But that isn't the case here -- like I said before I bet 90+% of homeowners don't have a garage door that will work without HomeLink (or the included remote).

That latter part is REALLY reaching for excuses! LOL

 

Doubtful, as this is why it was removed. If it was that popular there would have been a big outcry for it.

Huh? Anything in a car may need to be serviced down the road and technology is rapidly changing so even if it isn't a HL issue one day it can become an issue for HL which could equal extra costs.

 

No, it was removed because ignorant bean counters run AHM. There is absolutely no good reason the A-spec Tech shouldn't have HomeLink other than AHM's greed and/or sheer stupidity.

I am getting the impression you don't have much experience with HomeLink. It has been around a long time and their product is quite mature -- from my experience (with multiple vehicles) it's very rock solid. Sure there is always a chance with anything, but AHM includes a lot of other tech that's far less mature and therefore more risky.

 

I'm surprised by homelink as well, but it is clear from the Integra that they are decontenting to save on price point. Things like missing rear vents, navigation, spare tire, homelink are examples of this.

I would say that of various neighborhoods I know around the country, probably 25% of potential Integra buyers would benefit from Homelink. Eg: a large number live in larger buildings with gated parking structures and/or street parking only, thus not benefiting from this. Silly that Acura didn't make the mirror an official dealer-installed option, but at least it is easily swappable due to the modularity of all the Honda parts.

 

How dare they try to make as much profit as possible! We may not like the decisions but there are usually at least a little something behind them and you don't know what metrics were used to make this one.

Flip phones were quite mature for a long time and then suddenly became irrelevant. HL is unmovable buttons in a car when a lot of people have moved/are moving past that with apps and what not. It's unfortunate for consumers like you who love HL but it's clear that it's not important enough anymore and probably won't be coming back, at least with Honda/Acura.

 

Add missing rear air vents to the list - another baffling omission in the Integra. I'll give the missing nav and rear USB ports a pass, as base trims in many luxury models also are missing these fixtures. But rear vents? Come ON, hardly a cost-cutting venture of any significance. Homelink should at minimum be unavailable on a base Integra and available standard in the Integra Type S, A-Spec, and A-Spec/Tech models.

ESHBG made a valid point that we are not seeing Acura's metrics to make these decisions, but I'd love to see their justification.

 

When we first looked at the Integra, I immediately noticed the missing rear vents as our other cars all have them. But it was not a deal breaker.

After owning the car for over 18 months, I now know that their omission is a non-issue. The car has an A/C unit that will blow you out of the vehicle, even in sultry, midwestern summer weather. Heating is perfectly OK too.

If you're considering an Integra, I wouldn't let the omission of rear vents deter you from a purchase.

Same thing for the nav. I like the Android Auto nav. It updates constantly, and gives you a picture/directions on the infotainment screen that is equal to/maybe better than the native nav in my TL (which admittedly has a few years on it now).

 

Navi is completely understandable since Tech includes the ability to use Google maps from your phone. The missing spare tire seems to be a trend across all manufacturers. The lack of rear vents actually makes some sense in cost savings -- but much of it would have been one-time R&D costs so it's a bit silly. The lack of HomeLink (on upper trims) when they already have a product readily available for use just shows AHM's utter stupidity -- especially when the product was standard in some cheaper Civics (at the time the Integra debuted).
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HomeLink supports gates too actually so I suspect your 25% number is too low. AHM seems hell bent to save a few dollars at the expense of missing out on much more.

 

That's where you are completely off base. The market penetration for "connected" garage doors is probably like around 10%. That explains why Acura's competition still has HomeLink available. It's unfortunate that AHM sometimes makes such shortsighted decisions.

 

To me, homelink (regardless of the percentage of the populace who want and/or need it) has become a basic feature since it can be had in non-luxury, non-premium vehicles. Acura is either premium or luxury depending on viewpoint (I'm not starting that debate here), therefore including homelink - or at least making it available in all of their models - is a MUST DO.

LOL, I should change my nickname from Flapjackura to Homelinksnob...

 

I am not completely off base and how many manufacturers still offer it as standard equipment? You pointed to the lack of Navi earlier and how there is an alternative and there is one here too, your own remote or phone, which also costs the auto makers nothing; it's the same scenario and they see it. And a big portion of the driving population in urban areas like mine do not have gates or garage doors so the lack of HL is a non-issue.

And btw the lack of Navi in the Integra annoys me like HL does you, as I don't always like fiddling with AA/CP and it's nice to have built in Navi for my short trips and to just look at the maps as I cruise (I am a map nerd). Can I live without it? Sure. But it's the principle.

Good discussion, though, and we do agree on it sucks paying more for less and losing items that we used

 

Considering that the majority of the population (and car buyers) live in suburbs, it’s kind of odd to cater to city folk and remove homelink as even an option

For the record, I live in SF (an urban city last I checked) and I bemoan the lack of HL. The last car I owned that didn’t have homelink even as an option was my 8G Civic Si.

 

Absolutely! If AHM keeps it up they are going to run themselves out of business (unless they established themselves as an EV maker with very good reliability). The main reason I will probably get the Integra is the 6MT and their reliable engines -- but those reasons won't be around in the future!

 

Suburbs still do not equate gates or garages for us in the older metros, as so much of the housing stock across our large metro does not have gates or garages and if they do have a garage it is the very small older ones and people just use them for storage. And sure SF is an urban city but more of the metro was built with the car in mind so you probably do have more opportunities for HL to be useful...even your famous row houses have garages, something you don't really see here with our famous rowhomes.

But regardless, we all agree that losing items sucks.