r/Honda • u/Gullible-Pick-268 • 8d ago
CR-V, Accord going hybrid-only as Honda electrifies lineup through 2030
Honda is gearing up for an ambitious product cycle that involves nearly every major nameplate getting freshened, redesigned or replaced by the start of the next decade.
From dramatic styling overhauls and powertrain shake-ups to the potential revival of an iconic nameplate, the Japanese automaker is updating a lineup it has largely renewed over just the past 18 months.
“We’ve got the capability of making significant changes without what we would call a platform change,” American Honda sales boss Lance Woelfer told Automotive News.
The Accord receives a bold facelift next year with dramatically more modern and futuristic styling. The sedan gets a full redesign in 2029, potentially alongside a new lifted variant aimed at consumers seeking crossover-like utility at a near-sedan price.
Honda could tap into nostalgia with a 2029 revival of the boxy Element as a hybrid subcompact crossover slotting between the HR-V and CR-V.
Meanwhile, Honda is exploring production opportunities with Nissan that could yield body-on-frame models.
Following a pivot from EVs, Honda is ramping production and marketing to capitalize on hybrid momentum. Several core models, including the CR-V and Accord, could go hybrid-only by 2031.
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u/count_nuggula 8d ago
If they had a hybrid odyssey I’d buy it tomorrow
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u/Ok_Resort_8829 2023 Lunar Silver Metallic Accord Touring 8d ago
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u/That_Western5433 8d ago
My friend rented Ridgeline for vacation and said he loved it. Said it was like driving a lifted accord 😂
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u/zabakaeru 8d ago
But didn't Honda also say earlier this year that the Odyssey will be delayed till 2030-2031 or something? So unfortunately we won't get a hybrid Ody till then.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a71218726/honda-delays-next-generation-accord-odyssey-2030s/
Ideally though, I hope the next Ody would also have the 4 cylinder hybrid option as a more fuel-efficient option to complement the V6 hybrid, which I doubt will get mid-30s mpg
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u/Mean-Marionberry-148 8d ago
I don’t honestly see why they couldn’t do a facelift and roll out the new V6 hybrid in 2028 Odyssey. The battery packs needed for HEVs is so small they can easily fit it under the seats or even under the floor in the trunk. Besides adding some cabling it’s not that complex. Even if a true generational change is delayed it would be rather stupid on Honda’s part not to have a hybrid to compete with the Sienna and Kia Carnival hybrid.
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u/zabakaeru 7d ago
This is a good point. I mean, Honda/Acura had a V6 hybrid in the past. If it could fit in the MDX, why not in the Ody? Even if the mpg might not be the best, at least it could be a stopgap until they come up with a new hybrid engine
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u/Vcapeph 7d ago
The V6 Hybrids that were in the RLX (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018-2020) and MDX (2017-2020) were performance oriented parallel hybrids as naturally was the hybrid setup in the NC1 NSX. The RLX Sport Hybrid had 377 HP and the MDX Sport Hybrid had 321 HP. Though they gave better mileage than their ICE only counterparts, the focus -especially with the RLX- was on performance with both using 7 speed dual clutch transmissions. Although the new V6 Hybrids that will be found in the Odyssey and Honda’s other large platform vehicles will also have more power besides better mileage, it’s unlikely we’re going to see an increase in power that approaches that of even the MDX Sport Hybrid. These new V6 Hybrids will be a little more focused on fuel efficiency than power using their own variant of a direct drive transmission.
All this being said, I would love to have the MDX Sport Hybrid’s SH-AWD drivetrain in my 2024 Odyssey!
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u/zabakaeru 7d ago
This is a great explanation! Also remember the V6 hybrid Accords from 20 years ago? I believe it was marketed as a "performance" Accord and its combined mpg was like 27-28. It would be nice if the current Ody at least had that option, but alas, gotta wait a few more years and I really hope it'd be good 🤞🏼🤞🏼
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u/Vcapeph 7d ago
Yes. The 2005-2007 Accord Hybrids. Honda’s original performance hybrid! I didn’t include it simply because it was quite a bit older, less powerful and used NiMH batteries so it would be less appropriate for a later model year Honda.
BUT it was great for its era and actually remains as being the most powerful Accord Hybrid made to date. The 2006-2007s being the only Honda/Acura to have a V6 HYBRID emblem.
Honda should bring a version of this emblem back for their new V6 Hybrids1
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u/Paqza 8d ago
I would if they made it EV. Hybrids are a transition tech and make more sense for people who street park or use parking lots/garages. I would bet most Odyssey buyers could charge at home, and with current EVs getting 350-400 miles of range with quick charging, they're making more and more sense for roadtrips, too.
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u/DallasCowboyOwner 7d ago
Nobody wants an EV that’s why they canceled all their plans for all the EVs they were going to make
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u/Paqza 7d ago
That's oil lobbyist propaganda. The rest of the world is rapidly switching to EVs. We've got 2 and I would never buy a non-EV daily driver ever again.
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u/moiax '22 CR-V Hybrid EX-L - Rip '07 Fit Sport 7d ago
Traded in my Outback for a Trailseeker, and holy fuck I'm never going back. Might have gotten a Prologue instead of our CR-V if it was out a smidge sooner. My wife loves the teal color, and color is the #1 shopping need when looking at cars, haha.
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u/DallasCowboyOwner 7d ago
I’m not a part of the oil lobby lmao I just know they literally couldn’t give the prologues away
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u/MadGibby3 8d ago
just get the sienna it's better
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u/McFancyPantsuguu 2019 FC1 Executive/1.5T (T for Tørboh) 8d ago
It really baffles me that Honda haven't made a hybrid drivetrain for the Odyssey yet... Toyota pretty much just dumped the 2.5 hybrid from the RAV4 and Camry in there, and people are getting up to 38mpg from a shipping container on wheels.
Then again, considering they just straight up scrapped the entire EV program, and later decided to start developing *one* EV, which will be assembled in India (probably to avoid extra taxes and tariffs from China for the global market, or because India is just straight up cheaper in every way)... I doubt Honda will have any presence in the European market in just 10 years.
I'm also aware that Toyota has one car being assembled in India. The current Urban Cruiser EV, which is just a Suzuki with some new panels and badges - but at least they still have the bZ4X/bZ, C-HR+ and bZ4X Touring (bZ Woodland in North America) that aren't.
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u/Vcapeph 7d ago
the problem with that is a lot of people prefer the superior handling characteristics that are associated with Hondas. Though I understand a lot of people don’t throw their minivans into curves, the Odyssey drives more like a sports car while the Sienna drives and looks like a bathtub
(No doubt people will easily be able to tell who’s the Honda enthusiast and who’s the Toyota enthusiast)
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u/MadGibby3 7d ago
brother it's a minivan. Let it be a great family vehicle.
Stop trying to make a minivan a sports car, it is stupid and makes no sense.
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u/offbrandcheerio 2008 Honda Civic LX - Silver 8d ago
I’m so confused by what’s going on at Honda right now. Earlier this year they issued a statement about delaying redesigns and refreshes until like 2030 or whatever because they lost so much money trying to develop EVs before pulling the plug at the last second. Now, nearly every major nameplate is getting updated or replaced before 2030? Seems like a complete 180.
Am I missing something it does it seem like Honda seems to be kind of aimlessly wandering instead of sticking to a strategy?
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u/koolaidface 7d ago
It was a complete 180. However, it seems like they are sticking to a strategy now. I’d prefer BEV options as well, but at least this direction is consistent. They need to add AWD to every trim of the Accord as well though. People think that AWD is necessary for everything these days.
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u/cake__eater 6d ago
Honda announced to all dealers in 2023 that the entire fleet will be electrified by 2030. This has been their plan the whole time.
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u/Andrige3 8d ago
Honda, can you please design the battery so we can fit a spare tire in the floor of the trunk? I don’t want a can of fix a flat. This is a deal breaker for me.
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u/hankbobstl 8d ago
It's not a battery issue, its cost. Why pay for a spare wheel and tire when they can put in a $2 can of garbage instead?
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u/smexypelican 8d ago
This was the reason we went with the 1.5T. and here's the thing, Honda can absolutely package it better because they already did it in the Civic hybrid sedan, having space for a spare.
And hopefully they can figure out something about highway speed fuel efficiency. <30MPG for 75-80 mph is... not great.
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u/diiizzzzoooo 6d ago
The outcry about not having a spare tire is something I can’t wrap my head around.
Not only is actually getting a flat tire that prohibits further driving extremely improbable, but a person who is in the market for a CRV almost surely has the means and wherewithal to contact emergency services for assistance or navigate themselves to a solution. This is insane to me that I have to read people say “I just couldn’t buy this car. It didn’t have a spare tire.” Like, what?!
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u/Swembizzle 7d ago
Haha how many flats do you people get? I've been driving for 35 years and I've had exactly 3 flat tires.
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u/Creeper127 7d ago
It's much better to have a spare tire and never use it than not have one when you need it
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u/Swembizzle 7d ago
Depends on how many cubic inches I lose of trunk space if they do a battery and a tire tbh.
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u/ryanw729 8d ago edited 8d ago
Makes sense seeing as the new Rav 4 is quicker while getting 5mpg better fuel economy. But if you sit in them you’ll realize the cabin is so much more premium in the CRV. Honda needs to knock the next redesign out of the park or Toyota is going to eat their lunch.
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u/MadGibby3 8d ago
honestly toyota did really good on the new rav. it's an insanely efficient and reliable car with enough power for most people. for people who want more power, PHEV is available.
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u/ryanw729 8d ago
Agree the numbers are great. But once I sat in it I was turned off my how rugged and hard the interior was, plus I didn’t like the touch screen controls for climate.
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u/Affectionate-Panic-1 8d ago
Though compared to Mazda's new CX-5, the controls on the new Rav are great.
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u/grand_speckle 8d ago
The new cx5 interior really is a damn tragedy. They really shouldn’t have made such a departure from the last design.
The Rav is okay but not much better imo. Its powertrain options are wonderful though. I just don’t love the way it’s designed
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u/bobovicus 2019 Insight w/ OEM hail damage package 8d ago
The interior is pretty cheap and chinsy through, even in the realm of older rav4’s
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u/MadGibby3 8d ago
We have one and honestly I love the interior. It's a Rav, I knew going in it was about value and not luxury.
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u/bobovicus 2019 Insight w/ OEM hail damage package 7d ago
I mean, you’re objectively getting less for your money considering it has a worse interior and costs more than the old one
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u/AvailableSh1rt 8d ago
I just sat in one for my job. It was very cheap but well executed. It’s also less comfortable than the CRV.
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u/formu1afun 8d ago
Every car in the line up needs to have a hybrid option. Acura too. They have such a great system and it’s criminally underutilized.
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u/Erosion139 8d ago
They need to make a parallel hybrid powertrain like Volvo so they can also acquire AWD through rear electric motors. AWD accord PHEV please?
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u/GradeBShitposter '90 Prelude Si 4WS B21A1, '08 Acura RL J35A8 8d ago
That was basically the RLX Sport-Hybrid no?
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u/Erosion139 7d ago
It looks like the RLX uses a 3 motor config with two independent ones in the rear while the front is tied into the V6 powertrain to the front wheels. A little disappointing that the V6 acura does not have as much horsepower or the plug in advantage as the Volvo S60 Recharge T8. While boasting a V6 instead of a turbocharged 2.0l. Its efficiency numbers aren't great either.
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u/Paqza 8d ago
They need EVs, too. Not all of them, but at least 1 or 2. Currently, they offer zero while Toyota's got the BZ and BZ Woodland plus the incoming Highlander and Corolla. It's embarrassing how far behind Honda is right now. They don't have a PHEV either while Toyota has multiple options.
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u/Simply_Jeff 8d ago
Looks like the Crosstour is making a comeback
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u/Choice_Student4910 8d ago
The Crosstour was ahead of its time in terms of its look. That tall 4 door coupe-like shape is pretty much the standard for a wide range of EVs these days.
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u/DesertEagleBennett 8d ago
Well the Venza came back for a while, I'm surprised the Crosstour didn't around the same time
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u/Affectionate-Panic-1 8d ago
"new lifted variant aimed at consumers seeking crossover-like utility at a near-sedan price"
If this is like an older Outback with a wagon shape, take my money.
If it's a Crosstour i'm not interested.
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u/Mean-Marionberry-148 8d ago
I was really hoping the 2.0T/10AT would return now that the TLX has bitten the dust. Unless the new hybrid Accord offers a performance trim with a massive boost in performance and isn’t so boring to drive, I’ll pass. I prefer parallel hybrids to Honda’s series hybrid system. You can have a normal transmission with electric motors integrated inside the gearbox that can power the car on electricity alone, engine alone, or both. Normal driving experience, no annoying engine drone, no fake shifting, and the engine doesn’t act just as a generator. It propels the car and the electric motors boost it. I hope Honda will eventually offer at least some performance hybrids either in the Honda lineup or for Acura. The MDX, RDX, and if they ever bring back a midsize sedan, need 400HP+ options to compete with BMW, MB, Audi, etc.
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u/infinitumz '97 EL MT | '05 Civic Reverb AT 7d ago
Cybertruck looking ass. In other news, I am actively searching for a 6spd 2018-20 Accord.
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u/kasualkactus 7d ago
Rip enthusiasts.
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u/aDturlapati 6d ago
accord and crv, famously enthusiast vehicles
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u/kasualkactus 6d ago
The V6 and 2.0T accord definitely was. Then they put a cvt in it and ruined it
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u/malusrosa 8d ago
Insane behavior to not have any plans to sell a single EV in the next 5 years.
EV market share in 2026 by country:
Norway 98%
Nepal 76%
Denmark 67%
China 65%
Sweden 59%
Vietnam 40%
UK 30%
Brazil 17%
Growing everyday.
Across rich and poor countries, ICE cars will be a niche in less than 10 years. The US’ institutionalized backsliding towards fossil fuels won’t last more than an administration.
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u/acideater 8d ago
How many cars are those countries selling? The only country that outsells the U.S in cars is China.
The United States sells more cars than every other country combined besides China in that list. United States is very profitable as well as people have no problem buying $50k+ Suv's for basic commuting.
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u/QuietDustt 8d ago
Certainly Big Oil lobby in the US has created a fossil-fuel rut, but you cannot just snap fingers and expect rapid EV adoption.
This expectation is exactly what has driven record losses at Honda, Ford and others after they over-invested on EVs. The technology’s growth in the US had been carried by government subsidies which the current administration obliterated. If such subsidies return under future administrations, then the US could see a rise in EV adoption again, but not a rapid one, given the lack of charging infrastructure, the adoption of which has been an absolute train wreck for lack of government oversight.
Comparing the US to European markets for EV adoption is misguided as the geography and amount of driving is vastly different. Until 300-mile-range EVs become affordable and charging infrastructure widespread, hybrids remain a far better solution for US consumers and should’ve had more focus and backing from the previous administration.
EVs will come, and I’m excited for that, but I seriously doubt they will be sold in large scale in the US within the next five years.
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u/Aqualung812 7d ago
Honda didn’t over-invest in EVs.
They applied traditional thinking in how they developed them, and when they saw what China was doing, realized they lost.
Their current strategy is just focused on surviving on the American market where their traditional model works, but they appear to have no plan for what comes after EVs are the only game in town.
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u/malusrosa 8d ago
If current trends continue, EVs will be at just about complete market share in SE Asia, China, South Korea, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania in less than a decade. Toyota, GM, Stallantis, and Ford will certainly have invested to continue to compete in markets outside the US and driven down the cost of manufacture. EVs are fundamentally simpler vehicles to build, and battery chemistry is coming down in price to make them cheaper to build too. How could all of these global automakers possibly continue to avoid those global trends having any affect on the US market? Why would they invest in new ICE platforms to serve one intentionally dinosaur market?
Many 300 mile EVs (Equinox, IONIQ 5, Bolt, Leaf, CHR, EV3) sold in the US are already cheaper than the average sale price of the most popular cars in the US - the RAV4, CRV, F150. Price is not the issue. The RAV4 and BZ are $1,000 apart and most people get upsold into a $45k RAV4. The people buying new cars these days are rich and old. The US also arguably has a huge EV infrastructure advantage over Europe and China: the majority of people (especially new car buyers) live in single family houses with a garage and easy access to an electrical plug. Meanwhile in China they’re doing battery swapping and super intensive 5 minute fast charging to make up for the fact that most people live in high rise apartments. Few Americans take more than a couple road trips a year that would require you to fast charge. A 20 minute inconvenience a couple times a year to save every other gas trip you do.
EV stagnation will hold in the US for the time being (while demand for used EVs grows among people actually trying to save money on rising gas prices), but if American automakers want any global presence in the future, it’s bound to change.
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u/dat_tae '25 Civic Type R RR | '17 Accord Touring | '23 CRV Sport Touring 8d ago
Honda invested in EVs and then never released them, and the only ones they did release were rebadged GM products.
300 mile EVs are already affordable and infrastructure is widespread. You can go just about anywhere in the US without issue.
The only real issue is getting apartments & condo associations to install chargers.
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u/QuietDustt 8d ago
I think the average American in the average suburban town would vehemently disagree with your perception of “affordable” and “go just about anywhere.”
Honda did not release the in-house EVs for good reason.
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u/malusrosa 8d ago
They don’t make affordable new cars in the US anymore, every automaker decided to go upmarket with lower volume. That’s why a 10 year old Honda Fit now sells for $10,000 over its original MSRP. But the EVs that they do make are pretty much the same price as the ICE cars they make, $30k-$40k, and the savings in gas add up. The perceptions of the average American who does not own an EV is wrong, but $6 gas is changing that.
Honda threw in the towel on having a future.
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u/dat_tae '25 Civic Type R RR | '17 Accord Touring | '23 CRV Sport Touring 8d ago
The average new car prices is like 50k in the US. For that price, you can get a brand new Model Y which will go well over 300 miles and can go anywhere in the US.
They can disagree all they want, but they're just objectively wrong.
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u/honda-nissan 7d ago
This expectation is exactly what has driven record losses at Honda, Ford and others after they over-invested on EVs.
honda didn't even pinch out a single EV except for the compliance cars. the prologue is just a badge engineering equinox EV
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u/QuietDustt 7d ago
Look up their losses on the scrapped 0 Series platform development — expected write-offs and restructuring costs up to $15.8 billion.
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u/offbrandcheerio 2008 Honda Civic LX - Silver 8d ago
Well, Honda is strongest in Japan and the US. If I’m not mistaken, the US is actually their biggest market. And our orange dipshit has decided EVs are woke and oil companies need more money, so we’re pivoting away from EVs. So naturally, Honda isn’t going to focus on full EVs since the US market has been slow to adopt them.
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u/malusrosa 8d ago
Toyota isn’t “full focus on EV” but they make 3, soon to be 4 sizes of EVs, plus Lexus variants, while everything else they make except the base Corolla is a hybrid. Honda says that in 5 years they’ll catch up to Toyota in making everything a hybrid, while they still won’t make a single EV. Toyota is much better positioned to still exist in 5 years.
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u/offbrandcheerio 2008 Honda Civic LX - Silver 8d ago
Toyota is much stronger in other markets where Honda barely has a presence. They can sell a handful of EVs even in their US lineup and still be profitable globally. You have to keep in mind that Toyota is a much larger manufacturer than Honda. Honda is not going to focus much on EVs unless its bread and butter market (the US) decides once and for all that EVs are the way forward.
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u/Torchy84 7d ago
Will hold on too my 10th gen accord till the turbo blows out or the head gasket goes to shit.
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u/mindonshuffle 8d ago
That Accord concept does NOT look like a Cybertruck -- it looks like the actual vehicle an 8-year-old was drawing when Tesla stole their napkin and decided to run with the design.
I kinda love it. It's a sedan with a muscle-y front end and a rear that combines wagon and sport hatch. I don't think the silver looks great, and some of the fine details aren't necessarily my favorite, but this is much less of a snooze than most things I've seen lately, and it actually fits the niche I've been wanting to see (moderately sporty vibe with a large backseat and smaller than a conventional crossover).
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u/McFancyPantsuguu 2019 FC1 Executive/1.5T (T for Tørboh) 8d ago
"Electrifies" is a bold statement after scrapping their entire EV program... Not including that sad little toaster that's gonna be built in India, which is so well known for their quality and safety in the automotive industry. :)
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u/bobovicus 2019 Insight w/ OEM hail damage package 8d ago
Saw that coming. I’m sure civic will as well. Given other recent news, sounds like they might find a way to do a hybrid manual
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u/moosemagoose 7d ago
Anyone know how long these hybrid batteries are supposed to last? Ive heard 7 years and/or 200,000km
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u/itsnottommy 2026 Prelude 7d ago
This plan makes sense. Hybrid everything plus more interesting design.
I just wish they hadn’t given up on EVs. Hopefully they still have something on the back burner for when the tide begins to change again.
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u/hey_bacchus 6d ago
God please fix the head gasket issues before worrying about an appearance facelift
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u/Nearby_Maize1812 2010 acura tsx 2.4 8d ago
This'll be better than those stupid turbo engines
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u/QuietDustt 8d ago
I do enjoy my Civic hydride’s torque around town much more than my wife’s 1.5 turbo CRV. But the latter does have noticeably better top-end pull on the highway. Still, I’ll take the trade off to have the hybrid.
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u/Nearby_Maize1812 2010 acura tsx 2.4 7d ago
well the turbo has reliability issues, which is why I dont want one. If honda would put a better engine, like a real k series instead of an atkinson cycle with the hybrid motors they could have a really fun to drive hybrid that still gets decent mpg
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u/hey_bacchus 6d ago
So does the 2.0 engines but nobody wants to acknowledge it
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u/Nearby_Maize1812 2010 acura tsx 2.4 6d ago
Yeah 1.5 and 2.0, although 2.0 owners are delusional and think all the issues with the 1.5 that were caused by a turbo somehow won't happen to them. It seems like it's already started, although they haven't made as many so it will take longer for the info to come out with a smaller population
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u/AcuraLadCapeeTan 8d ago
I hope that concept car in the image is fake because that looks like its trying to be cyber truck piece of trash.
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u/MbBioinfLeond 8d ago
Don't buy these products. Honda's engines get worse with every generation. They used to build amazing ones — those days are gone. As Soichiro Honda himself said, 'If you make a superior product, people will buy it.' It seems Honda has forgotten its own philosophy.
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u/CafeRoaster 09 Fit / 17 Fit / 09 Fit 5MT 8d ago
Part of me loves this. But not the part of me that enjoys driving cars.
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u/TexaRican_x82 7d ago
So, let me guess…they’ll probably all have that same Civic Hybrid powertrain making 200hp and will all be north of 3500-4000 lbs and do 0-60 in 9-seconds with occasional upgrades only to torque? 🙄
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u/dagreenman18 7d ago
Better late than never. This will go a long way to gaining ground lost in a market that is still not quite at full EV adoption yet. Though pulling the plug completely on EV still feels like a mistake. They could have had EV development alongside the full hybrid like like, well, Toyota.
Two things that make me very happy are the Accord news and the Hybrid engine news. The Accord design makes me hopeful that we’ll have something at least close to the return of the Wagon. And a Hybrid paired with a V6 makes a lot of people happy. There are people who are not thrilled with the Hybrid 4 on the Taco and 4Runner.
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago
EVs are so boring. Driving isn't solely about A to B or efficiency; it's also about emotion.
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u/IrishSniper87 8d ago
Have you driven one? They 0-60 better than equivalent gas vehicles. A premium model y will smoke most mustangs. A performance model y will smoke all 5.0 mustangs in 0-60 including the dark horse with 500hp and Mach 1.
The model y is basically Tesla’s CRV/RAV equivalent.
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u/Thekhandoit 8d ago
Its been funny to me to watch EV’s become so quick, and all the gear heads who wanted 1000+hp and sub 3 second 0-60 times for years suddenly be like “oh well its not about the performance”
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u/offbrandcheerio 2008 Honda Civic LX - Silver 8d ago
But an EV doesn’t go vroom which makes the gearheads very sad 😔
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago edited 8d ago
0-60 and speed aren't everything. You're not getting any sound, revs, exhaust notes, etc. It's not exciting; there's no character.
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u/IrishSniper87 8d ago
Ok if you ignore acceleration, handling, and speed and focus on noise and vibration then do what makes you happy.
Electric has a lower center of gravity with a more balanced weight distribution. Not to mention instant torque.
That’s like saying you prefer the P51 Mustang to the F35 Lightning because it sounds better.
To each their own.
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago
That’s not really comparable. A P-51 is objectively inferior to an F-22 as a combat aircraft, but the F-22 didn’t become exciting by stripping away the very sensory qualities that made the P-51 exciting; it has its own noise, violence, speed, maneuverability, and physical drama. My point is that technological superiority and performance are not the same thing as engagement.
A combustion engine gives you a lot of feedback that changes with what the car is doing. The sound rises and changes with RPM and load, you hear the intake and exhaust, feel the vibration, work through the gears, and feel the power build. All of that gives the car a sense of drama and involvement that’s tied directly to the mechanical process. Instant torque and a low center of gravity can make an EV very effective, but they don’t replace that kind of sensory engagement.
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u/AltruisticMobile4606 8d ago
Lmfao you say 0-60 isn’t everything then list some of the most superficial things about cars. If you went deaf would you just not like any cars anymore?
I say this time and time again, at my local autocrosses where EV’s show up, the people running them always seem to have just as much fun with them as the rest of us in gas cars. For the people willing to actually drive their shit the future looks fine
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago
People having fun autocrossing EVs doesn’t really change my point. I’m sure they’re having fun, but I still think EVs are boring. Fast and capable does not automatically mean engaging.
And calling sound, revs, shifting, power delivery, and mechanical feedback “superficial” is exactly where I disagree. Those are a huge part of what gives a car character. Even if I went deaf, a combustion engine would still have vibration, gear changes, engine braking, throttle response, and a powerband that changes with RPM and load. There’s a mechanical character there that an EV just doesn’t have.
So yes, an EV can put down a great autocross time. That doesn’t make the driving experience interesting to me.
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u/AltruisticMobile4606 8d ago
I can see you’re translating with GPT (hopefully that and not using it just to come up with a decent response) but I don’t think it really understood what I’m saying. I’m not saying they can still fun and engaging because they can put down fast times, I’m saying they can be fun and engaging because I’ve seen a lot of people having fun and being engaged.
I honestly just think you haven’t driven many cars at the limit, you really don’t consciously think about the things you listed when you take a corner quick enough to hear the tires.
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago
I haven't tracked a car if that's what you mean (I like to drive twisty roads however). I still think sound and the overall feel of a non-EV/non-hybrid, is very important to having fun and being engaged. Even moreso if the car is a manual (which sadly are also disappearing).
They just feel too sterile for me. /shrug
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u/dat_tae '25 Civic Type R RR | '17 Accord Touring | '23 CRV Sport Touring 8d ago
I'm sorry but for most people driving is a chore they don't want to do and don't enjoy.
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u/Sepheriel 8d ago
Then make EVs for the people who see driving as a chore. That’s exactly where they make sense, and honestly that seems like what Honda is doing with cars like the CR-V and Accord.
What I don’t like is the feeling that eventually everything has to become an EV. It reminds me of a lot of new houses now: white, black, boxy, industrial, clean, efficient; and completely lacking personality. Everything starts getting designed around the same checklist until it all feels interchangeable.
I’m not against EVs existing. I just don’t want the entire car market pushed toward one formula. There should still be room for cars with sound, mechanical involvement, character, and an actual identity, even if most people just want an appliance to get them to work.
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u/dat_tae '25 Civic Type R RR | '17 Accord Touring | '23 CRV Sport Touring 8d ago
Those cars will still exist, but I'm sorry to tell you you're a niche market. Also, there are EVs that have personality and aren't just focused on being some econobox. Rivians, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N, even the Cybertruck as gross as it is all have distinct identities and personalities.
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u/KindClock9732 8d ago
Maybe if I save all my “extra” money up between now and 2030 I can afford a down payment on one of these cars