[Achtung]

The Honda Accord had been the reigning Kelley Blue Book "Best Buy" award winner in the midsize car category. However, the all-new 2016 Kia Optima has narrowly beat out the Accord to take that title:

Kelley Blue Book Best Buys of 2016: Midsize Car

The editors write: "...Consider it being edged out here by the Optima not so much a fault of the Accord but a testament to how much the Optima has improved. Picking a winner among the two caused hair-splitting and possibly some hair-graying among our editors....Regretfully, the Accord's touch-based infotainment system isn't the most user-friendly in the segment, and it still lacks a traditional volume knob. Those are relatively small character flaws in an otherwise excellent, rock-solid choice among midsize sedans."

 

[yanks1]

Very competitive segment; good for all of us consumers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Flyboy]

The lack of a volume knob doesn't seem to be an issue in my wife's 2015 CRV EX but it must be important to the KBB editors. After all, the driver can control the volume from the steering wheel controls. And most tech savvy kids can figure out how to change the volume on the radio head touch controls.

The Korean cousins offer more standard features and gadgets than Honda does but the ones I have rented seem to lack the same quality of materials as on the Accord. When Kia first entered the U.S. market they needed that ten year 100,000 mile power train warranty to get folks to trust them. Honda extended their power train warranty to five years and 60,000 miles from their original three year thirty thousand miles in an attempt to compete. In the past Honda has extended their warranty on the sixth generation Accord transmissions which had a known defect. Their power train warranty is a good selling tool.

 

[Accord2014LX]

Infotainment systems and what the press says is the least of my worries when making a decision to purchase a vehicle. Reliability, comfort, styling, ease of servicing and out the door price is what sells me. See how much a used Optima will be worth in 10 years compared to an Accord, that is if the Optima is still running.

 

[enne]

^ This.

 

[acutee]

Good to know. I like to see more competitors catching up giving consumers more options to choose from. The bad part about Korean cars, Warranty is not Transferable.

 

[MikeNC]

Admittedly I've never owned a Kia but of the people I know who have them, I am not impressed with the companies reputation for reliability. They all seem to have had to take their cars in multiple times for warranty covered repairs. USNews and others consistently rate Kia sedans well below Accord in reliability. To me, many of the things car reviewers seem to emphasize are pure trivia and not at all important when cinsidering different automobile manufacturers.

 

[BenzAccord]

Infotainment systems and what the press says is the least of my worries when making a decision to purchase a vehicle. Reliability, comfort, styling, ease of servicing and out the door price is what sells me. See how much a used Optima will be worth in 10 years compared to an Accord, that is if the Optima is still running.

Taking this a step further, remember the first Consumer Reports ratings on the 9 Gen when they first came out? They actually had the V6 models as unreliable primarily because there were problems with the infotainment system. I admit that it's a nuisance, but a problem with the infotainment system isn't going to leave you stranded.

 

[karfreek]

Meh. I buy a car because I like it, not because a bunch of people at a website like it.

Jay

 

[200366HFP]

It just goes to show, people are WAAAAAAY too involved with things other than driving, when even KBB puts that up as a deciding factor. Sad really.

 

[Bizz01]

Doesn't matter how much they compare the two to me. They look nice, and I'm sure a brand new one would feel nice, but in the end it's still a KIA, and in the end I still wouldn't buy one.

 

[1accord]

It just goes to show, people are WAAAAAAY too involved with things other than driving, when even KBB puts that up as a deciding factor. Sad really.

Well not really they said everything else about the Accord is excellent. And the volume issue would not relate to the LX and Sport models. And I definitely have read and seen YouTube reviews of many people wanting a stand alone volume knob. I know I did.

 

[Tank]

These days CR and Kelley are obsessed over infotainment systems in cars. I am more concerned over power train.

 

[breds2k]

Just bought new cars for my fiancé and myself at the same time had two dieing chevys.


Chose Honda after a long talk with my father, he drives and accord and my mother drives a fit, both say they are fantastic.


I chose the Accord just as a simple and reliable option, and chose the fit because it really is an amazing little car to fit stuff in.


Looked at the Optima and the Soul and couldn't justify the loans we wanted with the depreciation the cars have just 1-3 years later.

 

[kyden]

lol volume knob. I never use the damn thing, 99% of the time i use the steering wheel control.

 

[karfreek]

The lack of a volume knob doesn't seem to be an issue in my wife's 2015 CRV EX but it must be important to the KBB editors. After all, the driver can control the volume from the steering wheel controls. And most tech savvy kids can figure out how to change the volume on the radio head touch controls.

Volume knob allows you to quickly kill the audio (push to turn off power) or turn it down without removing your eyes from the road. Honda knows better, everyone griped in the late 80s when volume knobs started to disappear the first time. Some functions need a knob, Volume is one of them.

Jay

 

[kyden]

There's a physical power button and steering wheel controls. The gripe about a knob is ridiculous. I'm more upset at the lack of a pause button really.

 

[salcuta]

...but in the end it's still a KIA, and in the end I still wouldn't buy one.

What is that supposed to mean? A name brand is more important to you than reliability and what the car has to offer? The 10year/100k miles warranty is unbeatable right now. Things evolve, they get better.

 

[Bizz01]

I would rather purchase a vehicle with known and trued reliability and shorter warranty, then unknown reliability with 100k warranty. To me a 100k warranty doesn't mean anything else except the manufacturer doesn't have faith in their product, and they needed it to get people to start purchasing them. It's a cry for help in my opinion. Still would not purchase one for the warranty alone. I'd rather have a vehicle that is reliable and doesn't need a 100k warranty to get people to buy them. I feel the same about Hyundai, in my experience they are pretty to look at, but junk in the end. No offense. BTW KIA has not been around long enough to be considered reliable IMO.

 

[ousooner2]

What is that supposed to mean? A name brand is more important to you than reliability and what the car has to offer? The 10year/100k miles warranty is unbeatable right now. Things evolve, they get better.

10yr/100k: Powertrain
5yr/60k: B-2-B

That's great and all, but if it's in the shop constantly, quality of materials aren't as nice, power sucks, resale value sucks, etc then there's definitely reasons to go elsewhere. Just because it's covered under warranty doesn't mean much. Another car with no warranty, but doesn't need any warranty work will give you less hassle (dealership time, loaners, etc) than a vehicle that's under warranty, but in the shop consistently. Obviously some will be in the shop more and some won't, but I assume you get my point.