They are seriously ticking off a lot of people... They are lucky that their cars are so darn good or they would be losing a customer for life...

My girlfriend just talked with our dealer and found out that I did just make the end of this production year for my order of a SSM M/T Sport.... (ordered 6/10) however Honda switched all orders to A/T only because it has the paddle shifter option...

Anyone who is a driver, who is a true driving enthusiast usually wants a manual for the extra control at any speed and any driving conditions.. I don’t want, nor will I settle for an A/T… If I get lucky and just happen to get a M/T then great… if not…. Well I’m buying a Scion Xa (with less options unfortunately), and will have to seriously reconsider buying another Honda in the future… Toyota is doing some great things too, their quality is there, and their styling is getting more pleasing…

WTF are they thinking????? How can they truly justify pissing off so many customers?

 

Yeah I have heard that the Fits won't be in production for a while because they are making more Civics. Shitty because people like me who just ordered one, might not get it for several months. I don't think they are having this type of demand with the Civics....why don't they build more Fits if they are so in demand??

 

I don't know this for a fact, and because of that this is pure speculation - HOWEVER ---

I've been following this discussion about the MT/AT thing for a while, not just on the Fit, but also the Civic.

I'm wondering if Honda is having some issues with some of the suppliers of pieces and parts for the MT. It could either be in supply itself, or quality.

If you were Honda, and you had a supplier who, for example, provided synchronizers that weren't meeting spec, what would you do? Yes, you can impose sanctions on the vendor, or whatever - but you still don't have the proper quality of part to produce the MT.

Again, this is pure speculation, and we don't know the stories that go on behind the scenes which influence decisions that are made at a corporate level.

I guess I'm just trying to get you to think that there could be a very reasonable explaination, but one that they aren't necessarily broadcast, for obvious reasons.

YMMV -

 

Stewa...which dealer did u place your order? You may want to call other dealers...Try calling Grand Honda in Elmhurst or Napleton Honda

 

They aren't making as many Fits because they don't want them to compete with Civic sales.. since Civic is like the best selling car Honda has it doesn't want to let down some people that are perhaps coming back for yet another one..

 

It is a simple answer - because:
1. the Civic are in almost as high of demand as the Fit is.
2. the profit margin is higher on the Civic.
3. the Civic is a "bread and butter" car, not for a specific niche (or not as much so...)
4. because they have the tooling in place to make more Civics, which they probably don't have for the Fit.

The bottom line is this - for the most part, Honda is selling everything that they can roll off the line. They, like all businesses, exist to make money for their investors. The investors want to see a big profit. The more $$$ they make the happier most folks are. They are running a business.

On the other hand, we, as the entheusiest, have a passion for our cars (I'm speaking in general here...) and we want something specific, for a specific price, with the specific options, etc.

Honda does a respectible job of keeping up with those of us with a passion for their cars - not perfect, but respectible. I commend them on that, and I'm proud of the Honda products that I have, and have had over the past 29 years (Fit, 2-Accords, 2-CRX's, 2-CR-V's, 4-Civics, 2-motorcycles, and HRR mower.) While they have none been perfect, they have provided a great number of years of motoring satisfaction; delivering outstanding reliability, practicality, economy, and overall value and smiles on my face. I currently have 5 Honda products, and my next one will be as well - whatever it is!!!

 

stewa2jm,

give Todd Vogel a call over at Pauly Honda in Libertyville. He is a straight shooter and might be able to help you out or might be able to find one for you.

 

I recently, and unfortunetly it was somewhat necessary, moved to Merrillville, IN (i freaking hate indiana, but it is closer to everything i need to be around right now, i.e. graduate school and job) so I ordered from Bosak Honda in Highland, IN.

I have called other dealer, and did check on a few others in the greater chicagoland area and they all told me that it would take untill sept./oct. to get the fit. This was back in June when I was looking....

 

From what has been in the press - it's not the NA civic that's causing the problem - it's the 5 door those EU types are getting that is displacing Fit production in Japan.
So start your bitchin' at those people across the pond. Who knows, maybe if they quit buying Civics....

 

I don't think it's like Honda execs wake up thinking "Hmmm... how can we anger the world today...". It's a new car for this market, demand exploded unexpectedly, and it's constructed 100% in Japan and is more prone to feel the sways of their market forces. It's easy to say "just make more!", but it's not that simple.

I do feel your pain though. I don't know if I would have waited 4-6 months for a Fit. Don't get a Scion, though. They're just so damn cheap feeling inside. ;p

 

Here's a solution - offer the friggen 5 door civic in the US again - lots of fit seekers will be happy to have that instead.... I can't even count the number of times when on my search for a FIt, a dealer tried to switch me to a civic instead - my answer was always the same - "Sure - if you can show me a hatchback civic ..."

 

Oh, and FWIW - I was by my dealer the other day and they had a silver MT Sport on the lot!!

 

If a civic would fit my dogs, I'd buy one lol

 

I just talked to my dealer, and he said that he still has me in the system wanting a SSM M/T... and has also ordered an A/T in it's place. just to cover me... well, i told him that color is negotiable but transmission is not. He then said that his will actually help him track a M/T down for me, and now will have an A/T to deal with.

However, I did just test drive a Yaris and did like it. Although it was an automatic tranny, it was pretty quick.... and the wait time on a yaris is maximum 6 weeks... AND I can deck out a 3 door with basically all that I want for slightly cheaper...

 

Id like to see proof that Honda is not producing any more MTs, I find that hard to believe. Also what do you mean "end of production year"? Its only July?

 

I miss-spoke... They are not producing any more this calander year from what I understand....

And I have been told by my dealership, other dealerships, and read through here that honda has taken the liberty of changing M/T orders to A/T and that they have not put the M/T on the schedule of production for the rest of this year....

So my understanding is that you may not get what you order, and that the rest of the cars that are being build to come to the united states will be here in october, and that will be the end of the cars that will be delivered in 2006.

 

Not according to the dealership we ordered our second Fit through. They're expecting ours to arrive in November.

 

I "ordered" my civic 4dr manual 4 months ago. decided to get the fit when I gave up on my civic. i am not absoloutely sure they will lose customers over this. I am personally on my 9th honda. True honda enthusiasts will bounce from model to model to just stay with honda. as i did. they wont lose sleep or many customers to make a substantial dent

so dont kill me, just my opinion

 

When I was ready to buy I had to call around 45 dealers to find the one I wanted. This was after a dealership with a "computer system" said there was none available in Northern California. There were about 6 AT Sports within 50 miles of me, but I wanted the SSM. 113 miles away there was one, so I drove and bought it. Theres that old saying "where theres a will theres a way"

 

well... my initial reaction was extreme.... and there is no way that i could write off honda... i mean hell, they have great products that are rivaled only by toyota, but toyota doesn't have styling that i like as much as honda...

And I would love to buy a civic, but i can't afford a civic with the options that i want... hell i can hardly afford a base model... I just can't bring myself to by used.... I just cant justify spending $17K for a used car that isn't exactly what i want and has too many miles, and i refused by buy one for $3K-$4K again... I have had horrible luck with vehicles since my Chevy Beretta began going to hell on my it's last year of life

as far as what others have heard concerning dilivery dates and such.... maybe i'm just getting very inaccurate information, but it seems to be the answers i'm getting from a few dealer in my area...