I've never been in a car that didn't have its lights dim slightly when the A/C kicked on. People who have complained loudly about the issue even posted videos on youtube to "show us the problem." Just like lights do in a home when you turn on the A/C, or the hair dryer.
I watched them, and they look like every car I've ever driven, from Acura to Volkswagen.
No man made products can have zero problems.For example,,say,,Benchmarks mean 2-3 problems per 100 cars.Camcord would have that.Altima would have much more. And infact the altima is supposed to be the best product in their line up.The quest,titan and armada have very poor reliability ratings. So what I am saying is that Nissan`s product quality is definitely slipping.CR and all other reviews and surveys prove it. It may be the one of the top rated sedans in CR-- CR specifically states the top rated doesn`t have to be the most reliable.I think the reason is top rated is that it has ESC standard on all versions. The altima for sure has a lot of plastic interiors and the fit and finish is not upto the camcord or even sonata,by any standard.The fact is the 02 altima was competitive in its time,,but the 07 version falls short of the competition. Nissan has been very slow to fix known problems in their models in the following years. The 2010 camry is better powered than the previous versions.
No man made products can have zero problems.For example,,say,,Benchmarks mean 2-3 problems per 100 cars.Camcord would have that.Altima would have much more.
No man made products can have zero problems.For example,,say,,Benchmarks mean 2-3 problems per 100 cars.Camcord would have that.Altima would have much more.
Link? If not, the Altima's reliability is average at worst, and above average at best. The Accord has just as many problems if not more. One look at the Accord section of the forums proves this.
And infact the altima is supposed to be the best product in their line up.The quest,titan and armada have very poor reliability ratings.
The Altima is not Nissan's flagship sedan. That's the Maxima. Every product lineup has its faults. I'm not disputing that.
So what I am saying is that Nissan`s product quality is definitely slipping.CR and all other reviews and surveys prove it. It may be the one of the top rated sedans in CR-- CR specifically states the top rated doesn`t have to be the most reliable.I think the reason is top rated is that it has ESC standard on all versions.
CR has put the Altima as its top midsize sedan. Enough with that. Your argument does not prove anything in reference to reliability, so just drop it. As for your comment about ESC, you're completely incorrect. In fact, ESC is reserved for V6 models only. Perhaps you're thinking about the Accord or Sonata...
The altima for sure has a lot of plastic interiors and the fit and finish is not upto the camcord or even sonata,by any standard.The fact is the 02 altima was competitive in its time,,but the 07 version falls short of the competition.
The Altima has less hard plastic than other competing sedans. Calling the Altima out on plastic while cars like the Avenger run around is unfair. Also, read Edmunds review of the Camry. Apparently, they don't think the Camry's interior is up to snuf, but they like the Altima's interior. Here are some quotes taken directly from Edmunds' own reviews of each car.
Altima: Inside, the 2009 Nissan Altima offers a quiet and attractive cabin made with top-notch materials.
Camry: Sadly, build and materials quality aren't up to the high standard set by previous-generation Camrys. Specifically, we've noticed that some plastics are mediocre in quality and the panel fitments aren't uniformly precise. Many competitors are now better.
Read the reviews, and you'll see what I mean.
Nissan has been very slow to fix known problems in their models in the following years.
Proof... show us proof of this. They are no slower than any other car manufacturer on the market.
The 2010 camry is better powered than the previous versions.
It's about time. Nearly all current midsize sedans have more than 160HP on their 4-cyl engines. As usual, Toyota is the last one to the party. Even Honda managed to squeeze 190HP out of their 2.4L 4-cyl.
Yes,ESC is standard only on V6 altimas. Reliability wise as per CR- 07,08 Altima is average; 07 camry-above ave,08-ave; Accord- 07 ,08 above average. But for 09 Camry gets excellent- all red dots.There is a seperate table in CR for 09 Camry. I think 08 camry was just a minor blip on the radar and they fixed it. Camry has been excellent for so many years than its competitors, and 1 average year,, its ripped apart!! 09 versions will show excellent reliability as per CR. Nissan Quest,Titan,armada had all problems since 04.Infact 04-06 quest,armada and titan are to be avoided, listed as CR bad bets. 4 years on,still the same problems --- squeaks,,rattles,brakes,electrical problems,fuel system problems.Nissan lost its reputation recently mainly due to these 3 models. The altima is the main torch bearer for Nissan at the moment ,with Infiniti down the tank too. But its good that all car makers are improving-- except Dodge::dodgy,horrible cars :sick: ; competition is better for people.Less chance of making a wrong decision.
Wow... you really need to research this a little more. ESC is an option on V6 Altima models. Unfortunately, something has to be optional. It's not standard.
The Camry's 4-cyl (2.4L 158HP) is considered above average for reliability, while the 3.5L V6 was considered below average in 2007 and 2008. The 6-speed Automatic has had lots of problems in the last several years. Therefore, it wasn't a minor blip on the radar. Actually, it was a major problem for a while.
The only major problem that Nissan had with the '07 Altima was that cell phones would disable the intelligent key sometimes, rendering the car useless. Nissan addressed and fixed this problem very quickly. I've had my cell phone right beside my i-key numerous times in the last year, and I've had no problems at all.
Infiniti is not "down the tank" as you put it. Actually, quite the contrary. Their newest offerings are incredibly innovative, especially in the G37 sedan and coupe. Also, these cars are the so much fun to drive! The VQ37 is a wonderful piece of automotive technology.
As with other luxury car makers, their reliability is average to above average, and Infiniti's build quality is top notch. No problems here.
The 2010 Camry has ESC standard on all trims.So,I expect the camry to be the top rated sedan in CR next year. Nissan,as I said has no problems with its sedans- its mostly its vans,suv`s and trucks which affect its credibility. As far as infiniti goes,it really is a niche brand,,for people who dont like either Lexus or bmw/mercedes,,, infiniti 115000 vs lexus 271000 in 2008,,a third choice basically .
I am sure there was a time when GM/Ford thought Toyota/Honda would never take the number 1/2 slots in sedan sales. I am sure even the public thought so also. Well flash to today and look who has been number 1/2 for the last 5-8 years. To say GM/Ford will never regain even into the top 3 spots I feel is ignorant and shortsighted. GM and Ford have answered the challenge by Honda/Toyota (finally) with two very good sedans. Perception is what they now need to overcome. Fusions reliability/quality is now firmly up to par with the Camry/Accord. In some instances some mags say the Fusion is actually more reliable than the Camry!. I see either the Malibu/Fulan or both moving into the top 4 in the next 5 years.
I really doubt the 2010 Camry will be CR's top "family sedan" next year. It would have to unseat the Accord, which is CR's top family sedan this year. And Accord already has ESC standard. Camry was not dinged by CR for it this year because ESC is widely available as an option. They only ding a car for it--Altima is a good example--if ESC is very hard to find or not available. Since ESC isn't available on the I4 Altimas and an option on the V6 Altimas, that cost Altima CR's "top family sedan" designation (according to what the April CR issue said anyway), even though the V6 Altima is the top ranked over-$25k family sedan based on points (+1 over Accord EX-L), but 3 points behind the Accord LX-P MT in the below-$25k family sedan grouping. Since the 2009 Camry is only 3rd in the over-$25k grouping and way down in 7th place in the under-$25k class, it would have to make a huge jump for 2010 to be CR's top choice in family sedans. I don't see the small tweaks for 2010 doing that. Other cars above the Camry have improved for 2009-10 also, e.g. Optima (2009 model not yet tested by CR) and 2010 Prius.
Also, your data on CR reliability for Camry and Altima is incorrect per the latest CR issue (April). So where are you getting your data, particularly the details reliability history for the 2009 Camry? That is not published in the April CR issue.
The 2009 data for the Camry is online in the CR subscription.Not sure if it is present in the print version.If u have online access to CR , u can check reliability for 2009 Camry- in all criteria ,it got red dots and the predicted new car reliability also got a red dot. Again,I am not sure of the print edition. And previously I had said ESC was standard on Altimas- my mistake-- yes,it is standard on accords and from 2010 on Camrys.It is only optional on V6 Altimas and it gets a rap for that. Also the fusion/milan,malibu have good reliability ratings- I would need atleast four-five years of good reliability.But the Fusion/Malibu I think are on the right track. The problem is,its not enough if they are competitive-- They have to be class leaders ,world beaters and game changers for perception to change-- 2 decades of poor cars cant be rectified by 2-3 years of good cars.
The problem is,its not enough if they are competitive-- They have to be class leaders ,world beaters and game changers for perception to change-- 2 decades of poor cars cant be rectified by 2-3 years of good cars.
For people who are programmed to head straight to their Toyota dealer to buy another Camry, or to the Honda dealer to buy another Accord, without seriously considering other options, I agree. Except it appears in some cases at least there are some new "class leaders", e.g. the new Fulan hybrid is being widely praised as superior to the Camry and Altima hybrids. And the Fulan has taken the reliability mantle formerly held by Camry and Accord. With a few more years of this kind of success, maybe more Toyota and Honda fans will start to take notice.
I don't think anyone can state that the seemingly high number of complaints you might see on an Edmunds forum about a particular car proves anything. That's like saying because there are more 2009 Sonata reviews (on the right hand side of this page) than 2009 Accord reviews that the Sonata must be outselling the Accord two to one.
I've noticed that some(if not all) brands of cars have zealots both pro and con and there is sometimes psychological reasons for some of these high praises and complaints which have nothing to do with subjectivity.
Hundreds of thousands of these cars are sold each year and because several people complain(or praise) a lot on Edmunds doesn't prove anything. Maybe an indicator or something to consider.....but not proof.
Just saw a picture gallery and stats on the new '10 Legacy over on autoblog.com. Hate to say this but in the pictures it sure reminds me of the Sebring, front, front angle and rear. Maybe it will be different in real life but I'm not fond of the look so far. Width increased 3" will mean enough room for us "average" folk.
I really don't see any resemblance to the Sebring, except the Chrysler-like badge in the grille. Maybe Subaru figures Chrysler won't be needing that badge much longer.
I see a LOT of the current Accord from the A-pillar back--in fact, if you take off the taillamp extensions on the trunk lid (which Honda will likely add to the Accord for 2011, as per their history with Accord taillamps on and off trunk lids), I think it's nearly a copy of the Accord. (While the Accord's rear was a close facsimile of BMW. But I digress.) The front looks like Subaru is trying to compete with Nissan for the "who can put the largest headlamps on a sedan" award. I think the front would be more attractive with less chrome, and a smaller badge (especially given the similarity to Chrysler's badge). I prefer the looks of the dash on the current car, but it appears the interior has high-quality materials at least--if that can be determined from photos!
Glad to read of the 4" increase in rear leg room--that will make the Legacy a lot more popular with buyers who need to carry large kids and adults in the back seat.
Headlights and taillights are very close and general shape with the high read end look similar to me. Hood and trunck are quite different. Just struck me when I first saw it that was the first thing I thought of.
Glad to read of the 4" increase in rear leg room--that will make the Legacy a lot more popular with buyers who need to carry large kids and adults in the back seat.
I wonder how this will affect the sporty, fun to drive feel. If I wanted a boat, I could get an Accord. I don't know, maybe its my stature but I don't always associate bigger with better.
parked out front of the dealership that i brought my explorer in for service today. i had seen one at an auto show, but they look pretty good. not a car for casper. buy this car and be proud.
Well, there's still the 3 Series... RX-8... WRX... in fact LOTS of cars with a sporty, fun-to-drive feel if that is what you want. Maybe Subaru figured if they wish to compete in the family sedans market, they'd better make a sedan that can hold the entire family. And Mazda and VW, and to some extent Honda and Nissan, have proven it's possible to build a fun-to-drive family sedan. So making the Subaru big enough for real people, like those other sedans are, shouldn't be a hinderance.
I like smaller cars too, but I also know it's possible to make a compact-sized car with a mid-sized interior (cf. Elantra, Forte, Prius, Sentra, Versa...). It's just that most people seem to prefer bigger cars. At least now that gas is back to $2 a gallon.
I'm not seeing Honda Accord anywhere on this new Legacy...but it smacks of Sebring and previous generation Infiniti G35
Exactly what I said when I first saw it. The front end SCREAMS Sebring, which is the LAST car in this class to draw styling inspiration from.
I'll wait to see it in person for my final judgment, but the pictures are disappointing. It's not as bad as the "concept" they were showing, but it's still a letdown.
I guess we're starting to see the Toyota/Subaru partnership, since Subaru is styling their cars as generically as Toyota has... :P
Check out the rear 3/4 view. Also note the C pillar, the side sculpting, even the rear lamps sans the trunk overrun.
Actually the only thing I see on the new Legacy that looks anything like the Sebring is the shape of the headlamps, and that's getting to be a common shape these days. Also that winged emblem. :P
I had the opportunity to drive a 2010 Fusion Hybrid today. I must say, it is a really nice car! Very quite, little road and wind noise. Interior build quality is pretty good. I'm not a big fan of the interior design, but, it is put together well. Materials are decent too. Seeing the EPA estimates of 41 city and 38 hwy seem promising.
With a sticker price of $30,800 for a Fusion Hybrid with leather, Sync, and moon roof does not seem bad.
Agreeing 1000 percent. The details backy sees between this new Sebring...errr I mean Legacy and the current Accord I'm not seeing.
But just looking at the overall greenhouse and the styling in general, its a sporty looking Sebring to me...basically what the Dodge Avenger would have been if Chrysler had kept up with the rebadged looks of the Cirus/Stratus/Breeze and Sebring/Stratus of two generations ago.
Cars.com reporting that the '10 Fusion already has a $1,000 rebate. Pretty extraordinary that a model that literally just arrived in dealerships has a rebate, $1k as well.
Backy, I think you may be looking at the minute detail differences and not the overall "look". Just stand back a few feet and take in the overall look of the two cars Grad posted. I think you'll see the similarity.
Actualy I think it is exactly the opposite. I am looking at the overall car. If you look at any two of these mid-sized cars and blur your eyes a bit, you can see similarities because there's only so many ways to pen a mid-sized family sedan w/o going overboard (cf. Sebring, Avenger). For example, look to the right at the Sonata and Camry. Except for the "lip" on the grille of the Camry, they look very similar. On closer inspection, they are quite different.
In order for me to say that Car A looks "very similar" to Car B, there has to be more than 1-2 minor styling elements that look the same.
Here's what I see on the 2010 Legacy that doesn't look like the Sebring:
* Overall front end (including grille shape and detail, bumper with cutouts and fogs, fenders, contour of hood. * Sides (Sebring has few details, Legacy has a definite character line) * Greenhouse (Sebring has a different styled C pillar and fixed rear side window than the Legacy) * Overall rear end (including rear bumper, back fascia, and taillamps) * Wheels
The other thing I consider is, would there be any reason for the automaker to mimic a particular car? In this case, I can see only that Subaru would go out of their way to make the Legacy NOT look like the Sebring. But maybe they would want their new, more mainstream sedan to remind people just a little of one of the top sellers in the class--a car that has been called #1 in the class by many professional reviewers?
I agree with you when you take each individual bumper, fender, grill, wheelhouse, etc., etc. and compare each to each. If I would have done that I may have noticed many more differences as well. My simple comment was much more general in nature. Kind of like---OK, here's a picture of a car. Real quick....what other car does it remind you of?. What it reminded me of was the Sebring. You didn't see it that way. That's fine
I think it may be just the way different people look at things.....kind of like ink blots.
I can see some Lexus GS....and while the Accord and Legacy share similar looking C-pillar shapes the higher roofline design still gives the Legacy a Sebring-like look to me. I'm not looking at the small details I'm looking at the overall picture. Both the Sebring and Legacy suffer from what I call the "half egg" with a hood and trunk look. The Accord's greenhouse is a lot lower and has less curve. It's almost as if Subaru took a previous generation Altima...raised the height of the roof up some and gave it the Sebring's front end and a Chinese copy of the Lexus GS's rear end. Say someone did as M6user suggested and decided to take the the Accord, s Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Sebring and Avenger and asked the average American which car the Legacy favors the most, I'd guarantee most would still say the Sebring :P because the average buyer doesn't pay that much attention to styling details...the pay more attention to the overall profile and look.
Cars.com reporting that the '10 Fusion already has a $1,000 rebate. Pretty extraordinary that a model that literally just arrived in dealerships has a rebate, $1k as well.
I'm not sure why you think it's so extraordinary m6? The rebate was $500 last month which is really when they began hitting the lots for sale and that is not unusual these days. Pretty much everything new in the past 6 months has had some sort of cash incentive on the hood at launch regardless of the mfr. Ford bumped the cash up on the '10 this month because they are offering 0% for 36 months across the board. The $1000 only ensures that those who don't qualify for the 0% get some extra cash off to make up for the difference in interest payments if they have to go with a higher rate.
It's pretty smart if you think about it. Credit is harder to come by these days (so I'm told ) so keeping the sale possible by other means certainly makes a lot of sense IMO.
Agree it does make sense in these times but I kind of thought with all the positive press both Ford and the new Fusion were getting they might have held off. Then I saw the March sales numbers for everybody and, whew!, I guess it's not extraordinary at all.
that such good products are coming out in a time when the economy is just so poor. I feel the Fusion will suffer from the same fate as the 6 (though not to as bad a degree) in that it will be a competent car that will be overshadowed because of this bad economy I hope things pick up soon because this new Fusion is a great improvement over the already competitive 09 and below models!
Ford has pretty much built in a $500 rebate because a lot of buyers (domestic brands especially) simply won't buy without some type of incentive. Not surprising given the current industry status. I don't expect it to go any higher than that though and will probably drop back to $500 if demand stays high.
it won't get any higher for maybe a few months (in time to get rid of all the 09s and from what I hear some 08 model Fusions) But if the economy doesn't pick up I wouldn't be surprised to see up to $3500 cash back on the Fulan by the end of say the summer or early part of the fall.
I think the price of the 2010 fusion went up about $3,000 over the 2009.
I think not. Looks like $200-$1200 if you include stability control which is standard now vs. optional in 2009. And that doesn't include any other differences in equipment.
shoot out. With the new 2009/10 Fulan out, 2009 Mazda 6 out, and a revamped Camry. Altima vs Camry vs Accord vs Fusion vs Mazda 6 vs Malibu...
Even though the 2010 Fusion has been getting some positive press, I feel sales are not going to skyrocket. Sales will increase but not in leaps and bounds. My feelings are I don't want the Fusion/Milan to shoot to number 1 in sales. I would rather they build the cars with quality first in mind, not sales numbers. Ford needs to rebuild trust with consumers. Once consumers have trust, sales will fall in place.
But the 2010 V6 SEL comes standard with AWD. The 2009 is FWD. That's the difference. If you want FWD you have to start with the I4 model and upgrade to the V6.
Ford can't make more than 300,000 Fusions/Milans/MKZs combined right now. They'd be more than happy with 240,000 Fusions selling without huge incentives.
I hope if they do a comparison they wait a few more months and include the revised Altima...it should be up for a facelift this year too...hopefully Nissan will show it alongside the 370Z convertible at NYIAS
Comments
I've never been in a car that didn't have its lights dim slightly when the A/C kicked on. People who have complained loudly about the issue even posted videos on youtube to "show us the problem." Just like lights do in a home when you turn on the A/C, or the hair dryer.
I watched them, and they look like every car I've ever driven, from Acura to Volkswagen.
The 158 is for 2009s. You can get a 2010 Camry right now - they have a new 2.5L I4 that is 169hp for the base, LE and XLE, or 179 hp for the SE.
I've yet to see one on the road; I've been looking for them.
And infact the altima is supposed to be the best product in their line up.The quest,titan and armada have very poor reliability ratings.
So what I am saying is that Nissan`s product quality is definitely slipping.CR and all other reviews and surveys prove it. It may be the one of the top rated sedans in CR-- CR specifically states the top rated doesn`t have to be the most reliable.I think the reason is top rated is that it has ESC standard on all versions.
The altima for sure has a lot of plastic interiors and the fit and finish is not upto the camcord or even sonata,by any standard.The fact is the 02 altima was competitive in its time,,but the 07 version falls short of the competition.
Nissan has been very slow to fix known problems in their models in the following years.
The 2010 camry is better powered than the previous versions.
Based on?
Altima I4: Average
Camry I4: Average
Altima V6: Above Average
Camry V6: Below Average
For overall predicted reliability, CR rates both the Altima and Camry as Average.
Link? If not, the Altima's reliability is average at worst, and above average at best. The Accord has just as many problems if not more. One look at the Accord section of the forums proves this.
And infact the altima is supposed to be the best product in their line up.The quest,titan and armada have very poor reliability ratings.
The Altima is not Nissan's flagship sedan. That's the Maxima. Every product lineup has its faults. I'm not disputing that.
So what I am saying is that Nissan`s product quality is definitely slipping.CR and all other reviews and surveys prove it. It may be the one of the top rated sedans in CR-- CR specifically states the top rated doesn`t have to be the most reliable.I think the reason is top rated is that it has ESC standard on all versions.
CR has put the Altima as its top midsize sedan. Enough with that. Your argument does not prove anything in reference to reliability, so just drop it. As for your comment about ESC, you're completely incorrect. In fact, ESC is reserved for V6 models only. Perhaps you're thinking about the Accord or Sonata...
The altima for sure has a lot of plastic interiors and the fit and finish is not upto the camcord or even sonata,by any standard.The fact is the 02 altima was competitive in its time,,but the 07 version falls short of the competition.
The Altima has less hard plastic than other competing sedans. Calling the Altima out on plastic while cars like the Avenger run around is unfair. Also, read Edmunds review of the Camry. Apparently, they don't think the Camry's interior is up to snuf, but they like the Altima's interior. Here are some quotes taken directly from Edmunds' own reviews of each car.
Altima: Inside, the 2009 Nissan Altima offers a quiet and attractive cabin made with top-notch materials.
Camry: Sadly, build and materials quality aren't up to the high standard set by previous-generation Camrys. Specifically, we've noticed that some plastics are mediocre in quality and the panel fitments aren't uniformly precise. Many competitors are now better.
Read the reviews, and you'll see what I mean.
Nissan has been very slow to fix known problems in their models in the following years.
Proof... show us proof of this. They are no slower than any other car manufacturer on the market.
The 2010 camry is better powered than the previous versions.
It's about time. Nearly all current midsize sedans have more than 160HP on their 4-cyl engines. As usual, Toyota is the last one to the party. Even Honda managed to squeeze 190HP out of their 2.4L 4-cyl.
Reliability wise as per CR- 07,08 Altima is average; 07 camry-above ave,08-ave;
Accord- 07 ,08 above average.
But for 09 Camry gets excellent- all red dots.There is a seperate table in CR for 09 Camry. I think 08 camry was just a minor blip on the radar and they fixed it.
Camry has been excellent for so many years than its competitors, and 1 average year,, its ripped apart!! 09 versions will show excellent reliability as per CR.
Nissan Quest,Titan,armada had all problems since 04.Infact 04-06 quest,armada and titan are to be avoided, listed as CR bad bets. 4 years on,still the same problems --- squeaks,,rattles,brakes,electrical problems,fuel system problems.Nissan lost its reputation recently mainly due to these 3 models. The altima is the main torch bearer for Nissan at the moment ,with Infiniti down the tank too.
But its good that all car makers are improving-- except Dodge::dodgy,horrible cars :sick: ;
competition is better for people.Less chance of making a wrong decision.
Wow... you really need to research this a little more. ESC is an option on V6 Altima models. Unfortunately, something has to be optional. It's not standard.
The Camry's 4-cyl (2.4L 158HP) is considered above average for reliability, while the 3.5L V6 was considered below average in 2007 and 2008. The 6-speed Automatic has had lots of problems in the last several years. Therefore, it wasn't a minor blip on the radar. Actually, it was a major problem for a while.
The only major problem that Nissan had with the '07 Altima was that cell phones would disable the intelligent key sometimes, rendering the car useless. Nissan addressed and fixed this problem very quickly. I've had my cell phone right beside my i-key numerous times in the last year, and I've had no problems at all.
Infiniti is not "down the tank" as you put it. Actually, quite the contrary. Their newest offerings are incredibly innovative, especially in the G37 sedan and coupe. Also, these cars are the so much fun to drive! The VQ37 is a wonderful piece of automotive technology.
As with other luxury car makers, their reliability is average to above average, and Infiniti's build quality is top notch. No problems here.
Nissan,as I said has no problems with its sedans- its mostly its vans,suv`s and trucks which affect its credibility.
As far as infiniti goes,it really is a niche brand,,for people who dont like either Lexus or bmw/mercedes,,, infiniti 115000 vs lexus 271000 in 2008,,a third choice basically .
Also, your data on CR reliability for Camry and Altima is incorrect per the latest CR issue (April). So where are you getting your data, particularly the details reliability history for the 2009 Camry? That is not published in the April CR issue.
Again,I am not sure of the print edition.
And previously I had said ESC was standard on Altimas- my mistake-- yes,it is standard on accords and from 2010 on Camrys.It is only optional on V6 Altimas and it gets a rap for that.
Also the fusion/milan,malibu have good reliability ratings- I would need atleast four-five years of good reliability.But the Fusion/Malibu I think are on the right track.
The problem is,its not enough if they are competitive-- They have to be class leaders ,world beaters and game changers for perception to change-- 2 decades of poor cars cant be rectified by 2-3 years of good cars.
For people who are programmed to head straight to their Toyota dealer to buy another Camry, or to the Honda dealer to buy another Accord, without seriously considering other options, I agree. Except it appears in some cases at least there are some new "class leaders", e.g. the new Fulan hybrid is being widely praised as superior to the Camry and Altima hybrids. And the Fulan has taken the reliability mantle formerly held by Camry and Accord. With a few more years of this kind of success, maybe more Toyota and Honda fans will start to take notice.
I've noticed that some(if not all) brands of cars have zealots both pro and con and there is sometimes psychological reasons for some of these high praises and complaints which have nothing to do with subjectivity.
Hundreds of thousands of these cars are sold each year and because several people complain(or praise) a lot on Edmunds doesn't prove anything. Maybe an indicator or something to consider.....but not proof.
Now I see it on Edmunds also.
I see a LOT of the current Accord from the A-pillar back--in fact, if you take off the taillamp extensions on the trunk lid (which Honda will likely add to the Accord for 2011, as per their history with Accord taillamps on and off trunk lids), I think it's nearly a copy of the Accord. (While the Accord's rear was a close facsimile of BMW. But I digress.) The front looks like Subaru is trying to compete with Nissan for the "who can put the largest headlamps on a sedan" award. I think the front would be more attractive with less chrome, and a smaller badge (especially given the similarity to Chrysler's badge). I prefer the looks of the dash on the current car, but it appears the interior has high-quality materials at least--if that can be determined from photos!
Glad to read of the 4" increase in rear leg room--that will make the Legacy a lot more popular with buyers who need to carry large kids and adults in the back seat.
I wonder how this will affect the sporty, fun to drive feel. If I wanted a boat, I could get an Accord. I don't know, maybe its my stature but I don't always associate bigger with better.
i had seen one at an auto show, but they look pretty good.
not a car for casper. buy this car and be proud.
I like smaller cars too, but I also know it's possible to make a compact-sized car with a mid-sized interior (cf. Elantra, Forte, Prius, Sentra, Versa...). It's just that most people seem to prefer bigger cars. At least now that gas is back to $2 a gallon.
'Nuff said.
Exactly what I said when I first saw it. The front end SCREAMS Sebring, which is the LAST car in this class to draw styling inspiration from.
I'll wait to see it in person for my final judgment, but the pictures are disappointing. It's not as bad as the "concept" they were showing, but it's still a letdown.
I guess we're starting to see the Toyota/Subaru partnership, since Subaru is styling their cars as generically as Toyota has... :P
Actually the only thing I see on the new Legacy that looks anything like the Sebring is the shape of the headlamps, and that's getting to be a common shape these days. Also that winged emblem. :P
With a sticker price of $30,800 for a Fusion Hybrid with leather, Sync, and moon roof does not seem bad.
But just looking at the overall greenhouse and the styling in general, its a sporty looking Sebring to me...basically what the Dodge Avenger would have been if Chrysler had kept up with the rebadged looks of the Cirus/Stratus/Breeze and Sebring/Stratus of two generations ago.
In order for me to say that Car A looks "very similar" to Car B, there has to be more than 1-2 minor styling elements that look the same.
Here's what I see on the 2010 Legacy that doesn't look like the Sebring:
* Overall front end (including grille shape and detail, bumper with cutouts and fogs, fenders, contour of hood.
* Sides (Sebring has few details, Legacy has a definite character line)
* Greenhouse (Sebring has a different styled C pillar and fixed rear side window than the Legacy)
* Overall rear end (including rear bumper, back fascia, and taillamps)
* Wheels
The other thing I consider is, would there be any reason for the automaker to mimic a particular car? In this case, I can see only that Subaru would go out of their way to make the Legacy NOT look like the Sebring. But maybe they would want their new, more mainstream sedan to remind people just a little of one of the top sellers in the class--a car that has been called #1 in the class by many professional reviewers?
I think it may be just the way different people look at things.....kind of like ink blots.
Say someone did as M6user suggested and decided to take the the Accord, s Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Sebring and Avenger and asked the average American which car the Legacy favors the most, I'd guarantee most would still say the Sebring :P because the average buyer doesn't pay that much attention to styling details...the pay more attention to the overall profile and look.
I'm not sure why you think it's so extraordinary m6? The rebate was $500 last month which is really when they began hitting the lots for sale and that is not unusual these days. Pretty much everything new in the past 6 months has had some sort of cash incentive on the hood at launch regardless of the mfr. Ford bumped the cash up on the '10 this month because they are offering 0% for 36 months across the board. The $1000 only ensures that those who don't qualify for the 0% get some extra cash off to make up for the difference in interest payments if they have to go with a higher rate.
It's pretty smart if you think about it. Credit is harder to come by these days (so I'm told ) so keeping the sale possible by other means certainly makes a lot of sense IMO.
I think not. Looks like $200-$1200 if you include stability control which is standard now vs. optional in 2009. And that doesn't include any other differences in equipment.
Even though the 2010 Fusion has been getting some positive press, I feel sales are not going to skyrocket. Sales will increase but not in leaps and bounds. My feelings are I don't want the Fusion/Milan to shoot to number 1 in sales. I would rather they build the cars with quality first in mind, not sales numbers. Ford needs to rebuild trust with consumers. Once consumers have trust, sales will fall in place.