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Comments
I think the new design is nice, the rear end got a very big change but the front seems to be not touched. I find the rear end a little to close to cars like the E class and Grand Prix. But i still think its a positive change.
That's hysterical. I cannot believe that the speed of LEDs lighting vs. traditionals would ever be used as a marketing point by a car manufacturer OR as a notable point at all by a "reputable" auto-review organization. That's just funny, and really should make one question the validity and reliability of any of the aforementioned factions in doing so.
Yes, they light faster - but that 1/10th of a second is not going to make any difference to a human in realizing the car is stopping, or their reaction time to the pedal. Geesh...
What a joke.
The Chevy Malibu is a much improved car, but I'd suggest using Consumer Reports as a guide rather than J.D. Power.
I think it's safe to buy a GM car, but a test drive along and known long-term reliability favor the Honda Accord IMO........Richard
We do know someone with a Malibu though....Lets just say she's already tried the Cobalt as a loaner.
Is there a link for proof that there is a difference in the lighting time for LEDs vs tungsten?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Besides, where is the line drawn? Should we have optical cables feeding the brake lights so that they get the information from the pedal a few milliseconds faster? I doubt it. People not paying attention to the car in front of them has more to do with reaction time than limitations of the incandescent bulb I would wager.
I think it is high time we replace the caveman technology of the light bulb in cars with LEDs for issues ranging from longevity to light output to energy savings but NOT because of how fast either illuminates.
Safety is more important to me than saving electrical energy while the motor is running and the battery is already fully charged. Bulb life is a factor but once again pales when compared with vehicle safety. I am not saying that LEDs are more important than improved braking, improved traction/handling, or anti-skid devices, but an improvement is good no matter how small or often used.
For the record, I don't think even if it's 1/10th of a second faster that it has any impact at all on the driver behind you.
Here's a link with a graph of LED vs Incandescent lighting for response time (drag racing link). http://www.racetec.cc/led_lamp_tech.htm
I wouldn't bet against Vtec. - those new Accords will be coming off the assembly line in less than a month probably.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Seriously - lighting is not the issue, and it is certainly not going to save anyone's butt in the manner which the aforementioned article is trying to lead on. A guy waving a flag in his car while braking will have the same effect IF THE DRIVER BEHIND IS PAYING ATTENTION. 90% of the time people rear-end the person in front of them because they are NOT paying attention.
Along the braking force indicators thread... that's all well and good - but you already have people who do not understand what the various red and amber colored service and warning lights on a dashboard are for - do you really think that a progressive scale across the deck lid is going to be any less confusing for these drivers?
Here is a thought... many years ago community bus services started putting these blocks on the back of buses which start flashing amber lights any time the driver takes his foot off the gas while the bus is in gear. The idea behind this was to let the drivers behind know that it is highly probable that the driver was going to be stopping soon, but he isn't yet. I think this would be a great idea for cars. Most people don't jam on the brakes straight from gas when they see a situation developing ahead that would be cause for alarm/stopping. They wait a second or two to see if they can get through or around while letting off the gas. If their amber lights began flashing at this time, that would alert the driver behind them to get off the throttle, and consequently - the one behind them too. That's gonna save a hell of a lot more lives than the assumed 9 feet an LED is going to give you. Just a thought.
Markeeters OTOH, can claim all kinds of things on any of these items.
You must have the necessary data to show that there is not difference since you're so quick to ridicule the point!!! Right? Thank you for your courteous response. I take you were trying to say you disagree.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yes, but.
Depending on the speed of the flashing foot-off-the-gas light, it can trigger migraines & seizures. And since passengers as well as drivers would be subjected to the large increase in flashing lights all over the place, the risk of seizures is an important consideration.
On the flip side, there's the question of how long it would take before drivers would start to tune out or ignore the flashing foot-off-the-gas lights of cars in front of us, figuring that the drivers were just coasting down a hill & would soon pick up speed again.
And I'm curious as to how many people realize that what looks like a flashing brake light on a bus isn't in fact a brake light. (Speaking just for myself, I didn't know this until I read it here today.)
I'm in favor of anything that would improve car safety, but I wonder if the drawbacks of this idea outweigh its advantages.
If flashing lights on the road are going to impair your driving, you should not be driving, it's that simple. Flashing lights could be anywhere, headlights coming through a fence, train track warning signs, construction lights....etc.
If you are really that worried about it, have the brake warning indicators flash using the same frequency as the turn signals but with an easily differentiated color.
Also, the point I was trying to make regarding migraines & seizures is that even if a person w/a seizure disorder is riding as a passenger in a car that someone else is driving, he or she would still be subjected to these additional flashing lights - & an increase in the prevalence of flashing lights would still run the risk of triggering more seizures.
As for passengers being affected, anyone I know who is susceptible to blinking lights causing them problems simply avoids them by averting their eyes. Having a susceptible passenger close their eyes would solve the problem at least temporarily. I know friends with seizure problems that simply divert their attention from the lights and this works even at county fairs and the like (where there are plenty of blinking lights).
I just don't see this as a big deal.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Do you have a link to data that shows it's that much faster to visible light? If it's simple, then link to it...
It's not minutia when the 9 feet measure is predicated on the difference between noticeable, visible brake light indicating braking.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
LED vs. Incandescent
Scroll down to: LED vs. Incandescent Lighting Quick Comparison
Time to light: LED 0.00006 mSec, Incandescent 250 MSec = 24' at 65 MPH.
LED's are also cheaper to run and last much longer than incandescent bulbs.
The whole point is that in the grand scheme of things a change to LEDs in tail lights is not a big enough safety issue to have it be mandated by DOT.
Thanks
If you want to call your point as being ridiculed, so be it. Honestly I think it was a ridiculous point in the method it was presented - being static and linear. Sorry, but people just don't operate that way. The time-to-light-on data is hardly interesting, honestly, as it is so negligible in true, every-day human factors and situations that it has no true application.
Do you notice a difference in internet sites that ping 10ms vs 60ms? Of course not. Even with a range of half a second, it is barely perceivable by humans. Now you are talking about a shaven difference of a few hundreths to a couple tenths? Cmon.
Now, back to the flashing amber lights... ok - do away with the flashing altogether... even a steady light, or slowly blinking light... something to indicate the driver is off the gas would do a lot more good than the time difference between LEDs and standard bulbs would. Grand Prix racers have this on their cars even... blinking brake light when off the gas, solid when on the brake. I try to pay attention to weight shifts fore and aft in the car ahead of me... it frequently gives me just enough extra time should things get bad up ahead. Chicago expressway traffic requires people to pay close attention. The number of wrecks I see each day to and from the office demonstrates quite clearly that most people do not, and my commute is all of 15 minutes.
Besides the obvious feature of having it guiding you to your destination with a moving map and voice commands,
you can enter your destination by:
Address (state, city, street number, address), places (auto service, banking, community, emergency, hotel/motel, leasure, restaurant, shopping, travel), previous destination, personal addresses previously stored, and intersection.
The above lists also break down into cub-categories.
You can program how your routes take you,
direct route, easy route, minimize freeways, minimize toll roads, maximize freeways.
It shows the length of each leg of the route, with estimated travel time, and points of interests along the way.
If you miss a turn, it re-routes itself and finds another way to get you to your destination.
It has a built in calendar that you can enter in appointments, and even has a calculator.
It automatically changes the clock when you cross time zones.
It has a long list of words that it can be operated thru Voice Recognition.
It also has a great trip computer showing gas milage, miles left, miles gone since fillup.
Believe me, I just hit some of the things I could quickly think of, the list is quite extensive of what it can do.
I thought it was going to be an expensive toy (OK it is an expensive toy) but I forsee it becomming as commomplace as A/C, and power windows in the years to come. I would buy it all over again. I keep cars for quite a while, so adding another 10% to the cost of the car didn't seem to be that big of a deal.
Mrbill
Not sure if I want it or not and was looking for the experience other people have had with it.
However, When I picked up my Honda from Dealer service and checked Tire pressure indicated 36-37 psi. Also Max Tire pressure was 44 psi.My case I usalley maintain 34 psi for all 4 Tires.
I need information from other ACCORD user's input for Optimum Tire pressure setup for best performance and longer life.
Should keeping the pressure for 37 psi? or 34 psi.
Prompt Response will be appreciated.
Skang a Accord Lover!
I took it to the dealer to try to get it replaced under defective pretext, but the service manager says he sees these quite often and they are usually caused by over-compressing the tire into the hard edge of a severe pothole or something. I assured him I take care to avoid big potholes and that it was likely to blow a bead before causing a bubble. I said that the sidewalls of the tire should be strong enough to deal with such a thing from the local roads. He disagreed and said he would not replace the tire under warranty and that the OEM tires do not come with road hazard protection. Frusterated I asked how much a new one would be. The indicated the tire price alone was over $160. He started to lookup installation and I told to save ihs breath, I was going to Sam's Club.
The tire was over $35 cheaper there and install was $9 which included road-hazard. I didn't want to get another of these series, but figured I should at least until the tires wear out. When I do replace them, it will be with Goodyear Regatta 2's, which I have used before on other cars.
I have been driving for over 20 years, and I have had a few bubbles in tires. Every time it was due to a fault in the tire, and never due to over-compression when smacking the edge of a pothole or somesuch. This was a very cheap "out" for the service manager at the dealer from which I just purchased my car, and I have sent a letter both to Honda and the manager of the dealership noting my displeasure and false representation.
Tires often come severely over inflated when new. One of the things dealerships should do in their pre-sale inspection of cars is adjust tires to the correct pressure. But some of them just unload the cars, remove the plastic an paper protectors, pull the floormats out of the trunk, and park it on the lot.
Why spend their time, which is money, on inspections. The purchaser will do this for you.
I run my 2002 V6 Accord at 30 or 32lbs.
Which I think would be Michelin.
Tires are backed by the tire company, not the auto dealership. Your dealership only wanted to sell you a tire.
If the bubble was on the sidewall and there was no obvious damage from an impact, I bet a Michelin selling tire store would have replaced the tire.
Don't adjust a hot tire to 30 or 32 pounds because when it cools, the pressure will be much too low.
I'd rather be a couple of pounds higher than recommended than a couple of pounds lower even though the ride would be better with the tires properly, rather than slightly over-inflated...........Richard
I totally concur with mrbill1957. The Navigation System was a wonderful choice when I selected my 2004 Coupe. I also recommend it wholeheartedly, although I use the voice command feature mostly for AM/FM/XM radio station/channel selection, volume control, climate control, etc. when I don't need directions.
I am looking at an Accord LX but don't want to spend the extra for EX.
Thoughts???
Any aftermarket NAV will be less costly than the built in NAV but it comes with the "non-standard" look and doesn't integrate the controls of the built in unit.
So the question is: how much do you value the "built-in" look and the integrated controls? For strictly the NAV function without a care for the looks, an aftermarket unit like Gamin 2610 is a much better alternative than a NAV option.
I would also wait to see what the 06 models offer - maybe the NAV option will be available on the LX as well.
With those 2 major pieces, a perfect retrofit is possible. Cost-wise, my hunch is that trading the car itself for a NAV-equipped model (and XM radio-equipped for an 04 and up) would be a better deal overall on top of keeping the original warranty.
Otherwise, aftermarket NAVs from Garmin and Magellan are practical, lower cost though less functional alternatives. I myself have 2 Garmin units for our 2 Accords, and have been happy with their cost/benefit return.
That said, an interactive voice-activated NAV/Radio/MIscellaneous system which is easily software-upgradable would be ideal. Nothing beats voice instructions while driving for safety and efficiency.
Ex: to find hotels on-the-fly during our last road trip, I had to have my Garmin's safety mode defeated and my wife working the Garmin remote to search for hotels and their phone numbers. A full voice-interactive system would have made this a one-man job.
Is this something that might go away? Should I get it checked out?
I was disappointed that after just 25K miles, I had to have my front rotors turned. I do about 65% city and 35% highway driving, but I consciously try to go lightly on the breaking. Is there something I can do to get more miles out of a set of brakes. I thought brakes were go for about 35K miles.
Overall, I have been pretty happy with my Accord. I also have a 1999 Odyssey which replaced a 1987 Accord. I have averaged 30 mpg over 28K miles. It is fairly peppy when needed, but with the Altima having 175 hp, I wish it had just a little more get up and go. The firth gear definitely helps with power and mileage.
Happy Hondaring!
Your city/hwy mix already is making it difficult to get great longevity out of the brakes.
The only thing you might be able to do is change to a longer life pad - at the expense of more rotor wear. Since you already had the rotors turned, next time you'll probably need rotors too.
I think your milage is about as good as it's going to get. The speed for best milage is right around the old national speed limit - 55 mph.
If you are concerned with the price of gasoline, why would you waste so much of the available crude oil by diverting it to motor oil being changed at only 3,000 mile intervals? If the vehicle manufacturer recommends oil changes at 5,000, 7,500 or 10,000 miles, you are wasting your money and depleting oil wells at an unnecessary rate. They just aren't making dinosaurs anymore.
I have a 2005 EX-L 2.4ltr sedan. Satin Silver
I am interested in purchasing factory honda wheels (EP-R5 17" Alloy Wheels). I have the stock 16" rims now but looking for a sharper look with the charcoal color wheels. Will purchasing the 17" wheels decrease fuel economy and/or loose power. Will it mess up the spedo. Will the rolling diameter be the same from the 205/60/16 tires to the upgraded 215/50/17. Are the off-sets the same. Will road noise increase?
CONFUSED
Has anyone else done this before?? Please respond. (recommendations!?!?)
None of the changes you're thinking of making will do anything to make the car better and will likely create problems.
Enjoy your new car and resist the temptation to louse it up
I'm with Richard though, I'd stick with the original rims. IMO the 16" EX 4cyl. rims are the nicest-looking Accord rims.