High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
#1
09-13-2004, 04:15 AM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
Honda's big utes are ridiculously expensive! Seems to me they are just going to drive buyers elsewhere. The new Foreman 475 (with a simple manual transmission) for example, is only $200 less than the sport flagship 450R, and the other big bikes just go up from there. The lowly Rancher has been Honda's biggest seller, for some time now. I can see why.
#2
09-13-2004, 10:04 AM
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High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
Honda may have priced them just high enough to make people think twice. This may be a bad thing.
A while back, I was considering a Z400. I was a little nervous because of the frame issues. At the time, I just wished that the 400ex had a reverse gear. Now the Z400's problems have been sorted out a little. But the 400ex has also received a reverse gear. So it seems like the decision would be easy to make. Not really, the Z400 is a decent sport quad with liquid cooling and the 400ex would be reliable as heck but lacking in certain areas. The two quads are now too similar in price. Even if the 400ex retailed at $100. less, it would have a better chance. Kinda like when stores price something at $7.99 instead of $8.00. People will see the 7 and think it's a better deal. I guess it would come down to the best deal made for each machine at a dealership.
I don't mind the Foreman 475's price as much. It retails for a similar price as the 450 of a couple years ago. It makes the price difference a little more acceptable because of the new body style (even though I like the old style), disc brakes and cc increase. Heck, it even has a little storage area in the fender now. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
I do think the Rubi is priced way too high. It (2005 model) looks like one heck of a machine and I'm sure people will buy it. Although, I won't. There are soooo many quads to choose from now. (Remember when the Banshee was in every couple issues of the mags because there just wasn't much to write about?) Why pay soooo much for a 500 when you can get more for your money?
Here's my pet peeve of the day. I was watching Hondas little video on the new 2005 models. They kept refering to each model as having a full amount of cc's. Example- Recon as having a full 250cc's. The 475 Foreman as a full 500cc's. And so on..........
A while back, I was considering a Z400. I was a little nervous because of the frame issues. At the time, I just wished that the 400ex had a reverse gear. Now the Z400's problems have been sorted out a little. But the 400ex has also received a reverse gear. So it seems like the decision would be easy to make. Not really, the Z400 is a decent sport quad with liquid cooling and the 400ex would be reliable as heck but lacking in certain areas. The two quads are now too similar in price. Even if the 400ex retailed at $100. less, it would have a better chance. Kinda like when stores price something at $7.99 instead of $8.00. People will see the 7 and think it's a better deal. I guess it would come down to the best deal made for each machine at a dealership.
I don't mind the Foreman 475's price as much. It retails for a similar price as the 450 of a couple years ago. It makes the price difference a little more acceptable because of the new body style (even though I like the old style), disc brakes and cc increase. Heck, it even has a little storage area in the fender now. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
I do think the Rubi is priced way too high. It (2005 model) looks like one heck of a machine and I'm sure people will buy it. Although, I won't. There are soooo many quads to choose from now. (Remember when the Banshee was in every couple issues of the mags because there just wasn't much to write about?) Why pay soooo much for a 500 when you can get more for your money?
Here's my pet peeve of the day. I was watching Hondas little video on the new 2005 models. They kept refering to each model as having a full amount of cc's. Example- Recon as having a full 250cc's. The 475 Foreman as a full 500cc's. And so on..........
#3
09-13-2004, 10:18 AM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
As far as the 400EX goes, dealers will have to discount it (if the manufacturer doesn't) back to something like the 04 MSRP (a $500 discount), or they won't sell a single one! If you want a great deal on an 05 EX, just go into a dealership that sells Hondas but not Suzuki, and tell them to cut you a deal or you are out the door to the Suzuki dealer.
The Z is a definite step up from the EX! I have both the EX and Z, and I can tell you that the Z has WAY MORE MOTOR than the EX! And, in time, it will be recognized to be every bit as reliable as the EX motor. Honda just can't compete on this one.
The rest ot Honda's sport lineup is priced about where it should be.
The Z is a definite step up from the EX! I have both the EX and Z, and I can tell you that the Z has WAY MORE MOTOR than the EX! And, in time, it will be recognized to be every bit as reliable as the EX motor. Honda just can't compete on this one.
The rest ot Honda's sport lineup is priced about where it should be.
#4
09-13-2004, 02:03 PM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
I dont think Honda has any edge anymore in the reliability market.I own a 2003 Rincon,and though its been a nice quad,even its had some issues.Front drums leak in water/debree.No front locking Differantial.No adjustable shocks.
Folks are sick and tired of paying out more $$ for a product that has less features and costs more $$.
I wont be going back to Honda until they start addressing features that customers want on their ATVs.
Folks are sick and tired of paying out more $$ for a product that has less features and costs more $$.
I wont be going back to Honda until they start addressing features that customers want on their ATVs.
#6
09-13-2004, 04:45 PM
#7
09-13-2004, 05:31 PM
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#8
09-13-2004, 07:04 PM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
Dont tell me there is nothing wrong with drum brakes.EVERY ATV I've ever owned dating back to 1983 that had drum brakes ALLWAYS leaked in water/debree after a good day of riding water or mud.Than the owner has to take everything apart and clean/dry/adjust.This is a pain in the *** and I allmost did'nt buy my Rincon because I knew the front brakes were drum style.If you dont ride in this type of terrain,than drum brakes are OK for you.I'll NEVER own another ATV with drum style brakes,no matter how much I like the rest of the ATV.
And liquid cooling also keeps your engine temperature at a cooler rate,which in turns relates to keeping your engine in its optional HP for longer periods of time vs an air cooled engine.
And liquid cooling also keeps your engine temperature at a cooler rate,which in turns relates to keeping your engine in its optional HP for longer periods of time vs an air cooled engine.
#9
09-13-2004, 07:51 PM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
Gotta totally agree with the original poster.
Sometime in the next year we will be buying another 250 class machine. With 2004 prices I'd say it's a toss-up between the Suzuki Ozark and Honda Recon. With the 2004 models, the Ozark cost more but had more power, ground clearance, and suspension travel. So we could have saved a few bucks and gotten the not-quite-as-good Recon.
But with the 2005 models, Honda has jacked up the MSRP to above that of the Suzuki Ozark while doing nothing more than adding a few cosmetic changes. No way we would consider the Recon now. Looks like we are getting another Ozark.
Why pay more for less?
Sometime in the next year we will be buying another 250 class machine. With 2004 prices I'd say it's a toss-up between the Suzuki Ozark and Honda Recon. With the 2004 models, the Ozark cost more but had more power, ground clearance, and suspension travel. So we could have saved a few bucks and gotten the not-quite-as-good Recon.
But with the 2005 models, Honda has jacked up the MSRP to above that of the Suzuki Ozark while doing nothing more than adding a few cosmetic changes. No way we would consider the Recon now. Looks like we are getting another Ozark.
Why pay more for less?
#10
09-13-2004, 10:46 PM
High Prices- Has Honda Shot Itself in the Foot ?
GrnXham-This one is easy! You just go to a dealer that carried Honda, but not Suzuki. Tell them you will get the Suzuiki if they can't better the price. But if you REALLY want a deal, the Recon gets redisigned for 05. You should be able to get an 04 for hundreds off.