Hyundai Sonata vs Honda Accord

bhmr59

Edmunds.com has much information if you will click on the "tips& advice" tab.

On these forums there is usually more opinion than factual information. That's OK also in my book. However, you seem to be very much set in your beliefs for someone who claims to be seeking information in order to be informed.

Try the tips & advice tab and be sure to read "Confessions of a used car salesman."

mackabee

Replying to: robertsmx (Sep 25, 2007 9:03 am)"However, you seem to be very much set in your beliefs for someone who claims to be seeking information in order to be informed."

Try the tips & advice tab and be sure to read "Confessions of a used car salesman."

Better yet, go to the "Stories from the sales front lines" and try to match wits with Mackabee. He's the top Toyota guy on that forum. Pretty knowledgeable on Honda too!

effect18

A lil off topic, but this car above was the exact car I wanted. 07 Camry Se w/ sunroof package and black interior(One of the few cars that also has a black roof lining and black illuminated visors). But those tranny issues scared the hell outta me. Ended up in a Platinum Sonata, and loving every minute of it.

Oh yea, and by the way, only an uneducated buyer would pay anything over invoice for a Sonata. Got mine for 23g's out the door. 920 under invoice and essentially paid no doc/ttl fees(additional savings of 2grand{7%tax in NJ}).

pat

ROFL!! :P

wanna_azzy

Sorry, but I'm not "with it". What does ROFL stand for? :confuse:

alamocity

roll on floor laughing

eldaino

its a shame this has come down to price. clearly hyundai holds the advantage in this. but my original question from ten thousand posts ago still stands; where are the other advantages if price was no issue? if they cost the same, which one would you pick? is the 'value' still there?

on the same note of not picking hyundai apart because of what it offers at different price points, is it fair to assume that honda is offering 'less' when the car is better to drive? keep in mind that compared to the 08, there is little the sonata offers over the accord besides a warranty. and if you have any sporting intent, why would the hyundai make a better choice?

chrisclc13

just wanted to jump in, not trying to pick a fight, but at what point does value get separated from price?? The word value inherently implies getting the most out of as little as possible. So you can't factor out the price when comparing the accord vs sonata in relation to value.

as far as feature's between the two models, everything is basically a wash right now. the only difference between the two is the hyundai has more interior passenger space, the honda has a stiffer ride, the hyundai has more cargo space, the honda gets 1 mpg better (big woop). The hyundai has twice the warranty. Price difference after rebates from MSRP on base model w/automatic is $2800-3300 depending upon the area of the country your in. Consider that Hyundai does sell at invoice or less for the most part and the gap widens even more.

Now if you are like 75% or more of the car buying public looking at mid-size sedans, and all you care about is safety, mpg, and reliability(or warranty), and you saw those numbers, and how evenly matched the two cars are, which one would you pick?

Remember, people don't care about the more aggresive ride with accord, as the success of the overly boring couch on wheels(Camry) implies.

robertsmx

It doesn’t work that way for a buyer who sets an upper limit on $$$ to be spent (clearly, up to that point, money isn’t an issue). Now, if a car comes around with at least same qualities for less, then it does not make sense to spend more. So, value isn’t always about finding the cheapest car. It is not about getting the most features for the money either. I would (and have) settle for fewer frills but get the car that meets my expectations in more ways than one. This is why you can’t always start with $$$ and find bang for the buck.

I have a friend who wouldn’t drive anything but a 3-series with manual transmission. Can he find bigger, plusher and more powerful cars for less? Sure! His definition of value is around how his car feels, delivers and meets his needs. It might be a miniscule difference in driving experience that many less expensive cars may deliver, but I can see his point about what makes you grin while driving is where you find greater value.

Most features, space and power in modern cars are meaningless. 1998 Accord was large enough for me, and its 150 horses (5-6 HP less, if new standards were to be considered) has never been a disappointment. If anything, other than a CD changer, I don’t need any more features than it does either. But it is a car that still makes me grin, largely because people don’t expect an old car to be the way it looks and performs. And that’s the bottom line.

Someday, if there is another car that has the attributes that Honda has to make other cars look non-sensical for my $$$, or Honda messes up and no longer delivers those qualities, one can’t make an argument solely based on price, I would be driving it. And that time isn’t now.

PS. You can't tell me about more aggressive ride with Accord. It is not just "aggressive", it is well sorted out. For aggressive, look at Mazda6 and Altima's SE trims.

thegraduate

Remember, people don't care about the more aggresive ride with accord, as the success of the overly boring couch on wheels(Camry) implies.

That's an awful big statement without much credence behind it (as the success of the Accord implies). People can have different preferences ya know. I, for one, PREFER the more aggressive tuning of the Honda vs. the Camry. I'm guessing a sizeable fraction of the 350,000+ annual buyers of Accords do as well.

It's not like the Accord rides and handles like a go-kart or anything. It is smoother than a 6, smoother than a Fusion, and neither of those cars is as rough/choppy as many SUVs and trucks can be. The Accord is sporty, relative to some of its competition in the class, but it isn't "rough" when compared to vehicles like an unloaded Ford F150 (the best seller in the country).

I'm not picking on ya, but I think there are more people who prefer to have quicker steering with some feel in there as opposed to the more boat-like feel of the Toyota.

elroy5

Remember, people don't care about the more aggresive ride with accord

SOME people don't care about the Accord's aggressive ride. Some of us do.

as the success of the overly boring couch on wheels(Camry) implies.


If the Camry is a boring couch on wheels, so is the Sonata, only with cheaper materials used. The pot calling the kettle black aren't we?

cargo1

To thegraduate, who wrote: "I have now run into is the poor quality in 2 different 2008s I have sat in. One was an EX, one was an LX-P, and BOTH were disappointing"
Can you give some details about the poor quality you observed? I am interested in the 08 Accord but haven't had a chance to check it out. Thanks.

thegraduate

I'd be happy to do it!

Remember, I am nit-picky about interiors, so take this with a grain of salt.

1.) Fan speed knob - the fan speed knob in both vehicles I sat in was very loose, with lots of "play" in it. It didn't feel like a quality piece like the 2007s and previous models do.

2.) Buttons/switches - much harder to press. Harder, more hollow feeling. If you push the buttons on the stereo of a 2007 model, or even a power lock switch, you'll notice a damped feel to them. The 2008s just "click" without this nice, damped feel.

3.) Door panel - ok, its not a big deal to most people, but if my 1996 Accord LX can have soft touch vinyl at the very top and cloth for the rest of the top half of the door, I expect a $22,000 Accord (LX-P) 12 years later to have at least SIMILAR if not better treatment. But instead, they use hard plastic for all but a small piece of the panel. I've included a picture (not a good one for proving my point on this issue, but its all I had) so you can see how much cloth and soft-touch materials are used in my old LX. It carries all the way to the other end of the door.

EDIT: My picture doesn't seem to be working, but you can check out my carspace page and see the interior of my '96 LX.

eldaino

woo grad very clean looking!

eldaino

The hyundai has twice the warranty. Price difference after rebates from MSRP on base model w/automatic is $2800-3300 depending upon the area of the country your in. Consider that Hyundai does sell at invoice or less for the most part and the gap widens even more.

who cares? my question threw this out the window, i asked everyone to give their thoughts on purchasing the sonata over the accord if all this stuff didn't exist, and the msrp's (or at least actual real world selling prices) were closer. Would the hyundai still hold the 'advantage'?

Since i posted this earlier on in this thread and have yet to get a decent response, i'd have to assume that most hyundai troops would resort to the fact that even if the accord and sonata were exactly the same price and no discount was offered on either, they would still choose the hyundai, even just for the warranty.

So, in conclusion, its safe to assume that most hyundai guys have very little regard for sporting pretensions. Its all about from point a to point b. Anything wrong with that?

in a word no.

But maybe honda accord buyers simply don't FEEL the way you do about cars; maybe its more than point a to point b. You can scoff and say that all mid sizers are grocery getters, and thats fine, because if you do, its only proven that you yourself think that the sonata is just another boring sedan that only has a nice warranty and low price to make it appealing.

eldaino

have a friend who wouldn’t drive anything but a 3-series with manual transmission. Can he find bigger, plusher and more powerful cars for less? Sure! His definition of value is around how his car feels, delivers and meets his needs. It might be a miniscule difference in driving experience that many less expensive cars may deliver, but I can see his point about what makes you grin while driving is where you find greater value.

What a perfect example! Value can be so personal for each and every one of us!

This again solidifies my thoughts on the typical hyundai sontata driver and the typical accord driver; tactile feel, well damped suspension, excellent steering, basic sportiness in general is what seperates us.

Is it stupid to buy a car for the great warranty? No. But in the same vein, its not fair to call accord buyers out on the fact that they paid more for a car that offered less 'value' but makes up for it with the way it drives. Why is that reproachable? it isn't. 2 different ways of looking at things.

I could sit in the biggest most luxurious lexus of all time and still feel like it offered me less value than a gti or si because its not what i look for in a car, even if i got it for a great price and had its own built in toilet.

the priorities between the accord driver and the sonata driver are very different. and yet one car meets both expectations , even if it costs more. we at least now know what the passionate choice is.

alamocity

I seriously doubt the Sonata would hold much of if any advantage over the Accord if the selling prices were close to one another. For me personally I look for the vehicle that best suits my needs to include price, features and other things that may not be important (depth of trunk) to others. In the end it comes down to what you believe best fits your needs but I do believe that competition is good for everyone and allows consumers a better selection of quality products. No so long ago Honda and Toyota ruled the market with no fear of competition whatsoever but with the improvements Hyundai and others have made in the mid sized market that margin is starting to shrink.

wanna_azzy

You HAVE to consider cost when considering value, otherwise you might as well be comparing the Accord or Sonata with a Rolls Royce Corniche, or similarly exotic car. To all who really like, or love, the car they own, feel very fortunate. But don't berate those who chose another make or model than you drive. Their taste just differs from yours. And brow-beating them won't change their minds. If there weren't different tastes in people's cars, we'd all be driving '49 VW Bugs. Let's agree to disagree peacefully, and chill out. BTW, my name by no means indicates the car I own. Peace and love to all, and God bless America.

robertsmx

I guess some either just don't get it, or simply don't want to.

You want to compare value based on cost? Sure, look at Edmunds' "True Cost To Own" comparison here.

Based on that, a typical Sonata would cost 5 cents more for every mile traveled compared to a typical Accord, or about $60/month. Doesn't sound much now, does it? Then consider it is after taking HUGE price advantage into consideration that Hyundai has.

colloquor

Grad - It certainly looks like Honda is guilty of "decontenting" in the 2008 Accord. Last night, I test drove an LX-P, and I concur with your observations. The switchgear is nothing like the previous generation. One has to wonder, if they've begun to cut corners in these areas, where else have they done so?

This is disturbing, as I own a previous generation Accord, plus a 2007 Camry, and a Hyundai - thus, I have to be objective because I own all three competitive brands.

backy

This is interesting from a couple of perspectives:

* A short time ago there was some complaining going on here (by you and others) because some folks mentioned the pre-2008 Sonata and Accord. Yet this comparison you published is of the 2007 Sonata and 2007 Accord. So I guess we won't hear you complain in the future if someone brings up older Sonatas and Accords here.

* Note the sales price of the 2007 Sonata GLS I4 AT in the TCO calculations--nearly $19,000. Maybe some people who don't like to accept free rebate money from manufacturers or don't like to negotiate much on cars pay that much, but I don't see any reason to when the $2500 rebate (available to all buyers) and aggressive model-year closeout pricing by dealers will put the price before T&L close to $15k. By using a real-world purchase price and considering the additional savings on sales tax and financing charges (both of which are included in the TCO model), the TCO for the Sonata drops below that of the 2007 Accord LX. Even though the Sonata has benefits over the Accord such as ESC, XM radio, Shiftronic transmission, larger interior and trunk, and a superior warranty.

robertsmx

1. I'm not the one complaining about year. Unless people were paying cash upfront and not worrying about beyond a calendar year, sure! But is value limited to just purchase price, now and forgotten? It might work for those with really short term memory.

2. It doesn't matter. Edmunds took TMV, took the $2500 rebate off, but adds TTL etc. The "cash price" is a shade under $19K. It is a standard formula applied across the board. Or do you think only Sonata buyers miss out on getting a better deal?

If you still have issues, write to Edmunds. I just took the numbers its experts arrived at.

colloquor

"It doesn't matter. Edmunds took TMV, took the $2500 rebate off, but adds TTL etc. The "cash price" is a shade under $19K. It is a standard formula applied across the board. Or do you think only Sonata buyers miss out on getting a better deal?"

No, I think some Sonata buyer's actually can make a better deal, which can skew the TCO data in favor of the Sonata buyer. For example, please note these valid, and confirmed, quotes from a few months ago from a Chicagoland dealer:

2007 Sonata GLS 4-cylinder Automatic w/Premium Option

$16,811, including Illinois sales tax (6.25%), doc fee ($50), and title/license ($143).

2007 Sonata Limited Automatic 3.3L V6 with Leather, etc. (No Sunroof)

$20,574, including sales tax, doc fee, and title/license

These were real out-the-door delivered prices, and both make Edmunds.com TCO for these cars rather inaccurate.

backy

Here's some hard numbers, from Edmunds.com:

2007 Accord LX I4 AT:
Edmunds TMV: $19,327
MN 6.5% Sales Tax: $1256
Total before license and fees: $20,583

2007 Sonata GLS I4 AT:
Edmunds TMV: $15,974
MN 6.5% Sales Tax: $1038
Total before license and fees: $17,012

So by Edmunds.com's own figures, their price for the Sonata in the TCO is nearly $2000 higher than it should be. And that doesn't include the financing savings over five years. That's not your fault, but it does call into question whether the TCO numbers are valid.

BTW, recall that the Accord LX (of the same vintage as in the TCO study you quoted) is the car that Edmunds.com said is inferior to a like-priced Sonata GLS (of the current generation). But maybe you would say that work by Edmunds.com is flawed also?

slamtaz

Here's some hard numbers, from Edmunds.com:

2007 Accord LX I4 AT:
Edmunds TMV: $19,327
MN 6.5% Sales Tax: $1256
Total before license and fees: $20,583

2007 Sonata GLS I4 AT:
Edmunds TMV: $15,974
MN 6.5% Sales Tax: $1038
Total before license and fees: $17,012

So by Edmunds.com's own figures, their price for the Sonata in the TCO is nearly $2000 higher than it should be. And that doesn't include the financing savings over five years. That's not your fault, but it does call into question whether the TCO numbers are valid.

BTW, recall that the Accord LX (of the same vintage as in the TCO study you quoted) is the car that Edmunds.com said is inferior to a like-priced Sonata GLS (of the current generation). But maybe you would say that work by Edmunds.com is flawed also?

you nailed it backy!

it's also interesting that others here would like to strip the sonata of it's value advantage and compared to the accord, then ask if they would still buy the sonata.

how about doing it the other way, what if we strip away the so-called advantage of accord over the sonata, would accord followers/believers still buy the accord even if it's thousand $$$ more expensive?

how's that for a level playing field :shades: ?

backy

Well, we could talk a lot of "what if?" games (my personal favorite is, "what if Eleanor Roosevelt could fly?"). But the reality is that prices are much different, and if prices are the same, then the cars are significantly different. So the choice between the Accord and Sonata is, compare cars with roughly equivalent equipment levels but different prices, or similar prices but different equipment (and performance) levels.

elroy5

So by Edmunds.com's own figures, their price for the Sonata in the TCO is nearly $2000 higher than it should be. And that doesn't include the financing savings over five years. That's not your fault, but it does call into question whether the TCO numbers are valid.

So the TCO numbers for the Sonata are too high, but the Accord TCO numbers are not? You can get a good price on an Accord too.

how about doing it the other way, what if we strip away the so-called advantage of accord over the sonata, would accord followers/believers still buy the accord even if it's thousand $$$ more expensive?

Yes, I don't like wishy washy rides, suspension noise, and very unattractive interiors. Even if the TCO is higher for the Accord, it's worth it to me.

slamtaz

how about doing it the other way, what if we strip away the so-called advantage of accord over the sonata, would accord followers/believers still buy the accord even if it's thousand $$$ more expensive?

Yes, I don't like wishy washy rides, suspension noise, and very unattractive interiors. Even if the TCO is higher for the Accord, it's worth it to me.

when i said strip away the so-called advantage of the accord, then that should include your presumption of better ride, suspension, interior or whatever you may think of. and since that will put both sonata & accord on the same page except the exhorbitantly higher price on the accord.

and it's good to know that the sonata has a very wide appeal and caters to a very broad spectrum of buyer types, i sure am glad to know it will still fit my needs well into retirement. thanks for raising that value proposition in favor of the sonata.

elroy5

when i said strip away the so-called advantage of the accord, then that should include your presumption of better ride, suspension, interior or whatever you may think of.

To strip away all of the Accord's advantages, I would have to remove all my senses, including sight. How am I supposed to drive in that condition? :confuse:

bhmr59

Edmunds TCO has inaccurate information as well as estimated costs which are usually not accurate.

We bought an '07 Sonata SE w/ XM and carpeted floor mats in Feb. MSRP was $22080. Price paid was $16,651 plus doc fee & TTL. Total OTD price was $18,189. Edmund's TCO says the cash price of this car is $22,334, or $254 over MSRP. That's an error of over $5600, up front. The figures for financing, insurance and taxes are dubious also. In CT we pay property tax each year on the assessed value of our cars and that tax rate varies from town to town. (I could live 2 miles away and pay more or less property tax depending upon which town I lived in.) So, I save on property taxes each year based on the lower assessed value. Edmunds TCO says the cash price is higher than MSRP. We paid $5400+ less than MSRP. Could you have bought an '07 Accord seven months ago for over $5400 under MSRP?

You need to use real world purchase price when calculating a "TRUE" TCO.

slamtaz

To strip away all of the Accord's advantages, I would have to remove all my senses, including sight. How am I supposed to drive in that condition?

i would take it that you will not buy the accord... well that answers the question of the poster who wants the same thing happen to the sonata.

thanks for the answer

bhmr59

The price differential is an important part of value. i.e. What do you get for the dollar spent?

Go back 25 or so years. GM used to have Chevy, Olds, Buick & Caddy offering essentially the same car (Pontiac was the performance division so it was somewhat different.) How much difference was there between a Buick & a Caddy? Not much except some exterior styling. In fact, my parents bought an '83 Olds 98 Regency, which was virtually identical to the Caddy and had more standard equipment, for a couple thousand less than the Caddy Deville. Take away the price differential and which you would have bought, the Olds with more features or the Caddy with the Caddy badge?

backy

So the TCO numbers for the Sonata are too high, but the Accord TCO numbers are not?

Feel free to dig into the Accord's TCO numbers and point out any flaws you see in Edmunds' calculations. To me, it looks like they assumed a very good price on the Accord LX, actually below what their published TMV values are (when accounting for the added T&L). But the price they used on the Sonata was much higher than what they show in their own TMV numbers. So that's an inconsistency and inaccuracy (considering real-world prices) that skews the TCO in favor of the Accord.

Even if the TCO is higher for the Accord, it's worth it to me.

Absolutely. You should spend your money as you see fit, on what is important to you.

elroy5

i would take it that you will not buy the accord...

You have taken it wrong sir. Yes I would, and I have. I have elected to drive a car where I can use my senses, and not be isolated from them. It's a lot more fun that way . If you would rather not feel, hear, or look at your car while driving, that's your choice and you are welcome to it.

kingsalmon

You accord guys are a little too much. Accords are good cars, but if value is such a subjective term, you guys should go with way sportier cars like the G35 or Mazda6. We're talking about commuter cars. What car provides the most for the money?

If you don't understand that, I think this post is a waste. And if you can't believe the people who bought the Sonata's testimony on their purchased price, then come up with your own research.

I know Hyundai's might not be as sporty, but the 2008 Accord looks like a Sonata rip off and I think they're better for it. However, if I had 25,000 dollars to spend and I needed a car(2008), I would definitely go for the Sonata and save the $4,000-$6,000 every time.

Driving excitement, people, would objectively speaking be a LUXURY not value.

The fact that we're talking about commuter cars should imply that we're not talking about sports racing here.

Now we can talk about reliability or engine specs. Mileage is fair game. But let's try to be some what objective here. Some people might like softer cushier rides so Toyota would be king then. Not trying to party poop but try to leave your biases aside and talk about value because that's what this post was about originally.

2008 Sonata vs. 2008 Accord

flc2006

Graduate your ride is beautiful on the inside, beautiful for eleven years of ownership, i also have a 1997 Honda Passport even though it is a Isuzu with 106K, Honda does make great cars, The reason why i bought a Hyundai is because of my 1998 Hyundai Sonata, my father only paid $4,900 for the car in 2000 with 61K on it lasted until my brother let his friends mess up my automatic transmission, I love Hyundai because they proven to me that they are great cars, I do not care if Hyundai does not have 10 year warranty i will continue to buy Hyundai products,my next Hyundai will probably be a 2012 Tiburon and Veracruz both of them will be leased.

effect18

The question was asked that if the Sonata wasn't so much cheaper than the Sonata, would Sonata owners have still purchased one. Well, this is unfair I think considering value is obviously important to any Hyundai owner. Thats like asking an Accord owner if Honda didn't have such a good reputation and had about the same rep as Dodge,Ford,Subaru,Saturn, etc... would you still have bought one? But to answer your question, if the Sonata was priced at the same price as the Accord, I still would have given it consideration because of the warranty and I like the styling, and I probably would have still ended up in one because the Hyundai dealership I went to was the only one who would give me a decent trade in on my uspide down Taurus, the Honda dealership I went to wanted to tack on 3grand to the top of the new car, and Toyota wanted to tack on 2500.

Now assuming Sonata owners have no sporting pretension and are just looking for point a to point b is too broad a statement and just plain innacurate. My Platinum edition is damn sporty in my eyes, and is kick [non-permissible content removed] on the road. I ride passed Acura's and Infinity's all the time and feel WAY more stylish then those guys. I pass Lexus's and Benz's as well and with the exception of the 3series and the 7 series and the IS250 I think my exterior styling is just as good as any.

The 08 Accord doesn't drive/handle better than the Sonata... just different.

targettuning

Great question, that one about buying an Accord if it didn't have its reputation. I noticed the regular Hondites didn't answer. It is one question that has not been asked here. I guess if it were answered the answer would be "but it does" and away we go.

backy

In a way, the folks at Edmunds.com answered this question when they compared an Accord, Camry, and Sonata that were priced within a few hundred bucks of each other. Now, this was the current-gen Sonata and the previous-gen Camry and Accord. But the Edmunds.com folks' summary was, "It wasn't even close." The praise they heaped on the Sonata, even though it was the low-end GLS trim, was pretty lavish. Would the Sonata stack up as well against the new Accord? In some ways, probably so--in others, not.

kdshapiro

Did you ever notice sales trends don't follow these review articles. While I'm sure a couple of people read an article positive or negative and then let that article influence their purchase decision immediately, for the most part these articles are for discussion points only.

So one has to get back to what holds customers to Honda and what compells them to pay a "premium" (sic) over similiarly equipped vehicles, such as the Sonota.

The 10 people playing ping-pong with opinions are attempting to speak for the hundreds of thousands of previous customers.

How will the 2008 stack up? Only time will tell.

grampy1

Com'n folks!! This sounds like High school stuff. NAAA,Naaa!
my car's better than yours!!! naa,naaa!!!
My father can beat your father!! :shades:

backy

Isn't your Geometry 121 class about to start?

kingsalmon

Yes time will tell which car holds more value. However, I'd prefer not to let the sales figures do all the talking. Don't get me wrong. Sales are an indication of the quality and value of a car. But it isn't everything. I'd rather do my own observation and thinking and compile that with sales figures when purchasing a car.

10 people here may be talking about Honda/Hyundai, but we might be somewhat representative of the hundreds of thousands out there. When people do surveys, they don't survey a million. They usually survey about a couple thousand(i think). So there's very little wrong with that.

I saw the 2008 Accord from the back(I think) and thought it looked smaller. Either that or the previous Accord's butt was a little bit on the larger size. Never the less, I wasn't impressed. I like the pictures of the Accord so we'll see how it looks face to face.

thegraduate

I didn't see it (or pay attention, anyway).

I'm not old enough to buy into the reputation stuff (20). I have a 1996 Accord that has been a good car, and my 2006 has proven to be so far as well. I know I've stated it many times, but for the sake of this forum I'll say it again. I sought out some major things in this order:

Handling/Ride
Interior Style/Quality/Comfort
Power vs. Economy Compromise

In November 2005, the Accord completely OWNED these three areas of the midsize market when taken together. To get a different car would be to take away one of my big criteria. Hyundai had the ride, smoother than Honda, but it didn't handle as well. Interior style is too subjective for me to comment on much, but I felt the Accord looked and felt like a car that was more expensive than it was.

In exterior style, I actually liked the Hyundai better, but since I spend time looking at the inside, so that carried less weight with me.

effect18

I agree... sales numbers don't mean everything. But i'm curious... has anyone seen an 08 Accord on the road yet, or are they doing a state by state release? Cuz, I haven't seen one on the road anywhere.

elroy5

Great question, that one about buying an Accord if it didn't have its reputation. I noticed the regular Hondites didn't answer.

I'll be glad to answer that question. I bought my first Accord in 91, and it had nothing to do with ratings or reviews. My friend/co-worker had an 81 Accord, which he would drive every other day 135 miles to work and back. I was very impressed with this 10 year old car, so when I decided to buy a new car, I decided I would try one out. I test drove a Pontiac Grand Prix first, and was not very impressed (it looked very large on the outside, but felt cramped and small on the inside). Then I test drove a couple of Accords, and impressed with how solid the car felt (similar to my friend's old Accord) I decided to buy one. In 03 (12 years later), when I was looking to buy another car, it was going to be another Accord. There was no doubt, and again, it had nothing to do with other people's opinions. Only my own experiences with Accords.

Will I ever buy another brand of car? Not until an Accord fails to meet my expectations.

robertsmx

Thats like asking an Accord owner if Honda didn't have such a good reputation and had about the same rep as Dodge,Ford,Subaru,Saturn, etc... would you still have bought one?

Reputation plays a part. Ten years ago, I (almost) drove home a 1998 Passat but reputation (in this case, a bad one) got in the way, and I decided to try my first Honda based on its reputation (in this case, a good one). But how did I arrive at those to final choices? It was more than just reputation.

Price and reputation are only a part of buying experience. There is a whole lot more to it.

elroy5

I agree... sales numbers don't mean everything. But i'm curious... has anyone seen an 08 Accord on the road yet, or are they doing a state by state release? Cuz, I haven't seen one on the road anywhere.

Yes, I've seen quite a few (in Louisiana). I went to the local dealership 2 weeks ago (15 miles away), and they only had three 08s (two on the lot, and one in the showroom). They must have received a few more since then, because I have seen 4 on the road and they all had the local dealer's plates on the front.

kingsalmon

How do you like the new styling?

elroy5

I think the 08 looks good, but looks and style are not at the top of my priority list. The older I get, the less flashy I want to be. I've made the mistake of buying based on looks before. It doesn't matter how cool it looks, when it drives like crap. Function over Form is the rule for me now.