Honda sold 3,135 Fits in July. That's 612 fewer Fits than were sold in June which had a sales total of 3,747. Honda should be making more Fit's, not less.

Very disappointing for those of us who have yet to become Fit owners.

 

Amazing to see truck and SUV sales up, up, up over last year considering these fuel prices and increased environmental concerns...and then to see Fit sales down!?!

(off the subject but those NSX numbers are so sad for such a fine automobile...)

 

Another article on July sales -- Accord and Civic get the credit. They mention Fit sales, but why aren't any of these articles commenting on Honda's low production figures/high demand for the Fit?


http://today.reuters.com/stocks/Quot...ENT.XML&rpc=66

 

the shortage of Fits is the reason I'm in a VW

 

They can't make more of them, all their factories are working at maximum capacity.

 

the only reason they didn't meet their goal was because people were getting depressed after hearing they were going to make less.. and they had to be on a waitting list

 

That's certainly understandable, but they should at least be making the same number of vehicles in the same length of time. Those numbers reflect a 16% drop in sales for that vehicle.

 

There are several reasons for this. One is that Honda was giving incrediable deals on the Pilot. Basically $3k under invoice just by walking in the door and then more off if you were a hard barginer. Also, there is a new Pilot on tap for next year so they are clearing out inventory. Most don't give a rats a** about the environment. So they do what they want to do. It's their money after all.

And you can only sell a Fit if you actually have one. If you are not making them and dealers have no inventory then no fit sales. Most people are car people anyway so the Civic or the Accord are better choice for them.

 

Just remember the Fit isn't that important to Honda USA, the Civic & Accord are the bread & butter. Odds are they had many Fits ready for delivery in April + May, and now the stock pile is dwindling. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if the sales figures have dropped since more prospective Fit owners are waiting for manual Fits. All the local Honda dealers have automatic Fits, the manuals they can't keep on the lot.

 

I believe a sale isn't counted until the vehicle has been delivered. Makes sense from a revenue recognition standpoint

Toyota sold over 10k Yarii
Nissan sold 2800 Versas (and another 750 in Canada, which already makes it Nissan's best selling car in Canada)

EDIT: Typos

 

There are no Fits to be had in my area I know 2 people who want them.

 

I snagged my Fit the first week in April's arrival, else yeah I'd prolly be looking at the 4-door Rabbit right now too. Vdub makes a fine car -- hope yours is more reliable than my mkv Jetta! Sigh...

 

yep people dont like buying a car sight unseen and most dealers dont have any fits on the lot and havent had any for months. no test drive = no sale.

lots of other econohatches to choose from now so honda really missed the boat here.

 

have them check out the vw rabbit. or a subaru impreza wagon since dealers are marking up the fit into that price range anyway.. lol

 

Thats the sad truth. Americans want sedans that are impratical for carrying anything but people. Or they buy SUV's (Stupid User Vehicle) which I guess is the equivalent of an American hatchback.

On the other hand, Toyota (now the #2 automaker in the U.S.) has done a great job at delivering Scion's in a reasonable time span, and Scion is not their bread and butter line. Yes, Toyota is a bigger company, but Honda is now the #4 automaker in America.

 

Honda will be expanding a few plants, and building new ones by 2008. That should help BIG TIME.

 

#5 if they dont wake up soon. they are still soundly asleep.

 

LOL I hope you are kidding.

 

honda unfortunately makes about 5% of their cars with a manual transmission. when you take into consideration the si and the s2000, that leaves about 3-4% of elements, civics, accords, and fits to be manual. it's hard enough to keep a fit on the lot. but a manual is gone instantaneously.

that being said, i have so many people on my list who have called in the past week looking for a fit. some of them as far away as 100 miles. that says to me, no one has them. weird huh...you might say honda is ridiculously st00pid for doing this. i call it marketing. it keeps the demand high.

i've said too much

 

i think that this is kind of funny. first of all, sales numbers are not a direct reflection of manufacturing/production numbers. when you first introduce a product to the public, you dont start with 0 quantity. you begin with a surplus, that way the customer has a prodcut to buy. of course with the fit, the products demand has exceeded its supply now, but it did not start that way.

secondly, a company can project all that it wants, but you cant just start building and opening manufacturing plants all over the place, and hiring a bunch of people, based off projections alone. many times you have to justify the cost of expansion to the higher ups to get things done. on top of that, it doesnt happen over night. it takes time to build a place and hire good people.

finally, honda is not missing out on anything at all. when there is high demand and low supply, that works in the favor of the manufacturer, not the consumer. in most cases, this scenario will drive up the prices that consumers pay for the product, which increases profits. perfect example is the fuel industry... right now if you want a fit, you have to pay at least msrp. some shady dealers are charging more. go buy any other car with high availability and you can haggle down from sticker, or even find rebates. sure honda may not be getting the same number of sales that it could, but they are in control of the market right now. plus, its great for marketing. "oh wow, the fit is selling so fast that you have to order just to take a look at it! it must be a good car". thats a direct quote that i heard from someone the other day.