[isaccth1]

Word is that sedan sales are down a bit because gas prices are down and trucks , SUVs are up.

Ok, but Accord sales are down more YTD than any other top 15 in US. Don't mean to be a jerk, but anyone venture guess why? Seems weird with record car sales going on.

Scroll down to chart -

May 2015 YTD U.S. Passenger Car Sales Rankings - Top 154 Best-Selling Cars In America - Every Car Ranked - GOOD CAR BAD CAR

Honda slips 1.8% on weaker Accord sales

 

[RickBlaine]

Takata airbag recalls, mid-year model facelift coming up, gas prices low, Honda does not dump their cars to rental fleets, economy improving so people buy low-quality garbage made by GM, etc....

 

[thunderbird1100]

- 3rd model year for the 9th gen...typically car sales go down over time of car, the 2016 refresh will see sales go back up

- Other mid-sizers have been refreshed recently (Camry, 6)

 

[14v6]

It's probably not just one reason but a combination of several factors. This is my take.

As stated earlier, people are moving from sedans to suv's especially with Honda. The outgoing Pilot Sales are way up probably due to discounts.

It can't be a Honda problem (headlines about quality slipping) because sales aren't down across the line. There has been no bad press about the Accord.

The Camry is selling way better (crushing) the Accord so either the Accord price is bad, people are waiting for the Accord refresh or the Camry refresh just took away Accord sales. It would be interesting to know what the Camry sales were before the Camry refresh.

It could also be that the 2015 CRV is taking away Accord Sales. Other than gas mileage the CRV offers so much more functionality than an Accord for a similar price.

If sales do not pick up with the MMR (assuming the price is right) then it's gotta be a case of consumers moving away from Accords.

Year to date through April, the Fusion (just barely) and Altima were outselling the Accord as well. The Camry had over a 40k unit lead year to date over the Accord at the end of April.

I think it comes down to the MMR. People always want the latest and greatest. Question is will the MMR be as successful as the Camry MMR. I doubt it that grill gives too many mixed reviews.

One more note, apparently Phone integration and connectivity is a big deal these days you read so much about carplay etc. Consumers want all of this stuff to work seamlessly. Let's face it, the Accord is lacking in this regard, texts don't always come though and the stereo needs improvement.

 

[Saywhaat04]

1) Rebates/Discounts-Honda typically does not discount the Accord as much as the competition, including Toyota. This may hurt some sales overall but it helps to maintain resale value.


2) Fleet sales-Every Accord competitor from Chevy to VW is doing fleet sales in high numbers, except the Accord.

3) SUV/Crossover sales-they are booming! Even the HRV managed to move 6300 units in two weeks.

4) Model Variation-nobody likes to mention this but I think one of the facts is model variation. The Accord Sport, IMO, is the best looking model, but it lacks the content of the EX-L/Touring models. Those models are saddled with some bland wheel choices...let's say a buyer is looking at the Accord, Fusion, Camry, etc. and they are down to everything but the deciding factor is price/equipment. If they want something sporty looking with top of the line content they really can't go for an Accord. Honda should expand the Sport trims, might not totally rebound sales but it may help some.

 

[IWantAnAccord!]

What does "MMR" stand for?

 

[BacktoAccord]

I wonder if the CVT and hard ride could be causes? Also, Honda has handled the Takata mess badly, but people keep buying CRVs. While not my favorite vehicle, they are pretty handy.

 

[rdrage73]

What does "MMR" stand for?

Mid Model Refresh

 

[Baldeagle]

First off, great website! What an abundance of information. It seems the Mazda6 and the Subaru Legacy + Outback have experienced big gains so far this year. It is odd that the Honda Accord is significantly out of sync with other cars in its class. Also, in light of low fuel prices it seems small economy cars have enjoyed an increase in sales (Fit, Corolla, Sentra, Yaris). Not sure how to read this. Honda’s quality is still tops. Price is competitive too. Let’s see if the trend continues.

 

[Graycar]

I wonder if the CVT and hard ride could be causes [of sales drop]? Also, Honda has handled the Takata mess badly, but people keep buying CRVs. While not my favorite vehicle, they are pretty handy.

CVT the cause sales drop?

Flyboy is gonna get his shorts in a knot over that one!

 

[accordexlover]

sure answers below

car rides to harsh, people know
15 camry redesign, xle w nav for 23k, look at exl nav at 28k
paint issues
the launch of tlx doing well
competition offering amazing incentives
redesign of 16 people waiting

overall great car, in need of finishing touches to keep it competitive
as an example the audio systems are a joke, paint is a joke
insulation a joke, hood prop a joke, armrest a joke

honda finish the car to lead the pack again

 

[Graycar]

CUV sales are up and may be hurting sedan sales

With a couple of exceptions, the sales figures in the link do not list CUV sales. From what I am reading this is a hot and growing segment, and it is possible that many potential sedan buyers are now shifting to the CUV and SUV type of vehicle. I believe that this is particularly true for younger buyers.

When you think about what suits and average family, the CR-V will do everything the Accord will do (most models) and more, considering the cargo flexibility and capacity and AWD. There is lots of competition in this segment with many very good choices.

One example of this is the soon-to-be-relaeased 2016 Hyundai Tucson, which is packed with technology, has a 1.6L direct injection turbo 4, and new 7-speed DCT.

Another example is the just released 2016 Honda CR-V, which is bigger than the Fit but smaller than the CR-V. CVT notwithstanding, it will likely be a very popular CUV with younger buyers.

The link below reveals that SUVs and CUVs are outselling sedans.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093349_suvs-and-crossover-utility-vehicles-now-outsell-sedans-in-u-s

 

[maxpower02]

1)
4) Model Variation-nobody likes to mention this but I think one of the facts is model variation. The Accord Sport, IMO, is the best looking model, but it lacks the content of the EX-L/Touring models. Those models are saddled with some bland wheel choices...let's say a buyer is looking at the Accord, Fusion, Camry, etc. and they are down to everything but the deciding factor is price/equipment. If they want something sporty looking with top of the line content they really can't go for an Accord. Honda should expand the Sport trims, might not totally rebound sales but it may help some.

I agree that the Sport is the best looking model, and it p...sed me off that I could not get the equipment on my EXLV6 unless I ordered the additional products and spent thousands more..... Honda needs a Sport trim for the V6 models, because I see so many on the street, they would sell so many more high trim models if we could get the same equipment...

 

[isaccth1]

I wonder if the CVT and hard ride could be causes? Also, Honda has handled the Takata mess badly, but people keep buying CRVs. While not my favorite vehicle, they are pretty handy.

Whoa, let's sort this out real quick .....

I drove a 2014 Accord sedan EX-L 4 cyl rental for 300 miles all over the Bay Area including through mountains to Santa Cruz ....

The Accord ride quality, road feel, quietness, handling, steering feel were AWESOME.

It positively crushes the Camry Hybrid SE 2015 rental I had in all those areas. I had the Camry rental a mere two days after I turned the Accord in, so I could tell right away how much better the Accord was. I can't speak for the conventional XLE, but I don't care. Camry driver's seats .... I hate them. I might just do a test showing they are the same size as a Corolla driver's seat with is PATHETIC.

Actually, accordexlover ..... the Camry center armrest is so high, it forces my right hand to hold steering wheel right at the 3 o'clock spoke and THAT BLOWS. Another deal breaker. (And yes with my long arms I can rest an elbow on armrest and hold wheel). The Accord center armrest put my hand right at a good 4 o'clock position, between spokes, but yes, it could use a little padded cover and all would be well.

 

[JenerationX]

I wonder if the CVT and hard ride could be causes? Also, Honda has handled the Takata mess badly, but people keep buying CRVs. While not my favorite vehicle, they are pretty handy.

Takata has handled the Takata mess badly. Honda has done everything they're able to in getting it taken care of, including stepping up and opening the recall to all 50 states well before most manufacturers and putting customers in rental cars at the company's expense for several months in some cases until parts were available to complete the recall.

 

[BenzAccord]

Word is that sedan sales are down a bit because gas prices are down and trucks , SUVs are up.

Ok, but Accord sales are down more YTD than any other top 15 in US. Don't mean to be a jerk, but anyone venture guess why? Seems weird with record car sales going on.

Scroll down to chart -

May 2015 YTD U.S. Passenger Car Sales Rankings - Top 154 Best-Selling Cars In America - Every Car Ranked - GOOD CAR BAD CAR

Honda slips 1.8% on weaker Accord sales

Interesting. We took delivery of 2 in the past 6 weeks. Both times, the dealer didn't have the color combo in stock because sales were as the dealer said "better than they had anticipated" and that "they have to order their vehicles months in advance and try to predict demand". For the first, we had to wait 3 weeks, because the dealer had the color combo we wanted on order already. The second one only took a week. They did a dealer swap because they didn't have the color combo on order.

 

[14v6]

Another example is the just released 2016 Honda HR-V, which is bigger than the Fit but smaller than the CR-V. .


SUVs And Crossover Utility Vehicles Now Outsell Sedans In U.S.

Should be HR-V which fits in the middle between a CR-V and a Fit.

 

[accordexlover]

a lot of anger of people we are not saving babies especially mr hate of toyota
glad you enjoy the rear suspension hop u must love the older hyundai genesis two peas in a pod accord new gen and older gen genesis hopping in the rear all day long

 

[MR_CR2]

i think because the accord is a strictly family car while compared to camry's they can be used for other things like taxis and what not...


almost every taxi i see nowadays are camry's

from yellow cabs to uber

i live in NYC and their are tons of cabs...


the accord is affordable ppl have a bit more money with a better economy and probably buying more expensive cars....

theres alot more luxury cars on the road than before.... lol alot of lemons too

 

[Graycar]

i think because the accord is a strictly family car while compared to camry's they can be used for other things like taxis and what not...

I don't know about Toyota, but I don't believe that Honda has a fleet sales program to sell to rental companies and, presumably, taxi cab companies and other fleet operators. That sort of thing degrades the brand image and depresses residual (resale) values.