# dear car manufacturers, why can't you make this consumer happy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387 "2009-08-31T19:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/21 "2009-09-01T20:03:51Z")
As mentioned, Honda Fit in orange: [![](https://automobiles.honda.com/images/2010/fit/exterior-gallery/gal_lg04.jpg) ](https://automobiles.honda.com/images/2010/fit/exterior-gallery/gal_lg04.jpg) The Civic Si sedan also comes in orange: [![](https://automobiles.honda.com/images/2009/civic-si-sedan/exterior-gallery/gal_lg4.jpg) ](https://automobiles.honda.com/images/2009/civic-si-sedan/exterior-gallery/gal_lg4.jpg) If you can stand a 3-door, the Hyunda Accent comes in both Mellow Yellow" and “Apple Green”. Yellow: [http://athensreview.autoconx.com/photos/955/501024955\_1\_B.jpg](http://athensreview.autoconx.com/photos/955/501024955_1_B.jpg) Green: [http://athensreview.autoconx.com/photos/829/501024829\_1\_B.jpg](http://athensreview.autoconx.com/photos/829/501024829_1_B.jpg) As **mischievous** mentions, you can get an Elantra in purple. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/22 "2009-09-01T20:08:04Z")
I know it’s not manual, but my wife had a very nice, BRIGHT YELLOW Toyota Matrix. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/23 "2009-09-01T20:11:35Z")
“Sundance Metallic” (WTF is that?) Matrix: [http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2009/matrix/gallery/full/2009-Matrix-1.jpg](http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2009/matrix/gallery/full/2009-Matrix-1.jpg) “Spruce Mica” in a Camry may be sufficiently unattractive for your purposes: [http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2010/camry/gallery/full/photo\_6.jpg](http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2010/camry/gallery/full/photo_6.jpg) Yaris 3door also comes in bright yellow: [http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2009/yaris/gallery/full/ext\_img3.jpg](http://www.toyota.com/img/vehicles/2009/yaris/gallery/full/ext_img3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/24 "2009-09-01T20:14:53Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > I was SO disappointed when the Dodge Neon came out in such boring colors. I mean, here is a car called “Neon.” It should come in some wild NEON colors. But no. The usual boring black, white, gray/silver. Shouldn’t there have been a neon green, bright orange, shocking pink, chartreuse? The Neon was one of the few cars that had fun alternatives–teal, and periwinkle. Not neon, granted, but fun. [![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsfG-kLNl7k/Rp0SXfFXmdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/wbPImLvhdgs/s320/dodge+neon.jpg) ](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZsfG-kLNl7k/Rp0SXfFXmdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/wbPImLvhdgs/s320/dodge+neon.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/25 "2009-09-01T20:56:23Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Where did you see that? I went to the “build your car” portion of the site, [here](http://www.chevrolet.com/vehicles/2009/cobaltsedan/build.do), and I tried 3 or 4 models. I didn’t see yellow as a choice for any of the models I chose. I didn’t try them all because the site was acting very slow for me. > > In any case, the first car I bought (back in my student days) was a used Chevrolet Chevette, automatic. That car was so terrible it would take a lot to convince me to buy another Chevrolet. Especially with all the problems GM has been having lately. On the plus side, my Chevrolet Chevette, which I got really cheap, was lime green. 🙂 I never understand this line of thought (not just for GM, but for any car company). Your bad Chevy experience was literally decades ago. That’s multiple car lifetimes ago. Go test drive them and see reviews. I’ve read about 70s Hondas that literally rusted out from under you, but I wouldn’t use that as evidence to not consider a Honda today. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/26 "2009-09-01T21:29:10Z")
When I was looking at new Jeep Wranglers a while back, the dealer had exactly what I wanted. But it was yellow. He kept telling me what an awesome deal he could work out on the car and I kept laughing at him. Yellow??? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/27 "2009-09-01T22:52:42Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Where did you see that? I went to the “build your car” portion of the site, [here](http://www.chevrolet.com/vehicles/2009/cobaltsedan/build.do), and I tried 3 or 4 models. I didn’t see yellow as a choice for any of the models I chose. I didn’t try them all because the site was acting very slow for me. I swear, one of the options yesterday was yellow. Now it is gone! ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/28 "2009-09-01T23:00:53Z")
They exist. Here’s one for sale: [http://www.wadsworthchevydealer.com/VehicleDetails/392163613](http://www.wadsworthchevydealer.com/VehicleDetails/392163613) ---
**Author:** ![ILovCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@ILovCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILovCoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/29 "2009-09-01T23:29:08Z")
I had a Ford in bright banana yellow. Dad bought in 1976 or something. It went all the way from Orlando,Fl to the YUCATAN, MX. While on that trip somehow tiny coins went down the seat belt feeder in the passenger side and we had to dismantle the buzzer. You know that buzzer that went off until you buckled up if weight was applied to the seat. The coins somehow made it go off without weight being applied. It sure irritated my parents. Cross country road trips in a car without air-conditioning. How the heck did we do it? Oh yeah! No choice-that’s right! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/30 "2009-09-01T23:33:52Z")
**"You can have any color you like, as long as it’s not yellow"** _-attr. Henry Ford_ ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/31 "2009-09-02T01:58:44Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > There is new car talk around here, some guy over the cubicle wall is buying a new car because his old car won’t pass the smog test anymore. So I got the new car bug as happens to everyone once in a while and started looking around at the car sites. The car I’m looking for: four-door generic family sedan. Think Toyota Corolla or Camry, or Mazda3 or Mazda6, or Honda Civic, or Volkswagen Jetta. Something simple like that. I want a manual transmission. Other than that I have no special demands. Except that I want ayellow car. That’s right, yellow. Why can’t anyone make a yellow car? Or something besides the boring black, gray, silver, white? Some companies are bold and offer a red version. Ooooh! Well I don’t red. I want **yellow**. Or maybe green or purple, something that sticks out (you can use this as a reference: [wikipedia’s list of colors by shade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colors#Colors_by_shade)). When I go to the manufacturer’s “build your own car” site, I expect to see yellow listed as an option! Or green! Or sky blue! > > So who makes a brighly colored car that’s not red? Someone has to! Or do they really expect me to go down to Home Depot, buy a couple of cans of Ralph Lauren yellow and a paintbrush, and slap it on myself? :mad: No problem. > **[camaro 2009 yellow - Google Search](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=5Vf&q=camaro+2009+yellow&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=F9GdSvuVKZOANuyR-YwC&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4)** Buy one of these. The yellow is a grabber. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/32 "2009-09-02T02:29:30Z")
You could go used: [http://www.carmax.com/enUS/search-results/default.html?aAS=\*6\*.\*8\*g\*126\*&ADc=90&AZ=37211&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Left&Rp=A&PP=20&sV=List](http://www.carmax.com/enUS/search-results/default.html?aAS=*6*.*8*g*126*&ADc=90&AZ=37211&No=0&Ep=homepage:homepage%20Left&Rp=A&PP=20&sV=List) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/33 "2009-09-02T06:21:56Z")
My dad has a yellow car. It’s a VW New Beetle. He’s just had it painted up to look even _more_ like a Green Bay Packers helmet. … What? You think I’m kidding? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/34 "2009-09-02T18:32:11Z")
Wow…Arnold, I feel for you. You asked people to suggest 4 door family cars along the lines of the Accord, Camry, and Jetta and you have people suggesting cars like the Fit, the Yaris, and a Camaro for cripe’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/35 "2009-09-02T20:16:52Z")
Necros: thank you for all the research! I am going to save that list for when we get a new car (which will probably not be soon, both of our cars are still going strong.) zweisamkeit: you make a good point there. I should really read the reviews. But right now I have a Toyota that’s 12 years old and it is giving me no trouble at all - I see no reason why it won’t list another 5 or 6 years. Reviews can’t usually tell you how durable a car will be, and I have this prejudice that Toyotas or Hondas will last forever. Do you know of any places that rate cars on lifespan? Paul in Qatar - it’s strange that none of the models listed for the Cobalt have yellow as an option: the page I linked in post 19 to has a yellow car pictured! gonzomax - if we showed up with two carseats in the back of a Camaro, we would be kicked out of the Mom’s club. crazyjoe: the Fit does have nice gas mileage numbers though. I can’t make up my mind if I should do do the ecological thing and go for lower mileage, or go the comfort/bigger engine thing. My colleague is saying that anything below 200 hp is pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/36 "2009-09-02T20:25:17Z")
Arnold – I agree with your colleague 🙂 Secondly, just for anecdotal data points here, I drove 80s and early 90s Chryslers into the ground repeatedly. Most of them lasted well past 12 years. I BOUGHT one of them with 146,000 miles and only broke it because I didn’t add transmission fluid. It went to well over 200K miles. A well maintained and responsibly driven car of most any vintage, outside of those known for reliability problems like Yugos or early Kias, etc, will last a good long time. The Fit does have nice mileage numbers, but nothing earth-shattering. I can get 30mpg in my 220 hp pontiac G6 (and that agrees with the EPA rating for highway), and upping it to 35 just isn’t worth as much to me when I have to sacrifice roominess and comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387/37 "2009-09-02T20:30:13Z")
You are welcome! In a sea of boring cars, I am glad someone is willing to stand up and vote for color with his wallet! When I get my Ferrari, it will be bright yellow. I have three red cars now. **crazyjoe** , I give a lot of advice to people about cars, mostly IRL. If there is one thing I have found, it is that most people have an _idea_ of what kind of car they want, but aren’t wedded to it. They may say they only have a few requirements, but when pushed, come up with a whole bunch more. Or that what they said they wanted was not what they really wanted. There’s nothing wrong with any of this, but it doesn’t strike me as productive to come in here and criticize others for providing options to a prospective car buyer that do not fit into three options the OP provided. FWIW, a Yaris (4 door) and Fit also are four door cars. I also linked to a Mazda 3 (explicitly asked for) a Corolla (same) and a Civic (same). So, be nice. 🙂 As a side note, I get 30+ mpg in my 247 hp Honda S2000 and can get 29+ on the highway in my 300 hp BMW. I agree that I would not buy a Fit for a small increase in mileage, but lots of people love them. They definitely have a ton of cargo space. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-car-manufacturers-why-cant-you-make-this-consumer-happy/508387.md?page=1)