If You Were In Charge Of Honda, How Would You Get Them Back On Track?

First Honda needs to rethink their design philosophy. Second, they need to build cars that are not only competitive but cutting edge and desirable. Third, they need to build rear drive powertrains to be taken seriously as a lux brand (Acura).

Right now, Honda is fast becoming an "ordinary" brand living off its past glory days.

Turn Acura around by making cars that won't kill our eye sight and getting Honda back to making those Honda Accords that would not die like back in the 90's

I agree with the focus comments that the article provides. If Honda doesn't lose it's non-automotive distractions, they'll simply end up like Mitsubishi.

yes because clearly they make more profit selling motorbikes and mowers then they do cars... NOT!

Design, design, design. Not sure why putting a pretty car on the market is so difficult. Sure, it's subjective, and the same designers seem to be the only ones that keep producing great designs (Henrik Fisker, Franz Von Holhauzen, Frank Stephenson, Walter de Silva). But Honda could hire a great designer. If the Accord looked as good as the Tesla Model S, I'd buy it.

Honda definitely needs to rethink their strategy, designs are bland and seem to be focused on 30+ age groups, no true performance models, their auto transmissions all need to be at least 6 speeds with an paddle shift or 6 speed manual option for sportier trim levels, and the interior quality seems to be going south as well. They are quickly leaving their glory days behind them and need to do whatever it takes to get them back. Honda will have to be willing to take some risks in order to do this.

Japanese are not the best at making cars look good. Hire some fresh designers out of design school and start from scratch. Honda lost its way when it went more Toyota like only Toyota can do that, when in fact the should get back to being sporty and fun.

Honda went more Toyota like? you mean boring too? lol I must agree with all the other statements, it's common sense to get a fresh designer and sportier.

Maybe they need a new leader, a new direction for the company. Bring out a GT-R competitor, a good offroader like LC Prado, Audi R8 competitor...etc. Also steal some Hyundai/Kia designers.
But maybe Honda don't believe in such things and too concentrated on advanced and future technologies like Hybrid and EV. Too clinical and too serious. They seem to have forgotten the emotional and fun part of a car. Sad because not too long ago Honda was considered an emotional and fun car, an emotional purchase compare to Toyota which was always considered to be an intelligent purchase, an intelligent choice.

Biggest challenge Japanese manufacturers and especially Honda have had is the downward market trend of exciting brands. BMW, Ducati, Mini, VW, etc. are attacking a market they thrived on and its destroying them. To win in todays market place you have to be fresh, exciting, ageless, and connected!

I really have no idea why, but here in Europe, Honda, Toyota and other japanese manufacturers never have had high sales. Perhaps only some models of Nissan like Micra and Qashqai are some kind of excusions.

Acctually the same situation we have with american brands, except Ford, but europeans think about Ford as an european, not american brand.

Maybe because we have too many brands here. I mean:
England: Rolls, Bentley, Mini, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Morgan, Land Rover, Vauxhall
France: Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Bugatti
Spain: Seat
Italy: FIAT, Iveco, Alfa, Lancia, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani,
Holland: Spyker
Germany: VW, Opel, Euro Ford, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Maybach, Smart
Sweden: Volvo, Saab, Koenigsegg
Chez Republic: Skoda
Romania: Dacia
Russia: Lada

37 up to now and perhaps I miss some brand, but the poit is that japanese never have strong sales in here, especially HONDA!

First off the 2012 Civic is still better than the 2011 isn't it? the only thing that has changed is the competition, and yes Honda is boring, for the performance cars they have to have a rear wheel drive and more torque! 6 speed trannys, paddle shifters for the autos...Honda Civic achieved the highest real world mileage for the 2012 Civic, so they are not doing too bad there, but when they add the direct injection with a turbo it will be more powerful and more efficient, and Honda should make a real truck with a two speed transfer care and selectable lockers more wheel travel... basically something as capable as the Hummer H-3 T Alpha, and yes it is good off road for all of you haters,lol.

This would be my line up additions if I were in charge.

Fit + B16 + 6 speed manual + sport tuned handling = Fit SI for under 19k.

Civic hatchbacks in all trim levels including SI

Del Sol replacement including an SI trim level.

Prelude revival, past prelude styling cues, 2.3 turbo, built on a longer S2000 chassis or at least a dedicated FF chassis with serious sport tuned intentions.

6 speed autos for full line up, paddle shifters for sport trims.

6 speed manual option for all Accord body styles.

Use pilot chassis for a new a Crosstour replacement.

Bring back a sporty styled Accord wagon.

Redesign the Ridgeline as a more traditionally styled pickup, extended cab and crewcab body styles with sporty and aggressive lines, and a street truck trim level with a 6 speed manual or auto w/paddle shifters, and 3.5L V6,and lowered sport tuned handling package.

A CRZ SI hybrid trim level with at least 180HP and 140 lbft of torque from 1000-8000rpm.

Better styled/higher quality interiors accros the entire range.

Great points, the Ridgeline is technically a truck, but is more car based with the unibody.. In my books it's not a truck unless it has a two speed transfer case, and the sporty Ridgeline sounds great, but for me I would prefer an off road version like the Ford Raptor, CAPABLE off road, although it is a nice car like truck if you have no intentions of going off road.

Sure a 2 wheel drive F-150 is a truck, I am trying to say that the Ridgeline is a pathetic 4x4, it is a nice truck, comfortable,safe,looks good,reliable... Honda makes great dirt bikes, I just wish Honda would make an off road capable 4x4 like the Raptor but the same size as the Ridgeline.

Honda was known for great engines, reliability, light weight and performance at a reasonable cost with interesting design. None of these seem to apply to its current range of cars...get back to your roots with some dynamic elements or see your market share decline further. It is always interesting to see companies decline after the founder dies...professional managers simply do not have the passion or convictions which founders possess and drove the company to success. If I ran an investment group I'd call it The Founders Group and only invest in companies with the founder still active at the helm...like
Apple, Bloomberg (until he became mayor), etc etc.

Recruit Chris Bangle...

lol My how the tables have turned.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Get ready to click that down button.

In the US...
+ What is the only sporty, two-door, manual shift hybrid?
+ What is the best-selling sub-compact?
+ What is the only production natural gas powered and cleanest ICE compact?
+ What is the best-selling family sedan?
+ What is the best-selling cross-over cute-ute?
+ What is the only ute you can wash the interior with a hose?
+ What is the best-selling mini-van?
+ What is the best-selling touring bike?
+ What is the best-selling at Home Depot lawn mower and gas-electric generator? :)

- Is the new Civic a giant flop? Absolutely!
- Did we know that a year ago? Yeah, those of us that pay attention did.
- Is the Insight a flop? Yeah, it's very lame.
- Did Honda totally miss the hybrid-electric evolution. Yeah they did, getting high on hydrogen instead for a whole decade.
- Does Honda cheap out by cutting corners, like no low windshield washer fluid light, no vanity mirror lights, no passenger-side power seats, a half-heated passenger seat, carpets with so little pile you can see the steel floor, no sound insulation -- not even an ounce of foam in the fenders or the firewall, engine hood with a wire prop instead of struts even on the "luxury" models, full-time illuminated instrument clusters, but no auto headlights so airhead people drive at night with their headlight off... yeah to all that BS.
- Are Honda designs conservative, plain and simple? Yes and many people like that.
- Are the Acura designs so horrific that even Honda admitted to that? Oups! Good thing they're only sold in the States and most Americans have absolutely no taste.
- Are Hondas technologically behind? Yes, it is the key to their reliability.
- Are the Koreans kicking Honda's butt? It seems so for now, but if you had to drive a 12-year-old car would it be a Hyundai or a Honda?

1. Like everyone says, rethink the design philosophy
2. Update the powertrains, including transmissions
3. Bring more Japanese version vehicles overseas and retire those old models
4. Better craftmanship especially those made in North America

It starts with the Accord:
- Honda needs to aggressively redesign the Accord - make it cool & light
- The design has to be attractive to 16 & 17 yrs olds as well as accountants

You need a sports car:
- Let's be honest, the CR-Z is not a sports car, so bring back the Prelude
- if you won't bring back the Prelude, give Acura a new Integra/RSX

Powertrain
- Honda, you gave the world V-Tec and everyone copied it, incl. Toyota!
- Use that beautiful S2000 engine in something quick! (CRZ w/ SH-AWD)
- You need to reach deep into your technical bag of tricks
- Hybrid option on every model, an AWD option

Affordability
- Make it so that with $15 - $17k you can get a nicely equipped Civic or stripped but still fun to drive Accord

Question:

Does anyone under 64 yrs old still buy the Element? If no, then kill it.

They did kill the Element, 2011 was the last model year.
Honda's IMA hybrid drive-train is obsolete, putting it on other models like the Accord was a flop. They are working on a replacement, eventually...
The CR-Z is coming with gasoline only engine, the 2.0 l engine from the S2000, will likely not be it. They do need a proper 3-door hatchback that unlike the Civic Si does not cost an arm and three legs.

The Accord Hybrid was tuned for performance with minimum, i.e. 10%, gains in mileage. I personally liked the Accord Hybrid for its performance oriented nature.

@MorePower
I am sorry, performance in what way?
- Faster with the extra weight (and did not make a Coupe)?
- More fuel-efficient with the V6 (even the EPA couldn't quite get it, revised the fuel economy estimates three times)?
- More reliable with an IMA (any NYC taxi drivers in one, I've seen hybrid Altimas, Escapes, all Toyota)?

Why do you think Honda pulled it out? Why is it that the CR-V, Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, or any Acura model never had an IMA?

A gas only CRZ would be a good thing to have in there line up,a black interior option wound be nice also.

The rumor is a 1.6 or a 1.8 l turbo-charged engine producing 200 hp! Imagine the difference from the current hybrid one that can barely get up a hill maintaining 50 mph. Even more, it will be lighter since there will not be a propulsion battery and an electric motor. There is hope :)

Honda, stop retiring your executives at 65, just when they get good at their job. Look at R. Murdock, he is old as the hills and still kicks arse, and if not, his wife will do it for him. lol Why not insert the turbo 4cyl in the RDX and put it in the TSX? Why not put a Formula 1 V8 or V10 in the RX and call it a Legend again? Why not create a small but powerful interpretation of the Integra, below the TSX. Why not stretch the Pilot and create a truck out of it, too? Why not make a turbo Civic Si, hello!

Begin by selling off current models on the dealer lots, stop paying suppliers and pocket all cash. I would next sell off any tooling with value in the used market, like stamping presses, milling machines, robots, etc. Then I'd remove fixtures, structural steel from the plants and sell it on the scrap market. Use the money from the above to invest in Ford stock and a Chrysler IPO, and re-incorporate as the Honda Capital Fund.