Tested & Ripped : 2008 Honda Accord

mobike008 · 16th May 2008, 13:29

Vcash, that was one amazing TD review and i must say you do have a flair for words. New Accord is really a stunning piece of machinery, i have seen a couple of white accords here in Hyderabad on my way to work and agreed it is indeed huge in size and a head turner.

Btw, Between OTR Delhi and OTR rest of the india there is a huge price difference

sbelekar · 16th May 2008, 13:40

Thanks for the great TD review vcash. Its very well written.

hondadude · 16th May 2008, 16:06

Fantastic review vcash! Looks like Honda has another winner.

Has anyone in Bangalore done a TD yet on Bangalore speed-breakers? I am very curious find out if it bottoms out like Civic & NHC.

Totally OT, but fascination to title test drive as Tested and Ripped continues. Its kinda silly to have ripped in the title for a normal test drive.

.anshuman · 16th May 2008, 16:13

Good review vcash,its very sad to see ESP and TCS missing from a car in this segment.

vasudeva · 16th May 2008, 16:15

The substantial increase in size is a negative for me. But as you have implied, that has been offset by the driveability. Between the CRV and Accord, my choice would be the CRV and the old CRV (pre-2007) at that. But for practical and image reasons, Accord.

ashish22 · 16th May 2008, 16:23

excellent review. very disappointing that indian accord doesnt come equipped with the lcd screen.
pearl honda is friendly and proactive maybe because its a new dealership.

so you would prefer the MT one or the AT?

rangaraj · 16th May 2008, 17:29

Went and had a look at the car today. Overall looks huge. Here are my impressions:

1. Exterior: Nice lines from the side, front has a bit of a cow catcher design to it, so wish they added a front parking sensors in the centre besides the two on either side. There is a certain class to it, but overall i seem to think the old accord looked better from the front. But having said that it will still turn heads..especially the black one. The radio antenna is part of the rear windshield. Chrome door handles is a nice touch and feels solid. The doors open nice and wide. The car is nearly one foot longer than the CRV.

Note: Did notice a customer's (new model) CRV parked outside and the leather seemed to be looking old already (cracks) - maybe too much of exposure to the bangalore sun!

2. Interiors: the sales lady handed over the keys - includes a valet key that prevents access to the glove compartment and the boot. The ingress is good, seat is comfy and gives you a good feeling. The dash is fairly straight forward - has the usual rpm/speedo/fuel guage. There is a door indicator and a trip meter (a/b), the outside temp (wonder why they did not have it in the other display with the a/c details) and the odometer with the usual warning lights.

The center section seems wider than the older model and the plastics seem to be a tad low quality for this class, but it shows only on close observation. The display is single colour and displays time, a/c controls (dual zone), music details. Did not get to check out the sound quality as there was bad quality FM and did not have a CD. Wonder if the display is smart to pickup material from a MP3 player connected via the USB (iPOD compliant?)

The Dash is fairly wide - one glove box that is lockable on passenger side (dont think it is cooled). Couple of storage elements in the center (below the music console), front/rear of the gear lever and under the arm rest. One for glasses near the rear view mirror.

As stated earlier by others the rear seating space is great as well. The rear A/C vents are between the front two seats, no adjustment on the speed though. The center of the rear seat doubles up as a arm rest (with the music system control located in there) and when folded, still juts out - i am sure the middle seat is not the best place with the center hump at the floor level as well for long distances.

The boot is large and deep, but not too high, so cannot stack US suitcases vertically. The boot has a nicely laid out spare, tool kit, jack etc. below the mat.

There is no concept of multiple trims/models, but the Inspire and Elegance are just kits to add onto the base model, so there is nothing you compromise by going with the base.

No cars available for test drives (gone for RTO clearance)

FE is supposed to be 8-9 in city in the manual (the 2L CRV will be around 9-10). the auto will bring it down by 2kmpl. the fuel tank capacity though is huge - 70L! So a long distance trip should last 700kms at least...
PRice on road (with extended warranty) in bangalore:
Manual - 19.81L
Auto - 20.7L (about 90K more)
the sales lady mentioned that deliveries start June 1st. Got 80 bookings so far (if true would make the numbers across the country a runaway success for honda!), and backlog is around 15 days for delivery now.

Based on the info below the mind says go for the Accord. Heart is still in two minds

It is around 70K cheaper than the 2L CRV and around 2.2L cheaper than the 2.4L CRV on road. The 2L will be sluggish compared to the 2.4L i am sure. Has anyone bought or taken a test drive on the 2L CRV?

rangaraj · 16th May 2008, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasudeva

The substantial increase in size is a negative for me. But as you have implied, that has been offset by the driveability. Between the CRV and Accord, my choice would be the CRV and the old CRV (pre-2007) at that. But for practical and image reasons, Accord.

Driveability in the city - CRV. Spares cost (Accord is locally assembled, CRV is imported), FE, price diff, resale value (especially with the local CRV/Diesel CRV coming) would point towards the Accord.

anandpadhye · 16th May 2008, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by rangaraj

Driveability in the city - CRV. Spares cost (Accord is locally assembled, CRV is imported), FE, price diff, resale value (especially with the local CRV/Diesel CRV coming) would point towards the Accord.

Local CR-V coming?
When?

It will sell ~1000/month then....

Diesel CR-V coming?
Really???

How about a "local diesel" CR-V?

rangaraj · 16th May 2008, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Local CR-V coming?
When?

It will sell ~1000/month then....

That was what is going around as rumours - some mention by the honda officials as well. The big question is when?

Quote:

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Diesel CR-V coming?
Really???

How about a "local diesel" CR-V?

See.. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-spy-pics.html

Spinner Wheelz · 16th May 2008, 20:28

A great car !!

Sorry a WOW car !!

I just wish Honda give the Accord a 3 litre heart with a 250 bhp at the crank shaft and a proper manual or a paddle shift and dual exhausts in near future !!

And with 17 incher chrome spinners , the car will be heaven !!

Spinner Wheelz

GTO - Touring · 16th May 2008, 20:34

Talk about stuffing a car up! With a 1525 kilo kerb weight, the Accord is now heavier than the new C Class (1490 kg) and only 90 lesser than the E Class (1615).

Is the build quality good? Does it have that *heavy* feeling? Is Honda trying to emulate the Europeans? First the chunky looks, then the three stage doors, then thick gauge sheet metal?

vcash · 16th May 2008, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by hondadude

Totally OT, but fascination to title test drive as Tested and Ripped continues. Its kinda silly to have ripped in the title for a normal test drive.

I totally agree! I actually posted this review in the Accord launched thread and it was moved by one of the moderators who christined the thread so. I have not ripped anything in my life - except my pants when I was flexing my glutes for some cheerleaders in college - needless to say I have an aversion to pants and cheerleaders.

P.S. the only other ripping I know of is what irags does to Dhanno on a daily basis - but I think a vowel or two can be interchanged and added / subtracted in Ripping (sic)

PatienceWins · 16th May 2008, 23:10

Great review. My liking for the new accord is increasing.

Cyrus43 · 16th May 2008, 23:23

A friend of mine just got delivery of the First new gen accord in bombay. Will get pictures tomorrow.

16th May 2008, 13:29	#16
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,695 Thanked: 14,800 Times View My Garage	Vcash, that was one amazing TD review and i must say you do have a flair for words. New Accord is really a stunning piece of machinery, i have seen a couple of white accords here in Hyderabad on my way to work and agreed it is indeed huge in size and a head turner. Btw, Between OTR Delhi and OTR rest of the india there is a huge price difference Last edited by mobike008 : 16th May 2008 at 13:31.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 13:40	#17
sbelekar BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 57 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Thanks for the great TD review vcash. Its very well written.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 16:06	#18
hondadude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,044 Thanked: 69 Times	Fantastic review vcash! Looks like Honda has another winner. Has anyone in Bangalore done a TD yet on Bangalore speed-breakers? I am very curious find out if it bottoms out like Civic & NHC. Totally OT, but fascination to title test drive as *Tested and Ripped* continues. Its kinda silly to have ripped in the title for a normal test drive.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 16:13	#19
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	Good review vcash,its very sad to see ESP and TCS missing from a car in this segment.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 16:15	#20
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	The substantial increase in size is a negative for me. But as you have implied, that has been offset by the driveability. Between the CRV and Accord, my choice would be the CRV and the old CRV (pre-2007) at that. But for practical and image reasons, Accord.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 16:23	#21
ashish22 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 598 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	excellent review. very disappointing that indian accord doesnt come equipped with the lcd screen. pearl honda is friendly and proactive maybe because its a new dealership. so you would prefer the MT one or the AT?
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 17:29	#22
rangaraj BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 570 Thanked: 10 Times	Went and had a look at the car today. Overall looks huge. Here are my impressions: 1. Exterior: Nice lines from the side, front has a bit of a cow catcher design to it, so wish they added a front parking sensors in the centre besides the two on either side. There is a certain class to it, but overall i seem to think the old accord looked better from the front. But having said that it will still turn heads..especially the black one. The radio antenna is part of the rear windshield. Chrome door handles is a nice touch and feels solid. The doors open nice and wide. The car is nearly one foot longer than the CRV. Note: Did notice a customer's (new model) CRV parked outside and the leather seemed to be looking old already (cracks) - maybe too much of exposure to the bangalore sun! 2. Interiors: the sales lady handed over the keys - includes a valet key that prevents access to the glove compartment and the boot. The ingress is good, seat is comfy and gives you a good feeling. The dash is fairly straight forward - has the usual rpm/speedo/fuel guage. There is a door indicator and a trip meter (a/b), the outside temp (wonder why they did not have it in the other display with the a/c details) and the odometer with the usual warning lights. The center section seems wider than the older model and the plastics seem to be a tad low quality for this class, but it shows only on close observation. The display is single colour and displays time, a/c controls (dual zone), music details. Did not get to check out the sound quality as there was bad quality FM and did not have a CD. Wonder if the display is smart to pickup material from a MP3 player connected via the USB (iPOD compliant?) The Dash is fairly wide - one glove box that is lockable on passenger side (dont think it is cooled). Couple of storage elements in the center (below the music console), front/rear of the gear lever and under the arm rest. One for glasses near the rear view mirror. As stated earlier by others the rear seating space is great as well. The rear A/C vents are between the front two seats, no adjustment on the speed though. The center of the rear seat doubles up as a arm rest (with the music system control located in there) and when folded, still juts out - i am sure the middle seat is not the best place with the center hump at the floor level as well for long distances. The boot is large and deep, but not too high, so cannot stack US suitcases vertically. The boot has a nicely laid out spare, tool kit, jack etc. below the mat. There is no concept of multiple trims/models, but the Inspire and Elegance are just kits to add onto the base model, so there is nothing you compromise by going with the base. No cars available for test drives (gone for RTO clearance) FE is supposed to be 8-9 in city in the manual (the 2L CRV will be around 9-10). the auto will bring it down by 2kmpl. the fuel tank capacity though is huge - 70L! So a long distance trip should last 700kms at least... PRice on road (with extended warranty) in bangalore: Manual - 19.81L Auto - 20.7L (about 90K more) the sales lady mentioned that deliveries start June 1st. Got 80 bookings so far (if true would make the numbers across the country a runaway success for honda!), and backlog is around 15 days for delivery now. Based on the info below the mind says go for the Accord. Heart is still in two minds It is around 70K cheaper than the 2L CRV and around 2.2L cheaper than the 2.4L CRV on road. The 2L will be sluggish compared to the 2.4L i am sure. Has anyone bought or taken a test drive on the 2L CRV?
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 20:28	#26
Spinner Wheelz Newbie Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gurgawn Posts: 15 Thanked: 0 Times	A great car !! Sorry a WOW car !! I just wish Honda give the Accord a 3 litre heart with a 250 bhp at the crank shaft and a proper manual or a paddle shift and dual exhausts in near future !! And with 17 incher chrome spinners , the car will be heaven !! Spinner Wheelz
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 20:34	#27
GTO - Touring BHPian Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 710 Thanked: 54 Times	Talk about stuffing a car up! With a 1525 kilo kerb weight, the Accord is now heavier than the new C Class (1490 kg) and only 90 lesser than the E Class (1615). Is the build quality good? Does it have that heavy feeling? Is Honda trying to emulate the Europeans? First the chunky looks, then the three stage doors, then thick gauge sheet metal? Last edited by GTO - Touring : 16th May 2008 at 20:36.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 23:10	#29
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 807 Times View My Garage	Great review. My liking for the new accord is increasing.
	() Thanks

16th May 2008, 23:23	#30
Cyrus43 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 5,019 Thanked: 221 Times View My Garage	A friend of mine just got delivery of the First new gen accord in bombay. Will get pictures tomorrow.
	() Thanks