2008 Honda Accord EX 3.5 V6

Summary:

A real disappointment of a car

Faults:

Transmission had to be replaced/rebuilt at 50000 miles.

Arm rest vinyl covering ripped.

Seats are very uncomfortable.

Interior rattles.

General Comments:

After owning 5 other Hondas, I am very disappointed in this 2008 V6 Accord.

The seats are the most uncomfortable I've ever sat on.

I had to replace the transmission at 50000.

The interior quality is way worse than I expect from Honda, and there are rattles and vibrations I have never experienced from the other 5 Hondas that I have owned over the past 30 years.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd January, 2016

4th Jan 2016, 06:20

Honda slipped big time during this model year. The interiors in those cars are horrible. Cheap plastic that is flimsy everywhere you touch and makes creaking noises. The gear selector is loose fitted, and the 4 cylinder would vibrate. The road noise is unbelievably bad in these Hondas too. The last gen Hondas were actually a little quieter inside. The ride is stiff and harsh as well.

Just a crappy time for Honda as they gave up on quality control.

The 2016 Hondas are much, much better, but the competition has caught up and surpassed the brand in many areas.

29th Nov 2017, 20:27

Interesting point of view. There are also many negative reviews on the Odyssey. The Civic were pretty lame too, if still reliable. Honda has gone through rough years up to 2015. You can never be sure how a company is managed. Any company can make great cars for 10 years, then new direction/management comes in and all goes downhill. Let's hope they go back to the roots with the new 2015+ models.

2008 Honda Accord LX 2.4

Summary:

An all around great car, worthy of consideration

Faults:

Transmission "D" light was blinking just after I bought the car used in March. I brought in to the dealer and they quickly fixed the problem. It was a switch that needed to be changed. This was covered under warranty.

The rear parcel shelf in the back seat is the culprit of some intermittent rattling. Can be annoying, but doesn't ruin the whole car by any means.

General Comments:

The Accord is quite a large car, but drives like a much smaller car. The powerplant is an ultra smooth Honda unit with plenty of power when the revs get high enough. The transmission is smooth and quick to shift.

The Accord handles much better than anyone would expect a car like this to handle. It's light on its feet, has accurate steering and just generally feels playful. I love this about Hondas.

Interior space on the Accord is a strong point. It's more room than I will ever need, with excellent visibility thanks to the thin pillars and low belt line.

Stock audio set up is adequate at best, but it is just fine for me - the Accord is the household's second vehicle, not the main vehicle.

Though I bought the Accord not long ago, I know it will give me many years and many, many more trouble free kilometres.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th December, 2012

2008 Honda Accord LX 2.4 Liter

Summary:

Decent family car compromise

Faults:

Other than oil changes and changing the transmission fluid at 30K miles, and along with air intake filter and cabin air filter, I have had to replace the rear brakes, which seem to be grabbing while driving?!?! Apparently this is an issue with this model. Sometimes the new rear brakes will squeal when you come to the first stop or two of the morning. After that you don't hear them... unless they are wet. I took it back to the mechanic, and he ground down the edges of the pads to help reduce this issue. It helped a little.

Also, in cold weather the dash board shrinks, and there is a squeak/rattle in the dash right above the glove compartment. Once the car warms up inside, it goes away. I am sure I can fix this with a little time and some felt, but it hasn't gotten to me that badly yet.

In my mind, rear brakes are cheap to do and I can do them myself, so if this will be the only thing I have to deal with, I consider myself lucky!

General Comments:

We really like the car... I call it the camel, because it goes so long between fill ups; typically 450-500 miles per tank. I usually get around 28 miles per gallon, and do a good deal of city driving.

Originally we bought it as my sales car. I bought it last year, and it was a Memorial day sale "leftover", so I got a pretty good deal on it. We traded in an 08 Mazda 5 that we'd had since new, but had nothing but trouble with since day one. We were out of warranty, and the A/C started acting up, and the car would get very hot with only 32K miles on it. That was the last straw for me for Mazda's. So we dumped it off for the Accord.

As far as comparing the Accord to the competition. It has plenty of room... just as much as our 2007 Camry SE. It does give you more driver feedback than the Camry SE, and the Accord's suspension is actually stiffer than the SE. The seats are also firmer than the Camry, and the engine bay is less basic looking as well, and the trunk is deeper but less wide than the Camry. The Accord sits slightly lower as well.

My wife prefers all the buttons in the center console of the Accord to the Camry's more simplistic control knobs. I prefer the simplistic control knobs. So it's all in what you like. It is also worth noting that the audio system in the Accord sounds much better than the Camry; we both agree on that!

As far as trying to tell you which car is better... it is all personal preference. I feel both our cars will both go 200K+ with minimal unexpected problems. And both have plenty of room to haul a family of 4 around, and trunks large enough to fit all the family stuff, and offer reasonable fuel economy. There are also other cars out there that would be good to look at as well, such as the Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. I recommend anyone who is looking for a car, to go get a Consumer Reports guide and pick out reliable ones they like, then go look at them to see which one fits their needs and pocketbook best. There is more to car ownership than the sticker price!

The Accord's 2.4 liter engine is extremely refined, and smoother than many V-6's, offering ample power while doing the routine everyday driving. It is definitely not a sports car, but will get you and the family where you're going without breaking the bank in fuel and maintenance. I do however feel that some of the interior plastics feel and are built cheaper than the Accords of yesteryear, and wonder if the Japanese auto manufacturers are getting in their comfort zone, since 2 of the 3 American manufacturers in this midsize line-up are still far behind.

The LX is a lower model... yet it comes with everything I need such as A/C, power windows and door locks, remote entry, CD player with auxiliary input, and the other comfort features you have come to expect in a modern automobile.

The only thing I wish I could do with it is tow. For some reason cars in the U.S. aren't allowed to tow, yet the same platform in SUV form with a higher center of gravity can??? This makes no sense to me! In the U.K. a VW Golf is rated at pulling 3100lbs. In the U.S. it is probably 1000lbs. Would I buy another Accord??? Sure, if I didn't need to tow our 1350lb pop up camper.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th August, 2012