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Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread
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...any more offensive than this...
or this...
It has strips going down it, similar to the woodtrim found in the 2005-06 Altima
The wood in all of them looks equally FAKE to me. At least the Altima's won't have that plasticky finish and is more of a matte finish.
And the materials in this...
Don't look any better than the materials in this...
2. Toyota Prius
3. Hyundai Sonata
Rest of the segment: http://www.strategicvision.com/auto_segmentwinners.php?year=2006&award=tva&seg=2- 5
Press Release for all:
BMW on top, Hyundai Leads Toyota, GM poised for success
http://www.strategicvision.com/press_release.php?pr=23
I actually prefer the low-gloss wood trim in the Altima over the super shiny wood in the Accord or Camry.
But that charcoal interior in the Altima takes the cake...very classy!
I just hope Honda doesn't go crazy with the 08 Accord's interior.
I would agree with this, though that may not always be a good thing. I've seen detailed pictures of the new Altima's nav system and it includes a button labeled "TILT". This suggests to me that the Altima's nav screen can be positioned at different angles to reduce glare, something you can't do with a nav screen that is integrated into the center console.
Camry (I4) was very quiet at both local and highway speeds. Power is OK. We felt it's overall better than the Sonata (V6) we tested, except the power department where Sonata V6 shines. But the barebone LE I4 Camry costs about $3000 CAD (including the 4-year interests) more than the V6 Sonata we tested. So, Camry is basically off from our list. It costs a bit more than I'd like to pay for a barebone 4-cylinder family car.
Then we went to the Ford dealer and tested a Fusion SE I4. It had $2000 discount and 0% APR for 4 years. Seems as good a deal as Sonata, which comes with 0% APR for 5 years with no cash discount. The Fusion looks pretty nice from outside, except the fuel door, which doesn't have a lock. IMO, the interior is as good as Sonata. The SE I4 also has power driver-seat that I didn't find on Sonata or Camry.
The 2.3L engine seems really weak. It cried like a baby whenever I stepped on the gas. And I tried as gentle as possible, but the engine noise kept coming into the passenger cabin. While I was driving, the wife were playing with the radio controls. The dashboard cover seems so loose that it could almost come off! And there was some weird cracking noise from right behind the dashboard as soon as we passed the speed of 80KM/h.
After spending 30 minutes in the Fusion, we felt the Sonata we tested earlier had far better fit-and-finish than the Fusion.
It's hard to maintain that speed in San Diego traffic, so it requires a lot of braking and accelerating from 55 to 85.
I average about 25 mpg in mixed heavy traffic driving, but on long trips that 30 mpg figure is no lie.
I think the Camry is the best (also the most expensive) among the ones I've tested: Mazda 3 hatch, Sonata GL V6 with moonroof, Camry LE I4, Fusion SE I4. However the Sonata offers more car for the money.
At this point, I am inclined to the Sonata. I still need to test drive the Accord SE I4 and Civic EX though.
Well that certainly isn't true of my car (a 2006 Automatic Accord) when I carried myself and three friends (and their luggage - probably about 700 pounds altogether) to Atlanta for a weekend getaway. Did it downshift occasionally to pass people in some hilly sections at 80 MPH? Sure. Did I have to redline it (or go above 5,000 RPM to merge safely or maintain extra-legal speeds (75 MPH)? Not at all...
Oh yeah, this is a 4-cylinder! The V6 Accord wouldn't need NEARLY as much revving as my car, which is down about 50 lb-ft of torque and 80 horsepower from the V6 model.
Basically, you were just speculating, which isn't a good thing to do when so many other people are out there who don't have to speculate.
Do I own an Altima? Nope, that's why I haven't commented on it's accelerative capabilities. Please don't underestimate a car's abilities based on numerical values, ESPECIALLY when you haven't experienced it firsthand.
The Sonata is just about the best possible value as far as features per dollar is concerned. Check out the Accord if you like sporty ride/handling (if you liked how the Fusion drove, you may like the Accord's dynamics). If you value a smoother ride more than handling, the Honda may not be for you. (Prices-Paid forums are showing Accord SEs going out the door for around $20k, less than a comparable Camry, but a good deal more than the Sonata.
And the Honda would be smoother, and quieter at 5,000 rpm than the Nissan would be at 3,000 rpm.
Can you see trying to get a helmet on a 2 year old every morning?
The helmet alone, would not do much good anyway.
I did not like base V6 sonata much, but I fell in love with LX Sonata.
Much more comfort, better handling, more toy items, and powerful engine.
If you can pay same price on top Sonata as base Accord, I suggest you to try one before you make the decision.
Driving a Fusion rental/4cyl/auto on basically the same trip, the auto would drop itself on hills, but the car never felt like it was struggling either. Both cars seem to be pleasant and enjoyable enough on highway 58.
Driving a Taurus (rental/V6/auto)in the north east towards Port Townsend (pretty hilly still), it felt like the motor was working more to keep up, but the transmission seemed hesitant to downshift. It made for a very smooth comfortable ride though, and that was the rental Taurus with what was probably the Vulcan V6.
Whats with the tiptronic gate? I thought they were going to CVT?
Honda Accord:
Toyota Camry:
Nissan Altima:
Personally I think Accord > Camry > Altima
Personally I think Accord > Camry > Altima
Can you explain why? I do not see anything in the photos that would lead me to prefer one over the other...as I said before I am not a connoisseur of interiors, though. Dark and comfortable, with no wood or leather, is about all I care about
My ideal interior for cars in this class would be based on Accord's interior but replace the steering wheel and shifter with Camry's.
Could you provide some references to that recommendation?
Maybe you should have said this instead of claiming a Honda would "have to be redlined just to merge on the highway," when you, I, or any Accord owner knows it isn't true. It would have given you a lot more credibility.
I've never denied that low-end torque was usable in the city setting. That's common sense. Our old van (late-model Odyssey)had a lot more pep in-town than our old CR-V, when in-fact, the CR-V was actually the faster car running at full-steam.
By the way, who cares if it downshifts (I drive an automatic, remember)? That transmission is so incredibly smooth and well-matched to the drive-by-wire throttle, I never feel a shift on the highway.
Even the G35's are aweful, but will probably look more like these for the new G37 I suspect.
They are. The tiptronic gate allows for a manual shift mode of the CVT. From the Nissan news website:
The V6 CVT has been enhanced with an all-new “Sport” mode controller with a high-speed central processing unit and Adaptive Shift Controller with adaptive logic for faster shifting in both normal and manual modes. The adaptive logic feature delivers the best shift pattern based on the driving environment and driver’s perceived intentions. It utilizes 700 programmed algorithms to adjust to differing conditions, such as uphill or downhill driving, as well as adapting to three styles of driving – economy, normal and sporty.
Maybe the G37 and the 07 Max will mirror the flowing lines of the Altima's.
Sporty? You mean the kind of driving where you put the pedal to the floor and let the engine scream?
Sporty? You mean the kind of driving where you put the pedal to the floor and let the engine scream?
Acutally Chryler engineered steps into their CVT based on feedback they got from customer clinics. Apparently people freaked when their engine went to just shy of redline and stayed there. If I were a CVT, I would want to be at max torque getting started and gradually head towards max horsepower as I get going, and stay there.
Yeah, sorta like being a leadfoot, uh, leadfoot. :P
This goes back to what I posted before about how most drivers are afraid of high rpms.
So Chysler has a non continuous CVT...which means it actually is not operating as a CVT at all. Do they allow you to turn off the steps, so that the transmission can operate the way it is supposed to?
Is this what Nissan has done as well?
Also, check out this link:
break-in secrets
Again, I've done this before, and have had NO problems with engines in any of the cars I've owned.
Can someone post the Aura interior vs the Altima?
I do not get why the Altima has round vents in the center but square vents on the sides, that is kind of weird. I also dont like the low position of the CD changer.
Why? What an assinine statement. 'It's terrible' It's an effin steering wheel bro. How are 'three spoke designs the sportiest'?
Do you even like yourself?
I am more concerned with how the wheel feels in my hands, and if it feels like I an driving a bus because the diameter is so big. Also, if there is a thumb position just above the spokes and also a grip at the 10 and 2 positions, that is nice too.
The last steering wheel I really liked was a Momo I installed on a pre-airbag car. It felt great. I also replaced the shifter with a shorter throw and a better shift knob. It was amazing how much better it felt.
I agree that the CD slot is low, I was thinking it might be the DVD for the navigation, not the actual CD player, which would be fine since the DVD would only need to be changed every couple of years.
It's a flippin steering wheel, what's not too like? Placement of stereo controls? The way the horn activates? It's nice and fairly thick IMO, without being a "trendy" design that will age in 5 or 10 years.
I fail to see how 3 spokes make a car "sportier", especially a 4 door family sedan.
How does the car handle better? Do people watching you drive by say, "wow, that's sporty, look at the 3 spoke steering wheel"?
I fail to see how 3 spokes make a car "sportier", especially a 4 door family sedan.
How does the car handle better? Do people watching you drive by say, "wow, that's sporty, look at the 3 spoke steering wheel"?
Well, you're in good shape since it has a 4 spoke wheel.
I don't understand why people equate family transportation with dull/boring/not fun. Why does it matter what type of car something is in? Why are they putting V6s in cars that should have a small diesel 4 cylinder? Why do they have 16 and 17" road wheels when they should really have 185/70r14s?
In a word (or my opinion anyway), No. Is sporty the look they are going for and why it has a 3 spoke wheel? Yes. That's also why it has a relatively small diameter and a relatively thick rim. Its also why it has the 10 and 2 little grippy parts.
It's not so much the "sporty" aspect so much as the overall look and feel of the wheel. After all, your hands are (supposed to be) on it more than anything else in the car, and you almost HAVE to look at it, being that it's right in front of you all the time.
For me, I prefer the LOOKS of a 3-spoke wheel. I'm NOT saying it's more comfortable to drive with compared to a 4-spoke, hardly. But I prefer a good 3-spoke wheel, with a meaty rim, and the airbag/horn section as small as possible. Here's a good example, from the Mazda MX-5:
The absolute WORST I've ever driven is the early '90's airbagged-equipped wheels from Ford, with a too-thin rim, and the ugly, boxy cover.
The wheel was on my Mom's old '90 Taurus...