People with CR subscriptions that respond to these surveys don’t buy fun cars.

If you look at the model breakdowns, Honda’s score is really really really propped up by just the HRV and non-hybrid CRV.

I’m sure the overall score is weighted according to all responses instead of by model, but enthusiast perception is usually average across all models not weighted by model popularity, because enthusiasts usually buy the niche performance vehicles instead of the barebones cheapest model that gets the high score and heavy weighting.

So if we did a average of average model scores:

Toyota would have 70 instead of 76.

Lexus would have 70 instead of 79.

Mazda would have 69 instead of 67.

Acura would have 62 instead of 70.

Honda would have 60 instead of 70.

Hyundai would still have a score of 56.

Which matches the narrative of the subreddit pretty exactly.

They’re not wrong about Honda getting bought out.

Mitsubishi (the megabank, not the automaker) has been trying to takeover Honda (the only Japanese automaker without the protection of a megabank) for the past couple decades. Honda managed to fend off a hostile takeover in the 90s, but it’s theorized that Mitsubishi succeeded using their proxy companies to do a takeover after the '08 depression which is why they dumped Mitsubishi Motors onto Nissan a couple years later.

The biggest impact seemed to be Honda preferring Mitsubishi group companies as major suppliers. Honda’s turbo engines use turbos from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Honda’s paint is from Mitsubishi Chemical. Honda’s Japan EV battery strategy will be done with Mitsubishi.