C&D "Masters of the Middle" comparo sizes up Passat, Fusion, Altima and Accord
#1
C&D "Masters of the Middle" comparo sizes up Passat, Fusion, Altima and Accord
Car and Driver "Masters of the Middle" comparo sizes up Passat, Fusion, Altima and Accord
Last year, the Volkswagen Passat 2.5 SE won a Car and Driver comparison test of mid-size sedans, beating the Honda Accord V6 and Hyundai Sonata 2.0T. A couple of months later, the same Passat model won a mid-size comparo from Motor Trend against the Hyundai Sonata GLS and Toyota Camry LE. Earlier this year, the VW won an even larger C/D comparison test, beating the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, Accord EX-L, Sonata SE, Kia Optima EX and Camry SE.
That's a convincing string of victories, but they're all against the old hotness. So C/D put the Passat 2.5 SE against the freshest mid-sized competitors, the all-new-for-2013 versions of the Ford Fusion SE EcoBoost, Honda Accord EX and Nissan Altima 2.5 SV, and, well, you'll have to see if the German's enormous back seat and good chassis were enough to keep it on top.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/12/c...ro-sizes-up-p/
#2
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
new honda accord is the best thing to come out of honda for a loooong time.
#6
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Congrats to Honda on the win - I did not expect any different since this is C&D.
A personal thought on Honda: We are seeing the company try to turn themselves around and the RDX and Accord seem like their two best products so far. The RLX is better looking than I thought it would be, but the notes from that focus group in the RLX thread are concerning. The "new" Civic is uninspiring to me.
We have seen Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia turn up the heat on branding, styling and design with many of their new vehicles being bolder and more unmistakable than before. On the contrary, Honda is looking very, very bland to me. The Accord is following all of the same traditional Japanese shapes that have been used for 15+ years.
Will we ever see Honda develop some type of unique design language, or will their identity be the relative lack thereof?
A personal thought on Honda: We are seeing the company try to turn themselves around and the RDX and Accord seem like their two best products so far. The RLX is better looking than I thought it would be, but the notes from that focus group in the RLX thread are concerning. The "new" Civic is uninspiring to me.
We have seen Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia turn up the heat on branding, styling and design with many of their new vehicles being bolder and more unmistakable than before. On the contrary, Honda is looking very, very bland to me. The Accord is following all of the same traditional Japanese shapes that have been used for 15+ years.
Will we ever see Honda develop some type of unique design language, or will their identity be the relative lack thereof?
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Congrats to Honda on the win - I did not expect any different since this is C&D.
A personal thought on Honda: We are seeing the company try to turn themselves around and the RDX and Accord seem like their two best products so far. The RLX is better looking than I thought it would be, but the notes from that focus group in the RLX thread are concerning. The "new" Civic is uninspiring to me.
We have seen Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia turn up the heat on branding, styling and design with many of their new vehicles being bolder and more unmistakable than before. On the contrary, Honda is looking very, very bland to me. The Accord is following all of the same traditional Japanese shapes that have been used for 15+ years.
Will we ever see Honda develop some type of unique design language, or will their identity be the relative lack thereof?
A personal thought on Honda: We are seeing the company try to turn themselves around and the RDX and Accord seem like their two best products so far. The RLX is better looking than I thought it would be, but the notes from that focus group in the RLX thread are concerning. The "new" Civic is uninspiring to me.
We have seen Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia turn up the heat on branding, styling and design with many of their new vehicles being bolder and more unmistakable than before. On the contrary, Honda is looking very, very bland to me. The Accord is following all of the same traditional Japanese shapes that have been used for 15+ years.
Will we ever see Honda develop some type of unique design language, or will their identity be the relative lack thereof?
Honda never really misstepped with the Accord to me. The thing is the competition has caught up and offers viable alternatives where in the past it was Accord/Camry way above any other choices.
I agree with styling. The Optima, Fusion, Altima, Sonata offer some damn nifty styling for its price and they come across as more expensive than they are. In comparison the Malibu, Accord, Camry are going for the traditional buyer which means a total snoozefest and safe. Its clear buyers prioritize differently. Ironically Honda has shown they can do it as I find the past generation Accord Coupe a very handsome looking vehicle, the new one is messier to me.
For 20-25 grand new, one has never had it better.
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#8
Lexus Fanatic
I haven't driven all of these cars, so I can't comment on them in detail. But from my other recent experiences, I'm still not convinced, even with efficiency gains, that dumping the V6s and substituting N/A and turbo fours was the way to go. In general, thay can't equal a six's refinement, though the new Accord's four (per the comparo) seems pretty smooth and well-done.
Of course, the real problem behind the engine-switches is the latest Federal mileage-dictates for American-market cars (which, IMO, should not have been done)...but that, of course, is an argument for another forum, not here.
Of course, the real problem behind the engine-switches is the latest Federal mileage-dictates for American-market cars (which, IMO, should not have been done)...but that, of course, is an argument for another forum, not here.
Last edited by mmarshall; 11-13-12 at 09:31 AM.
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