[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by IamIan

Progress:
Thanks for admitting to Australia's penalty of at least a minimum of $16,989 (an 85% Australia penalty) .. That Australia added to the I1 price.

Sorry, no progress. Once you factor in the currency conversion in 2004, of 0.73 that AU$37,950 RSX/Integra becomes US$27,700. That's a 40% penalty, which is much like the typical 30% I guesstimated. I've posted cars that are cheaper here.

Now .. if you would be so kind ... Please site your source .. if you have one ... that it was Honda that did that much ($12,930) of the rest .. and not Australia?

My source is logic. If you tax (and allow for exchange rate) two cars equally, they should increase by the same proportion.

Including currency the RSX was 'taxed' 85% more here than in the US.
Why do you propose then Insight was 'taxed' at a rate of 157%?

There are only three possible explanations.

1. Honda Japan charged Honda Australia more.
2. Honda Australia is responsible for the mark up.
3. Big oil bribed the Australian Customs Service to increase taxes on the Insight alone.

'Australia' can't just penalise an Insight at random or on a whim. There has to be a (legal) mechanism to allow it. Honda on the other hand can do (charge) what they like. No real laws against that.

We already have proven data showing Australia has in other cases imposed a financial penalty on some vehicles by ~300% MSRP.

And I've already explained why it's irrelevant. We have a Luxury car tax. It applied to cars over $57k in 2004, so it didn't affect the Insight at all. The reason Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Rolls-Royce etc are so expensive is in part due to maintaining a dealer network for a marque that might only sell as few as ten units per year, adds a lot to the per-unit price of every vehicle sold.

Insight sold at regular Honda dealers, the same ones that sold the RSX. Both cars were subject to the same taxes, duties etc.

And what about the $18-$19k paid by other markets that didn't impose as much of a penalty as Australia did?

The loss leader/ establishing a technology theory makes sense in bigger markets, Honda may not have seen the benefit of doing that here.

Is it also unprofitable to the Australian who was going to by a $36k car anyway ?? ... By all means ... Tell me what $36k (in Australia) car gets better MPG (driven same conditions) ? .. I don't know of any that do... not even at $36k.

Never said the G1 wasn't economical. If I see one for sale I'll buy it (said this a while back). At $36k you could probably negotiate on a slow selling Leaf, it's more economical