Ala Cart Options

[mayfielh]

Does anyone else out there wish Honda was let's say a bit more flexible on the options you can put in your vehicle. I'm not talking about accessories as much as options.

For instance I personally don't like leather interior, it does fit my climate very well, but I would have loved to have the option of the NAV system (my wife would have liked a moonroof as well). One of the other things that kills me is interior color selection. If there is gray interior available for one of the exterior colors then it should be available for the rest (especially on the black model).

Don't get me wrong I know how production lines and logistics work but if people are willing to wait 30 - 60 days for an RL it sure seems like they could make a little tweak in the program to drop a NAV system in your RTS.

All of this aside and my tailgate and wind gust issues I still think this is the most comfortable/versatile rig on the road.

[jwizard]

I toured a US auto manufacturing facility (one of the big 3) several years ago and got to see what actually goes on in a plant employing 6,000 people. I agree that Honda could build market share if they offered more "factory options". However, the more factory options, the greater the chance for errors in the plant as well as increased procurement costs. Besides I'll bet you could find a very nice cover for the leather seats.

[swampler]

That's one of my gripes about Honda since my 1st Accord I bought new in 1991. I like the red exterior best, but hate beige seats so I'm getting blue instead. I would love to have a red RL with gray interior.

[jauten1]

I hate the fact that I have to pay for XM and a moonroof when all I want is the moonroof. It is a pain to add a aftermarket moonroof later but I could always add the XM later on if I wanted...

[denvrfan]

But it sure makes shopping for your car of choice a lot easier when you don't have to compare options on inventory from dealer to dealer. I'm an internet car buyer. While some dealers do a great job listing options on their web sites, others are horrible, making it nearly impossible to compare apples-to-apples.

While I agree that Honda should add more versatility with the interior/exterior color combinations, I am one who enjoys their tight packaging of their various models. I hate all of the options!

[H&A]

it seems like it used to be more common to be able to order a car with just what you wanted on it as long as you were willing to wait.

Honda with their set trim levels is a lot more rigid than other manufactures, however a lot of the ones that let you pick and choose options tie them together. Back when we got my wifes car to get side air bags you had to also get the moonroof and it took about 3 months worth of waiting to get the color she wanted with the 'options' we wanted. That was just waiting for it to appear on a lot as they couldn't special order at all. A lot of the American car companies tend to have their packages for everything so if you want power door locks it is part of the $1,500 'convenience' package.

I do agree that it makes comparison shopping much easier since an EX is an EX.

-Trevor

[mayfielh]

But why not offer 3 levels of RTS or at a minimum offer cloth in the RTL.