2013 Accord EX-L 4 cylinder versus V6

[talon95]

Originally Posted by grover432

My only purchase decision now comes down to seat comfort. After driving both cars for a total of almost an hour and a half, I can't say I found the seats that comfortable. I was happy to get back into our 2011 Odyssey where I found the seats comfortable from day one. Maybe there is a break in period for the seats. I also found the BMW's seats to be perfect from the moment I sat in them.I expect I am in the minority though as I've read few seat comfort complaints so far.

Just curious... what about the seats do you find uncomfortable?

[grover432]

Originally Posted by talon95

Just curious... what about the seats do you find uncomfortable?

I can't put my finger on it really. I was able to get the seat rake adjusted and the seat cushion angle adjusted as well. I felt discomfort in my lower back no matter where I put the lumbar support and it just felt uncomfortable under my rear end. I think the V6 Touring I drop had more comfortable seats (well the driver's seat anyway) and I'm wondering if the seats will feel better after a few weeks or several thousand miles. I'm hopeful they will as I think that this car is perfect for me in every other regard ( 4 or 6 cyl model).

[buff1]

Originally Posted by grover432

I can't put my finger on it really. I was able to get the seat rake adjusted and the seat cushion angle adjusted as well. I felt discomfort in my lower back no matter where I put the lumbar support and it just felt uncomfortable under my rear end. I think the V6 Touring I drop had more comfortable seats (well the driver's seat anyway) and I'm wondering if the seats will feel better after a few weeks or several thousand miles. I'm hopeful they will as I think that this car is perfect for me in every other regard ( 4 or 6 cyl model).

This is my only complaint with my car.

[grover432]

Originally Posted by buff1

This is my only complaint with my car.

Where does the seat bother you? Has it been getting better as the seat breaks in?

[buff1]

Part of the problem is my height. I always hated the Camry seats because they cut me off mid-thigh. Now it seems the Accord has followed suit by shortening the bottom cushion.
Also, I move the seat all the way back and tilt as far as I can and still don't have full support of my legs. Almost but not quite.
Lastly, there's not much side bolstering on the Accord seats to hold you in place.

Granted, I have been driving full size SUV's and pickups that make you feel like you're sitting in your living room recliner and my BMW 530i with sport seats was amazingly comfortable. So I may have a fairly high standard when it comes to seats.

[grover432]

Originally Posted by buff1

Part of the problem is my height. I always hated the Camry seats because they cut me off mid-thigh. Now it seems the Accord has followed suit by shortening the bottom cushion.
Also, I move the seat all the way back and tilt as far as I can and still don't have full support of my legs. Almost but not quite.
Lastly, there's not much side bolstering on the Accord seats to hold you in place.

Granted, I have been driving full size SUV's and pickups that make you feel like you're sitting in your living room recliner and my BMW 530i with sport seats was amazingly comfortable. So I may have a fairly high standard when it comes to seats.

I measured seat cushion length compared to our 2003 accord and it is about the same. Shorter than our 2011 Odyssey though. Do you think you'll get used to it?

[buff1]

Originally Posted by grover432

I measured seat cushion length compared to our 2003 accord and it is about the same. Shorter than our 2011 Odyssey though. Do you think you'll get used to it?

Yeah, it's just not the first car that I'd want to jump in and drive cross country. I have other vehicles that fit that bill.

[Shockwave]

the problem is the sizes of the cars accord and civic just keep getting bigger, I'm sure the engin size compensates, but i doubt the rest of the car does

the current accords are huge, nearing to boat capacity, I wish they could keep the larger engines but keep the smaller bodies

[FlipAccord13]

Originally Posted by Shockwave

the problem is the sizes of the cars accord and civic just keep getting bigger, I'm sure the engin size compensates, but i doubt the rest of the car does

the current accords are huge, nearing to boat capacity, I wish they could keep the larger engines but keep the smaller bodies

In case you didn't read the reviews, they reduced the size of the 9th gen by 3.8 inches while making the interior larger. I can noticeably see the difference seeing I had a '12 before trading for a '13.

[II Kings 9:20]

Originally Posted by grover432

I measured seat cushion length compared to our 2003 accord and it is about the same. Shorter than our 2011 Odyssey though. Do you think you'll get used to it?

Nearly all cars suffer from short bottom seats. BMW, MB, Audi, Caddy, Avalon have on certain models adjustable thigh extenders which is a perfect solution.

As an FYI, you may recall that in 1998 BMW introduced the world's first seat with an articulating upper section of the back rest. The upper 1/4 adjust forward to cradle the shoulders and neck. Audi, Bentley, Phaeton copied and now finally for 2012 The LS460 has has an adjustable upper backrest just 14 years after BMW.

[grover432]

Originally Posted by II Kings 9:20

Nearly all cars suffer from short bottom seats. BMW, MB, Audi, Caddy, Avalon have on certain models adjustable thigh extenders which is a perfect solution.

As an FYI, you may recall that in 1998 BMW introduced the world's first seat with an articulating upper section of the back rest. The upper 1/4 adjust forward to cradle the shoulders and neck. Audi, Bentley, Phaeton copied and now finally for 2012 The LS460 has has an adjustable upper backrest just 14 years after BMW.

My 1999 540iA had what are now called comfort seats. Every BMW I have owned or driven have had very comfortable seats. I'm not sure my issue with the new Accord is the short seat cushion, but I'm not sure what it is. The seats in the 328i Xdrive were perfect. Sadly, not so with the Accord (for me, anyways).

[opus360]

Originally Posted by grover432

My 1999 540iA had what are now called comfort seats. Every BMW I have owned or driven have had very comfortable seats. I'm not sure my issue with the new Accord is the short seat cushion, but I'm not sure what it is. The seats in the 328i Xdrive were perfect. Sadly, not so with the Accord (for me, anyways).

That's a bummer. Will you be looking at other cars then or re-trying/testing the accord?

[grover432]

Originally Posted by opus360

That's a bummer. Will you be looking at other cars then or re-trying/testing the accord?

That is a good question. I generally like the car and I think it is good value for the price. I'm a bit busy at work right now, but I think I'll grab an iPad and head over to the dealership next week and sit in a showroom car for a couple of hours after finding the best driving position. I'll read during that time and process work emails. I'll also make mental notes on just exactly what is bothering me about the seat. If it is nothing structural (i.e. too short a seat cushion) then I'll talk to our local auto upholstery specialist. I had this problem years ago when I test drove a Toyota 4 Runner. I had some concerns with the seat and after talking to the upholsterer, I was satisfied that they had many options available to adjust foam density/shape, etc. to get me comfortable in the seat. As it turned out, the seat broke in and I didn't have a problem.

The other possibility is to wait a month or so and drive the dealer's demo again once it has more miles and seat use on it. As my brother put it after the test drive, it is cheaper to rework the front seats than to pay $15,000 extra for a BMW.

[mtxjohn]

Hi guys, as an owner of both a K20a2 RSX-S and a J32(I think) 2008 TL...

With the V6 the power is in a word awesome..smooth..mature..BUT

If youre keeping it long term...the Timing belt maint is BIG MONEY on the V6. Two extra spark plugs, and a nightmare for the merely mortal when it comes to valve adjustments (look at ericthecarguys youtube video. I had help adjusting the valves on my RSX but the J series looks like a nightmare.

If youre like me keep hondas 200-300k miles this is a big consideration.

Plus, if history serves us at all, the Automatic tranny on a I4 should outlast the V6. Unless you row your own.

[grover432]

Originally Posted by mtxjohn

Hi guys, as an owner of both a K20a2 RSX-S and a J32(I think) 2008 TL...

With the V6 the power is in a word awesome..smooth..mature..BUT

If youre keeping it long term...the Timing belt maint is BIG MONEY on the V6. Two extra spark plugs, and a nightmare for the merely mortal when it comes to valve adjustments (look at ericthecarguys youtube video. I had help adjusting the valves on my RSX but the J series looks like a nightmare.

If youre like me keep hondas 200-300k miles this is a big consideration.

Plus, if history serves us at all, the Automatic tranny on a I4 should outlast the V6. Unless you row your own.

What history? The CVT is new for this year. It may last forever or it may blow up right after the warranty expires for all we know at this point.

As to keeping a car for 200 - 300,000 miles, I'd say you are the 1% in that category. I like to change it up at my age (50+). If I drove a new car for that number of miles, it would be my last purchase at the rate I put miles on (12,000/year).

As for service costs, I don't mind a timing belt replacement. It's not like replacing a whole motor. And you get great acceleration between now and then.