Over the Holidays, I assisted my in-laws in finding a new car. This year was a bad year for their vehicles as my brother-in-law (19) killed his early 90’s Lexus Camry-equivalent that was given to him (seized engine among other problems) and then he totaled his mom’s ’02 Camry in the rain due to inexperience of driving conditions. Only my father-in-law’s 4Runner has survived. So a search for a replacement vehicle for my mother-in-law was needed.
The basic criteria were price range, power, NHV harshness, size, and longevity. The past vehicle’s my mother-in-law drove included driving a ’55 Chevy to start with that got her through high school (her father bought it new and still has it in his garage, health issues has prevented him from restoring it) and later driving Chevy Impalas back pre-Caprice naming. She bought a Volvo 240 in the early 80’s and drove that car for 20 years without ever having issues until an ice storm decided that the tree across the street needed to be brought down. Ironically they moved the car so that another tree they thought might fall would miss it. So given the options at the time and her sister’s wonderful experience with her mid-90’s Camry she bought an ‘02 Camry. Sadly her sister’s Camry was destroyed in a rear ending on a San Diego highway so her sister purchased a 2012 Camry. Neither is particularly in love it to say the least.
Because of the loss of interest in the Camry and my known obsessiveness of cars they asked me to help them car search. We made a list of cars to look at, I took note of what has gained attention lately and what hasn’t and even brought up options that wouldn’t normally have been considered. To explain why certain vehicles didn’t make the list (Malibu, Fusion, etc) it is really because she never has liked Ford – new Fusion is bleh to her and something about the ride in their cars make her have nausea, and she doesn’t trust GM’s FWD transmissions still. She remembers the transaxle fiascos well. And the ’01 Impala they borrowed from a family member was okay (I was actually surprised at the good condition it was in) but it had some mechanical issues and the engine was harsh – as expected. I brought up the 2012 Malibu as an option since its cheap but she wanted to see what new stuff there was. The improved fuel economy numbers of the new vehicles make them hard to ignore.
There is also the issue of power. She bought the V6 Camry in the ’02 because the 4cyl was gutless. Same reason why their 4Runner has the V8 and they didn’t consider the Highlander after driving it.
She is sensitive to noise as well so a quiet ride was needed.
Technology and features wasn’t really a concern. She didn’t want a stick to drive (done in before in a VW Rabbit) in the NC hills so an Auto Trans was the only real needed feature beyond power locks and stuff. They don’t care for leather, hate sunroofs (took them two years to get all the rattles out of the 4Runner’s) and don’t need fancy connectivity stuff. That isn’t to say they aren’t tech savvy, they both program and have CompSci degrees but it isn’t needed.
Midsize sedan was what we were looking for. Compacts, while having grown considerably, still were too small for what she wanted.
Our initial list involved the 2013 Altima, 2013 Mazda 6, and the Hyundai Sonata (which they’d driven previously).
We drove the Nissan Altima first. Owning a ’06 model myself, I knew somewhat what to expect and could give feedback in comparison to my own car. First impression of the interior is that it was vastly improved. I would actually say I think the interior is probably the best in the base trim of all the midsize class. However it wasn’t perfect. They made the console storage larger but that required pushing the cup holders forward sitting next to the gear selector one of my biggest pet-peeves (shifter gets in the way of drinks when in ‘D’) and they removed the hand brake, opting for a foot e-brake instead – something I expect to find in a truck or SUV, not a sedan. I expected an electronic parking brake for all that effort. Minor issues aside, we drove it. Keep in mind that since ’07 Nissan has used CVT transmission in their sedans so initially it can take some getting used to. First we drove the 4cyl engine. While it seemed up to the take of pulling 4 adults, somehow Nissan managed to make it louder than the 4cyl in my 06 which has substantially greater road noise. Steering had a nice weight to it but still felt light and nimble. The volume of the engine noise was off putting so we drove a V6 model next. The V6 was impressive, much smoother than the I4. Other tidbits I liked included the seats. The new Altima has some really good seats that I might look into transplanting to mine if it’s possible without modification. Our end result was that the Altima is a very nice car, but the 4cyl didn’t make the cut. The V6 was the option here. And it was on the pricier side of what they would spend. We would keep looking regardless.
On a side note, I need to mention the service we received at the Nissan dealer, our sales man was excellent. He used to manage a GM dealer in the mid-90’s before getting out of the business and was at the Nissan dealer for just over a year. Of all the car salesmen I’ve spoken to he was the most knowledgeable of both his products and the competition’s products. Most of the time I go to a GM dealer here I’m underwhelmed by the product knowledge of salesperson concerning their own products, much less the competition’s.
Next we went to a Mazda dealer. I knew the 2014 ‘6’ was just around the corner (released on the 2nd of this month) but I wouldn’t be there for that. Our salesperson was less than knowledgeable about the 6 than I’d hoped – I’m not too familiar with Mazda over all. I could tell that she was used to selling the 3 more than the 6 as their lot told me (5 2013 6’s in stock, probably 30 of the 3’s). I hate Mazda’s naming system by the way. We drove 4cyl first. I knew immediately it wasn’t the right car. Has a certain amount of harshness to it that the performance couldn’t overcome especially for the desires that my in-laws were looking for. Sadly, the experience at this dealer wasn’t the best. Our salesperson had two months on the job and I could tell she would talk about features in a corporate fashion like she memorized the speech but she wasn’t very rehearsed or prepared. Drove well. But felt like a car soon to be replaced. The refinement of all the others blew it away. The Not For Sale 2014 model sitting in the show room looked the part of what I expected but wasn’t out in time. Conclusion: Despite the competitive pricing on the soon to be dead model, the newer models made it irrelevant. And the handbrake was still on the right side of console, something I thought was lazy in the right-hand to left-hand drive conversion.
The Hyundai. This dealership happened to be on the same lot (same company, also had a Nissan dealer on the opposite side but didn’t know until we’d already visited the other one). Salesperson was much more experienced. Felt like we were actually being sold to rather than letting the car do the work like at the aforementioned Nissan dealer. They had driven a Sonata previously before the MPG/EPA controversy but wanted my opinion on it. Keep in mind they aren’t too concerned with the looks of the vehicle they aren’t blind to it, they appreciate the ’55 Chevy after all, but with today’s cars it isn’t a selling point to them. I hate the exterior of the Sonata, so ugly. Too bad the new Impala is sharing the taillight look. Getting past that, I tried to remain unbiased as possible. Both the 2.4L and 2.0T engines felt peppy and good. No excessive loudness from the 4cyl like the Nissan’s. Interior design was respectable but looked cheap. The Nissan did a much better job of hiding lines better. Fit was good but the bottom of the center stack made me think of Fisher-Price toys. I shouldn’t be able to see molding lines and some the places where two different colors met I could see weren’t completely parallel (the gap got smaller at the bottom). Usefulness of the center console was better than the Altima though. Same issue of a foot brake instead of a handbrake. Biggest issue was the handling. There is practically no feedback from the steering, you turn the wheels and hope the tire are going were you want them. My Altima has over boosted steering which is annoying in water and ice but this was a completely higher level of lack of response. It felt like the front tires were on ice when you turned them. Overall, I thought it was a nice car, but it didn’t fit for me. The lowest price of all the cars tested (pre-incentives on the Mazda) with the given base features made it a compelling choice. 2.0T wasn’t really needed. Seats lacked support.
We stopped for a late lunch and discussed some options before I told them they really should give the 2013 Accord a look. I’d seen the press give the Accord some good reviews and mostly ignored them since I’m used to the typical Toyota/Honda praise that’s become so stereotypical of the auto media today. However, seeing the Accord nominated for Car of Year vs the FR-S and ATS got my attention. With what’s come out this year (Malibu – which isn’t a bad car no matter what people say, just not up to the new bar set by the competition, Altima, Fusion) and with everyone drooling over the Fusion (which I don’t care for but will say that pictures don’t do it justice) to still stand above that seemed impressive so we might as well check it out.
The Honda. The Accord we drove was a base model. It has an automatic transmission (CVT) and that was the only option. First impression what that interior was decent quality. Handbrake still on console, 12VDC port and USB sitting up front, large touchscreen and backup camera standard (might as well get used to them if the gov starts requiring them – some people need all the help they can get to drive properly). Key fob combo is weird; I’m not a fan but not a big deal. Simple design and layout wasn’t as fancy as the Nissan. Seats were supportive and had decent bolstering, not as much as the Altima though. We only drove the 4cyl. Drove surprisingly well from the engine feel and steering balance. It really felt smaller than it was. I was really impressed from driving it. We fiddled around with the infotainment system some, seemed responsive. It also had dual climate control standard, which I am a fan of since my wife and I are complete opposites, just like my in-laws happen to be. As cynical as I am about Honda and Toyota products, I was genuinely impressed by the Accord, everything just felt good. Lots of refinement here, I think the Civic issue caught Honda’s attention. Conclusion: They wanted to drive it again the next day with more sunlight to examine. It was hard for me to find fault with it.
After weighing each vehicle against each other, the Accord was definitely best overall. The Mazda was the worst, with the V6 Altima ahead of the Sonata, and the 4cyl Altima behind the Sonata. Price was definitely going to be a factor with the V6 Altima coming in at the upper limit. It wasn’t so much what they can afford but what they are willing to spend at the moment, they are conservative with their money.
I took my brother-in-law out to play paintball the next day so I wasn’t there for them to revisit the Accord (went to a different dealer after this one told them there weren’t any incentives) but when I got back there was a new one in the garage. Presuming they got some off the sticker and better financing than the 3.9 offered at the other dealer. Equipped the same as what we drove exception being the color.
Overall the Accord was the best car. It might not have the best looks (subjective depending on the person), or performance but for their needs it fit the best. Basic tech like Bluetooth and USB ports is nice for phone connectivity which I’d expect standard in all cars from now on. Most everything else was just extra to them. Modern 4cyl have come a long way even in 10 years. It actually felt like Honda bested Nissan with the CVT/4cyl pairing. But considering Nissan’s wide use of their V6, it wouldn’t surprise me that the focus isn’t on the 4cyl.
The question is: would I buy one? If I was looking for a family sedan I would. I’m more likely to spring for the Accord coupe if given the choice since I don’t need 4 doors at this point in my life. But my buying needs/desires are different overall. My next choice will be something powered by the rear wheels, either new Silverado or performance car.
While everyone else is making a big splash with their new sedans it seems Honda isn’t willing to let them have the market yet. They have shown they still have some fight in them which can only make things more interesting the in long run.
The basic criteria were price range, power, NHV harshness, size, and longevity. The past vehicle’s my mother-in-law drove included driving a ’55 Chevy to start with that got her through high school (her father bought it new and still has it in his garage, health issues has prevented him from restoring it) and later driving Chevy Impalas back pre-Caprice naming. She bought a Volvo 240 in the early 80’s and drove that car for 20 years without ever having issues until an ice storm decided that the tree across the street needed to be brought down. Ironically they moved the car so that another tree they thought might fall would miss it. So given the options at the time and her sister’s wonderful experience with her mid-90’s Camry she bought an ‘02 Camry. Sadly her sister’s Camry was destroyed in a rear ending on a San Diego highway so her sister purchased a 2012 Camry. Neither is particularly in love it to say the least.
Because of the loss of interest in the Camry and my known obsessiveness of cars they asked me to help them car search. We made a list of cars to look at, I took note of what has gained attention lately and what hasn’t and even brought up options that wouldn’t normally have been considered. To explain why certain vehicles didn’t make the list (Malibu, Fusion, etc) it is really because she never has liked Ford – new Fusion is bleh to her and something about the ride in their cars make her have nausea, and she doesn’t trust GM’s FWD transmissions still. She remembers the transaxle fiascos well. And the ’01 Impala they borrowed from a family member was okay (I was actually surprised at the good condition it was in) but it had some mechanical issues and the engine was harsh – as expected. I brought up the 2012 Malibu as an option since its cheap but she wanted to see what new stuff there was. The improved fuel economy numbers of the new vehicles make them hard to ignore.
There is also the issue of power. She bought the V6 Camry in the ’02 because the 4cyl was gutless. Same reason why their 4Runner has the V8 and they didn’t consider the Highlander after driving it.
She is sensitive to noise as well so a quiet ride was needed.
Technology and features wasn’t really a concern. She didn’t want a stick to drive (done in before in a VW Rabbit) in the NC hills so an Auto Trans was the only real needed feature beyond power locks and stuff. They don’t care for leather, hate sunroofs (took them two years to get all the rattles out of the 4Runner’s) and don’t need fancy connectivity stuff. That isn’t to say they aren’t tech savvy, they both program and have CompSci degrees but it isn’t needed.
Midsize sedan was what we were looking for. Compacts, while having grown considerably, still were too small for what she wanted.
Our initial list involved the 2013 Altima, 2013 Mazda 6, and the Hyundai Sonata (which they’d driven previously).
We drove the Nissan Altima first. Owning a ’06 model myself, I knew somewhat what to expect and could give feedback in comparison to my own car. First impression of the interior is that it was vastly improved. I would actually say I think the interior is probably the best in the base trim of all the midsize class. However it wasn’t perfect. They made the console storage larger but that required pushing the cup holders forward sitting next to the gear selector one of my biggest pet-peeves (shifter gets in the way of drinks when in ‘D’) and they removed the hand brake, opting for a foot e-brake instead – something I expect to find in a truck or SUV, not a sedan. I expected an electronic parking brake for all that effort. Minor issues aside, we drove it. Keep in mind that since ’07 Nissan has used CVT transmission in their sedans so initially it can take some getting used to. First we drove the 4cyl engine. While it seemed up to the take of pulling 4 adults, somehow Nissan managed to make it louder than the 4cyl in my 06 which has substantially greater road noise. Steering had a nice weight to it but still felt light and nimble. The volume of the engine noise was off putting so we drove a V6 model next. The V6 was impressive, much smoother than the I4. Other tidbits I liked included the seats. The new Altima has some really good seats that I might look into transplanting to mine if it’s possible without modification. Our end result was that the Altima is a very nice car, but the 4cyl didn’t make the cut. The V6 was the option here. And it was on the pricier side of what they would spend. We would keep looking regardless.
On a side note, I need to mention the service we received at the Nissan dealer, our sales man was excellent. He used to manage a GM dealer in the mid-90’s before getting out of the business and was at the Nissan dealer for just over a year. Of all the car salesmen I’ve spoken to he was the most knowledgeable of both his products and the competition’s products. Most of the time I go to a GM dealer here I’m underwhelmed by the product knowledge of salesperson concerning their own products, much less the competition’s.
Next we went to a Mazda dealer. I knew the 2014 ‘6’ was just around the corner (released on the 2nd of this month) but I wouldn’t be there for that. Our salesperson was less than knowledgeable about the 6 than I’d hoped – I’m not too familiar with Mazda over all. I could tell that she was used to selling the 3 more than the 6 as their lot told me (5 2013 6’s in stock, probably 30 of the 3’s). I hate Mazda’s naming system by the way. We drove 4cyl first. I knew immediately it wasn’t the right car. Has a certain amount of harshness to it that the performance couldn’t overcome especially for the desires that my in-laws were looking for. Sadly, the experience at this dealer wasn’t the best. Our salesperson had two months on the job and I could tell she would talk about features in a corporate fashion like she memorized the speech but she wasn’t very rehearsed or prepared. Drove well. But felt like a car soon to be replaced. The refinement of all the others blew it away. The Not For Sale 2014 model sitting in the show room looked the part of what I expected but wasn’t out in time. Conclusion: Despite the competitive pricing on the soon to be dead model, the newer models made it irrelevant. And the handbrake was still on the right side of console, something I thought was lazy in the right-hand to left-hand drive conversion.
The Hyundai. This dealership happened to be on the same lot (same company, also had a Nissan dealer on the opposite side but didn’t know until we’d already visited the other one). Salesperson was much more experienced. Felt like we were actually being sold to rather than letting the car do the work like at the aforementioned Nissan dealer. They had driven a Sonata previously before the MPG/EPA controversy but wanted my opinion on it. Keep in mind they aren’t too concerned with the looks of the vehicle they aren’t blind to it, they appreciate the ’55 Chevy after all, but with today’s cars it isn’t a selling point to them. I hate the exterior of the Sonata, so ugly. Too bad the new Impala is sharing the taillight look. Getting past that, I tried to remain unbiased as possible. Both the 2.4L and 2.0T engines felt peppy and good. No excessive loudness from the 4cyl like the Nissan’s. Interior design was respectable but looked cheap. The Nissan did a much better job of hiding lines better. Fit was good but the bottom of the center stack made me think of Fisher-Price toys. I shouldn’t be able to see molding lines and some the places where two different colors met I could see weren’t completely parallel (the gap got smaller at the bottom). Usefulness of the center console was better than the Altima though. Same issue of a foot brake instead of a handbrake. Biggest issue was the handling. There is practically no feedback from the steering, you turn the wheels and hope the tire are going were you want them. My Altima has over boosted steering which is annoying in water and ice but this was a completely higher level of lack of response. It felt like the front tires were on ice when you turned them. Overall, I thought it was a nice car, but it didn’t fit for me. The lowest price of all the cars tested (pre-incentives on the Mazda) with the given base features made it a compelling choice. 2.0T wasn’t really needed. Seats lacked support.
We stopped for a late lunch and discussed some options before I told them they really should give the 2013 Accord a look. I’d seen the press give the Accord some good reviews and mostly ignored them since I’m used to the typical Toyota/Honda praise that’s become so stereotypical of the auto media today. However, seeing the Accord nominated for Car of Year vs the FR-S and ATS got my attention. With what’s come out this year (Malibu – which isn’t a bad car no matter what people say, just not up to the new bar set by the competition, Altima, Fusion) and with everyone drooling over the Fusion (which I don’t care for but will say that pictures don’t do it justice) to still stand above that seemed impressive so we might as well check it out.
The Honda. The Accord we drove was a base model. It has an automatic transmission (CVT) and that was the only option. First impression what that interior was decent quality. Handbrake still on console, 12VDC port and USB sitting up front, large touchscreen and backup camera standard (might as well get used to them if the gov starts requiring them – some people need all the help they can get to drive properly). Key fob combo is weird; I’m not a fan but not a big deal. Simple design and layout wasn’t as fancy as the Nissan. Seats were supportive and had decent bolstering, not as much as the Altima though. We only drove the 4cyl. Drove surprisingly well from the engine feel and steering balance. It really felt smaller than it was. I was really impressed from driving it. We fiddled around with the infotainment system some, seemed responsive. It also had dual climate control standard, which I am a fan of since my wife and I are complete opposites, just like my in-laws happen to be. As cynical as I am about Honda and Toyota products, I was genuinely impressed by the Accord, everything just felt good. Lots of refinement here, I think the Civic issue caught Honda’s attention. Conclusion: They wanted to drive it again the next day with more sunlight to examine. It was hard for me to find fault with it.
After weighing each vehicle against each other, the Accord was definitely best overall. The Mazda was the worst, with the V6 Altima ahead of the Sonata, and the 4cyl Altima behind the Sonata. Price was definitely going to be a factor with the V6 Altima coming in at the upper limit. It wasn’t so much what they can afford but what they are willing to spend at the moment, they are conservative with their money.
I took my brother-in-law out to play paintball the next day so I wasn’t there for them to revisit the Accord (went to a different dealer after this one told them there weren’t any incentives) but when I got back there was a new one in the garage. Presuming they got some off the sticker and better financing than the 3.9 offered at the other dealer. Equipped the same as what we drove exception being the color.
Overall the Accord was the best car. It might not have the best looks (subjective depending on the person), or performance but for their needs it fit the best. Basic tech like Bluetooth and USB ports is nice for phone connectivity which I’d expect standard in all cars from now on. Most everything else was just extra to them. Modern 4cyl have come a long way even in 10 years. It actually felt like Honda bested Nissan with the CVT/4cyl pairing. But considering Nissan’s wide use of their V6, it wouldn’t surprise me that the focus isn’t on the 4cyl.
The question is: would I buy one? If I was looking for a family sedan I would. I’m more likely to spring for the Accord coupe if given the choice since I don’t need 4 doors at this point in my life. But my buying needs/desires are different overall. My next choice will be something powered by the rear wheels, either new Silverado or performance car.
While everyone else is making a big splash with their new sedans it seems Honda isn’t willing to let them have the market yet. They have shown they still have some fight in them which can only make things more interesting the in long run.