With regards to:

(Snip)>>There's a *lot* of discussion of this on rec.autos.makers.honda.  Modern
cars have been shipping with thinner and thinner brake rotors, as a way of
saving weight and improving EPA fuel economy numbers.

Rubbish, I'd say, what they're trying to save is unsprung weight, not
overall weight for fuel consumption
If indeed they are using thinner barke disc, which surprises me greatly!(Snip)

    I disagree and have experience with the poor quality of Honda's rotors.I drive a 1993 Honda Civic (that I bought new) with 200,000 + miles ...the OEM discs were poor quaility and wore out early so I have found myself  replacing them with the AutoZone lifetime warranty ones time and time again. !  I am a mechanically educated dirver and don't ride the brakes, etc..
    It's a love/hate relationship with the AZ LTW deal..you get crappy Tiawanese rotors that need replacing 15-20,000 miles, but they are free...At least my husband does all the work so it is more cost-effective that way. The first replacement I used OEM, but the rest of the time I have used the AZ aftermarket discs....."pot-metal" is what my husband calls them
    I am peeved about the poor quality of the discs, but then again do I really want to spend mucho $$ on high-end ones for a car with so many miles? 
My 2-cents worth.

Tracey E