Honda to reduce production of Accord and Civic

[saz468]

I highly doubt everything will go electric. Gas powered heavy machinery and trucks are still way stronger than electric versions.

those giant dump trucks are hybrids a Diesel engine powers a electric motor on each wheel

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[NoHonor937]

I understand the market demand but this is sad to me. It says nothing about them stopping production of cars (thankfully) but that still worries me that they could follow suit with GM and Ford. I despise driving SUVs - cars, even if its only a Civic, are so much more enjoyable to drive for me. If the market wants more SUVs fine, I just hope my favorite brands (Honda and Toyota) continue to make some compacts, even if they are in lesser numbers.

Ford and gm only dropped their lower model cars. Their upper tier cars are still being produced. Their eco cars can’t compete with Honda and Toyota’s so there’s no reason to produce them.

 

[saz468]

I thought the SUVs and pickup truck craze was going to fade out like that teal color and the car manufacturers will bring back variety of styles but I guess I’m wrong

 

[gtman]

Ford and gm only dropped their lower model cars. Their upper tier cars are still being produced. Their eco cars can’t compete with Honda and Toyota’s so there’s no reason to produce them.

Actually that's not completely true. In the US, Ford is dropping every single current non-SUV and truck not named Mustang. No more Fiesta (including the awesome ST), Focus (including the ST), and all versions of the Taurus and Fusion. That's pretty much their entire former lineup of cars.

I thought the SUVs and pickup truck craze was going to fade out like that teal color and the car manufacturers will bring back variety of styles but I guess I’m wrong

Here's some staggering numbers I saw over at CNBC:

"By 2022, almost 73 percent of all consumer vehicle sales in the United States are expected to be utility vehicles of some sort, and about 27 percent will be cars, according to auto industry forecasting firm LMC Automotive.

By that same time, LMC automotive expects 84 percent of GM’s U.S. sales volume will be SUVs, crossover and trucks. Ford will be at 90 percent, and Chrysler at 97 percent."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/26/for...us-car-business-and-gm-is-not-far-behind.html

 

[saz468]

I was watching a morning news show Friday they were at the Jacob Javic center car show in Manhattan
All they where showing was Suvs and pick ups . Yes dodge is showing their HI- PRO suv I’m sure that’s going to be a “ great vehicle “

 

[BriteBlue]

I guess people don't care about driving experience anymore. I'll airways take a sedan over its SUV equivalent just because they drive better. Really sad to see the sedan slowly dying off. Soon all you're gonna see is lifted hatchbacks in the street.

A lot of people don't care about driving or even owning a car. And then there's the self driving car that appears to be coming whether we like it or not. A lot of people don't care & would rather be on their smartphone texting or watching a video or whatever they do while behind the wheel of a car.

 

[Noize]

Two kids and two hatch house here. Despise SUVs- Do not want.

 

[Civics4Ever]

Now that this is happening, it must have been fate that made me grab a coupe back in 2016. Probably the last from Honda, unless they continue the Si.

 

[jred721]

A lot of people don't care about driving or even owning a car. And then there's the self driving car that appears to be coming whether we like it or not. A lot of people don't care & would rather be on their smartphone texting or watching a video or whatever they do while behind the wheel of a car.

Yeah I know, thats pretty obvious when you see how much they're trying to shove the self-driving technology down our throats. I love technology and all (I work for a tech company), but it has certainly reduced the enthusiasm that used to be there when owning a car which sucks to see. Im one of those few people always prefer driving my own vehicle over some computer doing it for me, driving is just second nature to me.

Also, I feel like we have the technology for self-driving tech, but it won't be fully useable until most cars on the road are also utilizing the same tech. There are too many variables that could throw off a self driving vehicle currently for it to really work in full autonomy. If you're on the highway, then sure its easy because everyone is going in a straight line with no traffic lights. But driving on local roads? Thats a different story.

 

[Hondaman_MI]

Yeah I know, thats pretty obvious when you see how much they're trying to shove the self-driving technology down our throats. I love technology and all (I work for a tech company), but it has certainly reduced the enthusiasm that used to be there when owning a car which sucks to see. Im one of those few people always prefer driving my own vehicle over some computer doing it for me, driving is just second nature to me.

Also, I feel like we have the technology for self-driving tech, but it won't be fully useable until most cars on the road are also utilizing the same tech. There are too many variables that could throw off a self driving vehicle currently for it to really work in full autonomy. If you're on the highway, then sure its easy because everyone is going in a straight line with no traffic lights. But driving on local roads? Thats a different story.

I agree there's too many variables. I tried making that point on another forum, and people ripped me apart, saying autonomous vehicles will be perfect technology. A cheaper safety device would be for smartphone makers to team up with automakers. Disable certain phone features while the car is running, to reduce distractions. I don't see how autonomy would work in northern states, where roads are in very poor condition. Massive potholes that will destroy the wheel/tire, faded lines, or factor in black ice.

 

[jred721]

I agree there's too many variables. I tried making that point on another forum, and people ripped me apart, saying autonomous vehicles will be perfect technology. A cheaper safety device would be for smartphone makers to team up with automakers. Disable certain phone features while the car is running, to reduce distractions. I don't see how autonomy would work in northern states, where roads are in very poor condition. Massive potholes that will destroy the wheel/tire, faded lines, or factor in black ice.

Yeah exactly. And for the smartphone thing, Apple is already doing that with their iPhone's "do not disturb" feature. Every time I start my car, my phone knows because of bluetooth and automatically shuts off notifications and will make me confirm that I am not driving to unlock it. Of course this doesn't apply to CarPlay, but does apply when trying to use the phone itself while driving. People just fail to realize that we have the technology to theoretically do a LOT of things, but applying it in the real world is a different thing altogether and is way harder.

 

[SCcivic]

https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/honda-slows-accord-civic-production-as-buyers-shift-to-suvs

Reading between the lines here, it sounds like the future of Honda is SUV's, trucks and electric models. I have the feeling slower selling versions of the Civic (like the coupe) may be gone for the 11th generation.

So what does this mean for the market value of my 2018 Hatchback??? Right now the hatchbacks have very strong resale value.

 

[saz468]

So what does this mean for the market value of my 2018 Hatchback??? Right now the hatchbacks have very strong resale value.

You might be okay not everyone wants a suv or truck in warmer climate state a lot of people still prefer a car (sedans coupes hatchbacks convertibles)

 

[Axatax]

There's a tremendous amount of cynicism about cars in general in the younger age groups. Tesla of course gets a pass, and VW, and Subaru are seen as cool. Everything else is junk. When this demographic is paying for their own repairs and insurance, this viewpoint might shift.

 

[LegendaryElite]

Also, I feel like we have the technology for self-driving tech, but it won't be fully useable until most cars on the road are also utilizing the same tech. There are too many variables that could throw off a self driving vehicle currently for it to really work in full autonomy. If you're on the highway, then sure its easy because everyone is going in a straight line with no traffic lights. But driving on local roads? Thats a different story.

I agree there's too many variables. I tried making that point on another forum, and people ripped me apart, saying autonomous vehicles will be perfect technology. A cheaper safety device would be for smartphone makers to team up with automakers. Disable certain phone features while the car is running, to reduce distractions. I don't see how autonomy would work in northern states, where roads are in very poor condition. Massive potholes that will destroy the wheel/tire, faded lines, or factor in black ice.

I doubt we'll ever see an fully autonomous car (Level 4+) on the road in our lifetime.
As a robotics and automatic control graduate student I've been to multiple seminars about autonomous driving, and none of the speakers could promise when it'll come.
The problem is not as simple as the technology.
First there is legal issues. For example, communication between cars is crucial for fully autonomous transit system, but forcing people to replace their old cars with new ones with wireless communication system is against the Constitution. Also how law enforcement works with autonomous car should be a big problem. All those state troopers will need to cope with a completely new regulation.
Second is the liability issue. If an accident happen, who should be responsible for it? The automobile maker? The driver? What if the accident is caused by bad weather interfering the communication system, or the visualization system misinterpreting the road condition? The insurance companies will need a long time to make the rules.
And of course we haven't talked about safety issues. There are just too many variables to consider in driving a car. The wear and tear of the system (transmission, tires, axle, etc.), the road condition, multiple routes, and other vehicles on the road should all be taken into account. Companies are using machine learning to optimize the control system, but I'll never put my life on a black box.

Autonomous driving is way more than just cars, it is a total transformation of our society. It will take time, and I am not happy to see guys like Elon constantly boasting how bright the future is.
What the automobile industry has right now is far from enough to guarantee a risk-free autonomous driving, but the public seem to believe otherwise and that is dangerous.
Even with full government control we don't have a smart power grid yet, let alone a much more complicated autonomous transit system.

Anyway, I'd still trust a level 2 car like a Model 3 over college kids driving with their eyes on their phone all the time lol

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