Honda Benefits From Strong US Demand Despite Cost Headwinds and Sluggish China Joint Venture

Honda's reputation for quality drives demand for its vehicles. Its products and strong financial position should keep it on solid ground, and the company's longtime niche in fuel efficiency historically positioned it well to take advantage of consumers seeking fuel-efficient cars. However, the competition is fierce, and the US market's increased move to light trucks, where Honda's lineup is not as complete as its competitors', may be permanent. Over 2003-09, the US car/light-truck mix moved to 55%/45% from 46%/54%, but as gas prices fell and light-truck fuel economy improved, cars have lost share to 19% in 2024. In 2024, cars made up 31% of Honda's US sales, compared with 30% for Toyota, 7% for GM, and 2% for Ford. Honda’s car focus gives it an advantage whenever the critical US market has high gas prices, but with cheap oil, we think Honda leaves share on the table in segments such as full-size pickups and large SUVs, as it does not have a product in these segments.