2008 Honda Accord EX from North America - Comments

"Many of us have advanced college degrees and are professionals."

I would certainly expect a person with a Masters or Doctorate to be able to read. In that case an "informed decision" should include the following facts:

1) In J.D. Powers LONG TERM (NOT initial quality) reliability surveys Buick and Ford topped the list, beating out even the lofty Lexus.

2) Consumer Reports ranks the Ford Fusion 2 full levels HIGHER in predicted reliability than Camry and one full level HIGHER than Accord. It is also priced THOUSANDS LESS.

3) The Ford Escape hybrid is ranked TIED in quality with the Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4 in several studies.

4) The Cadillac CTS is the fastest production sedan in the World.

5) The Chevy Malibu (2008 American Car of the Year) had a 51% INCREASE in sales in 2008 while all other vehicles' sales were in a nosedive.

6) The Chevrolet Corvette has been ranked higher in overall performance and drivability than Ferrari. Its sales in Europe have increased 300% since 2004.

7) Toyota has had numerous engine problems in the past three years. Consumer Reports pulled it from their "Recommended buy" list in 2008 because of this.

8) Honda has had numerous issues with premature transmission failures in recent years. These are CLEARLY pointed out by numerous Honda and Acura owners on this site and in internet sites dealing with automotive issues.

9) Domestic manufacturers provide better warranties than any Japanese or German car company.

10) Buying a Japanese or German vehicle hurts 91% of those U.S. citizens who work in auto-related jobs.

Now it would seem that an intelligent person making an "informed decision" would logically buy a domestic based on the above facts. Obviously the "informing" has been done strictly through Japanese ad hype. Not surprising.

"Why not simply buy domestic products instead in 2009? My new GM models are better than our Acura's drivetrain woes."

Sorry. Too little too late. Those in the auto-industry likely saw this coming well before now. I do not feel sorry for people. Life is not fair and there is no time for a pity party. Look at how those in hurricane Katrina were done and are doing. The same concessions were not made for these people.

13:18 -

Excuse me, but I do drive a domestic.

However you need not try to "educate" us, as we have the RIGHT to drive what we want, regardless of your propaganda.

We are not "Dupes". Please stop being so condescending.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the safest vehicles in the world. My uncle was driving down the freeway when a drunk driver entered the highway from the wrong side, causing a head-on collision with my uncle. The engine immediately dropped to the ground standing on four legs. Fortunately, the engine was saved and can be used again. Also, had it not been for the advanced safety features on the MB or had he been in a GM or Ford, he would've been dead on impact. Nor would the engine be able to be recycled. Sorry, the U.S. just does not make a good car in my opinion.

00:49 it is never too late. Brand loyalty for us was due to repetitive quality. We bought Honda Accords every few years for a long time commencing in the 80's, owned Hondas-Acura Legends (our best) in the 90's after 2000 we bought the TL. But we stopped buying over quality, not the current state of the economy as our reasoning to quit. We like quality and will pay more as long as the issues do not outweigh reasons to own.

We have 1 Honda left, which is a used 2003 Civic EX we bought for a high school son when he got his license. We even went with the EX not a DX. It costs more to repair, especially the 15" tires, but again we do not buy bare bone vehicles.

Now that Hondas TL is over $40K and we had drivetrain issues we looked around. We now own 4 domestics and 1 import. We liked the cachet honestly or whatever you wish to call it with imports. When the quality level went below satisfactory, we looked around and found some very nice domestics about. Again not low end or bare bones models. And our wallet and or my wife's purse has been gentler to own on repair outlays.

Buying imports are not always light to own. My mom once went out solo and bought a new Renault Le Car and just came home with her cute buy with the roll back sunroof. It was dreadful.

I had a Mercedes 450SL "toy" that ate me to death for the little I ever drove it.

I like Chevrolet V8's now and the mileage is quite respectful. Any new models we buy will have 100,000 miles, not ones that run out in less than 3 years for us.

We drive quite a bit. Cars have to be fun to drive, handle, perform otherwise it's very disappointing.

I am not one for leases... too locked in, nitpick every element when turned in, and paying for excess over the allotted mileage allowed. If you hate what you are driving, it's a headache.

Check the reliability of used Mercedes versus Ford, and you may change your tune about the perceived superiority of German cars.

My first car a 1950 Plymouth struck a telephone pole. No one was hurt and the engine was unscathed. My Hondas air bag triangle warning light came on from leaning on the door panel on corners. Hood dented just from sitting on our new Accord.

In the July 10, 2009 edition of USA Today, Pete De Lorenzo, editor of AutoExtremist.com stated of GM "They have some outstanding products, some of the best products in the industry. People JUST DON'T KNOW." (emphasis mine). This is SO TRUE. People refuse to bother themselves with learning the FACTS about modern automobiles. They blindly accept ad hype and blatantly biased magazine reviews rather than expending any real effort to TRULY "inform" themselves (as one obviously uninformed commenter put it).

12:59, I respect your opinion and am glad you feel that it's never too late but I do not share that sentiment. To date I have not had an import model that has let me down, starting with my Nissan bought new in 1987 and was driven the next two decades. My next Nissan was even less trouble, although build-quality had declined the second time around. Cars that have let me down (stranded, have had numerous issues) have been domestics.

The comment about the Mercedes is very true. Even Consumer Reports ranks most models of Mercedes as "average" or worse in reliability. The new Fusion ranks MUCH BETTER than average (ahead of Camry and Accord). My family has had 2 C-class Mercedes. They were very well built, but horrendously expensive to maintain and not as reliable as our Fords.

With respect to flimsy construction (as mentioned by the commenter whose Accord dented from just barely leaning on it) I hit a Toyota Tundra that pulled out in front of me with my Dodge Dakota. The Dakota had a busted grill, one smashed headlight and a slightly bent hood. The Tundra's entire frame bent sideways, the engine mounts broke, dropping the engine sideways, and the transmission linkage was jerked loose. It was hauled away on a flatbed truck. My Dodge was still perfectly drivable. That is why I have trouble understanding the claims that Japanese imports are built better. That hasn't been the case with the ones we've owned.

I had a Datsun 280ZX 2 2+2 bought new. Had air conditioning failures, premature rust issues in short order. Expensive new, as was the insurance. The back seat helped somewhat on insurance. That was my last Nissan, then Datsun.

"Cars that have let me down (stranded, have had numerous issues) have been domestics."

In the past 30 years my wife and I have been stranded on the road only two times. Each time it was in a friend's late-model, nearly new Toyota (2 different times in 2 different Toyotas). Not one of our domestics has ever, in all those years left us stranded even once. For that reason we drive only American cars. We have also owned imports. They never left us stranded either, but the repair cost were outrageous and they did not hold up nearly as well as our domestics. We've driven several domestics well over 200,000 miles with no engine or transmission problems at all.

"That is why I have trouble understanding the claims that Japanese imports are built better."

Toyota Tundra is not an import. They are manufactured at the plant in San Antonio, TX. Besides, Mercedes-Benz is safer than all above mentioned vehicles. Also, Accord outscored Fusion in a recent road test looking for build quality, ownership cost and dependability. The Accord was cheaper to maintain over the long haul than was the Fusion. Fusion is not as great as some people make it out to be. It's nothing more than a wanna-be Mazda 6.

Tundra is an import. Read Hondas issues on consumeraffairs. com and consumer reports. Also compare Crown Vics when discussing Fords.

Tundra is domestic. Domestic Toyotas VIN starts ususally with a "4". Honda has issues, all cars do but domestics are far more unpredicatable when it comes to this. Imports also were ranked as being more reasonably priced than domestics. Of all "overpriced" models, notice that none were imports. They also (imports) score higher in consumer reports.