Feb. 2007 Sales: American Honda Motor Co.

[Variance]

Feb. 2007 Sales: American Honda Motor Co.

With record sales of the all-new 2007 Honda CR-V and Accord sales up sharply, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted record February results of 110,026 Honda and Acura vehicle sales, an increase of 3.2 percent over February, 2006. American Honda light trucks also posted record monthly results with sales of 49,521 up 7.0 percent. Year-to-date American Honda total vehicle sales of 210,816 are up 0.7 percent on a daily-selling-rate basis.

The Honda Division posted its best February ever with record sales of 96,368 cars and light trucks, an increase of 4.2 percent over year-ago results. Strong Accord sales of 30,370 reflected a 20.1 percent February increase. On its third consecutive month of record postings since its redesign, CR-V sales of 13,524 rose 31.0 percent, helping the division post record February sales of 43,157 trucks, up 2.8 percent over year-ago results. Honda sold a total of 2,236 hybrid vehicles, including 1,924 Civic Hybrids, an 8.1 percent increase over last year.

"Accord is displaying a great deal of momentum as we move into the spring selling season," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "It remains a compelling product and our customers are validating it with their purchase decisions."

The Acura Division posted total vehicle sales of 13,658, with record February sales of 2,769 for the TSX and record truck sales of 6,364 units. The MDX luxury SUV was Acura's best-selling model with February sales of 4,330 and year-to-date sales of 8,483.

[source: American Honda Motor Company]

[CSpec]

Wow, the ancient Accord is still setting the charts on fire. I'm scared to see what kind of damage the new one will inflict...

[siegen]

CR-V is still on fire!

[Flybrian]

CR-V is still on fire!

Just like the old one!

[Variance]

Just like the old one!

Ooh, burn!

[Z-06]

TL is tanking big time.

[Member55]

CR-V is still on fire!

Escape still out selling it. I'm sure with big rebates but how much can it cost to build the Escape with that ancient platform and drivetrain.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Something tells me that the Accord is being "supplemented" (Although I'm sure it's not much. I'll be the first to say that I'd steer an import loyalist to an Accord way before I'd send them to mothership Toyota.

The CR-V is new, so it's getting the benefit of all the diehard Honda loyalists. I'm not saying it's a flash in the pan, but I'm sure a lot of sales are loyalty based. Not to mention Honda has done an excellent job of marketing (Something GM and Ford can NEVER seem to do)

Not to mention, the B*tchline and the Excrement certainly aren't "On fire"

"Accord is displaying a great deal of momentum as we move into the spring selling season,"

That is quite possibly the most creative way I've ever heard the line "Our sales are relatively flat" remanufactured.

[balthazar]

-- Another month of the same pattern: honda continues to dial back domestic production and increase imports. So much for the Great Contribution of Transplant Manufacturers. Is honda enacting a slow pull-out ??

-- Insight was mentioned in another recent thread- but honda's not selling any (0)- is it discontinued? Hybrid sales aren't very healthy either.

Year-to-date:

honda car sales: - 0.3%

honda truck sales: + 4%

acura car sales: - 29%

acura truck sales: + 48%

The year-to-date numbers paint a troubling picture; basically the accord is carrying the corporation as far as volume increases goes.

[bobo]

The end of the line of the RSX is hurting Acura's car volumes. A coupe based off the new Accord would help.

[siegen]

Escape still out selling it. I'm sure with big rebates but how much can it cost to build the Escape with that ancient platform and drivetrain.

The CR-V is still ahead year to date, by quite a bit (27,914 to 22,796). I wonder if it will keep its momentum.

-- Insight was mentioned in another recent thread- but honda's not selling any (0)- is it discontinued? Hybrid sales aren't very healthy either.

The Insight is discontinued.

[balthazar]

Check it again, bobo; every single acura car is down vs. last year- a coupe isn't going to change that. Tho the mdx had a slight uptick- the only acura selling notably better is the one with 0 sales last year to compare to (rdx).

>>"The Insight is discontinued."<<

That's OK- engineers were hard at work on the masterpiece that is.... the ridgeline. Good timing, too.

Edited March 2, 2007 by balthazar

[bobo]

I'm surprised that even 2000 people are buying the RD-X a month. The TL has not aged well, and this year's cosmetic updates do not help. Even with the new Type S model, which I assume fixed the overboosted steering and wallowy handling, and the positive reviews, it suffered a pretty big drop. There are just so many more desirable cars out there. With the redesign, the MD-X really should be doing better, but again, there are better alternatives in the marketplace.

[regfootball]

Just like the old one!

totally an 'owned'. i will be chuckling on that one for awhile. awesome comeback.

[siegen]

I'm surprised that even 2000 people are buying the RD-X a month. The TL has not aged well, and this year's cosmetic updates do not help. Even with the new Type S model, which I assume fixed the overboosted steering and wallowy handling, and the positive reviews, it suffered a pretty big drop. There are just so many more desirable cars out there. With the redesign, the MD-X really should be doing better, but again, there are better alternatives in the marketplace.

The TL has aged well, but the competition is fierce. Considering there is a lot of high class RWD competition, with engine options much larger than 3.5L, it's amazing the lowly FWD TL is holding its own.

[Northstar]

The TL has aged well, but the competition is fierce. Considering there is a lot of high class RWD competition, with engine options much larger than 3.5L, it's amazing the lowly FWD TL is holding its own.

Nah, the TL looks very old now. It aged well for the first two years or so, not it looks derivative and a bit bland.

[Cory Wolfe]

The TL looks old? That's news to me.

[regfootball]

The TL looks old? That's news to me.

i hope its not looking too old. the new malibu looks a bit like the TL from some angles.

[siegen]

Here is an article helping to explain the slower Civic sales. Looks like the Accord is hurting Civic sales a bit, as well as other factors.

The Accord will be redesigned for the 2008 model year, so the company wants to push out all the 2007 models.

"Honda dealers are talking about Accord because that's what Honda is talking about," says Dave Conant, a Honda dealer in Cerritos, Calif. Conant says volume targets on the Accord are the most aggressive he has seen.

Honda's Web site offers a "value package" base Accord with manual transmission for $19,220, including shipping. The top-end Civic EX sedan with manual transmission stickers for $19,305 with shipping.

[Flybrian]

I've seen the Value Edition Accord before. It has two speakers.

Its more or a less a gimmick model for Honda to advertise stupid low $199/mo lease rates to get the buyer onto the lot, then upsell them into a more reasonably-equipped Accord. The Civic DX is similar in that it doesn't have air conditioning at the completely based price.

You really have to be a special kind of fool to buy that over an LX or a myriad of other midsize cars. A savvy shopper can, for example, find an '07 supercharged Grand Prix with leather, 8-speaker stereo, alloy wheels, dual-zone a/c HUD, and a moonroof for around $17.5k.

[chevelle454]

The basic Civic does not even come with a radio.

[Chicagoland]

The media says 'Honda increased sales due to offering fuel efficient cars'. But, they don't look at the numbers, Honda increased from more SUV and van sales, and Civic was down 28%! Imagine if Focus or Cobalt dropped that much, media would say "They cant sell small cars"

[GXT]

Nah, the TL looks very old now. It aged well for the first two years or so, not it looks derivative and a bit bland.

It might be a bit bland next to cars like the new G, but I don't think the TL "looks derivative". They still stand out.

With a new TSX this year, TL the next, and whatever coupe Acura is going to put together, Acura's car sales should start going up again.