Sat in '18 Accord

[k24a4]

Stopped by the dealer recently and sat in an new Accord, 2018 Accord Ex 1.5T. Liked the interior layout, seats were comfortable enough. Then I sat in a Civic Si. I liked the well bolstered seats better, the interior did not seem a huge step down, both in quality and materials, and the manual transmission, sweet! Short throws, and nice knob, so to speak. I was thinking of getting a new Accord in a few years, and the 2.0T Sport with MT peaked my interest, but at an MSRP of $31K and change, I'm rethinking and have the Civic SI on my radar as the better value option. My only gripe, the hysterically angular body styling and flat out ugly rear wing. The new Accord has more sophisticated styling, both inside and out.

Of course, this is all pending test drives of both.

 

[d00df00d]

Does anyone make better feeling shifters than Honda, on average? I don't think so.

Occasionally another manufacturer will have a lucky strike, but Honda nails it almost every time.

 

[Danh]

This may or may not be a longevity-compromising issue, but there are threads here about significant and consistent fuel dilution from the 1.5T engine. There are a couple UOA forums on the Civicx site and here that provide examples.

Just something to be aware of before you pull the trigger on either.

 

[14Accent]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Does anyone make better feeling shifters than Honda, on average? I don't think so.

Occasionally another manufacturer will have a lucky strike, but Honda nails it almost every time.


Mazda

 

[d00df00d]

Maybe. I like my RX-8's; same transmission as the NC Miata's, and the Miata is always praised for its shift quality. Wouldn't call it better than Honda's shifters, though. Equal maybe.

Don't think I've driven a FWD Mazda MT. How are they?

 

[LeakySeals]

Were the seats hard, like most new cars?

 

[Dohc98vteC]

I sat in an 18 yesterday as well. Very nice looking car inside and out. I then sat in a 17 to compare. It depends how much dealers will want to get rid of the old gen to make room for the 18s. That and the whole turbo vs NA debacle.

 

[E150GT]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Maybe. I like my RX-8's; same transmission as the NC Miata's, and the Miata is always praised for its shift quality. Wouldn't call it better than Honda's shifters, though. Equal maybe.

Don't think I've driven a FWD Mazda MT. How are they?


My 2010 Mazda 3 was good but sometimes you’d grind the [censored] out of 2nd if you shifted too fast, and I’m not even talking that fast. My Mazda 6 with the 6 speed has not been the same and I am happy with it.

 

[14Accent]

Originally Posted By: E150GT
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Maybe. I like my RX-8's; same transmission as the NC Miata's, and the Miata is always praised for its shift quality. Wouldn't call it better than Honda's shifters, though. Equal maybe.

Don't think I've driven a FWD Mazda MT. How are they?


My 2010 Mazda 3 was good but sometimes you’d grind the [censored] out of 2nd if you shifted too fast, and I’m not even talking that fast. My Mazda 6 with the 6 speed has not been the same and I am happy with it.


I put quite a few miles on a friend's '16, just like yours. I really liked that shifter, the clutch took a little adjusting to. Then again it was brand new at the time.

 

[miden851]

Honda, Mazda and VW; they all have the great sticks!

 

[d00df00d]

I used to be a fan of VW's shifters. Not any more. They just feel too artificial somehow. A lot of them feel like they have way too many soft bushings.

Honda and Mazda though, definitely.

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: miden851
Honda, Mazda and VW; they all have the great sticks!

The older Audi and Alfa Romeo shifted well too, not sure about the newer models.

Still the good shift didn't make up for the general cost of ownership, which was too high. I'm sure anything from Japan would be less expensive to own.

 

[Mr Nice]

CRX was the best manual Honda transmission I've shifted.

 

[miden851]

Originally Posted By: SR5
Originally Posted By: miden851
Honda, Mazda and VW; they all have the great sticks!

The older Audi and Alfa Romeo shifted well too, not sure about the newer models.

Still the good shift didn't make up for the general cost of ownership, which was too high. I'm sure anything from Japan would be less expensive to own.

Absolutely; however I haven’t take those high-end cars into my consideration...

 

[fdcg27]

So you sat in the car and played with the shifter?
This tells you very little about how the thing shifts while actually driving it.
Old Hondas did have great shifters, as our three old Civics did.
Later cars that use cable shift linkages like our '97 and '99 Accords are not as good.
Unless Honda has gone to the trouble and expense of reverting to the old rod shifters it once used, unlikely in what are now niche products, I'd expect shift quality to be mediocre at best.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
rod shifters


Those are hands down the smoothest types of shifters. That's the kind of shifter my 3000GT had and it was smooth as silk!!

 

[dishdude]

A real shifter doesn't have a linkage and moves power to the rear wheels!

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
rod shifters


Those are hands down the smoothest types of shifters. That's the kind of shifter my 3000GT had and it was smooth as silk!!

Ever tried one that just goes directly into the trans? :]

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
rod shifters


Those are hands down the smoothest types of shifters. That's the kind of shifter my 3000GT had and it was smooth as silk!!

Ever tried one that just goes directly into the trans? :]


Yes.
Snick-snick, nice.

 

[k24a4]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Were the seats hard, like most new cars?


The cloth seats in the Accord were not hard, and not too soft. I liked the snug bolsters in the Si, though. The Si seats might be considered narrow by some, but I liked how they "hug" the driver.

The stick shift in my na Miata is bolted right to the transmission with short, direct, throws. It can be, however, stiff. The Accord has longer throws but they are for the most part fluid and effortless, user friendly. From what I could glean from rowing the Si gearbox cold the shifts are shorter than the Accord but should be just as smooth. If I put the shifter through gears when the Accord engine is off it feels the same as when it is up and running. Doing some further research on the Si, the gearbox is considered a home run. Where it may fall short is clutch engagement, travel length, and feel.

Regarding the 1.5T engine, to put it bluntly, I trust Honda. They've built a well earned reputation for bulletproof 4cyl engines. If that reputation is marred significantly because they moved to forced induction, I'll be surprised. In any event I have a few years to track reliability. If the Accord keeps aging gracefully, who knows, I may just keep it until it rusts out.