"Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents" (Ice-man)
11/22/2013 at 15:08 • Filed to: Oppo Reviews, Review
0
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"Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents" (Ice-man)
11/22/2013 at 15:08 • Filed to: Oppo Reviews, Review | 0
| 1 |
Yes I capitalised every word of the heading. So what?
Having dropped off my 2000 Accord diagnosed with an EGR problem, I was offered a loaner car until they got mine ready. I happily agreed when I was offered a 2013 Accord coupé to drive around. So here are my impressions
Exterior - 6.5/10
I do not place a lot of emphasis on styling as long as it doesn't look like an eyesore. I do not expect a Diablo for $30,000 but atleast don't give me an Aztek. On that front, the accord does pretty well. Styling is pretty much evolutionary, carrying over cues from the previous gen. As someone who is comparing models that are separated by more than a decade, it is amazing how high a lot of the car is compared to the older models. Higher crash protection the reason? Also, nice wheels with Michelin's running 215's I think. I saw one of those newer Civics and good god is the front end ugly with an extra side of chrome.
Interior -
Seats - 6.5/10
The car I've been given has black cloth seats and hasn't really been kept in top shape. I did sit in another Accord with ivory/black leather interior and it was really nice and bright. No luck if your kid spills something though. The cloth seats themselves were adequate in terms of support during cornering. I would have preferred just a bit more width halfway up the seat and I'm a pretty normal sized 5'11 guy. Being not ultra fat, that part somewhat surprised me. I'm still surprised. Anyone have any idea why? Similar experience?
Instrument Cluster. Climate Control & Other Doohickeys - 9/10
Big bright tacho and speedometers and other gauges. Honda continues using white in there and it still looks pretty good. I know some who absolutely do not like the usage of white but I do. This sport model also has an Eco mode which when used lights up a tree shaped light on the cluster. MPGmeter, outside air temperature, mileage are all displayed in the centre of the speedo. Neat, functional and clean without feeling cluttered or too large. Climate control is a pretty standard dual zone system. Infotainment is worlds away from the tired old system I have on mine. Rear-view camera, bluetooth sync, ability to take and make calls through the car etc. All fun and nice to have and work quite well.
The Wheel - 7.5/10
Felt small initially but you get used to it very quickly. It doesn't feel heavy or light. Buttons are a bit of a miss. Placement is slightly awkward for me and I hate the 4-way buttons being used instead of separate ones. The 4-way button for volume and station selection is just squishy and annoying to use while driving primarily because there isn't a hard 'click' type of feedback that you get with a single button. Perhaps you'd get used to it overtime? This one being a sport-model, comes with paddle shifters. You can just about see the + and - signs on top of these paddles (stalks really) behind the cross-arm of the steering wheel. I was wary of using them, wondering how they'd feel. Surprisingly good! But my only peeve is that they're about a quarter inch too far from the edge of the wheel. If they're just that little bit more away from the centre, they'd be more ergonomic in a way. That way you wouldn't have to straighten your middle finger to tap the paddle. Sounds like its minor but it is a tad irritating. Its amazing how little things like that which irritate us :)
Acceleration - 8/10
Stomp on the gas and it flies. There is enough oomph. Enough said. In the normal mode, there isn't any trouble getting it up to speed from a standstill or speeding up on the ramp to freeway speed. Smooth and steady she goes. In the eco-mode however, there is a marked reduction in accelerating ability overall. This is perhaps a fuel-saving measure though I noticed that engine revs were higher in this mode compared to the normal mode. Wonder what Honda has done.
Braking - 9/10
Hit the brakes and it stops. Good pedal feel and is pretty well damped.
Ride and Handling - 9/10
Coming from an old car, you'd see why I gave this one 9. It feels like an RB9 compared to my tired old dog. The wheel is light but not overly so. It handles curved ramps with ease and there is little lean, if at all. Sustained turns are comfortable and quick lane changes are just as easy. Low speed parking lot handling is just as good and the car doesn't feel cumbersome at all.
The ride is smooth and the small bumps aren't really felt at all. My very pregnant wife certainly loved the ride in this one compared to our car :)
Transmission - 9/10
It has a CVT. Before you starting taking off your shoes to throw at me, read on. It was smooth. Power delivery was excellent at all speeds without hunting or lugging or any of those typical cvt'ish complaints of earlier. It held a constant 1.2k revs right from about 15mph to 60, blipping higher initially off the line, in the normal mode. This is why I was surprised that the so-called 'eco mode' led to higher revs. Throttle input was very similar on both occasions. In Drive, you could let it run as an auto and still use the paddle shifters to shift higher or lower as needed. In Austin's ups and downs this was fun, as was slowing down to a red light using engine braking instead of using the brakes. A 7-speed paddle shift option is also present if you choose to tap your way up and down the gears. The noise deadening of these new cars makes it slightly more difficult to shift by ear but you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Value - ?
Your pick.
Conclusions - Well, if I was in the market for a new car and had a budget of around $30k, I would seriously consider this one. Although I would get the 4-door model. Would I rather get a used low mileage 3-series? I'm not sure. The ride and handling would probably be better but would my wallet if something goes wrong? I don't think so.
TL:DR - Drove a new CVT-Honda Accord and I liked it, because I'm used to driving an old dog of a car and anything new is fun and so much better!
All pictures are mine.
BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
> Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents
11/22/2013 at 16:46 |
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I would say forgo the major options and get a Sport for 26k. It's got all of the essentials, and saves you enough for any other shenanigans you'd want.