Question before purchase....

[ilovemacaroni]

My lease is up on my 2005 Mercedes C230, and I've decided to take a look at the 08 Honda Coupe. I have on major question though......

I've been jaded so badly from how HORRIBLE my MB was in the snow. The car was rear wheel drive, and the Z rated tires were worthless. My fiance calls my car the death sled! I cant wait to get rid of it.

So my mother and a few other family members have Honda's and have always loved them. I know their front wheel drive, and I assume they handle decently in the snow.

I live in NJ, so we don't have many major storms, but I couldn't even drive my MB with 1 inch of snow on the ground it was so bad. How does the Honda compare? Stock tires, out of the showroom, how does the car drive in average snow situations?

Thanks in advance for all responses.

[blks2k02]

it will be better. i had the same problem and switch to honda accord and i am so glad i did.. no problem in the snow.!!

[MotorCity Honda]

My accord handles well in the snow... no complaints

[Bouncnb]

I am in the Central Jersey area, Burlington County. I haven't had any problems so far with the weather up here w/stock equipment. One thing that will help you out right off the bat is the Honda is FWD, not RWD like your MB probably is.

[garrickhuie]

it was snowing a few days ago here in Long Island and drove home from work that night. Not bad at all!

[frainc]

Live on Long Island and never had a problem with the front wheel drive cars that I had, been about 10 years now driving front wheel.

[garrickhuie]

ohh i forgot to mention i got my car 6 days before the snow storm!

[StudmasterSteve]

One of the best fwd systems around. Got on a patch of ice and it corrected itself very nicely.

[BenzAccord]

Curious, did your Mercedes have Limited Slip differential?

Agree with others after the storm this week in NJ - Accords are fine in the snow.

I have never driven a rear drive vehicle with Limited Slip, but would imagine it would be decent. I have driven a front wheel drive vehicle with limited slip (1992 Maxima SE) and it was unstoppable! In fact, I would say that 4wd is not necessary on plowed or < 4 inch snowfalls, if you have fwd + limited slip.

[ilovemacaroni]

I appreciate all the feedback. Your comments are helping to put me at ease.

It was so bad with my MB, that I was actually considering a SUV because of the four wheel drive. But the gas mileage, and the unnecessary space dont make it practical.

When I was in college (10 years ago) I had a Mazda MX-6 that was front wheel drive, and I used to drive in any kind of weather with no worries. With my MB, I actually have to call co-workers to drive me to work in the morning when its no more than flurrying out. Not only was it embarrassing, but very impractical.

I plan on going to look at them over the weekend, and I hope they have some decent lease deals. I'm not sure if Honda does a 39 month lease, but thats around the term I'm looking for.

Thanks again for all your help.

[ilovemacaroni]

Curious, did your Mercedes have Limited Slip differential?

Agree with others after the storm this week in NJ - Accords are fine in the snow.

I have never driven a rear drive vehicle with Limited Slip, but would imagine it would be decent. I have driven a front wheel drive vehicle with limited slip (1992 Maxima SE) and it was unstoppable! In fact, I would say that 4wd is not necessary on plowed or < 4 inch snowfalls, if you have fwd + limited slip.

No limited slip on my MB. I have the 4 cylinder with the supercharger sport edition so it wasn't even an option.

The tires were so bad (Michelin Pilot Sport Z Rated) that they turned into Tonka Truck tires in the snow. They were like hard plastic with absolutely no traction. I couldn't even back out of my driveway it was so bad.

A coworker of mine bought the exact same car as me, and actually had to buy a used beater 4x4 to get him through the last few winters! I'm really not exaggerating when I say it was bad. Its not like I was ever scared or timid to drive in the snow, it simply was impossible.

Last year when I dropped my car off for service, MB gave me a C230 loaner without the sport package, and the regular Continental tires...the thing still stunk in the slush. The rear wheel drive on these cars are horrible.

Its funny...MB called me up last month asking what I wanted to do with the car, and offered me a discounted rate so I could extend the lease through the winter. I told them that I couldn't wait to get rid of it and the winter driving was the main reason why. She actually giggled and told me that I had no idea how many times a week that she hears the exact same thing.

[Jay1335]

No one has mentioned traction controll on the new accord....I have the V6 and live in NY. The storm the other day was the first time I drove the car in the snow and I must say this car is one of the best ive had in the snow. Ive had all sorts of front wheel drive hondas. You will be much more confident going out in the snow in the 08 accord.

[hardboiledhk]

I live in Michigan - famous for serious snow - and I have no problem so far.

[Accordlover]

Too bad you didn't get a 2005 C240 4Matic when you bought your MB. Probably would've been a lot better in the snow, and not nearly as 'lively' off the line which causes more wheel spin. I loved my C240 very much, it's a shame the new C-Class is such a step backwards interior and exterior wise. (opinion, of course)

You'll benefit with chains or snow tires with any car, so remember that the tires make a huge difference. If the stocks don't do what you need them to do, then maybe you should look into getting a set of snow tires on dedicated rims for the winter months. I bet the Accord's stock setup will be fine though. Remember to start off in 2nd gear to prevent wheel spin. :) (Accord AT's have a 2 on the gear shifter)

[John_R]

Well up here in Quebec Canada, we already had 5 snow storms, and driving my coupe with the 4 seasons tires, I had no problems what so ever.

Mind you, you are much better off using winter tires. Those 4 season Michelins as some above said do get hard as a rock.

Next year for sure I will use 4 winter tires.

All in all you have nothing to worry about considering that you don't get the kind of snowfall we get up here in the great white north. :)

[krazyfiend]

well, i love my 08 coupe...it's my poor weather/daily driver

I got it due to not being able to get out of 9-10 inches of snow fall while I was at work December 06. The owner of our company took me home in his range rover and i left my car fishtailed out in them middle of our parking lot lol.

My benz does have 3.27 LSD rear diff ... swapped in... with all-season or Z rated tires..absolute death sled and couldn't do a slight incline on ice whatsoever (ie to get out of my neighborhood) ... but slap on some Blizzaks (Bridgestone winter tires) and the car really feels sound... it's why I kept my stock rims and the blizzaks mounted in storage for past winters.

My main issue with my benz is ride height...with the eibach slamming the car down 1.75" on bilstein sports..my front / rear fascia's as well as plastic drip/aero plate were plowing snows..literally , with over 8 inches of powder. It would literally swim. So in a unplowed lot, I would be stuck. If I could make it to a plowed road with 4-5 inches standing or less, It was fine...but I don't consider this 'reliable' transportation when my presence is needed certain weeks at my work.

Thus, my purchase of my current accord...loving it, just took my parents 600 miles down to my grandma's for this weekend and they're both in love with my led and hid mod's as well as the whole car as a pkg.

[parkaash]

I bet the Accord's stock setup will be fine though. Remember to start off in 2nd gear to prevent wheel spin. :)


+1

Isn't "shifting down" something that comes "naturally" for those who are used to driving a stick? It's how I learned to drive and I found myself doing the same thing with the Accord when I was driving in snow storms.

I've had my stock set-up just before winter started here in chicago and it has held up well in snow up to about 5 inches.

[Carnut12]

LSD, Traction Control, FWD, or RWD do not mean anything if you do not have the correct tires. I know, I had an Audi. Even with AWD if you do not have All Weather Tires you are dead. That said, the Accord will be fine in the snow because it comes with All Weather Tires, just make sure you do not put Performance Tires on it.

[ilovemacaroni]

Just wanted to thank everybody again for all the feedback. I went to a dealership on Saturday to take a test drive, and I loved it.

I went back and forth for about a half hour with negotiations, and finally got fed up and walked out. There are plenty of Honda dealerships in my area so I'm not too worried. I'm going to hit another one on Monday. Hopefully things work out better.

[parkaash]

ILM, i hope you DO get to find a "tolerable" dealership to get your accord from.

good luck!

[BenzAccord]

Its funny...MB called me up last month asking what I wanted to do with the car, and offered me a discounted rate so I could extend the lease through the winter. I told them that I couldn't wait to get rid of it and the winter driving was the main reason why. She actually giggled and told me that I had no idea how many times a week that she hears the exact same thing.

Things have not changed in 20 years. I remember a coworker getting stuck with her 190D Diesel up a very slight hill during a snowstorm (our employer let us all go home early we all left at the same time). Every other car on the road had no problem.

[camryandaccord]

hey,

If you are sure this is the car you want to lease may I suggest dealing with the dealer's internet departments? In my experience when I was looking for my car 2 years ago it made my experience way easier. The "internet" quotes I were receiving were substantially lower than what was offered to me the first go around when I called or spoke to a salesperson. This could also be the fact that when I got my accord it was towards the end of the model run and not the beginning. Not sure which part of jersey you are from, but in my numerous visits to DCH Kay honda in eatontown nj and dealing with them on the phone they were always very courteous. I visited them with my buddy when he was buying his 05 accord. I ended up buying my car from Route 23 honda after dealing with their internet sales staff for a week of once daily emails since DCH did not have the color i wanted. I called/emailed pretty much every honda dealer in the northern/central nj area and DCH and RT23 were the most courteous and straight forward by far. One honda dealer even went so far as to suggest I consider a 4cyl manual (i was only interested in 6speeds) since they were "just as quick" as they did not have any 6speeds in stock.

[BenzAccord]

DCH Kay honda in eatontown nj

Hello fellow (likely) Monmouth county, NJ resident :wave:! I ended up buying mine at Coast Honda in Sea Girt. I can boast that I paid a little more so that I could support the local dealer with the fewest BBB complaints :).

[plunk10]

The Accord is okay in the snow, but if you REALLY want something made for the snow, check out the Subaru Legacy (2.5i or GT). Test drive one of those (preferably in the rain or snow) before you make your decision. You will be amazed at how well the full time AWD handles incliment weather. (I previously owned a Legacy GT Limited (shouldn't have sold it)

Also, performance tires on the old Benz probably didn't help.

[ilovemacaroni]

The stock tires on the EX-L V6 are Michelin Pilot HX MXM4's. I just read some reviews over at tirerack.com (a place I trust) and most of them are pretty bad when it comes to light snow/winter driving.

The majority of you said the car handled well in the snow, but now I'm getting a little nervous after reading those negative reviews.

It's funny a previous poster mentioned Coast Honda, because thats the first dealer I went to that came back with such ridiculous prices. Monday I went to DCH Kay Honda, and negotiated a great deal on a EX-L V6 wo/Nav. I left a deposit, and was figuring on picking the car up at the end of this month.

I have to tell you though....those negative reviews are hindering on me after the BS I just went through with my MB. I never want to have to deal with that again. I realize there are different tires on the sedan, and the 4cyl, but I'm not interested in either of them.

[car divorced]

The stock tires on the EX-L V6 are Michelin Pilot HX MXM4's. I just read some reviews over at tirerack.com (a place I trust) and most of them are pretty bad when it comes to light snow/winter driving.

The majority of you said the car handled well in the snow, but now I'm getting a little nervous after reading those negative reviews.

It's funny a previous poster mentioned Coast Honda, because thats the first dealer I went to that came back with such ridiculous prices. Monday I went to DCH Kay Honda, and negotiated a great deal on a EX-L V6 wo/Nav. I left a deposit, and was figuring on picking the car up at the end of this month.

I have to tell you though....those negative reviews are hindering on me after the BS I just went through with my MB. I never want to have to deal with that again. I realize there are different tires on the sedan, and the 4cyl, but I'm not interested in either of them.

Stock tires on Legacy GT's are just as hated as the ones on Accords, if not more.

[andysinnh]

I think that traction in the snow is a relative thing. If you're coming off of a RWD benz that had tires better suited to the autocross, and going to an Accord coupe with V-rated tires, it'll be like night and day - for the better. Now, if you put a set of snow tires on the Accord coupe and compared it to the coupe with the factory tires, you'd also see a marked improvement - but is it past your acceptable threshold? Only you will be able to tell. The MXM's aren't the best tire, but they aren't the worst either, and for the first season at least they'll likely be great. The issue will be after 2-3 years of driving - the tread may be worn enough such that you might want to consider something new in terms of a tire.

which gets me to a question I had when reading your original post. Did you ever consider putting a set of either winter tires on the benz, or at least a better set of all-season tires? RWD ain't great in the snow, but with the right tires you'd likely have had a better experience than you shared with us. And it also gets me to my next question - would you consider changing the tires on the accord with something better suited to YOUR comfort level? A lot of tire dealers will give you a trade-in credit for factory tires if they've not been used more than a handful of miles toward something new. Or, if you're leasing, you could get different tires and put the factory ones in the cellar and then swap them back on when you return the car after lease end. Tires are important, but they can always be changed if you're not happy - and you shouldn't let that factor sway your purchasing decision.

Up here in NH, I run dedicated snows in the winter on my Accord, and on the Pilot I dumped the factory tires in short order for a set of more agressive Michelin all-season tires and have been happy.

andy

[ilovemacaroni]

Thanks for the response Andy. Yes I considered purchasing a set of winter-ready tires for my MB, but I simply wasn't in the mood to spend another $1000 on tires & rims directly after getting a new luxury car. I would have felt better spending 2-3k on a beater 4wd than spending anymore money on that car.

I'm not blaming MB...I knew the tires were Z rated, and not particularly suited for winter driving, but there was no way I could have known just had bad they were when teamed up with the MB RWD.

I had to replace my MB after approx 15k miles, and thats just insane for such an expensive tire. I wound up buying Sumotomo replacement, which were a tad better in the snow but not by all that much.

Since I plan on leasing this car, does anybody know what Honda's policy is regarding the tires at turn in? Is it like MB that they don't care what brand, as long as the ratings are the same?

I just don't want to be in the same predicament as I was in before. I realize it wont be "as bad" but I just want to be at a point where I can drive a car that I like without having to worry about winter/snow/replacement tires.

[andysinnh]

Since I plan on leasing this car, does anybody know what Honda's policy is regarding the tires at turn in? Is it like MB that they don't care what brand, as long as the ratings are the same?

I just don't want to be in the same predicament as I was in before. I realize it wont be "as bad" but I just want to be at a point where I can drive a car that I like without having to worry about winter/snow/replacement tires.

When you turn in a Honda lease, they want to make sure that the tires have treadwear left (no depth values are given - they appear to want to make sure they're not illegal), and that they must all be of like brand/model. When they look at the car during the turn-in inspection, they do a pass around the car and measure the tread depth and make sure they're the same. In my cases they've never looked at speed ratings, and I know on one that I did back down from a V to an H rated tire, and they didn't bat an eye. I've found Honda's lease turn-in process to be pretty liberal, and haven't ever had to pay anything except excess mileage (which I got a chunk back on this week, thanks to the class-action settlement :banana: ).

andy

[jyd_me]

Well up here in Quebec Canada, we already had 5 snow storms, and driving my coupe with the 4 seasons tires, I had no problems what so ever.

Mind you, you are much better off using winter tires. Those 4 season Michelins as some above said do get hard as a rock.

Next year for sure I will use 4 winter tires.

All in all you have nothing to worry about considering that you don't get the kind of snowfall we get up here in the great white north. :)

I live in Toronto, I had some troubles with the OEM 4 season tires, just some...

maybe it's just my driving...i don't know...haha

[mwmcginn]

I can understand some concern about the tires, but tires dont cost that much. You could have them taken off, sell them, and get something you like. You could also keep those until you sell the car, if you trade off often, and add some value by having them put back on.

[camryandaccord]

Hello fellow (likely) Monmouth county, NJ resident :wave:! I ended up buying mine at Coast Honda in Sea Girt. I can boast that I paid a little more so that I could support the local dealer with the fewest BBB complaints :).

Hey nice to see someone in the same neck of the woods :)
Actually I work in Monmouth County and commute from up north...

Ilovmacaroni - Glad to hear that you were able to get a good deal from DCH.

[ilovemacaroni]

I actually live less than 3 miles from Coast Honda, so I went there first for pure convenience. I've heard some stories about them being overpriced, but I figured I would give them a shot before I tried anywhere else. I would have bought a car there, but the prices did not justify logistics.

My fiance has a 06 Accord that we got from DCH Kay, and I've had nothing but good experiences there. I went there on Monday and talked to the same salesman that sold us her car. 2 years later, and he actually remembered me and pointed out things that happened when we were there that proved he wasnt just full of BS. That attention to detail and service makes you want to buy a car there.

I wound up shaking on a deal that got me the car for $200 under invoice. I was actually negotiating into dealer holdback, and hit that a littler harder when my request for the auto-dimming mirror (a MB option that has spoiled me the last 3 years) was added into the deal for free.

The price per month with the same amount of money down was $50/month cheaper than it was at Coast. I'm scheduled to pick up the car next Friday after I turn in my MB. I chose a EX-L V6 w/o NAV in Polished Metal Metallic with Black leather interior.

I just hope its not too bad in the snow!

[BenzAccord]

I actually live less than 3 miles from Coast Honda, so I went there first for pure convenience. I've heard some stories about them being overpriced, but I figured I would give them a shot before I tried anywhere else. I would have bought a car there, but the prices did not justify logistics.



Well since we've got five inches on the ground now, let us know what you think! My brother bought an Odyssey from DCH Kay, he was also happy with the experience. I and my other brother had bad experiences with DCH Kay, but that was over 6 years ago (I'll spare you the details since it seems irrelevant now), and perhaps they've improved since then.

[ilovemacaroni]

It's been a few days, and I figured I would give you guys a quick update on my situation.

I turned in the MB on Saturday, and picked up my brand new Coupe EX-L 6 Auto wo/Nav the same day! Got a great deal on the car (leased it but negotiated a price $200 under invoice), and had them throw in a auto-dimming mirror, and the all-season mats. I went with the Polished Metal Metallic w/ black leather interior.

I love it so far! I've been getting nothing but compliments, and thats from somebody who is coming out of a MB. I put around 100 miles on it so far, and the only complaint I have at this point is the huge blind spot on the drivers side. I know it will take a few weeks to get used to it, especially coming out of a 4 door.

Below I've included a few pics, and I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank everybody for their help & input while I was in the middle of my decision making process.

I'll be hanging around the forums, bugging you some more asking questions, but hopefully I'll soon be able to answer a few too.

By the way....I just picked up the switchblade key from ebay as suggested in another thread..so I just wanted to thank Taffy for making me spend even more money...LOL!!

http://seahawksal.com/temp/newcar_1.jpg

http://seahawksal.com/temp/newcar_2.jpg

http://seahawksal.com/temp/newcar_3.jpg

[BarqCider]

you dont drive a rwd car with performance tires..

would i drive rwd in snow? very little if any at all.

im expierienced in fwd driving in snow and not rwd. im sure id do fine bu still.

no offense OP, but sounds like you shouldve gotten the 4matic or something since you lack expierience driving rwd based cars in snow.

stick to fwd in that case :P

[BarqCider]

The stock tires on the EX-L V6 are Michelin Pilot HX MXM4's. I just read some reviews over at tirerack.com (a place I trust) and most of them are pretty bad when it comes to light snow/winter driving.

The majority of you said the car handled well in the snow, but now I'm getting a little nervous after reading those negative reviews.

It's funny a previous poster mentioned Coast Honda, because thats the first dealer I went to that came back with such ridiculous prices. Monday I went to DCH Kay Honda, and negotiated a great deal on a EX-L V6 wo/Nav. I left a deposit, and was figuring on picking the car up at the end of this month.

I have to tell you though....those negative reviews are hindering on me after the BS I just went through with my MB. I never want to have to deal with that again. I realize there are different tires on the sedan, and the 4cyl, but I'm not interested in either of them.


well since i didnt read all thsi thread...grats on the coupe :P

[mitchleary]

LSD, Traction Control, FWD, or RWD do not mean anything if you do not have the correct tires. I know, I had an Audi. Even with AWD if you do not have All Weather Tires you are dead. That said, the Accord will be fine in the snow because it comes with All Weather Tires, just make sure you do not put Performance Tires on it.


On my old bmw, also rwd, I changed to blizzaks in the winter. The difference from even mud and snow tires was amazing. That car went through snow i never thought would be possible.