ishtori5

http://www.autonews.com/article/2018...sales-redesign

According to the article the average inventory of the new Accord is at 104 days and with some areas as high as 200 days. I'm not industry expert but that seems awfully high to me for a brand new redesign of one of the most popular Japanese car not to mention all the awards and positive reviews it received. The article is citing the cars are not selling due to lack of incentives. I thought that is generally true for new redesigns because a lot of people want the newest new car and there are less incentives because they are easy to sell.

I wonder if the true cause is people are just not buying sedans anymore and it is starting to impact even the most popular sedans. I consider myself to be a car enthusiasts but even myself have considered to purchasing SUV in t he future to be my daily instead of sedans. Don't get me wrong I still like to drive my s2000 but I can't help but see that most of the these days SUV are just as efficient as sedans and they offer more utility and sometimes even look better (example, LR Velar). There are also more and more SUV that offer very good handling as well like the CX-5, Stelvio, etc.... Did Honda make a mistake betting on the Accord? Will sedans become a niche market in the future and we will all be driving around SUVs?

Has anyone here purchased a new Accord recently or thought about it? What were your reasoning for buying or didn't buy? Just curious to hear some of your thoughts.

JonBoy

Lease prices on Camrys are lower and their sell price is a few thousand less, for a similarly-optioned vehicle. Most people in this market are shopping for value and the Camry is winning that contest right now (easily) due to excellent factory support with incentives/lease deals.

Of course, as you pointed out, the SUV market is much stronger today (the CR-V is outselling the Accord by 50K units a year!) so that definitely increases competition for remaining sedan buyers.

There's a big discussion on TOV about the same issue, with more info.

The Temple of VTEC - Honda and Acura Enthusiasts Online Forums > Accord > > Re: Acclaimed 2018 Accords sit on the lot

TsukubaCody

SUV are not just as efficient as sedans.

They also drive worse & are (in my experience) less comfortable.

But hey, Americans will always pay a premium for the illusion of practicality.

vader1

Nobody wants sedans unless they have some luxury badge for the bling.

It is probably a great car, but I have noted earlier, at least I (and I presume a decent segment of the driving public) think it is fugly. It is still probably a great car and offers the option of having a sporty engine with a stick for those of us that like that sort of thing. If you put the Honda drivetrain (manual please) in the Mazda 6 body I'd buy one. But not the way it looks. With that said, I really did not like the new civic at first and some of the models look pretty good to me after getting used to it. Still hate the Type R wing though.


I really love the small to midsize crossover phase though in that they are all gutless wonders and really easy to pass when you want to.

vader1

I don't think it is just that, my sister and my dad "just want to be high up". Pretty much a direct quote from both of them last time they bought.

I think that a lot of this comes from the fact now that sedans are in the minority, you can't see sh*t around all the minivans, trucks, and suvs, and if they are just as high they get a better perspective than being down on the ground with the people who are still into driving. I hate not being able to see as well in my sedan or coupe, but I am not trading my driving enjoyment for better visibility.

termigni

not selling because it's simply ugly

TsukubaCody

I have literally never had an issue with visibility, even in my lowered S2000. Americans are just lazy and want to fall easily into a car.

WolfpackS2k

I've been unable to drive my cars for the last 4 weeks. I had knee surgery and can't put any weight on my left knee for 6 weeks. In the meantime, a gracious friend has lent me an extra vehicle of his (automatic transmission) to use for the occasion errand or doctor visit. It's a truck, so very high seating position. I hate it. Cannot wait to be back in my cars.

As to the Accord in general, I don't think the exterior appearance has much to do with the poor sales. The Civic sells really way and is considerably uglier. But I think the Civic is part of the problem. The Civic and Accord now use the same vehicle platform and the 10th generation Civic is VERY large. Additionally the Civic and Accord now share at least one powertrain. It wouldn't surprise me much if a lot of potential Accord buyers are now buying Civics instead.

vader1

Sounds well thought out. You're right people are just lazy and nobody wants high seating positions no matter they might actually say.
From Motor Trend:Crossover- Seating Position

The high-riding seating position of the SUV was one of the reasons they became so popular. That seating position, which places drivers higher than in a comparable sedan, paired with fuel economy that’s far better (relatively speaking) than the SUVs of yesteryear makes the crossover a recipe for frugal confidence. Especially in urban environments, a little more visibility in the sea of traffic can go a long way toward feeling comfortable as you drive, which is an admirable goal for any automaker.

TsukubaCody

I'm agreeing with you on them wanting the higher seating position.

I'm just saying visibility as justification is what the idiots call "fake news."

They just don't want to have to bend down or stand up out of a car.