I swung into Princeton Honda today to look at the new Accord Sedan.


I test drove both the 4 and the 6 fully loaded.

Some of the nicer features I noticed on the Accord:

Typical Honda Navigation system (excellent) / Bose Entertaninment System.
IPOD adapter plus choice of Sirius or XM Radio Integration.
Bluetooth Phone system with steering wheel controls.
Xenon Headlamps
Heated Seats/Mirrors

Ergonomics:
Out of the Altima and Camry, this car had the most room of the bunch. Driving position was very natural feeling although the steering wheel controls were kinda cheap looking compared to the competition. No keyless system or pushbutton the car looks like it should have one. No big blindspots and great visibility, mirrors were uniquely shaped and perfectly sized. Go sit in the back seat, it's limo like.

Guages, buttons, etc.
Ok what the hell was Honda thinking. Where to start?


Hard to tell from this picture but the navi system is recessed a good 5-6 inches into the dashboard. That big dial system in front of that cluster is the joystick for the system. Now I am a techie and usually very tolerant for cluttered dashboards but holy crap this is one hell of a cluster of buttons/options/climate control/Radio/Navigation. The lettering on the buttons is also grandma sized and when you are driving you will need to pull over to figure this thing out if you have not taken the time to beforehand. When you are driving, the navigation screen feels distant and I found myself looking at it, and not the road. I have navigation in my Jeep GC and it's flush on the dash, close to my eyeline and i just have to glance to see it. The salesman told me this was to accomodate glare but I have never had glare issues on my current navi and if it's too bright you simply close the moonroof. Big disappointment on the dash configuration.



The TL has it right, why did they have to take a whole new direction....

Engines & Transmission
Let's get the 4 over with fast...................get the 6. It feels cumbersome when you have guests in the car and although it's peppy it seems louder and underpowered.

Ok onto the 6 and how fucking awesome this engine is in this car. Since I have owned a CL-S this car does feel nostalgic to me. The car delivers great performance and the motor makes this car feel very european. The car was very fast feeling combine that with my steering comments below and you can see where this car shines.

Steering / Handling / Road Noise
YES YES YES! This is a damn fun car to drive. The steering is near perfect not to numb, not too loose. From 5 to 85 I felt sooo confident in this car. You can hear the motor just enough to get your goosebumps up but not enough to feel that you won't enjoy a long ride. The suspension was forgiving yet taught enough to have some fun around corners not once did this car make me feel nervous at all (unlike the Altima that feeled too loose). Out of all the cars this was surprisingly the most fun.

Conclusion
The guts of this Accord are awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed my test drives and was tempted to ask the salesman for more time. The ergonomics were good but in my opinion the layout is a huge step back and a huge step forward into confusionland. The last time I got frustrated at a car's controls was the I-Drive in my buddies 7 Series and I still think that system sucks more but at least it minimizes clutter. Would I buy the New Accord? Yes, but maybe without the navigation.....maybe with.... I think I need another test drive.....

 

Yep, I love the way the new accords look.

Get it! With navi also.. after time you will get use to the different functions.

You a computer guy, you will like the gadgets!

 

Nice write up! I too like the new Accords, esp. the coupe.
And just a clarification, are you sure the new accord has zenon lights? I didn't think they did...

 

Cool, my gym is right down the street from that dealership.

The Accord is definitely intriguing to me, but the size of it kind of turns me off. Does it feel huge when you're driving it?

 

the acura Idrive knob thing seems kinda better to me in my MDX than the TL. In my TL, you have to carefully push the correct letter with your finger while driving. With the MDX, you can scroll near the letter and it will pick it for you. Its much easier to program while driving and also the voice recognition for streets is superb.

The only problems I see with the accord are the halogen, non-projector lights on the sedan vs. the projector ones on the coupe, and the way how the buttons are huge in the center console, you need to reach out to get to them. In the TL, you can keep your hand on the shifter and still reach all the radio buttons and barely reach for the temp. controls.

Also your salesman is an idiot, the touch-screen is going away as honda wants to place the screen up higher so you can concentrate more to the road and not look down so much. I think the RL has near the best setup with how the navi and information cluster above the navi is placed.

 

I know your gym go eat at carvers deli or the tigers tale good stuff.

It feels great imo, not big at all.

 

Why is there tape over the Honda logo on the steering wheel? Looks like something out of a prototype vehicle.

 

check ur pm fool!

drive w/ur heart, buy w/ur head

 

Just an interior shot i grabbed of google images, most likely a car show.

 

i thought accords didn't have HIDs?

do the refreshed TL's and TL-S's have touch-screen navis? i thought one reason honda moved the navi screens further back and higher was because they're no longer touch screens.

the G35/37 and infinitis have their screens higher up, but i don't think it's as far back as the accords...regarldess, infiniti's looks good, in my opinion.

i like the design of the accord's steering wheel, but it didn't feel as sporty compared to the altima's. too thin for me.

i'm really enjoying your reviews, eclipse23. what's next?

 

They don't.

The sedans have multi-reflector halogen headlights and the coupes have projector beam halogen headlights.

 

I love the new accords, I've come to like the sedan more then the coupe.

Yes, the new dash is very cluttered and "confusing" the first time you sit in one. But like Idrive you get accustomed to it.

Out of all the cars you have driven so far, it is the biggest...but its also just a clear cut winner imo. Glad you liked it.

 

I drove the Accord Sedan in EX trim the week it came out, and thought it was very nice. I drove the 4 cyl model with 2 other passengers in the car, and thought that the power was good enough. Of course I didn't floor it, go up any hills, or anything but driving normally I thought it had plenty of power.

I also thought that the interior felt nice, much better than the Camry. I didn't test drive the camry, but I sat in for the test drive, and thought that the interior was pretty cheap. I also don't like the sky blue on the center console of the camry, looks cheap.

I think the new Accords look great, and especially the Coupe. I haven't test driven the new Altimas but comparing the Accord and Camry, the Accord is the clear winner IMO.

 

Agreed on the navi screen. I hate the recessed ones. Flush mounted is much better...

 

Been to Tiger's Tail, but not the deli.

 

Carvers is in a strip mall right across from the airfield. It's some of the freshest sandwiches around. I used to work in Hopewell but now work in Forrestal Village on Rte. 1. God I love carvers...

 

Thanks! I'll probably be test driving the Mazda 6, Subaru Impreza, IS 250, 328....

I'm shopping my next car out hardcore!

 

I will have to try it, then. And maybe I'll check out the Accord, too. My parents are interested in it for their next car.

 

I have an 06 6MT Accord, and the new one doesn't feel any faster. In fact, I think it's about exactly the same speed (the manual anyways). I can't say anything for the sedan, but I think that the 8th gen automatic sedan is better than the 7th gen.

 

XM Satellite only. I don't think Honda offers Sirius on any of their products.

 

You do realize the 08s also got bigger and heavier. The increase in HP just offsets that change.

 

I drove an accord coupe last weekend at the dealer....I was very dissappointed.

 

I can't believe I am saying this, but I would prefer an Altima.

 

Nice review.

I dont know about the 06 Accords feeling just as fast as the 08s, but my 08 Accord coupe 6MT definitely feels faster than the 2004 and 2006 TL (both being 6MT). I truly think Honda underrated the power for the V6s this time because I recently raced my boss's G35c and beat him. Even though he was automatic, he had pulley, intake, exhaust, and a handful of other mods I can't remember, but I was 100% stock. I took him from a roll and a dig and kept at least a car length in front of him. Maybe the 06 V6 was underrated too?

 

and about the clutter, at first it bothered me a lot with all the buttons but after a week or so with the car, you get used to it. and you dont have to press any buttons on the dash if you have navi.

 

How do you go from contemplating buying an s5 to liking an accord?

 

I don't think we're talking apples and oranges ... just degrees on a continuum.

sort of like this

Mazda3 -- Mazdaspeed3 --- Accord --- 3-series --- S5 --- M3 --- 911 --- Vantage/R8

I like every car along that continuum but if I change my mind about spending $50k on a S5 then I fall back to my new price point ... Which might be at the Accord level.

I don't know if this is the case, I'm just saying I can understand it.

 

As a hardcore car enthusiast I can't relate...price point should be on back burner and driving experience on top, but I have a sickness so I guess I am different.

Best of luck ernesto. I am sad to see you sacrifice for an accord when the s5 is soooooooooooo sexy.

 

I don't know which Accord V6 you drove. Because when I bought my 08 Camry SE in october, I also drove the 08 Accord V6. I came away dissappointed.

The Accord V6 and the 5 speed automatic does not work well together. The Accord V6 low end grunt is weaker. The 5 speed does not shift smoothly. Over I felt Accord feels very weak (especially the low end). It simply does not feel fast (in reality is not that fast either).

I also felt accord's steering response is unlinear and feel overboosted at high speed. The body roll is also quiet significant on the Accord. The new accord really felt big and actually drove more like a buick.

You really need to go back and drive a Camry SE. The LE is piece of crap (same holds for XLE). But the SE of the camry really drive much tighter than the Accord EX. The steering response is better. The suspension is firmer than the Accord Ex but also give excellent ride. The body roll is less than Accord. But the 3.5L and 6 speed combination puts accord's V6 and 5 speed automatic to shame. The brake on the Camry SE is also better.

Good luck with your vehicle search. I was actually amazed that when MT came out with their formal comparison, all of my complaint on the Accord V6 was spot on.

 

Cliff Notes....

Don't buy a rental car.

 

That's fairly simple, sorry for the long reply..

I am approximately 1 year from having zero unsecured debt and would rather BUY a car that will last a long time and I can use for long distance commuting. I'm not married, I make more than enough to support myself but I don't want to blow that on a car without grounding few other things first.

Having zero unsecured debt and a low mortgage will leave me with a boatload of extra money every month I'd rather put that money into investments that gain (and not lose value). I have my dream car list (M3, M5, Porsche) but realize that since I am not rich I will NEVER be able to afford those cars unless I go lean for a few years to SAVE or invest in things that will get me those cars.

So... at 32 I'd rather buy the econo-car and make it last 4-6 years, get it for a 1.9% interest rate and simply enjoy what I have. I realize if I keep leasing expensive cars that are awesome...(but not my dream cars)..... I will never see myself in an M5.

 

go drive a legacy gt. Its a good combo of sport/practical

 

when I was getting my Oil changed in my old Accord I test drove one a 08 v-6 auto sedan.the motor and handling pretty sweet. but other than that i wasn't to impressed.
I don't like the styling, or where buttons and switches are at in it. but that's my thoughts.

 

Did you find the Accord to have significantly more road noise than the Altima or the Camry?

At least that's how I felt.

 

Significantly? No, but it has more than the Camry. I think its about the same as the Altima. I blame the tires.

 

Really? The Accord V6 I test drove was completely opposite. The transmission was perfect, car had plenty of low end torque and the steering was just about right.

 

I don't remember the Altima, but it was very, very noisy compared to the Camry LE V6.

I've been told that the Camry SE V6 delivers equal or better handling than the Accord without the road noise. If that's the case, I'm sold, considering that I love the seats and the engine/transmission in that car.

 

I can't stand the Camry interior.. its like they've taken a few step backs in the recent years.

 

Power, efficiency, handling, etc in the SE is enough to make up for the lousy interior in my book.

The materials and design are still better than my old GM car.

 

No, no, and dont be a dumbass.