I am in the process of shopping for a new car. New as in 2013 or 2014. This will be my first car payment and will be financed. The interest rates of new cars is staggering low (less than 1%). My credit score is good. I've done some true cost to own comparing new vs. slightly used (20k mi. 2011 or 2012) and the maintenance costs of used don't outweigh depreciation of new.

But I really like the 2013-2014 Accord interior and exterior a lot. They are pretty.

But what trim level? Even the LX is good. Is the cosmetic upgrades of the Sport worth the extra money? I can buy OEM fog lights for much less than the up-charge. The Sport wheels are nice and as large as I want.


3/29/14 I spend a few hours at the dealership. I drove the following

$21k 2014 Accord LX 4cyl
$20k 2012 Accord SE 4cyl
$23k 2014 Civic EX-L 4cyl
$25k 2014 Mazda 6 Touring 4cyl
$29k 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE w/ Sunroof

previously
$33k 2014 Accord Touring V6

The route i took included a loop that was about 10 miles and included a fairly ****ty 2-lane road leaving town, I-80 on- and off-ramps where I could hit 90 mph on a curve, then back in town in a higher traffic area. I could evaluate suspension, road noise, acceleration, handling, and daily stop-and-go driving.

The 2012 Accord SE was just too dated. It felt like it was 6-8 years old, not 2. The radio is fully removable which is a plus but the dash is ugly. But everything else is plain and boring. Being Certified it gets a 100k mi. powertrain warranty. 5spd auto felt fine, engine felt fine, just plain.

The 2014 Accord LX was very nice to drive, has good looks inside and out. Even for a base model it has great features. I think the Accord Sport will be the next to drive, but I want to try a 6MT version. Cloth interior felt cheaper than leather, but leather is too expensive. Back seat is spacious and comfy. CVT feels fine, no issues other than some studdering while it figures out what to do when making quick accelerations - typical automatic but without shift points. The head unit is integrated and will remain but the screen is huge and recessed.

The 2014 Civic EX-L is the top end model. Feels great, looks fancy with a lot of high tech displays. The touch screen head unit is likely replaceable but decent. It has a USB and HDMI input to allow navigation control of a phone through the HU. Smallest car of the group but best fuel economy as well. Fells nice with plenty of pep.

The 2014 Mazda 6 looks killer inside and out. Fantastic cosmetics. The Touring version I drove was the middle version with leather. Very sporty and comfortable. The trunk was huge but the back seat is the smallest of the group. The radio is not integrated and easily replaced. Comes with 19" wheels which are too big. 17" is my max because we have crappy roads here and low profile tires get flats easy.

The 2014 Passat had the 2.4L TDI engine. The engine felt decent, but akward given the offset of torque vs. HP. take a bit to get it going but it feels good. Certainly the best quality car of the group. The body is stiffer, ride quiter, suspension is better, everything. HU is not integrated and can be replaced. Everything is comfy. The sunroof added $2.5k to the sticker.

Accord EX-L w/ nav


Accord LX or Sport



Civic


Mazda 6




Mazda 6 speaker locations and sizes




someone could employ some Dayton or Peerless speakers in these locations, add an MS-8, and come up with something a lot better than what Bose has going on.

 

I like the Accord the best of those.. Pretty dashboard also..

Hi...Have a great evening buddie..

 

I vote the Mazda, love the looks of the new Mazdas.

 

Added the 2014 Toyota Camry LE to the list. It was pretty damn good. Ride was better than any of the others. And you can get power seats in the base model for $20k. Few others can offer that. Head unit is integrated with vehicle info so it stays put. Dash 3.5" and door and rear deck 6x9 woofers (typical Camry). SE model is just a touch more expensive and you get stiffer suspension (to compete with the Accord), alloy wheels, fog lights, a new grill... Bummer about the LE is steel wheels and wheel covers - screw that noise. Luckily, replacement wheels, fog lights, and a grill are cheaper than the upcharge from the factory and you get something more unique. The steel wheels can become a winter set with my favorite Blizzaks.




And this is the 2014 Passat (for reference). The Passat is still in the running.

 

I really like the gauges on the new Accord - probably the nicest of the group. The spedo needle moves around the outside - that's just cool. And it has a 3D aspect to it.

Camry gauges are pretty slick also - but i prefer a temp gauge over a mpg gauge.



Mazda gauges are typical but seem to waste space with faux triple shrouds

 

Just a couple of comments on the Sport version of the new Accord that your typical Honda salesman may not be aware of.

In addition to bigger wheels and wider tires it also has a faster steering ratio than the other Accords, you can check this out on the specifications page at the Honda site. I believe it also has a stiffer suspension although I have no proof of this, just the opinion of some magazine road testers. To prove it we would need to check the part numbers.

In addition to the fog lights it has a leather covered steering wheel and a leather shift ****, both nice. The 6MT is a lovely gearbox, smooth and precise, the best I have owned. Honda does build a very good CVT but it is still just a CVT and will be noticeably slower than the 6MT.

So I would say that if your are like me and enjoy driving too fast on twisty roads it is a real bargain. It is not considered a "sport sedan" by the experts but I think it may well out handle and out brake some of the ones that are. Acceleration is not up to V6 standards, 0-60 around 7 seconds and 1/4 mile in the low 15s with the manual transmission, but it is not too bad and it does get pretty good mileage.

I considered all the Accords available before buying, just as you are doing. I have owned my 2014 Sport w/6MT for about 2 months and 3800 miles, not very long but long enough to be fairly sure I made the correct decision.

 

Thanks for the input. I'm feeling better about the CVT now that I have researched what it is and how it works. Pretty neat idea and I understand how it saves fuel by maintaining RPM's more consistently.

I also enjoyed driving the 6MT. A very nice gearbox. It did have an issue with parking lot stalking (very slow creeping) - first was too high and second a bit low. I don't understand the gearing for first, it is just too high and not useful for very long.

The Sport also adds a power seat for the driver? That is something I want.

 

some nice info on the CVT in comparison with fixed gears
HowStuffWorks "Cars with CVTs"

 

Nice CVT simulation.

Yes the Sport does have a 10 way power seat, no memory unfortunately. Driving position is excellent in typical Accord fashion.

Manual Trans ratios are not perfect but I am getting used to them. 1st I don't mind but 2nd could be moved up a little to help close the gap between 2nd and 3rd. Reverse is too fast and I have to slip the clutch to get out of the garage at a reasonable speed. The other gears are fine for me.

 

Drove a CVT Sport today. Nice car. I will drive an EX next to see if the improvement in fabric is worth it. i care less about a moonroof but heated side mirrors is cool.