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Old 12th March 2009, 22:23   #16
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There will be 2 types of buyers,

1) The person who will sit in the back seat - but no goodies to enjoy at the price

2) The enthusiastic person who will drive - but no manual transmission

So it's a double fail *rolls eyes*

I see no way that they can justify the 7L price hike, other than buying a powerful car from a Japanese company for a cheaper price, but then isn't the 2.4 at 17.3L ex showroom good enough for that..
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Old 12th March 2009, 22:45   #17
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Good one Vivek500:P

At 25lac it does 200plus but needs better stability and brakes and goodies
Dont you think its better to opt for a Beemer for 5 lacs extra?
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Old 12th March 2009, 23:30   #18
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Nice write up vivek.. Never really liked the 2.4 lt accord.The engine has no grunt at all.This should be much much better.But 25lakhs.Thats asking a little too much, i think.
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Old 12th March 2009, 23:37   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkdas View Post
Good one Vivek500:P

At 25lac it does 200plus but needs better stability and brakes and goodies
Dont you think its better to opt for a Beemer for 5 lacs extra?
You get the brakes and the goodies, but no horsepower to match :P

It is better to just improve the Accord with that money. Of course, you won't get RWD. Considering the engine that comes with it, I think it's an okay price to pay. Then again, I never even considered the Altis, so it might be just me.
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Old 12th March 2009, 23:48   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ImmortalZ View Post
You get the brakes and the goodies, but no horsepower to match :P

It is better to just improve the Accord with that money. Of course, you won't get RWD. Considering the engine that comes with it, I think it's an okay price to pay. Then again, I never even considered the Altis, so it might be just me.

Why pay 26lac OTR when you have a driver's dream at 301-31lac which is buy and play? Without control,power is nothing right? I would happy zip around in a more stable car and even zoom ahead than a car which is less stable and has more power.

And has diesel option? and lot of better goodies.

Remember Spiderman?
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Old 13th March 2009, 00:04   #21
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And what about the maintenance associated with it.
And the harsh ride due to run flats and what not?
I feel the accord is for the one who wants mind blowing performance with luxury at a good price while the german gang ( Merc , Audi , BMW) for the one who wants a badge value while compromising a bit on the performance and the comfort bit.


JUST MY OPINION.
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Old 13th March 2009, 02:01   #22
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Good review Vivek ,seems like you enjoyed every moment of the last one week and how about that travelogue too if you can spill it here.
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Old 13th March 2009, 06:56   #23
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The Accord V6 at Rs.25lakhs is still a great deal considering the performance on offer. Only that it looks terribly expensive in comparison with its four pot version.

Anything German with less power output is still more expensive-both to buy and maintain. And Reliability? Ask GTO.
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Old 13th March 2009, 07:20   #24
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Great review, Vivek ..

Honda has always been a great car to drive.

At 25L it is expensive but then the comparison is also because Honda offers a cheaper option in 4 Cyl format. IMO, had Honda offered only a V6 there would not have been a lot of discussion around the pricing.
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Old 13th March 2009, 08:00   #25
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Very True Ardy. If Honda wasn't selling the Accord 2.4, it would be impossible to gauge the cost of the V6 engine or two additional cylinders.
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Old 13th March 2009, 10:37   #26
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Thanks for the awesome review, Vivek. Great pictures and very well-written.

Frankly, even as a petrolhead, I am terribly disappointed with the Accord V6. Here is why:

1. Price : 7 - 8 lakhs more than the I-4 Automatic? You got to be kidding me. Get the manual (an enthusiasts choice) I-4 into the picture, and we are looking at a near 10 lakh price difference. What has Honda been smoking again?

2. Differential value : For 8 lakhs more than the I-4, what is a V6 owner getting? There is simply no justification for this premium by way of additional equipment. Heck, there aren't even xenon headlamps or a damn sunroof! 8 lakhs is a lot of money for 90 horsepower. Heck, 8 lakhs can buy you a full car with 100 horses on tap (Fiesta 1.6 etc.). Gotta hand it to Skoda for the way they positioned the RS. It carried a premium tag but had pretty much all the bells & whistles, along with a suspension capable of handling those extra horses.

3. Even with all that additional power, how exactly are you going to put it to use? The I-4 - as competent as it is - is NOT a handler. Its like a large boat. Ditto with the V6. Even the previous Accord was driver-oriented compared to this 26 lakh Accord. We have to realise that more horsepower doesn't necessarily equate to a better driving experience. Its only when the car CAN HANDLE the additional power that its fun. I am willing to bet that a 150 BHP RS is more fun to drive than a V6 Accord.

4. Honda has shot itself in the foot. An overpriced variant, terrible FE and basic equipment levels will ensure that V6 owners suffer from terrible resale. After all, the I-4 meets 99% of the requirements of the market and is a whopping 8 lakhs cheaper.

The Accord I-4 remains one of the most sensible choices in that segment. And the V6 one of the stupidest. Strange how only 2 cylinders and a maniac of a bean counter can ruin the proposition.

If Honda continues to wear the dunce cap that they have in the past 12 months, competition is going to walk all over them. They totally botched up the Civic Hybrid, launched a premium price ANHC - a car that reeks of cost cutting (starting with the interiors), and now a V6 that is priced out of Hondas league. At a 2.5 lakh premium, the previous V6 bombed. Even my 1st grader cousin could guess the fate of a 8 lakh premium.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vivekji05 View Post
It’s been a week of driving six cylinder cars like the Audi A4 3.2FSI and the BMW 325i.
How about a review of the 3.2? What a car.

Quote:
Braking was adequate and secure for a vehicle of this class, but considering the additional power, it could have been made better.
Quote:
When you push it hard, the engine will oblige but the softness of the suspension will hold you back.
Quote:
I had both my hands on the wheel and it still needed a lot of corrections to be going straight.
Quote:
The soft suspension makes it harder to explore the abilities of the engine and that is the main problem with the V6.
Quote:
It would be strange to say that the previous generation Accord 3.0 V6 with 220horses felt much sharper to drive than this one.

Last edited by GTO : 13th March 2009 at 10:49.
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Old 13th March 2009, 12:18   #27
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Is Accord supposed to be a enthusiast's car? Its a family car which happens to handle well (relative), compliant ride, well built, reliable, good FE, safety etc., The V6 is faster in straight line. Did we have any other expectations?

The price is horrible.
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Old 13th March 2009, 13:21   #28
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Woah! Thats one mean machine to make you week in your knees.

I wish I get to lay my hands soon on this rocket and take it to the moon and back.
 
Old 13th March 2009, 14:09   #29
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"apne pair pe kulhadi maar li " . 25 lacs is too expensive for the v6. At bangalore it is easily going to be 2-3 lacs more aswell with the exhorbitant taxes. The pricing is a real downer for a car which would have done really well if the pricing was in 20-22 lac range.
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Old 13th March 2009, 14:19   #30
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Vivek, excellent review. Very well written with all details covered. It was a pleasure reading it with the pics. Such reviews make Tbhp all the more interesting. Cheers.
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