Stephen Ragsdale is no longer one of Honda's "Happy Drivers." A loyal owner for a decade, he ditched a 2009 Accord just 18 months after he bought it. The reason: He coveted his mother's stylish Kia Optima.
He found last month he could get an Optima with heated rear seats, cooled front seats and a larger video screen for his navigation system — and still save $40 a month. He traded in the Accord and also swapped a 2003 Honda CR-V compact sport utility vehicle for a Kia Soul wagon.
"Honda has kind of fallen behind when it comes to how the car works," the Texas information-technology manager said. "All Honda has going for it is better resale value."