow and it's dreadful....why such rear design was ever approved? have the design team and approval team lost their mind? Check out Audi S5. It has similar sad REAR design, but at least it's TAIL LIGHT is MUCH MUCH better designed that it elevates the whole rear look. To be honest Accord is not selling NOT because of the TURBO or the unattractive FINANCING term, but it's because of its FUGLY design.
Also to mention, do you notice there are some mod smoke or stickers to modify the look of its tail light? Why would ppl specifically make that mod? the answer is pretty simple. It's because its so FUGLY....Sorry Accord.... you really disappoint me.
I have to agree with everyone
I have to agree with everyone here. The Honda Accord is UGLY!
The Honda Accord looks really bad in comparison to the restyled Toyota Camry. I dare anyone not believing me to look at pictures of the back or side or front of these two cars online, and then if you can look at them side by side in real life. Honda needs to fire the designer(s) who brought this MONSTROSITY to market. You can clearly see the bad Accord Sport vs. good Camy XSE especially in the Sport & XSE models. The Toyota Camry Sport looks totally bad-ass, especially from the back or 3/4 view, or straight on from the back. The Accord looks like a Dodge Charger. Or, as mentioned, the Accord looks like a really bad copy of an Audi A7 mashed together with a Dodge Charger. Both the Charger and the A7 are UGLY cars! On top of all this, the Toyota Camry is more discounted at the dealership than the Honda Accord. The Leasing deals on the Camry are better than the Accord. The Toyota transmission is much better in both dynamic performance, build quality, and design compared to the Accord. (Look it up, Honda transmissions, especially in the Odyssey mini-van are imploding and do not last.) AND FINALLY: Who wants a small, Turbo 4 cylinder, compared to a normally aspirated V6 that will last twice as long as that blown 4-banger. So to sum it all up, why are the Camry's selling better than the Accords: (1) Pretty vs. UGLY Accord (2) Better Discounting at the Dealer (3) Better Lease Deals at the Dealer (4) Transmission design & reliability (5) V6 vs. Turbo-4.
If you still can't figure out why Accords are not selling, in comparison to the Camry's, you must be a nutter!
I totally agree with your
I totally agree with your check list. The main points that I wish Honda would have stuck with are a 3.5 liter V6 and non-fuglified body style. Those fricken tail light make me want to throw glass bottles at them. Hahaha
It's not selling because it's
It's not selling because it's ugly. The writer of this article should have done his research. When I saw this new design I knew it was not going to sell that well. In the early 2000's Honda had an ugly design that was ugly and they switched back to the other design that next year.
I have to replace a 2012
I have to replace a 2012 Toyota Camry hybrid and would buy the Accord hybrid in a second if it wasn't one of the UGLIEST cars I've ever seen.
You saying the new Accord is
You saying the new Accord is ugly is your opinion and nobody gives a crap about your opinion. The new Accord is beautiful and is a blast to own and drive.
It is unequivocally one of
It is unequivocally one of the ugliest cars on the market. It can be fast, great tech, nice ride, but just an ugly car I don't want. On paper it is better than so many cars, but I just don't want it. Get a new designer!!