Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
The decision came down to wheter of not we liked the CVT. We love it! The #1 thing I hated about automatics was how it often hunts for a gear or upshifts while cornering. the CVT also upshifts, but it's ability to quickly transition to a lower gear in normal driving makes it much easier to live with. I think it helps you drive more economical as well. You realize quickly that if you can keep it under 2000RPM you will get the best mileage... so you just hold the throttle at or below 2000RPM until you get to the speed you want.
Oh well, I guess that's part of what makes this fun.
Anyhow, if accord continues it's decline, and the altima continues its rise, in its second year now, we could have a new #2 by december.
Camry has even sold more than the Accord. Honda made a wrong decision to make the accord so strictly priced, especially in the day in economy. At this time, they need to do something to get them moving, otherwise they will slow in sales compared to others. I love Honda, I own one, and will be trading for an 08 soon, each month I keep waiting for the lease incentives to change a bit, and they don't. I do not plan to leave honda, but if I was, I am not sure I would move to nissan or any GM product, I am just not sure that have what it takes to make the overall quality of some other makes. Now they are getting much better. I look at the overall value for future, and others simply cannot hold their value as well as Honda. There are many other great cars too though, but I am sticking with my Honda. But, Honda is making me a little frustrated that they can't offer a better incentive on their models. It is getting a little old, loyal customers are leaving Honda, competition is high!
This is all my own opinion, and I love Hondas, so I am biased.
so don't take it personal, its my own take on it.
Nissan's are very nice too, and offer stiff competition along with other company's. That is probably why the Accord is struggling to get sales moving like they want.
I love Honda's. Some love Nissans, or chevy's, VW's. people typically stick with what they know. To me, the accord is #1. That is just my opinion, and does not mean I am not open to seeking other models, before buying my next car. Which I have, and I still see the accord high on my list!
Great review!
I hope you tested the 4 or 6 Altima prior to testing the Honda right? Because you are comparing apples and oranges.
You did a smart thing getting out of that Hybrid. They are going to be a NIGHTMARE when the warranties run out for people.
I did some research and I wanted a car with (functionality, reliablity, excellent resale, safety etc.) I test drove (12 miles of test driving freeway and city) the accord LX automatic and it was not even a comparison. The ergonomics, standard equipment, safety, handling, ride and power delivery was unbeatable. I like the tight handling of the 2008 accord comparted to the altima. I traded the hybrid and got the LX automatic. I am very happy I got rid of the hybrid. My opinion is solely based on experience with the hybrid altima, CVT altima and accord LX automatic.
The primary thing I hated about the Accord was the road and wind noise, it was terrible. The stereo wasn't great either, but to be fair Nissan has always had the best OEM stereos in the biz (save for maybe VW/Audi) of the "mass market" car brands.
Both cars are really nice, though. I would definitely take an Accord over anything else in the class except the Altima. If you thought I was harsh on the Accord in the last paragraph, you should hear what I think of the Camry. :P
The one thing I really like about the accord is it has more standard features comparing the LX automatic and the 2.5S CVT. Both are base models, but accord has steering wheel audio controls and when is comes to safety features, the altima is no match. In doing my research, I compared base models for the camry, altima, sonata, malibu, and accord. There was no match especially when considering resale value. The accord came to the US market in 1976. It has a proven track record for over 30 years. Thats hard to beat.
In the end, what matters most is we as drivers have different tastes. After all, we all don't like chocolate flavored ice cream.
My wife and I really liked the Odyssey, but to get both power sliding doors and the power hatch it would have been around $33-34k MSRP because it required all kinds of crap we didn't want like sunroof, something insane like 3 TV screens, and leather seats.
We ended up with a Chrysler Town and Country, which wasn't really what we wanted but it was $12k (yes, twelve thousand US American Dollars :P ) less.
Maybe we should have looked at the Toyota Sienna, that Chrysler van is not going to age well. It only has 20k miles on the odo, and it already needs brakes. My wife isn't THAT hard on her brakes! Well, at least it's paid off.
One other nit about the Accord, no 60/40 fold down rear seats? Looks like that would be standard for most cars these days.
Other than these items I do really like the Accord and Altima equally. I like the new Accord's size better but the Altima's options and styling... Just my $0.02.
But to stay on topic, I did consider Altima before I bought the accord and actually like both of them, but have not been lucky with the Nissan reliability in the past.
I simply followed the instructions in the auto owner's manual to synchronize my opener, and it worked exactly as the manual described.
Incidentally, almost, if not all, door openers use the "rolling code" technology. Try this web-site to see if it can assist you...
http://www.homelink.com/home/faq.tml
Good luck!
However, mileage will be slightly better using premium .vs. regular.
The engine computer will sense lower-octane fuel, and make the proper adjustments so you have no knocking or any other problems.
Our Honda Odyssey (2000) was this way; it made 210hp on premium, or 205hp on regular.
Then, I drove an '08 Altima 2.5 SL, and I must say that my view of Nissan has changed completely after driving this car. The CVT was probably the star in my book, but the push button start and manual mode definitely added to the pizzaz. This car felt much quicker and lighter than the Accord, but at the same time, the ride wasn't as subtle; there was a lot more feedback from the wheel, which at first, I didn't like, but it grew on me quickly. The engine noise was also a little intrusive at lower RPM's but once you stomp on it, it has a nice growl to it for a 4-cyl (plus dual chrome tipped exhaust is standard on both i4 and V6) All of the short comings that I witnessed in the Accord were non-existant in this car; the audio and climate control buttons were easy to understand, and I thought the use of chrome on some of the dials was tasteful. It also had a 60/40 split folding back seat with a HUGE trunk... and the ride... it was very responsive and sporty but not to the point of being intrusive, and even at 70-80mph, the cabin had very little wind noise compared to the Accord. I noticed that when you hit a pot hole or large bump, the car just absorbed it. It wasn't uncomfortable at all! I will concede that this car is a good bit smaller than the Accord, but that makes it just that much more fun to drive!
As you can tell, the Altima won me over, and I bought a 2.5 SL sedan. I got an awesome deal on it too... It was about $2k below the Accord when everything was finished. I think Honda is trying to appeal to a much larger audience with this model, but they've neglected their current following in the process. However, Nissan fixed the things that people didn't like about the '02-'06 Altima, and made everything they did right even better than before.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see the Altima surpass the Accord in sales in the following years. The extra money for the Accord just isn't worth it unless you want a large car with great resell value, which the Altima holds its value just as well this time around. I'm not downing '08 Accord owners, but I think that the Altima is the better car currently.
One thing to note is the manual mode on a CVT is kind of a joke. The whole idea is there are no gears, no steps, if you will. A manual mode inserts steps, harming efficiency and economy. Its still entertaining in that "Grand Turismo" Playstation kind of way, I suppose.
You summed up the Accord pretty well. The biggest drawback is the horrible road noise which ruins the whole luxury feel of the interior. The tire noise carries right thorugh the wheel wells.
Nissan definitely has a better combination of suspension tuning & sound deadening for the average sedan buyer.
Also, another point to consider is the poor MPG's people are seeing.with the 4-cyl Accord. My best tank was 26mpg on a 100% highway trip driving no faster than 70mph.
I still buy Honda because they offer 9 of 10 things I look for in a car. Resale value being at the top of the list. It still amazes me that they refuse to address the road noise problems when Consumer Reports slams them year after year.
I'll also concede that the manual mode on the CVT is sort of a joke, but at the same time it's not. It's a joke because it's not faster than the CVT alone, so if you want pure speed, leave the shifter in drive and let the CVT do its job. At the same time, I love it because the car feels much more like a sports car in manual mode. When you shift, you feel the same "shift shock" that you feel in a normal automatic or manual gearbox, which makes the car feel more conventional. Besides, it's fun to have some degree of control over the shifting. I've tested the CVT in manual mode, and what I like about it is at cruising speed, I can just tap the shifter down a couple of times, and the car speeds up. I don't have to increase throttle at all. That's pretty cool for a CVT transmission. What I do know is the Altima would look a lot less appealing if it didn't have the manual mode on the CVT.
I've actually done the same thing; just drop the transmission from "D" to "D3". Being able to choose 4th wouldn't make much difference in speed in the short time needed.
I typically don't speed much (too much of a fuel penalty), so I have only done this once.
But your Mazda6 has gears, where as the Altima does not. What you are doing, in essence, is shifting out of overdrive. In the Altima, there is nothing to shift, since the trans has no gears.
In the Prius, there is a hill setting which creates more drag to slow the vehicle down, and allows regenerative braking (it has a CVT as well).
Isn't using manual mode defeating what CVT was designed for? :confuse: The manual mode is just an illusion with the CVT, and basically just something to play with, IMO.
As for those who want stability control, I have never had an auto with that function, other than my BMW. Living in the South (SC), I can't remember when I have needed anything like it. Maybe that shows I am mostly a conservative driver....or, maybe I have needed it, but too dumb to know it.
But, as much as cars cost today, I think you should get pretty much exactly what you want on a car when you buy one new, so if its important to you, you should definately get it...
There' no "hill setting" in the altima, but the cvt will automatically switch to a higher gear (i know, there are no gears) when going down hills.
but wouldn't it do that if you just pressed the gas?
when in any particular gear you are locked into a range of ratios. The only difference is, It won't let you damage it. if you put it in 1st and hold the gas in, it will eventually "down shift". same way if you come to a stop, it's not going to stall.
So even in manual, its automatic? :confuse:
The cvt is always trying to find the most efficient gear ratio which is almost always the lowest rpm. but in some situations I like having the power and acceleration, and engine breaking available continuously.
Is there no "sport" button? It sounds like you just want to change the strategy for the transmission "shift" points, since you aren't actually manually controlling anything. Maybe that is something they will incorporate into future designs.
of course, but if your jumping between 1500 rpm and 4000 rpm the ride gets a wee bit jerky. forcing it into a higher rpm and maintaining it makes for a much smother ride through twisting and or hilly roads. which, by the way, is the whole purpose of the manual mode.
So even in manual, its automatic
so you think the car should stall, or allow you to blow the engine in manual mode to make it more authentic :confuse:
you seem a bit confused as to what the manual mode is. It's not meant to let you drove down the road thinking your driving an MT. but since all any transmission does is change ratios between the engine and the drive axles is quite easy for a cvt to recreate it.
Its not that, I can understand locking a particular ratio (or range of ratios), I just don't understand why if I wanted an ultra-efficient automatic style transmission why I would mess with it. It seems like the calibration for the ratios could be accomplished by switching between power and economy in a control program.
I guess its just that my experience with CVTs and automatics in general is pretty limited. My mom's 90s Sienna likes OD to me manually disabled on hilly sections, and my MIL's Prius seems to like using that hill mode coming down grades, but that is pretty much it for how much input they like from me.
What is making these "choices"? My guess, is a computer program. If you shift it manually, I think you override the program.
But thats all the manual mode in the cvt really is, just with more options. It would be like your accord having D1-D6. Just with a lot of shift shock.
but anyways, why is discussing the altima shift mode in a thread titled Honda accord vs. Nissan altima not appropriate :confuse: