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Midsize Sedans Comparison Thread
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When you beat someone 9 out of 10 times you're talking about dominance, not competition. Of course it's likely that Edmunds will rate the '08 Accord higher than the new '07 Camry but that's more likely to irritate (not frighten) Toyota.
Sonata's sales are skyrocketing. It has found its niche as a lower priced alternative to Camry and Accord. The '08 Accord won't change this. In fact odds are excellent that Hyundai's sales will continue to increase.
You're right, Honda is not that big on gadgets (remote start is not entirely a good thing). But I am sure they will do what is necessary, to put the 8th generation Accord firmly back on top in this class. The current Accord hasn't exactly fallen behind the competition, even after almost four years with the current design. I can tell you from being on other (Honda) forums, many people are anticipating and waiting for the 08 Accord. This may hurt the 07 Accord sales a little, but not much.
Which ones? The main competition is new for 06 or 07. It will be at least another 3 or 4 years before we see a new Sonata, Camry, Altima, or Fusion.
Subtract the outgoing model Camry's 14% fleet-sale rate as well as the Accord's 2.5% fleet-sale rate, and you have numbers flip-flopped. No numbers are yet available on the 2007 Camry fleet sales yet (obviously, it came out only months ago).
Further, I wouldn't call Camry's sales over the Accord's "dominance" if anything, Honda could offer more dealer incentives and fleet sales to equal sales of the Camry if they wanted to, they just choose not to.
Also, as far as Honda not getting into the "gadgets" I'm not so sure about that. Honda was one of the first to offer Dual-zone automatic climate control, 2nd only to the Camry as far as Navigation systems and XM is standard on top of the line Accord EX-L and EXV6 models.
I'm sure bluetooth, push start and other "gadgets" will be available when the redesign hits, because afterall, if they don't offer these gadgets, people will begin to question the pricing...one of the reason the Accord and Camry are so much more expensive at times is because of perceived reputation and some gadgets that aren't offered on the Sonata. Even though Camrys loose adjustable pedals for 07...
As far as the Accord, I expect it to be fully redesigned and probably won't look like the current model. In all honesty, the last time Honda models were truly "evolutionary" was back in the early 80s to the early 90s. The 1994, 1998 and 2003 Accords don't look like each other in a sense of "evolutionary" design, so what makes you think the 2008 will be evolutionary to the 2003-06, which was considered a style disaster by so many critics? If anything, the car will get bigger, have more power in V6 form (doubting I4 will change much) and it will back features on par with the top tier competition.
http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/avenger.html
Three years is not Hyundai's traditional schedule. Hyundai has gone 4 years,(02-05) and 5 years (96-01), with the last two generations. Most companies go at least 4 years. So Hyundai will have 2 years to study the Accord, and try to copy it again, as best they can. Of course doing the copying thing means they will always be a generation behind. That's the breaks, when you have to rely on someone else for your ideas.
I am hoping that on the '08 Accord Honda will copy Hyundai and offer ESC on all trim levels. Honda also followed Hyundai's lead and started offering side airbags on its models some time after Hyundai did. Yes, I know it is hard for you to believe since you are so biased in favor of Honda and against Hyundai, but Hyundai has had some original ideas over the years and doesn't just copy everyone else.
The Accord is always the last sedan to get a redesign (well it an the Mazda6 which is also new for 08)
I am sure Honda gets many of its ideas from the other cars in the class, just like the Sonata, Altima and Camry got ideas from other competitors.
Let's re-establish this again, the Sonata did not copy the Accord. Its design had already froze before the 03 Accord came out.
Refresh in 2009 (?) ... that looks like the 4th model year of the current car to me.
Didn't the previous generation Sonata come out in something like 1999, not 2002 or 1996, with a major face lift in 2002? Of course, I could be wrong on those dates, not having studied the history of Sonata. I just know that my '05 Sonata is a pleasure to drive and has given me 8700 trouble-free miles.
Not as long as Honda was stuck with its current body style. It's interesting the way you inject pejoratives and inflammatory terms like "stuck" when most people like the Sonata body style. There are far worse body styles to be "stuck" with. How long are you going to be stuck with your car?
-Loren
Let's see them!! Picture time...
License plates are issued by your state DMV, by the way.
Bro I think you got it backwards. Most people don't like the Sonata "style'(or lack of it), but agree mechanically the car is good. You can't force people to join the love-in with the Sonata that you're into. Sure Honda's dominance has ebbed, but not to where Hyundai has replaced it. Hardly. Hyundai has a lot of years to put up the stats Honda and Toyota have before the American public accepts them into the club.
I hate to break it to you, but styling is not exactly the priority for many consumers in the class. It is important but by no means at the top of the priority list, given the general view of midsize buyers.
second the sonata will stand the test of battling new mid size cars coming out. It is already just as compatible to the new camry, and the new camry is technically has almost 2 years advantage.
A car that I thought wouldn't age well is the 2002 Altima...they still look good for the most part. I wonder if they'll look good in about ten years though?
I was out today at a Hyundai dealership..and guess what was parked beside a 06 Sonata? A 2001 Audi A6! LOL
Similar they are...but the A6 has more obvious details to it, like say the buldging side fender flairs and completely different taillights. They may share a similar profile, but the details are lacking on the Sonata compared to the A6.
The Sonata may try and mimic the A6, but to me the new Sonata is looking more and more like a "bigger" Elantra, and it should considering they are a corporate family.
I've always thought of it as an appearance change, since equipment, standard or optional, changes from year to year and varies amoung different trim levels of the same model year.
When I look at styling, I look for something dignified yet modest. Perky, but not trendy. Modern, yet timeless. It doesn't have to be beautiful. I'm so afraid I will choose a car that looks dated in a year or 2. I learned my lesson with my VW Rabbit. It looked cool for a year or 2, then started looking like a shoe box. I even choose paint colors that have proven to hold up well. It narrows down the field quite a bit. I trust black, most whites, most silvers, most grays, and a few blues and reds. The last 2 Camrys and the latest Accord will hold up great. I think the previous Camrys and Accords are looking a little tired. I think my dark blue Sonata will look perky and modern for many years.
Something about the sonata though its diff. Its definitely like the audi a6 which doesn't look amazing after all the years as it first did, but still holding up well in its look
The attention to detail of each corner of the car, the jewel headlights, the way the back lights wrap around, the sonata is a well exteriorly designed car
It looks like a copy of the 03 Accord, but the plastic looking wheels give it away.
This car gets 2nd and 3rd looks,
How would you know? You don't even own one.
It will age well
Oh, now you can see into the future (I suppose)
Accords are about "midpriced" in this segment. The Sonata/Optima make up the lower priced area, along with the Fusion, the Accord is less expensive then a fully loaded Altima or Camry XLE.
And on top of that, the Accord offers some features in this class that even the new models don't have..namely dual-zone climate control, Navigation system with voice activation.
http://www.carspace.com/scape2
Yeah, I guess it is kind of funny how we battle over styling..
Also kind of funny how we battle over HP! How much HP do you need for a family sedan?? Is 400HP enough for the media? 500? 1000???? The HP wars are truely getting out of hand...
looks 2 different car to me.
2003-2004 Accord (top)
1998 Honda Accord
2001-2002 Accord
2006 Sonata
Not sure of the point of posting 1998 models.
and the current gen's(before refresh) tail lights might be the worst honda design ever. why would anybody copy that?
Just on the information I have found, the Sonata beats a lot of cars. The safety data looks better than the Azera. And I think I still like the looks better than its big brother. Just look at the front crash test, offset crash tests, and rear end tests -- Sonata is tops. Will be interesting to see how Camry 2007 model does. Accords are pretty safe, but not as good for whiplash. Actually there are lots of good choices for safety now, as well as great choices, like the Sonata and say the Legacy. In larger cars, there is the FiveHundred, if you want big, medium priced and safety in a Ford. In small cars, I think I would go with the Civic Coupe.
-Loren
The horsepower is adequate, but I'm sure the Camry and Sonata will have 2 more HP. 12 speeds just won't hack it, because Sonata and Camry will have infinite speeds. Sonata and Camry owners won't need the self-cleaning engine, because their engines have never leaked. 22 cup holders is ridiculous. No sensible car owner would want more than 20. I think 1300+ horsepower should pull a 1200 pound tubular titanium car body along pretty quick. :P
So your white car due to arrive next month is already getting a 2nd and 3rd look? By the way, you chose the I4 and not the V4.
The other poster did say I4 :confuse:
Again, the car looks fine. Some stand out more, or look different in one way or another, but it doesn't make the Sonata a wrong choice in any way at all. Some like the Tribeca, others like the New Beetle, while some fall in love with the nose on the new Camry. Too each his own - who cares if those people liked a Sonata?
-Loren
I can perfectly understand anyone preferring 1 midsized car's styling over the others. However, to say any one of them is ugly is like saying one Olsen twin is pretty and the other is ugly. All the midsize cars are cast from the same mold. Their basic designs are shaped more by engineering necessity than by stylists. There really isn't much left for the stylists to work with when the engineers get through with them. I consider that to be a good thing, because I don't care for a bunch of non-functional fins, creases, bustles, swooshes and bling-bling stuck on my car just for "looks".