TSX69

Honda News
American Honda November Sales Up 4.7 Percent to New Record
All-new Accord up 25.2 percent, Honda Division up 10.4 percent Text Only AHM_07Nov_Sales.doc AHM_Sales_Chart_07Nov.xls
12/03/2007 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted record November sales of 111,431 Honda and Acura vehicles, up 4.7 percent*, surpassing the previous November 2006 record of 106,446, the company announced today.

American Honda year-to-date sales increased 2.7 percent* to 1,419,750. Honda Division year-to-date sales increased 4.8 percent to 1,257,228.

Honda Division posted record November sales of 98,521, up 10.4 percent compared to last year. November records for individual models included the CR-V with sales of 16,498, up 1.6 percent, and the Fit, with sales of 5,361, up 106.0 percent for the month. Sales of the all-new Accord increased 25.2 percent to 28,161. Sales of the Civic increased 24.8 percent to 25,141; the Civic Hybrid increased 46.6 percent to 3,238.

"Even In these uncertain times, our bread-and-butter products are showing real growth," said **** Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "The all-new Accord continues to set a blistering pace with sales up by more than 25 percent."

Acura Division posted sales of 12,910 for November. The MDX sport utility vehicle led the division with sales of 4,891. November sales of the TL performance luxury sedan totaled 4,064; the TSX sports sedan totaled 1,884. Sales of the RDX sport utility vehicle totaled 1,679.

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 25 days for November 2007 and 25 days for November 2006. Year to date, the DSR is calculated with 281 days for 2007, versus 280 days for 2006. All percentages reflect DSR.

For more information about Honda vehicles, please visit www.honda.com. For media inquiries, please go to www.hondanews.com.

For more information about Acura vehicles, please visit www.acura.com. For media inquiries, please go to www.acuranews.com.
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neuronbob

This isn't so bad on the sedan side. All the sedan models are old, and will shortly be replaced. Cheer up!

static808

Just saw the sales numbers. At least my wife's new 2008 MDX made the list.

I think the losses for Acura are understandable. Its more like, "Deal with it until the reinforcements arrive."

For the Bread-n-Butter Category:
Honda: Accord, Civic, CRV, Fit are moving up...I really like the Fit.
Acura: MDX at the core..and that saw a big drop vs. 2007.

If Acura can hold 13,000/monthly until the new models arrive, the brand will be positioned to move over 200,000/yearly in 2008.

Chas2

At least the 392 RLs for November is up from October's 365

mrdeeno

I think the censors are taking things too far...

static808

Nice catch. Not sure if Richard or is it....has any idea what's going on. Isn't he going to retire or something...

neuronbob

What censors? Likely the one from the quoted source as Dick Colliver definitely appears correctly here.

CL6

This is par for the course. The TL is really old now and so is the TSX, and there's a new one coming in the Spring. I am most surprised by the RDX. I guess it finally caught fire but I bet because all the other products are dead that the RDX and the MDX are going at invoice or below. Or so I hear from friends still with Acura.

Acura's mistake was not keeping the products fresh at staggered times so everything ages at the same rate leaving the sales people with nothing to give them hope. When the TSX comes out that will quickly sell for less than MSRP because everything else will be slow. Maybe when the new TL comes out things will perk up.

If Acura had a total of 8-10 cars they would always have fresh products and older ones but things would never get this bad. Honda can rely on this... something is always in the pipeline to give sales people hope. What makes it worse is customers are like: "I know nobody is buying these cars."

psteng19

Threads like this seem to pop up every month.

TSX69

That is bc it is the monthly sales thread. This time, however, I made it about all the Acura vehicles as opposed to just the RL bc the discussion on RL's dismal sales has been beaten to death.

Chas2

Yup, and they continue to beat it to death on TOV....

static808

yeah, the RL is beaten to death...its pretty sad that its the Acura whipping boy.

CL6 does make a good point. Acura eventually needs to expand the line with some coupes and get the model matrix to 7-8 models...hopefully somebody at Honda is going to open up the checkbook for that.

TSX69

U know, I was just thinking that it is amazing that Acura sells as many vehicles as the do considering their limited lineup:

2007 2006
Lexus 294,623 285,199
BMW 263,596 243,487
Mercedes 225,904 219,678
Cadillac 193,290 204,299
Buick 171,391 224,671
Acura 162,522 182,167
Lincoln 121,422 107,670
Infiniti 114,383 108,034
Volvo 96,872 107,282
Audi 85,004 78,219
Jaguar 14,161 19,130


Expanding their lineup is long over due altho I hope the full size SUV that is rumored is not it. An RSX/CL replacement would be a start as well as the NSX & the performance coupe that was slotted below that. A flagship sedan would be nice as well.

I know it may seem odd, but Honda/Acura has always danced to the beat of their own drummer - how about a tricked out Acura Odyssey or Ridgeline? An S2000 based Acura would seem logical.

Rexorg

More dismal news for the RL. The steering hose recall isn't going to help either. Whenever the word "fire" is used in a recall, or news coverage, sales of the vehicle go way down due to customer wariness, but I guess RL sales can't go any lower, or can they? I thought my RL was bulletproof, but now I am beginning to wonder.

revit

x2^

Mike_TX

Aw, come on. Cars are incredibly complex machines these days, and ALL cars have some kind of glitch every now and then.

Goodness knows Acuras have had less than a lot of brands, and I think it's silly to get all depressed because a power steering hose gets brittle and leaks. It's just a freakin' hose.

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static808

It is impressive that Acura does sell a good number of cars/SUV's for what they have. I think slotting at the top with a flagship and filling out the entry level (TSX Coupe / TSX hard top convertible) and a TL Coupe to compete with the Infiniti G35 would be nice.

I'm guessing these coupe additions could bring in 45,000 to 50,000 more sales combined.

GoHawks

The quality woes continue for Toyota/Lexus, they just announced a major recall on the IS and GS. Apparantly the fuel line in the engine compartment gets stressed during contruction, and after a while, the fuel ends up corroding the line near the stress point causing fires.

Chas2

FWIW, it did not specifically say fire...

Unexpectedly high heat deterioration and bending
stress can cause the power steering feed hose to
crack, resulting in a leak. A leak from the feed hose can
drip P/S fluid onto drivetrain components and the
catalytic converter below, causing a burning odor and
possibly smoke. The low fluid level resulting from the
leak may also cause the power steering pump to
whine.

Rexorg

Who's depressed? I enjoy the one hour drive to the dealership and dealing with the service writer who asks if I want my car washed when there is a foot of snow on the ground and the streets are mush. I love waiting in the "lounge" with all the free pop and coffee I want for my car to be repaired ASAP, which means the other 10 customers who had the same appointment time will have to wait until mine is done first--not. However, if I have to wait I get to check out the showroom and have every salesperson ask me if they can help me get into a new Acura.

If I am going to get a loaner I can't wait to fill out the forms and sign my life away. Better yet, if the dealer uses Enterprise I get a short ride to their business office where I sit for 15 minutes or so and I'm on my way home for another one hour drive. If I'm lucky the service manager calls when I am half way home and tells me my car is ready--just a short 30 minute ride back to the dealership and then another one hour drive home. If I'm unlucky I drive home and wait to return the loaner the next day, and then the one hour ride home.

Who's depressed? Not me.

Rexorg

Posted by Mike_TX: I just showed this to my Service Mgr., and he wasn't aware of the upcoming RL recall.

But he DID tell me late-model TL's are suddenly coming in with power steering pumps leaking fluid on the manifold, and one even came in last week "on fire"!!! Like literally.

So it appears it's not an RL-only issue -

BTW, where there's smoke . . . .

neuronbob

Thought I'd repeat this to remind folks that things are not all bad for Acura.

I think their biggest problem is that they don't market themselves well enough. I think if Acura expects to be in the luxury big leagues, they need to project that image. That's a well-discussed issue on our humble forum, so I won't belabor the point.

Rexorg

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Autos

Acura RL



Starting price: $46,995
Sales YTD: 4,919, –46%

Acura Division's flagship sedan, the RL, is a sales disappointment; which is all the more conspicuous since Acura's light trucks, the MDX and the RDX, are selling well. The knock on the RL is that unlike many of its competitors, it lacks an optional V8 engine at the top of the line, even though its 290-horsepower V6 is powerful for a six-cylinder engine. Otherwise the RL has a very high level of standard equipment, including a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel; heated seats; rear-seat climate controls; an upscale sound system including DVD audio and satellite radio; and standard, all-wheel drive. Despite such luxury credentials, Acura is widely perceived as a "near-luxury" brand, as opposed to bona fide luxury. Meanwhile the RL costs at least $10,000 more than the entry-level Mercedes-Benz C-Class. That disconnect between the price and the perceived level of prestige is a big reason the RL is a wallflower.

Mike_TX

You need to move.

My dealer's 15 minutes away, it's not crowded, they have designer coffee and bottled water, and in the mornings they have muffins and bagels. In the afternoons, they bake fresh cookies. There's high-speed internet available, as well as PC's for your use if you didn't tote your laptop in. Oh, and it only snows about 2 or 3 days a year here, and it doesn't last.

If I need a loaner car, it's a simple matter of one signature on an agreement that I won't wreck the car or take it to Mexico and sell it, or use it in track competition or for hauling drugs. It's actually a reasonable tradeoff for handing over a $35-40,000 car to me and watching me drive off.

We'd all prefer not to have to go to the dealer for service, but I'm grateful they provide a warranty and stand behind stuff like this. And I am secure in the knowledge that every car out there will have some kind of mechanical problem at some point in its life. Machines are like that.

So I'm not depressed either.

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neuronbob

Thanks for reminding me why I bought an RL! As much as I extoll what needs to be worked on (*cough*V8 engine*cough*), the fact is that I like this car very much. It's the best car I've ever owned, and it's even better with the suspension mods. I look forward to driving it every day, even today with its snowy weather.

And thanks for illustrating my point a couple of posts above. Acura has to project the image of true luxury, and frankly, their marketing dept. has not lived up to the job of doing so.

CL6

Comparing a C Class with an RL is stupid and shows the author has no idea what he's talking about. The C Class might 'beat' the RL in terms of its stereo system with the Navi but, aside from that, it's got nothing on the RL.

mrdeeno

You obviously did not understand the purpose of the comparison at all. The author did not bring up the c-class to compare features vs. features with the RL. He brought it up as an example of a $10k cheaper car with more brand cache.

Customers who value "prestige" will get the c-class. Customers who value "value" will get the TL. The [very] few others will get the RL.

jhr3uva90

That's a good point, mrdeeno. In general, people know brands more than they know cars. People who value brands would pick a C-class Benz over an Acura RL, even if the RL is a better car (which I think it is). People who value "value" are going to get the TL, even though the C-class is a better car. TL owners generally don't car about the little things like drivetrain layout, heritage, quality of leather, or where the car was built. They just want the most gadgets for the money (at least, I did when I had a CL). C-class drivers generally don't know much about cars, they just know they have a Benz. The RL loses both groups. Again, Honda needs to decide if they want to be in the LUXURY business or the NEAR luxury business with the Acura brand.

CL6

Perhaps you are correct on the 'cache' point I had not thought of it that way. I don't agree that C Class buyers are mainly interested in 'cache.' The same could be said for 3 Series buyers. Both cars offer something different. It would be very interesting to learn how many C Class or RL buyers considered the other model and why they did not choose it. Maybe C Class buyers are looking at the MSRP of the RL and deciding that they cannot afford it because the C Class starts out under 32k. Of course, that is with nothing on it, but just looking at the MSRP it is 15k difference.

And until this model year one could easily get 4k off a C Class or lease it for $299 per month.

jhr3uva90

There are 2 types of 3-Series BMW drivers: 1) those who know what they are doing and really know the advantages of that car, 2) poseurs. C-Class Benz drivers, on the other hand, only have one category: poseurs. They generally want a Benz and the C is all they can afford, so they get the C. If they wanted performance, they would get the BMW. If they wanted quiet comfort, they would get the Lexus. But they want that Benz brand name, so they get the C-Class. That's why Mercedes' tag line for the new C-Class is "We promised you a Mercedes Benz."

mrdeeno

You forgot to mention the buyers that need doors that can support 200lb men. That concern is what keeps me from hanging 200lb men on my doors, otherwise I would do it in a heartbeat!

Fabvsix

For many of you to young to remember when the entire WORLD knew the "LEGEND" but had NO clue who made it (Acura)! TheY fooked up by renaming their line up with ridiculous names like : RL, TL etc.....Still till this day (12-05-2007) folks say " Nice BMW or Nice Mercedes Benz" referencing to my "2004 Acura RL"...... When I tell them its an Acura RL and 3.5 years old they just have that look of ignorance and rightfully so......
ACURA SUCKS DONKEY BALLS WHEN IT COMES TO ADVERTISEMENT.......

Ole timer out....

lland

Not to worry...what make sheadliens isn't the word "fire" but the nubmer of vehicles recalled. "GM recalls 500,000 cars and trucks to repair a faulty anything" would get a lot more press that "Acura recalls a couple of dozen RLs." I guess there's at least one benefit to low sales numbers.

LL

jhr3uva90

The point is that Acura needs to make it so that people put "Acura" in the same frame of mind as "Lexus," if not "Mercedes." Laymen don't know a C-Class from an S-Class unless they see it, all they know is that they are both Mercedes and are therefore both "good." People don't know a GS from and ES, even when they do see it, all they know if that they are both Lexus and both good. Laymen generally think of Acura as "less than Lexus," so it doesn't matter if it is a RL or TL.

Speaking of brand recognition, Acura might have been better off if they had scrapped the Acura name and just started calling all of their cars Legends. That was where the brand recognition was. That would mean that we would now have a Legend TL, Legend RL, or Legend MDX instead Acuras.

Fabvsix

Exactly BRANDING = ADVERTISEMENT

ACURA CONTNUES TO DO A HORRIBLE JOB OF IT.......

GoHawks

Well said. In the 1.5 years/27K+ miles I've owned this car, aside from a tempermental door handle, this would be the first "non-maintenance" visit i will have to make to the dealer.

CL6

I'm not so sure about that. The previous generation C Class really was long-in-the-tooth and anybody who bought one in the previous 5 years was probably a poseur or, to be kind, very brand loyal. As far as the new C Class goes, I disagree.

My main issue with the BMW, aside from their absurd pricing, is their horrible navigation system. The new C Class does not have a difficult to use navigation system. I would still give the RL and edge on this point, however slightly.

It would not hurt Acura to attract a few 'poseurs' of their own.

jhr3uva90

In order for that to happen, Acura would have to stop acting like a value brand and start acting like a luxury brand.

psteng19

Actually that's what I was referring to.
The fact that monthly sales keep dropping for Acura.

mg7726

LOL!! quoted for the truth on the MB C-class.