Accord 6-6 vs automatic v6

[ypsibird]

Originally Posted by Carnutz

I have had the pleasure of attending several high performance driving schools over the years..
Mostly at the BMW track at the plant down in spartanburg SC. A friend of mine is an instructor there.. I have track time at road Atlanta and VIR.. So maybe my expectations are a bit different from some of you on here..
Even on the street.. pushing the accord is not a rewarding experience.. the 6cyl is smoother and quicker... but doesn't handle as good as the i4.. the i4 , while being slower is still more enjoyable to go faster in as it is lighter and not near as nose heavy or numb in feedback..
I don't consider either one sporty... they are good cars and handle real world driving tasks with ease... but when its comes to being compared to sports cars... not really...

Originally Posted by Carnutz

One reviewers subjective opinion does not make it fact

Now I'm sort of unfairly taking that last quote out of context to make a small point. I've enjoyed Carnutz's input in this thread and agree with much of it. But I should note that most automotive reviewers gave very good reviews to the 7th gen 6 speed. I would take the opinion of any credible automotive reviewer over that of Carnutz. No offense intended but reviewers have a far greater range of experience in terms of testing a variety of cars on both the road and on the track including many standard instrumented tests. I gave some links to some of the tests in post #9. Here's another that I think is at least kind of amusing: Mercedes-Benz CLK320 VS Accord V6 6-speed Coupe.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...pe_comparison/

I don't want to get further into the sporty/sports car question as I don't think it's at all what the thread was intended to be about.

But when I read Carnutz's comments about handling I also want to point out that it appears he has no experience with the 6 speed. Ignoring his comments about his I4, his experience is with the poorest handling of the 7th gen V6's. As others have noted all the 7.5 gen V6's got upgraded wheels & tires (as well as some suspension bushings). Is that important? I think so, based on my experience with my wife's 03 V6 auto coupe and this comment in a Car & Driver review. (the full link is in post #9).

"There was some head shaking among the test crew when the list of combatants was revealed. After all, the only elements separating this Accord from others with V-6 engines are that six-speed manual and the patches of imitation carbon-fiber trim in the cabin. This Accord gets the same 17-inch wheels as the Accord coupe, but all the V-6 Accords get new 17-inchers, wearing rather wimpy 215/50 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 all-season tires. Similarly, this Accord has revised suspension bushings, but that, too, is something it shares with the other V-6 Accords.

Could it keep pace with the other players? Oh, yeah. Although those tires held the Honda back in the braking and skidpad exercises, the power of that superb V-6--upgraded by four horsepower for '06--dragged it into a third-place tie with the handy little Jetta in the lane change, and it was second only to the more potent Mazdaspeed 6 in acceleration runs. It was the only car besides the Mazda to crack the six-second mark in 0-to-60 sprints--5.9 seconds--and it did so without audible drama.

The Accord also won respect on our Hocking Hills loop, albeit grudgingly. There were logbook comments about a relative excess of body roll and ride-versus-handling trade-off, but with the stability control switched off it was clear the Accord could handle all the challenges without apology."



I emphasized the part where they felt the car was held back by the "wimpy" 215/50-17's. I bet they would have been appalled if the car was wearing the 205/60R-16's that the 03-05 V6 autos were equipped with. Although a 6 speed might still not satisfy Carnutz as it relates to handling I would submit that any 6 speed would handle better than his 03 & 04 auto V6's.

[Dan]

I think if you drive the same car for a long time you may not realize how sporty other cars may feel. For example I have been driving my accord for 4 years, to me it handles pretty well. But If I get behind the wheel of a Bmw Z4, it's like a whole different world.

[dude_reino]

Originally Posted by Dan

I think if you drive the same car for a long time you may not realize how sporty other cars may feel. For example I have been driving my accord for 4 years, to me it handles pretty well. But If I get behind the wheel of a Bmw Z4, it's like a whole different world.

The Z4 is a whole different car. Compare the Z4 to the S2000 and see which handles better (I truly don't know.)

How does the Accord handle compared to the 3-series sedan? That is the question. I assume the 3-series handles better, but by HOW MUCH?

[Dan]

Originally Posted by dude_reino

The Z4 is a whole different car. Compare the Z4 to the S2000 and see which handles better (I truly don't know.)

How does the Accord handle compared to the 3-series sedan? That is the question. I assume the 3-series handles better, but by HOW MUCH?

A 3 series handles considerably better. If you look at the slalom time for example, an accord may pull a 64 mph. And a 3 series sedan can be like 71 mph. that is a big difference

[Carnutz]

You are correct.. I do not have any real experience with the 6spd accord.. I had 2 auto v6's ...
The first one I leased.. had the opportunity to get out of the lease and purchased the second v6 accord which became my wife's car.. which was fine for a couple of years until I started driving it more.. was fine for commuting.. but once I started driving it more.. I became aware of its numb feedback and lack of enthusiastic cornering abilities as I love clover leaf freeway ramps... :-) that and the recall and issues with the auto tyranny.. I could not stand the plowing feeling into turns.. the car just felt too nose heavy and numb.. I know the car is fine for most and when driven normally... but I am an enthusiast.. Im always aware of driving dynamics and enjoy driving.. so after a few years ... I went back to Honda.. tried the i4, auto was my only option since its my wife's car.. I was amazed at how much lighter and sharper the inputs felt.. how the car was able to now drift in a tight turn and not just plow in a line... the lighter weight and better balance made it feel completely different and sure footed compared to the v6.
So I bought the i4 for her.. after a few years I needed a daily driver for myself.. so I took over the accord and she moved on.. hence my renewed appreciation for driving the accord again..
Since then I took over my sons BMW M3.. he moved on to a 4 door 335i twin Turbo beast that has more doors for the kids.. nice car.. but I don't like it.. too heavy and lacking a visceral feel of the older bimmers.. anyways... I have had this thing for vettes.. have owned 4 of them in the last 12 years.. two of them were z06's .. fun cars.. stupid fast.. totally impractical..
Love the torque, descent handling... but those big tires make The car wander all over bumps and uneven pavement.. great skidpad performance but in real life.. not as much fun as the numbers indicate.... which is my point about reviewers.. they only get limited time behind the wheel.. they do their tests ans get their numbers.. then they say how great is is and how fast, how it turns.. etc... yet if they had to drive it over time... they would realize that its not as great as they first thought... that the numbers are impressive... but overall.. the car has its flaws which takes away from the driving experience... that's my point.. test drives are one thing.. living with the car over a period of time tells the real story... its more than numbers...
After driving the M3 for the last year.. I am in awe over its handling, power and drivers feedback to the road... I never liked BMW's before... but now I know why they are liked so well as a drivers car..

Originally Posted by ypsibird

Now I'm sort of unfairly taking that last quote out of context to make a small point. I've enjoyed Carnutz's input in this thread and agree with much of it. But I should note that most automotive reviewers gave very good reviews to the 7th gen 6 speed. I would take the opinion of any credible automotive reviewer over that of Carnutz. No offense intended but reviewers have a far greater range of experience in terms of testing a variety of cars on both the road and on the track including many standard instrumented tests. I gave some links to some of the tests in post #9. Here's another that I think is at least kind of amusing: Mercedes-Benz CLK320 VS Accord V6 6-speed Coupe.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...pe_comparison/

I don't want to get further into the sporty/sports car question as I don't think it's at all what the thread was intended to be about.

But when I read Carnutz's comments about handling I also want to point out that it appears he has no experience with the 6 speed. Ignoring his comments about his I4, his experience is with the poorest handling of the 7th gen V6's. As others have noted all the 7.5 gen V6's got upgraded wheels & tires (as well as some suspension bushings). Is that important? I think so, based on my experience with my wife's 03 V6 auto coupe and this comment in a Car & Driver review. (the full link is in post #9).

"There was some head shaking among the test crew when the list of combatants was revealed. After all, the only elements separating this Accord from others with V-6 engines are that six-speed manual and the patches of imitation carbon-fiber trim in the cabin. This Accord gets the same 17-inch wheels as the Accord coupe, but all the V-6 Accords get new 17-inchers, wearing rather wimpy 215/50 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 all-season tires. Similarly, this Accord has revised suspension bushings, but that, too, is something it shares with the other V-6 Accords.

Could it keep pace with the other players? Oh, yeah. Although those tires held the Honda back in the braking and skidpad exercises, the power of that superb V-6--upgraded by four horsepower for '06--dragged it into a third-place tie with the handy little Jetta in the lane change, and it was second only to the more potent Mazdaspeed 6 in acceleration runs. It was the only car besides the Mazda to crack the six-second mark in 0-to-60 sprints--5.9 seconds--and it did so without audible drama.

The Accord also won respect on our Hocking Hills loop, albeit grudgingly. There were logbook comments about a relative excess of body roll and ride-versus-handling trade-off, but with the stability control switched off it was clear the Accord could handle all the challenges without apology."



I emphasized the part where they felt the car was held back by the "wimpy" 215/50-17's. I bet they would have been appalled if the car was wearing the 205/60R-16's that the 03-05 V6 autos were equipped with. Although a 6 speed might still not satisfy Carnutz as it relates to handling I would submit that any 6 speed would handle better than his 03 & 04 auto V6's.

[mc1114]

If everything goes well, I'll be going back to a 6-6 (7.5 gen) this weekend. lol

I have a longer commute to work now, and the auto is just plain boring. And I hate knowing that everytime I drive, its robbing the full power potential of the V6 engine. And as I said earlier in this thread, I miss the response and...well...the fun factor. Surely some of you guys understand Will post again if/when I get my replacement vehicle

[07AccordEx-L]

I told you so... :P

[2005 6mt]

Originally Posted by mc1114

If everything goes well, I'll be going back to a 6-6 (7.5 gen) this weekend. lol

I have a longer commute to work now, and the auto is just plain boring. And I hate knowing that everytime I drive, its robbing the full power potential of the V6 engine. And as I said earlier in this thread, I miss the response and...well...the fun factor. Surely some of you guys understand Will post again if/when I get my replacement vehicle

Haha nice dude

[DreaminAccord]

wow mc...that car didn't last you to long! That might be one of the fastest turn arounds I've ever seen Just long enough to throw on the HFP kit and get introduced to the 7.5G haha but I can't blame you, who wouldn't want a 7.5G 6-6...best of the best IMO.

[mc1114]

lol yup. The auto just isnt cutting it anymore and I guess I started to miss the fun even more after this thread I already swapped out the lowering springs for the stock ones. Wish I could keep the body kit but I thought if I removed them, the adhesive will leave marks on the paint

I thought I had a buyer for my car this weekend but doesnt look like that deal will go thru, so as soon as I get my next car, I'll let you guys know. One thing's for sure - it will definitely be a 7.5 gen. As you said, best of the best. I love them