Exterior/Interior Color Combinations

[parodymandotcom]

My initial thoughts on seeing the new Civic was that I'd like one in Burgundy with a black interior. Unfortunately, Honda doesn't allow it. They allow only the following:

Cosmic Blue / Gray
Aegean Blue / Black
Burgundy / Ivory
Black / Black or Ivory
Silver / Black
Steel / Black of Gray
Red / Black
White / Black or Ivory

Is there a technical reason for this? Is it easier on the assembly line if the combinations are limited? Or is someone at Honda making aesthetic decisions for us customers? Would it really be that difficult to offer customers whatever color combinations they want?

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[dick w]

Is there a technical reason for this?

No.

Is it easier on the assembly line if the combinations are limited

Yes.

Or is someone at Honda making aesthetic decisions for us customers?

Yes. That's why not all exterior colors are offered with every possible interior. They could also offer hot pink interiors. They choose not to for aesthetic reasons.

Would it really be that difficult to offer customers whatever color combinations they want?

Difficult? No, but it does increase the number of combinations, already at a very high number for Honda, which reduces the likelihood any buyer finds the perfect one for them on the lot. It also does complicate life in the assembly plant and complication in the assembly plant adds cost and reduces quality.

 

[Slickone]

Yes. That's why not all exterior colors are offered with every possible interior. They could also offer hot pink interiors. They choose not to for aesthetic reasons.

But that was a good decision for Honda because hot pink would look ridiculous. Some of their other choices were poor though. Likely a majority of people would agree that Burgundy looks better with black than ivory. Definitely a majority would agree that red looks better with grey than ivory, as the case with the coupe. And so on.

 

[TNMike]

With one of the dealers I was speaking with, when it came to finding the EX-L with Sensing I talked about how I liked the Cosmic Blue Exterior, but really would have preferred to have the Black Leather, He suggested dropping a trim level to the EX-T with Sensing and then having the seats done in a custom Leather. He quoted it out at around the same price as the difference between the EX-T & EX-L and said it could be included in the deal. Obviously you lose a couple of things... the Power seat and Auto-dimming rearview mirror if memory serves, but for some it might be worth considering.

I suppose it really depends on the trim level you are looking at, but there is an option if you just really want a different color combination than they are selling off the lot.

 

[CdnColin]

All Canadian interiors are black, except ivory is offered in the black exterior. No gray in Canada.

 

[dick w]

Likely a majority of people would agree that Burgundy looks better with black than ivory. Definitely a majority would agree that red looks better with grey than ivory, as the case with the coupe. And so on.

Honda and other manufacturers spend big money on market surveys, customer research, and similar. I'm betting they have real data that shows your likely and definitely majorities aren't.

My preference is never for a black interior.

 

[Slickone]

Honda and other manufacturers spend big money on market surveys, customer research, and similar. I'm betting they have real data that shows your likely and definitely majorities aren't.

How do you know this?

 

[dick w]

How do you know this?

How do you know that their aesthetic choices are not popular with a majority of their targeted consumers? What's your data? (Or maybe they make the choices that they think are the least unpopular--i.e., more people will buy combination x they don't like than combination y they really don't like. For instance, I'd take Red/Ivory if it was that or buying a different make/model. I would not take Red/Grey. And we are awaiting a MSM/Grey car, so I'm not opposed to Grey. Just Red/Grey is an unattractive comination *to me*.) I do know that all automakers spend large sums on market research. (Do you doubt that?) What I'm saying is they put considerable effort into picking the most sale-able combos and you are just blindly asserting.

And, at the end of the day, they *are* aesthetic choices, and the very nature of aesthetic choices is that not everybody is going to share the same sense of good aesthetics. Which was the entire point on my original reply. Yes, in limiting the available combinations, Honda is forcing, whether any particular customer likes it or not, their sense of good aesthetics on their customers. Just like with every other style and design choice they make.

 

[CdnColin]

Many years ago North American manufacturers would allow almost any available exterior colour to be matched with any available interior colour. Once saw a green GM with a blue interior. Some buyers must be controlled!

 

[dick w]

Many years ago North American manufacturers would allow almost any available exterior colour to be matched with any available interior colour. Once saw a green GM with a blue interior. Some buyers must be controlled!

And while they were doing that and producing absolute crap quality cars, Honda started offering cars that came in only six or eight trim/color/interior combinations. This allowed them to keep cost down, quality up, and purchasing simple. The '16 Civic sedan for the US comes in 118 combinations.

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