Honda Car Forum

On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 10:25:54 -0700, "John Horner" <jthorner@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>
>"DTT" <dtmstran@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:697a20b8.0308041041.247bc99@posting.google.c om...
>> Someone heard from the dealership that it will have a 3.8L to keep up
>> with the Quest and Sienna. Make lot of sense, otherwise, Honda will
>> have to drop price to compete. Is it true?
>
>With the redesigned Sienna, Quest and Ford products on the market in 2004 I
>think Honda is going to see a big drop in Odyssey sales. When the new
>Odyssey came out it put a real dent in Sienna. Now the Sienna has topped
>Odyssey in most ways and will take that bite back.
>
>Honda's home market sales in Japan are off big time this year because they
>are not keeping pace with the competition. I suspect we may see the same in
>North America in 2003 or 2004 because Honda always lags in giving the market
>what it wants. Pilot was 5 years late compared to Toyota. Still no Honda
>RWD vehicles or pickup trucks. How can Honda afford to leave the largest
>segment of the No. American market (pickup trucks) to everyone else?
>
>John

It is an obvious myth that Honda (and other makers) have to compete in
every segment to be successful. Honda has been very successful in the
past even when it participated in only a few (or one) segment. OTOH,
GM has been in every segment all along and they have been losing
market share steadily for 25 years.

The pickup segment actually lost share last year. Small pickups
(where Honda would logically go first) dropped faster than big pickups
but the big ones lost share as well. I think Honda has rightly
concluded that, for now, the big money for development of such
vehicles can be invested more profitably on improving its offerings in
segments where it is a proven leader. It has worked in the past. It
is working now. Why wouldn't it work in the future?

>
> It is an obvious myth that Honda (and other makers) have to compete in
> every segment to be successful. Honda has been very successful in the
> past even when it participated in only a few (or one) segment. OTOH,
> GM has been in every segment all along and they have been losing
> market share steadily for 25 years.
>

If you read the business press you will find that Honda is in big trouble in
it's home market (Japan). Make all the excuses for them you want, but their
management does not always make the best decisions, just like any other
management team.

John

"Gordon McGrew" <gRmEcMgOrVeEw@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:bkeajv4culojiflf1pbi1jq9krh1jttbs7@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 10:25:54 -0700, "John Horner" <jthorner@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"DTT" <dtmstran@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:697a20b8.0308041041.247bc99@posting.google.c om...
> >> Someone heard from the dealership that it will have a 3.8L to keep up
> >> with the Quest and Sienna. Make lot of sense, otherwise, Honda will
> >> have to drop price to compete. Is it true?
> >
> >With the redesigned Sienna, Quest and Ford products on the market in 2004
I
> >think Honda is going to see a big drop in Odyssey sales. When the new
> >Odyssey came out it put a real dent in Sienna. Now the Sienna has topped
> >Odyssey in most ways and will take that bite back.
> >
> >Honda's home market sales in Japan are off big time this year because
they
> >are not keeping pace with the competition. I suspect we may see the same
in
> >North America in 2003 or 2004 because Honda always lags in giving the
market
> >what it wants. Pilot was 5 years late compared to Toyota. Still no
Honda
> >RWD vehicles or pickup trucks. How can Honda afford to leave the largest
> >segment of the No. American market (pickup trucks) to everyone else?
> >
> >John
>
> It is an obvious myth that Honda (and other makers) have to compete in
> every segment to be successful. Honda has been very successful in the
> past even when it participated in only a few (or one) segment. OTOH,
> GM has been in every segment all along and they have been losing
> market share steadily for 25 years.

jack of all trades, master of none. theyre pretty good at badge engineering
their trucks, tho.
>
> The pickup segment actually lost share last year. Small pickups
> (where Honda would logically go first) dropped faster than big pickups

lordy, lordy... could the SUV craze be coming to an end? i still see plenty
of small toyotas- in fact, their 4 door tacoma seems to do VERY well. not
too huge, decent "height" so the lil girls can sit high. useable backseat,
for babysitting runs, and a small bed to make it look butch.

> but the big ones lost share as well. I think Honda has rightly
> concluded that, for now, the big money for development of such
> vehicles can be invested more profitably on improving its offerings in
> segments where it is a proven leader. It has worked in the past. It
> is working now. Why wouldn't it work in the future?

maybe if they followed toyotas lead? build a world-class mercedes copy, with
an all new V8, make money off that, then recycle those engines into the big
truck? but toyota already had decades of truck technology, so?
>

On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 11:53:51 -0700, "John Horner" <jthorner@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>>
>> It is an obvious myth that Honda (and other makers) have to compete in
>> every segment to be successful. Honda has been very successful in the
>> past even when it participated in only a few (or one) segment. OTOH,
>> GM has been in every segment all along and they have been losing
>> market share steadily for 25 years.
>>
>
>If you read the business press you will find that Honda is in big trouble in
>it's home market (Japan).

Hondas share has dropped in Japan lately but, as another poster
pointed out, the Japanese tend to jump on the latest style. The drop
in share comes on the end of significant gains for Honda in recent
years. Besides, how is this an argument for spending money on a
pickup which represents about 1% of the Japanese market?

> Make all the excuses for them you want, but their
>management does not always make the best decisions, just like any other
>management team.

Of course they make mistakes. They are human beings. But overall,
you can't argue with their success.


>
>John
>