I recently had to make this decision. I decided it was time for something that gets good mileage and I really need a 4 door as the kid is getting big. About 5 weeks ago we went out on a Sunday and looked at every 4 door under about $30 from all of the major manufacturer. Some were just plain boring and/or ugly and others are aimed at the older crowd.
I decided that I wanted to drive the Optima, Sonata, Camry, Accord and the new Fusion. Over the following week I spent some time looking at packages and reading reviews. The following weekend was spent going and driving the cars. When compared head to head there are some strong points to each and some real disappointments. Keep in mind that I was driving the sportiest version of each model that was still available with a non-turbo 4 cyl engine.
The New Fusion is a great looking car but it drove like a typical American car. It floated all over the road, had zero feel in the pedals and steering. Basically felt like nothing was connected.
The Optima had the nicest interior and had the most options for the price. My problem with the car was the amount of road and engine noise. Couple that with constant creaks and rattles and it was quickly off the list. The Sonata was exactly the same with an interior that was not as nice.
Next was the Camry SE LE. The SE rode the stiffest by a big margin but also seemed to stick better than the previous cars. Road and Engine noise were almost silent until you got up well into the illegal speed range approaching triple digits and even there you could talk to the person in the backseat without yelling. I'd also like to mention that the car was stable at those speeds. You really don't want anything exciting at 100mph
. I thought the interior was upscale and fit and finish were very good. It wasn't the Optima but it was nice and simple. The steering wheel controls also made sense and there weren't a million of them to mess with. The Nav was also the easiest to use and I liked that seeing as I'm going to put about 40K a yr on this car. The body kit made the SE look more aggressive and the 18in wheels looked good. This means alot to me as I'm a truck and sports car guy and buying 4 doors is difficult enough.
Next was the Accord. They brought up a black on black model that looked good. The interior was nice and well put together. I really liked the ride side camera and think it's a great idea. Too bad they didn't put it on the drivers side where it could be useful in merging into traffic. I pulled out and sale guy started running through the features and there were a lot of them. About 10 mins into the drive we turned onto an open road and I put my foot down and this is were the problems began. The CVT didn't know what I wanted and began jumping through settings. It would vary the RPM's from around 6K down to 3K back up to 6K etc etc all while my foot was firmly on the floor. After that little blast up to around 80 mph the CVT was confused and wouldn't adjust the ratios. We found ourselves rolling down the road at 40 mph with the RPMs around 3500. I was told it would take "time" for the trans to "adjust" to my driving style which I think is BS. The car was also loud inside. At 80mph you had to "speak up" for the salesman to hear me which I can't live with.
The other issue I have is Honda doesn't really have a sporty version of the Accord 4 door. It about as exciting to drive as eating you veggies at dinner. Honda really needs to Step up and do something in the looks department. Do a little wing, different front facial and wheels and tires.
In the end I decided to go with the Camry SE Limited Edition. The Accord is a really nice car but it's boring as hell and I couldn't get over the way the CVT acted or the fact that I was having to yell for the salesman to hear me in the back seat. Maybe it was just this car but you know what they say about first impressions....
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