To buy or not to buy... one man's tale
Before I begin my cathartic tale of a journey of deliberation over whether or not to buy a new Accord Euro, let me start by thanking all of the contributors to this forum who have formed such a valuable part of my decision-making process. I've surveyed most threads over the past few weeks, finding particular value in the pricing, pinging and service standard threads. So a big thank you to all of you who have provided so much knowledge and information in these pages.
I stumbled onto this forum about a month ago, while trying to get some feedback on the performance of the new Accord Euro. I had all but decided to buy, but a series of events have since conspired to change my mind.
Firstly - the pinging issue. Whilst not a major flaw by all accounts, Honda's initial reluctance to concede the issue existed and the slow response in releasing details of the fix, are not exactly confidence-inspiring. Higher service costs were an expected part of purchasing a Honda, lacklustre responsiveness and service standards were not.
Secondly - the May price increase. The Accord Euro is undoubtedly a great value car. I was happy to pay a $1,000 premium for an auto Accord Euro over the Mazda6 Classic, with their almost identical feature set. I reasoned that the inconvenience of the pinging issue in the short term was a price I was willing to pay for the better internal fitout, better fuel economy, wheel-mounted paddle-shifters and chilled compartment. However, a second price-rise in six months turned it into a $2,000+ premium, which combined with a disturbing sense that Honda really weren't that interested in securing the sale despite the supposed massive downturn in sales.
The indifference of my local dealer. A very persistant, but helpful salesman was relentless in his calls and prompting for a sale, all but convincing me of the value in purchasing from him - to the point that I agreed to give him last option on pricing after getting a price from my novated lease company. The principal at my local dealership undid all of that in 10 minutes flat. I could put down his denial of the existance of the pinging issue to just being poorly informed, although when he went on to say that all reported problems were the result of people using normal unleaded, he started to lose me.
When he looked at the admittedly good price the lease company had got and told me that "we're moving a lot of them and I've only got one or two Euro's to last me till August or September and I don't want to sell one at that price", I understood entirely and thanked them for their time. The calls which started a couple of days later inviting me to come in for a chat again disturbed me, almost as much on his insistence that the previous week's price rise (May 1?) gave him no room to move. The fact that giving him last refusal co-incided with a price increase, and a subsequent refusal from my leasing company to honour the initial quote they'd provided the week before the unanticipated price rise, meant I was rapidly souring on the idea of buying a new CU2, despite believing it is probably still best in class.
Maybe I'm being overly-precious. Heaven know's my $35,000 won't make or break Honda. I know they've got margins to protect. Whilst I can't fathom how losing my business over the necessity of passing on a second price rise in six months actually helps them achieve any of their goals in the present ecomonic climate, I'm comfortable with their right to do so.
I just worry that a few of these signs are not reading particularly well for Honda Australia, and the overwhelming feeling I have when surveying the manner in which HA have treated so many owners in here, as well as my own dealings with the (admittedly) single Honda dealership is indifference. I read in my glossy brochure for the Accord Euro, the words of the Honda founder, "Without racing, there is no Honda". In lieu of their withdrawal from F1, I worry he may have been right.
Anyhow, I've got a fresh quote in my hands now for a new Mazda6 Classic which I'm signing off on Monday morning. There's a degree of cutting off my nose to spite my face about it all, but there's an even larger driving force in the fact that I refuse to line the pockets of anyone who makes such a weak play at attaining my business.
Again, thank you to all who have provided so much knowledge in this forum. Accord Euro owners undoubtedly have a great car, and a large part of me will look on with a hint of jealousy when I pass you on the road. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong and that Honda Australia manage to quickly remedy the pinging issue and re-establish their reputation for premium vehicles and service.
