2008 Honda Accord LX 4-door from North America - All Comments

As the original one who compared the Crown Victoria to the Accord, (the 19 year old). Most of these comments are right. It is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo with the piece of junk Honda being the Yugo of course! Or better yet, comparing a bottle of twenty year old wine to a bottle of sewer water! Keep Driving your far east garbage, we will see whose on the road longer with far more class.

Even a non-scientific simple observing experiment will clearly show that there are far more 20+ year-old domestics from all three U.S. auto makers still in daily use than Hondas or Toyotas.

The oldest daily driver I am aware of that is still in use is a 53-year-old Chrysler. Every day on the streets here I see dozens of late 70's or early 80's Ford and GM products. My family still has a 26-year-old Chevy Silverado (bought new) that is still in service. My neighbor has a 25-year-old F-150 that he has driven in his business since it was new.

The longest any of our import vehicles has ever lasted without an engine or transmission was just over 100,000 miles. Not a single one of our domestics has ever required any major repairs, and very few minor repairs. This includes Fords, GM's and Chrysler products that went well over 300,000 miles in some cases.

We have had one GM vehicle in our family for 53 years and although no longer driven daily (it has been cosmetically restored and is used for shows) it is still 100% original mechanically and runs flawlessly.

A lot of ad dollars has gone into perpetuating the myth that Japanese imports are more reliable, but the facts don't back up the claims.

Yeah, we will see. We will see when the U.S. big 3 fails and all their years of selling shabbiness and ripping people off finally comes to a head. American cars are very near being a thing of the past, and we won't soon have to see those piece of crap cars on the road anymore.

If the big 3 should go under (hardly likely) my family will never buy an import. We will buy used domestics for the rest of our lives. Considering that my family members have driven a good number of domestics for as long as 30 years with virtually no mechanical problems, I hardly think finding a good used one will be very hard.

After my friend's Camry totally disintegrated at 112,000 miles, he bought a 22-year old Chevy with over 200,000 miles on it. It runs just great and he is still driving it.

When my sister-in-law finally traded her 1975 Ford (for another Ford) in 1993, it had over 300,000 miles and had cost her less in repairs than two payments on an Accord.

Before the late 1970's there were few foreign manufacturers in the U.S. So there stands a reason why more older domestics are on the road than imports.

Also, domestic automakers had relatively little competition before gas prices inflated in the 1970's, thus they were the predominant vehicle seen on the road. Besides, the Japanese just stepped it up in the 1980's. They came and studied the U.S. automakers' system, perfected it and beat them at their own game.

When the U.S. can build a reliable, long-lasting vehicle I will "buy American". Until then, I will buy the most economical and reliable vehicle.

"When my sister-in-law finally traded her 1975 Ford (for another Ford) in 1993, it had over 300,000 miles and had cost her less in repairs than two payments on an Accord." (from comment 20:11)

I guess commenter 01:23 Doesn't regard 300,000 miles as "reliable" or 18 years as "long lasting"??

That was in 1975. The car was bought before there were many foreign makes on the road in the U.S., of course they were reliable, they lacked competition.

Also, the reason most people drive a car 30 years is usually not because they like it, but cannot afford a new one.

"4th Dec 2008, 11:34

That was in 1975. The car was bought before there were many foreign makes on the road in the U.S., of course they were reliable, they lacked competition.

Also, the reason most people drive a car 30 years is usually not because they like it, but cannot afford a new one."

I don't agree with either statement. Why would a car be more reliable just because it lacked competition? Either it's reliable or it's not, and American cars always have been reliable. Japanese cars of the 1970's were notoriously unreliable, but they got market share because they were cheap.

Somebody might drive a 10-year-old car because they can't afford a new one, but if somebody drives a 30-year old car, it is clearly because they like it, since 10-year old cars are very cheap and can be easily acquired for little money.

I drive an early '70s Charger and it's not because I "can't afford" a new car. I'm probably one of the few people who could walk into a dealership and pay cash for whatever I wanted to drive. It just so happens that my Charger is and has always been a good car and I like it, and that is what I want to drive. I agree with the other poster --- I will NEVER buy Japanese. I mean it when I say that if Toyota were the last auto manufacturer on the planet, I would never buy one. I will drive used American cars forever if the Big Three should fail, and since they are built so well, I'm not worried about having one that will last me that long.

"If the big 3 should go under (hardly likely) my family will never buy an import. We will buy used domestics for the rest of our lives."

Too bad roughly 65% of all "domestic" vehicles are actually designed and engineered overseas, not to mention made out of parts from China, Brazil, France, Germany, and a smattering of US components. Ironically, my US-made Toyota is probably more "domestic" then half the Chevys and Fords out there. So even if you outright refuse to buy an import... you will still be driving an import anyway.

"I haven't seen anyone comparing Crown Victorias with Accords. That would be like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo. The Crown Vic is light years ahead of any Honda. The Accord should be (and has been) compared to the world-class Fusion."

The Crown Vic is no longer made for none other than it's painfully obvious that the car is an aged dinosaur for old people. I don't know a single person under the age of 45 who owns the things except for taxi drivers and police officers.

Secondly, as repeated over and over again, the Fusion is based off of a Japanese car - A Mazda 5, and has a Mazda designed engined with a crank forged in India. The car is assembled in Mexico. The only "domestic" thing about it is the Ford name. Other than that, it's an import. Just like all Ford cars, sure - it'll get GREAT initial quality reports then fall apart in 3-4 years.

My Wife owned a 90' Civic. The thing had 220,000 miles on it and even still looked new. Absolutely zero problems whatsoever. We only sold it because we inherited a car from her parents. My Mom has a new Honda CR-V. The quality and fit and finish are impeccable. There's nothing cheap about it. My Uncle, who always owned Fords bought a Honda Pilot. He loves the thing.

Honda build perhaps one of the best cars out there. Comparing anything Honda builds to Ford is laughable. I'm sure patriotism gets in the way of reality in these comments, but seriously - get real.

"of course they were reliable, they lacked competition" WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!!! Since when does not having competition make a vehicle MORE RELIABLE?? I suppose if the Yugo had been the only car in the world it would have lasted a million miles??

Just to put this up there; 1995 3.8L V6 Buick Century VS a 1990 2.2L I4, which one do you think lasted longer?

"I agree with the other poster --- I will NEVER buy Japanese. I mean it when I say that if Toyota were the last auto manufacturer on the planet, I would never buy one."

If anyone is as confused as I am as to why these "foreign" versus "domestic" arguments never end, the statement above pretty much sums it up. Because the car is Japanese. That's it.

"Secondly, as repeated over and over again, the Fusion is based off of a Japanese car - A Mazda 5, and has a Mazda designed engined with a crank forged in India. The car is assembled in Mexico. The only "domestic" thing about it is the Ford name. Other than that, it's an import. Just like all Ford cars, sure - it'll get GREAT initial quality reports then fall apart in 3-4 years."

I'm confused. So, you're saying that imports are unreliable and will fall apart? Okay, if you say so.

No, the arguments never end because there are a handful of people who are so fanatical in their support of Japanese marques that they will not accept the validity of reviews that truthfully report problems with Toyota and Honda. They also attack anyone who would dare to state that they like their American car. Thankfully, a few folks who recognize how good American cars are feel compelled to set the record straight and defend American cars from such unfounded, vitriolic slander.