After the Altima-Aura Canyon Road Cage Match garnered so many comments, we thought we'd stage a rematch with the 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 we currently have in the garage. These three models are the sportiest and most powerful models in this segment (a Camry V6 SE may have fit the bill, but we couldn't get one in time) and are each equipped similarly.
Now, this isn't a real comparison test. Especially considering the 2007 Nissan Altima has nearly 17,000 miles on it, versus the 2007 Saturn Aura's 6,100 and the Accord's 1,990. Instead, this is a blog about an informal drive through the
2007 Saturn Aura XR
John: The Aura has a competent chassis -- it handles well -- but it's let down by numb steering, a ship's tiller of a steering wheel and an overzealous stability control system. It has an excellent V6. It had the strongest low-end pull of the group.
James: The Aura's steering is too inconsistent for my liking. It was good in tight, really twisty bits, but in higher-speed sweepers it presents an intense desire to sling back to center. I rarely drive cars hard enough for stability control to kick in, but the Aura's repeatedly reared its annoying head when the Altima and Accord let me be. I thought the Aura's seats provided the best lateral support.
2007 Nissan Altima 3.5SE
John: The Altima is the sport sedan of the trio, as it has the best steering feel/feedback, and that awesome transmission (never thought I'd say that about a CVT) that's never caught off-guard. I didn't care for the seating position -- like others I struggled with the wonky telescoping wheel -- and the seats were too flat. But still, for driving enjoyment, the Altima is tops here.
James: Around town and at higher speeds, the Altima is my favorite in this group because of its steering that tends to feel like it belongs to a rear-wheel-drive car. On the tighter, twisty roads, though, it weighted up a tad too much, and didn't offer the same athletic feel that I thought the Accord exhibited. The clicking brake pedal has too much dead travel.
2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6
John: The Accord is nicely balanced all around -- light but accurate steering and utterly refined powertrain. The tranny isn't quite as quick to step down as the other two. The seat/pedals/steering wheel was just right and the seats were noticeably more supportive and comfortable than the others.
James: The Accord narrowly wins this one for me in this driving environment. Whereas the Aura and Altima's steering shined in some aspects of our drive and was less desirable in others, the Accord's was consistently good all the time. It's direct, with great feel, and transmits an athletic feel that cloaks the new Accord's sizeable proportions. Its tires seemed to have the least grip here.
CONCLUSION
So, that's two picks for the Altima, one for the Accord and a healthy admiration for the Aura. These cars aren't intended to be driven the way they were in this quasi-test, but each did very well and prove that family sedans can be pretty darn fun.
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I always figured the Altima is the sportiest, but I have to say all three of these cars look amazing!
There is serious competition going on here. It's like goldylocks, one is too soft, one is too stiff, and one is a combination of the two. The Aura is a dramatic improvement for Saturn and its a great choice for budget minded buyers but that doesn't result in a poorly built car. The Altima is like the rebel of the group, evolving with its sporty demeanor and a move to a gearless transmission. The ride is a bit harsh but it performs well when you wanna do some zipping. The Accord is the shinning example of all around performer. It has the best combination of sport spirit and it rewards drivers with a plush ride. It would be okay to go conservative but my choice is still the Altima for being the bad toy, next the Aura for its attempts for making the right sedan at a dropdown price, then the Accord being it the best mix but also a bit pricey.
I expected the Accord to be more engaging, but it seems to be moving in the direction of the camry....isolation.
It honestly sounds like one vote for the Aura, 2 for the Altima.
I never thought I'd say this, but this article actually inspired me to look at the Aura again. I'd need a smaller steering wheel with some road feel, but it's definitely an attractive car at an attractive price.
Joe
I would go with the altima, i hope they come out with a awd se-R version of it, I think the Accord is waqy to pricy, and the aura doesnt look that attractive to me. idk why.
xl562bx about Accord "It has the best combination of sport spirit and it rewards drivers with a plush ride"
i never get that feeling with any of the accords i've been in. the suspension feels like civics...decent feedback, but it doesn't take bumps/potholes very well. i carpool with someone who drives a 2003 accord and i think it's too stiff going over the bumps
but as for the test...i own an 07 altima...so you can assume which one of the 3 i'd pick
Great Post. It's a shame that Honda has porked up their cars so much. I miss the days when the Accord wasn't such a luxo-barge, and the Civic was a fun sporty runabout regardless if it had an Si badge or not. I guess they're appealing to a broader market. Thankfully cars like the Altima and Mazda 6 come in to fill the void left by the svelte Accords of old.
I'm confused by these comments regarding the Accord being softer and a luxo-barge. We certainly didn't intimate that in our comments. It may be a tad larger, but it's just as sporty as it always was.
I am really disappointed in the bloated size (only 2.5" shorter than a Chrysler 300 fercryingoutloud) and blocky styling of the new Accord. I had hoped for much better. Here's hoping that they don't similarly inflate the TSX and that Mazda gives us something close to the very enticing Euro-spec 6. This new Accord wouldn't even be a blip on my radar screen. Not only no manual tranny for the V6 sedan, but no manumatic shift feature and a retro (for the class) 5 speeds instead of 6. Please. Who knew we would see the day when a Camry (in SE trim) is sportier than an Accord?
The Accord will sell based on looks alone. I am disappointed to hear it doesn't perform as it used to. Even if it accelerates as it used to (as jriz says), the additional hp should make it feel sportier than previous renditions.
By sporty, I didn't mean that it accelerates as it used to. I meant it felt as sporty in general. Handling, ride, acceleration, etc. I guess many people consider "sporty" to be a synonym for "fast." I don't. Therefore, it would take more than an extra gear and a manumatic for the Accord to be less 'sporty' than a Camry SE.
It's good news for Saturn and GM that they finally have a car that can get good remarks when compared with cars like the Altima and the Accord.
I still think that of the three, the Altima is the only one that somebody would actually drive just for the sake of driving
The Accord has a hardware variable steering ratio, with 2.56 turns lock to lock overall.
Family sedans normally are 3.0 to 3.2 turns lock-to-lock.
With the only double wishbone front suspension of the group, the Accord has a handling advantage.
Sporty the Accord will feel. It could be the fastest around a track.
jriz, you didn't compare the Accord with the Camry SE back-to-back, but Motor Trend did. While they prefered the Accord overall, it was most telling that they found the Camry to be decidedly "hungrier" through the curves than the otherwise "competent" Accord. Never thought I'd see the day whan ANY Camry out-corners ANY Accord.
"Sporty the Accord will feel." Nothing beats Yoda sentence structure.
Hmm - with some Camry feedback we might be able to make a better judge, but it looks as if things are basically the same: the Camry's a mushbucket (though the one published SE review seemed to justify that model's "performance" upgrades), the Altima's sporty, and the Accord's somehwere in between.
Perhaps it's just marketing, but I'm not getting the efficiency-focused theme for this car that I did in previous Accords (particularly my favorite, the no-no '94-'97 car). It's a bit too big (almost identical to the RL, for Pete's sake!), a bit too costly, a bit too nice. It just seems so indulgent...and indulgence is SO not Honda.
SubyTrojan and Langjie:
I called this one before it happened. Great work by Edmunds to get the Accord so quickly. I figured most likely the Accord would slot between the two. I am pleasantly surprised that the Aura was not blown away by the Accord.
I was surprised to hear the Accord didn't feel quicker than the other two. I would think with 273 horsepower, it would have the advantage. Must be the extra weight, or the 5 speed automatic.
The Camry SE makes good numbers, but it is like an old American muscle car, it clomps over the road. Not enjoyable on anything but a super smooth road.
SubyTrojan
Pads win, Pads win!!! The Rockies lost, we are at least guaranteed a one game playoff no matter what.
Any chance of a V6 coupe comparison?
Sorry, I guess from reading the post I got the sense that the Accord has gotten softer on us. I guess calling it a Luxo-barge was a bit much. I just hearken back to the early 90's Accord; I drove one and I absolutely loved it - it rocked. Hard to believe that it was supposed to be basic family transport. Accords have gotten kind of hoity toity since then, IMHO of course.
Luxo barge MAY be a bit harsh, but when Honda comes out with an Accord that is closer in dimension to a Chrysler 300 than to any of Altima / Camry / Sonata, one has to wonder. And speaking of weight - the Accord is carrying a whopping 322 lbs. more than the Altima - a car which nobody describes as a bantamweight. I have been an Accord owner in the past, but if this is the future, they can keep it.
The Accord only gained 97 lb - 165 lb from the last generation.
The BMW 535i, 2008 Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura all weigh more than the new Accord.
The Altima is ultralight, weighing less than some compact cars.
The Jetta and Cobalt are both heavier than the featherweight Altima.
No other midsized sedan weighs as little as the Altima.
Although it was printed incorrectly in several places (C/D for instance), the Accord has 268 hp and not 273. The exact same as Camry, and two fewer than Altima. Also, the larger four-cylinder found in the Accord makes 190 hp and not 200.
I read in a couple of places that the Accord has two 4 cylinders, one at 177 horsepower, the other 190 horsepower. Is this correct? Secondly, I also read the V6 sedan is over 3600 pounds, is this correct?
I think the Aura XR still weighs a bit more, 3660 versus around 3600, but I have heard it could be as high as 3650. Either way, the Accord is just like the rest of us, gaining weight :o)
aurakr,
1) Yes.
2) That must be from a pro-GM forum..
http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-sedan/specifications.aspx?group=all
I don't know about pro-GM forums, but right here at Edmunds the Aura XR is listed at 3660 lb. and the top-of-the-line Accord V6 listed at 3616 lb.
Also - can someone explain to me how the Acccord - the largest car in this segment - gets the smallest trunk? At 14 cu. ft., smaller even than the Mazda 6 sedan, which it dwarfs by a full 7.5" in length?
I found the 3616 lb. My mistake.
Honda uses an extremely heavy 16 lb navigation system.
I hope the engine can cope with this burden.
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/812/releases/4103
Honda engineers need to be sent back to recertify their electrical engineering Ph.D's. It's not tolerable these days to make such a heavy navigation system.
16 lbs? My gods, does the thing give you military grade precison telemetry?
I think (hope) he's kidding about the navi's weight...
Does anyone know how much another company's navi weighs? Hard to damn Honda without knowing that.
"The Jetta and Cobalt are both heavier than the featherweight Altima.
No other midsized sedan weighs as little as the Altima."
that isnt accurate. The Cobalt weighs about 3000lbs. The Altima is light, but not THAT light. Where did you get your figures?
The new Accord is a porker just like the Aura and Malibu. I too fail to understand why the car is so big and the trunk is so small. Then again the Avalon is another large Asian car with a small trunk. The Impala has a 18 cu ft trunk- that is part of the point of a large car in my book.
The Accord has been completely Americanized now. More weight, more size and ever more power.
i think garmins weigh like 400 grams, lol
The Garmin Nuvi 660 is awesome. It is lightweight, and you don't have to worry about washout. Mine cracks me up, everytime it has to recalculate, I swear it sounds like the voice is sighing.
Back to the topic at hand. The new Accord, which is now in size comparable to the Impala, outweighs it by a significant amount, in V6 version. Never, ever thought that would happen. To be fair to the Accord, I don't think the Impala has all the same safety features on it. I know it doesn't have the heavy NAV system :)
1487, apparently my source for the Cobalt and Altima weights are both wrong.
I think Chevy and Nissan both updated their web sites.
Or I might have traveled to a parallel universe, but that would be classified.
Billt - I don't remember you having a valid need-to-know with regard to parallel universes, nor the proper clearance. I'm going to have to ask for your credentials.
Impala doesnt have side airbags in seats. Other than that I dont see any reason why the Accord should be heavier since the Impala is longer and has iron block engine.
The Accord is heavier because it employs the ACE body structure and of course its a bigger car than the last. But what I really hate about the new Accord is the "lazy" transmission logic and lack of another cog. A 6AT would have let the engine do its thing in the lower gears and the 6th gear would have allowed the engine to relax at highway speeds.
Instead Honda went with the VCM which sucks the midrange torque out of this particular V6 by as much as 30lbft, thats a lot of torque folks!
The V6 6speed coupe I hear by comparison is a beast as it keep the fat flat torque curve.
The TL 3.2 which weighs about the same gets simular milage with the same tranny smaller engine and simular power, even the Type S which uses the 286hp 3.5L V6 gets simular real world milage. Honda really goofed on this one.
I forgot to ask what kind of tires did these cars have? I know Honda always uses tires not geared for performance on the Accord sedan. I know with the last Accord a simple tire swap and a rear Acura TL sway bar really changed the cars personality.
hondaacura; the tires are probably michelins.
guys: LEAVE THE ACCORDS WEIGHT ALONE. its less than a 200lb increase for goodnessakes!
what you need to be discussing is how this 'heavy' car managed to have the best steering feel out of all the others.
heaven forbid honda put some good tires on the accord. i guess they don't feel like TOTALLY decimating the competition. ;)