Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I had the same dilemma with a minivan a few years back and regretted that I didn't sell it a year earlier. I actually had to give it away (12 years old, 140,000 miles) to the local homeless shelter. Didn't get a single call when it was advertised in the newspaper at a very reasonable price.
You may want to read Edmunds 4 car comparision of the Camry, Sonata, Accord, and the Fusion (if you have not already done so). Its kind of suprising that Camry just barely edged out the Accord. I would have thought that it would have been a bigger score (bigger victory) for the Camry. Lots of good comments though on each vehicle (pros and cons).
I usually get an invitation for special test drives on Hondas' new vehicles, so we'll see if they extend it on the 2008s. In my last two Honda surveys, when purchasing the 2000 and 2004 Accords, I made comments that they should extend the warranty to make it competitive to Toyota, in addition to other surveys/market recommendations. I like to think my comments were read by the bean counters at Honda...but probably not.
Right now, I would not pay over $2k for a new Camry LE 4. I don't think its $2k better than my 2004 Accord LX sedan. The styling is pretty good on the Camry though as are the additional airbags. I'm waiting to see one of the car magazines do the same test as Edmunds, but make it a battle of the 4 cylinders.
By the way - using some punctuation would make your posts a lot easier to follow.
Navi ahead of it's class??? Mazda3 has offered Navi since introduction in 2004.
In my opinion:
Pros for Accord:-
- Driving characteristics; however not sure if this still holds true as I have not driven the new Camry yet. I know, the Camry SE may be worth looking but all Camry SE's here seem to come with spoilers which I dislike.
- Sharp and Simple Looks
Pros for Camry:-
- 2007 model vs 2006 for Accord- I am not sure if this helps in resale.
- Can get a LE w/Sunroof. On Accord, I would need to upgrade to EX and this means more $$.
I will need to test drive the new Camry.
I guess, I will end up with the Camry if I find that the performance of the 4 cylinder is comparable to the Accord's 4 cylinder, especially while passing.
Has anyone done similar comparisons? If so, appreciate your comments.
I was in nearly the exact same position as you a few weeks ago, and narrowed it down to the Accord LX SE vs. the Camry LE or SE.
All of the "pros" you have listed for these two cars are true. Here are some additional opinions based on my test drives of these cars:
- If you are looking for a well-handling car that wants to be driven, the Camry LE is not for you. It was way too cushy and soft for my taste. The driving characteristics of the Accord LX SE are much better.
- The handling/driving characteristics of the Camry SE are much better than the LE. However, I still slightly prefer the Accord in this area.
- Also, the SE unfortunately comes with those silly-looking lower body moldings and no fold-down rear seat. The body moldings appear to have been thrown on as an afterthought to make the car look more "sporty", and the fixed rear seat can be a real inconvenience.
- While the styling of the Camry is new/different, I don't think it will hold up over time. Give it 3 years or so and it will look very dated. While the Accord styling is understated and somewhat bland, it will still look good 5-10 years from now.
The 4 cyl. engines are comparable, and it is unfortunate that you can't add a sunroof to an Accord SE. However, I decided to purchase the Accord SE, and I don't regret my decision.
Of course, I own the Accord EX-L. The reason that I bought the Accord EX over buying the '07 camry (which I would have gotten the XLE), was that I got a much better deal than I could have gotten from Toyota. For what I got with my EX-L, I would have had to pay $2,000-2500 more for the toyota.
The new Camry's seem bigger than the previous models. And the camry is bigger than the Accord a bit. I can tell the difference in the front seat of my Accord. But, regarding the Accord, I think it's very comfortable, especially with the leather, it's a sharp looking, quality car.
I'd recommend the Accord highly.
That's assuming you think it looks good now, which many don't.
~alpha
By definition they can not be wrong
I'll take bland over bumpy any day, though. I really don't think the Accord is bland. Conservative, yes, but it's what keeps it looking up to date 10 years down the road. I doubt the Mazda 6 with its bulbous taillights and Pontiac-busy/flashy wheels will be nearly as new-looking down the road. I could be wrong though.
Good luck everyone.
If he is going with the 4 cylinder Camry CE/LE versus the DX/LX Accord, you may want to go with the Honda Accord. It has better handling, more horsepower, and better fuel economy (per the infamous EPA Windowsticker), especially when comparing PZEV units. The Accord has a very smooth and powerful 4 cylinder coupled with an awesome 5 speed auto tranny. No hesitation whatsover with the Accord's 5 speeed tranny.
If you are shopping price - then the Accord may be the winner. But I would recommend that you wait until May. Honda has always started incentives on the Accord in May, specifically f-t-d. I think by late May, Toyota dealers should be well supplied with Camrys and they will probably deal more around Memorial Day. My two local dealers are now beginning to burst with Camrys - 27 and 37 units.
Best of luck with whatever you buy.
And then of course, the Camry has 4 wheel disc brakes, which the Accord DX/LX lack.
For our enlightenment, what exactly do you mean that the Accord has 'better fuel economy, especially comparing PZEV units'.
There have not been alleged hesitation issues with the Camry's 4c and 5A. The hesitation issue was with the OLD, DISCONTINUED V6 and OLD, DISCONTINUED 5A. But its nice that you brought it up anyway....
Also, FWIW, what does your local dealers having 27 and 37 Camrys indicate? Anything? I'm not aware of the point your making. The Camrys are not being discounted, and as I noted on another thread, the vehicle is selling well enough that volume discounter Fitzmall.com has actually RAISED their selling prices recently.
~alpha
As you may/may not know Honda had problems in the late 1980s and 1990s with engines/auto trannys/other tranny problems that hesitated or did not always shift ideally. This is now gone, and if you ever owned/driven the current generation 4 cylinder/auto Accord, it shifts very smoothly. You can ask other owners who have driven Hondas/Acuras over the past 20 years, as I have, about engine/auto tranny hesitation/shifting problems, and those who have the current generation Accord.
EPA rates the 2006 Accord 4 auto as having slightly better fuel economy. Please refer to the EPA website, 2006 Honda Accord brochure, and the 2007 Camry brochure, if you even believe those infamous #s.
Getting a better/worse price depends on what is/on the lot. Dealers that have more stock on hand may be willing to bargain a bit more. Time of the month is also a factor. As the inventory gets larger, when supply catches up with demand, presumably one could get a better price.
Finally, "Camrys are not being discounted." Oh really, in the whole U.S.? That's too bad if that's the case in your area. However, making a broad statement like this lacks logic, and basing it on one dealer raising prices on their internet is not indicative of anything. Its kind of like saying that the stock market is going up because Intel stock is going up.
I know because my salesperson keeps emailing me, and the price for an LE -4 auto went from $20,900 plus TTL to $18,888 plus TTL as inventory has caught up. Other posters have gotten similar offers, so yes there are discounts. If you are geting forced to pay MSRP or above on an LE 4 Camry, then you may want to shop elsewhere, or just wait a bit.
2)I know that the Accord is rated slightly higher than the Camry in EPA figures. My question to you was around your comment "especially PZEV models".
3) By discounted, I meant the word incentivized. I should have used that word to avoid confusion and that is my fault and I apologize. There are no factory to dealer or factory to consumer incentives on the Camry right now.
~alpha
I only can compare the PZEV 4 cylinder auto units since this is the only info I have that I compared those numbers to. I could not get a non-PZEV unit in CA, nor am I personally interested in a V-6 Camry or Accord (just a personal choice). By the way, I'm seriously leaning towards the Camry LE 4 due to the styling, extra safety features, etc. However, I'm personally waiting for a "Big Memorial Day Sale", or at least hoping for one.
#3- Of course there would be no incentives, its not a Sonata. By the way, Alpha, you are a trouble maker, you riled up the mid size comparison board a bit (just kidding).
~alpha
I'm convinced having 4-wheel discs is overrated on all but the sportiest cars...
I have two cars, a 1996 LX Accord (rear drums, no ABS) and a 2006 Accord EX I4 (rear discs, ABS, EBD). My 1996 Accord has the braking power to lock up the rear brakes on DRY surfaces, so what will discs offer other than better heat resistance after multi-high speed stops? Not much that I can tell. They also last a LONG time, as I have 160,000 miles on my original rear brake drums. (I feel I should say that My grandmother/I got 131,000 miles on the front discs; she drove 75 miles a day highway for the 120,000 miles she had the car).
Discs don't do much for me, sorry. I say keep costs down and use rear drums, but keep the ABS and EBD.
From the Edmunds.com review of the Camry V6 in relation to the Accord "It's too bad there's no way of disabling the stability control because the Camry feels like it could go quicker than the safety-minded engineers will allow. It feels at least as athletic as the Accord, but we'll never know. "
I agree, if drums get the job done well enough, so be it. In most cases, though, the greater swept area afforded by rear discs can serve to provide better stopping power, especially in heavier vehicles ( your '96 weighs nowhere near the '06)....
Then again, discs or drums, the current Accord isnt really known for braking power...hence...the Accord EX V6's rating of 'Poor' for Braking in the edmunds.com review...
" noticeable amount of tire scratch coming into the cabin, as if the car was braking on a gravel road. By the third stop from 60 mph, the brakes were fading and beginning to smoke. "
Ha! Given that abysmal write-up, maybe I just created a case for your DRUMS.
~alpha
Are you comparing it to a 2004 Camry with blown shocks? :P I would put my SE V6 up against any stock Accord any day. Look at the skidpad and slalom numbers.
The '07 Camry SE V6 did 0.83g and 63.6mph.
The '04 EX-V6 Coupe with 215/50-17 Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 M+S did 0.81g and 63.9mph.
That is a sedan against a coupe :surprise:
The usage of rear disc brakes in passenger cars is driven by the product planners not the engineers. For stopping on dry pavement, drums will work just fine. Discs offer some advantages when wet and react better to ABS but purely from a physics standpoint, drum brakes can do the job.
Having said that, I will admit that that shiny rotor looks a lot better through the openings in an alloy when than the ugly drum. That's why I only buy cars with rear discs.
This is true . If you are an LX/LE buyer, you will not have alloys (a lot of people). Luckily for me, my LX has plastic covers over the drums and my EX has 4 discs for the alloys to show off.
.. I wonder why I bother writing even more over here, because it wears me out!
..well, we all have concerns....
..is it time for a Crown Royal yet?
(somewhere the sun is over the yardarm)
.ez.
(USNR)
..difficult for me to fathom (nautical, right?) anything smoother than Crown Royal. Well Done.
..ez..
I have not talked to any sales people yet. However, I have sat in the new Camry (nice vehicle). Unfortunately, the manual was not in the vehicle. If someone knows what the towing limits are, please let me know. I have a small fishing boat that weighs approx. 1,300lbs.
When I visit my brother in-law it's Crown Royal, when he visits me it's Gibson's finest (even when we travel together, 3 weeks ago we each picked-up a bottle of our favourite at the duty free on our way down to Myrtle Beach). VO is not shaby either. It's usually a good time.
~alpha
I agree with Suzees comments on the appearance of the dash being better in the Accord. The LE 4 Camry's dash looks cheap. I also like the Accord's gauges better.
Anway, best of luck with whatever you chose, they are both great cars, so I won't push you to either one.