Today, 4/28/08, was the last day that I had my Accord. It was a fun car, and I will miss it dearly, but it sure had it's share of problems. While most of the problems were minor, there were a number of problems that Honda gave me absolutely no help with. The times that I asked for help they ended up returning the car to me worse than when I left it with them.


Things I will miss about the Accord:
-Smooth Ride
-Luxurious Interior
-Great exterior styling on the 7th gen coupe
-Easiest to use navigation system of all time
-Awesomely layed out and insanely intuitive dash
-Good mileage
-Nice power delivery
-The J30A5 is insanely awesome
-Super-slick transmission

things I will not miss about the Accord:
-Rattles
-Brake issues
-Honda's unwillingness to address brake issues under warranty
-Rattles
-Honda's unwillingness to address brake issues when paid
-Car wandering all over the road if I even dared to think about something other than keeping it going in a perfectly straight line
-Rattles
-Flimsy door-panels
-Constant headliner crackles and pops
-Cheap interior material selection
-Cheap leather
-Rattles (rattled more than any car I, or any immediate family member has ever had)
-The fact that if I used Honda's brake pads that I was guaranteed to need new rotors in a hurry
-The fact that the 3rd gear pop was never REALLY addressed by Honda

Things I like about the WRX:
-Quirky
-AWD
-Good mileage around town
-Nicely weighted steering
-Nicely weighted clutch pedal
-Lots of room in the back-seat
-High quality and great looking cloth seats
-Great mod potential (I love adding things to my cars)
-More solid feeling interior

Things I don't like about the WRX:
-Bad highway mileage compared to the Accord (26-27 currently vs. 32)
-Premium gas
-Ugly engine bay
-It looks ugly in stock form without the lips or tint
-SOME of the materials look and feel cheaper than the Accord
-Learning curve (to figure out how to drive it right)
-Not as many cubby's and places to store random crap
-Not as much of a c.o.c.k.pit feel (why did it sensor that, lol)


I'll be sticking around of course because I love this forum and its members.

OFF TOPIC:
I have a few small items from my Accord that I will be selling as well, check the classifieds. I will be selling my TL 6-speed shift knob and boot (modified to fit the Accord shifter trim plate); UltimatePedals.com accelerator, brake and clutch pedals; some stainless steel brake lines I never got around to installing; I will EVENTUALLY be selling my 06 6mt wheels, but they are in Colorado at the moment and I still need to have the snow tires removed from them...that's all that comes to mind at the moment. I will try to post those up tomorrow along with prices. For those of you who have purchased things from me you know I can be spotty on the email and PM's as I don't always check them every single day, but you always get the product in the condition promised.

Good Luck with the Subi. :)

I went and looked at the STi. Its a fugly looking hatch with cheap looking everything. Went and looked at the EvoX today. One look at the god awful grill and the huge wing. Its a no go. I don't care if it does 0-60 in a nano sec. The big mouth grill sucks.ended up back at the BMW dealer crawling all over a black 135i. I would have driven it. But the damn thing was ruined with a AT. OOOO Boy paddle shifters. PUKE!!!!

There is life after honda. I really hope the Subi is a good car and enertaining to drive for you.....

psy

Glad you did something about your unhappiness with your Accord. Not all cars are created equal, and sometimes its just the mis fortune of getting that ONE car with the issues that ruins it for some people.

Share some pics when you can. :wave:

Glad you did something about your unhappiness with your Accord. Not all cars are created equal, and sometimes its just the mis fortune of getting that ONE car with the issues that ruins it for some people.

Share some pics when you can. :wave:

I agree. Mine wasn't one of the REALLY bad ones by any means, and I did enjoy it for what it was, but it wasn't up to my standards after 30k. Some others have apparently been rock solid though. Oh well. Luck of the draw.

Good Luck with the Subi. :)

I went and looked at the STi. Its a fugly looking hatch with cheap looking everything. Went and looked at the EvoX today. One look at the god awful grill and the huge wing. Its a no go. I don't care if it does 0-60 in a nano sec. The big mouth grill sucks.ended up back at the BMW dealer crawling all over a black 135i. I would have driven it. But the damn thing was ruined with a AT. OOOO Boy paddle shifters. PUKE!!!!

There is life after honda. I really hope the Subi is a good car and enertaining to drive for you.....

psy

Yah, I'm not a fan of the STi. I like the look of the WRX premium hatch MUCH better. Something about the fender flares on the STi just doesn't fit exactly, and they definitely ask way too much for what an STi really is. I actually like the EvoX, though it is a bit flashy for me, same with the ralliart. I'm sure they are great to drive, but what I really can't deal with is Mitsu's notoriously mediocre reliability. The 135i is a HOT car. A little impractical, but definitely awesome if you can swing it. I'd love to drive one, but I'm afraid it would make me sad when I got out.

Thanks, I'm sure I'll get used to the Subi. It's a TOTALLY different kind of car and will take getting used to, but is really nice in it's own way.

Cool man! Where's the pics???

Car wandering all over the road if I even dared to think about something other than keeping it going in a perfectly straight line

^^^^^ I do agree with you on the above statement. The car is pretty big, and the steering can be improved quite a bit. I see you have had quite a bit of issues and it really is luck of the draw. I dont have any issues at all with my 06 V6 MT in 33k. Good luck with the Subaru, my parents have an Outback with 18k with zero issues. I think Subaru is often a very over look brand.

I'd like to be fortunate enough to move mine, too. I was so in love with it, but these cars sure to disappoint a meticulous ear, eye, hand, and nose. However, I'll be sticking with mine for quite some time. I, too, believe I'll be going with mBenz or BMW on the next purchase.

It finally happened. NICE. Congratz on the new car!

Too bad you didn't list your HFP suspension. I might have bought it if the price was right. :)

Try mixing in proper tire inflation and tire stagger for the wandering issue... it's all that is needed to make FWD autos to handle correctly

You know...as long as you've been a member.....I figured you know....


You can't buy a new car and not POST PICTURES! :)

Congrats on the new WRX. Stick around as I'm sure many want to hear how it holds up!

You know...as long as you've been a member.....I figured you know....


You can't buy a new car and not POST PICTURES! :)

Congrats on the new WRX. Stick around as I'm sure many want to hear how it holds up!

I think what you meant to say was :worthless

pictures coming later today.

It finally happened. NICE. Congratz on the new car!

Too bad you didn't list your HFP suspension. I might have bought it if the price was right. :)

Yah, I would have taken it off, but that whole not having the stock suspension anymore kind of puts a kink in that idea, heh. It was a nice drop, I liked it a lot. Had a nice smooth ride and a nice subtle appearance.

step 1: exhaust. boxer rumble! :D

Nothing wrong with a Subie.........I don't like the looks of them today, but my wife had a 1984 GL-10 that WOULD NOT DIE.........:)

things I will not miss about
the Accord:
-Rattles-Brake issues
-Honda's unwillingness to address brake issues under warranty
-Rattles
-Honda's unwillingness to address brake issues when paid
-Car wandering all over the road if I even dared to think about something other than keeping it going in a perfectly straight line
-Rattles
-Flimsy door-panels
-Constant headliner crackles and pops
-Cheap interior material selection
-Cheap leather
-Rattles (rattled more than any car I, or any immediate family member has ever had)
-The fact that if I used Honda's brake pads that I was guaranteed to need new rotors in a hurry
-The fact that the 3rd gear pop was never REALLY addressed by Honda



Please, please, please give us a rattle report on the WRX and how it compares to the accord. This is a sore issue for me and and IF I were to the point of selling the WRX would be on the list of candidates.

And, congratulations! :banana:

Things I will miss about the
...
Things I like about the WRX:
...
-Lots of room in the back-seat
really?
-More solid feeling interior
very nice

Things I don't like about the WRX:
...
-Learning curve (to figure out how to drive it right)
would be a good thing for me :) learning this type of thing is fun!
-Not as many cubby's and places to store random crap

again, would be a plus for me, it'd help me keep it clutter free :) On a number of ocassiions I found things I thought I'd lost in a car that, i fact, were there all along :) Not to mention all kinds of crap left there for years :)
-Not as much of a c.o.c.k.pit feel (why did it sensor that, lol)




...

I had a 95 impreza and I dont think that over all the car has changed much. If you look at the 93 on impreza/wrx, I think its the same body, refreshed. I still love the car, but if I were you, I would keep the top window seals fresh with something like armour all. I always had air leaks, due to the frameless windows, and I think I had some rattles in that car, unlike my current accord. That said, I loved that car. It was great in all kinds of weather, was thrifty on gas (esp considering that it was awd) and was pretty responsive. I really appreciated what subaru does, it seems like they have a great product.

Did you also look at the legacy? It was a toss up for me on the accord and came down to price.

Let us see some pictures of this new machine!

How much was the WRX?:) I kinda like the r32 and 135i.

have fun with the new car! i don't have anything against subaru's except i don't like how they look..... stevel's mom recently bought one (what the heck is the name of the one she got again?) after compring the rav4 and crv to it. we told her she couldn't go wrong with any of them. she dropped the crv because she liked the smooth ride of the rav4 better and there are no honda dealers close to home, so convienience was hurting her as far as honda's were concerned... she ended up with the subie because she was getting ALOT better of a deal on it than the rav4. we've been in it a few times. decent vehicle, not impressed with the interior (it feels like a cross between a mazda and a toyota....), the awd didn't feel too sure footed, but we had also recently been driving audi a4's with their quattro around, so not exactly a fair comparo. i've never driven nor been in another awd equivalent to the subie's. the rdx and a4 quattro are more similar, but we haven't had the rdx long enough to play in the snow yet.

anywho, let us know how things go!

ps~why rinse and repeat the list of problems over and over? it's really just a few thing regurgitated over and over.... :dunno: and i'm guessing you've never been in a nissan altima, a dodge caravan, a chevy malibu, ford focus, pontiac sunfire, pontiac grandam, pontiac whatever it was that we had in california, etc if you've never heard a car rattle more than an accord. :lmao: all of the above FAR worse, except maybe the altima which was similar, but much louder, so i think it covered some of it up! oh and the toyota camry i was blessed with for 5 weeks that rattled equally well, just different types of rattles. (the list is really much longer list than that, but then we're getting into older cars too.)

I had a 95 impreza and I dont think that over all the car has changed much. If you look at the 93 on impreza/wrx, I think its the same body, refreshed. I still love the car, but if I were you, I would keep the top window seals fresh with something like armour all. I always had air leaks, due to the frameless windows, and I think I had some rattles in that car, unlike my current accord. That said, I loved that car. It was great in all kinds of weather, was thrifty on gas (esp considering that it was awd) and was pretty responsive. I really appreciated what subaru does, it seems like they have a great product.

Did you also look at the legacy? It was a toss up for me on the accord and came down to price.

Let us see some pictures of this new machine!

The 08's have a drastically different layout. The dash area has a very similar design to the outgoing model, and the engine and transmission are essentially identical to the outgoing model, but the body and chassis are entirely new. The doors are actually framed (previous models were frameless), and the rear suspension is double wishbone versus the macpherson struts on the outgoing model. There is an increased usage of high strength steel as well compared to the outgoing model. Those are the major differences anyway. I would cross shop it with an accord simply due to price, but the 08 imprezas are still a lot more raw than the accord is.

Pics coming later today, I promise this time.

ps~why rinse and repeat the list of problems over and over? it's really just a few thing regurgitated over and over.... :dunno: and i'm guessing you've never been in a nissan altima, a dodge caravan, a chevy malibu, ford focus, pontiac sunfire, pontiac grandam, pontiac whatever it was that we had in california, etc if you've never heard a car rattle more than an accord. :lmao: all of the above FAR worse, except maybe the altima which was similar, but much louder, so i think it covered some of it up! oh and the toyota camry i was blessed with for 5 weeks that rattled equally well, just different types of rattles. (the list is really much longer list than that, but then we're getting into older cars too.)

Yah, they can be pretty ugly, and the new imprezas can be especially boring in base model form. I think you were thinking of the tribeca? It's a nice car from what I've seen. I sat in a couple when I was looking at the WRX, the interior is great I think. The WRX doesn't have quite as luxurious of an interior as the tribeca, but I'll be damned if it's not functional.

The only thing that I felt was regurgitated was the rattle issue, the rest might be related in some way, but i saw them as seperate issues. I've been in all of those cars, minus the new altima.

The main difference that I find with the rattles and noises that I experienced in my accord and the rattles in those cars is that the ones in the accord were more like a bowl of rice crispies, and the rattles in most other cars tend to be pretty solid predictable rattles. I was immensely more bothered by the rice crispy type rattle (headliner, doors, etc) because they were ALWAYS there, but not reliably. One day this part would rattle for a bit, then it would change and a new rattle that I had never heard before, and will never hear again would pop up and constantly rattle for a while. It had a lot to due with heat and humidity I found.

My car didn't really rattle or make noises when it was rainy out, but it would when it was dry, even with the seals lubricated. I put a lot of time into rattle chasing, and I fixed the majority of the actual rattles (like the ones you might experience in a GM product, although fewer of them), but I couldn't get a handle on the rice crispy ones.

I really could have lived with the rattles if it weren't for all of the other garbage. I don't mind fixing little things here and there, but the accord required A LOT of attention imo. The last straw was Honda's continued unwillingness to support their product.

How much was the WRX?:) I kinda like the r32 and 135i.

I got mine for 23,000 + tax. It came with the spoiler, sport grille, homelink, and STi pedals.

I was immensely more bothered by the rice crispy type rattle (headliner, doors, etc) because they were ALWAYS there, but not reliably. One day this part would rattle for a bit, then it would change and a new rattle that I had never heard before, and will never hear again would pop up and constantly rattle for a while. It had a lot to due with heat and humidity I found.

same here...when it's humid I always think "well, it's not too bad", then the next day it gets dry and cool/hot and all the ticking and popping is back. i tried to chase and fix these things, but eventually realized how futile that is :)

Here are some pictures I snapped today. Forgive my poor photography skills. The rear end is pretty bland, and it does need a few little additions to take the boring out of it, but I like it. I really like the look of the seats. They aren't as well bolstered as the seats in the accord, but the cloth is really nice. I added some lame-o pepboys exhaust tips till I get the SPT exhaust. They look ok for now, but I'm not a huge fan. Still, better than the unpolished metal pipe look.

Things that need to be done to the car before it is up to snuff...
Stabilizer bars
Progressive springrate springs
Nav neadunit
Better tires (these Bridgestone RE92 tires suck almost as bad as the MXM4's on the V6 Accords)

It has kind of a floaty feeling at times due to the super soft suspension. The stock springs are obviously linear and while they are soft they aren't soft in the right ways. I like a slightly stiffer ride, but with less initial abruptness when you hit bumps. The accord was the same way in stock form though.

A slightly larger set of stabilizer bars are appropriate too since this car has slightly more body roll than I like. Now, the body roll wasn't as bad as the accord's was when it was stock, but sway bar upgrades are insanely easy and cheap to do for the accord, so it was easily fixed. On the upside, since there is no front subframe on the WRX, putting in a front swaybar is about as easy as putting in the rear sway bar, unlike the accord. Not a huge deal though, it's not like you are constantly switching sway bars around on a daily driver.

The Tires are mediocre. I don't expect them to stay on much longer than the MXM4's stayed on my accord. I'll be putting my snows on this winter obviously, then in the summer I'll probably try to pick up some BBS takeoffs from an STi and mount some nice summers or all-seasons with some decent performance. I really liked the Bridgestone Potenza Pole Positions I had on the accord, I might get a set of those.

I get decent mileage actually, but not awesome by any means. I was getting 30mpg on the highway today, and about 23-24mpg around town. It is very slightly better around town than my Accord was, but highway I lost a couple MPG. I'm not sure if it's due to gearing, awd or aerodynamics...probably all of the above. Either way, I'm pretty happy with it.

Very nice! :naughty:

I've been in one of those...the seats were very comfortable! :yes:

It looks a lot nicer in Sedan form than the hatch's do!

I'm impressed! :yes:

Hope you get to keep this one for a long time!

Oh I see you went with silver and added some nice tint. :D

Do you have HID headlights?

Oh I see you went with silver and added some nice tint. :D

Do you have HID headlights?

Yah, I went with silver. I started really liking silver after seeing a few kitted accords and wrx's. I think it's a little bland right now, but lips just look really nice on silver imo.

They are projectors, but they are halogen projectors. I may add HID's at some point, but the headlights are more than adequate for now.

It looks a lot nicer in Sedan form than the hatch's do!

I'm impressed! :yes:

Hope you get to keep this one for a long time!

Yah, the sedans are nice. A little bland, but nice. The hatch really grew on me though. The hatches with the premium package are really nice looking, just gotta give em a chance. I'm normally not a fan of hatchback wagon styles.


Thanks for all of the nice comments.

stevel's mom recently bought one (what the heck is the name of the one she got again?) after compring the rav4 and crv to it.

Forester?
http://images.cobaltgroup.com/4/2/0/1156956024.jpg

Congratulations on the new car. A friend of mine got a new 2004 WRX back in the day, very nice car. His was a little weird looking but the new ones look great.

Nice ride. :)