Dave Boland wrote:
> I guess my concerns are that if Honda, and perhaps other manufacturers,
> want to cheapen the car in obvious ways, then"
>
> 1. What did they cheapen that I can't see, and that may be more important?

Oh, lots of things, Dave. Have you noticed that the relatively
inexpensive "waiter's corkscrews" are now no longer quite so
inexpensive, yet are made of metal that doesn't hold up to a
solidly-embedded cork? Ever bought a new blender and compared the motor
to your old one? I just did. The old one is solidly built; new one is
cheap plastic, and sounds and feels cheap. Same with the top, new one is
crap, old one is much better. Not Honda examples, but the problem
plagues all manufacturing that I've seen and I certainly would not
expect Honda to stand apart.

I look around and see all kinds of materials shaving. Manufacturers play
around until they achieve the absolute minimum amount of materials they
can get away with and still have the part work for long enough that it
makes it out of warranty. They save lots of money, but their products
last for shit and no really one notices--or if they notice, they don't
say anything.

I suspect it has something to do with the reduction in our attention
span created by poor educational training, the TV remote control, and
hyperlinked information. Many of us don't have a sense of history that
extends for more than a few years, if that. We do what we have to to
meet the bottom dollar, to meet the requirements of short-sighted,
stupid managers who're (even when they're not stupid) being forced to
produce and shave costs to compete with every other stupid company doing
the same. No regard for the future, and the fact that someone might want
to use Product X for more than a couple of years. It really is
disconcerting.