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Midsize Sedans 2.0

18218 messages,  Last post on May 23, 2013 at 3:51 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda MAZDA6, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 1692 of 1823

#16906 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by benjaminh

Sep 22, 2012 (4:10 pm)

Replying to: backy (Sep 22, 2012 2:52 pm)
backy: Yeah, that's one of the surprises about this Accord—it has more standard features than any other non-premium midsize car. But I think you're the first to show that the 2013 Accord LX has an even lower price than a Sonata GLS when comparably equipped. Wow. Honda dealers are gonna sell a lot of them just on that basis alone.
 
And I think in the next couple of months the IIHS will release its video of the small offset crash tests of midsize sedans. My guess is that the Accord is going to come through pretty well on that, because Honda designed it to help passengers survive that kind of crash. I don't think the other manufacturers have done that yet, but we'll soon see.... Anyway, if that turns out the way some people are guessing it might, it could give the Accord a significant advantage in safety for a year or two.

#16907 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [benjaminh] by backy

Sep 22, 2012 (6:02 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Sep 22, 2012 4:10 pm)
Well, I didn't say that the Accord LX has a lower price than the Sonata. I said that it's less than $1000 more than a comparable Sonata GLS. The Accord LX has some features at that price that the Sonata doesn't have, e.g. backup camera, but the Sonata has some features the Accord doesn't such as power driver's seat and heated seats.
 
The Accord LX with a stick is about the same price as the Sonata GLS with automatic. But I expect Honda will make very few of those 6MTs. The Sonata used to be offered with a 6MT but as of 2013 that's been dropped--just not very popular in mid-sized family cars.

#16908 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by benjaminh

Sep 22, 2012 (6:35 pm)

Replying to: backy (Sep 22, 2012 6:02 pm)
Sorry about that. I guess I read your post too fast and missed a word. But the prices are pretty close....
 
2013 Sonata GLS w/alloys, etc.= 22495
2013 Accord LX w/ cvt= 23270
 
Giving us a difference of 775. Not much at all. And there are some things you get on the Accord, like dual climate control, back up camera, pandora, etc. that I don't think that Sonata has, although as you said the Sonata has heated cloth seats (!?).
 
Here are some other comparisons.
 
2013 Fusion 1.6 auto: 25,290
 
That's obviously 2k more than the Accord. I think this is the engine that's comparable in performance and mpg to the Honda earth dreams DI engine. And the Accord still beats the Fusion for equipment in a lot of areas.
 
2013 Passat w/alloys+ auto: 23,270. That's basically identical to the Accord, but the Passat has an old tech engine that gets only so so mpg and is said to be less refined.

#16909 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [benjaminh] by backy

Sep 22, 2012 (8:25 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Sep 22, 2012 6:35 pm)
One area where the Passat has the Accord beat hands-down is in rear seat space. Also VW seems to be pushing the Passat with sweet lease deals. Saw one today for a Passat S automatic with Appearance Package for $199/month, 0 down. Accord leases are much higher, despite strong resale values. If I were in the market for a mid-sized car, I'd be tempted by that Passat deal even with the lower-tech engine. Passat has been top-rated by some car mags. Will be interesting to see if the Accord can knock it off that perch. I expect it will... unless the Fusion does.
 
Ford will need to ante up some incentives to sell the Fusion that's $2k more than the Accord, $3k more than something like an Optima. And the Altima is no slouch either.

#16910 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by benjaminh

Sep 22, 2012 (9:27 pm)

Replying to: backy (Sep 22, 2012 8:25 pm)
That is a nice lease deal on the Passat. They are definitely blowing the 2012s out the door to make way for the 2013s....
 
In terms rear leg room, the 2013 Accord and Passat are pretty close in terms of numbers, at least according to Edmunds.com
 
Accord Passat
Rear leg room
38.5 in. 39.1 in
 
So there's a about half an inch difference there, but maybe the seat design on the Passat let's you put your toes underneath the seat more? Don't know.
 
But anyway, both seem pretty good on this measure, and quite a lot roomier than a Sonata, which I think has about 35 inches of rear leg room.
 
My bitter experience experience with a Jetta from long, long ago has lead me to write off the VW brand forever, I think, although I'm sure that today's VWs are much, much better. I'm actually quite happy with VWs success with their factory in TN.
 
The 2013 Accord CVT gets 5 more mpg than a 2013 Passat auto (30 combined mpg for Accord vs. 25 mpg for the Passat). That's about a $400-$500 a year difference in what you're going to pay for gas for these two cars. I think in about a year the lease differences between these two cars will get closer, but no doubt there will still be a gap.
 
I may be biased, but right now it looks to me like the 2013 Accord is the top of the midsize class overall, and if you want the best you can expect to pay just a little bit more....

#16911 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by gooddeal2

Sep 23, 2012 (3:44 am)

Replying to: backy (Sep 22, 2012 2:52 pm)
...Styling is a huge improvement (although when I first saw the rear end I wondered to myself why there was a new Genesis parked outside the front door).
 
I think may be it's just me because no one else mentions this. I don't need to go to see a optometrist after all.

#16912 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [benjaminh] by backy

Sep 23, 2012 (12:11 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Sep 22, 2012 9:27 pm)
I've found you can't go by just the numbers on leg room, they can be very misleading re rear seat comfort. Best way to test that is to go sit in the car with the driver's seat adjusted as it will be for the main driver(s). That's how I always test rear seat room. And by that test, the Passat is simply cavernous compared to the Accord. Also the toe space was tight on the Accord (that's for the EX-L with two power seats, maybe it's better with non-power front seats). Even the smaller Jetta has lots more usable leg room by my testing. Actually, even the subcompact Versa hatchback is much roomier than the Accord in back, at least for leg room. But the Versa hatch is roomier in that regard than most mid-sized cars... it's an anomaly.
 
A big factor in usable rear leg room is how the driver's seat adjusts. If it can go forward and high, and still provide good thigh support, then that opens up the rear seat more. That may be why rear seats appear similar "by the numbers" but in reality are much different. That's one reason the Versa, for example, has so much rear leg room.
 
Re gas, that's more important for some people than me, as I only put about 7,500 miles a year on my car (as my wife does on her car). So that's only about $200 a year at $4 a gallon. That would be made up for within about 4 months of car payments, comparing 2012 Passat S to 2012 Accord LX leases in my area. Also consider the Passat has 3 years of free maintenance, so you save a few bucks there.

#16913 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by benjaminh

Sep 23, 2012 (12:56 pm)

Replying to: backy (Sep 23, 2012 12:11 pm)
I believe you re the Passat and legroom. It looks like it has huge amounts of legroom. I guess that's one place where the Passat wins against the Accord. And the free maintenance too. Plus the low payments.
 
There are some good choices in midsize cars, and I'd say the Passat is one of the better ones. How is the visibility from the driver's seat? It looks ok from the outside, but I'm guessing that from the inside it's only so so. Those small rear windows are questionable functionally. Or, at least the one immediately in back of the driver usually is.

#16914 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [benjaminh] by backy

Sep 23, 2012 (2:18 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Sep 23, 2012 12:56 pm)
I haven't driven the Passat but the windows look plenty big to me, and the C pillar isn't that big. I do like the fact the Accord has a backup camera standard. But I think those have to be standard in general pretty soon, don't they?
 
185 hp on the Accord LX with the 6MT would be pretty lively, I bet. Plus if it's like typical Honda sticks it will be fun to drive. Finding one of those could be tough, though.

#16915 of 18218 Re: 2013 Accord [backy] by benjaminh

Sep 23, 2012 (2:36 pm)

Replying to: backy (Sep 23, 2012 2:18 pm)
If your really want an Accord manual you could probably order one. I did that for my 2008 Accord EXL navi manual in white. There basically wasn't a single one in the country in Oct. of 2007 when I went into the dealer, and so he took a deposit, they built it in Ohio, and by early Jan. I was driving the car. I haven't regretted that at all.
 
But through dealer trades you should be able to get, say, a manual EX, Sport, or LX....
 
Yeah, the Passat looks good from the outside in terms of visibility, but inside the little window right behind the driver is just not usable. Yes, you can adjust your mirror, etc. But I just prefer better visibility...

Messages Page 1692 of 1823

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