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Honda Accord vs. Toyota Camry vs. Volkswagen Passat

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Comments

  • charlestonguycharlestonguy Member Posts: 9
    Just wondering what would be a fair price for a 94 4 door accord EX with auto, leather, ad, roof, 109K miles from a private party? IT seems to have been well maintained, new muffler, brakes, oil changes regular with service records (non-honda service though). Also, where are all the 94 coupes? pol, these seem hard to find for sale, and when they are, seems they are far overprice from private people. I haven't even found a 94-5 coupe on any dealer lot (here in Charleston SC). Anyone know of one, even close, asp an EX 5 speed???
  • dahuzidahuzi Member Posts: 2
    I want to buy a car recently, one car I saw was a 90 Accord EX with 98,000 miles, and automatic transmition, the body was not in very good condition, let say just average. The owner asked for $4,500. Can any one tell me if it is a good deal?
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    don't be paying any $4500 for a 12 year old car with a bad body..you can do better.
  • digmedigme Member Posts: 2
    90 Accord EX with 98000 miles is ridiculous. If you want to look for a good car under 5,000 look into Saturn 1995 or something like that...i might be wrong but that's what i have found out recently. Also, please keep in mind during my research i was more interested in cars newer than 1996.(which cost more than 5000)......if you are interested in my research drop a line.....
  • dahuzidahuzi Member Posts: 2
    I know nothing litle about cars, and just want to buy one that is good for use and with good price. I'm really interested in your research, please give me some information. Thanks.
  • digmedigme Member Posts: 2
    Here is some good information:
    the ratings according to my research without into taking into consideartion the type of cars they are categorized as is as follows:

    1)Mazda Protege (only after the 1997 Model)
    2)Honda
    2a) Prelude
    2b) CR-V
    2c) Accord
    2d) Civic
    In between a,b,c, can enter all the accura's except they are expensive, and magnets for car thieves
    3) Toyota Camry (Toyota Cars are little overpriced)
    4) Toyota Avalon (extremely over-expensive, but nice)
    5) Mazda 626
    7) Mazda Millenia
    8) Nissan Maxima
    9) VW Passat, Golf, & the rest of VW

    Let me explain why I chose all this:

    1) The protege, after 97, is the best in my reasoning because it is so so spacious inside and is actually made on a factory line that Mazda was thinking about to establish like the Lexus of Toyota, or Acura of Honda. They decided just to sell their luxury as Millenia. Price, unbeatable, still a little overpriced but has gone down considerably with deals and offers. used one should be around 8K - 12K.....Please check this site for prices of all used cars. Protege is extermely reliable for the models after 96, just one thing, make sure to get the CV Joints checked.....that's seems to be a consistent problem
    2) Prelude and CR-V models preceed the accord and the rest, since they are built in Japan, not here in the US...u know what goes to cars built by domestic, i won't say no more
    3) Camry and other toyota families excellent reliability, but a little too expensive for my taste(i am just getting settled and don't have a lot to spend right now)....If you had the money, buy the Camry....
    4)626 and Millenia, not as reliable as Protege, built on two different qualities, even if the Millenia is like the Camry of Mazda,...I see a lot of people these days on the road with 626s being most pbbly pissed @ Honda Dealers' screwy and arrogant customer service, and not opting to buy a mid-size sedan. I say again, go with the Protege.
    Last but not least, VW's - all I have to say is if you know the reputation of Audis ( and I don't mean how they look)....the replica of Audi Parts you would find in VWS. Audi is shatty....It breaks all the time, expensive to fix...what else, ...I don't know....OH,.....SORRY ABOUT THIS INFO...Maintenance on a Mazada could be a little expensive, but I think the company now is doing a lot to transform that......Good Luck ....

    INFO Sources: JD Powers; carreview; NHSA etc.... Websites....
  • hiflyerhiflyer Member Posts: 79
    It's nice to see another person providing objective information about how terribly unreliable VWs and Audis are. Their record sales in recent years is obviously due to their ability of consistently selling clunkers.
  • mattandersmattanders Member Posts: 2
    I have a '99 4 cyl EX, and love it, except for the road noise and the quirky shift delay at low speed. How much improvement can I expect from a new 6 cyl? I've read that they've theoretically noise, but can't get a sense of how real that is.
  • jared1195jared1195 Member Posts: 20
    has anyone checked out the new xg300? yeah, yeah- i am aware about the history of hyundai but hey, where would you get a V6 with all those luxury amenities. Not to mention, it must be the most distinctive, "oh, look at me!" car in the road right now. Just dont ask who made it. But i believe that is going to change. Resale value? i am just not the kind of person who would worry about that. If youre happy with the car, then screw resale value. I wouldnt be caught dead driving a camry most especially when everyone is driving it. It is a good car but it just lacks personality, distinctive styling (i believe it is subjective)and way too overpriced for what it offers. Honda accord though a bit bland in my standards, has a more quality feel overall.

    One point i want to get accross to buyers-- If you see a car that excites you - performance and beauty wise-- go for it. In my case, i dont want to be caught whining driving a car with an excellent resale value--reliability?-- at the same time complaining that that car is just plain ugly. Life is too short. In this segment, you have accord and the camry, but the world doesnt end there, there are a lot of choices which can stir the most difficult buyer. It is time to open our eyes that toyota an honda doesnt control the world and our choices. They just insult our intelligence. If they can reduce their inflated retail prices, then maybe they can regain back my respect. Plus, did i say that salesmen in toyota dealers are just plain arrogant? who they think they are?

    Well, these are just my thought--take it or leave it.
  • jared1195jared1195 Member Posts: 20
    i was just told that the xg300 is not even comparable to accord and camry. they compare it to infiniti I30 and the Lexus ES300. Sorry for that, but it is something to think about. I know i am.
  • cholland1cholland1 Member Posts: 5
    I'm working with a strictly limited budget of 11.5K. So far, I've found newer camry's with less miles priced the same as older accords with higher miles. I had my heart set on an accord, but test driving newer camrys with less miles may have changed my mind. I need to test drive some more. The v-tec honda's are so much stronger than the camry's 4cyl. I was shocked by how comfortable and "refined" the camry felt. The interior seemed larger in the camry also. The accord is probably the better car. It shows in its resale value. We all are looking for the best car for the money. I'm wondering if the accord is worth the extra age and miles that would come with its price. I want a car that will be reliable, have great gas mileage and a cofortable ride.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    But if you find the Camry has the lower miles for the same price, I'd go with the Camry.
  • mhale2mhale2 Member Posts: 1
    My boyfriend bought a Honda Civic at the Honda dealership in Auburn. They have fixed prices so there was no haggling. He really liked the experience and so now I am thinking about going there as well. I just checked out their website and you can price the vehicle that you want online. The prices actually beat edmund's TMV prices (at least for the Accord V6 EX that I was looking at)...just my 2 cents..
  • cholland1cholland1 Member Posts: 5
    I bought a 99 Camry LE with 50K miles this weekend for $11,500 with tax. I'm very pleased so far. The car has plenty of power for my needs. Highway driving is smooth & quiet. I rode in the back seat while my wife drove, and I was very comfortable. The longer trips I took were almost too calm. I kept falling asleep. I plan on putting in a good after market DC player and key less entry/alarm. Driving the car makes me feel a little snooty. The shinny newish car doesn't look like only cost 11.5K. I don't feel embarrassed any more when parking with the Lexus and B-meer crowd. Not when mines shines just as good and keeps my wallet fat. I liked the Accord. It was just out of my price range, unless I went with an older model with higher miles. No thanks.
  • ukrickukrick Member Posts: 66
    I really like the safety ratings that the Passat offers, though Accord and Camry are pretty good also. But the Passat GLX stickers for over $28k and comes with no CD player. Granted you could buy a better one yourself after market. But for that price you would think that a CD player would be standard.

    A fully loaded Accord EX-V6 can be bought for just over invoice or right at invoice, about $23k. A Camry XLE-V6 has an invoice of just over $23k but doesn't come with leather interior or sun roof. Sounds like Accord is the way to go to get the most bang for your buck.
  • amz997amz997 Member Posts: 61
    I agree with you. Accord Ex is the way to go!!
  • oldprofessoroldprofessor Member Posts: 45
    So the Passat GLX comes without a CD player standard, but look at all the other things you get. My '99 Passat GLX has trip computers that tell me ongoing mpg, average mpg, total miles traveled, elapsed time driving, etc., etc., leather interior, moon roof, real wood trim, intermittent wipers that are water sensitive, driver's seat memory, tiptronic transmission, passenger's side tilting mirror for backing up, daytime running lights, one-touch down on both front windows, and undoubtedly other things I'm forgetting. Highway gas mileage is consistently around 30 plus it's got a full-size spare and a huge trunk and the back seats fold down. All that for $30K. It's got things standard that I didn't have on a $41K Audi A6 and you could only get on a Lexus ES300 (if at all) by paying nearly $40K. So I had to pay extra for a CD player. Big deal.
  • hiflyerhiflyer Member Posts: 79
    And if one can wait a few months, the 2002 Passat will offer a standard in-dash CD player as well as reportedly a 4 year/50,000 mile b2b warranty.
  • speed14speed14 Member Posts: 3
    I currently own a 99 accord v6, and have owned 4 other honda's, all cars have been great, but many brake problems with my current car.
    Looking at a Passat, but not sure of reliability, can anyone help me decide?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Welcome to Town Hall!

    Have you found our current discussion at this link: VW Passat? You might want to check it out - there are lots of Passat owners hanging out there who can help you with your questions.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
  • oldprofessoroldprofessor Member Posts: 45
    I have a 1999 Passat GLX that I bought new. It has 15,200+ miles, and here are the problems I've had: First, I had trouble with the rear window behind the driver's seat. Took the dealer (not the one I bought it from) about 4 visits to fix it for good (I hope). Mainly I just avoid using it b/c of the problems. Second problem was that the airbag warning light came on and stayed on. This required two fixes by the dealer before it stayed off. Third problem--when the car was about 1.5 years old, I had a problem with the throttle body sensor, whatever that is. The result was that the car wouldn't start and had to be trucked to a nearby town with a VW dealer. All of these problems were on warranty and were minor nuisances other than the tbs problem. Other than that, I've liked the car a lot. It gets good gas mileage on the highway (around 30) but not so good in the small town in which I live (roughly 14), which is a problem with most all of the cars I've owned. If I had it to do over again, I probably would still buy the Passat, as I like the way it looks, and it has an unbelievable number of bells-and-whistles for the money (the GLX, that is). Hope this info helps you make up your mind.
  • jmnygaardjmnygaard Member Posts: 48
    When I bought my last car (in 1987), the big question was, "Which is better: the Accord or the Camry?" I drove them both, then bought a Mazda 626. I did NOT chose the Mazda because I was p.o.'d at Honda dealers or because the Camry cost too much, but because I got a whole lot more for the money with the Mazda. It now has 136,000 miles on it, and the only reason I'm looking for a new car is that I'm a new mom and need a car with 4 doors and more safety features.

    It cracks me up that after 14 years the argument is still pretty much the same. I've done tons of research, and the Accord, Camry, and Passat all look good on paper. The 626 doesn't look as great, but it didn't in '87, either. I drove the Accord today, and was much less impressed than I thought I'd be. My sister-in-law had a Camry; it was boring but nice. The Passat seems to be a good car, but it's much more expensive, has fewer features I wanted as standard, and doesn't have the attractive financing the Accord, Camry, and 626 do.

    I haven't decided which car to buy, yet, but I'd advise anyone who's looking at these cars should check out the 626, too. (4.9% financing for 60 months with $1000 cash back makes it VERY attractive!)
  • kartezkartez Member Posts: 48
    Go look at the Camry - Accord forum. Geez, never thought people would fight over Accord and Camry. Yuck!!!!
  • hcar2hcar2 Member Posts: 5
    Just came back from local Honda dealer in west county of St. Louis after having got ripped off $71.24 to reset the "Maintenance Reqd" light in my Honda 2001 Accord. I bought my second Honda after having no problems with my first Honda. However, I didn't realize that Honda dealers have become "greedy" now-a-days, charging premium prices on several models, doing service that is unnecessary and ripping off their customers like me to reset a simple switch!

    I would check not only the vehicle but also the associated dealer network for honesty, integrity, and customer service before selecting a particular vehicle. I was leaning towards buying third Honda vehicle (Acura) before this incident happened. Now, I would definitely go to competitor brands like Lexus or Infiniti.

    Has anyone faced the similar situation with their dealer?
  • annousannous Member Posts: 5
    I am looking into buying a new family car to replace my Buick century. I was debating between a 2002 Accord and a 2001.5 Passat. (I was told that the 2001.5 Passat is exactly the same as the 2002 Passat but was manufactured earlier in the year. So, I could get a better deal on if I buy the 2001.5 rather than the 2002).
    Since I am ignorant in cars, I am looking for some advise on the following:
    1) For the price I will have to pay, which car gives more advantages in terms of engine (driving) quality, safety, maintenance cost, and re-sell value? I am not really interested in the additional options such as a sunroof, leather seats, etc.
    2) Now, for both cars, is it worth going for the V6 engine (the 2.8L engine in the Passat) rather than the V4 engine (the 1.8L in the Passat)? This going to be used as a family car. So, do I need the extra horse powers for a smoother driving or it is not worth the price?
    3) In case of the Accord, if I chooce the V6 model, it automatically comes with extra options such as sunroof etc. My reasoning is that I don't need that and so may be I am better off to pay slightly more and get a 2.8L Passat with no options. Of course, I am assuming here that the Passat is better than the Accord. Also, I can get some good discount by bying the 2001.5 Passat instead of the 2002. So, please let me know if this reasoning is correct?
    4) A last question: if you were to buy a family car in the range price of an Accord, which car would you go for?
    Thanks a lot.
  • medulamedula Member Posts: 2
    Could you explain what does it mean "intermittent wipers that are water sensitive?" (from your posted message # 618) Is it a rain sensor?
    I am interested in wiper technology and this sounds very interesting.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    Yeah, it's a rain sensor. Only available on the GLX top-of-the-line model.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    hella sells the rain sensor also as an aftermarket item.
  • oldprofessoroldprofessor Member Posts: 45
    Although my instruction booklet doesn't have any information on them, if I put on the intermittent wipers when it's sprinkling, I can leave them on through a downpour. They go across occasionally when it's sprinkling and then pick up speed as the rain gets harder until they're going full out if it rains hard enough. I think it's really neat, but my wife says they don't sweep across often enough to suit her when it's just sprinkling. She prefers a "normal" intermittent wiper. Anyway, that's the way my wipers work. The problem is that my VW GLX has spoiled me for similarly priced Japanese cars; they just don't have all the fancy electronics I've gotten used to. I like our Acura TL-S a lot, but it's low tech compared to the VW.
  • fasteddy38fasteddy38 Member Posts: 3
    I think I am going through the same process everyone else has except my driving req's may be different. I typically drive 30 - 40k miles per year at high speeds while on a cell phone (lots of no-no's here but ....). Cruising noise, gas consumption, acceleration, and braking are probably the top issues. Been looking at the Camry, Accord, Passat and Maxima but only have about $15,000 - $18,000 to spend. Any ideas??
  • rcoosrcoos Member Posts: 167
    Add the Altima to the topic!
  • fasteddy38fasteddy38 Member Posts: 3
    I don't have that much to spend and I can't imagine buying the base line of any car. Gotta have all the power accessories. I do like the look of the new Altima but have these old memories of the first ones - cheap and slow. Still the Passat seems over-priced.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    Get an Accord DX Value Package for under $16K...some dealers near $15K. You will average around 30 on the highway, have a solid ride in a very safe car, still get something back when you trade, and be riding in perhaps the most pounds of car for the dollar in terms of value and safety on the road. Yes...you will have to crank your own windows and use a key for the door lock. You will also have to manually adjust your mirrors and not have power seats. But...if you will be the primary and mostly the only driver, it might be well worth it if every last dime matters. Otherwise, get a Hyundai Elantra GT hatch and you will get all of the goodies and leather for the same price with the super warranty to boot!
  • aditkoffaditkoff Member Posts: 7
    I purchased my '02 xle camry in late january and I am very pleased with it. I never tested the accord because of having bad experiences with a previous one. My first choice was the 5-speed glx passat. It was by far the most fun to drive an had all of the accessories I wanted. The quality was very refined (so is the camry). I had three reasons for not buying it. First, the car is too narrow. I have two adult kids and it was too narrow in back. They had no side-to-side space but was plenty of leg room. Second, the trunk was too small. My family does a long distance summer vacation and there would not be enough room for the family luggage. The finally reason is premium gas (91 octane) is required. I also had a concern about the labor cost and parts of maintaining the car. I have no idea how it compares to Toyota.
  • fasteddy38fasteddy38 Member Posts: 3
    The Passat is a little narrow. The premium gas is a pain too. Funny thing though, when I test drove a GLX V6 the other day, the sales person pointed out that VW "recommendssssss that you use premium but no one would know if you use 87 octane." They would have said anything to get me to buy that car. I definitely want a Passat over the other two but not sure if it's worth the additional 2 - 4 thousand $$'s. Also, I'm selling a Mercedes 190e 2.6 that seems to have about the same acceleration and lots of the same ammenities. The reason I'm selling is the number of maintenence issues and the cost. If it goes down, you might as well count on $1000 per repair. What a pain
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    consider a Golf or Jetta TDI.

    with the 5-speed manual (Golf), I average 50 mpg on the highway (90% highway). But they would be a bit small (and pricey) for your tastes.
  • jtw229jtw229 Member Posts: 7
    Just got my latest edition of Consumer Report and tested these three good cars with the following criteria:

    4 points for every much better than average score
    3 for every better than average
    2 for average
    1 for worse than average
    0 for much worse than average.

    Out of a possible of 448 points, these cars scored the following for 1994-2001.

    Camry got 385 for 85.9%
    Accord got 377 for 84.2%
    Maxima got 372 for 83%

    All were considerably higher than every other model that I tested.
  • agreenbergagreenberg Member Posts: 15
    I want to buy a car and hold it for 15 years if possible. Which car will be most trouble-free long-term: Passat, Camry, or Accord?
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    2000 Toyota Camry XLE V6

    30K summary

    Miles Covered: 29,927
    Running Cost : $3,062.24
    Running Cost per mile: 10.23 cents

    Gas consumed: 1274.64 Gallons
    Cost of Gas: $2,052.37
    Average Economy: 23.5 MPG
    Best: 30.2 MPG
    Worst: 16.8 MPG

    Maintenance Cost: $720.98
    Maintenance Cost per mile: 2.4 cents

    Gas Cost: $2052.37
    Gas Cost per mile: 6.85 cents

    Miscellaneous costs: 0.98 cents per mile

    (Still working on Total Cost of Ownership with depreciation and insurance)
  • valleyguyvalleyguy Member Posts: 11
    Consumer reports has given VWs average and below average in their reliability. Camry and Accord get top rated on reliability.

    I can vouch for the Camry. I have an '85 with 135k and a '92 with 125k. They're incredibly trouble-free.
  • slin1slin1 Member Posts: 5
    To date, these are all the problems I've had with my 2002 Camry SE (bought Nov 01):

    1. ALL the windows (even the sunroof) squeak, this started happening after a couple hundred miles

    2. Rear discs and pads recently developed very deep (the service mechanic never saw anything like it before) scratches and needed to be replaced

    3. Driver's door rattles when window is down

    4. Dome light blew out one day

    5. Driver's door weather stripping loose and falling off

    6. Just yesterday for the first time, the engine fan came on when I turned the key to accessory mode

    7. Rattles from the dash

    And you wouldn't believe how arrogant the Toyota dealer was about this car, as if it were an Aston Martin or something! How much are we supposed to spend on a decent quality car these days? 30K? 40K? That's ridiculous.
  • subzero206subzero206 Member Posts: 111
    thats what u get when they stop making them in japan
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Edmunds has a new feature called "True Cost To Own". It is listed when one researches out the various vehicles on the new car heading. It is one of the 13 subjects when you click on a particular vehicle. It is very useful when comparing one vehicle to another. "True Cost To Own" takes the purchase price and adds things like depreciation, insurance, license fees, etc. and gives you a figure for 5-yr ownership. They even tailor it to your particular zip code. I tried it on a few vehicles and it is very useful.
  • wolverine_xwolverine_x Member Posts: 54
    By the looks of the pictures, I think I can safely assume that those who like 2002 Camry styling and Passat styling can be fairly satisfied with the new 2003 accord.


    Really cant wait to see one on the road...


    Here is the link:

    http://beta.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=11455


    You, bet this is 100% credible spy shots...

  • stantontstantont Member Posts: 148
    Just about a year ago, I went looking for a new car to replace a 1991 Taurus SHO that was leaking oil, coolant, and Freon after about 140,000 miles (bought used, and the previous owner apparently didn't believe in preventive maintenance).

    I put together a short list of: Accord, Camry, Passat, Taurus, Maxima, Subaru Legacy. I fully expected to buy the Passat after reading all the rave reviews in the car mags, and having a few family and friends who owned them. One afternoon I went out and test drove the Passat turbo4 with stick, the Maxima v6 with stick, and the Taurus v6 with auto. The wife hated the Maxima, and the Taurus felt a bit crude by comparison. The Passat was sweet: good ride and handling, sweet turbomotor, good performance and that farfergnugen (sp?) "feel". The only annoyances were a slight "bog" off the line until the turbo spooled up; and in 5th gear at 75-80 mph, it felt like it wanted one more overdrive gear. On the way home, I said, "I guess we should go back and get the Passat". My wife (wise woman!) replied, "Wait till tomorrow and drive the other three."

    So the next day I drove the Accord EX V6 for several miles (freeway, city streets, and winding road), then drove a new Camry v6 over the exact same course. On the curves where I tossed the Accord around it and felt like it wasn't trying, the Camry rolled the tires over and squealed and REALLY didn't want to be driven like that. I gave the Camry keys back and told the salesman it felt like a Japanese Buick. Thanks, but no thanks. Finally I drove a Legacy wagon over the same route. The practical side of me said the Subaru would be best for carrying bikes and stuff, but that same wise wife said, "You are emotionally attached to your cars. Which one grabbed you and felt like you belonged in it?" "The Accord", I said. "Then that's an easy choice", she replied. "I like it, too."

    The practical side of me said the Accord was as quiet as, or quieter than, the Camry at highway speeds (though not in town), it carried all the stuff in the interior and trunk we needed for even long vacation trips with bikes, etc. The interior was very plush, the 6-CD changer was nice. But more than that, everything felt precise: steering, controls, knobs, etc. Seats were the best of the lot, better (to my rear) than those in the Passat. Performance was not up to the old SHO, but better than all the others except the Maxima. Dashboard ergonomics were superb: everything was in reach and relatively intuitive to operate, probably the best in the auto industry.

    So: 12 months and 20,000 miles later, I love the Accord. It has done everything we have asked, and more, and gracefully. Every time I get in it I have to smile. Is the styling cutting-edge? Nope. But it ages VERY well, like a blue pin-stripe Armani suit, and it will look just as classic when it is 10 or 12 years old. I've added a stiffer rear sway-bar to sharpen handling response, but that's it. At a stoplight it will surprise a lot of folks who don't realize that 10-15% of the Accords out there are v6's. The 4's aren't slow, but the 6's are pretty darned quick.

    Someone asked earlier about gas mileage. The v6 with auto has consistently gotten 28-29 mpg on the highway at 78-80 mph. I've never done an entire tankful of city driving, so I can't comment on that. BTW, the engine must be VERY tight when new: the first tankful on the road got 25 mpg despite driving gently for breakin. Then it slowly climbed for about 5,000 miles.

    Last week, my wife's best friend went car shopping, and drove the Accord and the new Camry. She wanted a car that coddled her and made her feel luxurious. She got the Camry 4cyl.

    As I said, Choices, choices....
  • ladymac1299ladymac1299 Member Posts: 1
    I must say that my family (on both sides) have had good experiences with Hondas. Altho they, like any car, require more maintenance as they age...we had a 1983 Accord that ran great until 1/2000; a 1989 Accord Sedan with 191K miles whose alternator just went out & we'll "let it go;" a 1989 Coupe that's still running, altho in need bigger-ticket maintenance; and my 1989 Civic Sedan is tooling along great at 125K.
    Yes, there's been some maintenance (some of it major) over the years, and the dark red paint hasn't aged too gracefully.
    We bought a 2001 Accord Sedan last year & honestly love it. The only thing we didn't like was that the green color was too dark (looked black).
  • np1908np1908 Member Posts: 39
    Saturn is one of the most overlooked sedans in this category. Agreed, nobody can match the established reliability of Accords/Camrys. I recently test drove Camrys/Accords and as a recommendation from a friend, also test drove Saturn 2002 L300. I found it be a quiet, comfortable, nice ride. I am putting it as front-run contender with Accords/Camrys. Saturn is well-known for their customer-focused approach - rated #1 (toppling Lexus) for service, infact the first non-luxury to achieve this status after 16 years! With value pricing, good reliability records with their past models, best-in-town service - I believe, Saturn is worth considering. (I am a present owner of an Accord)
  • sola2000sola2000 Member Posts: 6
    I recently purchased a new family sedan. Before purchasing the car, I did a lot of research and extensivley test drove many cars, both domestics and imports. I drove the Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Stratus and Intrepid, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima and Maxima, Pontiac Bonneville and Grand Prix, Saturn LS, Toyota Camry and the Volkswagen Passat.

    After driving all those cars I would say, without question, the imports are far superior to the domestics. I remember driving the Chevy Malibu and then going to the Toyota dealer, driving the Camry and being shocked at how much smoother, more refined and better designed and engineered it is than the Chevy or any of the domestics. The same with the VW Passat over the domestics.

    My favorite out of all cars I drove? It was the Passat. I thought it provided the best driving experience. There really is something to that German heritage. The car I actually bought? My second favorite. A 2002 V6 Honda Accord. Why? I keep my cars a long time and I just didn't trust VW's long term reliability. I know with a Honda or Toyota product one is virtually assured bullet proof quality and reliability for years and years, and hundreds of thousands of miles. In the final analysis that can't be said for American or German cars.
  • np1908np1908 Member Posts: 39
    Sola2000..

    Pls do not post the "same" post across different boards. It can only make your post, sorry, phony.
    Same post across different boards:
    I test drove Saturn L/Mercury/Ford Taurus/Chevy Malibu/Pontic Grand Prix/ etc. and then went to Toyota Camry and *shocked* how good Camry was..
    (I am not sure how many boards he posted as Edmunds lists only the last 5);

    Pls try to be more objective in your postings and say, what **exactly** you found extra in a Camry against a Chevy/Grand prix. Thx.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    I think the domestics still have a LONG way to go. Reliability may be improving for the domestics, but the materials, seat fabrics, and styling are still behind IMO. I think the Saturn L-series is the closet import fighter, although I think the Taurus is a pretty good car too. The Grand Am and Bonneville need to lose the cladding that they are famous for. I mean really, that stuff was played out a while ago. Also those rock-hard interior materials are so played. The Camry Accord and EVEN the new cheap-interior Altima are better than the Pontiacs and Chevys, any GM model actually. Of the Chevy models, I think the Malibu beats the Impala. The Regal is cheap, along with the Intrigue, Alero, and of the other models. The materials are just plain flimsy. Door handles are easily breakable, the dash vents can be broken just by using your pinky finger. The dash gaps are very viewable, the screws can be seen where dash pieces are put together. This kind of stuff you just don't see in a Honda, Toyota, Mazda. Maybe a Mitsubishi from time to time, but not much.
    The radio buttons on the stereo are big, cheap looking and feeling and no parts of the dash feel tactile. Unlike a Camry Accord or Passat which have abundant tactile feel.

    FYI, the new l-series looks more like a foregin car than a domestic with the facelift. It looks very Hondaish to me for some reason. The materials are better and the quality has increased. The Saturns aren't as far off the mark as the other domestics. What I don't understand is why so many get offened about this type of matter (most here don't get offened like those at Caranddriver.com) The American car companies want us to buy their cars, but they are unrefined, underfeatured, underpowered(except the Grand Prix/Regal/Intrigue) and overall have lower resale value and reliability. I cannot see myself putting my hard-earned money into a new Chevy/Chrysler/Ford, maybe one day, but right now it's the Japanese are even the Germans who'll get my money. I work to hard to have a car that costs as much as 25K and up, and it have materials as flimsy as a Hyundai Accent Hatchback. Heck the Accent hatchback in some cases STILL beats these cars.

    Futhermore, the American car companies have had more than enough time to catch up. I mean the Accord and Camry have been pretty much ruling since the mid eighties. The Taurus was a big seller and still is, but that's because every fleet dealer has a bunch of them as rentals. The Korean car companies, who were once below the American car companies have passed the American car companies as well. Compare a 2002 Sonata GLS to a 2002 Malibu LS? Who is more refined? Who has higher quality? FoMoCo, DC and GM would rather spend their money on developing new SUVs, and Hybrids. Chevy/Chrysler and Ford continue to call the Japanese cars "Bland" but at least they do what they are supposed to do. Honda may have a new SUV out, but at least they don't forget about the passenger cars. SUVs won't be the trend forever. Remember when the station wagon used to be the fad? I do, the fad died, and is now slowly starting to become a big fad again. SUVs are nice but the American car companies put way too much money into them, while leaving the cars unrefined, and uncompetitive with the competition. The materials alone would keep me from getting any American car. They are just too cheap. Also I personally don't like the styling of most american cars. I'd love to see the Vectra(?) as the new Malibu though(It is coming right?) Now there is a car I'd consider. Also, after driving two very good Honda Accords (a 1991 EX and 1992 DX) there is no way I'd buy a new car today that AT Least didn't have the refinement to match those two great cars. Until the Altima gets a newer interior, I won't buy one, and if I won't buy an Altima for it's interior, you can bet I won't be in ANY GM/DC/Fomoco car anytime soon. I am not biased, I am just a normal person who wants the best bang for my bucks.

    Quality of a car really gives off an impression of the car. If a car has a cheap interior that is viewable each AND EVERYDAY, and shows obvious signs of cost cutting, one could only that parts of the car that aren't so viewable could be cheap, if not cheaper. If the interior is cheap, maybe they cut cost somewhere else too.
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