From: granteri@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Grant Erickson)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: End of Golden Era at Honda
Date: 9 Apr 92 00:45:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: orbit.7428
Organization: People-Net [pnet51], Minneapolis, MN.

sgccrjh@citec.oz.au (Robert Howlett) writes:
>1988-1992 Civic
>
>Streets ahead of the opposition at time of release, took
>the other Japanses manufacturers 3 years to catch up.
>
>16v motor was a great improvement on the previous 12v, and double
>wishbone suspension improved comfort/handling significantly (I have
>owned both of these model civics)
>
>: The Civics seem to be getting slushier with time -- I test drove
>: some these recently and I was underwhelmed.  Heftier price, more room
>: but more of what I have traditionally disliked about many American cars.
>
>The new civic is a very stylish car, but good looks do not and excellent
>car make.  In this country, it suffers from two main problems.
>
>1) Cost.  It is way way way overpriced
>2) Engines.  Standard engines are not up to the task (they even sell a
>   1.4l model in this country, what a dog.)  VTEC is not available here,
>   and it should be STANDARD not some multi-thousand dollar option.
>
>These problems mean that the new Civic is not the class leader that previous
>model have been.  IN particular the Mazda 323/Astina (1.8l DOHC) offers
>much better value for money
>
>Overlooking the styling, which seem to be a love/hate scenario, the new
>Prelude is once again not an INNOVATIVE car in it's class.  There are
>other cars from other manufacturers which are as good or better for the
>same price or less....
>
>The current Accord suffers from the same problem, as well as being (IMHO)
>underpowered and boring to look at.
>
>: 
>: There was a time I would consider nothing but a Honda, but I felt the
>: same betrayal upon seeing the new Prelude as I do when a favorite musical
>: group of mine puts out a bad album or a computer company I admire puts out
>: a weak new design.  Maybe I should look closer at Saturn.  They modeled
>: their transmission after Honda's when Honda knew what it was doing.
>
>Saturn are not available in this country, but I agree with your sentiments.
>Four years ago, I would not have owned any other brand of car.  I drove
>the new civic in 1988, and it was twice as good as the other Japanese offerings
>at the time.  I bought one as soon as I could afford it, and it is still the
>car I drive.  In the years since then, I feel Honda have sat on their laurels
>to a great extent.  Their cars are still well styled, extremely well built
>and very reliable.  But their innovative edge seems to have dropped away.
>VTEC is a great idea, but they are simply not pushing it in their bread and
>butter models.
>
>I am afraid that apart from the NSX, I would rather own the equavilant model
>Mazda these days.  Honda may be on the decline, but Mazda are certainly on
>a building wave of great new models.
>
>: 
>: Jonathan
>-- 
>
>Robert Howlett              Internet: sgccrjh@citecuc.citec.oz.au
>Unix System Administrator   Phone:    +61-7-834-2895
>Department Of Transport     Fax:      +61-7-834-2911


I bought a Nissan Sentra SE-R last summer and it is a fantasticar for the
$10,500 I paid for it (it was a demo with 600 miles on it). I looked at the
Escort, Protege, 323, Civic, Tercel, Shadow, Sundance, Sunbird, Cavalier, and
the Sentra. Of all those cars, the 1.6l (at 110 hp) and the 2.0l SE-R (at 140
HP) had the most power in the class, was a clean, well designed looking car.
And the price was great. With the 4 wheel independent suspension, DOHC 16V
engine (and Nissan claims it has variable valve timing, but  can't imagine it
is the same system that Honda uses), and 4 wheel disc brakes, it handles
superbly. The NX-2000 now offes some good competition for the CRX as well (
and costs less than the Si-I think). 

Together, Nissan and Infinity carry a good line of cars now. The Stanza could
use some real improvements, but supposedly it is being redesigned for 1993.

I agree about the Prelude. That dashboard is utterly unappealing.
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