i felt that the most WILDLY DESIGNED car honda ever released was the integra...it took a while to get used to i didn't like it at first. Every one of their models after that fit their philosophy and i pretty much liked them as they came out. Nowadays it seems like honda doesn't know where it is going so they try different things... look wise the new civics are okay, but the RSX is like their frankenstein. No thought really went into it, basically they added more straight lines to the integra thus making it longer and bigger so they call it an RSX. THE acura grill has got to go...!
they have to stop giving in to appealing to the younger crowd that are more into looks, one can only wonder what the new NSX will look like, if they have the characteristic acura grill on it, i won't respect HONDA anymore...

 

the RSX's look is very conservative, it doesn't appeal to everybody. i'm pretty sure the next nsx won't have the acura grill on it.

 

yea i know which way

 

I think the RSX is a wolf in sheep's clothing...the exterior doesn't exhude excitement, but the real beauty of the car is the interior, and especially the i-VTEC.

I'll give it to Acura though, their print and TV ads visually show any of their car's performance, and that even includes another wolf in sheep's clothing car, the TL Type-S. The new Honda commercials seem to be mimicking a Volkswagen commercial...kinda quirky.

 

In a way you are "hittin the nail on the head" jayson..
I'll elaborate with out getting too involved like I usually do..

Within the past few years, Honda has steered towards appealing the younger and Gen X consumer, this was a primary goal during the sales campaign of 98, coming directly from the top CEO's in their attempt to make Honda more bigger than ever.. there goal, sell a whole lotta cars, and each individual dealership was pushed to meet that goal...

As for the engineering design of the cars these days.. Honda is going back to the way that they used to build cards and not rushing the idea...
In the early 90's it took some 6-7 years for a new model year to go from "blueprint design to showroom floor"
Somewhere in the mid 90's that was chopped down to a little over 4 years, that created problems that weren't acceptable under Honda standards..
They are now taking a step "back" and keeping body styles around for another year , so you will see new models years every 5 years instead of 4.. thus giving a spare year for design among the new model years.. this is a good thing..

I think they know exactly what they are doing, besides "were a step ahead!" ( remember that ol'e slogan?)

I think in the near future you will see them concentrate more on the hybrids, gas/electric vehicles, I heard they were working on a CRV hybrid model and that the upcoming 4dr hybrids will be produced in mass quantity.. does anyone remember the 70's and what car was responsible for making what Honda is today?... I do.. : )

 

The Civic, or should I say the CVCC .

 

still u guys have to think that most japaneese company as *** as honda
really respect the foundation IDEA of the founder ...and they have to keep the philosophy..

mr Honda was laught on when he tried to design pistons for toyota..and tried to make a car engine fit on a motorcycle..
his desings were special and he never stopped working
his goal was to get performance with intelligence..not going trhough HUGE engine to hide the powerless technologies..

i think that's how HONDA always did ..
just look at the NSX... that's the only SUPER CAR in japan without turbo or twin turbo or 4wd + turbos heehe
and it still follows the other in the *** or in FRONT of em ..

honda likes competition..they like performance

but development for NSX or a car like S2k costs a lot more that they will ever get back form it ..they are loosing money form most of the Rs and the NSX/S2k ..

that's why honda HAS to sell hybrid civics, budget cars.. to actually MAKE money
eheh

neeway ..i still think that everytime a new model come out form honda it always look weird cause we are used to the 4-5-6 years of the previious model..
then after a year or two..we get used to it..and it suddently grows on everybody

take the insight..
it loos weird..

but it wasn't designed to look GOOD..it was designed to be aerodinamically perfect..
and it is not far from beeing..for a 2 place STREET car
but if u keep looking at it..lot's and lots of time..u can actually see all the work that was behind that car.. jsut like the NSX
NSX looks CHEAP compared to most GT-R ..ferraris..and stuff..
but DAM..if u relaly pay close attention to it..man it loooooks so better than GTr and others ( well to me ahha )

i also think that most of the companies try to do a style DESIGN..and THEN work the car around that..
but honda uses the contrary..they find the mechanic design they want/need..the performance they need.and then built a body around it
keeping it always CLEAN and SIMPLE..that's their trade mark

exactly like comparing a Pioneer whatever FLASHY computer car radio with all the gadgets u can think of and the flip screen ..to a CD-700 NAKAMICHI CD player..

the nakamichi looks really boring ...but it plays like 10 times better music than the pioneer cause the work put on it was INSIDE it..for it's RAL function ..and not a marketting thing ...

bah i'll stop bragging about honda now cause u'll all get bored of my post..
eheh

HONDA RULEZ ;p

and the new Integra type R is just toooo phat!
but remember..this is just a revamped RSX ..and the RSX is not a NSX of an S2k ..
so it's not supposed to look exotic ..

 

what do many of you think about the "direction" honda is going with their cars...
What do I think? I think I bought the last Honda I'll ever buy if they keep it up. Honda's 'styling' is getting uglier and blander, with the exception of the S2000 (clearly influenced by the 5th gen lude). Not only that, I'm a little disappointed with the McPherson/Chapman that seems to be now standard suspension with Honda.
I guess I'll have to stick to buying used

 

Well, I won't give up on Honda just yet...there's still an outside chance of a Prelude replacement in a couple of years, and there's also the redesigned Acura NSX debuting in 2004.

 

Agreed! Apart from the S2K, I think Honda has really laid a bunch of eggs w/ the styling on the Accord Coupe, Civic, CL, and now RS-X.

Conservative styling is one thing - I don't mind conservative - but to me, the cars listed above just look BAD.

Not sure what design team was thinking, but Mazda has blown civic out of the water w/ the new MP3/P5!

Paul

 

the new NSX is going to have the front look of the s2k and a v8.

 

are u guys stupid or only ignorants ??


the accord here IS ****! and that's only casue it is an AMERICAN DESIGN ..

if u look at the japaneese accord, u can see that they are still doing refined car with and afggressive look, h22a at 220HP and a nice stiffer suspension..

then again.... CIVIC = CHEAP CARS ..
RSX = BASED ON CIVIC PLATFORM , so that's why u got mcpherson in fornt..
but that didn't change 'nothing when eveyrbody in japan tested the new ITR and said that it is the fastest FF car that honda ever produced ...


and yes we will surely see a new "prelude " replacement in 2-3 years..

honda cannot let the sport coupe market with only the integra to play in

i think that honda are aonly taking a step back..letting the competition get their cars out..and designing something better.. lighter smaller and morea ggressive..
since the trend to FAST CAR is getting really popular..

cars are gonna have to be faster and cheaper
cause there is a lot of competition now..
exactly as INTEL VS AMD thing..
AMD stopped doing chips after the K6 for few months...retired..looked at intel's new product.found the low point..then introduced K7 and are slowly winning the desktop pc market... all that while lowering the price for all cause of the competition that made..

HAve faith in honda..and let them do their work
up to now, they never deceived me

 

Jinmtvt

calm down man...this is about opinions...

but i do agree with some of you...The Prelude is the last and only Honda that interests me. So the Prelude is the final nail in the coffin for me, basically no more HONDAS for me, i don't even want an accord if i get married and have kids, i might as well get a camry, heard it rides better, though it's a little more expensive, the quality is just as good if not better...

honda only hypes the cars that they want people to define them by, when the 5th gen first came out there were about 4 or 5 different commercials for it and now there are none...some mag adds, but that's about it...the eclipse is selling better cuz of their "sport" or usable image...like that one with the stupid song and the people dancing in their cars...

what about the civics, so much hype only because it sells, it 's not even a DEFINITIVE honda, it just sells...it's not honda philosophy under the hood of the civic...not even to mention their commercials, like that one with the married couple and the guy likes driving too much that he missed the motel, cmon, if civic owners feel like that, then they sure as hell don't know what they are missing in a 5th gen Prelude....

why spend millions of dollars on advertising on a car that is sure to sell, like a civic or accord or odyssey, when they need to MAKE millions of dollars just to make profits on those that they DO NOT advertise like the prelude, nsx, and s2000???

HONDA is going down hill because they chose to give in to the public...hate to say it but I wanted them to give in to the public, but not in the way that they are now, and NOW I regret ever wishing they gave in...I will miss HONDA, a lot of good things could have come out of their technology, especially good affordable sport coupes and sports cars...as for the RSX, i don't know WHAT that thing is...