Honda Accord VCM

rcummelin

Hey Rob, I must agree with you that Honda has taken the cost-cutting in the Accord a bit too far. At one time, I owned a 1997 Lexus ES300, and while we genuinely like our new Accord, it is a far cry from the Lexus, but then it wasn't anywhere near the Lexus price(s) either. All-in-all it's a nice, dependable car, and is much nicer to drive on a long trip than our 2008 Ridgeline.

Yes, my neighbor's Camry V6 gets about 20% better mileage than our Accord, but it drives like a Buick or "your father's Oldsmobile", IMHO. No thanks to that.

I also agree with isellhondas that snipping one (or 2 or 3) wires will likely result in the elimination of VCM and the reasonable gas mileage. And the warranty too, if Honda ever sees what's been done. A clever person could buy the factory repair manuals, determine which wires to cut and do some experimentation. Sooner or later VCM would be gone. It would be great if Honda were to issue a TSB for those who hate VCM to simply disconnect it or put in a switch. Since the exact same engine is in the Accord Coupes with manual trannies, disconnecting VCM should cause no harm to the engine, only the gas mileage.

Given all the transmission problems Honda has had over the last 5-10 years, they may finally feel comfortable with their current transmissions and are not willing to go through another introduction at this time. Of course, I'm making an assumption here, and there may be other reasons (escalating costs?) Hondas transmissions aren't state-of-the-art. Acura's likely are though. LOL!

accordguy0325

I have to say, I honestly think this subject/forum is the most volatile of any Accord subject on Carspace.com that I've seen to date.

It reminds me of the somewhat defunct yet still very much alive debate/fight over health care reform.

Each side vigorously defending its own, with their own set of ideological beliefs and virtually no chance of ever finding a common ground.

At times, it is mind boggling :confuse:

jam1000

Actually, it's more than a sidebar, it's very interesting.

I suspect you are right that there are 3 sets of people -- I am pretty sure that all of the posters here fall into one of those categories.

The other interesting comment was about snipping a wire to cause the car to operate in 8 cyl. mode all the time. Many people here who complain most about the issue say they wish Honda would offer the alternative of disabling the system so that it will operate in 6 cyl. all the time. Your anecdote suggests that this could be done.

dpmeersman

Cars sold today are mandated to adhere to many governmental regulations. Having been subjected and rated to certain levels of fuel economy and smog emissions any override would nullify those levels stated on their sticker and would almost certainly void their claim that the VCM version of this engine adheres to PZEV levels. While Subaru and other have acheived PZEV without VCM it's my opinion that Honda would have to take a step backwards in its "green" claims for this engine. Next time you're in a Honda sales lot, take a look at the various stickers across its model line and this engine is the cleanest they offer in smog emission ratings with the exception of their hybrid.

rcummelin

In the May, 2010 issue of Car & Driver, they have a report on the long-term, 40K mile road test of a 2009 Honda Pilot V6, equipped with VCM. At the end of the article, they discuss VCM.

Two of their editors felt VCM was less than transparent and had lumpy throlle response. Lumpy? After 38K miles, the drivetrain had "loosened" so that VCM transitions were now far less subtle and more easily felt. Lastly the Pilot, even with VCM, only achieved 18 mpg average fuel economy. Yikes! I can only hope that C & D's experience with VCM isn't a portent of things to come for us Accord VCM owners. That would indeed be a major disappointment.

Another bad mark for the Pilot was the leather in the interior, as it was prone to getting very dirty and couldn't be cleaned much with the usual products. Really? After owning an ivory leather equipped 2008 Odyssey, I can honestly state that their observation is spot-on and is the reason we chose black leather for our Accord.

In the same issue, they tested a 4-cyl Accord EX and found poor stopping distances and a boring, monochromatic interior. Yes, after the cost-cutting of many small bling bits in the interior, it truly is boring & monochromatic, but also comfortable, which they mentioned.

The winner of the 3-car comparo that the Accord was part of was the Hyundai Sonata. WOW, what surprise that must be for the Honda folks.

thegraduate

In the same issue, they tested a 4-cyl Accord EX and found poor stopping distances

Attributable to the low-rolling resistance tires fitted OEM.

the Pilot, even with VCM, only achieved 18 mpg average fuel economy.

Nearly 2.5 tons of SUV, capable of carrying 8 people. I'd say 18 isn't great but it's not out-of-the ordinary either. My GF's Santa Fe with a 2.7L V6 only averages about 20. Neither vehicle is on topic here, so I'll leave that alone.

rcummelin

In the same issue, they tested a 4-cyl Accord EX and found poor stopping distances

Attributable to the low-rolling resistance tires fitted OEM.

If accurate & true, that seems a sad commentary, where customer safety is sacrificed for a couple of mpg.

the Pilot, even with VCM, only achieved 18 mpg average fuel economy.

Nearly 2.5 tons of SUV, capable of carrying 8 people. I'd say 18 isn't great but it's not out-of-the ordinary either. My GF's Santa Fe with a 2.7L V6 only averages about 20. Neither vehicle is on topic here, so I'll leave that alone.

As a sort of comparison, our 2nd vehicle is a 2008 Ridgeline V6 without VCM and it averages 17-18 mpg around town and 23-26 on the highway. I would concur with C&D that an average of 18, while perhaps not too surprising, is pretty dismal and disappointing. I sure wouldn't be pleased.

thegraduate

If accurate & true, that seems a sad commentary, where customer safety is sacrificed for a couple of mpg.

Well, better knock-out all the midsizers then. Manufacturers don't use the stickiest tires, but rather a mix of the best price-point with the best MPG, with modest regard to handling and braking.

thegraduate

As a sort of comparison, our 2nd vehicle is a 2008 Ridgeline V6 without VCM and it averages 17-18 mpg around town and 23-26 on the highway. I would concur with C&D that an average of 18, while perhaps not too surprising, is pretty dismal and disappointing. I sure wouldn't be pleased.

And you're one data point, possibly if not probably the exception to the norm. You are apparently a light driver to get mid 20s on the highway, beating EPA estimates. I commend ya, because I tend to be the same way! I've pulled more than one 40+ mpg highway tank on my '06 Accord with little effort.

schnellesauto

I agree. In my case I was fortunate that I could afford to get rid of my 2008 Accord V6 EX, 18k miles after all my VCM issues that the dealer kept telling me was perfectly normal and that they all do it and that they might even get worse. I had the surging/shift feeling everytime the ECO light came on and off. Even had the occasional metallic pinging sounds from 30mph to 40mph, strange sounds from the engine, vibrations etc. I'm wondering if it's just certain VIN# effected? Mine also had the rear brakes issue that prematurely wear.. only lasted 15k miles, fortunately covered 100% under the warranty.

My other issue was gas mileage, in my daily commute, 50% highway, 50% city, (total of 30 miles a day) I only got about 17 to 19mpg. My GTO with a big 6.0L V8 (400 horsepower) gets the same 17 to 19mpg in the same driving.

It's ironic, our 2007 Odyssey with VCM (believe it only the 2 way mode, 3cyl or 6cyl) is perfectly fine, no problems now at nearly 25k miles.

barr1814

I just got off a nearly 800-mile road trip (round trip) in my '09 Accord EX-L V6. I made it a point to pay closer attention to the VCM. It seemed a lot less cumbersome on this trip. I don't know if I've just gotten used to it or it has gotten better. Also, on this trip, I got an average of 28.5 MPG. I still had a 1/4-tank of gas when I reached my destination (370 miles), so I was quite pleased with that. Now, my oil life is at 15% and my service appointment is scheduled for this Saturday. I am preparing myself in case I am told that I have rear brake wear at 19,900 miles. I do hear squeaks periodically.

schnellesauto

Yeah, VCM, it varies from car to car. Our '07 Oddy is totally fine, but the '08 Accord was a disaster. The dealer should replace the rear brake pads under warranty, It's a new improved design brake pad, they did for me around 15k miles.

VCM comes at a price, there is a loss of low and mid range torque/power. Check the dyno charts of VCM vs Non-VCM 3.5L V6. Peak HP/Torque are the same.

dinofl

Last week, I had the Honda Corporate service rep go for a ride with me in hopes he would acknowledge the VCM problems I am having and hopefully recommend swapping me for a stick which doesn't have it. I figured there was no way he could not feel what I'm feeling.

We drove about 5 miles on the hwy around 65mph. I didn't say a word. He said he didn't feel anything. So I told him I wouldn't look at the dash and I would tell him what I was feeling. About ten times over the next couple of miles I said "there did you feel that"? He said, "oh yeah, that's the torque converter kicking in". I was dumbfounded and started to get upset. I said, why when you are cruising at a constant speed of 65 I am feeling the torque converter, and why did he say he didn't feel anything? He said its normal VCM operation. I asked why he said he didn't feel anything, but when I pointed it out he then felt it? He accused me of calling him a liar. I told him I wasn't calling him a liar, but I kept pressing, why the sales brochure says its "seamless operation" and I never felt anything like it in 33 years of driving? He said its new technology. I was extremely upset, made all kinds of argument why they should swap me out. He said Honda doesn't do that.

He said he would check the transmission fluid and engine mounts. I left the shop with no resolution or satisfaction and rumbled and vibrated all the way back home seething and feeling defeated.

Honda may make decent four cylinder cars, but I wouldn't recommend anyone buy a six cyl. I'm not sure my next step. I may go to BBB, but not sure. I am going to see what it will cost to get out of the lease. I have 32 months remaining.

Bottom line, Honda has lost a customer for life. I will also never recommend a Honda to anyone, especially a six cyl. All they need to do is swap out for a manual, but they are too greedy and don't care. Pitiful.

schnellesauto

Unfortunately I agree with you. My dealer (multiple times) told me that those sounds/vibrations are 100% normal and might get worse, how nice. They should put the 6spd auto that they use in their higher end Acura line and dump the VCM. My only solution was to get rid of my '08 Accord V6 which was paid in full.

hackattack5

"Bottom line, Honda has lost a customer for life. I will also never recommend a Honda to anyone, especially a six cyl. All they need to do is swap out for a manual, but they are too greedy and don't care. Pitiful"

They have lost more than customer for life. Hell you were asking for a new car all I wanted was for them to pay for half of the rear brake job and they would not do it. :sick:

dinofl

True, but I've been complaining since two days after I got the car. Also, the car is acting so badly I actually thought I had a good case for the lemon law. Little did I know that Honda actually knows that they are producing and selling crappy VCM cars and lying saying it's seamless, and train all their service and sales people to blow off the customer when they complain.

Why is it you can try a $3000 big screen TV for a month in your house, but with a car you are completely stuck as soon as you sign the papers? This is the worst car buying experience in my life.

thegraduate

Why is it you can try a $3000 big screen TV for a month in your house, but with a car you are completely stuck as soon as you sign the papers?

Probably because your Accord cost 10x as much as that TV, and its value drops immensely with any miles...

schnellesauto

"They have lost more than customer for life. Hell you were asking for a new car all I wanted was for them to pay for half of the rear brake job and they would not do it"

The Dealer surprisingly changed my rear brake pads (known issue on '08 V6, TSB on it) for free under warranty. I was around 15k miles or so and they were 90% worn out and starting to squeak.

There is also an issue with the key fob on the '08 Accord. (TSB on it) Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't. They had ordered me new ones under warranty.

rcummelin

Your experience with the Honda rep sure sucks. As I predicted, you were stonewalled.

What's your next step? If I were you, I would continue to escalate the issue. Don't give up. You lost a skirmish, but not the war--not yet.

We bought a new Toyota Tacoma pickup in 1995--first year for the Tacoma. It was a total, complete P.O.S. I took it back to the dealer at least once a week to complain about the MANY issues with the truck. I also went for a ride with the Toyota rep so he could see and feel the problems. After two months, and at least 12 visits to the dealer, I asked for a refund and our old truck back (they had already sold it). We settled on a straight-across trade for a new T100 truck, which aside from the engine, was a totally different vehicle and had none of the Tacoma's problems.

So, you can get satisfaction, but it may take more effort & time than you're willing to spend. I had bought many new cars from that Toyota dealer and had a first-name relationship with the General Manager/owner, which I'm sure helped. In addition, I never got mad. I simply repeated my complaints and unhappiness over & over & over again, like a broken record.

Good luck.

schnellesauto

Agreed, however Honda is refusing to admit there is a problem. My dealer, the service writer agrees with me that it is a problem on many, not all, (VCM on 2008+ Accords) but know one higher up than him will agree, esp. not Honda. The dealer and another dealer I went to, could do nothing. In the end I traded mine in and got rid of it.

PS.. Not only are there VCM issues, there is a compromise on power, less lower and mid range rpm torque. The VCM engines have less lower rpm power. You can find this from many dyno testing charts... various magazine reviews and my own personal experience is that for a car with 268 or revised 271 horsepower the Accord is not that quick at low and mid rpms, compared to the competitions 3.5L V6's I have driven.

rcummelin

That's the culture in Japanese auto manufacturers: deny, deny, deny problems until you go away. It is considered a major "loss of face" to admit problems exist, regardless of obvious evidence, which is one reason Toyota tried to hide the unintended accelleration problems for so long. However, it is apparently acceptable to say that a vehicle's poor performance or operation was "designed that way," and that the problem is now your's, not their's. Ugly but true.

In the end, it's the relationship you have established with the dealer that may save you, not some factory rep who's been well-trained to say no.

My personal experience is that Honda's 3.5L V6 simply feels underpowered compared to other 3.5L V6s on the market, regardless of which vehicle Honda puts it in--VCM or not. The Nissan and Toyota V6s seem to be much more powerful throughout the RPM range to me, and all seem to get comparable gas mileage. Go figure... :confuse:

thegraduate

I don't think that it is less powerful in the scientific sense; perhaps it is less flexible.

Honda 4-cylinder engines always feel peppy across the mid-ranges, a product of a relatively flat torque curve and iVtec. To me, my 166 horse Accord feels closer to 200 horses when scooting up an on-ramp or motoring through suburban traffic. Only at 75+ MPH passing am I reminded that I chose the fuel-miser and not the hot-rod, and for me, it isn't terribly often.

It seems as if the VCM-equipped V6s are neutered in the torque department, while still having lots of high-end pull. Different throttle mapping and engineering to enable VCM to be active more often means people are planting their foot more, though - certainly not helping mileage.

schnellesauto

Agreed. Except the Toyota 3.5L V6 (Camry,Venza and Sienna I test drove) are not as refined as the Honda V6 when you nail the gas in my experience, but yes they do feel more powerfull at the low and mid range RPM's. For me it's hard to judge, because one of my cars (fun car) is a late model GTO with the Corvette LS2 400horsepower 6.0L V8, so after driving that, everything seems slow and un-responsive, LOL! Mentioning that car, it gets the same 18mpg as my V6 Accord did in the same mixed 50/50 highway/city driving. Go figure... I don't have to hit the GTO gas as hard, probably why.

rcummelin

The reason I continue to buy Hondas is because I like the way they drive. Our '05 Nissan Frontier could run circles around our Ridgeline, but is was nothing more than the S.O.S. (Same Old Stuff) with a more powerful engine. It got worse mileage too.

I think we all would prefer a state-of-the-art 6-speed transmission and no VCM, but unfortunately, that combination may be years away. Maybe fewer years if more folks fall into that third category of people who hate the VCM and loudly complain about it.

OTOH, this is the only Accord Form where I can find any VCM complaints. Another forum called Drive Accord does not have a single post about VCM, let alone a thread and it is a super busy forum.

IMHO, the Accord & Odyssey handle and drive much better than their Toyota counterparts, which Toyota must have designed for the geriatrics among us. Sluggish steering & rubbery suspensions are the trademark for Toyota, while Honda seems to make vehicles for people who like to drive and still feel the vehicle that's under them, even if they are noisier. Nissan falls somewhere in-between, but not across the board. Maybe they're just confused.

schnellesauto

"OTOH, this is the only Accord Form where I can find any VCM complaints. Another forum called Drive Accord does not have a single post about VCM, let alone a thread and it is a super busy forum."

There are many Accord Forums with VCM Complaints, won't mention by name, but do a google search.

"I think we all would prefer a state-of-the-art 6-speed transmission and no VCM, but unfortunately, that combination may be years away. Maybe fewer years if more folks fall into that third category of people who hate the VCM and loudly complain about it."

That is a true shame since Honda's competition, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, etc already have 6spd auto's and NO VCM and get nearly the same gas mileage and better low and mid range power. VCM is nothing more than a gimmick to make up for the lack of a 6spd auto or different gear ratios. VCM slightly handicaps the V6, by sacrificing low and mid RPM Torque.

"IMHO, the Accord & Odyssey handle and drive much better than their Toyota counterparts, which Toyota must have designed for the geriatrics among us"

AGREED! But the road noise/suspension can be annoying at times, we have an '07 Oddy, nice vehicle, but loud noise/etc at highway speeds. At least it's older VCM (2 way, 3cyl/6cyl) is far less noticeable.

rcummelin

I see where I screwed up in my last post. I should have said I couldn't find VCM complaints with the 2010 Accords. Now, I'm SURE there are some out there but not many. Most of the complaints I found were with '08 Accords and Odysseys.

schnellesauto

"I see where I screwed up in my last post. I should have said I couldn't find VCM complaints with the 2010 Accords."

Since the VCM system hasn't been changed and is the same 08 to 10 it's doubtful. Maybe they are too new? Some people notice it but live with it, etc. My 2008 Accord was fine the first 6 months and 6k miles of driving, barely noticeable then it got progressively worse.

accordguy0325

My situation is quite the opposite. After having my 09 V6 coupe for about a year, and 6,200 miles, I feel the VCM operation is actually becoming less noticeable

dinofl

One of the things so frustrating about the VCM is how inconsistent it is from owner to owner and trying to get a handle on the situation. My past Honda ownership experience is that they were trouble free and no brainer purchases. That's why I felt confident going from my Mercedes back to Honda.

Now with VCM, some people feel it, some people don't, some it gets worse over time, others it gets better over time. And this has been going on apparently for several years according to the blogs. Very strange indeed.

I have my salesman looking into what it will cost to trade my 2010 V6 coupe and get into a manual tranny. I have also been toying with the idea of test driving a 2011 Sonata. They are getting rave reviews. Fully loaded with awesome NAV, stereo, much better gas mileage and luxury compared to the Accord and cheaper. Never thought I would see the day that Hyundai is making better cars than Honda. Honda has apparantly turned into a fat, lazy, non caring American car company of old. Actually American car companies are starting to make very enticing cars such as the LaCrosse. I wish I knew this before my purchase. I just assumed Honda was still a great company. My bad.

nathanieljh

Please read post #2336 that I wrote. There are problems with the VCM in 2010 Accord, I just got one. It's something that I don't want to have to "get used to" for as much money as I spent on the vehicle. In all my years driving, I've never experienced or had any complaints about any car I've owned except this engine. I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT ISSUE ON THE TEST DROVE I DID. But obviously when you sign on the dotted lines, you can't return once you drive off the lot. I will NEVER by another Honda V6 again if they don't change this engine/Transmission.

nathanieljh

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ACCORDGUY0325!! please read my comment on post #2336. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to get out of this car. I also can't believe the Sonata got rave reviews and surpassing Honda. I, like you, would have never thunk it in a million years. If you would have told me in the late 80's 90's that I would give Hyandai a second look in 2010, I would have called you a lier LOL.

schnellesauto

"Please read post #2336 that I wrote. There are problems with the VCM in 2010 Accord, I just got one. It's something that I don't want to have to "get used to" for as much money as I spent on the vehicle. In all my years driving, I've never experienced or had any complaints about any car I've owned except this engine. I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT ISSUE ON THE TEST DROVE I DID. But obviously when you sign on the dotted lines, you can't return once you drive off the lot. I will NEVER by another Honda V6 again if they don't change this engine/Transmission."

Yes, agreed! 100% At least the manual shift V6 is ok so far.. LOL!

schnellesauto

I 100% agree with you dinofl. Hyundai has come a long way,the very recent Motor Trend Comparo rated the Sonata higher than the Accord. Accord only finished 4th out of 7th. Our most recent Honda's the quality has gone down we've owned quite a few. They aren't what they once were. The only positive Honda has going for it right now is it's resale value is still among the best, that is about it.

temj12

Why did you go from a Mercedes to a Honda? I had thought of going the other way.

dinofl

No particular reason. My CLK320 was 8 years old and starting to look and feel a bit dated. I wanted to get into something reliable before repair bills started in. Mercedes is great as long as your under warranty. If not, be prepared for large repair expense. The CLK was a very nice car, although my 95 Maxima is still my favorite and incredibly reliable car. 12 years and 200,000 miles and still got $1500 from Carmax.

rcummelin

On page 21 of the June 2010 Car & Driver magazine, there's a good article on how car manufacturers will deal with the new 2016 CAFE standards. They list all the "typical" ways of improving gas mileage.

Cylinder Deactivation (the common name for VCM) supposedly provides a 3-6% increase in MPG, but costs up to $400 per car. Other solutions, like a CVT or a dual-clutch transmission can improve MPG by up to 8% and would cost about $200-300 per car. A 6-speed transmission has a 8% improvement possibility but adds $300-600 per car.

Sure looks to me like Honda would have been better off developing a different transmission, but maybe that just wasn't in the cards for 2008. Check out the article--see what you think.

yuka

Interesting comparison - my son recently bought a 2005 Acura RL with 28K for $22,500 - certified used car - MINT - from an Acura dealer we know - Navi, AWD, rear window power sunshade(they have a baby), rear window shades, Bose 5.1 surround sound, Onstar, XM, wood trim, etc etc - all the luxury bells and whistles. Fabulous car. We took the same trip, following one another, I driving our 2008 Accord EXL V6 with VCM (21k), and he with his 3.5 300HP V6. Guess what? We got the same mileage - 28MPG - driving approximately 75-80 on the same interstate route. So where is the benefit to VCM?

nathanieljh

There is no benefit to VCM. It's all a scam, and I do not like the drive of it. Read Post #2336. I now have 3k miles and though I don't notice as much, I still wouldn't have bought the car if I had noticed it during the test drive. When honda sent me a survey to fill out AND when someone called me regarding my survey, they sure got an ear full. I had a Infiniti G35 (2005), with 300HP as well, and got just about the same gas mileage as this 2010 HONDA which supposedly known for good gas mileage etc. I'm still pissed!

rcummelin

For whatever reason Honda must have "needed" to do something about increasing their corporate CAFE numbers. Too many SUVs & Trucks? Who knows?

Anyway, (big assumption here) rather than developing a new 6-speed auto trans for their major product lines with V6 engines, or using one from the corporate parts bin, they kept the old (reliable?) 5-speed trans and added VCM.

Honda has a history of bad transmission designs in the recent past. Let's not forget how many failed transmissions they had in the Odyssey. So many that they transplanted the Ridgeline trans into the Odyssey rather than try to re-design/fix the older Odyssey trans. Quite the mess for several years, with thousands of transmissions replaced/fixed.

I wouldn't call VCM a scam, as we would likely get at least 3-6% worse mileage if it was NOT on our cars. What it really is is a poor design, where in some cars it indeed is "seamless", while in others, the transitions can be easily felt and are annoying to some people. The inconsistency about VCM is what is most bothersome.

One could easily look at all this and conclude that Honda is either a) having a terrible time designing a new transmission (a bit hard to swallow), or b) they have decided to save money by using cheap, junky add-ons to improve mileage instead of designing a new transmission.

To me, it's simply disappointing. Either do it right or don't do it at all.

Anyone care to speculate on a third possibility?

BTW- We've had our Accord since January, with no survey seen yet.

jmillerjmiller

First, let me state that I am not a VCM fan. It buys a couple MPG on the highway EPA rating, that's it.

The 2005 Acura RL is listed at about 400LBS heavier than a loaded 2008 Accord V6. It has slightly lower EPA numbers of 18/26 vs the Accord Sedan V6 at 19/29.

Looks like it requires Premium gas though, where the Accord doesn't - so add about $.30-$.40 extra per gallon for fuel. So even though they got similar mileage according to the post, the Accord cost a bit less to run.

Couldn't easily find the tire size of the RL, but I suspect the Accord has a bit more tire on it, for more handling versus rolling resistance.

yuka

Yes - my son uses 91 octane in the Acura - and in NJ where we get gas it is not $.30-.40 a gallon different. Maybe half that. Even still - a 252 mile trip at 28 MPG is 9 Gallons. I would GLADLY pay the $1.35 - even $2.70 cents more for the gas than to have to put up with the "performance" characteristics of the VCM in and out of 6-4-3 modes and very unresponsive passing acceleration.

The Honda has 225/50-17, the Acura 245/50-17 - so the Acura has a wider tire and should have greater rolling resistance and less mileage. Clearly a more efficient engine than the VCM V-6 - car weighs 400 pounds MORE to boot!

jmillerjmiller

Like I said, I am not a VCM fan. I notice it, as I pay attention to what the car is doing - I've had to start ignoring the oddness related to the VCM. Kinda like my one chevy 4x4 - before they put a rack and pinion steering unit in the four wheel drive model - had to settle for keeping it between the lines, instead of exactly where I wanted it in the lane, due to its constant wandering (yes, it was aligned frequently).

At one time I lived in NJ, and when my parents would visit from PA they always loved the lower gas prices with full service (almost all due to gas taxes). Now more than a decade later and after a few moves, I am in PHI across the Delaware from NJ - and the regular unleaded was $2.99 here on Wed.

In any case, yes, I would like a VCM off switch. Will it make me trade just to get rid of it? No. But assuming continued employment, I will certainly ditch it after the typical three years (for me). But I think I could keep it long term if I had to and the VCM wouldn't get worse.

schnellesauto

Yes, I agree with you 100% on the VCM. If you read my other posts, I had to dump my '08 V6 Accord, rough running, pinging sounds, constant shifting feelings from it, etc.

PS... My GTO with a 400hp V8 gets nearly the same gas mileage (17 to 18 mpg) as my VCM V6 Accord did in the same work commute, LOL! BTW, the GTO only has a 4spd auto and is 200+ lbs heavier. So much for VCM....

nathanieljh

I know, it's very disappointing. Hopefully I can last in this car 3 years or so. I will never get another car with any VCM or any cylinder/gas econony gagets ever again. It's a bunch of hype. They would have done much better with making a 6 speed auto. They lost my business for any future vehicle.

robtroxel

Looks like Hyundai is going to eat Honda Accord's lunch based on the latest road test comparisons. I won't go Hyundai Sonata but I'm through with Accords after 5 of them. The 2007 was the last of what was best. You are right, why not invest in the 6-7 speed automatic that is controllable thru all gears instead of the cheesy VCM setup they have now.
Cost wise, take a look at the Maxima deals. They are leasing out at not much more than a loaded Accord so don't be afraid of the Max sticker. I'm getting 28 MPG with 290 HP. The CVT trans is a different experience but I love the low RPM cruise mode the CVT offers. The is also the Acura TSX to consider as the pricing has been much more aggressive. (I dislike the "beak "front end though.)

dinofl

I haven't posted in a while because I am so sick of my 2010 $30K joke of an Accord Coupe V6. Everytime I drive this car I absolutely hate it, and myself for being so stupid to buy it. This thing pitches, wobbles, surges, pauses, upshifts, downshifts all while cruising at a constant speed of around 40 or 70!!! After five trips to the dealer and them blowing me off and constantly calling corporate I'm convinced they know about it and just don't want to admit it!! My sales guy seems willing to get me into a 4 cyl with not too much out of pocket, but then I will be paying $370 a month to lease a car worth $250 a month! I am through with Honda and any type of VCM system.

My plan at this point is this:
I am five months into a 36 month lease. Try and put as little miles as possible on it ( I'm a averaging 750 miles a month). Stay off the highway as much as possible, because that's when its the worst, although it is pretty bad cruising at 40-45 too. Then after about a year try to trade it in for a Nissan, Infinity, Hyundai, maybe Audi or VW. Not sure if I trust Acura since they are basically Honda. I don't like anything Toyota or Lexus, especially with their problems.

The thing that pisses me off the most is how everyone at Honda tried to blow me off, say I was too picky, its my imagination or its just how the car is made. Every excuse in the book with no attempt to make the customer happy. I am done with Honda and will not recommend it to anyone ever again. Do not buy Honda!!

robtroxel

Honda's attitude is "get used to it, they all do it!" Message to Honda >> "Get used to your customers leaving" We vote with our wallet..Sorry you got stuck..I'd try to get into a TSX when the time is right.

accordguy0325

Thanks to Obama and his fuel economy standards, don't be surprised if you see more and more cylinder deactivation type engines showing up through out many makes of cars besides just Honda.

The way things look, cars will have to have direct injection, a 6 speed automatic, and cylinder deactivation just to meet the new standards. Oh- and you'll pay another few thousand per car thanks to Obamanomics.

Some change is good- this change I can live with out.

bvdj84

When I look for my next car...I am will probably opt for the Accord and its V6. But, willing to get a TSX with the 4cyl.

accordguy0325

Do you want more comfort or more sport ? The TSX and Accord are two totally different animals. The Accord (in sedan form) rides smooth and offers abundant room that is often used for families, while the TSX rides firmer but handles better and is somewhat cramped on the inside compared to the Accord.

You could always go with a 5 speed- EX Accord for an easy 5-8 grand less than the TSX which might be a nice compromise and save yourself a heck of allot of $$$. Just my two cents.