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Sedans Honda Accord 2008 Honda Accord vs 2008 Toyota Camry vs 2008 Nissan Altima (V6 Models)
87 messages, Last post on May 22, 2008 at 8:53 AM
You are in the Honda Accord Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: norwestgal (Nov 14, 2007 2:30 pm)  (some are more major than others).  I have an 08 XLE V6 w/o nav, for a little over 3 weeks now and this car has been fantastic. Not to say that in the future it won't have any problems. If you search throughout the internet people are posting complaints about all these cars. I think you need to personally test drive all three, find out which one fits in your budget with the options you like, whatever one looks the best to you etc. I never driven the accord or altima, but the camry ride is quiet and there is basically no wind, engine or tire noise in the cabin. Every time I hit a pothole or any imperfection in the road, there are virtually no rattles and the imperfections in the road are smooth, "like gliding on air" . The camry is alot more crisp and refined like a Lexus. 
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Replying to: minivanguy (Mar 19, 2008 8:36 pm) I'll give you "refined", as the Camry has always tended to be (not to say that the Honda and Altima aren't also). But the LE/XLE Camry sedans are anything but crisp relative to an Accord or Altima. They are flabby handlers with a mushy brake pedal and slow throttle response. I drove an 08 LE-V6, and it didn't come close to the handling crispness of my 06 Accord EX 4-cyl, whose brakes are always ready with a firm, short-travel pedal, quick turn-in, and steering with something the Camry in regular form lacks - FEEL. Also, the throttle response was so slow that my Accord felt faster around town, despite being down 102 horses and one gear to the Camry. The difference is that the Camry LE/XLE does ride more smoothly. It's all a matter of taste. Someone wanting a serene ride that won't slosh the latte and care little about the "fun-to-drive" factor (people like my 50 y.o. mom fit this example) the Camry is a fine choice. For me, it just made me yawn and yearn for my cheaper, less powerful (mine is a 4-cyl) Honda. The Camry V6 engine is terrific though, even though I couldn't really hear it. DISCLAIMER: The above comments about the Camry's handling are LE/XLE only, they do not apply to the SE which I have yet to drive.
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Replying to: thegraduate (Mar 20, 2008 6:34 am) |
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Replying to: thegraduate (Mar 20, 2008 6:34 am)  , 03&04 Chrysler T&C, 05 Honda Odyssey, 07 Toyota Sienna, and my now 08 camry. As you can see I've not driven to many cars, so in my "OPINION"  , compared to what I've driven yes, "I THINK" the camry is "MORE" crisper. 
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Replying to: minivanguy (Mar 20, 2008 9:40 am) That being said, I can see you tend to go for comfy vehicles, and the Camry is a good choice as far as those go.
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that when I bought my 1986 Legend, the V6 put out 165 HP, which was more than the Ford 302 of that year, and the Legend seemd rather quick when compared to my 1983 Grand Marquis whose 302 put out 130 HP... Now the Accord 4 cyl puts out 190 HP, 25 more than my V6 of 1988...
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Replying to: marsha7 (Mar 23, 2008 5:12 pm) Now the Accord 4 cyl puts out 190 HP, 25 more than my V6 of 1988... Shoot, the Honda Accord in 1997 had 170 horses, and that was before the new stricter SAE standards (so probably around 165). That's basically the same as my 2006 Accord with 166 (under the correct, new SAE standards) horses. What a difference 10 years makes, eh?
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Replying to: minivanguy (Mar 19, 2008 8:36 pm) If I had my pick, I'd probably buy a Nissan, just because I don't like the Accord tail end treatment. The Koreans are now designing Hondas??? It looks like a Hyundai. Otherwise, give me the Accord for all-around driving pleasure and feel. |
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Everyone must be out driving!
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Replying to: thegraduate (May 19, 2008 9:57 am) I just picked up a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 with Navi a week ago, and I am loving it. Before my purchase, the comparison was between the highest trim levels of the Accord, Altima 3.5 SE, Camry SE V6, and Subaru Legacy GT Limited. Therefore, keep in mind that my comments are focused toward someone looking for a powerful and well-equipped vehicle. The Legacy is a very fun car to drive and has the added benefit of AWD, but it was quickly eliminated because of its smaller size and poor fuel economy (on a 4-cylinder Turbo no less!). If I were in a different life situation, I would highly consider this car, along with the fact that there are great deals to be had based on its low demand. In my opinion, the fully-loaded Camry SE V6 was the comparable trim level instead of the XLE V6 because of its sporty quality. When equipped as it was, the 2008 model had a similar MSRP to the Accord but in reality ran about $2k less based on the deals available at the time, since 2009 models were out. In terms of bang for your buck, I would say that the Camry comes out on top based on ridiculous markdowns, but obviously I went in a different direction for a reason. The reason being that the Camry SE V6, even as loaded as you could get it, did not satisfy enough of my luxury desires for a car in its class. If you compare simply to the XLE V6, you automatically lose out on dual zone auto HVAC, rear vents, smart-key, rear sunshade (both have no folding rear seat?!?). Of course the Accord isn't able to accomodate with all of these features, but it shines in many other ways. Overall, I also felt the Camry had a cheap "plasticky" feel to it, not to mention the turquoise back lighting (very embarrassing, IMHO). Had Toyota been able to create a vehicle that drives as well as the sportier SE V6 (6-speed AT with sport-shift also great), equipped it with the luxury features it deserves, and improved build quality to rival the Accord, I would probably be sitting in a different car right now. But alas, such a car does not exist, so on we go to the next candidate. The Altima 3.5 SE equipped with the Technology Package is probably the most complete rival to the Accord EX-L V6 with Navi, and I found that the OTD prices were about the same as the Accord. It is more powerful, more sporty, and ultimately more feature-laden than the Accord. However, that power and sportiness comes in the form of a CVT engine which tickles the delight of others, but simply frustrates me as someone who would prefer to be driving a manual tranny had I been in a different life situation. Additionally, the features may be there on paper, but I found that the Altima does not hold long-lasting appeal over its projected 10-12 year life. Sure, there is the birds-eye view (which does nothing for me, btw), XM NavTraffic, and a rear-view monitor with the Nav system, but it comes in a smaller 6.5" screen that looks like it was an added slide-in accessory to the center console. Besides, the Accord can be easily equipped with a genuine Honda-brand rear-view camera kit that is well-situated above the license plate (under cover from weather). To top it off, I test drove a demo car that belonged to one of the dealer's finance managers, having about 3,000 miles on it. As soon as I sat in the car, I was quite shocked to find that the car had aged in such a way that was very unflattering for the luxury level that it was supposed to have maintained. The wood grain looked much cheaper than it already did on a new car, and the fit and finish simply looked severely aged. In response to all the competition laid out above, I find that the Accord has sufficiently addressed most of the shortfalls found in the other vehicles. The build quality is excellent, and is unsurpassed by any of the competitors by far. The Navi, while the visual interface hasn't been updated in a few years, is still state-of-the-art, and its ease-of-use, functionality, and accessibility make it rise to the top yet again. As far as getting all the desired features, it is somewhat sad to say, but they are attainable pretty much just at the highest trim level. For example, the bluetooth and trip computers are terrific, but they will only accompany the Navi. I will admit that the V6 engine is not as well-rounded as its competitors in terms of capability and sportiness, but it still provides a very satisfying growl and can hold its own on the track when complimented by its excellent handling. On paper, I would say that the fuel economy is a wash, and obviously I have no ability to test all the vehicles with my specific driving situation. However, when compared to my previous car (1997 Audi A4 1.8T), I now am getting 18.5 MPG for about 250 miles driven in the Accord, as compared to 23-24 MPG in the A4. This should be expected, though, as my current commute is only 2.5 miles stop-and-go one way, and we're talking the difference between a small 4-cylinder engine and the larger Accord V6 in a situation where VCM cannot really provide its benefits. Speaking of VCM, I find no bothersome traits about this feature as has been documented by other reviewers, but I wouldn't mind if it was a casualty for improving to a 6-speed auto tranny with manual sport-shift. As far as aesthetics go, my opinion is that the re-designed car looks great now and will continue to look great years from now, and that my initial dissatisfaction with the rear was well satisfied by the addition of a subtle yet distinctive deck lid spoiler. So there's my detailed opinion in terms of what mattered to me. All in all, if I didn't have the extra $2k to spend, I would've gone for a fully-loaded Camry SE V6 and would have been satisfied with the value. But since my budget was accomodating, I decided to spend the extra $2k to get the Accord that more completely satisfied what I was looking for, and I was able to still keep it at $29k OTD (without accessories). |
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