Midsize Sedans 2.0

akirby · October 2017

No different than what Ford does with F150. When it's your flagship vehicle you pull out all the stops.

benjaminh · October 2017

From a Canadian perspective, a test drive of the slightly different Canadian 2018 Accord, with a few comparison points with the 2018 Camry. The reviewer spoke with some of the engineers, who said that the Audi A4 was one of their benchmarks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoTNR0noT68

backy · October 2017

Just went through the last 4 weeks of posts on this, the 2018 Accory board.

I have to wonder how Ford and Nissan are selling so many Fusions and Altimas, given how old their designs are. One reason may be looks. If I were in the market for a new mid-sized sedan, I wouldn't be able to get past the styling of the Accord and Camry to even test-drive them. Their front clips are in particular really ugly IMO. There's several very good and good-looking options in the mid-sized class, such as Mazda6, Sonata, and Malibu, that I'd check out first. But with a roomy, compact-sized 50-mpg Niro starting at $23k, that's really what I'd check out before any mid-sized sedan.

As for the Altima, I think I may know why Nissan still sells quite a few of them. First, as rental of course. Then there's people who like Nissans, think the Altima is good-looking, and want a practical, roomy sedan with excellent fuel economy. And they can probably get one at a great price.

I drove a 2016 Altima base model rental last week around Boston and Cape Cod. Car had 37k on it; I put nearly 700 miles on it. There were two round trips between Boston and Cape Cod, both trips with some heavy traffic, and a week of motoring around Cape Cod. The car averaged 40.0 mpg. I thought that was impressive, because I did a lot of in-town driving in Cape Cod plus the heavy traffic in Boston. The reason was the CVT, which kept revs between 1200-1600 most of the time. It helped that the highway speed limits were usually 55-60, and much of the driving was on flat terrain. Other than fuel economy, the car was competent but unexceptional--but then it was a base model. Seats were comfortable enough, and the interior still looked brand new after 37k miles. Ride was OK, but a little jittery over bumps. It wouldn't be my first choice as a sedan, but for the right price it would make a solid family car. Needs a redesign though.

berri · October 2017

Camry could part with some grille orthodontia to fix Accord's missing teeth

Mr_Shiftright · October 2017

Oh, Accord dentures are very expensive. You could try implants from a Lexus. They have lots of extra teeth

explorerx4 · October 2017

This is kind of interesting.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-midsize/2018-toyota-camry-xse-v-6-vs-2018-honda-accord-touring-20t-comparison/ar-AAtyct0?li=BBnb4R5&ocid=DELLDHP

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@Michaell nice on seeing that old camory!

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@akirby so trew every one has there one view when it comes to any car or when they post sum thing on the net yes have to be taken with an big grane of salt! and yes Toyota is the best out there when it comes to very little problems every now and than! just my two sence!

sda · October 2017

I am looking forward for the '18 Accord to become available tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how they are priced and if there are any changes from the preliminary specs.

john4545 · October 2017

I cant wait to test drive one myself. Just not sold on the new 18 look yet . I like the 2017 accord sport looks better .

john4545 · October 2017

What are the chances of the 2018 Accord Sports ride and handling being better than a Mazda6. The handling on the 6 was pretty tight and very sporty from what I remember.

benjaminh · October 2017

john4545 said:
What are the chances of the 2018 Accord Sports ride and handling being better than a Mazda6. The handling on the 6 was pretty tight and very sporty from what I remember.

Mazdas are always a lot of fun to drive. I personally doubt a 2018 Accord Sport will be better than a Mazda6, but probably it will be about as good.

And discounts on the 2018 Accord are already significant at some dealers. Look at this example—$2400 off msrp on a 2018 Accord EXL....

http://www.donjacobshonda.com/vehicle-details/new-2018-honda-accord-ex-l-lexington-ky-id-20844125

2018 Honda Accord EX-L
Stock # 890113
List Price $30,845
Savings $2,458
Internet Price $28,387

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@benjaminh wow just came out and discounts from the get go! wow have to look at one soon once the dealers around hear get sum in and have to still go and look at new camery to!

stickguy · October 2017

so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!

Michaell · October 2017

stickguy said:
so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!

I'll see if I can get @breld and / or @jpp5862 to accompany me to the Honda dealer for a look and a test drive sometime soon.

benjaminh · October 2017

I need to take my wife's car in for an oil change today, and so if they've got one on the showroom floor I might see one. But since I'm not really in the market at this point, I don't want to waste a salesperson's time by taking a test drive....

In terms of brand of tire, it looks like for the 2018 Accord LX they get Hankook, EX/EXL get Goodyear, and Touring gets Michelin. I think Sport might get Michelin too, but I don't really know....

tbirdmarco · October 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3m7rgmIVs

Michaell · October 2017

benjaminh said:
I need to take my wife's car in for an oil change today, and so if they've got one on the showroom floor I might see one. But since I'm not really in the market at this point, I don't want to waste a salesperson's time by taking a test drive....

In terms of brand of tire, it looks like for the 2018 Accord LX they get Hankook, EX/EXL get Goodyear, and Touring gets Michelin. I think Sport might get Michelin too, but I don't really know....

It's Thursday, for goodness sakes. The salesman may be happy to get off the dealer lot. I have no problem test driving - I'm always thinking about my next car...

ab348 · October 2017

Michaell said:

stickguy said:
so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!
I'll see if I can get @breld and / or @jpp5862 to accompany me to the Honda dealer for a look and a test drive sometime soon.

Maybe @stickguy can take a lesson from @breld and trade in his new Elantra Sport before the first payment is even made!

stickguy · October 2017

Never. But I know my daughter will be happy to buy it from me next July!

berri · October 2017

Seems like the oem tires on a model often change, sometimes several times, in a year.

jpp75 · October 2017

Michaell said:

stickguy said:
so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!
I'll see if I can get @breld and / or @jpp5862 to accompany me to the Honda dealer for a look and a test drive sometime soon.

I'm in. Been a while since we've done a test drive.

Michaell · October 2017

jpp5862 said:

Michaell said:

stickguy said:
so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!
I'll see if I can get @breld and / or @jpp5862 to accompany me to the Honda dealer for a look and a test drive sometime soon.
I'm in. Been a while since we've done a test drive.

Am curious about both the new Accord and the Elantra Sport. We'll see if we can set something up.

benjaminh · October 2017

Well, as I got the oil changed on my wife's 2013 Accord today, and the tired rotated and balanced, I took a brief look at a 2018 Accord LX, inside and out.

In terms of the looks on the outside, I guess I'd give it a B+ overall. It's a little weird, and a little edgy from all angles, but that's probably better for sales than sticking with something that looks like past Accords. It definitely looks "all new," and goes right up to looking freaky without quite getting there imho. Even though it's only about half an inch wider, and about half an inch lower, the proportions are a little bit different—and in a good way. The front, as many have said, is blunt. If form is supposed to follow function in good design, maybe it tried to do that to some degree, with lots of air for the engine, and clear sight lines for the standard Sensing.

This was an LX, and so I was prepared for the interior to be a letdown, but overall I'd say it was impressive for the c. $24k list price. It didn't seem cheap anywhere. Not necessarily expensive, but not cheap. My parents own a 2013 Accord LX, and I'd say it was a step up almost everywhere from that car. For instance, the seats were nicer and more comfortable, the steering wheel and dash seemed nicer, more functional, and felt better, and in terms of standard features it seemed better.

Everyone has gone on and on to a silly degree about Honda putting the volume knob back, but actually that's just one of five high-quality silver-colored metal knobs on the dash. They do seem more functional an intuitive. Honda has gone from last place in knobs (my 2016 Accord doesn't have any knobs) to first place, and I think it works. The knobs have a quality feel. A few pages ago I was writing about that book about the 1996 Ford Taurus, and how they put extra quality in that car, including in the little features. This is another car that has that kind of attention to detail.

As with the Camry, Fusion, etc. I think c. 40%+ of all 2018 Accords sold are going to be the base LX model. And in terms of that, I think Honda probably has a winner, although the styling still might flop, as it did with the 96 Taurus. But in terms of the quality and performance of the car, it's got one of the biggest bangs for the buck out there.

It used to be that if you got the Accord LX, as with my parents' 2013, or my 2002 LX, that it was a nice car, but had obvious cost cutting. You have to start with the wheels and tires, where previous LXs have had H-rated 16-inch tires that are rather narrow. But the new LX gets V-rated 225/50R17 tires with alloy wheels, the same turbo engine as the EXL or even the 1.5 Touring, etc.

Trunk space was very big, as mentioned, and back seat legroom was noticeably larger.

I know this is a controversial point even to mention, but rear visibility behind the driver is a little better than I thought it would be (looks like you can kinda use that rear quarter window if you need to), but obviously it's not as good as past Accords.

The salesperson talked up the power of the new turbo, but from tests it doesn't seem to be any faster than the engine of my 2016, and so I took that with the grain of salt. On the other hand, I think my 2016 is quite peppy, and so I'm sure it's good enough. And maybe in terms of "feel" it is better.

It did seem clear that Honda spent a fortune on this car. I'm still not sure if it'll be a success or not. But my guess is yes....

benjaminh · October 2017

Michaell said:

benjaminh said:
I need to take my wife's car in for an oil change today, and so if they've got one on the showroom floor I might see one. But since I'm not really in the market at this point, I don't want to waste a salesperson's time by taking a test drive....

In terms of brand of tire, it looks like for the 2018 Accord LX they get Hankook, EX/EXL get Goodyear, and Touring gets Michelin. I think Sport might get Michelin too, but I don't really know....
It's Thursday, for goodness sakes. The salesman may be happy to get off the dealer lot. I have no problem test driving - I'm always thinking about my next car...

Well, as I got the oil changed on my wife's 2013 Accord today, and the tired rotated and balanced, I took a brief look at a 2018 Accord LX, inside and out.

In terms of the looks on the outside, I guess I'd give it a B+ overall. It's a little weird, and a little edgy from all angles, but that's probably better for sales than sticking with something that looks like past Accords. It definitely looks "all new," and goes right up to looking freaky without quite getting there imho. Even though it's only about half an inch wider, and about half an inch lower, the proportions are a little bit different—and in a good way. The front, as many have said, is blunt. If form is supposed to follow function in good design, maybe it tried to do that to some degree, with lots of air for the engine, and clear sight lines for the standard Sensing.

This was an LX, and so I was prepared for the interior to be a letdown, but overall I'd say it was impressive for the c. $24k list price. It didn't seem cheap anywhere. Not necessarily expensive, but not cheap. My parents own a 2013 Accord LX, and I'd say it was a step up almost everywhere from that car. For instance, the seats were nicer and more comfortable, the steering wheel and dash seemed nicer, more functional, and felt better, and in terms of standard features it seemed better.

Everyone has gone on and on to a silly degree about Honda putting the volume knob back, but actually that's just one of five high-quality silver-colored metal knobs on the dash. They do seem more functional an intuitive. Honda has gone from last place in knobs (my 2016 Accord doesn't have any knobs) to first place, and I think it works. The knobs have a quality feel. A few pages ago I was writing about that book about the 1996 Ford Taurus, and how they put extra quality in that car, including in the little features. This is another car that has that kind of attention to detail.

As with the Camry, Fusion, etc. I think c. 40%+ of all 2018 Accords sold are going to be the base LX model. And in terms of that, I think Honda probably has a winner, although the styling still might flop, as it did with the 96 Taurus. But in terms of the quality and performance of the car, it's got one of the biggest bangs for the buck out there.

It used to be that if you got the Accord LX, as with my parents' 2013, or my 2002 LX, that it was a nice car, but had obvious cost cutting. You have to start with the wheels and tires, where previous LXs have had H-rated 16-inch tires that are rather narrow. But the new LX gets V-rated 225/50R17 tires with alloy wheels, the same turbo engine as the EXL or even the 1.5 Touring, etc.

Trunk space was very big, as mentioned, and back seat legroom was noticeably larger.

I know this is a controversial point even to mention, but rear visibility behind the driver is a little better than I thought it would be (looks like you can kinda use that rear quarter window if you need to), but obviously it's not as good as past Accords.

The salesperson talked up the power of the new turbo, but from tests it doesn't seem to be any faster than the engine of my 2016, and so I took that with the grain of salt. On the other hand, I think my 2016 is quite peppy, and so I'm sure it's good enough. And maybe in terms of "feel" it is better.

It did seem clear that Honda spent a fortune on this car. I'm still not sure if it'll be a success or not. But my guess is yes....

akirby · October 2017

At this point I think it would take a major screwup for Accord and Camry to falter much.

stickguy · October 2017

Michaell said:

jpp5862 said:

Michaell said:

stickguy said:
so, anyone get down to check out an Accord yet? I know it won't be me for at least a few weeks!
I'll see if I can get @breld and / or @jpp5862 to accompany me to the Honda dealer for a look and a test drive sometime soon.
I'm in. Been a while since we've done a test drive.
Am curious about both the new Accord and the Elantra Sport. We'll see if we can set something up.

Whatever you do, don't report that the accord is best thing ever, and only a dope would buy the Elantra!

stickguy · October 2017

Thanks for the review. Sounds like I would like it, but still find it on the large side. But probably not have a meltdown that I missed out! As to the engine, power and 0-60 might be close, but I suspect it will be a lot perkier off the line and at lower revs thanks to the turbo.

benjaminh · October 2017

stickguy said:
Thanks for the review. Sounds like I would like it, but still find it on the large side. But probably not have a meltdown that I missed out! As to the engine, power and 0-60 might be close, but I suspect it will be a lot perkier off the line and at lower revs thanks to the turbo.

I think you did great with your Elantra Sport. Congrats again.

ab348 · October 2017

benjaminh said:

As with the Camry, Fusion, etc. I think c. 40%+ of all 2018 Accords sold are going to be the base LX model. And in terms of that, I think Honda probably has a winner, although the styling still might flop, as it did with the 96 Taurus.

Based on the looks of the porky 2003-05 models, I think most Accord buyers don't care about styling.

benjaminh · October 2017

Something my local Honda dealer had on all their new 2018 Accords which I hate is the "protection package." They charged c. $1300 beyond msrp for fabric protection, rust proofing, mud mats, etc. I don't like any of it, and in any case it's worth at most about $300. If I buy a new Accord at some point, I might buy from another dealer farther away to avoid this. Although for my 2016 Accord they just threw all that stuff in for "free"—meeting the price of the dealer father away that doesn't do that stuff. But it is annoying imho.

berri · October 2017

Just goes to show you that $1300 dealer pac probably had only around $100 of cost in it!

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@benjaminh grate rite up on the new Acord have to see one for my selfe don't no and camery to!

backy · October 2017

With all the talk about the 2018 Accord and Camry, another newcomer is being overlooked: Kia Stinger. The MT issue that reviewed the Accord and Camry also reviewed the Stinger GT. But the Stinger will also be available with a 2.0T making 255 horsepower, listing at just under $34k with the Active Safety package. Guess what else lists for just under $34k? The Camry XLE 2.5L reviewed by MT. For the money, I'd take the Stinger. It's actually smaller (shorter) than the Camcords, has RWD, and it has the utility of a hatchback. The new Accord looks like it should have a hatch--but doesn't. Not to mention the Stinger looks a LOT nicer outside and inside than the new Camcords.

roadburner · October 2017

backy said:
With all the talk about the 2018 Accord and Camry, another newcomer is being overlooked: Kia Stinger. The MT issue that reviewed the Accord and Camry also reviewed the Stinger GT. But the Stinger will also be available with a 2.0T making 255 horsepower, listing at just under $34k with the Active Safety package. Guess what else lists for just under $34k? The Camry XLE 2.5L reviewed by MT. For the money, I'd take the Stinger. It's actually smaller (shorter) than the Camcords, has RWD, and it has the utility of a hatchback. The new Accord looks like it should have a hatch--but doesn't. Not to mention the Stinger looks a LOT nicer outside and inside than the new Camcords.

The Stinger definitely looks intriguing; for my purposes RWD is non-negotiable in anything larger than a Mini.

suydam · October 2017

I have to say I never heard of it. Is it a midsize sedan?

Michaell · October 2017

suydam said:
I have to say I never heard of it. Is it a midsize sedan?

This should help you.

suydam · October 2017

So doesn’t exactly sound like a competitor to Camry and Acccord.

Michaell · October 2017

suydam said:
So doesn’t exactly sound like a competitor to Camry and Acccord.

Not really. RWD and a hatchback kinda go against the midsize sedan grain.

ab348 · October 2017

Yeah, very much a niche product. But the enthusiast fanboys will be all over it, even if almost none of them actually buy one.

stickguy · October 2017

I would be interested in the genesis version in a few years when it is time to upgrade.

benjaminh · October 2017

My wife is only 4 month away from owning her car free and clear. Ahhh, the beauty of not having a car payment.....Plus, I do think her 2013 Accord looks better than the 2018. Maybe we'll keep it till it's 8-10 years old.

sda · October 2017

benjaminh said:
My wife is only 4 month away from owning her car free and clear. Ahhh, the beauty of not having a car payment.....Plus, I do think her 2013 Accord looks better than the 2018. Maybe we'll keep it till it's 8-10 years old.

I bought my Accord Sept '13 and it will be paid for in less than a year. Hard to believe I've had it that long. It has been a pleasure to own. I was looking at pictures of the interior of the '18 EX on some dealer sites. I don't think I like the cloth that is used. Looks too much like what is used in the Civic. Since I haven't seen it in person I will keep an open mind.

stickguy · October 2017

benjaminh said:
My wife is only 4 month away from owning her car free and clear. Ahhh, the beauty of not having a car payment.....Plus, I do think her 2013 Accord looks better than the 2018. Maybe we'll keep it till it's 8-10 years old.

it is. RDX was paid off a month ago, and we got the title already. Nice feeling not having that payment this month. And my new car will only be about $10 month more than my Sonata, so that will pretty much just be a wash. I really wanted to cut back on car payments, the last few years, with getting the new car for the princess and having 3, has been brutal!

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@backy that Stinger does sound nice cant wate to see one at the dealer real soon!

tbirdmarco · October 2017

@benjaminh the new Acord is nice but think the one you and your wife have is the best looking one ever made ever!

brian125 · October 2017

My old 13 grey exl v-6 Accord with rear spoiler was sharp looking. The 18 Accords front grille and fenders are not as sharp as the older models. All around Accord 2018's will be a better vehicle as posted in reviews

brian125 · October 2017

I would be willing to give up some in the looks dept. for this Gen Accord. My daughter and husband drove down from Boston to visit mama and papa bear in my old 13, Accord . With @55k on the clock they said it still runs like new.

deerlake7 · October 2017

Thought I'd weigh in on the '18 Accord. I have a '16 Accord, which I'm not overly pleased with, so I've been looking forward to a test drive of the new '18. Overall, I was a bit disappointed. I found the EX I drove yesterday to have some improvements over my '16, but I'm going to have to give it one more try before I'll purchase one. The cornering and the CVT seem significantly improved and there's a ton of leg room in the new one. I found the '18 a bit quieter and better riding, but not to the level of the marketing hype. I think Toyota has done a better job with the new Camry in those areas. The biggest problem I had with the one I drove was the steering. Although quick and precise (improved over my '16), I found myself making constant, little, steering corrections to keep it moving in a straight line on the highway. The day was a bit windy, so I want to give another '18 a try on a more calm day. At this point I want to like the '18, but I'm not there, yet.

explorerx4 · October 2017

Rented a Sonata for the weekend. Fairly Base model, no backup camera.
I liked it better that the mid size models I have rented previously, Altima and Camry.
Got it at Midway and drove to South Bend, some local driving and back.
A couple of things I liked were that it was easy to drive in stop and go traffic, the throttle was very linear, and the engine never got too loud or harsh.
A couple of could be betters are the handling isn't as sharp as my Fusion, probably somewhat due to tire/wheel upgrade my Fusion has, and steering wheel controls got less intuitive the more I used them.
Maybe I was just tired on the return part of the trip.

Midsize Sedans 2.0

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