2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan

techman41973

I have a 97 Accord with a 4 cylinder.
I am considering the 2008 Accord coupe and I want to stick with a 4-cylinder. Do any of you know of any features or accessories not available on the 4-cyclinder (that are offered with the 6)?

Off topic: I don't quite understand the efforts Honda made with the VCM engine. 2008 EPA fuel economy results of the Camry and Accord look almost identical. It seems as if Honda could have achieved their desired result with another cog in the automatic (6 speed Camry vs. 5 speed Accord

jet10000

To those who have seen the Motor Week review, do they mention if they believe the internal noise level has been reduced as some other reviewers have noticed?

I don't recall them mentioning the internal noise. About the only thing they were critical of is the knob that is used to input and retrieve information into the new center console display. They just said it was a feature of European cars that they could do without.

There's still a chance for people to catch the motortrend episode if you haven't seen it. Check your local PBS station as they usually re-air it during the week. If you have the Speed channel, I think it should be airing on Friday morning there as well.

robertsmx

Honda could add an additional cog anytime. I'm guessing they will do so eventually in couple of years or with MMC. That said, the reality will be different from EPA ratings. Now, whether that favors VCM over only 6AT remains to be seen (generally, a 4-5% gain is claimed with 6AT over 5AT, and I'm assuming ~10% with VCM). Besides, some drivers may be able to see greater impact from VCM (for one, I now wish my TL had it).

elroy5

The Camry 6speed transmission has a few problems, from what I've heard, so maybe Honda wants to make sure everything is just right before going to a 6speed. I think they will try it on the TL first (lower selling model) before putting one in the Accord. They have achieved the same mileage as the Camry without a 6speed, so they're in no hurry.

camble94

After a visit to a few local Boston area dealerships, both confirmed that they will begin receiving deliveries this coming week, Sept 10th. I hope there is more interesting discussion of this new model once we get to sit, drive and buy.

bvdj84

Yes, my dealer said they could have 1 arrive as soon as Monday, but more than likely that will go on the showroom floor. They said many have called asking about it. I spoke with the salesmen for awhile, he is quitting in a week, and told me the trades of the business. Which was great. That is the first time a salesmen was so frank with me.

blane

bvdj84,

You wrote "he is quitting in a week, and told me the trades of the business. Which was great." Please clarfy what you meant.

bvdj84

The salemen told me that if you were to go at the end of the month, they are more than likely going to give you a better deal, because they work for units sold within that month. A salesmen may want to get 1 more unit before the end, and you walk in, he is going to work extra hard for you. Also, he stated they really don't get too much commission as they get rewarded based more on units sold. I did notice a posting on each sellers desks of units sold. Also he said he cannot give estimated quotes, they were told not to. My dealership needs alot of help, their customer service lacks. I was inquiring about a 27k MSRP 07 accord EX-L navi, and the lease quote was $499, which is horrible, he said there are no lease deals, Honda pulled the plug. He actually was frank about his manager not following through and calling me back because he didn't get money off of any deal. Also, he said they know others call all over the place for quotes, and can't take customers too seriously until they call again. This guy was nice to take the time to talk to me, which they should, because its all out their, and I believe if the buyer knows more, the more likely they'll buy, and feel good about it. This will probably be the last salesmen to be so frank to me. He said if I came at the end of the month, I could get a better deal. More units sold, there better!

We also talked about the 08 accord, and they had taken the car out to a track, and said it will definitely be another award winning car.

I will be in the market for an 08 EX-L 4cyl lease. Nothing Less!

mackabee

It had a few problems. That was less than .5% of early 2007 models.
Mack

mackabee

Wow! That was enlighting.
Mack

bvdj84

Wow!

tinatina

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-carwar_08bus.ART0.Sta- - te.Edition1.35a8458.html

Sounds like a price war will emerge between the midsizers in the coming months. Personally, I would wait until December to buy the new Accord, or shop other makes.

blane

The salesman's advice about the end of the month was accurate. In fact, the best time is the late afternoon of the last day of the month. Preferably the same on the last day of the fiscal quarter, i.e., March, June, September and December.

It would be best to visit the showroom on the days described above if it is raining or snowing. That way there are fewer prospective buyers, the sales manager is hungrier to raise the number of sales for the period, and the deals can be even better.

penlee143

We are planning to buy the 2008 Honda Accord, and were wondering how much we might save in price if we buy the end of september vs the end of december.. anyone have any knowledge about how this works out? Dont expect any exact quote type things, but some general idea of how much more you might save in december vs september..

blane

There is no question that prices will be highest for the first few months of any new model's introduction. Forget about saving money in September. December won't be much better, except if the dealer is trying to boost year-end sales figures late Christmas week.

For the first six or so months, you can expect to see dealers trying to add hundreds or even thousands of dollars in all kinds of phony charges such as "Additional Dealer Markup" (ADM), "Market Adjustment" or other similar wording due to strong early demand.

Expect to also see exorbitantly overpriced useless junk charges such as for pinstriping, fabric treatments, undercoating, rustproofing, paint protectants. Your answer to the F & I (Finance & Insurance) guy should be no, No, NO, NO.

ezshift5

...That way there are fewer prospective buyers, the sales manager is hungrier to raise the number of sales for the period, and the deals can be even better.

....and the points you make prior to this concluding para are (IMHO) Pure Gold. Nice work, B!

best, ez..

thegraduate

You may be surprised (may not, i dunno). My aunt bought a 2005 Odyssey in December 2004 and got $1,400 off of sticker, and the offer she wanted on her trade in.

Not too bad to be so new.

blane

thegraduate,

That's why I wrote "December won't be much better, except if the dealer is trying to boost year-end sales figures late Christmas week."

jaxs1

With dealers getting only a few cars at a time when they first arrive this month, there won't be any good deals because there will be few cars available for any price.
However, 3 months later in December, there should be decent deals if Honda wants to sell 430,000 in the first 12 months.
With no incentives, there will not be amazing below invoice pricing, but there should be good discounts off MSRP by then.

viet

I pan to buy it August or September 08. Will pretend getting a second job so wife is not getting nervous.

thegraduate

She bought a week or two before Christmas, but end-of-year sales figures probably had a lot to do with her price.

In actuality, she never haggled on price. They offered that, and she took it.

nick62

Does anyone know when the 2008 Accord Coupe will be available, even just to see it at dealers?

Thanks!

ezshift5

....NLT 18Sep IIRC......

best, ez..

fxguy

The coming months will be good for us buyers. I expect even the new 08 Accord to be available for at least a couple of grand below MSRP. Economists are talking about a coming recession. They were expecting 100K jobs to be added last month. Instead, 4K jobs were lost. The mortgage crisis is also looming. Traffic to dealerships will slow down and manufacturers will have to offer discounts to move units. 08 EX-L V6 here i come!

tinatina

I posted an article from a Dallas newspaper about an upcoming pricing war in the midsize sedan segment. There's just too much competition right now in this segment. I believe that ample discounts will be available by the end of the year.

Also, with respect to a recession, some economists have predicted this for many years and have been wrong. They could be right this time, or perhaps just wrong again.

colloquor

Don't count on it. Accord sales will be strong regardless - of course, this depends upon which section of the country, and what city, you live in. Our area is really isolated from the economy, as the most significant employer is a major university - and, they don't lay people off.

I would seriously expect that no major deals for Accords will be coming down the pike for at least a year, if that soon. Look at the track record with the new Civic - the same thing will happen.

viet

I agreed with Tinatina. Don't rely 100% on "BS economists". They have been wrong many times. Respect and trust the computer programmers and engineers. They have to be pretty much 70% - 80%+ accurate to keep their jobs.

Accord sale track record is strong. Do not expect price drop for at least a year or so. For new hot models like Accord '08 I expect you folks will have to pay MSRP as I did it 3 years ago for my Accord hybrid '05.

jaxs1

The same thing as the Civic will not happen. It will not take a whole year for Accords to be discounted. They will build much more Accords than Civics and do not have production capacity problems like with the Civics.
Accords do not have as good fuel economy and Honda cares about trying to make the Accord the #1 selling car and they have no hopes for that with the Civic.
There was no really good alternative to the Civic that got the same mpg as a Civic. The Corolla was old and the Mazda3 mileage was quite a bit lower.
Much stiffer competition for the Accord.
It did not take the last Accord a year to be discounted and it did not take the newest Camry a year to be discounted, so there is no reason for this Accord to be different.
It is nice, but not so incredibly amazing of a car as some would like to think.
Too many other nice alternative cars such as the Camry for MSRP street prices to last for a whole year or even 6 months.
Maybe the 2009 diesels will be low-availability and will hold MSRP if they are as hard to find as the Fit is now, but not a 2008 EX or LX-P that they want to move in huge numbers.

fxguy

I guarantee there will be deals on this car by December. If the economy is slowing down, Honda is not stupid enough to try and sell their cars at MSRP while every other manufacturer is offering incentives. Prices will most certainly not hold for one year before they come down.

mackabee

Let's remember Honda does not sell cars to individuals but to dealers. Dealers are the ones that try to hold MSRP. When dealers don't move the merchandise than Honda provides the dealers with incentives to move the merchandise so they (dealers) can buy more product from Honda.
Mackabee :shades:

tinatina

By the sounds of the article I posted, it appears that Nissan, Toyota and other makes will be offering good incentives and sizeable discounts to MSRP on the Camry, Altima, etc. We shall see. I live near SF, so there are a lot of dealers and a lot of cars on them. Competition is pretty fierce. I'm not worrying about getting a discount on the new Accord if/when I'm ready to buy. I just know that come December - there are pretty good discounts on vehicles due to year end sale #s/targets.

Of course, if one has to be first on the block with the new model, then one can pay MSRP or above.

bvdj84

I don't have to be the first on the block to get one, though Ill probably be slobbering all over the others who have one.

Paying way over sticker is crazy, plus a dealer can only mark them up so high, before it becomes price gouging and thats illegal. I have to watch for that at my dealer. FLOOR MATS are standard, not an accessory. We did not ask for the pin strips, and is not worth hundreds of bucks.

viet

Accord is the STAR. Accord '08 is something very special. I don't feel much uncomfortable to pay a little more to get the latest Accord model. It's worth it. However, a penny saved is a penny earned. Try to bargain with Honda dealers, folks. My experience is you will not be able to bargain much and compare prices between different Honda dealers. Just be patient to wait for a little longer if you want a better deal.

blane

bvdj84,

You wrote "a dealer can only mark them up so high, before it becomes price gouging and thats illegal". Actually, a dealer can try to get any amount of money that the seller is willing to pay. That's not price gouging, nor is it illegal. That also is what MSRP is all about - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. It's written in Jello.

If the buyer doesn't like the pricing, he or she goes down the road to the next dealer.

robertsmx

Honda does have greater production capacity for Accord than it did for Civic (given the increase in sales as well). That said, when 1998 Accord arrived, it was a similar step forward in size and orientation. The car was very well received, and as a result some trims had upto 2 months in waiting. Especially the coupe and EXV6 model. I got my EX-L a few days before a colleague of mine went, and he had to wait two weeks to get his. And I actually paid $200 over invoice. It took me a while to get the price negotiated, but that seems to be the norm anyway.

Once the inventory fills up, I will be surprised to see dealers even holding onto MSRP. It will be first 2-3 weeks when there will be very few choices available and those who want them will pay.

This will apply, recession or not. When I recommend cars to friends, or go for myself, my target price is around 8-9% off MSRP (in other words, close to invoice).

benjaminh

Has anyone here ever special ordered an Accord? I would like one with the 5-speed manual, and although sometimes this can be found on the low-end models, it's difficult higher up. I'm considering the possibility of an exl 5-speed manual with navi(maybe mystic green). Obviously no one is ever going to have one of those in stock, although theoretically the factory will make one. Anyway, do dealers typically want a deposit on a offbeat model like that, that otherwise might be difficult to sell? And how long does it take from order to delivery on something like that? 4 weeks? 6, or longer? Also, you're obviously not in as good a negotiating position on price if you special order. Any thoughts? Maybe I'll just go for an LX. They sound pretty darn good too...

tryan

Well, yesterday the first 2008 Accord Sedans arrived in Groton, CT. I had the fortune to have the delivery truck drive right past me, so I immediately went to the local dealer and found 1 LX, 1 EX 4-Cylinder (190HP), 3 EX-L 4-cylinders and a EX-L V6 with Navi. This car is so much nicer looking in person, the proportions are spot on, though the car is huge compared to the last gen. It dwarfed the '07 Civic next to it.... Come and get 'em!

bamacar

The Accord should be available for invoice by Christmas. That is exactly what happened in late 2002. I got mine the day after Christmas for invoice or slightly under. That brand new model also got great reviews despite comments on the taillights and was available for invoice within a few months. I don't believe this will be any different. Stronger competition from other brands this time around, and Honda planning on selling about 420,000 a year. They will price them to move big numbers much the same as Toyota has been doing with big discounts to move the Tundras.

amhoefpuli

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4192

benjaminh

I think these prices are extremely competitive. The 07 LX manual has a list of 20,125, and the 08 LX manual, with what Honda conservatively estimates is $1400 of added equipment and value, only lists for 20,360. That's pretty much a price cut, I think. So, with $600 or so in destination the least expensive Accord will still be about $21k. Even at list prices, that's a pretty good deal. My dream car of the exl navi with manual lists for about 28k with destination. Hmmm. Is what it has worth $7000. That's the next question.

master_ryu

WHY??!?! WHY OH WHYY!!?!?!! Why doesn't the coupe have an EX V6 like the Sedan? I don't need leather.

bigmike2

To those who have seen the Motor Week review, do they mention if they believe the internal noise level has been reduced as some other reviewers have noticed?

Several years ago I purchased the Camry instead of the Accord, mostly because of what I perceived as a quieter ride. However, my Camry was just totaled, so I'm unexpectedly "in the market". This new Accord looks nice. I'm looking foreword to driving it.

Your observation back then was correct. We test drove the Accord, Camry and Avalon back in 2004 and quickly excluded the Accord because of it's harsh ride. Wound up with the Avalon because we wanted more space and got it for not much more than a loaded Accord. Have had no regrets.

I have to replace my old Lumina LTZ which has a pretty firm suspension and handles well. In the past years, I have heard people calling Car Talk asking how to make their Accords ride better and the answers were that that was how it was designed and they were stuck with it. Because of the fantastic deals being given on the 07 Accords, I decided to give it another chance. The dealer let me take it for a day, but the ride was still as harsh and noisy as I remembered and there's no way I could hack that on a 6 hour drive I have to make every week or so.
Felt every imperfection of the road and there was a lot of noise while on the interstate. It handled and stopped great, the layout and human engineering were very nice, and I wanted to like it since I could have gotten it loaded for $22.5k but I just couldn't. Its ride was much harsher and only slightly less noisy than my old Lumina (which has a bad AC fan) and wasn't even as good as my 86 Legend that I drove for over decade.

The only concrete statement I've seen on the ride and noise of the 08 is that the suspension absorbs potholes much better and that road noise is "slightly" improved. I hope that was a serious understatement. It seems that the larger frame and new suspension could make as significant difference. I tried reading the Acura RL reviews, but there seems to be too much diff in the designs to make that comparison worthwhile.

Has anyone here actually driven the new Accord and can give us an objective (as opposed to fanboy) comparison of the rides and noise?

tallman1

I'm considering the possibility of an exl 5-speed manual with navi(maybe mystic green). Obviously no one is ever going to have one of those in stock,

Not true. You will be able to find them.... I managed in March of 06. You can either check in with lots of dealers or you can have one dealer do a locate and dealer trade for you. There may not be a lot of choices at first (so you might want to order one) but you will find one eventually.

tallman1

We test drove the Accord, Camry and Avalon back in 2004 and quickly excluded the Accord because of it's harsh ride.

But remember that there are many of us who do not feel the same way as you do. We like the firm ride and hate the soft, mushy ride of the Camry and Avalon.

bvdj84

I would really like the EX-L 4cyl sedan. It will be a lease, the price looks reasonable. I am going to put money down so that I can get the payment I want. BUT, the EX-L 4cyl Navi, is 2k more, is it really worth all that to step up to that trim, when the EX, would totally fine though. I don't need leather, but would love to have it, and the EX-L adds some nice options. but worth serveral thousand?

I love the stiff suspension on the current accords, its smooth, and grips the road well. Although there are times, when it is a little too rough.

benjaminh

The L not only give you leather, but you get a 270 watt premium sound system that is supposed to be better than the top end systems offered on the Camry or Altima. Plus you get xm radio, which I like a lot (and wish was available on the lower end models). Other things on the L are the dual zone climate control ac, and little dodads like ext. temp, compass, heated seats, etc.

With the Navi I would assume you could cancel your subscription to AAA. I mean, if you get the extended warranty Honda provides a towing service, and so AAA might not be needed. And you won't needs maps anymore, I wouldn't think. I wonder if it's as good as AAA. Anyone out there ever use the Honda service?

One thing I noticed on the extended warranty from Honda Care is that the pricing goes based on miles, months, and number of cylinders, but not on trim line. And so I think an exl navi is a more complicated car than the base lx, or at least has more things that could go wrong that are covered, but the warranty costs the same. I think it's $940 for the zero deductible 8 year 120k warranty.

benjaminh

Navi is expensive at $2000, and I think I'll have to try it to see if if I think it's worth it. Some people who have it who've posted on Edmunds, though, seem to like it. You can also control by voice activation (which may not work very well) the climate control and the radio, I think. So, I think you could get in the car, tell it something like "XM 45. Max AC," and it might tune it to your favorite station and cool you off while you're still backing up out of your parking space. Ah, it's a silly gadget, but it sounds tempting somehow.

bigmike2

But remember that there are many of us who do not feel the same way as you do. We like the firm ride and hate the soft, mushy ride of the Camry and Avalon.

I know some love it and it would probably be a very good city car for me. But it could become fatiguing on long drives. I have nothing against a compromise between handling and ride. The Legend did that well for its time. I hope they get back to that.

tallman1

Navi is expensive at $2000, and I think I'll have to try it to see if if I think it's worth it.

I find the navi system to be well worth the price. The portable units are certainly cheaper and you can move them from car to car but I love the Honda unit. Voice commands take some getting used to but I'm getting better at using them. Having everything integrating into one system (radio, AC. etc) is very nice.

One just needs to decide if it is worth the extra 2K... I thought so and have no regrets at all.

tallman1

But it could become fatiguing on long drives.

It doesn't matter at this point because you found what you like. For the record, my 06 Accord EX-L is quite comfortable on long drives. I make a 250 mile trip quite regularly that includes mountain passes and long stretches on straight freeways. That certainly doesn't mean it would work for you but it does for me.