Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Midsize Sedans 2.0
11205 messages, Last post on Nov 21, 2008 at 11:49 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
|
|---|---|
As many here know we rent a lot and a week ago I rented a 2008 Accord for a week. The car was brand new showing 76 miles when I picked it up. I wanted to post some impressions before the details got hazy. It was the base model, the EX I believe and had the 177 hp 4 cylinder 5 speed automatic combination. I drove mostly on interstates starting with a drive to BWI ariport via I-70, and the washington beltway and ending with the same drive 900 miles and a week later. OK initially two thinks struck me immediately, well three...quiet interior at speed, very smooth and unobtrusive automatic transmission, and the Honda hallmark a quiet and smooth 4 cylinder engine. Then I started to miss some of the small things that were standard on the last Sonata I rented (a 2007)...XM radio, foglights (it has rained incessantly here in Pa for a month) and heated outside mirrors which were covered in dew every morning, not major things. To be truthful this Accord had traction control/stability control, power seats and was fine except for the noted small things. Acceleration was adequate and with the great transmission seemed faster than it probably was. I didn't get in anybodys way on the Beltway put it that way. If there was an area other than exterior stying that disappointed me (and the design sort of grew on me after a week) it was fuel economy. There I was observing the speed limits and even going much slower at times due to the torrential downpours on I-70..the Beltway...and the Pa Turnpike for probably 95% of its stay during the week and fuel economy was while not bad wasn't what I thought I'd get. To be fair the car was new and much of the time had either 2-3-4 or 5 passengers and some light luggage. The second fill up had me believing fuel economy might be stellar based on the number of miles (nearing 500..maybe 476 or so) driven but it turns out the tank is fairly large (it took $64.00 to refill it) and the car delivered either 28.5 or 28.6 miles per gallon (can't recall exactly). So there you have it, a nice car overall and aside from some features missing as standard, features that may be optional or on a more expensive model, and middling fuel economy I liked it well enough. BUT, I'll still buy a 2009 Sonata limited.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: targettuning (May 22, 2008 5:18 am) |
|
|
Replying to: jeffyscott (May 22, 2008 4:30 am) And when they do get T-boned by another car, they have a welded steel tube system to protect them, not a stamped steel working door. Did you know front airbags were invented precisely because people were not wearing seatbelts? That's why they had to inflate so quickly and violently - they had to inflate before the unbelted idiot hit the steering wheel or dash. Driver and side airbags make a lot of sense, but I don't see the need for a passenger airbag given the distance from the seat to the dash. In a survivable crash I don't see a belted passenger getting anywhere near the dash.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: targettuning (May 22, 2008 5:18 am) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: akirby (May 22, 2008 5:29 am) Agree...I think the passenger side frontal air bag is about marketing, more than safety. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: thegraduate (May 22, 2008 5:33 am) |
|
|
Replying to: thegraduate (May 22, 2008 5:33 am) That's odd... The current airbags in GM trucks DON'T deploy if the driver isn't wearing his/her seatbelt. I believe this was due to lawsuits claiming the airbag was causing injuries. Seems dumb, but you know lawyers.
|
|
|
Replying to: 2002slt (May 22, 2008 5:57 am) That is strange - I would think they'd be more open to lawsuits if they did not deploy. Do you have a link for that?
|
|
|
Replying to: targettuning (May 22, 2008 5:18 am) bro-in-law completed a long trip and his Honda 4 delivered 38 mpg average for the trip. He was happy.
|
|
|
Replying to: kdshapiro (May 22, 2008 6:30 am)
|
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2009 Hyundai Sonata
2009 Toyota Camry
2009 Honda Accord
2009 Nissan Altima
2009 Volkswagen Passat
2009 Mazda MAZDA6
2009 Ford Fusion
2009 Chevrolet Malibu
2009 Saturn Aura
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
