Quote:
Originally Posted by eldaino
great info, as reducing trunk space doesnt seem as easy as a mild refresh is concerned.
whatever those lights on the front are though, they are l.e.d.'s. they remind me of the lights mugen threw on their edition of the crz.
i'm digging the new seats. i personally never found the '10 to be a 'loud' car, but our other honda is a 2010 fit. my mom has a base 2011 and it alone feels more substantial and smooth than our '10 ex.
the best thing honda did was probably the interior upgrade...i wish they would have made the dash nicer, but given current honda dash material, expecting a VW-golfesque soft touch is too much to ask,especially for a refresh. (and especially if the civic is rocking what i feel to be an even cheaper feeling dash)
as long as the hard plastic holds up and stays solid like our '10, i'm good though. the places where your hands actually spend a lot of time have been massively improved.
oh and you can get it in milano red WITH a black interior. that alone makes me want a 2012 
it would have been nice if they could have shoved the Cr-z's bigger engine in here with the new li-ion batteries form the CHB..., up mileage a bit more AND have some more (needed) hp and torque? yes please. dont think they'd have any issues fitting it in either. |
As long as Honda continues to produce dashboards with so many "organic" non-symetrical shapes, we'll continue to see the broad use of thin plastic vs soft-touch. I think they did the best they could with the 2012 interior without a complete redesign. The things you actually TOUCH... the steering wheel, shift lever, seat materials... have been given the royal treatment.
I think Honda is in a tough spot. With so many non-hybrids hitting the 40mpg mark (vvt, direct injection, etc) a Honda IMA hybrid is not as attractive as it once was. I fact, when you compare, say, a new Civic HF to a Civic Hybrid, most would prefer a folding rear seat, conventional transmission, and lower cost. That, and the IMA can only produce so much in terms of MPG, means their focus is on cutting weight and costs. That means cutting sound insulation, thinner glass, no wheel well linings and sound deadening spray, thinner dash plastics and carpeting, no leather, no electric AC compressor, light content.
That said, there is always a happy medium. The bad news is that Honda almost always falls on the side of lighter/cheaper is better when new models are introduced. The good news is that they seem more willing to respond to owner feedback. A great example of this is the 2012 Fit. By simply adding more sound insulation and thicker windshield and front side glass, the result is a NOTICEABLY quieter cabin with no cost to MPG. Or the 2012 Insight which is also NOTICEABLY quieter and MUCH more stable on the highway by adjusting the spring rates and adding a slightly wider tire.
My fear with Honda is that they seem to be in a position now where the IMA has reached its limits and they are simply offering hybrids for the sake of it. In fact, the IMA is really looked at as "a hybrid on the cheap". What happened to Honda being at the forefront of innovation?
When I look back at my 1988 CRX and Prelude, they seem worlds apart from the Honda of today. That little 1.5 in my CRX seemed more high-tech and refined that anything offered in a Honda compact and I was hitting 45mpg EASY.
