[Heke]

My car was totaled last Wednesday. The only car I am interested in purchasing is an Accord with factory navigation, the only one meeting those standards that I can find in my area, is an Accord Hybrid. I was wondering if there were any common problems with them? I have yet to test drive this car (it’s in the body shop, having a small ding in the door fixed) and was wondering if it should drive the same as a regular Accord, or is the feel different. Any, HAH owners on this forum that can offer any comments or advice as to whether I should consider purchasing?

I have read quite a few reviews and articles, stating that the gas mileage isn’t at all what you would expect from a hybrid, but they all seemed to think the ride was great, but all the articles were from 2006 and I was wondering how they have held up over the years.

I would appreciate any input, I like the car and would really like to purchase it, as long as there aren’t any big flaws.

Thanks

 

[Aviography]

Welcome to DA.

This thread belongs to the 7th Gen forum, and has been moved.

 

[Furple]

From what I have seen it has more power than the V6 and gets slightly better MPG than the 4 cylinder. I guess it would have the same problems as the V6, might want to look those up if you can.

 

[phunctional]

From what I have seen it has more power than the V6 and gets slightly better MPG than the 4 cylinder. I guess it would have the same problems as the V6, might want to look those up if you can.

personally, i think you should steer away from the hybrids.. i remember people talking about all kinds of crazy complicated problems with components of the hybrid system, and battery. and also, just the fact of why were the accord hybrids discontinued makes me wonder

 

[SatinSilver]

I'd avoid it since its so complex and the older its gets the more that can go wrong. There was a guy on here with one. He constantly complained about the power. Depending on different conditions like temperature sometimes it would get better.

 

[DeeAgeaux]

personally, i think you should steer away from the hybrids.. i remember people talking about all kinds of crazy complicated problems with components of the hybrid system, and battery. and also, just the fact of why were the accord hybrids discontinued makes me wonder

Ditto. Stay away.

 

[Heke]

Thanks for the input guys. Sounds like I should keep on looking, darn I was really hoping that it would work out

 

[jeffislouie]

The Accord Hybrid was not discontinued due to any problems it had. It was discontinued because sales did not meet expectations. The Accord V6 Hybrid gave V6 power with 4 cylinder fuel economy with added power. The hybrid was faster than stock V6's. The reason it didn't sell as well was that it cost a few grand more than the gas V6 and only returned around 2 MPG better than the gas V6 and 1 MPG better than the gas 4 cyl, making it a hybrid built only to improve acceleration without much actual mileage increases.
For the record, all hybrid vehicles suffer a bit in cold weather. The car wasn't discontinued because it was complex, problematic, or otherwise bad. The market was confused. Confused markets don't buy. They couldn't tout it as a gas saver due to the minimal efficiency boost so they marketed it as a performance machine, which just doesn't make sense to Joe America who believes the word 'Hybrid' MUST mean efficient.
I say test drive it and wait until someone who owns one tells you first hand if he/she has had any issues..... Relying on "some guy said" or "a guy I knew" can be troublesome....

 

[stevencrosbie]

I would not pass on the Hybrid if you can get a good deal. I would not pay a premium for it, but its not a bad car in the least bit.

There are no large scale problems regarding the car. Yes we have one member here who has some issues, but I've never seen anyone else complain about the car and there are quite a few of them on the road.


If it is what you want and you are not paying a premium b/c its a Hybrid, I'd vote get it.

 

[sodaks2k]

You can find some/more info here

 

[jas_s20]

Hey I own an 06 hybrid....its a really good car I haven't had any problems with it yet. I've had it since May of 2006 so far so good! As mentioned above, it does only give you a couple mpg over the v6 but hey, it makes the difference in the end right? and power wise....ya...I rock every other accord off the line. And once again, as mentioned before, it wasn't marketed as every hybrid vehicle is. It was marketed as a performance car, which is one of the reasons it didn't sell as well and as mentioned before it does cost significantly more than the regular v6. I paid $50,000 CDN for mine. I have driven other accords as well and i can say for sure that the stock handling on the hybrids is better than the regular accords. I'm not 100% sure about the suspension but I'm sure its got a different suspension to accommodate the extra weight of the batteries, plus i know it has wider tires. Also, I cant confirm this, but from what I've heard the hybrid accord is the only one that has a trip computer in the navigation system which also displays the consumption. I'm very happy with the car though no problems with it so far n its been almost 4 years.

 

[hillstones]

I would avoid the hybrid. Repair costs to the hybrid system (if ever needed) won't be cheap and it is not worth the 1-2 MPG in gas savings. Also, the Hybrid does not have fold down rear seats because of the Hybrid system. So if you like that feature in your sedan, the Hybrid is not for you.

Honda dropped the Hybrid because the 1-2 MPG in gas savings could not justify the over-inflated sticker price compared to the other models. The Hybrid without Navigation started at just over $30,000. The EX V6 with Navi was a few thousand less. The Hybrid was not significantly faster than the gasoline V6.

 

[Aceman196]

My brother worked for Toyota and said the downside of hybrids was the battery only lasted so many charge cycles. For the Prius the battery pack can cost from $1500 and up just for the battery no labor.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
"Honda offers an eight-year/80,000 mile warranty on the hybrid car batteries it makes."
http://www.ehow.com/about_5349770_lifespan-hybrid-car-battery.html
Found this link

 

[drozzin]

I would say if you are ready to pay some big $$ for fixing it in case of major problem and like the feel of drive then go for it.
Don't expect something super duper of this car. If you will drive it for long enough time you find out the difference.
I had my tranny replaced on warranty at 60000 miles. Plus I had problems with active engine mount control unit which required reprogramming. It did not dump engine vibration properly causing even extra vibration to car's body.
Basically it would be good car if Honda would refine it better and had more hybrid trained mechanics available.

 

[jas_s20]

Don't forget the accord isn't like the prius...the prius you actually need to plug it in to charge the acccord doesn't need to be plugged in. The parts, if needed, will be more expensive for the hybrid but I've had one for almost 4 years now and I haven't had a single problem with anything. Plus, almost ALL of the components are covered if you have purchased the comprehensive warranty on it. I currently don't have it but I do plan on purchasing it soon and once I have done that I will be covered FULLY till 2014 minus a few things which wouldn't be covered on the regular accords either. The batteries are covered for 8 years with the ORIGINAL warranty anyways so if something does happen warranty covers it.

 

[stevencrosbie]

There are no plug in hybrids on the road yet.


As for fixing things, I doubt there is really anyone on this site that has first hand experiences regarding "Fixing" a broken hybrid or replacing a battery.

 

[reb]

I know that the battery on the Nissan Altima (sourced from Toyota) is warranted for 10 yrs. Personally, I did not know Honda had made a Hybrid Accord. I would have to know the drive train/hybrid warranty before I'd buy that '06. That's my advice to the OP.

 

[taylour]

Personally, I did not know Honda had made a Hybrid Accord. I would have to know the drive train/hybrid warranty before I'd buy that '06.

Yep, they made it from 2005-2007 and dropped it due to poor sales.

According to CNET, "The car comes with a three-year/ 36,000-mile warranty, but the hybrid parts are covered for eight years/ 80,000 miles, which is a step up from Toyota's six-year warranty of the Prius's hybrid drivetrain."

 

[Heke]

You can find some/more info here

Thanks! I figured there was a separate area for the hybrids but I guess I didn’t dig enough to find it.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I am still really indecisive about it and I need to make a decision quickly before the insurance company snatches the rental out from under me. I guess I’ll test drive it, take it to a mechanic and see what they say :dunno:

 

[Aceman196]

Don't forget the accord isn't like the prius...the prius you actually need to plug it in to charge the acccord doesn't need to be plugged in. The parts, if needed, will be more expensive for the hybrid but I've had one for almost 4 years now and I haven't had a single problem with anything. Plus, almost ALL of the components are covered if you have purchased the comprehensive warranty on it. I currently don't have it but I do plan on purchasing it soon and once I have done that I will be covered FULLY till 2014 minus a few things which wouldn't be covered on the regular accords either. The batteries are covered for 8 years with the ORIGINAL warranty anyways so if something does happen warranty covers it.

and the milage limitation is?
If it is 80,000 that is weak because I drove like 30,000 in to years.