Accord - Manual or Automatic?

ezshift5 · August 2007

...all of my cars were between 200k miles to 500k miles with origanal cluthes,tranny and engine.honda make one of the best cluthes.

.....while I'm delighted to hear your words, I'd be interested in your 'take' on the 7th Gen Accord V-6 clutch. (6M is great, but that clutch!!!!).........

...best...ez...

jaxs1 · August 2007

The Accord EX V6 6 speed is a poor example or a self-serving example of resale.
It has about the same value as the automatic because the 6-speed is a supposed to be some kind of "sport" model and has a few features not on the normal automatic version of the EXV6 and it will also be hard to find used due to low production.
Everyone who buys the Accord 6-speed really wanted it and did not buy it to save money. Many people buy other manual transmission sedans and economy cars because they may be cheaper by $1000 or more even though they would have really preferred to get an automatic. Resale will reflect that.

qbrozen · August 2007

According to Blue Book and Edmunds, the 2007 Accord V6 Sedans have an identical private party resale value for either transmission. Both starting points are $21891. Private party sale is the best way to sell a manual.

I guess not offering the V6 manual isn't because of depreciation as they appear to be identical. Without a doubt, there is a smaller market for the manual so Honda may not think an additonal model is worth it.

Unfortunately, Blue Book is worthless in the real world.

What matters is dealer auction values and what people are willing to pay. If folks were willing to pony up just as much for a manual as an auto, the trade-in values would reflect that. Its just how the market works.

Here is what is going to happen with my Accord lease. I was given the same residual value with my 6-speed as they were giving on the automatic. However, come the end of my lease, the 6-speed will fetch $1k less at the auction, thereby making Honda Finance lose $1k on my car compared to an automatic. So, yes, it has depreciated more.

bamacar · August 2007

Once again not for private party value. If you sold it yourself, you would get the same price. Thus, depreciation for private sale is the same. Private party sales are excellent for manuals. Big car lots, auctions, and shady salesmen love automatics.

elroy5 · August 2007

What makes a manual a harder sell is this: If someone is looking to buy a manual, they will most likely settle for an automatic, if they can't find a manual quick enough. If someone is shopping for an automatic, it is usually the only choice, especially if they have never owned a manual before. Everyone knows how to drive an automatic. Many don't know how, or don't want to drive a standard.

qbrozen · August 2007

your opinion and the real-world car market just don't agree.

If a dealer pays $1k less for their manual car, they will sell it for $1k less than their automatic. Private party is typically $1k below dealer retail. It is just the way it works. So, in other words, auction values, dealer retail, private party, trade-in, are ALL tied directly to each other, and all are dictated by the buying public. But, whatever, if you don't believe it, that's your perogative. If you want to pay $1k more than you need to in order to buy a 6-speed used Accord, then go for it. I hope if I were to sell mine, I find a buyer like you.

bamacar · August 2007

There are many markets for any product. Private party is one and the most advantageous for manual buyers and sellers. Big dealers want high volume sellers; manuals are not high volume. They will only give wholesale for many manuals. Try selling a million dollar homes at a thrift store. The clientele is not there to buy thus the demand is low - prices would be terrible. Though this is an extreme example, there are many different avenues for marketing.

If you want to get ripped off and sell your Accord for $1k less (plus the multiple thousands less the dealer will give you to make him a substanial profit), go ahead and auction it or trade it in. I wish I could buy it and sell it for the $1k profit in the private sale market. Even better, I could probably make another $2-3k with the difference of the dealer trade in value and what I could sell it.

Both private party and dealers are real world, just pick the more profitable one according to the car you have to sell.

maddog11 · August 2007

The 2006 V-5 6MT Accord sedans and coupe are worth $675.00 less than their AT counterparts. I an sure the 2007 6MT models will be worth less shortly.

qbrozen · August 2007

best to keep that under your hat. folks want to believe what they want to believe.

masternc · August 2007

I remember something in news article mentioning that someone was carjacked while driving an Acura Integra in DC. The thief was confunded by the clutch and dumped the car 2 blocks away.

blufz1 · August 2007

What EZ said + what was you experience w/the automatics over time?

yury · August 2007

I drove 4 cyl manuals for about 8 years...up until recently that would've been my only choice.
but recently i switched to the auto...not so much out of laziness but rather out of curiosity. so now I have some experience to actually start forming an opinion.

I would say that it's all about interaction of a human and a mechanism.

So.

Manual.

Ok, when we're talking about fun when driving a stick we usually mean that we enjoy making all gearing desicions. Ok, i can see the appeal of that. However, this "interface" requires us to do much more, ie we actually have to control the clutch with our foot. It is a chore, nothing more and a mechanism would simply to it better job that a human foot.

Plus a vast majority of these gearing desisions carry no meaning whatsoever. Say when you routinely upshift in traffic, do you make intelligent choices or simply upshift habitually at a certaing rpm?

As a bottom line - with all my respect to the stick shift, it is simply outdated and not very efficient design. But it does allow for direct gear control.

Auto.

Well, obviously the drawback here is the lack of direct gear choice. However many people tend to forget that nearly all autos allow you to lower the range by selecting 1, 2, 3, etc instead of D. So, you still can rev up your engine at will. All it comes down to is convenience of that process and that's where controls like paddle shifts come in. But, in my experience, it's even simpler that that, a well done conventional shift lever does the trick. On my 07 SE, the shift from D to D3 is very easy, just pull the lever down, going down past that requires the buttom press (which is still easier that the whole stich shift routine) but going back up doesn't. The way the shifter feels is very natural. I drove it on mountain twisties and honestly i never wished it was a stick shift. I had all control I needed less all the chores and inherent slowness of a process involving a a human foot.

Another drawback of the conventional auto is it's inferiour efficiency. But really...in real life that may very well be that a more ergonomic interface is simply better. For example, often I missed opportunities simply because I didnt feel like going through the chore.

So the bottom line - in the well thought out auto you get a better user interface, but for a slight perfornace penalty.

And another thing...How many of the stick shift Accord fans here tried the same car but with auto? Try it, it may turn out be defferent from what you would expect. Spirited driving is what my V6 SE is pretty good at

.. or better yea drive the 3.5 Altima with CVT. If that car is not sporty or spirited, i will eat my hat

tallman1 · August 2007

How many of the stick shift Accord fans here tried the same car but with auto?

I did exactly that with my 06 Accord. I couldn't believe the difference in response and quickness. The auto was terrible, IMHO.

Cheaper, quicker, better mileage, fun, engine braking, ability to coast in traffic, etc... I've said it all before. This is my second manual Accord and I have no desire for an automatic. But that's just me. :shades:

ezshift5 · August 2007

...Cheaper, quicker, better mileage, fun, engine braking, ability to coast in traffic, etc

....and now (at least for the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe 6M) a new dimension: a snappy, new, reconfigured shifter (per TOV)

..all the best, ez..

yury · August 2007

did you just test drive it or drove it for a while? i find although autos are supposed to be easier to operate there's a learning curve for every model due to a difference in the body language that the tranny understands.
at first i was a bit confused, but with time I learned the tranny and it's not terrible at all

of course in a demanding situations i drop it to lower gears...and it does make sense to me - automation with a way to override it.

but of course, I understand the appeal of the stick...after all I was under it's influence for a long while

dudleyr · August 2007

What tallman said.

The stick just feels worlds more responsive. Better mpg and lower cost is icing on the cake.

Accord - Manual or Automatic?

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