2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan

nrborod · October 2007

Yes, that's true about the civic engine having almost as much power as a '98 Accord 4cyl, BUT, there's alot less torque. I had an 01 Accord LX and test drove an '06 civic automatic, and I could tell that the torque difference was there.So they have to have that 5 speed auto to help the civic along.

jaxs1 · October 2007

You have to rev pretty high to get to the max HP, but if the engine sounds good and is smooth, it shouldn't be a problem to downshift and let it rev to 6000 RPM for occasional highway passing.
The Accord I drove was fun to rev at high RPM once in a while.
For normal driving, you don't have to rev very high.

benjaminh · October 2007

I think you have a point. Quite possibly that would have been a better choice. If they'd even have kept the weight flat even with the last generation, the 4 cylinder engine would have been a real performer. As it is, however, it's pretty darn good.

It sounds like the car you want is the Civic Si 6 speed. They're very nice. Maybe you should try one out...

But I get your point. With gas at $3 and global warming, I'm not certain we needed an Accord this size.

For me, with two growing kids, it's great, but for some other purchasers it may be too much car...

I think of it as an affordable Legend or RL, but not everyone wants a car that size.

thegraduate · October 2007

For me, with two growing kids, it's great, but for some other purchasers it may be too much car...

Unless they added more front legroom (I dont think they did) I agree. This applies to me.

robertsmx · October 2007

There is ~20 lb-ft difference but thats largely negated by Civic being 400-500 lb lighter. And 5AT's sole purpose is to find another gear rather than add to the oomph (that would be 6AT's purpose). That said, Civic is geared very tall. Just to put it in perspective, the engine rpm is about 1850 rpm at 60 mph compared to 2300 rpm at 60 mph in my 1998 Accord (and that will explain why you felt a difference in torque, the Accord's taller gears were shorter).

samic1080 · October 2007

I just bought an EX-L i4 and I have not trunk liner under the hood of the car. These liners are only on the V6 models, not the i4 models.

jaxs1 · October 2007

Is there even a liner for the V6? I've heard there are no liners period.

elroy5 · October 2007

My 03 V6 has the trunk lid liner, but it would not make any difference if it didn't. :confuse: It serves no purpose.

jaxs1 · October 2007

It serves the purpose of giving a clean and completed look as well as some sound dampening.

bvdj84 · October 2007

My lease is up in 01/10/09, it is a 36mth lease, but essentially I am about 4month over my lease time according to my mileage. I just want a good time that would be good to trade in for an 08 with good price, and good value for my trade in. When should I trade or should I wait til the end, but turn in 4mths early due to increased mileage?

rich123 · October 2007

This may sound strange. I have had my 08 EX Sedan I4 automatic for two weeks now. I notice sometimes the light around the perimeter of both these instruments seems to slowly pulse from brighter to slightly dimmer. The perimeter silver is quite reflective. It seems to occur around 30 minutes after sunrise or 1 hour before sunset. I think it may be the sun coming in at a low angle and pulsing thru the trees and buildings onto the gauges. Has anyone else noticed this. I have not had it out at night for an extended time yet. I don't even want to think that the voltage is pulsing...

kiawah · October 2007

Your contract will state the extra mileage charges you will owe, due to going over your allowed mileage. You can estimate those now, by figuring out your average miles per month, and adding the additional miles for your remaining months of lease onto your current mileage. Multiple the overage miles by the rate charged in your contract.

On the other hand, if you stop driving when you get to your allowed mileage, then your car will sit in your driveway for however many months are left on your lease...and that has a cost to you as well. If you go to turn in your vehicle early, you'll owe the remainder of your lease payments. You'll have to figure out which of those options are less expensive. This is one of the downsides to having a lease.

Your alternative plan, would be to cut back on the miles that you are putting on that vehicle, to end the lease just within the allowable miles.

dpmeersman · October 2007

How long has Honda been using this to gage oil changes? Do most people adhere to this? If I'm understanding this correctly it monitors your style of driving and based on this advises when it's time to change the oil. Does it have any means of monitoring actual viscosity? I believe the maintenance minder also informs when to change air filters, rotate tires etc. Do other members find this an accurate means of determining a maintenance schedule?

benjaminh · October 2007

0-60 still sounds pretty good to me. It used to be that anything under 10 seconds was considered almost sports car territory. Of course that was the 70s...

I think my 6th generation 02 Accord was the one that tested out at 8.5 0-60 with the manual and the 4 cylinder. The 08 Accord is substantially bigger and heavier than my 02, but the engine is better too. The 08 felt just a little faster than my 02, especially if you let the engine rev. a bit.

Is it true that if you put high octane fuel (92 or higher?) in the i-Vtec engine that you get a bump in horsepower? How much, I wonder....When I get my 08 Accord I think I'll give it a try for a tank or two.

qbrozen · October 2007

well... i don't know if you've received these notices, but there was supposedly a lawsuit taking place that would affect all those who purchased or leased Hondas ... I believe they were for years '04-'06?? Anyway, it was going to add 10% to our allowed miles for leases. I have no idea what became of the suit. I received 2 notices about it, and then nothing. ??

bug4 · October 2007

Hi rich123. I have been driving my new 08 EX I4 alot at night. The little dip in brightness likely is a voltage fluctuation. I have noticed it dozens of times on my Accord. Actually, it is much more noticeable in my headlights than on the instrument panel. Frankly, it doesn't bother me much. But, I have put some thought into it and, all things equal, wish the car didn't do it. This is just a complete guess, but I think the radiator fan is what is causing it. I can hear the fan cycling on and off very often on my car. And, I see the lights slightly dim very often. . . . perhaps there is a connection?

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of an Accord's electrical system can let us know if this is anything to worry about. Could it be the result of the tiny battery that is installed in the new Accords? I have noticed similar fluctuations in all my cars when operating the power windows etc. So, at this point, it doesn't concern me much and, really, its hardly noticeable.

bvdj84 · October 2007

The nice thing about honda is that it hold its value, Trading it now would render the car to be completely paid off. This is a result of the payoff being equal or below what they actual value of the car is. Dealers have already offered to do this. This is nice because I do not have to wait til the end of the contract, and Honda dealerships have told me, that most people when they trade in a Honda, it has some equity when they trade it back in. You cannot do this with most other cars out their. As long as my Payoff is lower or equal to the market value, that I am able to walk away from it. I have attempted this 3 times and each time was the case, at different dealers. So mileage is not the issue with my honda, I simply will have to turn it in earlier than planned. I will continue to drive it, I already have some positive equity in it.The monthly is remaining payment are my payoff, and it is lower than my actual value. Which is Great! Try trading your Chevy lease, and not be in some kind of trouble. Dealerships have all told me, thats the nice thing about leasing a Honda, and that alot of customers trade in early with no problem. We all should be glad we drive a Honda!

Also, On the flickering headlights, My 06 SE does this, and has done this ever since I bought it new. It is the radiator fan kicking on and off, It is just the way its set up. It is completely normal. Don't worry, but if it too bad, then say something. It should be subtle.

robertsmx · October 2007

It may or may not show a bump in HP with premium. Unlike the Accord V6 from five years ago, we haven't seen an almost official statement on power bump. But, sooner or later, some folks are going to find out.

The I-4 (especially 190 HP), not sure. But then, I'm not aware of the differences in design compared to TSX's I-4. If the difference is purely fuel grade, then it will show an increase (TSX is rated 205 HP with that engine).

In fact, this 190 HP motor sounds like the engine Japanese and European Accord have had for five years (in Japan, 190 HP was done with AWD system, while FWD models got TSX-like 200 HP, and 2.4-liter Accord in Europe had 190 HP with FWD). So, it is possible that there is more power with premium fuel potential with the I-4 too.

dpmeersman · October 2007

I've been driving an 08 EX-L V6 for a few weeks and I haven't noticed what your describing. I've put on about 150 miles of night driving and I haven't noticed it on either the instrumentation lighting or the headlights. I'll be a little more attentive towards this the next few evening excursions and see if it's something I've been missing.

bobp7 · October 2007

Hi:
Thanks to all who responded to this question. I realize we don't all have a common reference point and I agree I shouldn't get caught up in this single spec.
I tried to test drive the 4 today and the dealer didn't have one available. I have to call ahead and schedule the test drive for tomorrow.
Bottom line I get from all the responses here is that the 4 is adequate for around town and has some useable pep in the higher rev range on the highway. The increase in hp has been mostly offset by the increase in weight while torque has not increased signficantly.
Now for that test drive...

benjaminh · October 2007

Thanks for that information. It seems that it will be worthwhile to give high octane a try on the 08 Accord.

robertsmx · October 2007

NP.

The weather is cool now. Turn off the AC, and turn off the VSA, and you won't need to worry about spending 10% more for more power.

benjaminh · October 2007

Do you mean...

The letters NB or Nb may refer to: (as n.b.) an abbreviation for nota bene, a latin expression meaning "note well."

Or does NP stand for something else.

In any case, my 08 Accord EXL manual with navi (white/ivory) has been special ordered, and won't arrive for a couple of months.

I'll try it out with high octane and without AC at that time.

Are you an engineer?

gwinbear · October 2007

No, it's much simpler than that - it means "no problem."

robertsmx · October 2007

Well, technically, I'm an engineer but in electronics/telecomm.

NP, as noted above, is "No Problem".

bwia · October 2007

The new Accord sedan is bland, boring and unappealing reminiscent of early 1990s Buicks. I saw one today and I thought oh that must be one of those new Chinese cars. But I was wrong. It was an Accord driven by a gent in his early sixties, apparently the new demographic for this Accord.

With looks like that the Toyota Camry continues to outdistance the Accord both in sales and general consumer appeal. As they say all good things must come to an end but in the case of the Accord sedan I did not expect it to come so swift. By contrast Honda got it right with the coupe. That car is smooth, poised and competent and is truly a head turner. Bravo to the coupe, boos to the sedan.

robertsmx · October 2007

Thanks for an incredibly useless opinion of yours. At least it did provide me with a gift idea for an old friend of mine who drives a Camry, a personalized license plate "IMSIXTN".

jhinsc · October 2007

well... i don't know if you've received these notices, but there was supposedly a lawsuit taking place that would affect all those who purchased or leased Hondas ... I believe they were for years '04-'06?? Anyway, it was going to add 10% to our allowed miles for leases. I have no idea what became of the suit. I received 2 notices about it, and then nothing. ??

The final settlement ended up with Honda allowing an additional 5% for mileage on leases. I received the notice and filed it with my lease paperwork so it will be handy at lease end. I don't think you'll receive any formal paperwork - the way I read it, it was supposed to be accounted for at the end of the lease. Does anyone else know something different?

jhinsc · October 2007

Thank you for sharing your very personal opinion about the new 08 Accord. However, I'm afraid you won't many of like mind!

foobaroo · October 2007

I just test drove a 4 cyl EX-auto. On the whole I thought it was very nice, but one thing I did notice was a slight engine/transmission whining noise at low speeds. Has anyone else noticed this?

Im quite keen to buy, but this one thing is niggling at me. Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks.

viet · October 2007

Bwia,

Contrarily, bravo to the sedan and BIG BOO BOO to the coupe. I still feel unhappy to buy a '02 Accord V6 Coupe for my 18-year old son a while back when I wanted to honor his own choice. The sedan and coupe's engines are same for that model year but the coupe's room in rear is so small. Also, the coupe's ride is bumpy. I HATEEEEEE IT so much. Yet, my son, like any other teens, loves that stiff ride.

I am planning to buy a 2008 Accord Sedan V6 EX-L w/ NAVI. It is another interesting piece of fine art and sophisticated engineering from Honda. The '08 Acura TL is $50K+. SO, I guess I should forget about the Acura.

I read a new pieces today. In Brooklyn, NY, thieves always steal Honda, not Volvo. Some owners who own Honda got stolen many times. Honda's quality speaks for itself.

A Honda fan for over 40 years who have owned 9 Honda cars/ motorcycles
Looking for retirement as soon as I can. That's why I love something smooth, powerful yet "playing innocent" like the '08 Accord V6.

loucopits · October 2007

Take a look at:

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/myths.html

blane · October 2007

http://www.hondaodometerclassaction.com/

alexhui · October 2007

RICH123,

Will you tell me where & how you get your online Honda Care warranty for less than $800?

ANC is available on EX or V6 models.
I think ANC is automatic, so there is nothing that Users can turn on or off, therefore not in the book???

Anyway, I will try my 08 I4 with or without radio turning on or off to "hear" if there is any difference.

Thanks
alex@ipac.caltech.edu

jaxs1 · October 2007

They should be shipping plenty of sedans by now, so why should there be a shortage? They can't sell them if they don't have them on the lots.

rich123 · October 2007

Alex I got the Honda care warranty at Saccucci Honda of Rhode Island. I link on other sites but this one has me stumped so you will get the ugly version.

http://www.myhondawarranty.com/

They give you a $25 coupon to their parts store after your warranty purchase.. I got the full set of splash guards delivered to California for $67.19 after the coupy. There is a thread in Edumuds that explains all about this excellent Honda Care warranty. I will post the ugly version again. Someone may clean it up for me.. : )

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0eea50.ef0eeb7/1905?14@@

mcpdjohn · October 2007

I just bought this car yesterday, and I absolutely love it! I didn't know a new car could be this perfect. Regarding the people on this board who are calling this car ugly, or otherwise insulting it....I'm not sure what personal problems they have, what inferior junk they drive, or why they are so insecure about it. I think they are dead wrong about this car. I researched this purchase for a long time, and Edmunds was a great resource, so I'd like to share my experience with this purchase. I was set on the EX-L 4 cylinder, because I thought the 190 HP was plenty of power, and wanted the best gas mileage. After test driving 2 different 4 cylinder cars, I felt the engine was a little too loud and revving too high to get into the power band. So I asked to try the V-6. Oh my god what a difference! The V-6 is a joy to drive, excellent smooth quiet acceleration and the VCM causing you to only lose 2 mpg compared with the four. It was a no brainer for me, so I opted for the V-6 and I love it. By getting the V-6 trim level I later realized there were a number of other niceties not found on the EX-L 4 cylinder. Among them are: pearl white paint versus taffeta white, power passenger seat, home link with three built in gate/garage door openers/switches, fog lights, strut lifting hood vice lift and rod prop, extra exterior chrome trim, and now I just read the trunk has a liner that wouldn't have been on the 4 cylinder. Its amazing to me that they withhold these features from the EX-L 4 cylinder trim. They should also be on the 4 cylinder version in my opinion. Another comment on the VCM, the switch from 6 cylinder to 4 or 3 is so benign, I can't even feel it. In my opinion, the 4 cylinder trim level is fine, but the V-6 is "choice". I don't think you can go wrong with this car. One last comment, as a long time Toyota buyer, I initially wanted to buy a 2007 Camry, and had my heart set on buying one, but the multitude of quality issues reported on this Edmunds website precluded me from doing so. Thank god for Edmunds!

benjaminh · October 2007

Congratulations on your new car! And thanks for the report....I think they want people to have a few reasons for going to the 6, beyond just power, and I think that's fine. You paid for the top-of-the-line, and you got it! I think it may have better mpg than almost any other 6 cylinder car of its size on the market.

gotoyota · October 2007

Haven't driven one, but the whining sound you refer to is probably just the familiar sound of a Honda transmission. Our '04 Odyssey does the same thing - you can even hear it at freeway speeds if your on a quiet road. I kind of like it - it's nothing to be concerned about, just gear noise.

gotoyota · October 2007

I read a new pieces today. In Brooklyn, NY, thieves always steal Honda, not Volvo. Some owners who own Honda got stolen many times. Honda's quality speaks for itself.

Yeah, I'd say its like that pretty much everywhere. They are nice looking cars... The only problem is when you see some thug driving the same ride you're in

06nighthawkv6 · October 2007

Interesting that you actually see thug(s) that can afford the very same car you do living side by side with you.

viet · October 2007

If you hear the Honda Accord hybird's "EEEERRR" litlle noise while it runs you will be more in love with it.

viet · October 2007

Robertsmx,

I just heard your "engineering talks" about "Honda transmission...", etc. and lot of stuff you have discussed for years now. Smart guy !

oarsdad · October 2007

While there are several dealers that sell the extended warranties online, I think Saccucci Honda and Bernardi Honda tie for being the cheapest. In fact, Bernardi sold me one last year for even cheaper than their advertised rate. I think the Bernardi and Saccucci rates are $50 above "cost". Of course I'm sure they get volume kick backs from Honda.

networkguy · October 2007

No, he's not the only one who likes the '08 Accord. That's like saying you're the only one who thinks your wife or girlfriend is pretty. In other words, an unsubstantiated insult.

I don't own one, but have owned multiple Hondas. From what I've seen on paper and in pictures, I prefer the new model over the previous version. If I were in the market, I'd be seriously considering one.

austinman7 · October 2007

foobaroo,

My '04 Accord LX 4 cyl. automatic has a transmission whine, probably similar to what you are describing, that apparently is common among that generation Accord. I hate it. However, it apparently doesn't signal a malfunction about to occur, since I've got 36,000 miles on the car now.

From what others have said, this noise may be a long-time characteristic of Hondas. However, FWIW, my 2000 Accord coupe with manual transmission has no such whine.

Your post, and the responses to it, show that how we react to noise is, of course, all very subjective.

For instance, the overall road/wind/tire (whatever) noise my Accord makes is fine with me -- it's just noise a car makes going down the road -- whereas I've read other posts about how unacceptable that seems to be to them. To me, it's just a YGUTI (you'll get used to it), an idea I've applied in many other cases to keep myself from being too critcal about things that may, at first, seem to be huge problems, but turn out not to be.

However, the tranny whine my Accord makes is very high pitched, piercing, metallic sounding, and objectionable to me. Sometimes it can even cut right through my turned-up stereo. Sounds like something cheaply made to me. My service manager noticed it right away and even agreed to install a replacement transmission to try to cure it, to no avail. If I could have afforded to trade a car that new, I probably would have.

So, bottom line -- choose your poison. I wouldn't let what others have said about how unimportant the noise should be -- e.g., that you're a little hyper-critical to even bring the subject up -- make the decision for you. If you think the whine would be irritating, I'd give it serious thought before buying. I've learned to live it with it, but it's my one haggle about the car. Otherwise, my Accord is 99 percent a really great car, and a great value to boot.

jamese777 · October 2007

"You're the only one that likes your car.. (on an 'unrelated note', I still have not seen a single 08 on the road in the 4th largest city)."

I think you need to check out the "Prices Paid and Buying Experience" and thread to hear from the new Accord owners who love their cars and I have yet to read a negative professional review.
I've seen six new sedans and one new coupe in the 8th largest city!

austinman7 · October 2007

mcpdjohn,

Great to hear you like your new Accord so much -- congratulations on your purchase! You bought the model I have my eye on.

I agree on the pearl white vs. taffeta white, and also about the smooth, quiet power of the V6.

I'd be very interested to hear your comments over the coming months about the VCM. Hope it continues to be benign and perform well.

jamese777 · October 2007

You don't like the design of the car, that's fine. Other people DO like their new Accords. To each his/her own.
Here are some early Edmunds' consumer reviews of the car:
http://www.edmunds.com/honda/accord/2008/consumerreview.html?tid=edmunds.n.crrin- dex...1.Honda*

robertsmx · October 2007

I had not seen one on the road until last week. And then one fine evening, a black car caught my eyes (going in opposite direction) on a 45 mph/6-lane road. It had enough "definition" to grab my sight. I just got a glimpse of it. With next ten minutes, I saw two more, again going in opposite direction.

And I saw two yesterday, and one this morning (finally, going in the same direction). I love the new design. It is not perfect, but darn close.

2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan

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