Newbie to forums looking for advice, here's my scoop. I have an '00 EX, stock everything, which puts out the standard 150 HP....the car is weak in my opinion.

Furthermore, I feel the driver's seat is uncomfortably too firm and the car drives very stiff.

Now, I am looking to upgrade to the 08, because of price gas efficiency and looks, and was wondering (because I have yet to test drive the 08) whether the EX rated at 190 HP is sufficient in power (after all the Audi 2.0T is rated at 200HP) or those who test drove both the EX V6 and the EX, decided to go with the stronger engine. The interesting thing is that Honda rates the V6 only 2 MPG in both City and HWY under the EX 4 Cyl engine.

Another question I have is how much price drop should I expect for an 08 when the 09s drop, as I will be looking to buy in the latter part of this year?

I.E. could I get an EX-L (25k invoice now) in December for 21k when the 09 drops?

What should I be looking for in terms of the technicalities of the car during the test drive?

One last thing, I cannot get over how aesthetically gorgeous the 08 model is and am strongly leaning toward getting the car.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

We own an EX-L I4 and love it. The engine rev's up very quickly and is a great highway car. EX-L with a six would have been about $5M, was a little too much for our budget. Ours has all the options we need and more. Living in the north love the heated seats and mirrors. Very comfortable and lot's of room, especially in the back seat for adults.

We own an EX-L I4 and love it. The engine rev's up very quickly and is a great highway car. EX-L with a six would have been about $5M, was a little too much for our budget. Ours has all the options we need and more. Living in the north love the heated seats and mirrors. Very comfortable and lot's of room, especially in the back seat for adults.

I agree 100%. For me 190 HP is more than enough. Living in/around the city of Boston, I really don't have that much open road to race as it is. On the highways, the 190 HP certainly can make the car move, too, and with little effort. To me, I think the 08 Accord drives as good as it looks.

Regarding your question on price drop, well, that depends on the dealer. If it is a high-volume dealer, it is my experience that these types of franchises offer a decent discount to move inventory once a new MY is released. The only issue you may run into, is limited color options as 08 inventory begins to end. And, FWIW, I see no reason why you could not get an I4 EX-L for $25K once the 09 is released. I bought my I4 EX-L for well below $25K, (Boch Honda, Norwood, MA - a high volume dealer) back in March.

Good luck - Mike.

I am in a similar boat. I have had two v6 accords and am now shopping for my next car. Pretty much a lock on getting an accord but can't decide on the 4 or the 6. Fuel economy is that much different and I feel like I will miss the power. Also, the 6 comes with some more sound insulation, fog lights, homelink and chrome door handles. There might be a couple of other small things I am missing that come on the 6.

I.E. could I get an EX-L (25k invoice now) in December for 21k when the 09 drops?Not gonna happen. By August/September, Honda dealers tends to slow-down delivery of their current models in anticipation of the new model year arrivals in late November & December. Honda very, VERY rarely has unsold models carry-over into the new year. All this is from past experience.


For reference...

2008 Honda Accord Sedan EX-L 5-Spd MT (manual transmission)
Invoice: $23,340
MSRP: $25,695

2008 Honda Accord Sedan EX-L 5-Spd AT (automatic transmission)
Invoice: $24,063
MSRP: $26,495

So far, the best price I've encountered for an '08 Accord sedan EX-L automatic has been $23,338 (before TTL).

An EX-L for about $4K below invoice could be possible. I paid approx. $4K below MSRP for my car, so invoice isn't too much more.

But whether this can be done in December? :dunno: It really comes down to what incentives Honda is offering at the time and whether you know how to deal.

I got mine (EX) for less than 18k...u jus gotta kno how to talk tha talk....21k is a stretch, buut possilbe

get the V6. i think i4 is missing the punch. mind as well go all out!

I drove them both and opted for the V6 even though I felt the I4 had plenty of power. I have 3 growing kids and wanted the extra power.

We drove the 4 and 6 a couple of times each back-to-back and tried to do it under a variety of conditions as well.

Certainly the 4 moves the car well, but we felt that the added torque of the 6 made the car feel a bit more upscale, moving it around with less effort. Our final choice was an EX-L V6. The combination of looks, interior and powertrain made this our first Honda purchase.

I think that the proportions and weight of the 08 has increased so it seemed a reasonable decision to us to opt for the 6, especially since we wanted an automatic as well. We generally prefer the larger engine when equipped with an automatic, smaller is ok with a manual.

Cost was about $2K more for the 6. It remains to be seen whether or not the VCM will be a pain or a gain, but we thought that if anyone can pull off variable cylinder management it would be Honda. I would never have done this with one of the domestics. Not slamming them as my daily driver is a Crown Vic, but they don't have a very good record with VCM applications.

I am with Mud on this one.

11.5K on the clock and completely pleased so far with the V6.

Average fuel economy is 25-ish, although heavy traffic in the areas I drive lately (native.texan can probably back me up that it's been hell if he drives up 24 or 93 regularly) it's dropped into the mid 23's. That's with mixed driving.

Unlike native.texan I wanted the extra 'kick' for when I'm battling my way onto the highway... but the 190 was more than adequate for most normal driving. Just felt slightly sluggish comparatively.

I think speed passes by as the car gets older of course. I had a '95 Nissan Maxima that was 190 hp stock. It was incredibly slow to me compared to other cars I had driven, and now I have an '08 EX coupe with 190 hp that feels the worlds difference possibly because it's new. Seems it takes off and my feet need to be extra gentle with it.

In the same boat here, but looking EX vs V6...AT Coupe

I'm dropping down overall specs from a BMW Z4 (HP 225 @ 5900 - TQ 214 @ 3500)

Test drove both, V6 felt powerful of course...the EX felt good too! The main factors I'm considering are resale value (if needed), comfort and convenience.

Haven't received the V6 quote yet from my preferred dealer but for the EX -AT (Coupe) I was quoted $21,970 Including destination (excluding TTL)

UPDATE * I just received pricing on EX-L V6

Just got these quotes from my pref. dealer (these include destination, excluding TTL) and we are purchasing a Fit also...

2008 3.5 EX-L 4dr Sedan
$28,060
$25,416
Quoted: 25,305.00

2008 3.5 EX-L w/Auto 2dr Coupe
$28,310
$25,642
Quoted: 25,533.00