2011 Accord 4 cylinder or V6?

[Stewart Fan]

Originally Posted By: bmwjohn
how many miles do you want to go without trouble? 200k honda I-4 not uncommon at all. Just my opinion.


Thats another consideration. Something thats easy to maintain and bulletproof is always a plus. I want to keep this thing until the wheels fall off.

 

[Dave Hess]

Trust me, I took my rental Accord LX from a 50 MPH roll to approx 125 MPH on the way to Naples down I-75 and its got enough passing power.

Another thing I like about the Accord is that its very quiet at highway speeds unlike the Civic.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: typ901
Ok to play devil's advocate go Hyundai Sonata with at Turbo-4. Split the economy difference, and have power in reserve. That and Honda's product offering is not as competitive as it used to be.


Ahh, you beat me to it.

The Mazda 6 is quite nearly as big as the fullsize Accord (fullsize by EPA standards) and the MZR 2.5 has proven reliable in the 6 and Fusion.

 

[typ901]

Yeah I was not impressed with the '10 Accord with I-4 I had for a rental. My '00 Accord had a higher quality feel, especially the interior. The center of the IP is a mess, esp. when compared to Toyota and Nissan.

Power/speed is subjective, but I felt the Altima was quicker and it did net me 31mpg on the highway and I was cruising at 75-80, the Accord was not far behind around 29, but I got similar to that in my '00 w/v6.

Not sure if OP has tested other mid/full-size, but I would try Nissan/Toyota/Mazda/Hyundai before settling. I was very surprised with the Altima and the Camry. I thought I would like the Accord, but it came up short in my own comparison.

 

[greenjp]

My wife and I have a 2006 Accord EX-L sedan with the 4 cylinder and manual transmission, bought used a year and a half ago. This combination is extremely rare, we probably came across 30 automatic EXs before the stick version appeared. If you can actually find a new one on a dealer lot I'd go that way.

The stick makes it a legitimately enjoyable car to drive. The automatic makes it a snoozer. Power from the 4 is fine, it's not thrilling and you won't be rocketing up high altitude mountain passes, but if fuel economy is a priority it'll serve you well. I also have to assume the 4 is easier to work on than the 6.

jeff

 

[Johnny]

Someone was talking about bricks. You don't get more brick like than the two Honda Elements I own. Both have the 2.4L 4 banger and I would not have it any other way. One heck of a bullet proof engine. If they would put a turbo version in the Odyssey I would buy one.

 

[Vikas]

Open the hood on both the Accords. Notice huge empty space in the engine bay on the 4-cylinder. If you want to maintain the car by yourself, 4-cyl wins!

4-cyl 5-speed would be my choice if I had to decide between the two Accords.

 

[mac9128]

I have the 2.4 5 speed combo, granted an 05, and it is a great combination. I have never gotten below 28mpg and thats mixed city/highway and aggressive driving, and have gotten 37mpg on an all highway trip. Only 50k miles but no problems whatsoever, as one would expect at that mileage. Plenty of power for me, everyone in my family has a faster car but I never mind going back to my little 2.4 at all

 

[bigmike]

My only complaint with the 4cyl in the Accord is it shakes the car at idle. It's especially bad with high electrical loads (lights on, stereo, A/C, or combination). Every single one I drove did it and I complained about it to the service manager at our dealership. He said he'd give me the keys to any on the lot and they all do the same thing.

If that doesn't bother you, then go with the 4cyl. They're easy on oil, tough little engines. Everything is pretty easy to work on under the hood. No complaints from me otherwise.

 

[mac9128]

I have never noticed a shaking bad enough at idle to actually bother me

 

[bigmike]

It even resonates in the cabin on ours. You can hear it making this whom,whom,whom,whom.. kind of noise. Service manager sat in my car and said, 'yep, sounds about right.'

It's been an issue for some time. They upgraded the dampening material, I believe around 04-05 range. I guess that was the solution.

I've heard and read about all kinds of silly things people do to try to make it stop.

From Consumer Guide Automotive:
Several 4-cylinder models tested have suffered from a rough idle and pronounced vibrations felt through the body and steering wheel.

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: bigmike

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.

So, another reason to get a manual then, huh?

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: bigmike

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.

So, another reason to get a manual then, huh?

That would work.

I drove a manual for 12 years (give or take) and enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, my wife would have none of it.

Since she is the primary driver, I wasn't going to win.

 

[mac9128]

Oh, mines a manual, I guess that solves that.

 

[typ901]

'06 Acura TSX I test drove did the same thing...vibrate at idle-thru the steering wheel.I was surprised and disappointed. Hoping that i would have liked the Euro-version Accord more than I did.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
It even resonates in the cabin on ours. You can hear it making this whom,whom,whom,whom.. kind of noise. Service manager sat in my car and said, 'yep, sounds about right.

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.


Our 2.4 turbo PT does that. The Service Manager said, "..the GT has stiffer mounts but all big 4 cylinders do that..."

I don't recall a 3.0 Porsche 4 cylinder being that rough.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: bigmike
It even resonates in the cabin on ours. You can hear it making this whom,whom,whom,whom.. kind of noise. Service manager sat in my car and said, 'yep, sounds about right.

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.


Our 2.4 turbo PT does that. The Service Manager said, "..the GT has stiffer mounts but all big 4 cylinders do that..."

I don't recall a 3.0 Porsche 4 cylinder being that rough.

I don't recall my old 2.4 Stanza being rough either, alas it was a stick shift.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: typ901
'06 Acura TSX I test drove did the same thing...vibrate at idle-thru the steering wheel.I was surprised and disappointed. Hoping that i would have liked the Euro-version Accord more than I did.


So does our Nissan V6, but the vibration is very minimal. The dealer told me it was normal, but they did an Idle Air Volume relearn anyway and it seemed to help.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: bigmike
It even resonates in the cabin on ours. You can hear it making this whom,whom,whom,whom.. kind of noise. Service manager sat in my car and said, 'yep, sounds about right.

Keep in mind, drop it in neutral or park, and the idle is smooth. This is only in Drive or Reverse.


Our 2.4 turbo PT does that. The Service Manager said, "..the GT has stiffer mounts but all big 4 cylinders do that..."

I don't recall a 3.0 Porsche 4 cylinder being that rough.

Counter balance shafts are nice!!!

 

[PandaBear]

I4 should give you slightly better fuel economy if you drive mainly highway, a lot more fuel economy if you drive city cycle.

I4 is cheaper to maintain (timing belt and spark plugs), easy to work with (more space under the hood), the auto transmission is more reliable (in Honda), and the reduced front end weight means it will handle slightly better.

Less torque for sure, but are you the kind of person that stomp the gas when you drive? Do you need to feel the acceleration to be satisfied? If not, I'd pick the I4.