[geesedude]

I was just browsing through the Honda site today, and wanted to check out the latest '17 Accord V6. As you may be aware, the V6 is not going to be part of the 10th gen Accords.

And the thing that kinda bothers me is that, while it's now a 3.5L V6, it only has 38 more horses (278 hp) and 40 more lb-ft torque (252) than my 2004 3.0L V6. On top of that, it's MPG is same/worse, which i suppose is expected with the bigger engine... but isn't 13, 14 years of engineering this engine should have more gain and efficiency than this? I can understand if the MPG was a good few miles better, and it gave up some power due to that, but that's not even the case. The Nissan 3.5L V6 gets 300 horses and 261 lb-ft torque in comparison, with similar MPG, for about the same price. The Acura RLX 3.5L V6 engine produces 310 hp, 272 torque with similar MPG. I would have loved to see an Accord engine with 300 horses and more torque, personally! But that is not to be... for the foreseeable future for Accords. At least not for naturally aspirated engines.

In the end, I guess i'm kinda disappointed and it doesn't give me any motivation to want to buy a 9th gen Accord down the road with this V6 engine. I'll gladly stick with my '04 for now, thank you.

 

[salcuta]

Just get a 50k Civic Type R. 270 horses ain't bad at all.

 

[Choochoo123]

i'm with you on this. Just imagine my surprise (disappointment) when I discovered our 2010 Odyssey delivers the same MPG as my parents 1990 Chrysler Gran Voyager did....

 

[drowned12]

Honda makes bulletproof engines, they're not in the business of pushing the boundaries of maximum power output.

They also like leaving meat on the bone for the Acura lineup.

A car is more than just its engine too.

EDIT: Also, that Nissan engine requires premium fuel.

 

[UnknownJinX]

I think another factor is that Acura vehicles tend to be AWD, while Nissan's V6 is put in 370Z(RWD).

Accord is FWD without LSD; it's pointless having crap tons of power. It will just go up in tire smoke anyways.

 

[mbk734]

The Accord is a family sedan. Honda seems to prioritize fuel economy and intuitive, simple, quality features over horsepower. Plenty of Muscle/Sports cars out there if that's what you want.

 

[geesedude]

I think another factor is that Acura vehicles tend to be AWD, while Nissan's V6 is put in 370Z(RWD).

Accord is FWD without LSD; it's pointless having crap tons of power. It will just go up in tire smoke anyways.

Well, but wouldn't you want more power at hand if all else is the same? Isn't it the same reason why honda owners mod their cars, so they can have a few more horses under the hood? Also, i'd be very interested in an accord that had AWD, to be honest. I'd pay more for that, as well as a 300 hp V6 option.

 

[geesedude]

The Accord is a family sedan. Honda seems to prioritize fuel economy and intuitive, simple, quality features over horsepower. Plenty of Muscle/Sports cars out there if that's what you want.

But that's the thing, isn't it - these other engines have the same fuel economy but offers more power. One can argue that the Nissan engine may not be as reliable, but then you have the Acura engine which, you'd assume has just as good or better reliability since they're both honda engines. In the end, it comes down to COST, that Honda is offering less, for less, or want to drive you to buy a more expensive Acura instead. I'd pay more for a 300 hp V6 option in my accord, certainly, but i'm not gonna pay almost twice as much to get it, as it's the case with the RLX. I think there's just a big price gap there, one which may dissuade people from buying a honda and go elsewhere for better bang for buck.

 

[UnknownJinX]

Well, but wouldn't you want more power at hand if all else is the same? Isn't it the same reason why honda owners mod their cars, so they can have a few more horses under the hood? Also, i'd be very interested in an accord that had AWD, to be honest. I'd pay more for that, as well as a 300 hp V6 option.

If you drive an 8th Gen V6, you will know how easy it is to spin the wheels. Doesn't take much, even with the tall gears on the 5AT.

For a RWD with LSD, yeah, more power. For a V6 Accord, not so much.

But that's the thing, isn't it - these other engines have the same fuel economy but offers more power. One can argue that the Nissan engine may not be as reliable, but then you have the Acura engine which, you'd assume has just as good or better reliability since they're both honda engines. In the end, it comes down to COST, that Honda is offering less, for less, or want to drive you to buy a more expensive Acura instead. I'd pay more for a 300 hp V6 option in my accord, certainly, but i'm not gonna pay almost twice as much to get it, as it's the case with the RLX. I think there's just a big price gap there, one which may dissuade people from buying a honda and go elsewhere for better bang for buck.

Acura engines are tuned to take 91 Octane minimum. In Canada, that's 20 cent more per litre of gas. It adds up.

Sent via MHA-L29. Whatever.

 

[boring 08 EX]

So you are saying that you WILL pay more for the extra horsepower, but you WILL NOT pay a lot for it. You want the 300 hp but you want it on the cheap, you sir, are a customer tailor made for a NISSAN. LOL Look beyond the numbers, go and drive a 9th gen car, see for yourself if the improvements are worth it to you. 38 horsepower may not sound like much on paper, but in the real world is a different story.

 

[08EX-L]

Sometimes peak HP does not tell the whole story. Look at the 9th Gen K24. It went from 190HP in the 8th gen to 185HP/189hp in the 9th yet the mid-range power/torque is much higher than previous generations. The 2.4L 6MT is as almost as fast to 60 as the non-VTEC 3.5L 5AT in the 8th gen sedan. That's progress.

If progress was only about power then we'd have 500hp mini-vans. Most manufactures aim for a particular number like 200 (think civic Si for years) and don't go much higher even if the engine improves in efficiency and use-able power.

The J series is an old engine though. They should have added DOHC and made it a monster... but turbo motors are the way of the future I guess.

 

[autofiend]

The J series is an old engine though. They should have added DOHC and made it a monster... but turbo motors are the way of the future I guess.

The SOHC format makes the engine much more compact therefore more flexible for Honda's applications.

 

[autofiend]

So you are saying that you WILL pay more for the extra horsepower, but you WILL NOT pay a lot for it. You want the 300 hp but you want it on the cheap, you sir, are a customer tailor made for a NISSAN. LOL Look beyond the numbers, go and drive a 9th gen car, see for yourself if the improvements are worth it to you. 38 horsepower may not sound like much on paper, but in the real world is a different story.

Agree: paper definitely doesn't tell the whole story. The J35y is a fantastic motor IMO. Torque just about everywhere, good horsepower in the upper register, smoothness and a great sound. Fuel mileage can be quite good too if one keeps their foot in check.

The VQ Nissan motors are torquey but lack the refinement of the J35 IMO.

 

[ethan2014]

Agree with 08EX-L about 500 hp minivans. I believe most engineers of car engines and the horsepower they can produce are also part-time test drivers for thier own concept cars. They undetstand driving dynamics and their limits well.

When cars exceeded 300 to 400+ horsepower they can easily become difficult to keep under control for the average driver. Throw in bad weather and front wheel drive then more and more serious accidents would definitely occur with such powerful cars.

I read that during the investigation of how Paul Walker died, the Porshe was too powerful for the driver he was riding along with as the car lost control and hit a pole. I forgot the name of the driver but he was a professional racecar driver.

 

[autofiend]

I read that during the investigation of how Paul Walker died, the Porshe was too powerful for the driver he was riding along with as the car lost control and hit a pole. I forgot the name of the driver but he was a professional racecar driver.

I think that crash had much to do with old tires if I'm not mistaken.

 

[enne]

When cars exceeded 300 to 400+ horsepower they can easily become difficult to keep under control for the average driver. Throw in bad weather and front wheel drive then more and more serious accidents would definitely occur with such powerful cars.

This. Give a 300+ HP car to someone who is used to driving a 150 HP car and see how their driving habits immediately change.

Also, I don't think most people have any idea how much HP their car uses vs how much HP it has.

 

[RickBlaine]

Reminds me of my Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo (Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4) and the community I was a part of before my Accord. Stock, those cars put out 320 hp with a 6 speed manual transmission and AWD. Very easy to modify it with a simple boost controller to put out 360 hp. For under $1,000, you could have 400 hp and it was still reliable and "streetable" with good manners.

The problem is depreciation.....as time marched on, these $50,000 cars were being re-sold for as little as $8,000. That is when all heck broke loose. Suddenly high schoolers with idiotic "cool" parents were getting these cars and wrecking them.

In my own local Chicagoland 3si club (3000/Stealth International) we were losing 2-3 teen members a YEAR due to street racing Evos and WRXs and dying while doing it. Another 4-5 a year were wrecked with no deaths, but seeing an 18 year old with a permanent disability is jarring.

Older drivers will have more driving experience (be it good or bad)- but unless you are tracking your ride, how much hp do you need on an American street? And at which power band?

The future will not be gasoline engines- it will be hybrids and all out battery powered rides. Will be interesting to see how manufacturers allow parents to "de-tune" these battery-powered rides when desired. I can only imagine the lobbying and influence of the insurance industry to make that financially desirable.

I know I went away from the topic here, I am sorry. I am all for hp. What I am not for is cars with loud exhausts racing around suburbia at 2 am. Those drivers should be forcefully removed from their cars, beaten, then deported same night.

 

[dfwxjer]

This is all good to know.

You don't have the means to buy a new car, so you did the next best thing. Rationalized why your 14 year old car is better. Well done.

 

[geesedude]

This is all good to know.

You don't have the means to buy a new car, so you did the next best thing. Rationalized why your 14 year old car is better. Well done.

And it's obvious to me that you READ it that way because you own a 9th gen. And are you really measuring people's economic standing by the newness of Accords that they own? Oh, for certain you must be a wealth guy since you have TWO Hondas. Good for you man! Lol.

 

[geesedude]

So you are saying that you WILL pay more for the extra horsepower, but you WILL NOT pay a lot for it. You want the 300 hp but you want it on the cheap, you sir, are a customer tailor made for a NISSAN. LOL Look beyond the numbers, go and drive a 9th gen car, see for yourself if the improvements are worth it to you. 38 horsepower may not sound like much on paper, but in the real world is a different story.

Well, i like Accords and how they're built. I have no desire to buy a Nissan (never had) just for the sake of having a 300 hp engine. I guess i'm saying that instead of having to spend 60K and get this in an Acura, i would've liked to see somewhere in the middle where i can get a more powerful engine in an accord for more. And yes, you're right and to be fair, i've never driven a 9th gen, and i'm sure it's great and all. The HP difference was something i noticed while browsing through the honda site (and i haven't been there in a while), and just kinda making a commentary in that regard. By no means am i saying that accords are bad cars.