# almost bought an Accord V6 this weekend



## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

I sold my 540i a couple weeks ago and have been fishing for a replacement ever since.. Really want to find a nice, clean CPO 330i but these things are hard to come by in the configuration I want (stick tranny, folding rear seats). I like the 330i. Great handling, great gas mileage for what it is (21/30mpg with a stick), good looks, and I can even re-use my roof rack on it (roof rack is compatible w/ E39).

Anyways, I stopped by a Honda dealer and test drove an Accord EX V6 just for the hell of it. Now the car itself is nothing spectacular.. bottom line, it doesn't drive like a BMW. It's a bit floaty and isolated. Extremely smooth and quiet. Pretty quick (240hp; I'm confident it'll hang with a 330i in a straight line). It even gets 21/30mpg on regular gas. Here's the kicker: the dealer had priced at $500 under invoice. So here's a brand new roomy 4-door with a smooth 240hp motor, leather seats, sunroof, XM radio, Honda quality/reliability, folding rear seats for cargo and priced at $23,200. Realistically, that's several thou less than a typical CPO 2001 330i with 30-40K-ish miles. Crap.. do I really need a BMW that badly? I have an S2K for weekend/fun duty/handling.


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## The Roadstergal (Sep 7, 2002)

Try the Mazda 3 and 6. 


But whatever you get, don't buy a car that bores you.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

AK said:


> I sold my 540i a couple weeks ago and have been fishing for a replacement ever since.. Really want to find a nice, clean CPO 330i but these things are hard to come by in the configuration I want (stick tranny, folding rear seats). I like the 330i. Great handling, great gas mileage for what it is (21/30mpg with a stick), good looks, and I can even re-use my roof rack on it (roof rack is compatible w/ E39).
> 
> Anyways, I stopped by a Honda dealer and test drove an Accord EX V6 just for the hell of it. Now the car itself is nothing spectacular.. bottom line, it doesn't drive like a BMW. It's a bit floaty and isolated. Extremely smooth and quiet. Pretty quick (240hp; I'm confident it'll hang with a 330i in a straight line). It even gets 21/30mpg on regular gas. Here's the kicker: the dealer had priced at $500 under invoice. So here's a brand new roomy 4-door with a smooth 240hp motor, leather seats, sunroof, XM radio, Honda quality/reliability, folding rear seats for cargo and priced at $23,200. Realistically, that's several thou less than a typical CPO 2001 330i with 30-40K-ish miles. Crap.. do I really need a BMW that badly? I have an S2K for weekend/fun duty/handling.


The coupe with the 17s and manual is even better. Torque steer and soft handling compared to my 330i but a nice car and a steal at 22k loaded.


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

The Roadstergal said:


> Try the Mazda 3 and 6.
> 
> But whatever you get, don't buy a car that bores you.


I've driven both the "3M" and the "6M" (labeled as such to avoid confusion with the M3/M6 from Bavaria). In fact, I test drove a 3M hatchback right after I drove the Accord. I like the car, but frankly it doesn't compare to the power, refinement, or lux of the Honda. Also, 3M's are in high demand with limited availability.. the dealers here sell them for MSRP. With the $500 under invoice price on the Accord, the price gap isn't all that huge ($3K or so). Honda resale value is high enough such that TCO over a few years probably isn't much different.

As for the 6M.. there's a couple things I don't like about 'em. I don't care for the center console (HVAC controls down low but display way up high, it's awkward to operate). V6 engine was coarse and buzzy at high RPM, not much torque down low. MPG is not that great (19/26 compared to 21/30 on the more powerful, much smoother Honda). Lower resale value than the Honda as well. I do really like the 5-door hatch version, though. Looks just like the 4-door but has truly enormous cargo capability inside.

I dunno.. I guess since buying my S2K I'm turning into a rice boy


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## GregE_325 (Jan 16, 2002)

The Roadstergal said:


> Try the Mazda 3 and 6.
> 
> But whatever you get, don't buy a car that bores you.


 I bought a new Mazda 3 S sedan last week to replace my constantly-in-the-shop 2001 325. I got mine loaded with leather, xenons, nav system, and all the safety goodies. And of course the 5-speed. I have been very impressed with the handling for a front-driver. There is surprisingly little understeer, and the car is perfectly composed right up to 100mph. There are a few things that are a little on the cheaper side, but nothing that really bothers me. The only thing I really wish for would be that the shifter be a little more "Honda-like" in its precision. But all in all, I'm really very happy with the car.

-- Greg


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

GregE_325 said:


> I bought a new Mazda 3 S sedan last week to replace my constantly-in-the-shop 2001 325. I got mine loaded with leather, xenons, nav system, and all the safety goodies. And of course the 5-speed. I have been very impressed with the handling for a front-driver. There is surprisingly little understeer, and the car is perfectly composed right up to 100mph. There are a few things that are a little on the cheaper side, but nothing that really bothers me. The only thing I really wish for would be that the shifter be a little more "Honda-like" in its precision. But all in all, I'm really very happy with the car.
> 
> -- Greg


Congrats on your car! I really like the "3M". By far the best econobox-class car out there. One question: Do you feel the a/c is adequate? I've lurked on the 3M forum and there's are some threads about people complaining about weak a/c. I figured since you lived in the south, you would know!


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

AK said:


> Congrats on your car! I really like the "3M". By far the best econobox-class car out there. One question: Do you feel the a/c is adequate? I've lurked on the 3M forum and there's are some threads about people complaining about weak a/c. I figured since you lived in the south, you would know!


I've seen the same things about AC on the Edmunds boards.

I know the AC on my 03 Pro ES can only be called anemic.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

That Honda is a bargain especially for that price. 

I'm a big Honda fan, I think they make excellent cars and they always have a 'driver's feel' to them

The Accord with the V6 is pretty fast and definitely will hang with the 330i. The seats are very comfortable and the overall feel of the car is easy and nice.

I highly recommend it and in time you will end up loving it.


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## GregE_325 (Jan 16, 2002)

AK said:


> Congrats on your car! I really like the "3M". By far the best econobox-class car out there. One question: Do you feel the a/c is adequate? I've lurked on the 3M forum and there's are some threads about people complaining about weak a/c. I figured since you lived in the south, you would know!


 Thanks! Yes, I do think the A/C could be a bit on the stronger side. The air feels cold enough, but I wish there was a higher fan speed than what is available. I have the charcoal gray exterior, so my interior is black leather. And it does get a bit warm, especially since the temperatures this weekend were well into the 90's. In fact, I made a comment to my girlfriend this weekend that I wished the A/C had a "hurricane" speed like the 325 did when the fan was full-on. 
I noticed yesterday that the compressor very quickly cycles off when the engine is under a load. Step on the gas, and the cold air goes away quickly. 
But the car has been so much fun to drive, I'm willing to overlook it. I have been thoroughly impressed at how well the car handles for an "economy" car. It might not be quite up to BMW handling standards, but for the money it's better than anything else out there in that price range.

As a side note, I couldn't help but notice how much extra room there is in the engine bay. It looks like they could easily slip a V-6 in there, or maybe a supercharger. It will be interesting to see what the MazdaSpeed version comes out with.


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## madmax2k1 (Jun 4, 2004)

AK said:


> I sold my 540i a couple weeks ago and have been fishing for a replacement ever since.. Really want to find a nice, clean CPO 330i but these things are hard to come by in the configuration I want (stick tranny, folding rear seats). I like the 330i. Great handling, great gas mileage for what it is (21/30mpg with a stick), good looks, and I can even re-use my roof rack on it (roof rack is compatible w/ E39).
> 
> Anyways, I stopped by a Honda dealer and test drove an Accord EX V6 just for the hell of it. Now the car itself is nothing spectacular.. bottom line, it doesn't drive like a BMW. It's a bit floaty and isolated. Extremely smooth and quiet. Pretty quick (240hp; I'm confident it'll hang with a 330i in a straight line). It even gets 21/30mpg on regular gas. Here's the kicker: the dealer had priced at $500 under invoice. So here's a brand new roomy 4-door with a smooth 240hp motor, leather seats, sunroof, XM radio, Honda quality/reliability, folding rear seats for cargo and priced at $23,200. Realistically, that's several thou less than a typical CPO 2001 330i with 30-40K-ish miles. Crap.. do I really need a BMW that badly? I have an S2K for weekend/fun duty/handling.


Don't get fooled by the EPA mileage figures. My wife owns an 03 Accord EX V6; in the city it does 16-17 mpg on average; on the highway it averages 24 mpg. However the Accord has a great interior, nice ride, but below average handling and odd looking exterior.


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## Jever (Apr 16, 2003)

2 of my close friends have Accords. They both love them and have no complaints. It's one of the top cars on my list for a daily driver.


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

madmax2k1 said:


> Don't get fooled by the EPA mileage figures. My wife owns an 03 Accord EX V6; in the city it does 16-17 mpg on average; on the highway it averages 24 mpg. However the Accord has a great interior, nice ride, but below average handling and odd looking exterior.


Those numbers are pretty far off the 21/30 estimates. Almost seems like something would be wrong (or your wife has a habit of treating both the brake and accelerator pedals like on/off switches).

I drive the crap out of my S2000 (lots of VTEC) and I get about 22-23mpg. It has a 20/26 EPA estimate.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

Three letters. C T S


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

jw said:


> Three letters. C T S


I'd consider a CTS but they're a good ~$10K outside my price range. Ownership costs will be high as well since Caddys have pretty awful resale values.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

jw said:


> Three letters. C T S


What the blazes does that have to do with him looking at an Accord?


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

blueguydotcom said:


> What the blazes does that have to do with him looking at an Accord?


He'll get it.


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## jw (Dec 21, 2001)

AK said:


> I'd consider a CTS but they're a good ~$10K outside my price range. Ownership costs will be high as well since Caddys have pretty awful resale values.


Good point about ownership. Have you looked into recent incentives? GM sales took a hit and I hear they just tacked on some more money back.

Anyhow... you can't go wrong with a Honda. Personally, I've never owned one. Every time I considered one I wound up picking another brand.


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

blueguydotcom said:


> What the blazes does that have to do with him looking at an Accord?


It's relevant.. Over the past few weeks I've test driven lots of new cars...

Mazda 3s
Mazda 6s
Honda Accord V6
Infiniti G35 6MT
Lexus IS300 5MT
Toyota Prius
Scion xB - I was curious 
BMW 330i 5MT (2001 CPO car)

I also did a 24 hour test drive of a Cadillac CTS (3.6 V6) a few months ago so I'm reasonably familiar with it.

Each one had their strengths and weaknesses.. The 330i is my favorite (probably not hard to guess why) but as I said above, it's proving to be nearly impossible to find one with the options I want (stick, sport pkg, folding rear seats).


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

AK said:


> It's relevant.. Over the past few weeks I've test driven lots of new cars...
> 
> Mazda 3s
> Mazda 6s
> ...


I get it. It was more a dig on the Caddy. I took one for a spin too - totally not my kind of car. And my list of test drives was crazy long. I drove just about every car under 45k.

Once I took a 330i for a spin I was done. Oh if only the new TL had been out or I had never gotten my hands on a ZHP. I'd have an Acura or an Infiniti right now. Damn...


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## AK (Jan 19, 2002)

blueguydotcom said:


> Once I took a 330i for a spin I was done. Oh if only the new TL had been out or I had never gotten my hands on a ZHP. I'd have an Acura or an Infiniti right now. Damn...


I forgot to mention I drove a new TL (and the G35) back to back. I preferred the way the G35 drove; it felt more nimble. G-spot cost a few K less and Infiniti is pushing 0.9% financing, too. As far as 330 ZHPs go, one of the local dealers here offered me one for $500 under invoice last week, but that still makes it ~$39K and quite a bit more than I'm willing to spend.

Like one of my friends just told me, "Welcome to 2-car hell."


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