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2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan
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Comments
Does anyone know how to remove the shift knob on an automatic trans for the 08 Accord?
If so, please share how to do this.
Thank you.
Tom
With 4300 miles so far, I love everything else about the car. The 08 Accord has heavily copied the BMW 3 series inside and out.
Joe
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=107644
To me the Accord seat is firm, supportive, and quite comfortable. I'm 6'4", about 185lbs, with much of my height in my legs. I've previously owned a Mercedes E Class and an Audi A4, and IMO, the new Accord seats are as comfortable as the seats in either of those cars.
Good luck.
Test drove both the 2008 4cyl and 6 cyl models and found them to be the noisiest Accords ever made. Engine noise, Road noise, Wind noise. What a disappointment! I've been buying Accords faithfully since the early 80's. Even my 99 EX 6cyl that now has 130k miles on it is quieter than the '08.
Next brought my wife out to test drive the new Accords. I didn't taint her by saying anything about all the noise I heard in the test drive a few days before. Sure enough, she drives it and it's the first thing that she says, "Why is it so noisy", "Why do I hear the high pitched winding sound of the engine?"
I really wanted a new Accord but just couldn't accept the noise. Bought a 2008 Acura TL instead (even though new model coming out soon).
Were we oversensitive to the noise in the 2008 or are things really different (for the worse now) with the new Accord?
Is the TL much quieter? I heard the Honda road noise issues carried over to the Acua line also.
Have you ever owned any other brands besides Honda/Acura?
Consumer Reports publishes excessive road noise in all of the Honda lineup year after year.
Having owned Hondas, Toyotas, Fords, Dodge, in the past, I can attest that Hondas are the nosiest by far of all (road/tire noise). They are also the best cars I've owned as far as quality, fit/finish, ergonomics, mpgs, & the list goes on.
I also have a 2004 Accord 4 cyl EX and can say with no doubt that it's much noisier than my 99 V6. That 99 was the best car I ever owned but a 130k miles on it, I wanted to chnage. Thanks again, and will test out the Accord again in another 6 months. I'm really hoping it's ok.... I really wanted one on this round.
As for other cars, I did own a Pontiac Grand Prix about 4 years ago; decent car (while still had 50k miles b4 I sold it) but the depreciation was brutal compared to the fantastic honda.
Thanks again for your comments!
Joe
The LX-P adds a power driver's seat and 16" alloy wheels. I don't miss those at all.
Seriously, as has been stated in this thread...drive and decide what YOU like or dont like about it. Aspects of the car that bother one poster may not bother you. Good luck!
Try that forum, I think it has EXACTLY what you are looking for! Best of luck!
I went to the dealer on Monday, the price difference between the LX and the LX-P was just shy of $900 at that dealership, and I decided to finance the car at 0.9% for 36 months. I said to myself, what the heck. So I spoiled myself a little and took delivery of an LX-P.
I have been driving the LX-P for the past 2 days, and I can honestly say that this is one FINE car. I just LOVE it. The handling is great, plenty of power for a 4 cylinder. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all those hidden storage compartments. :P
As to the road noise, I don't know, I find it very tolerable. I usually have the radio on during my commute, haven't really been bothered by any road noise.
1) I stand 6'1" and have a long torso/short legs (32" inseam). I fit comfortably with the power seat all the way down and seatback raked upright as is my preference, although there was little headroom to spare (I'd probably get bonked in the head if I drove over a speed bump at speed accidentally). The leather seats were soft and comfy; I was not bothered by any stray lumps in the seatback but the drive was admittedly short (10 mins.?) as the weather was lousy.
2) The 190HP I4 is surprisingly strong (this coming from a guy used to driving a Beetle TDI with 90HP diesel engine). I would be very happy with it, especially considering today's fuel prices.
3) Superb handling and turning radius. We did a tight U-turn at one point and it was a piece of cake. However, the ride was more harsh than I expected. Perhaps the sedan is a bit more supple?
4) I thought I'd like the ivory interior (this was a white/ivory model) but some of the dash plastic looked cheap. Perhaps the black interior looks "richer"? I really wish they'd include wood trim with the ivory interior as is the case with the sedan - the aluminum trim clashes with the ivory IMHO.
5) The dual A/C was a nice feature. When I told my wife of this, she looked at me and said "This is an ACCORD. Why would you need this in an Accord? How BIG is this car, anyway!?" :P
6) Salesman loved fooling around with the XM radio. Great sounding stereo, even when playing Tammy Wynette...
7) Since it was raining, I didn't open the trunk. That's a real concern, as I play bass guitar and need to be able to load a 2x10 cab and other gear and would prefer doing so without folding down the rear seat all the time.
Overall, a great ride but I'm not sure it's for me. I need to take another, closer look at the coupe and test drive a sedan as well to make that determination.
Check the VCM board - people's sensitivity to the VCM and its operation vary considerably. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING FROM YOUR PREVIOUS HONDA EXPERIENCES - THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT PERFORMING CAR. You may or not may not like what your find. I paid $25,950 for my 2008 EXL V6 w/o Navi. You do not need it - save a ton and buy a Garmin.
Why people are willing to drop 26k on a new car and talk about how clean the lines are and how nicely the interior is laid out only to put an ugly suction cup holding a big box in the middle of the windshield with an even uglier cord hanging down confuse me :surprise:
Also, the usability of the factory navigation, with its much larger screen and integrated controls with voice recognition seem to make destination entry much easier than on that tiny little screen. YMMV.
I had originally thought not to get the NAV, but now I'm considering it. However, if there is a compelling reason that a Garmin or TomTom might be preferable to Honda's NAV, it's that Honda's offering is rather dated technology. If you're not interested in the Bluetooth then the Garmin might still be a better solution. This CNet video describes the Honda NAV and other Accord goodies: http://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchback/2008-honda-accord-ex/4505-10867_7-326570- 47.html?tag=prod.txt.2
I like the bluetooth integration on the Accord, although I don't understand why the voice system for the phone and the voice system for the nav are independent. That typically doesn't work out so well, and for the cost of the two voice modules, they could've had improved recognition and larger vocabulary on a single module.
My biggest issue with the in-dash systems in my Hondas, other than the somewhat dated map software and technology, is the cost. IMO, $2000 is crazy markup for technology that is becoming cheaper every month. In future model years, I'm confident that the extra cost for an in-dash NAV system will be less. However, for the 2008 Accord, I can't justify paying 2000 bones for an in-dash NAV.
I can also take my Garmin anywhere and use it in any car. I also travel a lot and am frequently in rental cars, and having the Garmin is light years ahead of systems like Hertz' Never Lost, beyond saving me the expense of renting one.
As you say, YMMV. For me, I'll gladly stick my Garmin on my windshield and motor on without missing an in-dash NAV.
Peace.
First - it works sitting on console or seat without the suction cup
Second - if you own two cars it is transferable
Third - it is portable - you can use it walking in a strange city like we did in Boston this weekend
Fourth - The Garmin technology is way ahead of Honda
Fifth - The Navi system "package" is $2000 versus $200-499 for a Garmin
You need more reasons than that? That last one alone is enough reason for me
When you replace these tires, look at the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (replacement tires on my Infiniti G35). They handle better (AA traction), have a 400 tread life rating and cost just under $200.
CHEAP - $91 each check them out
http://www.discounttirezone.com/FALKEN-ZIEX-ZE-912-22550VR17_p_336-2165.html
Especially important to those of your with navi systems
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/24/082401aE.html
TSB Number & Issue Date TSB Title
05-032 JAN 08 Navigation System - DVD Information and Inspection
07-007 NOV 07 Tire Monitor System - Warning Lamp ON/Pressures OK
99-082 NOV 07 Navigation System - Warranty Exchange/Repair 07-054 OCT 07 Navigation System - Setup and Operation Information
06-072 OCT 07 Tire Monitor System - Usage of TPMS Sensor Tools
07-030 OCT 07 A/C - Refrigerant Leak Detection
06-068 OCT 07 Steering - Vehicle Pulls/Drifts to the Left/Right
07-044 AUG 07 Body - 2008 Paint Codes
No need to subscribe - get them from your Honda dealer
If you think this is bad, you should visit some luxury car boards. It's amazing that someone would pay that kind of money for a BMW, et. al., and cheap out on the Nav systems. The el-cheapos usually give the argument about portability. Instead of moving it from car to car, why not just drive the car with the built-in Nav (or that already has the Garmin gadget in it for that matter?) That's a weak excuse, IMO. When looking at the cost of built-in Nav systems, they need to look at the big picture. It's not just a Nav system. Most of them nowadays have the climate controls, radio, car data, Bluetooth, etc. integrated into the unit. There is your cost justification.
We're talking about a Honda Accord here, which is basically a $22K to 25K car. $2000 for NAVI is pretty big chunk of MSRP, in my opinion, and an investment that will not be recouped at trade-in or resale time due to the drastically declining cost of navigation technology.
If we're using a $45K to $55K BMW as an example, okay, then maybe the NAVI is more justifiable. But to spend the extra $1500 to $2000 on a $20K to $25K Civic or Accord is a questionable expense, when portable systems with better technology and data (including bluetooth, MP3, etc.) are available for $150 to $300 today.
43,728 Accords were sold in May, up +31.9% vs. May 2007. It's a new May sales record for the Accord, surpassing the previous high of 43,589 set in May 2004.
Overall, Honda set 8 new sales records last month. More Civics were sold last month than in any month ever in Honda's history.
Total Honda sales are up +11.3% in 2008 through May. Meanwhile, GM announced the closure of 4 truck plants. "The dramatic increase in car sales appears to be one of the most profound shifts in automotive buying patterns in more than a decade," according to Dick Colliver, exec VP of American Honda.
524,736
Of course, that won't be the case, but it will be interesting to compare Accord and Camry sales at year's end. In fact, I'd like to compare them now. Anybody have a source for that?
Total Toyota sales fell -7.9% compared to last May, so trucks and SUVs took a major hit. Toyota Division is down -6.3% and Lexus is down -19.3%.
Regarding the GPS, here is a cost effective solution...
Sprint carries a plan called the everything plan 69$ month that includes minutes and unlimited web/data service, the GPS service (turn by turn) is included also.
I just purchased a Garmin Streetpilot C580 for $200. Love it, absolutely love it. I would definitely recommend a standalone GPS to a cellphone GPS.
Bud H