Well im doing a project for a management class and it is essentially an informative speech. My topic is about how US automakers have been struggling to adapt to new standards in the auto market in order to stay alive. My question is what made you want to buy your import over a domestic of course besides it beautiful styling and do believe that Honda's/ imports tend have a longer lifespan compared to that of their domestic counterparts? and if so why?

Your feedback is very much appreciated!

 

I would have to say it was the 88-91 honda prelude. just the speed taped out of such a small motor and the handling. also the fact that i look's awsome slammed to the ground. also the price point back when i was buying my first car. reliability so on and so forth.

 

I was told I needed to get one to get access to this forum....

 

Prior experiences with the brand were good.
They made the car with the features I wanted, with the driving dynamics I enjoyed, and at the price I was willing to pay.
Reliability on Hondas and Acuras is a huge positive.

 

Those are the reasons most people buy a car. My 99TL has over 114,000 miles and is still running like new. It still has they sexy styling for a sedan.

 

What "new standards" have the domestic automakers not adapted?

 

reliability, history and reputation... and at the time, better bang for the buck compared to the Lexus i was looking at...

 

Bought mine because of the reputation for reliability and longevity, and I loved the looks of it from day 1.

 

Well they offer a very limited number of cars that are hybrids/ fuel efficient compared to imports. Many Americans see imports as a cheaper longer lasting car with fewer problems (and any one on the CL TL forum should argue with you). GM and Ford have for the past couple years relied too heavily on larger vehicles like SUV and Big trucks and paid quite heavily with billion dollar losses in 05 and 06. Now don't get me wrong I grew up with Detroit Iron but US automakers have been slow act to the ridiculous jumps in fuel prices when Toyota and Honda were not, but that is not to say that they have not made head way GM has come the closes yet to offering a full electric vehicle (the Volt), and Ford introduced the first hybrid SUV back in 04.

 

Family brand loyalty at first, coupled with appearance and value (ie resale value).

My dad bought a '91 Accord EX since he was sick and tired of the crap the Big 3 was producing. Since coming to America in the early 60s for college, he always dreamed of owning an American car. The experiences my dad has had since his first American car has been bittersweet at best. He's had good ones (eg Dodge Dart, Buick Regal) but has had some terrible ones (ie Ford Pinto, Ford LTD / Crown Vic)

My dad did not want to buy a Japanese car originally due to atrocities done to Chinese / Korean people during WW2 but his pocketbook finally told him to take a look. My mom had a '89 Camry V6 and was great but an accident scared my mom to buy a Volvo. So ... my dad went to the Honda dealership and was impressed by the Accord in looks, handling and fuel economy.

Now .. after graduating from college in the spring of 2001 and fresh after my dad handed me the keys to this prized Accord ... I decide to upgrade it to the 'new Type-S' offered by Acura. Originally, I was going to check out the CL-S ... but the dealership had a TL-S with a body kit and my dad and I oogled at it for a while.

Six years later, I still like my car a lot. I've joined this great forum and was lucky enough to be promoted to being a moderator. I have, in the process, recommended Hondas / Acuras to 6 friends / classmates (2 Accords, 1 CR-V, 2 TSXs, 1 Civic) and my wife drives an '07 TSX (that I'm not allowed to modify). I would not consider myself a Honda fanboy but an enthusiast with an open mind.

I will most likely buy a non-Honda Japanese car in the spring. Family priorities (ie I want to buy a sporty car before starting a family and don't want to wait for the mid-life crisis) compels me to sell my TL-S since I'm not allowed to have 2 cars. So a coupe with a backseat is the compromise ...

PS I seriously doubt I will buy a 'domestic' car any time in the near future. Only thing that catches my eye is a Corvette ... but wife does not like a 2-seater (or else I would be driving a S2k or NSX right now)

 

As far as hybrids go (in all categories) The domestics offer around 7 models while the imports offer around 9. I would not call the domestic number a limited number by comparison.

 

I assumed that Honda's reliability would carry over to their Acura brand in regards to my CL-S. I was disappointed. I learned an expensive life lesson to always throughly research a car b4 buying and to read forums prior to purchase also. I purchased my Acura at the age of 20.

 

Reliability. Resale value. I appreciate Honda's engineering compared to others. Overall - the value for the money. They happened to be selling just what I was looking for - somewhat sporty, somewhat luxury, reliable package, good price.

 

I didn't address this part of the question. I do believe Hondas have a longer lifespan than that of its domestic counterpart. Honda is a great engine manufacturer and that's generally an accepted fact. Personal experience as well as family/friend experience have been nothing short of very positive.

I think a lot of criticisms of Honda/Acura members of this board is skewed to one side. While no manufacturer is perfect, there are some which are better than the others, as a whole. If you want to use Consumer Reports as a litmus test, it has rated Honda / Acura as best among all makes. Other Japanese counterparts (eg Toyota, Subaru) also have high praise. I think the highest domestic was Buick and it was the only make to be a top 10. (?) So there is some external, (somewhat) unbiased review to give the impression that domestic makes are not meeting the standard its Japanese counterparts have set.

 

Which one?
For the cars- the new Honda/Acura cars I got were the best compromise of performance, comfort, reliability and economy for the price compared to contemporary vehicles from other makes.

The Odyssey was the best minivan for us (Siennas were less driver oriented; everything else was slower, ugly in/out and less likely to be reliable).

I have only been pleasantly surprised by the Hondas/Acuras since 1988; the Toyota was no fun, nor the Ford and GM cars.

 

I was looking at 6th gen AV6 coupes. When I saw the CL-S it was love at first sight. It was the only thing I wanted after that. The only problem was the $$. Then I found my car. It was better than new, never seen rain, and owned by someone who is anal as hell about his cars. It also already had CT headers, springs and mufflers. I picked it up w/ 8400 miles for $25,500.

man I was head over heels for my CL-S.

 

my dad gave it to me (My first car, 97 Honda Civic Coupe)

Overall, loved the aftermarket support... as a 17 year old asian boy, this was very important. Additionally I liked the reliability (or perceived reliability) of the Honda name... (I really didn't have the car long enough to test that aspect.)

 

When I bought my TSX, I also considered the 3 series and A4. In the end I got the TSX for its reliability and overall package (a nice balance of good looks, performance, interior design and equipment level). I am busy enough in my life, I don't want to have to take the car back to the dealership every month to have something fixed... the reliability issues of the A4 and 3 series scared me that way.....

 

My dad had a 96 and then a 99 Acura RL and it was always a great car.

So I wanted something under 32k that was fast, reliable and had luxury. At the time the 2002 TLS was king in that department in terms of bang for the buck.

Granted at the time i didnt know much about cars, didnt even know what an air intake was. :gheylaugh:

As far as domestic cars go, I have no problem owning one. Its just that i need an interior that feels good to the touch. Which they have been improving on since I love the new CTS.

 

Throughout the years I've always noted that purchasers and the printed media alike always raved about Honda products. In fact, it seemed to me that they were often compared to other brands and often judged to be the benchmark in a particular category. When compared to a domestic brand, Honda seemed to be offering more in categories of workmanship, materials quality, longevity, engineering, and resale value. The Honda's were more expensive than a comparably equipped domestic, but the perceived quality was definitely there. My first and only Honda automobile to date has been my '05 Accord six-speed coupe. It has been completely satisfactory expect for one complaint: I find it's interior somewhat cramped and uncomfortable. Regardless, it won't be my last Honda product.

It seems the domestics have improved their quality greatly, even to the point of rivaling some imports. I think the average consumer, however, perceives the imports as superior and entirely expects the quality and other attributes to already be in place. I suppose even this is debatable in some instances, but I think the domestic brands will have to "prove" their quality for some time yet before the average consumer accepts this to be the norm.

Terry

 

The damm test drive did it!!. The smooth and quiet V6 and the great 6 speed tranny makes my sedan seems a lot quicker than it looks.

 

At first, I got my 3rd gen TL because it had a fusion of power, comfort and luxury that no one could match for the price, as well it had looks that could look modern forever, the interior flowed perfectly and had all you could desire. As well, the reliabliltiy of Honda's that my family has had has been superb and the customer service is always great. After getting the 3rd gen, I got the MDX for the same reasons, plus it was the best well rounded car and it got great MPG for an SUV, i get about 20-22 in the city with it now.

 

great overall package

 

Easy To Custom Build,
R.

 

Well, I was fascinated by Hondas and Acuras at a young age. In middle school I was buying Sport Compact Car and Turbo Magazines. I always wanted an Integra and while I knew there were faster cars such as a Supra or a domestic V-8 I was still drawn to Integras. It seemed rebellious at the time, my dad has been a GM man for decades, I broke the mold and joined the dark side.

At 16 with my help of my reluctant father I purchased a GS-R, I loved that car and modified it in my own way. I was very happy with the car even though my modifications and driving style caused it be unreliable.

I figured I was getting into too much trouble and a bit of a financial crunch owning this car and purchased a new Tahoe at age 19. It had a few issues, P/S front window would not work at times and the battery failed when it was 6 months old. Gas was cheap and I was making good money while going to school. Everyone in my circle liked the truck, but I thought it was boring and dull compared to my Integra.

As I saw the import scene gain in popularity with every passing year I missed having a modified import. The RSX was out and that was the new Integra. I purchased a Type S back in February of 2004. That is where I got my handle that I've been using almost four years. I modified this one too, it was a very quick car and I got 35 MPG on the freeway. Well the years went on and the car was great, but my girl hated it and I felt angry driving the car since a plethora of morons tried to either race or dog me.

Flashback to about a year and one week ago today and I purchased a new TL 5AT w/navi to replace my beloved RSX. I guess as my father turned into a GM man all of his life I am headed down the same path with my purchasing choices. I like Honda/Acura and that's what compels me to continue purchasing them to this day.

My TL has not been perfect with numerous rattles from the poor assembly or faulty parts that needed replacement I still feel for the price these cars are tremendous values from a bang for the buck perspective. The TL is my commuter and I chose not to modify it in anyway.

Honda/Acuras have high resale value, cheaper to insure for myself than the competition by far when I checked quotes on the G35, IS350, and 335i, very safe with high crash test scores, and decently fun to drive. Other than my one defection to a GM vehicle I have only had Hondas in my stable.

I could be lured by other brands; the G35s and IS350 is definitely appealing and a 335i would be as well, but I choose to play it safe and stick with that I know. I guess I turned from being rebellious to being boring and dull...


Hope this helped your research, my apologies for the essay.

 

Oh yeah my next car will likely be the next gen TSX (SH-AWD and K23T I hope) or a left over TL-S this time next year (maybe they fixed the build quality issues 5 years into production, could be wishful thinking). That is of course if I decide not to keep my current TL.

I do like Mazda and the direction they have been going in. My girl has an '07 MS3 GT (came from an '01 Prelude base another great car), really fun car to drive and the Euro Mazda 6 is amazing looking.

 

good value+good performance+good resale value+cheap parts+easy to work ok= honda (early acuras) most of these unfortunatly dont apply to the news acuras

but there arent that many cars that still look good stock, drive good with high resale values. Nothing is perfect, no manufacturer, no car so i guess for the price that is paid for honda/acura's they surpass anyother car in their price bracket especially in domestics.

 

there are many reasons,

dad used to own a Civic...so from that day on I started to like Honda. Other reasons are,

low maintenance cost, reasonable price, good performance, good handling, nice looking, good ergonomics (ie user-friendly), good resale value, good quality (panel gaps, materials used, etc), good ride comfort, etc.

 

1) Price:value
2) Quality
3) Performance
4) Handling

ref: 07 Accord V6 EX-L w/Navi

 

The words, 95% Japan on the Window Sticker.

 

Value. Tell me where I can get a more reliable, fun, outstanding car for the price of my TSX?

 

my dad works for em. and i used to work for em.

i got 2 Hondas.

 

Reasons I bought a TSX instead of a domestic, and I've owned several domestics in the past:

1. Quality of materials and construction
2. K24 is an indestructable engine that should be good for 200K miles
3. Resale value far superior
4. Safety ratings
5. Fuel economy
6. Fun to drive factor

 

Honda Accord EX-L V6 6MT sedan !?! (Fortunately, you did not say 'better looking.' )

 

I owned only american cars for 25 years until 2004 when I bought a Honda Accord. For me it was an unbeatable package. The interior was georgeous, much better than the Chevys or Fords. The exterior styling was also better. But what really brought me over was the reputation for reliability.

I drove the car for 3 years without any problems and then traded up to an Acura TL-S. While I think the American Car companies have made great progress in recent years, It is an uphill battle to convince me and other buyers to "come back to the fold".

P.S. both of my "foreign" cars were built in the U.S. If honda can build reliable cars in this country, why can't Ford or Chrysler?

 

I boughy my CL-S back in Aug 2000 because in my opinion it was the best looking and performing car for the money. Back then you had to spend over 40k to match what the CL had and with the redesing it looked classy.

 

Just way too damn sick of taking my (brand-new) alero to the dealership every week..gm hater for life now, over here...

 

I got my 02 TL-S because it had the look (with OEM bodykit) and options and features and lastly, quality (tranny issue, anyone?)

 

Because it's an S2000.

I've wanted it since its introduction in late 1999 (I was... 13 back then). But even more so in the past couple years since I have started tinkering with cars and care for handling over cruising/straight-line speed.

High-revving engine, light-weight body, RWD, roadster, Socal weather = JOY
Super happy owner in the past 3 1/2 months!

 

Why would you buy an Alero in the first place?