While they are easily some of the most reliable and well-engineered cars in the world, Hondas have their downsides as well.
If you’re looking for an affordable, practical daily driver, Honda is a good brand to start with. The company is known worldwide for its incredible build quality and longevity. It’s no surprise that the Accord and the Civic have become household names in the car community, for better or worse. However, it’s not just cheap and practical cars that come out of Honda. The brand has a history of producing performance cars as well. Honda is a brand that can do almost everything, as it has an entry in almost every automotive segment.
However, while the brand has many great aspects, not everything it makes is a success. Even though the brand has proven popular over the years, there are still Hondas that aren’t worth buying. Not to mention, their popularity and success bring some baggage that consumers might not be able to avoid. And while their lesser models may be decent cars for those who don’t care about driving characteristics, they aren’t any fun for enthusiasts. Even when discussing performance models, they aren’t quite the same as they used to be.
Interior Quality Issues
Virtually all manufacturers fill their new vehicles with plastic. This inclusion of the cheaper material keeps costs down, but it also signifies poor build quality in Honda’s case. In fact, consumers often complain about interior components.
It’s not astounding, considering that most manufacturers have filled their interiors with the stuff. However, for a few thousand more, an interior filled with leather or even carbon fibre will look better and last longer. To get these materials, though, you’ll have to look outside the Honda brand.
Styling
Honda once created only one type of car: a practical, economic one. Both the Accord and the Civic were tiny vehicles designed to be more affordable and better-made alternatives to the dreadful American economy cars of the time. These cars’ styling very much reflected this. However, as the brand grew, these cars and other newer models slowly saw increasingly ambitious styling.
While the late 2000s saw some fairly clean Honda designs, we’re now seeing the peak of overstyled cars from the brand. The current Civic is covered in fake vents trying to hide its newfound heft, necessitated by modern safety standards. Then there’s the Accord, where Honda decided that it apparently needed jagged tail lights and a huge chrome bar across its nose. While neither car is terrible to look at, Honda keeps over styling their vehicles, leading to busy designs.
Bland base cars
Many companies make regular, boring cars, and Honda built its company on such vehicles. While such cars don’t need to be fun to drive, a brand like Honda should be completely capable of creating more entertaining, cheap base models. They have built many unique sports cars over the years, plenty of which have been surprisingly affordable. However, cars like the base model Fit and the Civic aren’t attractive vehicles whatsoever.
While the Civic comes in multiple performance trims, it’s plenty dull otherwise. On top of this, Fit doesn’t have a dedicated performance variant at all. Then there’s the Accord, which is sold frequently in a “Sport” trim that certainly doesn’t live up to its name. It’s a shame, as Honda is capable of spicing up such cars, and it would be great to see the basic examples be more fun to drive.
Turbo Engines
Turbo charging is an all-around improvement for a car. However, it’s not always a significant change, nor is it necessarily simple. While it can be an easy and emissions-friendly way to improve power, it’s not always a complete improvement.
The Accord recently saw its V6 motor replaced with a 2.0-litre turbo-four that produces fewer horsepower than the older motor. Not to mention, it only gained one MPG over the six-cylinder. Then, the Civic Si traded its high-revving, naturally aspirated 2.4-liter VTEC for a lower-revving turbocharged motor that produces the same amount of power. While this new Civic achieves considerably higher fuel economy than the old one, it does dilute the Si brand as it starts to blend in with the other budget turbocharged performance cars.
Lacking interior technology
Whether you love them or hate them, infotainment systems are in cars, and they’re here to stay. The vast majority of brands have their own unique systems, and they can range from decent to unresponsive trash. Given how far technology has come, these in-car iPads have seen significant improvement over the years, and Honda is a perfect example of this. Their earlier systems were quite a pain to use and just generally made no sense.
Up until the most recent generations of Honda’s lineup, the company used an awkward double-screen layout that had no support for useful features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in later years. These systems even lacked a volume knob in some applications, instead favouring a volume touchpad that was irritating to use while driving. Thankfully, Honda has made massive improvements to its new models.
Theft
It may be surprising to see, but some Hondas are the most stolen cars on the market today. While it’s not nearly as bad as it once was back in the ’90s, Hondas remain at the top of the list for stolen vehicles. The Civic and the Accord sit at the top, which can also mean that these cars may be expensive to insure a result.
According to reviews, given the popularity of these cars, it’s likely that many examples get stolen for their parts. With that said, older Hondas are more at risk of being stolen than newer ones, given that they’re far more secure than older models. However, it’s worth remembering the potential risk of owning such a car.
Price of Options
While Hondas usually start out as affordable vehicles, these cars can quickly become expensive in some instances. The Honda Accord, for example, starts at a reasonable N7,000,000 but a loaded model can cost just over N21,000,000. While the Accord is a good car, that’s a lot of money for a Honda, let alone an Accord.
A fully loaded Civic can cost over N16,000,000 which is way too close to the considerably more powerful car price. Similarly, the Honda Pilot can be equipped to the point where it’ll cost you over N30,000,000. While the Pilot is a good car, there’s no reason to spend that kind of money on one, especially when more exciting and practical vehicles can be had for that kind of money.
Conclusion
The Honda is an all-time favourite among consumers, known for its solid reputation. It’s economical but durable, and it has a valid claim to being one of the best cars around. The Honda has been on the market for some time now, and not each release has been perfect. Which is why you should avoid buying them now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Honda Civic a good car to buy in Nigeria?
How many miles will a Honda Civic last?
Have 1 million naira and above to Buy or Sell Cars In Nigeria? Check carlots.ng
All rights reserved. Reproduction, publication, broadcasting, rewriting, or redistribution of this material and other digital content on carmart.ng is strictly prohibited without prior express written permission from Carmart Nigeria - Contact: [email protected]
