getakey

Got email link to Survey
"Acura would like to understand your thoughts and feelings toward vehicles and driving. We use feedback such as this as input in the development and refinement of our products and services for our customers."

There were more questions about buying car based on how other people would perceive purchase than questions about performance and driving

dzionny_dzionassi

I got same email yesterday...

JM2010 SH-AWD

Yes, same here.

George Knighton

I didn't get an email.

I guess they figure they've heard enough from me for a decade or two.

:-)

They certainly got an earful when the VCM rocker arm assemblies had to be replaced. LOL....

neuronbob

Me, neither.

getakey

one of the questions was: Do you buy a car to further your career

neuronbob

^^^^
Really? Do people buy a car to further their career, other than to drive to their job?

getakey

I know. Like I said a bunch of questions like that versus driving and performance.

hondamore

This may be a politically correct way to ask whether snob appeal is important to you in a vehicle purchase. It just sounds better than, "Do you want your vehicle to scream to your friends and neighbors that you are grotesquely wealthy when in fact you are financing everything you have and are in debt up to our eyeballs?"

getakey

There were other questions that directly addressed the snob appeal. I recall one mentioning neighbors. I should have taken screen shots

Malibu Flyer

I got the survey email also. Lots of questions about whether the car we drive is because we like the image it creates. I guess if we answer we drive a car for its image, they know we aren't really Acura material.

neuronbob

The RLX is DEFINITELY not #carsofinstagram material.

JM2010 SH-AWD

It was a really strange survey from Acura. Different from what I've received in the past, which focused more on car content, preferences, etc. This one really was aimed at "image" issues. Maybe Acura's thinking it needs to be more of a "look at me" car company. I'll say one thing, after seeing my first NSX in the metal last weekend, I'm on-board with more of the same of that!

hondamore

The danger here is if Acura decides that image is everything and so they decide to go all in and load up the next RLX and bump the price to $80K+ in order to make a true statement that Acura is top tier and not just a halo car and some fancy Hondas. They'd have to knock my socks off with performance and features and even styling before I'd take that leap, but I wonder how many others would even consider a non-NSX Acura in that price range. They have a tough mountain to climb to compete, image wise, with the German snob brands and even Lexus that had the heft of Toyota's massive bank account to establish a top-tier reputation. Is it worth the risk and the huge cost??? The slow sales of the Mid-90's Legends, the RL's and the RLX suggest the world is not ready to accept Acura as a snob brand despite some VERY impressive engineering and performance. The buying public seems happy to accept Acura as the best bang for the buck champ in the luxury segment and that might be a niche that works for the parent company.

My two cents since I didn't get the survey up here in Canada.

TampaRLX-SH

You are probably correct. But I am hoping for more than the obvious. Perhaps it is out of character to better assess the clientele they have, and perhaps align (read shake up) the corporate resources to provide a product desired by their base. With flop after flop on the flagship (not my personal assessment, but reflective of sales volumes) it is clear to me that the resources assigned to flagship product are NOT the correct people. Not only does this product team not produce a product desired by dozens, they make decisions like grafting (or hacking) the power phlegm grill onto the sleek, simple and elegant 2nd Gen RL. Why not add a bi-plane spoiler too?

Perhaps the demonstrative election results are a parallel where they are out of touch with their desired base and need to reflect inward to to see the disconnect instead of dictating what we should want., I admit I carp on this but IMHO Dave Marek represents all that I feel is wrong, misguided and disconnected about Acura. I can almost hear him asking these questions in search of our coolness. Hopefully this survey may call that out. I have always felt Acura had a 'west coast' attitude thinking they knew what was best for the consumer, rather than understanding what the consumer wants. Honda as a brand is a conservative, quiet and customer tuned in brand (making swift changes when they needed), but the Acura brand seems to resist similar attributes to apply to a more upscale product. I always have been impressed by Honda engineering and Acura packaging value (of the past) and not so much on being hip, cool or awesome.