Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoonie
You realize that Honda is discontinuing sales of the Accord Hybrid because of slow-sales?
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The Accord Hybrid isn't part of the low-mid 20k, 45 mpg (real world) market that is booming. Neither is the Chevy Silverado Hybrid, even though it is also technically a hybrid. It most closely matches the 328i in acceleration, price, size, and fuel economy.
The Accord Hybrid is in the mid-30k, low 30's mpg (real world) market. They made it a "Performance Hybrid" with 0-60 in the 6.7 second range, and didn't give it the kind of fuel economy that is needed to compete in the high mileage niche. In fact, many 4-cyl Accord non-Hybrid owners report better real world observed mpg's than V-6 Accord Hybrid owners. It is dying because Honda completely missed the market niche, so it deserves to die. All cars with the hybrid label cannot all be lumped together. Some are good, some are crap. The crappy ones will die, while the best hybrids have sold a million+ units.
I'm worried that BMW will screw up their introduction of their diesels the same way Honda blew the Accord Hybrid. A heavy but fast 50k dollar diesel 5-series that gets only 35 mpg is going to have to create a whole new market niche for itself. The X-series diesels face the same problem, magnified by the problem of a shrinking US SUV market. They can't leverage an existing booming market niche. I'm afraid if they hit the diesel market wrong and fail, then they will never bring in the 123d. If Honda would have started off with the Accord Hybrid and tanked, I'm not sure they would have then gone and built the highly successful Civic Hybrid. Your comment about the Accord Hybrid actually reinforces my points in my original post...