Midsize Sedans 2.0

jd10013

The only Accord that may cost 32k is the hybrid V6. I think you could get any other Accord for 27-28k easy.

I checked my local dealers website, and the highest they had was 31,700. I wasn't just pulling a number out of the air. But that was fully loaded with a nav system. Yes, they had a lot of accords cheaper, but it looked to me like the poster spent about as much as you can on a fusion, so I specificly looked for the most someone could spend on an accord.

and no, it wasn't a hybrid

thegraduate

The MSRP for the Accord EX-L V6 with Navi and Destination is $29,995, so that dealer had a bunch of added junk that doesn't really add to the value of the car. That, or the dealer is crooked.

jd10013

of course he is. they all are

jd10013

The MSRP for the Accord EX-L V6 with Navi and Destination is $29,995

but actually, its not listed as an ex-l v6. something called an accord ex-l auto ULEV with navi

dudleyr

27k will buy the Accord V-6 6MT loaded. It quite fast (5.9 to 60) and gets pretty good gas mileage EPA 21/30.

If you need traction in the winter snow tires will do more than AWD - after all they will help you stop, and not being able to stop is more likely to get you in trouble.

urnews

Actually, dudleyr, we didn't shop for Accords because we figured a loaded one with a V6, moonroof and leather seats would cost around $30,000. Our Fusion has all of the bells and whistles except for navigation and Sirius, which don't interest us. I wouldn't have ordered AWD either, the car just came that way on the lot.

In retrospect, we bought the Fusion too fast. But $27,000 MSRP, before the dealing, was our absolute maximum (paid cash and traded in a 2000, one-owner, Mazda Miata with 7,500 original miles on it. ($8,000 trade-in.)

Given our city driving habits, 95 percent, we should have gone with an I4. The Fusion's 14.8 mpg city is a killer.

Thanks to all who have weighed in on this topic, "How much Accord." Hindsight is always 20-20. The SEL is a nice package though. We especially like the piano black dash, no plood, and the fit and finish is perfect on our car.

benderofbows

"...traded in a 2000, one-owner, Mazda Miata with 7,500 original miles on it. ($8,000 trade-in.)"

Seven thousand miles???

D&#\!~, I wish that I would have been standing there to buy that from you for 80 bones.

urnews

Seven thousand miles???

D&#\!~, I wish that I would have been standing there to buy that from you for 80 bones.

True. 7,500 miles and looked like new. My mother bought the car new in 2000 when she was 81 years old. Drove it to church, the grocery store, the beauty shop. Oil changed every six months. She never had the top down. After she got side-swiped by a semi I took away her driver's license and kept the car for about six months before trading it on the Fusion. It was a sweet machine but a true sports car in every sense. Not a practical car and the smallness of it scared me. The side-swipe accident did $2,000 damage. It had been repaired when we traded it. Kelley Blue Book range on the car was $8,000 to $10,000. I thought the $8,000 was a fair price. Maybe I should have held out for more or offered it in a private sale. Hindsight is 20-20. My wife and I both like the Fusion more than the Miata convertible.

explorerx4

google navigation+depreciation. then see how you feel about it as a built in feature.

thegraduate

I'm not "pro-built-in-nav," and if it seemed that way, I misspoke. I have the portable unit (for around $300) and love the fact that I can use it in unlimited different vehicles. Built-in units cost MUCH more than that, and while often coming with other neat features, the fact that it is only useful in that car limits its "help" factor.

I just wrote about the Accord with Navi because even the Navi-equipped Accord would be less than the $27k our Fusion-buying friend mentioned. Unfortunately, it appears he didn't know about the incentives, or the MPG penalty AWD would beckon. He got a nice car though.

For me, I have a hard time paying for satellite radio, leather, or built-in Navigation (hence the reason my car has none of that). I would, however, love to see the 2008 Accord offer automatic climate control on some cloth-equipped models. It's not a big deal, but an area where I'd like to see a change.

baggs32

Hmm. I actually HATE the current Accord sedan and coupe. I kind of like the '08s though. I'm not ready to drop everything and buy one but they are nicer.

Two things I notices right off the bat. The head and tail lights seem to jut out from the body, on the side, which is one thing I don't really like. Looks sloppy to me and the last gen Camry head lights were like that too.

The other thing is the grille. It appears to be covered in black tape on the mule. I'm guessing the production version will show that there's a three-bar chrome grille under that black tape. At least on the EX anyway. Wonder where that idea came from. :P

One more thing. The profile kind of looks like a BMW 3-series in a way. Low hood, high greenhouse, slightly lower trunk, but without the goofy "Bangle butt".

rhduke00

Interesting article comparing 25 midsize and large sedans costing less than $21,000.

imidazol97

Thanks for the link. Their reviews are much better written than another purported consumer oriented magazine. They seem to real world.

They match exactly what I saw in a neighbor's visiting brother's Camry.

They also have large sedan reviews. Azera tops the list.

rhduke00

Thought you ought to know that IFCAR is a car research institute consisting of one auto junkie. Nevertheless, I like his evaluation tables.

urnews

Very interesting reviews, rhduke00. Thanks for the link. I learned something. It was interesting that the 4-cylinder Fusion finished 4th while the V6 Fusion finished 14th.

As the owner of a 2007 V6 SEL AWD Fusion, I would have to agree with that assessment. We should have ordered an I4 SEL rather than taking what was on the lot. We get horrific in-city gas mileage, 14.8 mpg, and don't need the power of a V6 because 95 percent of our driving is in-city. Hindsight is always 20-20. We bought power we don't need. The same is true for the All-Wheel-Drive. Both are expensive options. Our SEL had a MSRP of $27,105. An I4 SEL would have been a much better deal.

Again, thanks for the link, even though it reinforces our buyer's remorse.

urnews

I just wrote about the Accord with Navi because even the Navi-equipped Accord would be less than the $27k our Fusion-buying friend mentioned. Unfortunately, it appears he didn't know about the incentives, or the MPG penalty AWD would beckon. He got a nice car though.
Graduate,
Actually I did know about the AWD penalty. The original EPA in-city estimate on the window sticker was 19 mpg, which I could live with. Believing that was my first mistake.

Since then, the EPA has revised its estimate for this power train downward to 17 mpg city. I could live with that, too. It's the 14.8 mpg that we are getting in city driving that is killing me.

Bottom line: We should have ordered an SEL with an I4, either manual or automatic, instead of buying what was on the lot. I didn't think the I4 would be powerful enough but, according to numerous posts on various forums, it would have been just fine for our purpose.

backy

Interesting that of the top 8 cars, there's two Kia Optimas, two Hyundai Sonatas, two Fords (Fusion and Five Hundred), the Aura, and the Accord. I think it reinforces how competitive this class is and that if people bother to look beyond the "automatic" choices of Accord and Camry (and maybe Altima), there's several very good cars and good values in this class.

urnews

That's a very good point, Backy. I also found it interesting that the Fusion placed fourth (the I4) and fourteenth (the V6). The reviewer obviously places more value on the four cylinder models. Indeed, we now wish we had ordered an I4 SEL Fusion rather than buying a V6 off the lot.

Your point about the diversity in this mid-size sedan class is well-taken. I really wish we had been able to read this information before we decided. We would have saved several thousand dollars and been better satisfied to boot.

elroy5

Accord still #1.

scape2

Thank-you!! I have been saying this all along and now another person comes along and shows folks, Accords are thousands more than like optioned Fusions/Milans/Sonata's.. This is common knowledge.. :surprise:

scape2

No you didn't buy the Fusion too fast. Don't let the Honda crowd get to you. You have a very well built vehicle at a good price. The Fusion fit/finish is every bit as good as an Accord or Camry. When I shopped last year the Ford salesperson was so confident he took the Fusion to both a Honda lot and a Camry lot to show me first hand face to face, side by side comparison. I had 4 - 5 sales people walking, poking, opening/shutting doors ect around these cars looking at every detail. I am totally confident the Fusion will easily hold up over 100,000 miles. In fact.
I just got back from a trip to Idaho in my Fusion. I wanted to post this so badly!! I traveled with my whole family. 2 Adults, 2 children, soccer gear/luggage. I averaged 75MPH and got 32.6 MPG!! This is 3MPG better than Ford advertises. I as extremely happy. The car handled like it was on rails through the mountains, and drove with confidence. You made a great choice in buying a Fusion. :shades:

scape2

Thank-you for posting this!! so much! Yet another reason why the Fusion is a great value and a great vehicle. It finishes within points behind the Accord. Some here make it seem as if the Fusion is miles behind the Accord when look yet again! Its not. Take a look at the pricing difference. http://ifcar.net/reviews.comparisons.inexpensivefamilysedans.htm

joe97

Good read!

I was certainly surprised to see the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima tying for first place, and well deserved too.

EDIT: Just noticed the Hyundai Azera took the first place as well in the large sedan category. Kudos!!

scape2

"Accord still #1. "

Did you read the article? Nope the Accord is #3.. :confuse:

thegraduate

You made a great choice in buying a Fusion.

Nobody seems to be saying otherwise. Instead, that they bought the wrong Fusion for his/her needs. 14 MPG when they don't need V6 power or AWD is pretty sad, when the 2.3L Fusion would've sufficed. Out of curiousity, do you realize that it IS ok for people to disagree with you and it not be personal? There always seems to be a chip on your shoulder. Sure, the Fusion will hold up 100,000 miles, as should any car on the market today. Anyone saying otherwise is just trying to push your buttons.

I'm glad you got above EPA numbers on your trip. I just got back in my Accord and did similarly to you! 36 MPG, 75 MPH (through the Ozark Mountains), 100% A/C use. 2 MPG better than EPA with 700 lbs of load in the car. Just proves that with the right driving style, the EPA numbers aren't as bad as people say they are. With better conditions (for both of us) the numbers will only climb (I've seen 40 MPG twice in my 4-cyl, I'll bet you might see 35 if you drove closer to 65 MPH).

Hey, urnews (I hope you read this so I'm making your name big ), you mention your Fusion's sticker, but you never mention what you actually paid for it. Since Accords are going consistently $1,000 and more under invoice, I'd guess your Fusion did too, making your deal better than the $27k you are telling us about. Fill us in!

There's not a bad car in this bunch! Some are just better for some people than others, and it is usually subjective (style, interior finishings, engine sounds, ride/handling compromise).

altest

You got a nicely equipped car. I drive a 4-cyl Accord and I regret not buying V6. Grass is greener on the other side.

thegraduate

With my average mileage being close to 30 MPG, the grass is only greener looking for me because my engine pollutes less! J/K

I really have more power than I need in a 4-cylinder. It's all relative. Embrace what you've got.

elroy5

Are my eyes deceiving me? I see first place. Like I've said before, it's the best you can get for $25,000.

http://www.ifcar.net/reviews.comparisons.premiumfamilysedans.1stplace.htm

tallman1

Are my eyes deceiving me? I see first place.

Your link is different than the original link posted above. His referred to cars under 21k and the I4 Accord SE took third, behind an Optima and Sonata.

elroy5

We all have different price ranges, this is true. $25,000 was my personal price limit.