This is just plain sad. Glad the Infiniti guys did not feel this way about the G37 Coupe I'm driving now.

http://www.autoextremist.com/

 

So, did you lose the Automotive News forum, where everyone else on AZ is bemoaning Acura's direction in several threads?

 

Those quotes (if legit) are not encouraging...not at all. "Advance" indeed Acura. Uggh.

 

This probably should be in this thread:

The Honda/Acura Versus The World Debate

 

I don't agree with that commentary. Acura is not saying the "good enough is good enough". They are saying that "smart, conscious engineering it good enough".

I agree with this statement: "Some of these cars the average driver just can't control. We have been increasing performance beyond the ability of the driver, or we have complicated the driving process."

I like everything about Acura except the exterior styling. Interior: great, tech: great, performance: meh... but not bad, quality: good.

 

I think it's more about targeting a market segment. You really can't be all things to all people. Acura has not really gone after certain segment leaders ever.

Honda has also mostly gone their own way. Sometimes it works out for them. Right now, not so much.

 

I think Acura is saying it will focus on the actual driving feel of the vehicle instead of packing as much tech as possible into a boring car.

Kind of going back to its roots

 

Heck, I would buy another one!

 

One other thing I'd like to mention. When you do nothing for car enthusiasts, as a car company, you get boring; fast.

 

+1

+2

+3

 

That's not what Ito or other Honda folks said, just the columnist view of their recent statements.

 

Huh? Here you go -

"Mike Accavitti, the former head of Dodge who became American Honda's vice president of marketing in August, describes the current luxury market as 'too much machine and not enough humanity. Our overweight bodies require overweight engines and more safety systems to protect them. Some of these cars the average driver just can't control. We have been increasing performance beyond the ability of the driver, or we have complicated the driving process.' "

"Gary Evert, division director for advanced automotive planning at Acura R&D, said, 'Technology is only as good as the driver. The vehicle almost always has more capability than the driver can handle. Anything outside the customer's understanding is waste.' "

"Sales chief Jeff Conrad insisted that Acura was returning to its original product philosophy, as reported by Rechtin, which revolves around elegant engineering and class-leading fuel economy. And that they would no longer pursue the best-in-class entries from the top-tier automakers."

"And Vicki Poponi, American Honda assistant vice president for product planning, added, 'Our engineering ego was getting in the way.' "

These were the quotes I was talking about. These indicate, to me anyway, that the powers that be are out of touch with why they aren't doing well in the market.

 

Oh I thought you meant the "Good enough is OK . . ." quote.

The quotes from the Acura marketing folks I found to be what I expected, nothing grandiose or tier-1 talk which I always thought was the wrong direction.

Some of what they said about the machines getting too complicated are true though. I've been to enough Lexus and MB driving events to know when the vehicles got too complicated and didn't enhance the driving.

 

Agreed. I don't think we need another of these topics.

Since I can't merge them as the timing of replies in here and in there would throw off the conversations... feel free to jump in there:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=839150