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Why (Not) the Honda Accord?

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TrueDelta's "Why (Not) This Car?" reviews of the Honda Accord, posted by owners, focus on the information most sought by many car buyers: the reasons to buy (or not buy) the Honda Accord compared to other car models.

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Comparisons: Honda Accord Preferred

Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Exterior styling: Body curves, unique style, different from others. Most of other sedans are either slivers of soap (just like Benz 4 door coup) or look like Inifinity/Nissan/Renault knock offs. Accord has style of its own
Powertrain performance: Very smooth power delivery from 190 HP 4 cylinder engine via very responsive 5 speed transmission. Transmission is not as modern as GM or Ford 6 speed, but works very well. Engine is a gem. Perfect combination of power and economy.
Handling: Extremely balanced steering, small turning circle for front wheel drive car with 17" tires. Smooth road's imperfection absorbency. It handles like a sport luxury car, not 25K one. There is really nothing comparable for this price.
Reliability & durability: It is my 6th Honda. % previous ones gave no reason to suspect anything down the road.
Materials & workmanship: It is Honda. Materials are good and fitted very well.
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Pontiac Vibe: Reasons not to buy
Exterior styling: I bought last generation Vibe because it looked much more stylish then Matrix. However, current Matrix is stylish looking and current Vibe looks like it was designed with an ax and one slob of wood. Not to mention the brand is gone.
Dealership practices: The service department has typical GM attitude: you bought the car it is your problem now. Actually GM now if government problem. In addition there is no dealer: Pontiac is gone.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Handling: I was used to and accepting of the handling of a Town Car. In comparison the V6 Accord has superb handling.
Reliability & durability: Our two previous Hondas gave us exemplary trouble-free driving. In eleven months and 19,000 miles so has this one.
Materials & workmanship: The car's fit and finish are well executed.
Insurance & depreciation: This car's record of lower than average depreciation is a primary reason I bought it. I traded in a Lincoln and received practically nothing for that.
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MINI Cooper: Reasons not to buy
Powertrain performance: The way the CVT in this base model yo-yos trying to "find the right gear" is awful, particularly in hilly or mountainous terrain. Fortunately Cooper discontinued this transmission the year after we bought ours. Too bad for us.
Quietness: We have the convertible which is loud top up or down. This is to be expected. Given how much fun the car is, even with the CVT, the noise is worth it.
Rear seat room & comfort: The rear seat is usable only as a package tray, though it does serve to hold a second carry-on bag.
Cargo capacity & towing: Very little carrying capacity, though that's not the purpose of the car.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Powertrain performance: Strong V6 and 6 speed combination was and is a segment leader in performance.
Brand reputation & image: A Honda is a Honda - the industry standard for durability, resale and economy. At the top of every list or comparo.
Materials & workmanship: Leather seating surfaces and dash materials are simply beter than Nissan, Toyota, Mazda or most American brands.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Reliability & durability: My father has owned an accord for 18 years. My father's 2nd accord, which was the 1st available v6 1995 honda accord, went 10 yrs 190,000 miles w/o ever changing timing belt. We believe in honda accord's. NUFF SAID
Materials & workmanship: The interior in the 08 accord is much better. my dad has an 07 accord & it feels cheap. Closing the doors feels like they're being slammed but they're not. The 2008 doors close quieter. the leather feels much more comfortable in the 2008 than 2007.
Exterior styling: The car is just gorgeous. The v6 is about 2-3000 more but its worth the $$$. You get the chrome accent treatment on the door handles. The 18 in alloy wheels really stand out. The front of the car looks bad a$$. The car's lines & curves remind you of BMW.
Fuel economy: I avg 25 mpg where I live. For a v6 that's good. On the hwy especially long distances i'm getting 29 mpg. The cylinder deactivation really helps with saving gas. Plus the accord has an 18.5 gallon tank. I can go between 450 & 500 miles per fill-up.
Quietness: The v6 has noise cancellation with the audio system while you're driving. Even without the audio the v6 is much quieter than the straight 4. The only time you'll ever hear the engine is if you try to floor it.
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Nissan Altima: Reasons not to buy
Price or payments: When I negotiated for the altima the cheapest the dealership would come down to was just over 25,000. It was the 2.5 sl package (leather, bose stereo, etc. For another 1,400 I bought the accord v6 with the premium stereo, leather, moonroof, etc.
Rear seat room & comfort: The accord coupe has a little more room in the rear. There isn't a whopping advantage but when it comes to coupes an inch or two makes a difference.
Materials & workmanship: Nissan uses cheaper plastics than honda does in their cars for 2008. The look and feel cheap. For a car that is about at least 25000 you shouldn't get really cheap plastic. I expect that on a car that is between 15 and 20,000.
Powertrain performance: The CVT tranny to me is BS. It's noisy!! It struggled in Cali on hills and I just wasn't impressed considering the car was 2g's over the accord. It was hard for me to get the v6 under 28.5k; therefore, no value for the money.
Control design: The altima's control design is simpler than the accord's but it's too damn boring and plain. Reviewers balked at the 08 accord's design for being too "fancy" but once you get to know it, it's just as simple.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Powertrain performance: The 4 cylinder gave adequate performance. The 2008 4 cylinder seems a bit less responsive tan our 2006 Accord but much more responsive than the 08 4 cyl Camry. The 08 4 cyl seems quicker than our 06 Accord for high speed passing.
Handling: The 08 Accord is extremely responsive to the driver's demands. Steering is quick and precise. The 08 handles better than our 06 Accord, and we like that car's handling as well.
Past personal experience: We have owned two 2006 Accords. Our son needed a car so we sold one of them to him We bought the 08 Accord to replace it. We have owned several Hondas in earlier years and have always been very happy with their durability, performance and fuel economy.
Driving position & visibility: The 08 Accord gives an excellent view of the road and all events that could affect the car. We ote no blind spots, and the power driver's seat allows for precise and easy minor positional changes on a lng trip.
Exterior styling: The 08 Accord exterior styling seems more appealing than our 06 Accord. (We like it as well). The 08 attracts more second glances from other driver's than we hae been accustomed to for a while.
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Toyota Camry: Reasons not to buy
Safety & braking: In a one hour test drive it is hared to tell much for sure. The Accord did present a more secure ability to stop on wet pavement. It rained on our test drive day and we felt a more secure braking ability in the Accord than in the Camry.
Powertrain performance: The 08 Camry 4 cylinder performs well but it does not seem to be a match for the Accord, or even for other cars that we test drove in this price and size range, notably the Nissan Altima and Hyundai Sonata.
Handling: The 08 Camry's handling characteristcs di not give us the same sure footed feel that we sensed from the 08 Accord. We have rented Camry's for long trips in 05, and 06 models. Both were 4 cyl. We liked them, and the 08, but not as much as the Accords.
Exterior styling: We preferred the styling of the earlier moder Camry's (05 and 06) to the newer style. This is highly subjective. It is a great car, but we just like the Accord's looks a bit more.
Front seat comfort: Front seat comfort is another subjective measurement. Our experience driving our 06 and 08 Accords has been that we feel little discomfort or back pain during long trips. We did have more such problems with our 05 and 06 rentals, although not severe.
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Comparisons: Honda Accord Not Preferred

Nissan Sentra: Reasons to buy
Interior styling: Leather, very comfortable
Fuel economy: Averaging 33+
Ride smoothness: rides like a mid size car
Audio & nav systems: Rockford Fosgate
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Fuel economy: in the 20's
Audio & nav systems: not enough power
Quietness: Wind noise is horrible
Control design: wind pushes you around like driving a tent
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Volkswagen Passat: Reasons to buy
Powertrain performance: The turbo kicks in fast, great low and high end acceleration.
Materials & workmanship: Fit and finish are superior
Handling: Nimble and fun to drive
Safety & braking: Quick stop with minimal brake fade.
Interior styling: Clean, comfortable
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Powertrain performance: Sluggish
Materials & workmanship: Poor fit and finish. Much lower than my 5 previous Hondas.
Audio & nav systems: Slow performance on Nav system.
Front seat comfort: Backache
Quietness: Very loud road noise
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Kia Rondo: Reasons to buy
Interior styling: good visibility practical
Ride smoothness: smooth ride
Price or payments: bot for 14000 far below other similar cars
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Dealership practices: brought vechicle in for oil change, rotors had visible scrape damage, dealer did not notice result full rotor replacement 1 month later split under warranty
Past personal experience: honda warranty issues
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Hyundai Sonata: Reasons to buy
Ride smoothness: Smoother than the corolla.
Fuel economy: Average 28 mpg with 5-speed stick.
Safety & braking: Brakes 60-0 dry 129 feet,60-0 wet 133. Stability control standard. Good rear crash test results. 54 mph avoidance maneuver. Sources, CR and IIHS.
Discounts & incentives: $14,200 plus tax and tag. New base Sonata with stick.
Quietness: Quieter than my wifes 2005 corolla.
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Discounts & incentives: They are not often or enough.
Exterior styling: Rear end is awful.
Quietness: Too much noise in this price range.
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Subaru Legacy: Reasons to buy
Exterior styling: I like the way it looks. Not attention grabbing as the WRX
Powertrain performance: 243HP AWD Turbo with 45% Front and 55% rear power split and rear LSD? What's not to like? (It's fast)
Interior styling: Leather interior and nav is nice. Stereo leaves much to be desired, but was replaced.
Handling: AWD + sport suspension + Bridgestone RE960's = smile on face of driver. Good firm road feel, it's addicting.
Reliability & durability: Subaru should be pretty reliable if maintained, we'll see how that works out.
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Powertrain performance: It's slow
Handling: too soft
Audio & nav systems: hard to replace, not very good audio
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Single Vehicle Reviews: Honda Accord Pros and Cons

Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Handling: Very tight steering and grip. Wide stance helps/
Brand reputation & image: Speaks for itself.....remains to be seen if it still is.
Reliability & durability: Reputation....Still new I have no personal experience
Exterior styling: Not the run of the mill coupe done from the 4 door. Honda did a nice job with this large coupe.
Materials & workmanship: After owning a Chevy HHR, This car's INITAIL workmanship seems like a Bentley
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Audio & nav systems: Audio system is not up to par with even the Pioneer in the Chevy I had. Speakers distort and rattle.
Fuel economy: Well my bad I chose the 6 cyl......Not Honda's fault. VCM is promising though. Still have not run a full tank through it.
Ride smoothness: Stiff suspension means stiffer ride......I get it.
Interior styling: Center console very busy......Nav would have been a better choice to limit buttons...But at$2000 not worth it.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Exterior styling: Sporty, yet not too aggressive looking.
Powertrain performance: Has good acceleration yet fairly good gas mileage.
Brand reputation & image: Good resale value and good workmanship
Reliability & durability: Seems to appear to be less repair-prone than most in it's class
Safety & braking: Outstanding safety score.
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Quietness: Road noise is somewhat annoying
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Reliability & durability: Proven track record. Have owned other accords
Handling: Feeling of confidence in that the car will do exactly as asked. Road feel
Fuel economy: Car never feels underpowered - in fact will kick from a green light with the best out there, yet return 30 mpg average. Can drive all day for $20
Powertrain performance: Responsive trottle. Engine runs willingly up to the redline. Slickest shifter on the planet in a 5 speed manual. (I test drove others). My daughter commented that she cant feel when I shift. I like the way the gear shifter clicks into gear as if sucked in
Driving position & visibility: No apparent blind spots. Always have a sense of awareness of everyone around - a relaxed driving position is easy to obtain. Can cruise all day without getting tired in the shoulders and arms.
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Exterior styling: Too many creases. Rearend looks like it has a tacked on baseball cap turned backwards. From the front however, killer looks.
Audio & nav systems: Bass too boomy, not deep and rounded. Not easy or maybe impossible to replace the stock unit. May try replacing the deck speakers. Nav - I dont know, dont have one, my Invion works fine.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Exterior styling: Only ok
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Exterior styling: Boring, the same old accord.
Interior styling: Absolutely awful. Older Honda's had great workmanship. The interior on the new accords looks cheap.
Powertrain performance: Sluggish, rough shift.
Materials & workmanship: Again, the car has been "cheapened"
Price or payments: The dealer was terrible. No price break offered or given upon my request. I walked.
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Honda Accord: Reasons to buy
Front seat comfort: Placement and tactile feel.
Brand reputation & image: Nearly as good as toyota for reliability.
Rear seat room & comfort: Lot's of leg room.
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Honda Accord: Reasons not to buy
Exterior styling: Too many creases in the sheet metal.
Discounts & incentives: Weren't any that I saw.
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