9th Gen Misc Discussion Thread: Tops IIHS and NHTSA Tests; Consumer Report Top Pick

[MM49]

Now please someone tell me how it resembles more of Genesis then this!

Originally Posted by jshaw

The prev gen Sonata is a direct copy of the old Lexus LS430.

The Genesis rear lights are derived from the LS 460 rear lights.

Hyundais before that copied other cars, especially the Elantra, which poorly (but obviously) copied Jaguar.

If you check out the current Sonata the climate control has been fully copied of a Volvo and navi layout taken from Nissan.

[03UC1]

Let's compare from the rear angle.. and spot the difference.

2013 Accord V6 Touring


2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6L


2011 Toyota Avalon



Remember, there's a redesign 2013 Avalon that looks like the new Hyundai Azera, from the rear anyway.

[stanleynhan]

Hyundai is finally being recognized as a company that makes cars that people think looks nice. I don't see anything wrong with cars looking like each other narcissists somethings been going for a long time

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using AutoGuide.Com Free App

[Warpdrv]

Originally Posted by bluestars80

Buy a nice Garmin for about $200, they do way more than most indash NAVs anyways.........

Better yet, buy a Google Nexus 7 tablet, and use the built in GPS with google maps of that device, huge improvement over any GARMIN based garbage.

$199.....

http://www.google.com/nexus/#/7

[Markus]

There is no doubt the 9th gen rear lights look far more like those of the Genesis than they do of those of the Avalon.

Look at the location of the turn signals and backup lights - on the top on Accord and Genesis and on the bottom on the Avalon.

Originally Posted by 03UC1

Let's compare from the rear angle.. and spot the difference.

2013 Accord V6 Touring


2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6L


2011 Toyota Avalon



Remember, there's a redesign 2013 Avalon that looks like the new Hyundai Azera, from the rear anyway.

[Offbeat Oddity]

The design looks very nice and flows quite nicely. In an era where huge front grilles/hoods and high belt-lines are the norm, it's nice to see that the Accord seems to have a relatively low belt-line and a fairly sleek hood.

[MacLeod]

Originally Posted by plunk10

glad the MANUAL transmission is still being offered

I'm surprised you won't be able to get one with the 4 cylinder though. I'd love to see a 3.5 V6 6MT Sedan!!

Yeah but I got a feeling you wont be able to find one anywhere. There was only 1 on the lot at my local dealer out of nearly 100 Accords!

The thing that worries me is that CVT. I hear nothing but horror stories about them and lots of reliability issues. The CVT is the reason I passed on buying an Altima so I hope thats not the only transmission Honda offers.

[jshaw]

Well, most CVTs are from Jatco (Nissan). IIRC, Honda, Subaru, and Aisin (Toyota) make their own, so reliability is likely different across different manufacturers. Honda doesn't sell many physical units to others, Subaru isn't big enough to sell, and Toyota's Aisin rarely lets others use its stuff.

[MacLeod]

Well that's good to know and I have to assume that if Honda, who is most obsessed with quality and reliability, is going to move to CVT's then they must have a good reason. However, I'll stick with the slushbox a while longer til I start reading a lot of stories of 200,000+ miles on the CVT's.

[jshaw]

Well, they have made CVTs for their JDM cars for quite a while, and to be honest, Jatco is what's giving a bad name to CVTs, here.

But I'm still sitting this out with you, too. While Toyota doesn't have a habit of just rebranding Japanese tech for the US market (I'm sorry, but Japan is tiny in size, and the roads are nothing like the massive stretches of American highway), Nissan and Honda do have that bad habit. It's also why their luxury marques (IMO) are doing poorly vs Lexus, though Honda does at least build US specific models of the Accord and Oddysey (then again, first gen+second VCM was reportedly horrid on that, too... gotta wait and see if the third time's the charm).

[plunk10]

Originally Posted by MacLeod

Yeah but I got a feeling you wont be able to find one anywhere. There was only 1 on the lot at my local dealer out of nearly 100 Accords!

If I'm spending my hard earned cash on a car, I will happily wait for the right car to come along, rather than settle and be disappointed for the next 250,000 miles.

It was the same way with my current Accord. I shopped around for 6 months before finding the right 5-spd EX-L.

[Amperex]

VCM for 2013 V6 is reportedly 6-3, replacing the current 6-4-3. My main "complaint" about VCM is the 3cyl mode of operation. The tone of the exhaust drones in 3cyl mode and gives me a headache. 4cyl mode is the least used in my vehicle, its typically in 3cyl or 6cyl. So I can understand why the 4cyl was dropped. But IMO, the VCM should operate in 6-4. In 4cyl mode I don't hear that annoying drone and vibration that is instantly apparent when it goes into 3cyl mode. Thats how I know 4cyl mode is least used- no drone in 4cyl mode.

[Markus]

Originally Posted by Amperex

VCM for 2013 V6 is reportedly 6-3, replacing the current 6-4-3. My main "complaint" about VCM is the 3cyl mode of operation. The tone of the exhaust drones in 3cyl mode and gives me a headache. 4cyl mode is the least used in my vehicle, its typically in 3cyl or 6cyl. So I can understand why the 4cyl was dropped. But IMO, the VCM should operate in 6-4. In 4cyl mode I don't hear that annoying drone and vibration that is instantly apparent when it goes into 3cyl mode. Thats how I know 4cyl mode is least used- no drone in 4cyl mode.

Very interesting observations.

What I've noticed about my VCM:

1.
I hear a droning and feel vibration at approx 50 mph (80 kph) when in ECO mode. Not sure if it's in 3-cyl or 4-cyl mode at that point but the drone is noticeable and the engine feels as if it's being lugged in too low a gear. Opening the throttle very slightly at this point causes 6-cyl mode and no droning.

2.
At speeds of 70-100 kph (45-60 mph) the engaging/disengaging of ECO feels like either a transmission gear change or torque converter lock/unlock.

3.
At speeds of over 110 kph (70 mph) the only indication that VCM is engaging/disengaging is the ECO light.


The droning/vibration is supposed to be masked by the active engine mounts and microphones inside the cabin. My suspicion is that as the car ages the active engine mounts deteriorate at a greater rate than non-active mounts. Two days ago my engine mounts were replaced. I'm taking a long trip with the Accord this coming weekend and I'll see if the droning has been reduced.

I agree that 6-cyl and 4-cyl modes are all that are needed and that the driver should have the option to turn off VCM.

[jshaw]

Or Honda should do whatever Toyota did to get 22/30 with a V6 for the Camry (short list: DOHC, VVT-i [aka, Toyota VTEC - on both intake and exhaust], 6 speed auto, and plenty of technical things that purely escape me in every way).

Oh, no VCM on the Camry V6, and it's still faster to 60 than even the 2.0T Sonata, not to mention the Accord V6, despite both having more HP (and the Sonata having more torque).

[Amperex]

AFAIK, only Chrysler-GM-Honda manufacture vehicles that use cylinder deactivation. There maybe others but the "gas saving" benefit IMO has been superseded by newer technologies. When I spend 30k on a 6cyl car, I'm not buying it for the gas mileage. If I wanted to save on gas I'd be a 4cyl buyer. The effortless driving experience afforded by a 6cyl engine is completely ruined (for me) by cylinder deactivation.