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-   -   Pre-owned sedan: Honda Accord vs Toyota Corolla Altis (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/192640-pre-owned-sedan-honda-accord-vs-toyota-corolla-altis.html)

Hi fellow bhpians,

Need your advice regarding finalising between a pre-owned Altis 1.8 GL or a pre-owned Accord (2008-2011) 2.4 VTEC. Currently a happy and satisfied owner of a 2005 Corolla H2 and looking for an upgrade. The question is - heart wants the Accord, but the mind is practically sticking to the Altis. Currently based in Pune and looking specifically for decent maintenance and ride and comfort.

Your advice will be greatly needed as I'm in a big fix! Budget of 5 -6 lakhs tops! :)
Do love the Germans but A.S.S is a strict no-no! Drive around 1000 kms a month.

If you plan on driving yourself, I would recommend Altis, Its gives better mileage and has ample ground clearance. If I remember correctly it had a 6 speed manual with ~140Bhp.
Accord on the other hand is much bigger with much higher turning radius. It had a 5 speed manual with 170 bhp I think. And an Accord is definitely advisable if you plan for a chauffeur driven car. Also Accord AT used to come with 6 airbags.

Overall, both are very reliable cars and no issues of after sale service with either. Parts are expensive for both, may be more expansive and harder to find for Accord.

For 6 lakhs you can get a 2011 Altis AT or an Accord 2011 AT with 50~75k on odo I think, if not better. Goodluck and do post a detailed thread of your own when you do. :)

The Manual Accord is very quick, but with the stock suspension - it handles like a boat!
If the car is well maintained, reliability will not be a big issue - though in your budget you should get a 2011 / 12 vehicle. The ride, performance, and comfort is a step above undoubtedly!

The Corolla on the other hand is very going to be similar to what you already own and you will not feel much of a difference in terms of drive, ride, and handling. I am guessing you will not be getting the latest model in your budget (2013 onwards).
It may just be better to keep slogging your current model for a little more!

What are your priorities? What about other options like the Civic?

I would say neither. Get Accord V6 3.5 AT instead. It has cylinder shut-off mechanism which shuts 3 cylinders in traffic and because of that is said to return 10-11 KPL. When you floor the pedal, all six gates open it goes from sheep to wolf.:) Best of both worlds, I would say. I'm on lookout for one myself. In used car market, both 2.4 and 3.5 can be had for almost same moolah. So, why not go for V6?

It depends on what you want. They are both comfortable and reliable cars with the Accord having the edge. Where they diverge is ASC reliability and service (where Toyota is ahead of Honda), running + maintenance costs (higher with the larger Accord naturally) and believe me, driving an Accord, which is approx. of MB E class/BMW 5 dimensions, in Pune city is IMHO a pain.

All that said, since you already have a Corolla do consider the Accord. In your situation and budget permitting I'd take the Accord for sure.

When looking at cars over 7 years old, it's important to prioritise 'condition' over 'model'. As an example, if you get a better-maintained Accord over an Altis, that's what you should go for (and vice versa).

Since you already own a Corolla, I would recommend the Accord 2.4 to you. These have bullet-proof reliability and are built to very high standards. It'll feel like an upgrade over your current Corolla in nearly every way.

Check this Accord out - very low mileage. Also go bargain on this Accord - can easily knock a couple of lakhs off as it has zero demand in the used market.

No, the actual advantage of the cylinder deactivation is only on the expressway when you're cruising. And it's a BIG problem area with reported reliability issues. The 3.5L V6 gives 5 - 6 kmpl in traffic.

Call me weird but I think 2008 to 2012 Honda Accord is the best looking sedan. It has perfect proportions and no bad angles.



It is one of the cars that I almost bought pre-owned last year. A couple of tips:

1) See if you can get your hands on the facelifted version (launched in 2011) - unlikely because of your budget though. Facelifted variant has cruise control and sunroof. More importantly, it will play music from an USB stick! 2008 - 2011 models have only AUX port I think.

2) Honda has issued an airbag recall for the Accord. Check if it has been done by the previous owner
https://www.hondacarindia.com/forms/customerinfo.aspx
Even if it has not been done, no problem - you can get it done yourself at the dealership.

Accord would feel like an upgrade in every sense. Might also be worthwhile to look at Camrys of a similar generation. Toyota's suspension linkages are tougher and you will have less issues with tie-rod ends, lower arms etc. with a Toyota in comparison to a Honda :thumbs up

Also do check out Nissan Teanas as well. If you have a good independent garage, then servicing won't be an issue at all. The Teana takes comfort to the next level offering you levels of comfort that are comparable to a 50 lakh sedan.

Both the cars you have selected are guzzlers. The Accord will give between 5 - 6 kms/ltr and the corolla 7- 8. Since you have good amount of running - 1000 kms per month, I would suggest a well maintained Octavia.

I have personally owned all the 3 cars named above and can vouch for the Octavia. People have had some horror stories with Skodas but I think those times are over now. Most cabs in Eastern europe are Octavias with several of them having run 3 to 4 lac kms without any issues.

Whats more, because of this bad reputation of the Skoda brand in India you may get a real deal on a used one.

1) The Accord would be an upgrade.
2) The Accord would be more spacious
3) The Accord would give 2-3 kmpl lesser FE.
4) The Accord would feel a lot more richer
5) Both are dull to drive except in a straight line.

Go for the Accord to have more fun.

I was faced with a similar situation. I ended up getting a '09 City with 58k on the clock for 2.7L (my budget was up to 7L but this car fit the bill well, was in good condition and offered good value for money).

If I were to pick between the Accord and the Altis, I would pick the Altis. When I asked my mechanic about maintenance costs on the Accord, he said they are pretty expensive especially since I was used to a Brio.

Moreover, the Altis is slightly smaller than the Accord and that is definitely a good thing, especially in Pune's traffic. While I don't know the specific FE figures, the Altis should perform better if compared to an AT or even an MT Accord.

I'm not aware about your specific requirements, but if you want a fun-to-drive sedan you might want to add the Civic to the list too - it's got plenty of power and is pretty practical as well. If you want to use it as a family car, get the Altis. It's super comfortable and has a higher GC than the Accord = better ingress & egress and less scraping on speed bumps. A newer City could be considered as a family car too. I've seen plenty of '12-'13s going for around 5L and '14s going for 7.xx lacs.

Both these cars are from 2 different classes, if you are looking for a proper upgrade Accord should be the choice. But since you are already used to the reliability of Toyota, I suggest to go for Altis for below advantages over accord
+ Better reliability
+ Better FE
+ Better GC
+ Cheaper spares
+ Compact in size

Apart from this Altis has better power figures than the previous gen Corolla.

Independent garage + reliable sources from SEA countries for spares will also be required. Teana parts are little difficult to source.

The Accord is way ahead of the Altis on the overall experience.

Having said that , I am terribly disappointed with the crumbling leather seats on the 2008 and later Accords.

A low run Accord with well kept seats would be my choice.

True that. Accord is one level up on Altis. Comparing Accord to Altis is like comparing Camry to Civic. Accord's peer is Camry. Not Altis.