What's next for Honda and Nissan?

If I were Nissan, I would focus on making basic stripped down low-priced models, like the Versa, which would be reliable and cheap to repair due to their simple construction. Car ownership is becoming increasingly unafforable for people in Western countries. Eventually the low and mid-income earners will be buying Chinese cars, unless Nissan and others respond to the trend.

I would focus on making basic stripped down low-priced models

Yes, but convincing Nissan to do so is the challenge. Nissan lost all of its financial disciplines long ago, with Infinity, GTR, Patrol...so execs can have plush rides, whilst the company struggles.

I drive on the east coast, see Hondas every where, west coast, Toyotas, Nissan hardly ever, and usually old junkers.

honda dodged a bullet

Honda ok, Nissan's bleeding cash with major debt servicing pressures building, maybe Renault finally merges with Nissan?!

Nissan's share price if the same as Renault, would now be more valuable than Honda, not +5x less valuable.

Nissan will be back. Clearly they have to roll up their sleeves and do their homework. Maybe even hire an outside foreign CEO (LOL). But they will be back. Nissan has been making cars from before every poster here were born (1934).

Poo-pooing on Nissan may be the trendy thing here but it doesn't reflect a long term reality.

I guess the fear here is that a Chinese maker like BYD puts lots of money into Nissan and gets a massive foothold in Japan. All the dealer network etc. There will still be large resistance to people buying cars off a website.

If Chinese manufacturers look about to dominate, I wonder if this would delay introduction of more charging infrastructure in Japan. This is very easy to do by the government simply not subsidizing the rollout, knowing that it would merely hasten the demise of engine based manufacturers.

NOTHING should happen, just let Mr. Uchida handle his own problems or step aside but with a $4,000,000 annual salary I doubt he will.

@jefflee...

""If I were Nissan, I would focus on making basic stripped down low-priced models,""

Yes Yes Yes, there are many new models coming out from India, Russia, Brazil, even Germany that are as basic and simple as it gets and before you know it the big auto makers will have to roll back to Basic and start making them for under $10,000. Just watch and see.

Back home I owned 3 used Datsun's a 510 then a 280Z and finally a 300Z and I loved them, all were manual both Z were 5 speed. I drove the last two missiles for a total of 8 years combined no major issues what so ever, raced them against Porsche 911, Corvettes, Camaros, even a Ferrari 308GT and did quit well.

Thank You Datsun, it was the best years of my life.

I cannot afford a new car as they are very expensive.

I drive a 23-year-old Mercedes car and there is nothing wrong with it as I have maintained it over the years.

Nissan will continue to increasingly outsource production to 3rd party manufacturers and then just slap their lousy logo on the car to be sold, pathetic stuff, as Nissan will continue to hollow out and become irrelevant.

Do people still need cars? I haven't owned one for 46 years. My last model was a Rover 90 P6 in 1979.

@walace Yes, people still do need cars. I prefer models with big engines which is good for our climate.

For those with families, cars are very helpful, though it seems very few here on JT actually have kids, so I guess it's easy to understand their aversion to cars.

If you do need a car, I'd recommend Honda over Nissan, as Nissan will likely not survive long-term, nothing worse than owning a car of a company no longer in business.

Someone votes down a question.

Tolerance is key, don't push views on others, plenty of people drive for many reasons and they tend to be 'going places', now those without cars, they're not going anywhere fast, but they can still get there too...often in their friends' car, as these types are often grifters!

Again, avoid Nissan folks, doom loop/bankruptcy, Honda = OK!

HopeSpringsEternal

Tolerance is key, don't push views on others, 

I did not but most of your comments do.

In Tokyo, less than 50% of homes have a car. In New York, it's 45%.

I have a Nissan Tiida...done about 100,000 k,s in it...now has over 200,000 on the clock...some minor issues but overall good buy at around US$ 5000 ...with 2 year warranty and 4 new tyres.

Cant get that in Aust,

On Aust. websites you see many/most cars with greater than 150,000 k,s on them.

People in Japan are afraid of mileage.

I have a Nissan Tiida...done about 100,000 k,s in it...now has over 200,000 on the clock...some minor issues but overall good buy at around US$ 5000 ...with 2 year warranty and 4 new tyres.

Sounds TERRIBLE, Nissan, +200k and 760000 Yen plus taxes. Even if you cut your price in half, still a terrible deal, warranty sounds very doubtful as well, as the car must be old as dirt. Minor issues, yeah right!

Then again, all it takes is one sucker, so good luck, you better be "Sales" Guru to sell that junk heap!

Car less types tend to not have kids, while car owners the opposite. Translation? People with kids need cars more than the childless. It's logical, cars offer safety, convenience and time savings that parents require.

Either way, better off in a Honda than a Nissan!

Hope...well I,m happy with the car , price and longevity....sorry you are not....not your car though is it ?

PS...reread my comment...I have done 100,000 k,s....it HAD 100,000 k,s when I bought it.

Did a Nissan run into your car when you were younger ?

You need to move on from this "Nissan phobia "

Understood you had a 100K when you bought it, I'm just wondering if you ever changed the oil? The only value Nissan has is low cost, product's been inferior forever. Glad you're happy, as it sounds like real clunker!

That said, my Father-in-Law loves his Nissan, fast six-cylinder sedan, forgot the name, buys a new one every few years, strictly a Nissan guy but ONLY reason is that Nissan's origins are from western Japan, Hiroshima.

GM, what did you originally pay for your Tilda, surely under 1M yen...had an MR2 for few years, flipped it for a slight profit, so I get it, now strictly family guy, no more racing around!

@HSE--not Tilda. The car is named Tiida, presumably using the Ryuku dialect word for taiyo/sun.

Haven't driven in 20 years. Public transport is good (not living in USA helps), I walk a lot for exercise, and I don't want to waste money on buying a car that's going to lose value in a flash, gas, taxes, shaken, insurance and repairs.