New 9th gen Accord - disappointing

IMHO, I just don't see the Sonata as being a better looking car (either exterior or interior) than the newest or previous gen Accord.

C'mon, this:
hyundai_sonata-coupe_f34_ns_42610_717.jpg


vs this:

10.jpg


Doesn't it make sense that a lower priced car in the same class would outsell a higher priced competitor in a relentlessly down economy? If so, what took so long?

You might want to get your eyes checked. The 8th gen accord coupe was one of the ugliest accords ever made!! They realized that they screwed up the back so much on the initial design that in the later years they made the tailights pop out the side more so make it looks less like it's ass got chopped off by a clever. It made the car look better from the side and the front 3/4 angle but they went cheap and did not bother to change the rear bumper so it looks like the tail lights are tumors that are sticking out way past the poorly designed body lines.

2009-honda-accord-coupe+_23_.jpg


notice how the tailights and the rear bumper just cuts clean off. It makes the vehicle look like a roach tail.

2009-honda-accord-coupe-10.jpg


Again the rear looks like it got sent to the butcher to get some meat taken off.

2012-honda-accord-coupe-ex-l-v6.jpg


2012-Honda-Accord-Coupe-Silver.jpg


Here is honda's poor job at attempting to fix it. Notice how the tail lights stick out way past the bumper? They went cheap on the rear bumper. The car actually looks half decent from the side or the front 3/4

2012-Honda-Accord-Coupe-White.jpg


see, now the car actually has a rear end.
 
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If you want to see a good looking mid size car from commoners that makes everything else look old. You look at the Kia Optima.

2011_kia_optima_press3.jpg


Look at the muscular lines that looks sporty and clean ( particularly the front fender ). Notice how the front parking lamps are 4 little squares that forms the same of a directional arrow?

8323d1305647743-joining-family-dsc_0018.jpg


2011-kia-optima-sx-003_gallery_image_large.jpg
 
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The Optima is money. It photographs decent but in person the rear end and overall proportions are extremely impressive IMO. Walking from my parking spot in the office garage to the stairway I walk past black and "dark" silver Optimas, both a year or less old. Much respect to Kia's designers and engineers. 10 years ago they were the butt end of every car joke. It's becoming clear who will get the last laugh.

On that note, I'm helping my mom buy a new car. Although both the Sonata and Optima come with better options for the price, they aren't significantly different in price than the camry/accord. They all start at 20-22k. The camry hybrid seems to be the best value and the cheapest in the hybrid segment. I haven't test driven them all back to back but unless the Accord is noticeably more fun to drive I don't know where it fits into the equation anymore. I'm sure it's still a great machine, but it needs an edge. When the South Korean salesperson says the drive train is guaranteed til 100k, most people are probably okay with that.
 
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Yea Camry is a good choice.
All Camrys should be hybrid...in fact, in Japan you can't get non-hybrid Camry anymore.
 
Well I didn't make it up. For 2011 the Sonata topped the accord.

"2011 Sonata GLS with automatic transmission received a 36-month residual value of 54 percent of manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) from Automotive Lease Guide (ALG). Sonata had the best residual value, topping important competitors like Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and Chevrolet, or even premium brands such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes."

It seems quite surprising, but the facts bear it out. Here is ALG's residuals for a brand as a whole for 2012. Hyundai is right on Honda's tail. Look how they rank:

Mainstream Brand Residual Value Rankings:

1. SUBARU
2. HONDA
3. HYUNDAI
4. MAZDA
5. TOYOTA
6. NISSAN
7. KIA
8. VOLKSWAGEN

I'm not trying to be a cheerleader for the Koreans, I still think the Japanese make better cars. But there are a lot of assumtions and assertions on this thread that are just incorrect. I think the Koreans are major players not "recession brands". They aleady do certain things better than the Japanese, and the rest are creeping upward fast.

ALG is for PREDICTED residual, not actual. ;)

You'll also note that it doesn't say that the Sonata topped the competitor from Honda (the Accord). I did giggle when it said it topped competitors from BMW, Lexus and Mercedes because it doesn't even compete with those brands. That alone tells you how "real" those rankings are.
 
ALG is for PREDICTED residual, not actual. ;)

You'll also note that it doesn't say that the Sonata topped the competitor from Honda (the Accord). I did giggle when it said it topped competitors from BMW, Lexus and Mercedes because it doesn't even compete with those brands. That alone tells you how "real" those rankings are.

It didn't say in that particular one article I posted. It absolutely did top the accord as a specific model in 2011.
 
If you want to see a good looking mid size car from commoners that makes everything else look old. You look at the Kia Optima.

Yawn, it looks like overstyled Transformer and still manages to look bland. If Honda built the Optima/Sonata and Kia/Hyundai built the 8th/9th gen Accord, Hyundai and Kai apologists would still rail Honda.

Meh.
 
Yawn, it looks like overstyled Transformer and still manages to look bland. If Honda built the Optima/Sonata and Kia/Hyundai built the 8th/9th gen Accord, Hyundai and Kai apologists would still rail Honda.

Meh.

Well for what its worth, your in the minority to actually think the 8th accord coupe look good. I actually pointed out every single design flaw in detail and I was actually being generous. I have had a Kia Optima follow me on the road and it looked so different I could not figure out what it was until it got close though. I thought it was a Lexus/Audi of some sorts, and considering how former Audi designers now design for Hyundai and Kia, that is to be expected.

Ponyboy, have you ever seen one in person yet? I bet you would be too proud to admit you think its a damn good looking car.
 
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it looks like overstyled Transformer .

Which is the overstyled transformer? This:

KIA-Optima-Review-12.jpg


Or this?!!

2009-Acura-TL-3.7-4dr-All-wheel-Drive-Sedan-Front-View.jpg


l.jpg


I think the Optima is the best looking sedan in its class by a long shot.

I don't mind the way the TL looks, but MANY don't like it. The previous gen was fantastic.
 
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f Honda built the Optima/Sonata and Kia/Hyundai built the 8th/9th gen Accord, Hyundai and Kai apologists would still rail Honda.
Uh, no. If Honda built the Optima, my brother would have purchased it instead of a Kia. Please stop making ridiculous statements.

And nice post, Dave. :D
 
For many people, Honda has lost their way. For enthusiasts who love driving - Honda has most definitely lost their way. You know something is wrong when people (like me) who have purchased numerous Hondas over the years (a dozen or so) have switched brands.

Honda/Acura doesn't have a single car that interests me today. I can't remember there ever being a time before when this was true. Yeah, I guess I might look at the Odyssey if I were interested in a Minivan but I'm not.

This is due to 2 things I believe. First, Honda just decided to stop making sporty cars. Sorry, but the CR-Z doesn't cut it. Secondly, the have adopted some weird styling themes as the basis for their designs. Their so-called "Keen Edge" theme was a disaster. The designer should have been fired and laughed off the stage. I can't imagine ANYONE who can look at the Acura concept car below who would say, "Oh yeah, I really want this car!" It's a bad joke that actually was adopted for the styling themes of present day Acuras. Insane.

acura-advanced-sedan-concept.jpg


The engineering was never a problem. Except for their slavish adherence to hybrid drivetrains and front-wheel drive.

-J
 
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Jim, the problem with Honda is that they have lost a lot of performance followers. To some extend, lots of makers have lost that demographic.

The only exciting affordable car I have seen in recent years is FRS, and that car is still 2 cylinders and sixty HP short.

Not to mention the price of cars is almost out of control, you really can't buy anything decent anymore for less than $35 grand.

I guess it is the price to pay with ever growing crash safety rules, added luxury features, and inflation.

Than again, if you look at the entry level TL, it is still priced less than the second Gen Legend LS/GS with much more HP, speed, comfort and feature.
 
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Which is the overstyled transformer? This...
Or this?!!

Awesome. We moved from the Accord vs. the Hyundai in general, the Sonata in particular, then vs. the Kia Optima, and now which car looks more like a Transformer. Perhaps we should just move straight to the Accord vs. McLaren F1. That seems perfectly logical considering the path of discussion.

Uh, no. If Honda built the Optima, my brother would have purchased it instead of a Kia. Please stop making ridiculous statements.

Hilarious. As you wish, Officer Interweb. You may now patrol the rest of the interweb in search of subjective opinions to police.

Well for what its worth, you're in the minority to actually think the 8th accord coupe look good.

I'm ok with this. I think the car looks good (especially compared with the Sonata). That said, I'm sure this statement is said with a certain amount of jest because;

1. there wasn't a citation given that provided any substantiated research indicating that those who "think the 8th accord coupe look good" are in the minority.
2. the 8th gen accord has received largely positive reviews from professional automotive media:

- http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2007-09-27-accord-coupe_N.htm
- http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...coupe_comparison/2008_honda_accord_coupe.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/automobiles/autosreviews/28COUPE.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles
- http://www.insideline.com/honda/acc...accord-coupe-vs-2008-nissan-altima-coupe.html
- http://www.automobilemag.com/review...ccord_coupe_v6_vs_nissan_altima_coupe_3_5_sr/

I actually pointed out every single design flaw in detail and I was actually being generous. I have had a Kia Optima follow me on the road and it looked so different I could not figure out what it was until it got close though. I thought it was a Lexus/Audi of some sorts, and considering how former Audi designers now design for Hyundai and Kia, that is to be expected.

Thank you for your professional and comprehensive automotive design critique and your generosity towards the myriad design flaws of the 8th/9th gen Accord. I'm sure the above mentioned automotive professionals will rethink their previously published opinions.

Ponyboy, have you ever seen one in person yet? I bet you would be too proud to admit you think its a damn good looking car.

I have seen many and did a double take when the Optima first came out. I'm happy that Kia is designing better looking cars than they have in the past. However, I still hold my aforementioned opinion that it looks like a over styled Transformer compared with the Accord Coupe. Now...I definitely think the Optima looks better than the Accord Sedan, in stock form anyway.
 
Ponyboy, you brought up the transformer thing not me. Now you're upset that I said the TL looks more "transformer" than the Optima and complain of the subject matter?! :confused:
 
Me calling the Optima an overstyled Transformer in an Accord vs. Optima conversation is not open invitation to bring every car ever made into the dicscussion unless you admit to a requisite conversational ADD that such a conversation would, again, require.
 
OK man no need to get upset over such a small thing. This is a pointless discussion anymore... You have your opinions and everyone else has theirs so who cares really. Looks are a personal thing.
 
OK man no need to get upset over such a small thing. This is a pointless discussion anymore... You have your opinions and everyone else has theirs so who cares really. Looks are a personal thing.

You know the funny thing is there are a lot of people here stating it's a fact that Honda have bad designs... but in reality it's all based on opinions, so it can't be a fact. Who knows there might be a lot more people that actually like the look vs hate it. You guys ever wonder if we could be the minority in this opinion? Their cars do still sell so the car is not a bad looker for everybody.

Additionally when you see a ZDX, MDX, TL, TSX, Accord, CRZ, Civic you don't mistaken it for something else... maybe Honda's goal isto have a unique/different style of their own. Some of these Korean cars you guys are talking about mimic euro cars to the point that from a distance it's hard to tell them apart. For example the Genesis really resembles a MB or BMW.
 
You know the funny thing is there are a lot of people here stating it's a fact that Honda have bad designs... but in reality it's all based on opinions, so it can't be a fact. Who knows there might be a lot more people that actually like the look vs hate it. You guys ever wonder if we could be the minority in this opinion? Their cars do still sell so the car is not a bad looker for everybody.

That could be; this is an enthusiast site for an extremely unpopular car (at least as far as sales were concerned) so our opinions (and yes, when it comes to aesthetics it's a given that everything is subjective) may very well be different than the majority who aren't as passionate about cars. However, we are still entitled to our opinions, and I've never tried to pass my own opinion as fact. It is true that I have been disappointed by Honda designs of late, and I (as well as others I know) did not consider a new Honda product when making recent purchase decisions. Maybe that doesn't matter to Honda or the die-hard fanboys, but I am just as entitled to voice my opinion about it as those of you who choose to complain about the new NSX design. I don't understand why people can't let others state their opinions without getting defensive or bashing them for it.
 
Ponyboy;1621514 2. the 8th gen accord has received largely positive reviews from professional automotive media: - [url said:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2007-09-27-accord-coupe_N.htm[/url]
- http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests...coupe_comparison/2008_honda_accord_coupe.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/automobiles/autosreviews/28COUPE.html?_r=1&ref=automobiles
- http://www.insideline.com/honda/acc...accord-coupe-vs-2008-nissan-altima-coupe.html
- http://www.automobilemag.com/review...ccord_coupe_v6_vs_nissan_altima_coupe_3_5_sr/



Thank you for your professional and comprehensive automotive design critique and your generosity towards the myriad design flaws of the 8th/9th gen Accord. I'm sure the above mentioned automotive professionals will rethink their previously published opinions.


I may not be a professional car designer, but I do have some art background esp in illustration, so I look at trends and design changes quite different from most people. I just find it hilarious how the part I hated the most about the earlier 8th accord coupe happened to get fixed ( half assed anyways ) by Honda themselves. Could that have been a coincidence? Hmmmmmmm

I will admit that the front of the coupe is pretty nice looking but the rear is a complete disaster.
 
That could be; this is an enthusiast site for an extremely unpopular car (at least as far as sales were concerned) so our opinions (and yes, when it comes to aesthetics it's a given that everything is subjective) may very well be different than the majority who aren't as passionate about cars. However, we are still entitled to our opinions, and I've never tried to pass my own opinion as fact. It is true that I have been disappointed by Honda designs of late, and I (as well as others I know) did not consider a new Honda product when making recent purchase decisions. Maybe that doesn't matter to Honda or the die-hard fanboys, but I am just as entitled to voice my opinion about it as those of you who choose to complain about the new NSX design. I don't understand why people can't let others state their opinions without getting defensive or bashing them for it.

There are tons of Accord, Civic, even RL(X) fans out there on other Honda forums, and by reading thier posts you can tell they are enthusiasts and passionate about those cars. To be honest, at times I find the maturity level on other Honda/Acura forums much higher than this one ...
 
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