2008 Honda Accord EX from North America - Comments

The Big Three make cars that are on par with Toyota and Honda etc., but until they can make less units and still be profitable, they will always have this huge loss of equity when you purchase their vehicles.

1) The Big Three makes few cars that are on par with Toyota and Honda. With so many people wanting to support our economy, this would have been discovered long ago, before they got into this mess.

2) They will not be able to make fewer units and still be profitable. The manufacturers are overly confident in a product that the public has little faith in. See how much warranty they offer?

3) Resale value on domestics is traditionally poor on domestic vehicles. Also, why buy a vehicle that survives the duration of the warranty when one can buy a vehicle that lives hundreds of thousands of miles beyond the warranty?

4) The Big Three's best days are clearly behind them and are likely never to be seen again. Poor management, poor quality and workmanship, over-priced products, etc, have contributed to their demise, namely GM and Chrysler.

"Yeah they're made here... using foreign parts and the profits still go to another country, so what's your point?!"

I think the point is that at least they are employing Americans. Unless you are a stockholder of GM, Ford or Chrysler, should you really care where the "profits" are going as long as they are providing good jobs for Americans?

Please don't repeat the 91 vs 9% rhetoric, especially when the American companies have been closing US factories, only to open new ones in Mexico and/or Canada. Those are Americans jobs lost forever, not by foreign competition, but by corporate greed.

"I took another friend who drives an Accord out today to test drive a new 2010 Fusion. While riding with him I explained how buying domestics helps 90% of our citizens in auto related jobs in the U.S., and how buying a Honda, Toyota or Nissan helps only 10% or so of that same group. He had no idea, and thanked me for sharing the truth with him. Like most Americans he had been brainwashed with the line that "Honda is made here" without ever being told just how FEW people they actually employ. He is trading for a beautiful red Fusion SEL V-6. He said it makes his Accord feel like driving a tin can. I have to agree."

I feel bad for your friend... He's made a big mistake. That car is gonna seem great for the first few thousand miles, but then it's going to start breaking like all domestics do. And then when he wants to trade it in because he's sick of it, he won't get any money for it because it won't be worth a thing. Plus the Fusion isn't actually made in the USA. It's made in Canada. He's really helping those Canadian's though!

Worse resale ever was Acura for us. Carfax reports really killed our resale; worst ever in 35 years of driving. Anyone have any engine transmission failures to share?

We had many imports, anyone else notice the quality drop to satisfactory, to less?

Smaller quantities seem assembled with better care are my thoughts. We also are not buying over major issues.

"I feel bad for your friend... He's made a big mistake. That car is gonna seem great for the first few thousand miles, but then it's going to start breaking like all domestics do. And then when he wants to trade it in because he's sick of it, he won't get any money for it because it won't be worth a thing. Plus the Fusion isn't actually made in the USA. It's made in Canada. He's really helping those Canadian's though!"

I must agree with everything said here. However, I must add something. I believe it is terribly sad this person's friend was bullied into buying a Fusion just so he could keep a friend. He still believes he's helping the U. S. economy though!

"Unless you are a stockholder of GM, Ford or Chrysler, should you really care where the "profits" are going?"

It is sad people don't know what profits are used for. They go into development of new car designs.

If there are no profits, there are no new car designs, people buy from other companies, the old car company loses out, then the workers get laid off.

For instance, Ford no longer makes a minivan and their small pickup is dated. It is because they did not have the profits to develop new versions. Instead, the money went to fund UAW pensions, health plans, job banks and inflated salaries for low skill jobs like sweeping ($30 an hour to sweep the floor, no joke.) Good for the UAW workers I guess, but now there are no jobs for their children. Not in the car companies and also not in the industries that young people often get started in... restaurants, clothing stores, hotels, etc...

00:58 I feel people are indirectly bullied or herded more likely into small econobox lineups. I buy by test driving and do buy every few years... The only new element is expecting 100,00 mile warranties before even leaving the lot. No ad hype will ever overcome a written warranty as it's entirely possible to be in a vehicle with sludging engine replacements, failed transmissions even in 2009.

Consumeraffairs.com illustrates issues on imports and domestics. I get a Carfax if there is 5 miles on the odometer. I love buying and hate selling as I know what is done. And buyers nitpick. It is no special feat to rack up high mileage especially highway miles, and I do it, but have been caught in my last new low mileage limited import warranty. Give a 150,000 mile warranty; if it's never honored, where's the manufacturers loss? Saying it's not needed is not getting me back.

"I believe it is terribly sad this person's friend was bullied into buying a Fusion just so he could keep a friend."

I feel bad for all of us, as we all are being "bullied" by the same person, who is telling us we must buy American cars. (American cars, manufactured in Mexico)

But for all we know, he could be a Ford salesman!

"I feel bad for your friend... He's made a big mistake. That car is gonna seem great for the first few thousand miles, but then it's going to start breaking like all domestics do."

Well, our Fusion is now 4 years old and nothing has broken yet. Our Honda was literally disintegrating at 36 months (just as the puny warranty ran out). I will never buy another Japanese vehicle.

Talk about taking a statement out of context:

You list the following as a question asked:

"Unless you are a stockholder of GM, Ford or Chrysler, should you really care where the "profits" are going?"

When the actual question read:

Unless you are a stockholder of GM, Ford or Chrysler, should you really care where the "profits" are going as long as they are providing good jobs for Americans?

Please, don't use my words for your propaganda.

I agree it's not over quality of the vehicles. It likely will be the drop of quality of life with over 5000 domestic autoworkers out of work in my town in July. Bringing in cheap labor low benefits is not going to replace cheap import wages vs what was there. I am going to have a tough time selling my home; you need a nice job to afford it.

"Please, don't use my words for your propaganda."

I apologize for taking your words out of context. Sorry.

Apology accepted.

You can lease a 2009 Accord for 24 months for only 99 dollars a month. That's cheap and yet someone is not renewing? That's a drop in the bucket. Just barely drive them, and keep turning them in and get another.

"Well, our Fusion is now 4 years old and nothing has broken yet. Our Honda was literally disintegrating at 36 months (just as the puny warranty ran out). I will never buy another Japanese vehicle."

The dealer I bought my Civic from offers a 5-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.