Pens Fan

I recently visited the Marysville Ohio Honda factory. I highly recommend the tour to anyone interested in viewing up close (for approximately 75 minutes) cars being produced from start to finish. The factory is well lit, clean, and manned by many employees that seem dedicated and happy in their jobs. I saw the Acura TLX produced in addition to Honda Accord sedans and coupes. Considering the relatively small number of TLX's and coups produced each month I feel very lucky to have seen them being built.The end of the assembly line was especially interesting to see as each car after being driven on a dynamometer and then is driven on a half mile track. I have both a 2012 TL and 2016 Accord coupe so not in the market for a new car at this time, but watching the cars roll off the assembly line tempted me to want to obtain a 2017!!!

acuranj18

Sounds fascinating. I have to look into this.

Texas325

I went back in May when the 2018 TLX Mid-Cycle Prototype was undergoing testing. It sucks that we couldn't take pictures of the vehicles being built thought but that's true for most industrial security.

Here's the link the factory tour/heritage center. You have to put in reservations for the tour (free). From what I can remember, it's on certain weekdays only (mostly Thursday). Reserve as soon as possible.
https://ohio.honda.com/our-operation...eritage-center

Everyone meets at the Heritage Center for a quick briefing. They served donuts, bagels, coffee and water. After they a short break for everyone to see the Heritage exhibit. Once the break it over, everyone caravans in their own car to the factory. Everyone will don on safety glasses and headphones. The tour is amazing overall and the factory workers are proud of their products from start to finish.

Pens Fan

Yes I too wish pictures were allowed but understand why manufacturers restrict them. I hope to take the tour again in a few years when the new Accord and TLX models are in production.

mapleloaf

Interesting and informative post. Just to be a little cheeky, perhaps you should consider a Civic manufactured in Canada. As a Pens Fan, you would understand Canadian quality Perhaps Trump will force all Canadian players to return north of the border and Crosby can join my Leafs. However, we'll keep Matthews!

Pens Fan

Ha ha I also enjoy visiting Canada but Crosby stays in Pitt !!

I hope to visit all Honda factories that have tours when I retire. It was a lot of fun to watch the manufacturing process-amazing actually.

BEAR-AvHistory

Agree, a tour of a modern auto plant is great fun. Two questions. Did you see any of the dyno numbers & were the Accords & TLX mixed on the line?

Pens Fan

I saw the cars on the dyno after they came off the assembly line but did not take note if you could see their numbers (I was too excited looking at the brand new vehicles...(Accord Coupes-4 cylinders and TLX's at the end of the line at that time).

There are two lines in Marysville and cars are produced in batches of 60 all the same color. It takes 25 hours to build the car so for instance I saw black TLX's on the dyno and Fathom Blue on the line that were not yet completed. Earlier in the tour I saw TLX bodies not yet painted along with Accord Coupes. They do not mix the cars rather they build 60 of the same body but I believe each line builds every model.

BEAR-AvHistory

Thanks. Last plant I was in, a few years ago in Spartanburg SC they mixed both models & paint There was no batching just pretty much continuous production of whatever came next. What interested me most was the lack of people in the plant. In some sections you could fire a shotgun & not hit anyone. Big difference from the muscle car eras GM plant in Linen NJ. A zillion people & horrendous noise.

KeithL

I concur with bear-avhistory, when I went on the SC BMW tour a while back they will,run cars of same color if they can, but they were intermixed on the line. The logistics for just in time for them was amazing. Since exterior and interior colors and even packages meant the interiors where there for each car as it hit each station in the order needed. Trucks arrive 7x24 and there is very little inventory in the plant, if I recall less than a few hours of inventory. The suppliers get penalties if parts do not arrive on time. Well worth 90 minutes of your time if you are in the area of a car plant.