Honda Up 6.9% In March While Acura Sales Slump -15.8%

American Honda Motor Co Inc posted a March 2008 sales result of 138,734 Honda and Acura vehicles, an increase of 4.2 percent based on the daily selling rate,* the company announced today. March 2007 sales results included two additional selling days and totaled 143,392.

Led by strong sales of the Accord, Civic and Fit, American Honda total car sales posted record monthly results of 83,214, an increase of 11.1 percent. Year-to-date, American Honda total vehicle sales reached 352,642, an increase of 0.9 percent.

"The Honda product portfolio is adapting well to the current direction of the marketplace," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "People are clearly being more strategic with their money as parts of the economy seek balance and other parts adjust to record-high gasoline prices."

The Honda Division posted March sales of 125,446 cars and light-trucks, an increase of 6.9 percent compared to year-ago results. Fit, up 73.8 percent to 6,835, eclipsed the previous all-time record of 6,450 set in August 2007. Civic, up 18.6 percent to 32,740, set a new March record, surpassing the previous mark of 30,037 set in 2000. Civic Hybrid sales leaped 44.3 percent to 3,769 to a new March record, beating the previous March record of 2,896 in 2005. Additional highlights include the Accord, up 6.8 percent to 36,214; the CR-V, up 3.9 percent to 18,974; and the Odyssey, up 3.4 percent to 13,261. Year-to-date, the Honda Division is up 2.8 percent to 315,102.

The Acura Division posted total vehicle sales of 13,288, down 15.8 percent. The MDX luxury SUV was Acura's best-selling model, with March sales of 4,434. Year-to-date, Acura Division total vehicle sales reached 37,540.

*The daily selling rate is calculated with 26 selling days for March 2008, versus 28 for March 2007. The year-to-date selling rate is calculated with 76 days through March 2008, versus 77 for 2007. All percentages contained in this press release represent the daily selling rate.

Agent009 - 4/1/2008 1:43:28 PM

+1 Boost

The actual sales figures are down for Honda for the month, however since Honda goes by the DSR method of reporting the sales still show an increased percentage.

talon95 - 4/2/2008 9:16:00 AM

+3 Boost

And what of it? It's not as if Honda's the only manufacturer that uses this reporting method. From Autospies' own posted articles, it's clear that Nissan and Toyota do. And from what I've seen in Automotive News, I'm pretty sure they all do.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/1/2008 4:43:39 PM

0 Boost

Wow. Poor Acura. Double-digit decreases every month.

theoptimisticpessimist - 4/1/2008 4:50:30 PM

+1 Boost

Acura still in the basement and still short the crap out of it.

Chip - 4/1/2008 6:04:00 PM

+2 Boost

Saying that Acura is in trouble would be a huge understatement.

With their new models coming out and their current crop, the future of Acura is looking very very bleak.

silver1 - 4/1/2008 7:05:57 PM

0 Boost

2009 TSX better come fast!!!

Dave - 4/1/2008 10:17:30 PM

+3 Boost

This news isn't too surprising. Honda makes some very good cars, but then the Acura engineers are forced to use the same parts Honda has to work with. What you get for Acura as a luxury brand is a ton of sharing between Honda and Acura which loses the luxury brand value of Acura. People start saying, "Acuras are nothing more than luxurious Hondas." This doesn't do well for brand perception. If they only reversed the process. Meaning Acura should get lots of high tech exclusive performance technology which eventually trickles down to Honda. There shouldn't be too much sharing. Alas, that's why Honda sales increase while Acura's sales decrease.
Heck, Honda and Acura even share the same executive vice president, Dick Colliver, whom many Acura enthusiasts are really beginning to think this guy is and I'll quote "full of **it". Lexus and Infiniti both have separate VP's for each of their respective luxury nameplates. Honda and Acura share everything from parts to the same VP. No wonder people can't see the distinction.
Acura has so many chances to do the right thing and people really thought they would finally do it at the 2008 NY auto show. Instead, Dick Colliver comes out and praises the new TSX which is STILL front wheel drive and has less horsepower than the competition, even less horsepower than the current TSX!!! What is this guy thinking? Forget all the fancy technology such as XM traffic/weather, ELS sound system...etc... For crying out loud, give us REAR wheel drive, a REAR wheel drive based SH-AWD system, a V-8 engine, a powerful V-6 option in the TSX to run with the G35 and IS 350, and more dramtic styling!!! BMW is coming out with the 1 series to undercut the 3 and even that has rear wheel drive and a twin turbo inline 6 option!! Acura had better get it's act together or it will BE LEFT IN THE DUST soon.

bambamsd - 4/1/2008 10:42:15 PM

+4 Boost

The Civic is up 18.6%. I knew I got a good thing when I bought mine!

iamdabest1 - 4/2/2008 10:06:30 AM

+1 Boost

acura needs chris bangle. when one extreme doesnt work, go with the other.

Htay7500 - 4/2/2008 4:22:43 PM

+1 Boost

if they suck, why are their sales increasing?

Htay7500 - 4/2/2008 4:23:17 PM

+1 Boost

I could spot the jealousy in you.

dmvnt - 4/2/2008 1:27:28 PM

+2 Boost

As they say, is that a threat or a promise?

Not exactly a crushing blow for Honda owners, really... what we see of you through your posts is far more than we can stand anyway.

Htay7500 - 4/3/2008 4:27:59 PM

+1 Boost

you might be.