http://www.worldcarfans.com/3070821.001/page1/2008-honda-accord

COMPELTELY UNADULTERATED >50 PIX

LXs, EXs, V6s, 6MTs, NAVs, all-around.


Points:
Nav greatly improved
Standardized guage placement
3.5L. STFU. It's there.
The A/C Controls ARE blatantly obvious (prev poster)
Silly-ass rear end is here to stay

Opinions:
Just as you can find 98-02 parts/designs in your 03-07 chassis, plenty of this car is a hand-me-down from... 1998. Depending on the suspension work, if any, the 3.5L and half-intelligent Navi may still be a significant improvement overall. The current 3.0L is pretty stout for a FWD manual, without significant work on grip and handling, the 3.5L will likely be a slushy mess on the pavement.

ALSO:!!
http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2007/8/21/3070821.001/1115big.jpg
:::


WMA/MP3 support, standard.
:thumbsup:

http://www.worldcarfans.com/2070821.007/new-2008-honda-accord-revealed-in-depth

and a FULL write up

Official specs:

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/812/releases/4103

Great photos at the end there with the plant. Looks like it still has running lights. Should have kept the leds.

One thing I really like about the interior is that little compartment below the disk insert on the dash. I love compartments (the first thing that caught my eye in the interior on the 7th gen. ok, my priorities are out of order)!! The cover for the cup holders is nice too. I also like the shift knob on the manual 6spd coupes, it's tall, and I like a tall shift knob, heh. I guess I like the little touches theyve done more than anything, but overall I think they could have done better. One thing I can't get over is the placement of the buttons on the dash. Why one set of the ac buttons are on one side and the rest are on the other makes no sense to me. The way it is now where they are clustered around the bottom of that area is great, I can't imagine getting used to them being seperated like that. I also don't like the fact that the info display that shows the interior temp, time and audio info is between the nav screen and the controls. I wouldn't mind having it there, but the screen looks like it came almost directly from the 7th gen and that it is more of a glance-for-info type of thing more than a main attraction. If the screen was a little higher quality and had more info available on it then I think it might fit a little better there, though this is a VERY minor gripe. I also have no idea why they decided to put the centra vents right below the nav and the info screen cluster. This seems like an obviously bad decision aesthetically. It completely disrupts the flow of things and just looks wrong regardless of how I try to look at it. I mean I suppose that w/ the nav unit up that high there aren't a ton of other options, but I think that should have been a primary consideration. On the 7th gen this works because the info screen is very much supplementary and is obviously there so you don't have to take your eyes off the road for an extended amount of time while you tinker with the radio and climate, but things seem a little backwards and poorly prioritized on the 8th gen.

I also wish they would have gotten on the ball and put a LSD in this generation. They were putting LSD's in their FWD cars in the acura line years ago, and this seems to be something that many other manufacturers with competing products put in the sporty versions of their similar cars. Not to mention that the car, since it has increased power and weight combined with FWD, could REALLY benefit from one. I guess they could have put one in the 6mt coupe since I haven't seen specs for it, but I think that is unlikely. We'll see. Maybe this is something we'll see when the acura line is reworked and the next gen TSX and TL's come out and hopefully aren't fwd.

Also, last thing, I wonder what the rattle situation is like. Hopefully it's better.

Another excessively long post, sorry. My posts need to go on a diet.

Official specs:

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/812/releases/4103

What's with the I-4 crankcase holding MORE oil at 5.6 quarts when the V-6 crankcase holds 5.3 quarts?

maybe it's thirsty.

One thing I really like about the interior is that little compartment below the disk insert on the dash. I love compartments (the first thing that caught my eye in the interior on the 7th gen. ok, my priorities are out of order)!! The cover for the cup holders is nice too.
Those little nooks for storage are important. I look for a functional armrest storage and dash storage for things like garage door openers, work ID badges, pens, electronic toll passes, etc. They help keep everything organized. At first I thought I'd miss the door cupholders, but honestly I rarely use them for that. I am glad to see a cupholder cover back for those times when you want a clean appearing flat console surface.

One thing I can't get over is the placement of the buttons on the dash. Why one set of the ac buttons are on one side and the rest are on the other makes no sense to me. The way it is now where they are clustered around the bottom of that area is great, I can't imagine getting used to them being seperated like that.

This was puzzling at first, too me, as well. It also seemed out of place for the ergonomic geniuses at Honda. However, I really looked at the dash pictures today in detail (a benefit to being home sick). The most often used controls are closest to the driver on the Navigation models. Whereas, the controls you use less often are on the passenger side. There is a certain symetrical beauty to this setup. As "clean" as the 7th generation setup, no; but, I think it will work well. The nice thing is that the audio controls are now grouped together in a better functional layout. The "Category" control and the "Tune" control are together on the dash. In the 7th generation they are on opposite sides of the information display (at least on my non-navi car). I can't recall the 7th gen navi setup for those functions.

I still want to see it and "play" with it in person in a couple of weeks to make first-hand impressions and judgements.

I just dont understand why they didnt us the projectors in the sedan as well. This is the first gen where the coupe looks leaps and bounds better then the sedan.

I agree, I think they should have gone projectors all around like most of their competitors. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, though a lot of things on the 8th gen leave me wondering.

I just dont understand why they didnt us the projectors in the sedan as well. This is the first gen where the coupe looks leaps and bounds better then the sedan.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and with the official release of the specs, I think I have it figured out.

*And please keep in mind I am speaking in terms of the majority, as that is how products are marketed.

The coupe is getting projectors because they are considered to be "sportier". Also, take a look at the EX-V6 coupe and see just how performance-oriented that thing is...so much so that you take a pretty decent hit on MPG. On the flip side, Honda knows the sedan is mostly bought by younger people with families and "empty-nesters" who are looking for decent, functional, solid transportation and not too concerned with sportiness. Now also take into account the fact that the sedan has stepped into the "Large" car category which opens it up to a whole new realm and the possibilities of going the luxury instead of the sporty route. So...I think Honda's logic goes something like this for the '08s:

Coupe - Sportier, and much different than the sedan. Auto makers have been noticing that sportier coupe sales are going up (and hence why we now have an Altima coupe). We started to see a major separation between the coupe and sedan in the 6th gen, more in the 7th and now leaps and bounds in the 8th.

Sedan - Bigger, "blander" and more luxurious. Honda is going up against the Avalon, etc., and we all know what demographic typically buys cars like that.

Acura - If people want a sporty Honda sedan, they will now be "forced" to step up into the Acura line.

In a nutshell and the point in all of my rambling is I think Honda is deliberately trying to divide a solid wedge between their coupes and sedans in the Accord line to appeal to their customers, and by doing this they also have the opportunity to gain new customers in the Acura line.

hmmm, maybe, though I don't know if I agree with the idea that projectors are sportier. Projectors allow for a more distinctive cutoff allowing for the light below the cutoff to be much brighter w/o the risk of blinding other drivers as much. I see this as more functional then anything. All lexuses (lexi?) that I can think of have projectors now, and I don't consider lexus a sporty manufacturer overall at all.

hmmm, maybe, though I don't know if I agree with the idea that projectors are sportier. Projectors allow for a more distinctive cutoff allowing for the light below the cutoff to be much brighter w/o the risk of blinding other drivers as much. I see this as more functional then anything. All lexuses (lexi?) that I can think of have projectors now, and I don't consider lexus a sporty manufacturer overall at all.
I guess I should've clarified a little more and said Projectors are "sporty" for Honda (e.g. the TSX, etc.). True re: Lexus, but they seem to be heading into the sportier side of things with the IS, the ES is a bit more aggressive than the past model, etc.

But at the end of the day Projectors are better functionally, and I too wonder why Honda isn't putting them on the sedan. :dunno:

No projectors on the sedan. No 6MT with V6 in sedan. 5-speed auto trannys all around. No touch-screen nav/computer anymore. The only thing they did was make the damn car bigger and more complicated with more attention grabbing styling. It's like Honda hired a former GM exec to redesign this thing.

I guess I should've clarified a little more and said Projectors are "sporty" for Honda (e.g. the TSX, etc.). True re: Lexus, but they seem to be heading into the sportier side of things with the IS, the ES is a bit more aggressive than the past model, etc.

But at the end of the day Projectors are better functionally, and I too wonder why Honda isn't putting them on the sedan. :dunno:

I am pretty sure that this is due to leaving options available for the MMC updates. Honda never rolls out everything in MY01.

I really like the new design. Like all Honda's, pictures never do them justice. Seeing it in person and driving it will showcase this car fully. I suspect all will be quite impressed.

The biggest gripe I have is that they have gone from a touch screen to voice or jog dial only. Having not used a system like that yet, I am a little skeptical. As I mentioned above, I will have to try it in person to really know.

The biggest gripe I have is that they have gone from a touch screen to voice or jog dial only. Having not used a system like that yet, I am a little skeptical. As I mentioned above, I will have to try it in person to really know.

I really like the RL setup which has this. And, now our Accords will be as big as an RL. And for $20K less, we give up memory seats, real-time traffic, and SH-AWD, but gain a more comfortable rear seatback angle. My dad was ready to buy an RL until we sat in the back seat; too bad I haven't been able to talk him "down" to an Accord yet.

I like RL's. They retain some sportiness despite their size, mainly due to the SH-AWD, and have a sort of chubby CL kind of look. Too bad they are auto only.

I really like the RL setup which has this. And, now our Accords will be as big as an RL. And for $20K less, we give up memory seats, real-time traffic, and SH-AWD, but gain a more comfortable rear seatback angle. My dad was ready to buy an RL until we sat in the back seat; too bad I haven't been able to talk him "down" to an Accord yet.

Tell him to give you the $20K, and buy some Acura RL badges to paste on the accord........:):lmao: