What level are Hondas on??
 

Where on the motoring food chain are Hondas?
I always thought they were at the higher end,but other people disagree.
This is MY list.

Mercedes.
BMW.
Audi.
Honda.
VW.
Toyota.
Ford.
Vauxhall.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

You can't really put Honda above acura (unless you're grouping them together) and I believe that most people think VW is more of a "luxury" car than honda, Toyota and Honda are about even but I'd say, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Acura, VW, Honda, Toyota.... According to your list anyway.... They are really nice cars but if you don't like imports you won't think much of them... if you're okay with imports then it's no secret that Honda's will run longer than most any car on the road

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Didn't Motor Trend pick the Accord in their annual 10 Best something like 18 years out of 20? That should give you a clue. I'll take Japanese simplicity over German complexity anytime.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

I'd agree with you 100% RtexasF I was speaking more about non-honda owners general perception of the cars, they're great rated and reliable, comfortable etc but they don't exactly scream luxury, extreme power or rich.... When you see a BMW or Mercedes drive down the road people generally think there's a really nice car, expensive, but nice, when they see an accord they just think oh look another car... if that makes sense, I'd agree that rating wise Honda's are the best out there, however, perception wise I think the public generally catagorizes them as just some car, no luxurious, not fast, just an every day reliable car

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

I agree. I have a friend who recently got rid of his older BMW and according to him it costs around $300 just to diagnose any problem the car has. Thats insane....

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

My dad had an audi quattro A4 and 1 headlight for that thing was $210.00 (cheapest I could find) parts are just spendy and aftermarket stuff doesn't exist for a lot of them.... He about puked when I showed him a set of stock Honda lights on e-bay for $10.00

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

id put honda in front of mercedes any time. my ML repairs costed me as much as the car itself. even with the warranty
its a pain in the **BUTT** just taking it to the dealer every week for something. honda so far ,only an oil change.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

me too. my neighbors BMW (and ex-neighbor's Mercedes) are always in the shop...

and I mean always!

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

you got the list all wrong in terms of reliability

Toyota.
Honda.
Ford.
Mercedes.
BMW.
Audi.
VW.

I never heard of these guys so...I cannot compare

Vauxhall.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

to each their own....

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Since Consumer reports actually takes their data from their user base, I would guess that it is fairly accurate.....

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

It all depends on what the criteria is for excellence. If it's cost of the vehicle, then that's one thing, but high cost does not necessarily equal low cost of ownership.

I used to own a Mercedes 560SEL. It was a money pit.

I considered buying one of the W140 series Mercedes - until I found out that its high-tech electric rear-view mirror was over $400. If anyone (including an experienced owner) got in the vehicle and tried to adjust that mirror manually, "click", and you're out over $400. Don't ask about those double-paned windows, and pray to God nothing goes wrong with that high-tech drive train.

To me it's very simple - if you want the best bang for the buck, get a Honda or Toyota (used is probably better than new) upper end vehicle. If you want an expensive high-quality car, get Acura or Lexus.

That's my two cents.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

I agree too. European cars in general are just money pits. They have all kinds of cool goodies etc and run silky smooth and so clean when in good condition. Then all a sudden, bam, something goes wrong and you know it's going to cost....my parents both have european cars. i tell them it's a waste of money in terms of upkeep...they don't listen. sigh.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

A little off-topic, but where are Acura and Lexus products built?

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

acura , lexus, infinity are all dressed up hondas , toyotas and nissans. they are all built in japan but assembled here in
north america.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

that is not entirely accurate

Honda acocrds and acuras are built in marysville OH and use A LOT OF domestic content (that is why they have lots of problems compared to previous gen cars)

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

I would put Audi above Mercedes. Owned Vauxhalls/Opel (GM euro models), Fords and recently a VW (not a week yet). Cars are a bit like music and very subjective. How do you categorise them? Quality, cost, fun factor, reliability, luxury etc.
Ear to ear grin..then a Ferrari (not on list)
Reliability probably Honda (from experience).
Luxury and performance - BMW/Mercedes?

The VW I now own seems pretty much like the Honda in many ways. Euro cars in Europe are not quite so expensive ;)

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Speaking of VW, I pulled up next to one at the gas station and it sounded like a diesel and it was a gas powered car...........it wasn't that old either (middle 90's)

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

This is the way i see it.

If you are looking for a tough reliable car, then look for one that has been out a long time. The porsche 911 has been running forever, thats why they can make it cheap(comparably) and its one of the best cars you can get performance-wise for even twice the money.

The accord has been made since the 70's? that goes to show you something. If it was garbage, then people would have caught on. Its true in all cases. The F-150? I would also look at what is 10-15 years old. What kinda shape are most jettas in from the 80's early 90s? garbage almost always. I found a lot of mazda/honda that were in great shape for the same money.

just my $0.02
Jeff

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

HONDA ANY DAY... MY FRIEND OWNS A GERMAN SPEC BMW 325I GOOD AT TOP END BUT MY ALMOST STOCK ACCORD WILL TAKE HIM DOWN LOW AND REPAIRS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, MY MOTHER OWNS A LEXUS AND THAT THING JUST SUCKS (03). MY SISTER OWNED NUMERIOUS TOYOTAS THERE NOT BAD. I WAS STATIONED IN GERMANY AND RENTED A FEW MERCEDES THEY ALRIGHT A LITTLE TO MUCH ELECTRONICS TO HAVE FUN. I BORROWED A PASSAT AND BROKE THE TRANNY WITH ONE POP OF THE CLUTCH... OOPS MY BAD! NEVER DROVE A FORD... THE NEVER AUDIS LOOK BADASS. SO OVER ALL ILL TAKE A ACCORD ANY DAY. NOT BECAUSE OF LACK OF FUNDS BUT BECAUSE THEY ROCK!

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Hondas are cheaply made as we all know so thats out of the luxury class. I'd say there right near the btm somewhere, but hey we all love em still

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

eww, i hate luxury cars

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

This might be a stupid question, but anyone know why honda's last so long, i mean my dad has a 91 lx accord with 300,000 miles and the thing is still running like a beast. Iam just curious how these cars last so long and are so cheap?

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

well now it all depends on what your judging that cars on. anyone now can make a nice new car. id like to compare some 15 year old cars and see where mbz and bmw end up....definately at the bottom of cars you would want to take on a long road trip. now my 91 accord with 260 thousand on it..any day. it just has the power of the ages behind it. it has just started up and driven me whereever i need to go sooo many times.....chances are it will do it again and ill bet money on it too. the reason hondas last so long is because they were built to. especially the 90-93's, they have an indefinate life span. why should your injectors or sensors or crank ever go out? it shouldnt and it really isnt that hard to make sure that it doesnt, but just like the new stride gum commercial. if the gum lasts longer then they will sell less gum. well cars are the same way and thats why many cars dont last very long. i talked to one of the original designers of my car , a 91 accord station wagon, and he said that the f22 motor was designed to last 750,000 miles.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

90-93 accords have a f22 engine?

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

wtf, that's a lot of miles

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Yes, there are many ways of judging vehicles and I also would like to see how 15 year old vehicles compare in terms of overall cost of ownership.

A few things that have amazed me about the LX Accord that my wife bought new in 92:

-Not one rip or tear in our original upholstery.

-Not one crack or deterioration in the plastic of the dash or anywhere else on the interior. The headliner is perfect. Window and door gaskets are still original and in good condition.

-Even though the car sat out in the harsh Canadian environment for over 8 years (it is garaged, now), the paint still looks remarkably good. Although there are a few sand pits in the hood, none have expanded with rust, and the underside of the hood looks the same as it did on Day 1.

-I replaced the timing belt, etc. etc. a couple of months ago. Now the engine runs like new.

-As far as I can tell, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the transmission.

-Now that most suspension parts have been recently replaced (by me), the car handles like new.

-As long as the tires are rotated properly, the tires last as long as they're supposed to.

-The original Panasonic battery lasted 13 years.

-I just replaced the original alternator and power steering pump belts.

-I just replaced the front pads for the second time. The shoes in the back are original and have a lot of wear remaining. The calipers in front and the rear wheel cylinders and mechanism are functioning normally.

-Rack and pinion seem to be fine, with no excessive play.

-The rad is original and fine. The heater core is original and fine. All coolant hoses are original and still fine - not soft. (I've got replacemnets ready to go.)

-There has never been a single electrical, electronic, or ignition problem with the car. The dist cover, rotor, wires and plugs are original ! (Even so, the engine runs perfectly.)

-The trunk looks like new in every respect.

I think the sad fact is that "they" don't build them like this anymore - at that price, at least.

Maybe Toyota, Acura, or Lexus, are still being made as reliable, but I wouldn't bet on it.

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Driving a 03 VW Passat, SFSG ;)

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

cheaply made compared to what? Compared to their direct competition, they are quite well made and last a lot longer. Accords are routinely traded in with well over 200K miles on them and the car dealers will put them out on their lots and sell them like hotcakes......

RE: What level are Hondas on??
 

Got to admit Hondas are extremely well made. In the UK they are not exactly considered basic either. Hondas are very well thought of here. Even the ones built in the UK are good!!!