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Bottom line, my recommendation is if anyone is going through the same dilemma, and can afford the 6, go for it! The 190HP is OK when you're already on the move, but a real dissapointment from the a stopped position. Yes, you can get it going pretty quick, but at the expense of sounding like you're blowing up the engine.
My '97 Maxima V6 had 190hp (only available engine), and I thought it was a pretty fast car, as did most everyone else a decade ago. Yet today, many consider a 190hp sedan as too slow (or at least not as powerful as they think it should be).
Be that as it may, I suppose a good test drive is all the more crucial to determine whether one's expectations are going to be satisfied.
I just can't get used to the whining sound of the engine, and really miss the feel and sound of a 6 (of which I've always owned in the past).
Bottom line, my recommendation is if anyone is going through the same dilemma, and can afford the 6, go for it! The 190HP is OK when you're already on the move, but a real dissapointment from the a stopped position. Yes, you can get it going pretty quick, but at the expense of sounding like you're blowing up the engine
Okay, can I disagree. Webster on whinning: " to utter a high-pitched plaintive or distressed cry". Two months ago I traded in a powerful, smooth V8 for an '08 EX-L I4 (did i say that right). The older engine was "factory tuned" to rumble during acceleration. Not until I discovered these pages of discourse did I learn that my Honda "whinned" and gave evidence of "blowing up". In fact, I've spent considerable time recently winding out my I 4 just to listen. Is it whinning? My take is that the noise is a natural, if not a beautiful, by product of a well made engine doing it's job. Must be like beer - everyone has a particular taste for one brand or another. Yes, my engine does create a bit more noise than my old ride. To it's credit the I4 does it's job well.
Last Friday night, I paid $3.56 cash for a gallon of regular here in Jupiter, FL (it was $ 3.62 if you used a credit card). The extra expense for fuel today pushes for a trade off between economy & power. An octave or two extra seems a small price to pay for the benefits. I love that noise - it's a thrill to hear the engine give 190 hp through it's grears. I hardly notice any noise. The car is a marvel - superb.
I have a V6, but I think I could get used to a 4 cylinder again,.......... after about a year or so. :surprise:
I bought the I4 for higher MPGs but the best I'm seeing is 24MPG highway.
If I knew this would have bought the V6 with foglights & nicer front chin...for an extra $1500-2K.
Interesting... I just read a report from an 08 4-cyl owner who got close to (if not over) 40 MPG highway. What speeds are typical for you on the highway, if I may ask? Is it pretty open, or is it trafficky?
Seriously, I took a 200 mile trip (total 100 mi each way) highway cruising, AC locked out, 60F outdoor temp, and no faster than 68mph = 24mpg.
That was my best tank. I normally see 20-22mpg commuting 50 mile roundtrip highway only with a little stop & go.
The MPGs are exactly what I was getting in my 4500 lb '00 Odyssey w/160k that I traded for the '08 Accord.
My wife makes fun of me because I purposely bought a 4-cyl sedan for gas economy. Jokes on me!
Seriously, you must have a problem. :sick: I got 24mpg on my last tank, around town, with an 03 V6. There is something wrong with this picture. :surprise:
100 posts regarding '08 poor gas mileage.
Hey I went from a V6 200hp 05 Malibu to the 177 hp Accord LXP.
However I love the hard 4cyl sound of less gas being used in the city big time from 15MPG in the 05 Malibu to 20MPG for the 08 Accord and it only has 300 miles on it so far.
Just a note: The torque is pretty good there is only one pound of foot pressure differntial between the 177hp vs the 190hp and I drove them both a small difference, I guess it depends on what your driving needs are.
The city mileage on my 07 V6 isn't anything to brag about (nor did I expect it to be any better than it is), but I have been pleased with the hwy mileage.
The 4-cylinder's in today's mainstream market (except for Subaru's "boxer" engine) are inline 4, not V4. Not trying to chastise you, just sharing so that a dealer won't try and take advantage of you thinking you don't know your stuff. Now you do!
Also, the new Accords do not weigh 4,000 - 4500 pounds. Closer to 3,300. A 1998 Accord 4-cyl would weigh around 3,000 lbs.
4500 pounds is more like an Odyssey minivan.
I do not need more than that. If I needed the speed I will go for BMW M3, or cheap WRX, or mazda speed3. But I wanted a sedan with good gas mileage, smooth ride, and enough space to carry 4 adults with luggages.
If you're like blufz, you want one car for everything - comfort, power, plenty of room. He got the V6 because he tows a light boat, and a truck that gets 15 MPG wouldn't be logical. He enjoys the extra torque, and uses it quite fully I'm sure. Remember, people have different needs, and different ideas of what is "adequate." If I did a lot of loaded-down highway driving I might prefer the V6 as well, and it has nothing at all to do with racing.
You should check out the Honda Accrd I4 vs V6 forum, you might like it. Back to MPG figures folks?
The posts are in the right discussion now.
It's dog-eat-dog out there , so you need something with a little BITE.
I take note though, often times, the cars I remember blowing past me at 80 MPH when I'm going 65 in a 60, often end up being the car just ahead of me in line at the traffic light at my exit. So much for gained ground!
All that said, for those with heavier passenger/cargo loads or doing lots of highway driving and know they like to be able to scoot into a tight spot, the V6 is for you!
Know your vehicle, know it's abilities & limitations, and drive accordingly. No doubt there'll be times the I4 driver will have to be more patient than the 6 driver. But as grad pointed out, at the end of the day the difference will be very little or none at all.
Yes, but remember Dirty Harry had a 44 Magnum (V6), that would blow your head clean off. :surprise: Not the standard issue 9mm (I4). Harry was also a man who liked his power.
I don't think you can push the clutch in, and shift your manual by hand, and let the clutch out, faster than my automatic will downshift by simply pushing down on the gas pedal.
Also, I don't recall talking about a 500 horsepower car... and from what I heard, not many were "happy about" 150hp V8 engines.
I will not let any V6 to pass me easy, by the time his transmission start figuring out what he want to do from pressing the gas pedal
You still confuse me this way - you bought a four cylinder because more is too much, but you seem to be driving as if you had a complex about bigger engines. I love it when people in faster cars blow past me, because chances are, we'll be side by side again at the next traffic light, and I'll be filling up less than the other guy. And, a quick drop of the lever to D3 puts me ready to take off on the highway anytime I need to if I don't feel like waiting (hard to wait when it takes less time than I would to shift) on the transmission to drop 2 gears.
This could be considered endangering lives, which I do take personal. Trying to prevent another car from passing, is a NO NO, in my book.
I have the feeling (may be I am wrong) Graduate has tried to justified all the ways he can for his I4 Accord. Facts are Accord V6 are extra silky smooth, lot of power, no sweat or no any sign of fatigue or overwork even after 700+ miles of non-stop driving. My I4 showed sign of tiredness after 300-mile non-stop drive. All my Accord at home now are V6 EX or EX-L from 2002 to 2008. I just sold a 13-year old 1995 I4 @ 254K miles, 2 engines. It had run smoothly to the last minute I sold it. That's the super beauty of Accord. Also, the difference of MPGs between I4 & V6 is about 10% or less.
One thing I have to honestly admit that I4's transmission is very good. However, V6's tranny is sometimes "funny". The 2008 V6's tranny is much more compact and refined nicely.
I have the feeling (may be I am wrong) Graduate has tried to justified all the ways he can for his I4 Accord. Facts are Accord V6 are extra silky smooth, lot of power, no sweat or no any sign of fatigue or overwork even after 700+ miles of non-stop driving. My I4 showed sign of tiredness after 300-mile non-stop drive.
I'm curious to know how you determine that an engine is "tired?" I've never heard that before.
I took my car (loaded with 600 lbs me included) on a 2000 mile round-trip last summer. Me and the other drivers averaged between 75-80 MPH, had no trouble passing at 85+, got over 35 MPG, and ran the A/C cold enough to make one person stay bundled up despite the Oklahoma/Arkansas/Tennessee/Mississippi/Alabama (it was a long trip!) sun beating down on us in May.
We gunned it to pass trucks up hills, winding it to the horsepower peak I'm sure. The engine just lets out a snarl when dropping to third, making little extra noise in 4th, and settles back to a quiet thrum when back in 5th. The transmission never had a problem, the temp gauge was rock solid at normal, brakes didn't fade, and I never once felt the car was overworked. It just "worked."
I know the V6 can be economical, but there is a cost factor that cannot be overlooked (yet tends to be lately), nearly 10% of the purchase price. That's a big decision maker for many people. If you've got the $, and want the bigger engine, go for it. Personally, I'd not need that much engine (I don't have a problem with my 166hp, so 190 should be plenty for passing!), so it is money better spent elsewhere, as far as I'm concerned.
If someone wants more torque than the 2.4L Accord has, it doesn't automatically mean they need a V8 pickup. They just need more than the 4, yet want an Accord, so the V6 is an OBVIOUS choice. Blufz wasn't "justifying his purchase any more than you were; actually he does it much less, just explaining why he chose the V6. It can't be denied that for towing a light weight trailer as blufz does, the V6 Accord is the logical option for someone who doesn't need to "pull a small mobile home" as you say.
I just wanted to make a point, that a lot of people they do not understand the auto mechanic and limitation in some of the material used to build a car. Never use any car to pull anything behind you; they weren’t designed for that purpose. Another thing pulling a weight behind your car is deferent from having the same weight on the car; this is physics talking. I know that some people they may say I did it with my car for a years, yes I agree, in Europe they do it more often than in USA, I have seen the Mini cooper pulling a small motorcycle trailer, But if you have read the little plate in your vehicle in the engine bay, you’ll see that the manufacturer does not encourage towing anything behind your car. The warranty does not include damage done to the vehicle towing trailers. Another thing sometime the damage is not visible, twisted undercarriage, won’t be noticed, but it will be felt, during quick change in lane at highway speed, and cornering, may be an added over steer or under steer, vibration at high speed. All these are symptoms, you’ll experience if your undercarriage is twisted, the car loose the balance that it had before. But again, I am not trying to steer anybody from buying a V6 engine. You have the money go for it, if you don’t go for the I4. Both engines are reliable, and fuel efficient, the only difference is the resell value, and the city gas consumption. Lol