[Hogan773]

So after much researching and chatting here, I got over to the dealer tonight. Spent a fair bit of time sitting in the showroom model, as well as walked the lot to really just stand and stare at the car from all angles, and to see the different colors. These are my thoughts FWIW....

EXTERIOR: Overall pretty nice. Not perfect IMO but I guess most cars these days aren't.

-The taillights are fine although I don't love the way they wrap outside the trunk line.

- I personally hate the little chrome strip on the very bottom of the rear bumper. Cheesy. I also would much much prefer that the door handles were NOT chrome. Body color, please. Why are we accentuating the door handles here? Or is it just cheaper to stock 1 color of door handle for all models.....

- WHAT IS WITH the giant chrome tailpipe cover especially on the EXL I'd be most likely to get --- it has a SINGLE exhaust so why they are drawing the eye to that imbalance, I'll never understand. Plus I looked up under the left wheelwell and it's like a strange giant empty cavity where the other muffler is supposed to go....odd.

INTERIOR: Looks high quality. Not sure what that brownish woodish metalish trim is supposed to be. WORLD'S LARGEST CLOCK on the bigger upper screen...kinda weird. Rear seats nice and large. Trunk passthrough is quite small and oval in since - odd.

DRIVING AND OVERALL CONCLUSION:

First off, the dealer I hit has a very short test drive route (like most do) so I got to drive it about 1.5 miles on side streets. Not an extensive test. Before I pull the trigger I'd need to do more and also get on the highway.

CVT was nice and smooth and I didn't notice any weird rubber bandness or anything. If you had told me it was an automatic I probably wouldn't have questioned you.

STEERING was nice and smooth. Didn't seem floaty. Not quite as rock solid as my old BMW but very acceptable.

Overall, I am now a bit conflicted. Trying to think of the right analogy. It's like I was looking forward to this date for the past week, and the girl was very nice, courteous, funny, and decent looking (7 out of 10). She has a steady job, she likes the same kind of movies I do. It was a pleasant date. And yet I am not lying awake with my mind running, trying to resist the urge to call her right now. Not saying she was Camry boring, but she now has me sort of rethinking my decision to leave my current girlfriend who can be a real b&tch sometimes but somehow has a certain chemistry.

Some of this is specific to my personal situation of course. My wife will be the primary driver of this car, and she has a short commute. So I keep waffling as to when is the right time to dump my 2002 BMW 3 series. It pains me when things need fixing, but I can also go a year or more without issue, too. I start to wonder whether it is really necessary to spend $26k on a brand new car so my wife can drive it 5 miles a day.

I dunno - on paper the Accord is still my top choice and I might still push ahead and get it, but I'm a little disappointed that I don't have that fire inside, that lust that says "price, logic, whatever be damned...I just know I want this car!" I had that excitement in doing my internet research, and there admittedly wasn't anything really wrong with the car. I'm gonna go do a look and drive on a Mazda 6 and see how that feels, although in my heart I think I'd rather marry a Honda than a Mazda for the next 8 to 10 years.

 

[vh2k]

If you think that is a clock, you had an incompetent sales person assisting you.

 

[jakabony]

I recommend checking out the Sport trim. It adds quite a bit of bang for your buck and adds a lot to the fun factor.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[will2drive]

You should keep the BMW and see what offerings Honda may have in the future. My guess is that if it really hasn't moved you in a spirited direction currently, I think that many second guessing will most likely plague you post sale. I wouldn't exactly describe my enthusiasm as "love at first sight" sort of appeal, but there's enough there that I know it will keep my interest. I think mainly I just wanted my first Honda, hearing from friends that are Honda fans. With that said, my only BMW really didn't float my boat. I liked the looks, style, and handling, but wasn't quite everything I expected. I had thought about a trade up to the 5 series but got sidetracked along the way, never materialized. Good luck with your decision, it's good you're seemingly thorough.

 

[Hogan773]

You should keep the BMW and see what offerings Honda may have in the future. My guess is that if it really hasn't moved you in a spirited direction currently, I think that many second guessing will most likely plague you post sale. I wouldn't exactly describe my enthusiasm as "love at first sight" sort of appeal, but there's enough there that I know it will keep my interest. I think mainly I just wanted my first Honda, hearing from friends that are Honda fans. With that said, my only BMW really didn't float my boat. I liked the looks, style, and handling, but wasn't quite everything I expected. I had thought about a trade up to the 5 series but got sidetracked along the way, never materialized. Good luck with your decision, it's good you're seemingly thorough.

Yeah, I haven't decided against the Honda and I probably will work my way around to it. I did like the car and it drove well. Need to get it out on the highway and do a proper test drive. I know the dealers dont want to waste miles but driving a car around the block once isn't really a great test drive.

The Accord seems a good value.... Would I like to change a few things on the interior and exterior, yes, but they're not something I couldn't get used to.

As for the "clock".....yes I saw that you can show radio on that screen or mileage.

As for the single exhaust...I'd almost consider unbolting that chrome exhaust tip, or does anyone sell a black one that would match if I got a black car?

As for the Sport - having 3 kids under 10, leather just cleans up better so I think I need to go EXL.

As for the "lust"....well let's say I was excited when I bought my new Odyssey 3 years ago, and I've been very satisfied with it and still like it a lot. I probably never lusted after that one either. Honda is a good safe choice and that is why I've owned 4 other Hondas in my life.

As for waiting for the future - it's an option but it will be another 4 or 5 years till the next Accord. This one is "pretty close" for me and certainly better than the last two incarnations that didn't really grab me at all. I could easily see myself owning this car.

 

[ObsidianEX-L]

Ask the dealer for a longer drive. When I tested the car, the seat didn't feel comfortable to me. I have back issues from a car accident back in the 90s. Anyway I couldn't get the driver seat comfortable throughout my 10 minute, 4 mile test drive. I asked the dealer if I could drive the vehicle another time for a longer period. They were more than happy to allow me. I drove it about 45 mins. and a total of maybe 15 miles (suburban).

Good luck on your decision!

 

[Motocrafted_7.5]

So after much researching and chatting here, I got over to the dealer tonight. Spent a fair bit of time sitting in the showroom model, as well as walked the lot to really just stand and stare at the car from all angles, and to see the different colors. These are my thoughts FWIW....

EXTERIOR:

-The taillights I don't love the way they wrap outside the trunk line. I absolutely hate the wrap around tails not to be outdone by the bulge right when the tail lights wrap around and this has dealt a death blow for the sedan for me. The 8.5 gen's guys were swapping in 8th gen tails that did not have the bulge. The coupe's tails are Pontiac/geo storm trash

- I personally hate the little chrome strip on the very bottom of the rear bumper. Cheesy. I also would much much prefer that the door handles were NOT chrome. Body color, please. Why are we accentuating the door handles here? Or is it just cheaper to stock 1 color of door handle for all models.....

- WHAT IS WITH the giant chrome tailpipe cover especially on the EXL I'd be most likely to get --- it has a SINGLE exhaust so why they are drawing the eye to that imbalance, I'll never understand. Plus I looked up under the left wheelwell and it's like a strange giant empty cavity where the other muffler is supposed to go....odd.

INTERIOR: Not sure what that brownish woodish metalish trim is supposed to be. WORLD'S LARGEST CLOCK on the bigger upper screen...kinda weird. Rear seats nice and large. Trunk passthrough is quite small and oval in since - odd.
DRIVING AND OVERALL CONCLUSION:

First off, the dealer I hit has a very short test drive route (like most do) so I got to drive it about 1.5 miles on side streets. Not an extensive test. Before I pull the trigger I'd need to do more and also get on the highway.


STEERING Not quite as rock solid as my old BMW
Overall, I am now a bit conflicted.

Some of this is specific to my personal situation of course. My wife will be the primary driver of this car, and she has a short commute. So I keep waffling as to when is the right time to dump my 2002 BMW 3 series. It pains me when things need fixing, but I can also go a year or more without issue, too. I start to wonder whether it is really necessary to spend $26k on a brand new car so my wife can drive it 5 miles a day.

I dunno - I'm a little disappointed that I don't have that fire inside, that lust that says "price, logic, whatever be damned... I'm gonna go do a look and drive on a Mazda 6 and see how that feels, .

All these are signs you should not buy and it is so obvious after listing off the profuse negative and undesirable feedback above. Needless to say, you do not want to drop 30 large they want for this rigged up lawn mower.

These are Hard times and brothers who are capable of telling it like it is say "Can't do it man" Your wife needs a Vespa at best if she is commuting 5 miles :lmao:

 

[Rocket_man]

Some of this is specific to my personal situation of course. My wife will be the primary driver of this car, and she has a short commute. So I keep waffling as to when is the right time to dump my 2002 BMW 3 series. It pains me when things need fixing, but I can also go a year or more without issue, too. I start to wonder whether it is really necessary to spend $26k on a brand new car so my wife can drive it 5 miles a day.
I dunno - on paper the Accord is still my top choice and I might still push ahead and get it, but I'm a little disappointed that I don't have that fire inside, that lust that says "price, logic, whatever be damned...I just know I want this car!" I had that excitement in doing my internet research, and there admittedly wasn't anything really wrong with the car. I'm gonna go do a look and drive on a Mazda 6 and see how that feels, although in my heart I think I'd rather marry a Honda than a Mazda for the next 8 to 10 years.

So you are gracious enough to buy your wife a new car to drive, but she has no opinion of the car you are going to get her? What does it matter if you don't like it? Does she like it? If this is purely your decision, I'd get her a nice used car and tell her it is better than walking and don't worry about it.

 

[MN_Runner]

so my wife can drive it 5 miles a day.

If your wife is going to do 5 miles a day, I would not get an Honda I-4 Direct Injection engine. It is not an idea driving condition for multi-port fuel injection, but it is worse for direct injection set up. If you like 9th gen Accord, get the V6.

 

[Intrepid1]

Lets stop goofing around. You know what you want. Get her a new BMW! :thmsup:

 

[Flyboy]

If your wife is going to do 5 miles a day, I would not get an Honda I-4 Direct Injection engine. It is not an idea driving condition for multi-port fuel injection, but it is worse for direct injection set up. If you like 9th gen Accord, get the V6.

I have no idea why you say that direct injection is different from multiport for short distances. Where is your proof?

 

[Mick the Quick]

A 5 mile commute? A plug-in like Nissan Leaf would be perfect for her! You can get 24 or 36 month lease for $200 per month! Ask Il Kings here.

Mick

 

[bigdanbo]

So after much researching and chatting here, I got over to the dealer tonight. Spent a fair bit of time sitting in the showroom model, as well as walked the lot to really just stand and stare at the car from all angles, and to see the different colors. These are my thoughts FWIW....

EXTERIOR: Overall pretty nice. Not perfect IMO but I guess most cars these days aren't.

-The taillights are fine although I don't love the way they wrap outside the trunk line.

- I personally hate the little chrome strip on the very bottom of the rear bumper. Cheesy. I also would much much prefer that the door handles were NOT chrome. Body color, please. Why are we accentuating the door handles here? Or is it just cheaper to stock 1 color of door handle for all models.....

- WHAT IS WITH the giant chrome tailpipe cover especially on the EXL I'd be most likely to get --- it has a SINGLE exhaust so why they are drawing the eye to that imbalance, I'll never understand. Plus I looked up under the left wheelwell and it's like a strange giant empty cavity where the other muffler is supposed to go....odd.

INTERIOR: Looks high quality. Not sure what that brownish woodish metalish trim is supposed to be. WORLD'S LARGEST CLOCK on the bigger upper screen...kinda weird. Rear seats nice and large. Trunk passthrough is quite small and oval in since - odd.

DRIVING AND OVERALL CONCLUSION:

First off, the dealer I hit has a very short test drive route (like most do) so I got to drive it about 1.5 miles on side streets. Not an extensive test. Before I pull the trigger I'd need to do more and also get on the highway.

CVT was nice and smooth and I didn't notice any weird rubber bandness or anything. If you had told me it was an automatic I probably wouldn't have questioned you.

STEERING was nice and smooth. Didn't seem floaty. Not quite as rock solid as my old BMW but very acceptable.

Overall, I am now a bit conflicted. Trying to think of the right analogy. It's like I was looking forward to this date for the past week, and the girl was very nice, courteous, funny, and decent looking (7 out of 10). She has a steady job, she likes the same kind of movies I do. It was a pleasant date. And yet I am not lying awake with my mind running, trying to resist the urge to call her right now. Not saying she was Camry boring, but she now has me sort of rethinking my decision to leave my current girlfriend who can be a real b&tch sometimes but somehow has a certain chemistry.

Some of this is specific to my personal situation of course. My wife will be the primary driver of this car, and she has a short commute. So I keep waffling as to when is the right time to dump my 2002 BMW 3 series. It pains me when things need fixing, but I can also go a year or more without issue, too. I start to wonder whether it is really necessary to spend $26k on a brand new car so my wife can drive it 5 miles a day.

I dunno - on paper the Accord is still my top choice and I might still push ahead and get it, but I'm a little disappointed that I don't have that fire inside, that lust that says "price, logic, whatever be damned...I just know I want this car!" I had that excitement in doing my internet research, and there admittedly wasn't anything really wrong with the car. I'm gonna go do a look and drive on a Mazda 6 and see how that feels, although in my heart I think I'd rather marry a Honda than a Mazda for the next 8 to 10 years.

So why are you posting all this anyway?

 

[mdreibelbis]

DRIVING AND OVERALL CONCLUSION:

First off, the dealer I hit has a very short test drive route (like most do) so I got to drive it about 1.5 miles on side streets. Not an extensive test. Before I pull the trigger I'd need to do more and also get on the highway.

The salesman I bought mine from just gave me the fob and said to have at it - my wife and I went alone on the ride. In fact he didn't even ask to make a copy of my license.

 

[Hogan773]

So you are gracious enough to buy your wife a new car to drive, but she has no opinion of the car you are going to get her? What does it matter if you don't like it? Does she like it? If this is purely your decision, I'd get her a nice used car and tell her it is better than walking and don't worry about it.

She isn't really a car person and won't take time to go looking and researching cars herself. I need to narrow the list to one or a few choices and then she can help decide. But I also will be a driver of it, and an owner/fixer of it, and I'm not gonna just let her go buy some Pontiac Aztec just because she is the "primary driver"

We already have a nice used car, it is called our 2002 BMW.

 

[Hogan773]

If your wife is going to do 5 miles a day, I would not get an Honda I-4 Direct Injection engine. It is not an idea driving condition for multi-port fuel injection, but it is worse for direct injection set up. If you like 9th gen Accord, get the V6.

I don't get this - please expand. Why would I want lower mileage in order to have 270 hp on tap that we will not often use on the 35-45mph streets this car will drive on?

Lets stop goofing around. You know what you want. Get her a new BMW! :thmsup:

Nope, I don't want a brand new BMW. Too friggin expensive and to me they don't offer enough of an increase in looks or performance in the current models. Plus they are more expensive to maintain (from personal experience)

A 5 mile commute? A plug-in like Nissan Leaf would be perfect for her! You can get 24 or 36 month lease for $200 per month! Ask Il Kings here.

Mick

Nope - I really don't like the tree-hugger cars like Leaf and Prius. One of the reasons to "upgrade" from our current 2002 BMW is to get a rear seat that is larger and could hold 3 kids --- 2 carseats and someone in the middle. The BMW is a little snug! We mostly use the Odyssey for full family stuff but there are times where we might be using the "other car" and currently the "other car" is getting snug as the kids grow. Leaf and Prius aren't gonna help on this.

So why are you posting all this anyway?

I dunno friend, why does anyone post anything on message boards? Because I'm interested in others' feedback, and also there might be someone else who is also looking at a Honda Accord and might be interested in someone's assessment. Why did you post a bunch of stuff about a stupid orange Accord?

 

[steve88]

If I were you, I'm not sure I would buy it then. You know what they say about your gut never lies. It sounds to me like your gut instinct is saying "this $26K car is not really blowing me out of the water...why do I want to buy it?" I've ignored my gut instinct on more than one occasion in my life and I always (ALWAYS) regretted it later. :thumbsdow

So, maybe test drive the Mazda6 and sleep on it for a few days? I'd also find another dealer to let you test drive the Accord at highway speeds. My dealer let me drive my car for 12 miles and part of that was on the freeway. If they're not willing to let you drive it on the freeway, I wouldn't buy from that dealer.

After having driven one of the best handling cars in the business for the past 10+ years, it's not surprising that an Accord didn't really wow you. to be honest with you, I was looking at a BMW, Mercedes, and Volvo before I bought my Accord. There's a small part of me that wonders if I made the right choice or not. The 320xi and CLA-250 were gorgeous cars...great handling, beautiful looks, nice appeal. But when I looked at the big picture (initial price, cost of maintenance, cost of repairs, etc.) the Accord came out on top. No, I didn't get the sexiest and best handling car out there, but I also didn't spend $40K and also end up with a car that will cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road over an 8-10 year period.

By the way, the clock can actually be changed between "large digital, small digital, analog, or blank"...but I hope you don't base your decision solely on that!

Good luck and I'm interested to hear what you think of the Mazda6. I also drove that car and didn't like the seats. They were way to short on the bottom and also thinner than the ones in the Accord. You may like that car as the interior is very BMW-like (air vents and other controls are pretty low, just like a BMW).

 

[Hogan773]

If I were you, I'm not sure I would buy it then. You know what they say about your gut never lies. It sounds to me like your gut instinct is saying "this $26K car is not really blowing me out of the water...why do I want to buy it?" I've ignored my gut instinct on more than one occasion in my life and I always (ALWAYS) regretted it later. :thumbsdow

So, maybe test drive the Mazda6 and sleep on it for a few days? I'd also find another dealer to let you test drive the Accord at highway speeds. My dealer let me drive my car for 12 miles and part of that was on the freeway. If they're not willing to let you drive it on the freeway, I wouldn't buy from that dealer.

After having driven one of the best handling cars in the business for the past 10+ years, it's not surprising that an Accord didn't really wow you. to be honest with you, I was looking at a BMW, Mercedes, and Volvo before I bought my Accord. There's a small part of me that wonders if I made the right choice or not. The 320xi and CLA-250 were gorgeous cars...great handling, beautiful looks, nice appeal. But when I looked at the big picture (initial price, cost of maintenance, cost of repairs, etc.) the Accord came out on top. No, I didn't get the sexiest and best handling car out there, but I also didn't spend $40K and also end up with a car that will cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road over an 8-10 year period.

By the way, the clock can actually be changed between "large digital, small digital, analog, or blank"...but I hope you don't base your decision solely on that!

Good luck and I'm interested to hear what you think of the Mazda6. I also drove that car and didn't like the seats. They were way to short on the bottom and also thinner than the ones in the Accord. You may like that car as the interior is very BMW-like (air vents and other controls are pretty low, just like a BMW).

Very good advice. To be clear, I DID like the Accord. And I totally agree that for me, who is always a "best value seeker" on everything, the Accord is awesome. Good driving characteristics, good relative value vs others, and good reliability.

I haven't made any decisions yet but the Accord wasn't eliminated from anything. I CONFIRMED that it is a car I'd be happy with driving, so I'm happy about that.

I think what it really comes down to is wrestling with when and why to pull the plug on my aging BMW. I've been the sole owner and had lots of fun with it. I've also paid a lot to fix it over the years, and have even done some of that fixing myself. Fortunately (or really unfortunately!) it is still a very driveable car and only has 74K miles, yet it is just getting old and therefore has more and more leaks and potential maintenance issues. It is that very frustrating decision as to when "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" and you just pull the plug on the patient, even if the patient is alert and happy and talking. When the car is working it is fine, but when you are coming up on 12 yrs of ownership, then EVERY EXPENSE feels doubly painful since you sort of see it as "wasted money"......ie "I'm probably not gonna own this car that much longer, so why did I just waste $500 to fix the leaking axle or $750 to fix XYZ, since it's not gonna translate into a higher selling price." I'm not wishing this because it will cost me financially, but a clearer sign of problems with the BMW would make it much more of a "sorry bud, I need a new car and I need a new car NOW, so I will go get myself the best new car for me in the market right now."

Basically I sorta know I need to break up with my current BMW, so I'm thinking of reasons why NOW is the time versus next month or next year or two years from now.

Reason 1: why am I flushing money into the BMW to keep it alive?
Counter-argument: Yeah but you'd spending close to $30,000, with $2000+ per year in depreciation, to avoid paying $500-1000 per year in maintenance.

Reason 2: We could use a bigger car
Counter-argument: None

Reason 3: Fuel efficiency of the Accord will be a major benefit
Counter-argument: None

Reason 4: The Accord will offer me better performance or features than my BMW
Counter-argument: Questionable. Performance is similar, handling probably a bit worse, and while features like keyless entry and backup camera are cool, I don't value them that much.

Basically I would be very happy with the Accord, and if you can't figure it out I'm trying to talk myself into making the switch. I'm probably being way too thoughtful about this.....I should really just say - OUR CURRENT CAR IS GETTING OLD AND WILL KEEP EATING MORE AND MORE MONEY IN MAINTENANCE AND GAS, NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO SELL IT WHILE IT STILL HAS SOME VALUE, I LIKE THE NEW ACCORDS AND THEY ARE A GOOD VALUE, SO LET'S GO SIGN THE CONTRACT!

Once I just make the decision I'm sure I'll be happy with the Accord if that's what I end up with.

And by the way....good news on the CLOCK! I also saw a page in there that said you could load your own wallpapers! Salesman didn't know how to do that and I was not gonna start wasting time on little details like that, but good to know anyway.......

 

[Intrepid1]

Very good advice. To be clear, I DID like the Accord. And I totally agree that for me, who is always a "best value seeker" on everything, the Accord is awesome. Good driving characteristics, good relative value vs others, and good reliability.

I haven't made any decisions yet but the Accord wasn't eliminated from anything. I CONFIRMED that it is a car I'd be happy with driving, so I'm happy about that.

I think what it really comes down to is wrestling with when and why to pull the plug on my aging BMW. I've been the sole owner and had lots of fun with it. I've also paid a lot to fix it over the years, and have even done some of that fixing myself. Fortunately (or really unfortunately!) it is still a very driveable car and only has 74K miles, yet it is just getting old and therefore has more and more leaks and potential maintenance issues. It is that very frustrating decision as to when "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" and you just pull the plug on the patient, even if the patient is alert and happy and talking. When the car is working it is fine, but when you are coming up on 12 yrs of ownership, then EVERY EXPENSE feels doubly painful since you sort of see it as "wasted money"......ie "I'm probably not gonna own this car that much longer, so why did I just waste $500 to fix the leaking axle or $750 to fix XYZ, since it's not gonna translate into a higher selling price." I'm not wishing this because it will cost me financially, but a clearer sign of problems with the BMW would make it much more of a "sorry bud, I need a new car and I need a new car NOW, so I will go get myself the best new car for me in the market right now."

Basically I sorta know I need to break up with my current BMW, so I'm thinking of reasons why NOW is the time versus next month or next year or two years from now.

Reason 1: why am I flushing money into the BMW to keep it alive?
Counter-argument: Yeah but you'd spending close to $30,000, with $2000+ per year in depreciation, to avoid paying $500-1000 per year in maintenance.

Reason 2: We could use a bigger car
Counter-argument: None

Reason 3: Fuel efficiency of the Accord will be a major benefit
Counter-argument: None

Reason 4: The Accord will offer me better performance or features than my BMW
Counter-argument: Questionable. Performance is similar, handling probably a bit worse, and while features like keyless entry and backup camera are cool, I don't value them that much.

Basically I would be very happy with the Accord, and if you can't figure it out I'm trying to talk myself into making the switch. I'm probably being way too thoughtful about this.....I should really just say - OUR CURRENT CAR IS GETTING OLD AND WILL KEEP EATING MORE AND MORE MONEY IN MAINTENANCE AND GAS, NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO SELL IT WHILE IT STILL HAS SOME VALUE, I LIKE THE NEW ACCORDS AND THEY ARE A GOOD VALUE, SO LET'S GO SIGN THE CONTRACT!

Once I just make the decision I'm sure I'll be happy with the Accord if that's what I end up with.

And by the way....good news on the CLOCK! I also saw a page in there that said you could load your own wallpapers! Salesman didn't know how to do that and I was not gonna start wasting time on little details like that, but good to know anyway.......

Hey there,

It appears that your heart and mind are go for an accord?

Seems that your ego can't pull the trigger?

Just do it then. You will feel so much better! :thmsup:

 

[9thgenblackv6]

Hey there,

It appears that your heart and mind are go for an accord?

Seems that your ego can't pull the trigger?

Just do it then. You will feel so much better! :thmsup:

You really cant brag about owning a 12 year old bimmer lol. It's been in ghetto used car lots for 3-4 years.aranoid: