usaf2008

I don't ever see Acura being in a position like GM, Ford and Chrysler are right now but do you think that they will slowly start to lose customers and have sales die out?

The reason I ask is Acura is notorious for one thing:
Bad customer service, Ive had my own experience and looking through the internet it's a huge problem for them.

Also, the New 09 TL shows they aren't paying attention to their customers wants much. I think it will be very close to a dud. (The two dealerships in my area have sold only 1 between the two of them) What's your opinion?

Jesstzn

If you belong to a few forums you will find Acura alone isn't the only one with customer service issues .. and they all seem to be regional .. hit and miss...

Just remember only people with percieved bitches post those bitches ... for every 1 percieved bitch there is prolly 100's that are satisfied that don't post.

RC51Ryder

I seriously doubt it. In fact, Honda is so diversified that if worse came to worst, they would be one of the few left standing. Heck, I just learned not too long ago that Honda makes airplane engines and has solutions for home energy not to mention the strong following they have overseas. Nah man, it will be around for a while.

TommySalami

Only problem I see is that their designs suck, and that can be fixed with a facelift in a couple years.

holografique

I agree on the comment about the new 09 models, no idea where the hell their design team thinks they are going. to me it's going the way of the days of the ugly ass CL model...you could tell they were clearly lost or doing some soul searching trying to figure out what the hell they wanted....worst exterior design ever....the 09 is close to taking taking the lead on that...

as for them going away, like the other poster said, it's Honda dude. Honda has their hands in sooooooo many other markets (jet skis, motorcycles, generators, jet engines, contruction equipment, etc. etc. etc.), not to mention Honda Cars itself!!! They are way too massive of a company to get affected at the level of the American car companies have. And in IMHO, American car companies took far too long to wisen up to modern times and start thinking about being gas friendly, economical, and forward-thinking. their demise to me, is only a result of their own bad decision making.....

mg7726

b/c they're a forward thinking company, run by engineers than bean counters. not only are they into mobility, they work with farmers near their land to produce soybeans to bring back to Asia. they are not perfect but one of the few out there with

from oct. 2005:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...211-A1-00.html

honda's site:
http://www.honda.com/soybeans/

totally, and that's why i am not for providing them with ANY welfare check, companies with no long term vision do not need to survive - i don't care if the country is a capitalist, socialist, or communist state.

Osamu

. honda will stick around. arcura just needs a new design team.

bmw survived the bangle era , and toyota gets by without relying on looks.

stright-(paint)balling

Well a lot depends on what "shakes out" of the american automotive meltdown.
if no bailout happens- Acura and most other automakers will grow due to companies such as Chrysler and GM going under will give Honda/Acura more market share due to less choices.
if bailout happens(which i believe it will)- Acura will remain about at par and where their at and american automotive car companies will continue to make "okay" cars.

Fishy

Acura has always been perceived as the sensible, value oriented luxury brand. There is less of a "prestige" markup, which means more of the price is reflected in the actual car rather than a perception in people's minds.

Given the recession we're in will probably last a year or more, I see Acura doing better than other luxury brands. People will still want the luxury and toys even if they have less money to spend on a car. That's Acura's game.

Oh, one more thing. I think the real money maker in the luxury market is in the entry level cars. S Class Mercedes are real nice but I betcha they make more on the C class.

Ken1997TL

Thats the issue. Sensible people (Acura's core customers) are turned off by the new look Acura has deemed to be stylish. If anything Acuras age well and last a long time. This new Pontiac wannabe metal snout is just stupid.

dallison

remember, honda was primarily a motor company, and still is

Crazy Bimmer

Acura has bad customer service or their dealers? My local Acura dealer has been outstanding everytime i go since 1996!

They have been listening to us with the new TL. We all bitched how Acuras were FWD with no AWD option and now they gave it to us. All car sales are slow right now even new models. So its hard to say if the TL is a flop or if its just the economy. My guess is the economy because people still love their value luxury.

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

I was always taken care of well when my car went to the shop. I agree with Jesstzn, people are quick to point out the bad, but rarely report the good.

FiftyFive

I agree, heck, one of the many factors that went into trading my old car to get back into another Acura was customer service.

red00tl

I agree completely, and this is why I keep coming back to Acura. I've had 3 Acuras in my family and I'd rather stay with Acura for my next car purchase. Naturally I'm interested in the 4G TL, with its ugly beak and all, as there is no doubt whatsoever that it is an excellent car in terms of value and performance.

I also agree with Ken1997TL that this new bold design theme may not be well accepted by the sort of "sensible" people Acura has been aiming for over the years.

Acura is on an unenviable job of doing something new/bold to attract new customers without alienating their original customer base.
But given what had transpired at BMW and others, I think people will get used to the "bird beak" in 2 years.

I used to hate the silver beak, but after a couple of months I find myself hating it less.
Maybe I shall get completely desensitized after a year or so.

RC51Ryder

Exactly. In my opinion, American cars have gotten better but too little, too late. They are now where Honda/Toyota were 10 years ago. GM has been putting out substandard cars like the Chevy Citation, Beretta, Corsica, Chevette, Celeberty, Lumina, Vega, Nova, Cadillac Cimarron....and those are just the shitboxes that I can name off the top of my head. They knew these cars and their Oldsmobile/Buick/Pontiac twins were crap coming off the factory floor and now they want us to trust them that they know how to make a good reliable car and not screw us over in the process. Not me dude. If I get an American vehicle in the future (a very big IF) it would be a truck but judging by the way Toyota makes the Tundra and Tacoma, I doubt if I will ever go back.

sifuacura

iTrader: (1)

acura will not die, honda wouldnt allow that.
they wont let toyota and lexus live happily
haha

neuronbob

Acura? Die? Nah. As noted above, they just need a new design team as the new cars other than the TSX and MDX suck ass.

Even though I pine for that tooth-rotting, candied CTS-V, its edgy look, and its 556 hp, I know I'll keep coming back for the broccoli that Acura offers. Especially if the designers make less offensive designs.

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

Excellent analogy.

invisiblewar

they have everything going for them except for the exterior. the interior, handling and everything else is amazing

iTimmy

I think things really turned around in 04-05 and were great until this new grill thing. The 09 TL could be a great package with SH-AWD and 6MT, the grill kills it and the rising cost hurts it - when you get to the $40k+ range the competition is fierce and you really need to have the total package to be competitive.

Crazy Bimmer

i'd rock it.

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

^ Yep.

swoleCL

My acura dealership has taken care of me, however if I rolled up in an NSX they'd probly throw me the red carpet treatment too!!

Fishy

In Canada, the 4G's are now closer to American pricing and are lower than the 3G's were. 3G TL+Nav was $45k and TL-S was $48k list.

With an easy mod like the Ron Jon grill, a 4G TL SH-AWD is a killer car with more room than a RL. Forget the compact sedan competition, its square in Lexus ES/GS, BMW 5 series etc. range with a incredible value proprosition. Paying $10-20k more for a badge is gonna be tough with bonus checks being replaced by pink slips.

I think the TL will do well. If needed, a mid-year cosmetic upgrade is trivial and would resolve any issues. The bigger challenge is to pass the sports sedan torch (i.e. the 3.5L V6!!!) from the TL to the TSX.

Costco

Acura hasn't made bad cars recently, they've just made terribly ugly ones compared to the rest of the competition. While I'm sure Ron can come up with a new grill, 99% of 4G TLs will still have the silly shield grill and even more will still have that ugly rear bumper. And need I even mention the RL's woes?

Acura certainly will not thrive.... I wouldn't expect some sort of huge gain in sales compare to the last time all the new models came out. I suspect a period of sales stagnation, with the economy on crutches, coupled with the ugly styling. I've yet to talk to a person who I've shown the 4G that actually likes its exterior.

This move to "Tier 1" luxury status will not be an easy one. I expect higher prices at the least for future Acuras with V8s and RWD (?) to recoup R&D costs for the new platforms and drivetrains. And I still don't think people are ready to pay for a $60,000+ Acura (NSX aside) or whatever it will cost.

Trackruner228

iTrader: (1)

First of all my dealer has always treated me like a king despite being young.

As far as Acura they are going to be around for awhile. Honda is making profit right now, and as long as thats happening Acura will be around. All there models are great cars its just the damn grilles. I think most new Acura's look nice its just they need to fix those horrible ugly grilles. Also time to switch their FWD to RWD. Get a V8, and maybe some hybrids, and diesels.

YeuEmMaiMai

If the new cars are any indication, they are gonna croak because they are FUGLY

javarunner

In NE Florida I've had nothing but good service from the Acura dealership (Duval Acura).

vas25tl

Honda/Acura is fine when taking into consideration how other automakers are hurting. Acura sales are actually doing okay for now, better than others. I don't see them going anywhere. As far as thriving, I don't think that they will...but they'll def keep going.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

the closest acura dealer to me is garbage. i will never take my car there b/c of there poor service. the only people who get treated right are wealthy people who they know they can squeeze.

my buddy's a tech at the Honda across the street and he takes care of any issues i may have for half the price...and it's done in Honda

SG81

iTrader: (1)

:asshole:

tegkid

iTrader: (7)

its weird cause i really think that the new designs will grow on people
acura and honda designs are usually a little out there but they are actually ahead of the curve because you'll see everyone else copying them soon.

when the 03 accord came out, everyone thought the design was crazy and just ugly shaped but then a few years down the road and everyone else had a very similar shape and still do. i thought the new tsx was god ugly when i first saw it but now i actually like it and after test driving one see its not a bad car at all.

i think acura will always have a market. they just need to listen to the market a little more. a new integra and cl???

Rock2534

Whether or not a car is ugly is an opinion, to the poster who said the CL was ugly;that is your opinion although I would disagree 100%, I thought the CL looked cool as shit, thats why I bought it as soon as I saw it. Even the new TL and TSX don't look that bad imo in person, in print or tv they look terrible, but remove that big grille and you got a nice looking car.

The fact that Acura only has a few models in its lineup will be to its benefit during the economic crunch. The domestics offer so many trim levels of each model that it must cost a fortune just to stock the lots manufacture the replacement parts.

taitando

I don't know about their growth potential, but Acura will probably be around longer than Chrysler, GM, or Ford.

Now, although the looks of the 2009 models are hate it or love it, it won't be enough to cause them to "die out". I think it was on Leftlane news that cited a report from the Automotive Lease Guide, that 2009 models from Honda/Acura had the highest "projected" residual value. You can read into that however you like, but that's a bragging right for Honda/Acura (although I'd beg to differ, seeing as how the residual value of my 2005 RL sank faster than poop in a toilet).

Recently on CBS's Early Show, they also reported on how cars made by Honda scored highly on the NTHSA's 2009 crash tests. More bragging rights for Honda.

Since Acura is basically Honda, I doubt Acura will be dying off anytime soon.

adrian_04tl

i doubt they die out...

i need rear wheel drive tho...so...back to honda...S2K

DAYTA

No chance.

With the 2G TSX, Acura moved in a completely different direction (think: Camry). The addition of electric power steering and the increased heft demostrate their priorities lean towards "luxury". There is nothing "sporty" about any of the current-gen Acuras.


Also, there is no torch that needs to be passed between the 1G TSX and 3G TL. The 1G TSX has always been "sportier" than the 3G TL. It's not faster in a straight line, but it's certainly more nimble and IMO more fun to drive.

:putsflamesuiton:.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I don't think they will. I think they will take a hit, but I don't see Honda cutting them.

I agree that there needs to be a redesign. I think they can do better. The technology is there, but needs to be perfected and the styling needs to be changed. The new direction sucks.

love099

if the design team thinks of revamping the acura's design im sure it will stay longer in the market.

goredcar

Honda's build quality is decent... but not great. Even the NSX is middle of the pack when compared to its peers. Even honda motorcycles are middle of the road... typically the lowest in HP in any shoot out. Fairly reliable, but not exciting. I used to ride a Honda dirt bike then moved to a KTM and could not believe the difference.

So my point is only that in order to do well in business you need to excell at something... a point of differentiation...at the moment I am having a hard time seeing what Honda excels at. I have been driving Hondas since 1993 when I bought a new Integra... it was great.. then a Honda coupe (boring), then a CL-s auto (crapped out tranny) then a CL-S 6MT (wow)and finally the 07 TL-S (wife's car). I doubt that I will buy another Honda product as they are just too "vanilla". I think that as a company they have peaked. If there are enough people like me who have become disenchanted with Honda, their sales will decline.