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Midsize Sedans 2.0

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited June 2013
    That's just blasphemy. A power seat and they sc****d us on a height adjuster? I mean they already have the mechanism in stock for the drivers seat...so why a different part number for the passenger? I wonder if it has to do with safety; like it is easier to place airbags for an occupant that can't move up and down?
    Manufacturers: If you are reading this: I will HAPPILY exchange all of the electronic auto-dimming rear-view mirror crap (with 5 other useless buttons on it), for a whopping $5 worth of steel to raise the passenger seat!!!
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    Ditto the Honda Accord.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • wayne21wayne21 Member Posts: 259
    You can put me down for that exchange, too. They seem to be more interested in selling electronic gadgets with a car attached to it. Malibu is the only car (rented for 5 days) that I have seen with a height adjustment to the passenger seat. Unfortunately, that seat comes with a Malibu attached to it.
  • LMAO :D:D:D
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    They seem to be more interested in selling electronic gadgets with a car attached to it.

    Correction - WE are more interesting in buying electronic gadgets with a car attached to it. Don't blame the mfrs - they're only building what we buy.
  • wayne21wayne21 Member Posts: 259
    I guess I must be the anomaly. I don't want all those electronics. I don't like the idea that I have to pay for them in spite of not wanting them. I don't talk on the phone when driving. I continue to turn my head or use mirrors to see cars around and behind me (aside from knowing it's there, I have never even looked in my rearview camera). When I want to watch a movie I do it at home. I'm looking for reliable, safe transportation - that allows my wife to look out of the car when she's a passenger. I believe they put all the electronics in for a variety of reasons which include, but are not limited to: the technology is available, they can make a profit off each piece they put in, a generation wishing to be entertained is upon us, and they dumb down the driving skills required to accommodate that generation.
  • tundradweller1tundradweller1 Member Posts: 74
    See "Ford Touch" ;)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    edited June 2013
    I'm with you. I do like some conveniences, like power windows/mirrors/locks, remote locking, remote trunk release, cruise control, and trip computer. I also appreciate little touches like map lights, illuminated vanity mirrors, and outside thermometer. I like ABS and ESC for their safety. And I grew fond of the seat heaters in my wife's Sonata this past long winter. But I have no problem adjusting the driver's seat and climate control manually, I like simple stereo controls, I can fold the side mirrors myself if I need to. And I like shifting for myself, although sticks are getting very hard to come by.
  • huskerfan5huskerfan5 Member Posts: 165
    From this week's USA Today
    After loads of criticism, Ford is taking some of the touch out of MyFord Touch, its touch screen-based infotainment system.

    It is restoring knobs to the controls, much as it has done all along in its F-150 trucks. The announcement comes two days before J.D. Power and Associates is due to announce its annual Initial Quality Survey, a closely watched industry measure. For the past two years, the survey has dramatically lowered Ford's ranking in overall quality, apparently largely because of the complicated and distracting infotainment system controls. Each time, Ford executives said they are fixing the problem.

    Incidentally, while I appreciate the many safety features on my wife's Volvo, you need to take your eyes off the road for too many seconds to switch from FM, AM and Satellite
  • huskerfan5huskerfan5 Member Posts: 165
    I really appreciate that you don't practice distractive driving but PLEASE look in your rearview camera when in reverse. It may prevent an injury/death of a child that you wouldn't see otherwise. Thank you.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited June 2013
    That's good news to potential MFT buyers, but not a lot of good to the ones who already have it. There are so many complaints that I was almost certain someone would initiate a class action suit.

    Ironically, Volvo was owned by Ford until 2 years ago ( as part of their Premier Automotive Group, which lost Ford mega $). Perhaps your wife's Volvo has a similar system? (just a guess).

    I really like the way my dash is laid out. It is canted toward the driver and all of the controls are intuitive. Especially the radio. Everything works as it should, and you don't need the manual to pair your smartphone. The USB, I-pod (aux line in) and power ports are just where you would want them, with a little tray underneath to securely place your phone.

    Speaking of the phone, the hands free voice activated system is awesome. The controls are on the steering wheel, along with toggles for the radio volume, source, and tuning.

    Also, Pandora streams perfectly, and the radio automatically sets it as a secondary AUX source if you already have a thumb drive in the USB port. In other words, it has everything you could ever want out of a radio except good rear bass response, which I fixed with a $200 Infinity powered sub. Since the upper trim Optima's come with a factory Infinity sub, I liked the idea of keeping it as close to stock as I could in name at least. Satellite radio has 24 presets as we have discussed before. I listen to it when it is free, but feel no need to pay them for "80's heavy metal that I already have on my thumb drive. Also, my kids love thumbing through the music with the simple to use knob, getting from Audioslave to Zappa in about 5 seconds. :shades:

    Enough out of me.
  • huskerfan5huskerfan5 Member Posts: 165
    Not as complicated as MFT but not user friendly
  • I keep reading reviews in magazines where the cars all have grey interiors. For example, the recent large car comparo in C/D (July 2013 on page 52) and small SUV comparo (June C/D page 56).
    All of these cars had grey interiors, with the pictures suggesting the look a feel of a 94 Pontiac Grand Am.
    Case in point, the new Impala's interior looks great (to me) in black and tan, but awful in grey. I am just not a grey guy I guess.

    What do you guys like, and why?
  • igozoomzoomigozoomzoom Member Posts: 801
    Light gray interiors usually don't appeal to me, but the darker ones do. I also don't care for gray leather in any shade.

    For the last 10+ years, I've had Black interior in my cars. Before that, I had and Accord with Dark Blue interior and another Accord with 'Brown-Red' as Honda called it.

    I've never liked tan/beige interior until recently. My 2012 Mazda CX-9 is the first car I've ever had with a beige interior. Mazda calls it "Sand" and the seats are two-tone leather. The dashboard and top of the door panels is a darker brown with the lower portion being the same 'Sand' color as the seats. But the carpet is Black, which I definitely like. The light-colored carpet and sea of bland beige was what I hated about light colored interiors for so long.

    On the Hyundai Sonata Limited, if you choose Shimmering White or Midnight Black for the exterior, you can choose WINE for the interior color. It's hideous and I doubt they're selling many, but it's available....
    2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    I like light grey leather. It looks good with blue exterior. I had that on my Maxima and also a Mazda6. It's not as hot as black and a little more forgiving of coffee spills than tan. Ours held up well. I have light tan now on my new Accord, hope I can keep it looking good.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • lightfootfllightfootfl Member Posts: 442
    Re: Gauges, etc. I just noticed this week that my outside temp jumped up from normal to about 20 degrees or more warmer. This is a Hyundai Sonata 2006, LX. Haven't had any problems with it before. Also this last tank of gas seems to be about 3mpg less than average. Has anyone experienced something like this before?? Also where is the temp indicator located? I have looked all over for it, but really don't know what I am looking for, or where.
    Any help appreciated.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I'm partial to the black/tan combo. My wife's 2013 Sonata has that and I think it's very tasteful. Also is brighter/less dour than dark grey or all black. Main problem is the light cloth shows stains easily... I just Scotchgard'ed them so I'll see if that helps. Leather would probably work better in tan.

    I have 4 cars in the family fleet now (just added a 2005 Mazda6i Sport hatch), two are what would be considered "mid-sized" (although all are mid-sized per EPA interior specs) and the rundown is:

    * Elantra GT: black dash + medium grey (leather)
    * Mazda6: Black, but with faux aluminum on dash and white contrast on the seats, so not as dour as all black.
    * Sentra S: Black dash, light grey cloth.
    * Sonata GLS: Black dash and trim, light tan seats
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited June 2013
    There is a TSB about it.

    See it, and the location of the probe here: http://www.justanswer.com/car/0isch-2006-sonata-outside-temperature-degrees-the-- - climate-control-work.html

    However, you can just disconnect the battery to reset it, and see if it will work properly afterward before spending any $$$ FYI.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited June 2013
    Yeah, me too. I especially like tan/black on mine with the red exterior. The pastor at my church bought the "metal bronze" exterior with the grey/black interior, and I don't like it anyway near as much. It is exactly the same car as mine...2012 EX base.

    I had a 92 Saturn SL2 that was fully loaded with tan interior, and it was really nice for the time too, but the dash was just solid tan plastic. Not a soft touch to be found, but hey...it was a Saturn. Lol. Last GM I ever had. Bad valve seals were causing it to burn 2 quarts of oil a month, and GM wouldn't fix it as it was "within tolerances". This meant I could produce a black smokescreen at will, like James Bond, but in a not so glamorous way. More like a broke kid putting himself through community college kind of way.

    I also had a 94 Ford SHO that had grey leather interior, my least favorite part of the car. It was really nice for it's time, especially since I got it for $2000 and everything worked. It was really really fast for a 3200 lb sedan.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,204
    edited June 2013
    Although 5 of our 6 vehicles have black interiors, my favorites are variations on brown.
    My 2002 Explorer Eddie Bauer is kind of a light coffee with medium butter color seat inserts.
    Prior to that was my 1992 SHO, which had a mocha/light coffee combo.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Correction: as of tonight, I now have TWO cars with red + tan interior: got a Rio5 to replace the Sentra. It looks like a little kid for our Sonata, almost the same color combo. :)
  • Yikes. Just looked at the wine interior pics. You're right, it is hideous. The canvas looking cloth insert makes the seats look even worse. Also, the complete lack of additional wine bits on the dash makes it's total clash complete. Yuk. Here is a few pics: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://speedydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/20- 12/08/SD_2013-Hyundai-Sonata-20T-Limited-Interior.jpg&imgrefurl=http://speedydad- dy.com/2013-hyundai-sonata-test-drive-review/&h=430&w=640&sz=76&tbnid=6aTh5TnsVA- 5koM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=134&zoom=1&usg=__qp6HlW5-GJLMP4K-ATC8Uq6ip70=&docid=0wJ5rD6lI- pm3kM&sa=X&ei=fGXJUcbNLJDW9ATD4YDQDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQ9QEwAw&dur=1241#imgdii=6aTh5- TnsVA5koM%3A%3BG20Zha0lPrOQfM%3B6aTh5TnsVA5koM%3A

    I am one who also likes brown and dark brown hue's in an interior as well. Basically, if it isn't totally grey or black I am happy.
  • Yeah, the Rio5 SX is a neat looking little car. They make B-spec race cars out of them believe it or not. It goes up against the Mazda2, Honda Fit, and other cars in it's class.
    Do you have the 6 speed stick or the auto? BTW, the SX is listed at $17k fully loaded with Navi etc.
  • igozoomzoomigozoomzoom Member Posts: 801
    The photo showing the seats with the inserts is actually from the Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec. It comes in four exterior colors, but the only interior available is Red Leather Bolsters with Red Cloth Middle Inserts. The Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec also has the same interior.

    The Azera has a unique and very attractive Chestnut Brown interior option with some exterior colors. It also offers Camel and Graphite Black interior.

    The new Santa Fe Limited has Beige, Gray, Black and Black/Saddle interior choices. The Monaco White and Becketts Black exterior offer all four options. The Black/Saddle is very upscale looking. The Santa Fe Sport 2.0T also has all four including the Saddle (in leather only).

    The Elantra GT has a Blue interior color option, but it is only available with the $2750 Style Package.
    2015.5 Volvo S60 T6 Drive-E Platinum, 2012 Mazda CX-9 GT
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Kinda off topic here, but my Rio5 is an LX with 6AT and power package. Special lease deal. The list on it was $16.8k, so I highly doubt you can get a fully loaded SX for $17k.
  • lightfootfllightfootfl Member Posts: 442
    cski: Thank you very much for this info. I am not able to do much in the way of maintenance, but I did disconnect the battery for about a minute while I was looking at the interior fuse panel and trying to decide if I was "gutsy" enough to try removing the fuses that were tied together listed as something indicating to me as a main part of the panel, I forgot the term.
    At any rate the only thing that happened was the mileage indicators in the speedometer "zero-ed" out, but nothing else happened, even the presets for the radio stayed. So unfortunately, did the higher temperature, indicating a reading of 119 degrees, in the area of 80-82 degrees.....so I guess without driving it around to see if anything changes that what I did didn't solve my problem, but this tsb may work for the shop people, even if it is $$$$ which I may not even bother with unless it is affecting the operation someway. I will let you know what happens.
    Again thanks. van
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited June 2013
    You know I am not going to post figures w/o a source check.

    2013 Kia Rio5 SX = MSRP 17,900. Invoice = $17,070

    Now, when I selected "price with options", just to be sure Edmund's wasn't quoting a stripper, all the options listed were for little stuff they gave me for free anyway, like floor mats, cargo tray, and a cargo net.

    Here is the Edmunds link:

    http://www.edmunds.com/kia/rio/2013/options.html?sub=hatchback&style=200419057
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You said:

    BTW, the SX is listed at $17k fully loaded with Navi etc.

    Fully loaded with Navi, and floor mats (I don't know about you, but I gotta have floor mats), the MSRP is $21,115.

    Now, I was a math major in college, so I am pretty sure that $21,115 is NOT equal to, or anywhere close to, $17k. ;)

    http://www.edmunds.com/kia/rio/2013/options.html?sub=hatchback&style=200419057
  • That is true, after pricing in the premium package. I was confusing the UVO system (which has a touchscreen w/ rear view camera) with the optional navi system in the premium package, which also includes leather, power sunroof, and heated seats.

    However, you can get the SX base, nicely equipped, for $17,900 with the automatic and a touch screen Microsoft UVO infotainment system, and then buy a Garmin Navi for $50 at Walmart. That's what I would buy!
  • The link that I sent you included step by step instructions on how to replace the sensor. If you are not able to do it yourself, that is totally understandable. I will do my own brake pads, alternator and water pump's, but that is the limit of my ability, tools, and patience. :mad: :sick: :confuse:

    At least familiarize yourself with the procedure AND the price of the temp probe, so that your local shop doesn't try to tell you they have to take the whole engine out or some other nonsense.

    I think there is a a repair forum here on Edmund's, and maybe that would be a more appropriate venue on repairdiscussions and info. FYI :)
  • mtnman1mtnman1 Member Posts: 431
    I think a black leather interior is the best looking, but I have found that since I bought my 2009 Ford Fusion with black leather in the summer it can be unbearable. The heat build up in my car after it has sat for a couple of hours in the hot 90 degree sun while I am in visiting one of my accounts is terrible. The seats continue to emit heat awhile after the cars air temp lowers. The back of my shirt gets nice and moist. I would say that a close second would be a rich brown color. My Wife's Highlander Limited has a light Ash leather (Grey), but it is very nice looking and much cooler in the summer. I am very interested in replacing my fusion with the latest model. I saw that the 2014 Titanium, which is what I want, has added two interior leather colors and Heated and Cooled Front seats which would help even with black leather.
    2012 Highlander Limited AWD V6 and 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A reporter would like to speak to a recent buyer of a car from a manufacturer that is widely considered "American"--e.g. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Chrysler, Cadillac-- who has not previously owned an "American" car. If this is you, please send your daytime contact info to [email protected] no later than Monday, July 1, 2013 no later than noon Pacific.
  • lightfootfllightfootfl Member Posts: 442
    Thank you very much for your info, I made a copy so I have it with me when I decide if I can do it or how/what is involved so somebody doesn't try to pull a fast one on me. Of course that would never happen with all of our "super customer service" agencies. ;) I will be checking on all that stuff next week, as it is the first chance I have between doctors etc. Also, it has been unbearably hot temperatures around here for over a week now. I really appreciate all of these forums for what they offer us. Thanks again.
    van-lightfootfl
  • way2funmazdaway2funmazda Member Posts: 3
    Not sure if this is the best forum to post, but here goes. My wife and I just purchased a Mazda6, Touring in Reflex Blue with the pleather interior. Had it for a month now. I wanted the 6 speed, but my wife's bum knees precluded that wish. Oh, I also wanted the Soul Red, but it was going to be her car, oh well. We are now a two Mazda family since I am still driving a 2002 Protege5 which I bought new June 2001. It is still going strong at 117,000+ miles and makes me grin every time I row the stick. Saw pictures of the new 3... awfully tempting! It was a no brainer for us to go back to Mazda for our second car since my Pro5 didn't have any mechanical issues in 12 years of ownership, other than a bad thermostat and recently a starter that wouldn't turn. Oh, I did go through a lot of expensive tires! Otherwise this car has been ultra-reliable and damn near bulletproof. I fully expect that our 6 will continue cruising along this same path. We looked at many other cars in the same class, but this one just felt and drove just right. Anyway, I am surprised and a bit disappointed that there isn't more of a buzz around this fantastic car. Thanks for reading. L
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Congrats on your new 6. I agree that it is shocking that there is virtually no buzz over on the Madza6 forums about the new 2014. So much for a people that are supposed to be a little more "enthusiust", you'd think there would be more talk about it. Love the car and my wife's 6 will be needing replacing in about a year and the new 6 will be top on our looksee list. I kind of hoping they have an improvement in the infotainment/nav system when they debut the 2015 Mazda6. The current tomtom based nav and the small(relatively) screen are not quite up to par with other midsize comps. But even if they don't improve that, it will still be #1 on the list. We will actually look at the new 3 as well as that has grown a little bit to be almost the same size(interior wise) as our 2007 Mazda6 and that has never proven to be too small for us.

    Good luck on Mazdas!
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    I think there is a large loyalty with existing brands.

    I'm just basing this off my my personal experience with people I work with. The lady with a camry...purchased another camry...The guy with the 15 year old Accord wants another accord. It doesn't matter that 15 years has seen a huge shift in vehicles; he doesn't even want to test drive to compare competing models...just go with what he knows. The VW guy bought a new VW (Passat TDI...pretty nice), the Hyundai lady is looking at a new Hyundai...

    btw, that 15 year old Accord has horrible NVH and power compared to anything new.
  • It's a gorgeous car, fantastically engineered from the ground up, quick (o to 60 in 7 seconds w/ the automatic), and drives like a sports car.

    If it had been available when I bought my Optima, I might have bought it. Really.
  • way2funmazdaway2funmazda Member Posts: 3
    It is kind of funny that we ended back to Mazda. Since we've been married, a long time now, we've owned a Subaru, 2 Hondas, Nissan and 2 Mazdas. I don't think you can consider us that brand loyal. But what really got me was the recent article in Consumer's Report April 2013 Car Issue that said the 3 most reliable car brands in order was Lexus, Subaru and Mazda. That kind of sealed it for me along with the first hand reliability experience of my old Pro5. We looked at so many brands this past year, that my wife was starting to dread the weekends. I love looking at cars and the whole test drive experience (dealerships must have hated me). We looked at Kia Optima Forte and Souls, Hyundai Sonata Elantras and Velosters, Honda CR-V Accord Civic Fit, Nissan Altima Cube, Toyota Prius Matrix and Mazda 3's 6's and Cx-5. As you can see, we were all over the board.

    We ended up with the mid-level 6, no navigation package. She really wanted a sunroof, but unfortunately could not get it at that trim level. Almost a problem, but didn't want to move up to the next level at a $5,000 jump in cost since it wasn't worth it to us. Although the touch screen is small compared to other makes, simply having a back up camera screen is amazing since we never had one in any of our older cars. Image is very clear and surprisingly works well in dim light. The month before we bought the 6, we were given a Garmin Nuvi with the lane assist function and grew to really like the unit. Not having the built in Tom Tom unit in the 6 was not a big deal to us.

    So far we love the car both for its performance and the incredible way it looks. Actually hit 37mpg on the highway to NC last weekend (not even broken in yet). Note that this was calculated and not an instantaneous reading. City driving gets about 29mpg, but I think my wife takes the Zoom Zoom thing to heart!

    Oh well.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I'd be interested in how you find the "pleather" seats after you've experienced them for awhile. Do they breath at all or do you stick to them? Do you think they will hold up as well as cloth or leather? I don't really care about sunroofs at all and I hate it that manufacturers package them with other items that I do want and can't get with also getting the sunroof.
  • way2funmazdaway2funmazda Member Posts: 3
    Off topic a bit, also looked closely at the Ford Fusion, very impressed, Escape, Focus and C-Max.

    Regarding our black pleather, I was pushing for the ivory color (lighter and not as heat absorbent), but wife didn't like the color. Since they are 100% synthetic, I would expect that it could be easily washed and wear well (I hope). So far, they seem to be holding up, but of course the car is still new. They seating surfaces don't seem to get as hot as leather and appear to be more sticky and not as slippery as leather. I never liked the feel of sliding out of your seat when braking. These almost feel like a brushed suede or micro fiber. I can tell you that they don't breathe as well as cloth, since I still feel like I stick to them during our humid VA summers, especially with shorts and t-shirts. I know that leather that is not treated often eventually dries out in time and cracks along the bolsters. I guess time will tell if it holds up.....
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I do like leather. I had two cars recently with leather and one I kept 13 years and the other 10 years. Both driver seats looked very good but had some dirty areas of wear. The rest of the seats were basically like new. I cleaned and put leather treatment on about twice a year for the first 5-6 years and then maybe once a year until the last couple of years of ownership and then lost interest. But I guess the work I did early on kept them in decent enough shape that they lasted through the last few years with little upkeep. I don't find myself sliding out of the seats unless it's a panic stop and then that's what the seat is for I reckon.

    I'm not really a fan of the VW "pleather" as it seems to feel rubbery to me. Maybe after some use it smooths out some but it seemed like they could be very sticky in the summer. Are you familiar with the VW stuff and how it compares to the Mazda? I guess I just need to get to a Mazda dealer and check those seats out. I do wish you could get the touring version with cloth seats though.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    and pointed it out to my wife. She was not at all impressed or intrigued by it. Did not seem to think it was bigger than my 2005 Accord, though I promised her it was.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,359
    Brand Loyalty is very interesting when it comes to cars. If there's nothing out there that WOWs me when the lease is up on my 328xi next September, I'm most likely going to buy something that's reasonably priced and that's built well enough for me to drive for the next 10 years & 150 - 200K or so miles.

    Besides my BMW, I've got a 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH (bought new in April 2002) with 149K+ on the clock and my wife's 2011 Honda Pilot EX-L w/ Navigation (bought new in May 2011) with over 37K on the odometer. If I end up shopping in the Mid Sized Sedans category, I might take a look at the Mazda 6, but would most likely end up with an Accord Sport. Although I do with Honda would offer a sunroof & lane watch with the Sport. I just know what makes Hondas "tick" and how they are supposed to drive. The dealer where I service the Pilot (Honda of Westport, CT) couldn't be better. I don't want to write anything else off before a test drive, but this does seem inevitable.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382
    I don't really have any. I just buy what I like that fits the needs at the time. Of course, reputation is a factor to consider, as is prior experience. but no way am I just going to buy a certain brand, just because that is what I always get.

    I have 2 Acuras at the moment (down from 3 as of a week ago!), but when we were looking to replace the Odyssey last year, I was never expecting to get another Honda product. Just ended up being what the wife wanted (and good thing she still loves it, and goes out of her way to mention it quite often, because my wallet still hurts...). the other one is my son's TL that was a family "inheritance" .

    when he finally gets a job and can get a new car, it could be another Acura (no chance a Honda). But, quite possibly not. And the Integra was just a used car I happened to stumble upon (not at all planned)

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    My brand loyalty is to that group of makes that consistently have good records for reliability, fuel economy, and enjoyment -- Nissan, Honda, Mazda -- rather than just one. I've owned two of each of those makes and had good experiences with them so I generally look at those makes when its time to replace a vehicle. We usually have one car that we love to drive from that group and one that's an around-town errand and dog-car -- totally basic and practical (that usually tends to be a Toyota; right now its a Pontiac Vibe).
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,359
    I'm obviously not going to "blindly buy" just because its a Honda. I've got to like whatever I buy. All other factors being equal, I'd most likely choose a Honda if nothing WOWs me.

    This is a very competitive segment for sure & there is no clear "winner." I'll do more narrowing down at the NY Auto Show next year, then put a more definitive short list together.

    I'm actually parked next to a relatively basic fusion (small wheels, no sunroof) & peeked inside to check out the interior. Looks very well designed & laid out.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,359
    That's o good way of thinking as well. I'll always have my Prelude (fun car, love to drive it). I also LOVE my BMW, but after 1 yr & 3 months (of a 2 1/2 year lease) and over 25,000 miles, I have come to the realization that I don't need The Ultimate Driving Machine for my 6 day/week, 65 mile round trip commute.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • crkyolfrtcrkyolfrt Member Posts: 2,345
    I know why you posted what you did. I too think it (blind brand loyalty) does exist out there. I admit, the blind part of my comment though was mine, not yours.

    What I find a bit discouraging so far, in the relatively few posts that have replied on the topic, that no one (until now), has mentioned exercising any form of boycott of the brand that has cost them the most grief in the past. My guess is that all of us have probably had difficulty at some point in time or another even with our favourite brand...but that surely over the years a brand or two/three etc stands out as being the one that left such a negative long-lasting memory that the only way the little guy can fight back and try to keep some of these brands (some, who seem to exhibit almost a type of effrontery towards their brand) in check, is to take the boycott to a new and sustained level. One with conviction. I did this with Ford since my 3 short year experience with an 88 F150 whose (among other issues) paint fell off very prematurely. Ford did not do the fair and non-rocket-science right thing and basically called my bluff. I had spent so much money with them over the years (one purchase was a $90+k heavy truck in 84) that when confronted with a scenario of gross unfairness (and utter stupidity on their part), pure principle entered the equation.

    The reason I said I was discouraged at the beginning of this post, is that if people don't stand up to what is right and wrong, then the manufacturers discover they can get away with unfair business practice and only end up correcting wrongs when forced or pressed against the wall to do so, either legally or after much exasperation of the consumer.

    Some random examples:

    - Honda's (Acura) auto trans in Odyssey etc
    - Honda's ill-designed (for longevity) A/C in CRVs
    - Ford's leaky head gaskets on all 3.8 litre V6
    - Ford's auto tran in many models...Taurus, Aerostar, etc etc
    - Ford's faulty paint
    - GM's faulty paint
    - GM's leaky plastic intake manifolds
    - Subaru's leaky head gaskets..altho to be fair..I think Sube stepped up 3x quicker/easier than many other brands would have
    - Subaru's weak A/C and sound systems
    - Mazda's rust on early to mid Proteges
    - Nissan's brittle exhaust manifolds on V6s..altho again...like Sube, did step up quicker than some
    - Hyundai/Kia auto tran in Santa Fe/Sorrento
    - Toyota's sludge issues V6 and others
    - Chrysler's sludge issues on 2.7 V6
    - Chrysler's infamous 318 V8 oil burners
    - Chrysler's infamous 4 sp auto tran issues

    etc etc etc
  • benjaminhbenjaminh Member Posts: 6,311
    First hwy trip in new 2013 Accord with CVT. Got 38 mpg hwy going 60-70 mph with AC on the whole way. Very pleased to have gotten even higher than the rated epa 36 mpg hwy.
    2018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2018 Honda CR-V EX AWD (wife's)
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