We’ve told you about a number of audacious dealer markups and add-on fees in the past. The power of the internet allows the common person to rise up and call out dealers for such greedy practices. And that’s exactly what’s going on right now over on Reddit where one user is trying to wrap their head around a convoluted, roughly $3.6k markup – and that’s not including any suspicious and totally arbitrary dealer fees worth a few thousand dollars extra, listed on an everyday Honda Civic hatchback that has a $26,240 MSRP.\
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Let’s be clear too that we’re not talking about a Civic Type R and we’re not even talking about a Civic Si. The Civic in question is evidently just an everyday Civic with a manual transmission. User cfvhbvcv posted an image allegedly from West Shore Honda near Tampa, FL.

On it we see a bunch of red flags. Instead of starting with Honda’s MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price), the top line lists the MVSP (Market Value Selling Price). Guess which one of those is an arbitrary number that the dealer gets to decide on. Next, we see a discount of $9,400.84 which is frankly surprising and fantastic frankly. Of course, it’s followed up just three lines down by a $9,995 market adjustment.




So the dealer offers a discount only to then charge roughly $600 more than that discount. On top of all that, there’s a $2,995 “Westshore Adv” line which seems to be the dealer’s suite of random services that many customers don’t want or even care about like “Nitrogen Tire Service”, and “Anti-Theft VIN Etching.”According to the original poster, he’s negotiated a few of these fees down so that the total price has dropped from what was originally $45k. Currently, he’s about to be on the hook for $34,999. He’s evidently been told that some fees like the Westshore Advantage Plan are non-negotiable.

Those unreasonable negotiating tactics and greedy extra fees have the comment section rolling. “Greedy Dealerships worlds taking advantage of people in an economic downturn,” read one comment. “If you bought this you’re a borderline idiot. you’ll be stuck in a huge loss for years to come,” said another.

The original poster got some helpful advice too though. One comment read “Don’t be afraid to travel to buy a car either. I find it hilarious that people won’t buy a $400 airline ticket to fly a few states way to save $5000+. Makes zero sense.” Another one had a personal experience to share “Thats very similar to the best price I was quoted on a Civic in Tampa. I was able to do much better on a Corolla, I would have preferred Civic but Corolla was a much better deal once markups we’re considered.”There are a number of important lessons here. Firstly, ask advice from other knowledgeable car people before you buy. Secondly, be willing to look outside of your local area because good dealers (which we’re told do exist) will sell you the car you want at a reasonable price. Then you can have it delivered or take a one way flight, train ride or bus ride to go pick up your new car before driving it home.

We’re not sure exactly how this saga will end but we can assure you that this poster seems intent on buying THIS Honda Civic even if it costs him thousands in the long run. One commenter might have summed it up best. “$35,000 for a civic LOL you’re the reason we have runaway inflation.”

Honda issued a stop sale on the Civic Type R Friday over faulty welds in the driver's side seat cushion frame, according to a dealer communication from the automaker.

The issue means that the frame could fail to secure the seat during a collision, reducing the effectiveness of restraining safety measures, according to a dealer notice posted to the Civic XI forum and filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Friday.

The weld issue is a result of "improper manufacturing," the document says. While a failure during a crash is the most catastrophic risk, the weld issue can also lead to squeaking and rattling noises that have been noted by Civic Type R owners on the same forum since November.

No specific VIN range or build window is included in the notice, but the document does clarify that an internal system would return which cars do and do not need the repair. At least one user on the Civic XI forum thread has already reached out to their dealer and found that their car is not impacted.

The document claims that parts for the repair are not yet available and says that Honda will not begin notifying owners of cars with the relevant issue until mid-May 2023. The stop-sale is dated as starting on March 31 and set to continue "until further notice," presumably when a repair procedure is set and completed.

Tucked in a dry press release, American Honda has just revealed the first official images of the redesigned Civic in Sedan Hybrid form while mostly talking about the sales it wants to achieve this year.

American Honda finished 2023 with a red ribbon – annual sales were up no less than 33%, topping 1.3 million units – primarily thanks to the namesake Honda brand, which finished the tally with 1,162,531 deliveries, up almost 32%. Acura's percentage was even higher (+42%), but the figures are quite small - 145,655. However, they have high hopes for wrapping 2024 with even higher figures.

For example, Honda achieved record electrified sales in 2023 – the CR-V Hybrid was even America's best-selling hybrid model, and the Accord Hybrid was on the throne of hybrid passenger cars. In total, CR-V and Accord hybrids represented over one-quarter of total Honda brand sales last year, according to the company. So, it's only natural they want to keep the strong momentum.

The best way to do so is simple – customers will have an additional hybrid option alongside the Accord and CR-V. More precisely, the Japanese automaker is prepared to launch the eagerly awaited 2025 Civic Hybrid on the US market, and the good news is that the four-door sedan comes rocking a subtle facelift procedure. Tucked in that business-focused press release, the accompanying images presented the refreshed 2025 Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid in all its glory, dressed in crimson and sporting the Sport Touring Hybrid trim level.

As far as we can tell, the styling of the redesigned 2025 Civic makes the eleventh generation more mature than ever, and it's probably coming to the market later this year with pricing that is hopefully competitive with the $23,500 starting MSRP of the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The interior hasn't been shown yet, and we bet that Honda will soon give us a dedicated press release moment to address all 2025 Civic facelift and Hybrid questions sooner rather than later, now that the red cat is out of the bag.

Oh, in case anyone wondered what the business outcome for 2024 is all about, Honda's Senior Vice President of Sales, Mamadou Diallo, explained: "In 2023, we were finally able to meet the pent-up demand for our products with both brands rebounding and American Honda finishing the year up over 30%. We projected a strong recovery, and we achieved that. This year, we will continue to capitalize on hybrid models and light trucks as we begin sales of our first high-volume BEV models. Along with continued investment in our ICE products, we are anticipating increased annual sales for both Honda and Acura in 2024."

So, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX are coming, but there's also a CR-V Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCEV) on the way. Additionally, Acura will introduce the 2025 MDX with "significant enhancements" and a new touchscreen driver interface, perform upgrades on the RDX, and bring out an all-new base crossover to sit alongside the Integra. Honda, meanwhile, will boast Hybrid options for both the Sedan and Hatchback 2025 Civic models, in addition to the facelift. Last but not least, the Odyssey will also receive "styling and technology enhancements to maintain its competitiveness in the minivan segment."

So, what do you think – will Honda present an excellent alternative to the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, or will the Civic Hybrid be too expensive for its own sake?

Coachbuilding is almost a lost art, but Japanese company Mitsuoka is trying to keep the magic alive. It has built some weird cars over the years, including a retro Miata that looked like a Morgan Aero 8 and a Jaguar XK120 had an affair. The most unconventional build in recent memory was this – the M55. Initially a concept, the fake muscle car is going into production.

Unveiled in November 2023 to celebrate Mitsuoka's 55th anniversary, the quirky Dodge Challenger lookalike is actually a Honda Civic underneath its vintage body. In the months that have passed, the company has received more than 1,300 messages from people wanting to buy the contraption: "This was the first time for us to receive such passionate messages directly from so many people of all ages and both sexes."

Due to popular demand, Mitsuoka has decided to make the M55 a reality. However, it's going to take a while. The company intends to have the car on sale near the end of 2025. Additional details are yet to be disclosed but we'll remind you the concept was based on the Civic five-door hatchback and had a 1.5-liter engine hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Last month, Honda brought a sporty Civic RS prototype to the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, possibly hinting at a Civic Si hatchback with a stick shift. It'd be great if Mitsuoka would build the M55 with the larger and more potent 2.0-liter engine. Either way, the fake Challenger with right-hand drive is going to be sold only in Japan.

While the car's front says Challenger, the rear makes us think of 1970s Japanese coupes, such as a Nissan Skyline or a Mitsubishi Galant GTO. The profile is an obvious reminder that the automotive oddity is a Civic at its core. Inside, Mitsuoka went through the trouble of adding retro-looking blue upholstery and it swapped out the Honda badge on the steering wheel for its logo.


The M55 may be an acquired taste but we must give credit where it's due. Mitsuoka certainly has imagination, and there are apparently enough people interested to warrant the development of a production model. This is more than just a comprehensive body kit since the headlights and taillights are also tailor-made, as is the front grille. The rear window louvers seem to take inspiration from a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.

Mitsuoka reckons it won't be able to build enough cars to meet demand because the conversion will take time since all necessary changes will be performed manually. Pricing has yet to be disclosed but given the extent of the modifications, it's safe to say it won't be cheap.