blondee_yvr wrote:

[snip]

> Ok, so if I do decide on a Honda, which model, and cylinder would
> bring me the most bang for the buck and still be reliable. BTW, I
> should tell y'all I think I am cursed when it comes to reliability.
> ;-)

[snip]

Whichever model you decide on, do not get the automatic transmission,
especially if you're looking for a sporty feel to the car. Granted,
automatics have come a long way in the past 20 years, but they are still
slower, less responsive and reliable than the manuals. A V6 engine will
offset some of those drawbacks (at a cost in even worse reliability),
but an I4 engine, especially the Civic one, will be sloooooow.

I was recently in the market for another car to replace the 94 Accord
before it completely devalued, and I decided to get the 01 Prelude SE
5spd. With only 18k miles, mint shape, it cost me as much as a brand new
Civic Si coupe, but it's a much better car. But if you're looking for a
brand new car, then maybe the Acura RSX, or the Accord coupe (I4). Those
were some of the sporty cars I was considering before settling on the
Prelude.

If you're looking for a sedan, the Civic sedan looks completely dated,
and the Corolla is not much better. However, have you ever considered
the Mazda 3? I love the styling, and the performance with the 160hp
engine is pretty good. It gets close to the price of the Accord though
and it's in such high demand you're not likely to get any incentives
from the dealers.

Cosmin

 

blondee_yvr wrote:

[snip]

> Ok, so if I do decide on a Honda, which model, and cylinder would
> bring me the most bang for the buck and still be reliable. BTW, I
> should tell y'all I think I am cursed when it comes to reliability.
> ;-)

[snip]

Whichever model you decide on, do not get the automatic transmission,
especially if you're looking for a sporty feel to the car. Granted,
automatics have come a long way in the past 20 years, but they are still
slower, less responsive and reliable than the manuals. A V6 engine will
offset some of those drawbacks (at a cost in even worse reliability),
but an I4 engine, especially the Civic one, will be sloooooow.

I was recently in the market for another car to replace the 94 Accord
before it completely devalued, and I decided to get the 01 Prelude SE
5spd. With only 18k miles, mint shape, it cost me as much as a brand new
Civic Si coupe, but it's a much better car. But if you're looking for a
brand new car, then maybe the Acura RSX, or the Accord coupe (I4). Those
were some of the sporty cars I was considering before settling on the
Prelude.

If you're looking for a sedan, the Civic sedan looks completely dated,
and the Corolla is not much better. However, have you ever considered
the Mazda 3? I love the styling, and the performance with the 160hp
engine is pretty good. It gets close to the price of the Accord though
and it's in such high demand you're not likely to get any incentives
from the dealers.

Cosmin

 

"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message news:LyBSc.5385$:

: Whichever model you decide on, do not get the automatic
transmission,
: especially if you're looking for a sporty feel to the car. Granted,
: automatics have come a long way in the past 20 years, but they are
still
: slower, less responsive and reliable than the manuals. A V6 engine
will
: offset some of those drawbacks (at a cost in even worse
reliability),
: but an I4 engine, especially the Civic one, will be sloooooow.

This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
have some roll.
:
: I was recently in the market for another car to replace the 94
Accord
: before it completely devalued, and I decided to get the 01 Prelude
SE
: 5spd. With only 18k miles, mint shape, it cost me as much as a brand
new
: Civic Si coupe, but it's a much better car. But if you're looking
for a
: brand new car, then maybe the Acura RSX, or the Accord coupe (I4).
Those
: were some of the sporty cars I was considering before settling on
the
: Prelude.

Me and used get along as much as oil and water. No matter how hard I
try, we can't mix.
:
: If you're looking for a sedan, the Civic sedan looks completely
dated,
: and the Corolla is not much better. However, have you ever
considered
: the Mazda 3? I love the styling, and the performance with the 160hp
: engine is pretty good. It gets close to the price of the Accord
though
: and it's in such high demand you're not likely to get any incentives
: from the dealers.

Agreed, it's very dated along with the Corolla. I seriously thought
about the Mazda 3 and with ABS it is in the same ballpark price as my
TDI. However, I don't like the styling of the 3. Perhaps I am a good
candidate to lease a domestic car for three years until something
comes my way that I like that way the car will be fully under warranty
regardless of [most] problems?

 

"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message news:LyBSc.5385$:

: Whichever model you decide on, do not get the automatic
transmission,
: especially if you're looking for a sporty feel to the car. Granted,
: automatics have come a long way in the past 20 years, but they are
still
: slower, less responsive and reliable than the manuals. A V6 engine
will
: offset some of those drawbacks (at a cost in even worse
reliability),
: but an I4 engine, especially the Civic one, will be sloooooow.

This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
have some roll.
:
: I was recently in the market for another car to replace the 94
Accord
: before it completely devalued, and I decided to get the 01 Prelude
SE
: 5spd. With only 18k miles, mint shape, it cost me as much as a brand
new
: Civic Si coupe, but it's a much better car. But if you're looking
for a
: brand new car, then maybe the Acura RSX, or the Accord coupe (I4).
Those
: were some of the sporty cars I was considering before settling on
the
: Prelude.

Me and used get along as much as oil and water. No matter how hard I
try, we can't mix.
:
: If you're looking for a sedan, the Civic sedan looks completely
dated,
: and the Corolla is not much better. However, have you ever
considered
: the Mazda 3? I love the styling, and the performance with the 160hp
: engine is pretty good. It gets close to the price of the Accord
though
: and it's in such high demand you're not likely to get any incentives
: from the dealers.

Agreed, it's very dated along with the Corolla. I seriously thought
about the Mazda 3 and with ABS it is in the same ballpark price as my
TDI. However, I don't like the styling of the 3. Perhaps I am a good
candidate to lease a domestic car for three years until something
comes my way that I like that way the car will be fully under warranty
regardless of [most] problems?

 

blondee_yvr wrote:

[snip]

> This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
> have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
> really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
> also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
> have some roll.

The domestics have far worse reliability than Honda in every respect,
including the transmission. Honda got so much bad publicity because it
is very uncommon for them to have ANY problems, whereas with the
domestics replacing a transmission is just "regular maintenance". I do
understand your frustration with the manual transmission on your TDI. It
happens to me all the time that someone stops too close, but I usually
leave myself enough room in the front to pull up a bit, and when people
see I drive a manual, they back off. Rush hour traffic is another issue
though. :P
[snip]

> Me and used get along as much as oil and water. No matter how hard I
> try, we can't mix.

I understand. I think I looked at 15 Preludes before I bought mine...


> Agreed, it's very dated along with the Corolla. I seriously thought
> about the Mazda 3 and with ABS it is in the same ballpark price as my
> TDI. However, I don't like the styling of the 3. Perhaps I am a good
> candidate to lease a domestic car for three years until something
> comes my way that I like that way the car will be fully under warranty
> regardless of [most] problems?

That's definitely an option if you don't really care what kind of car
you drive. Just don't buy it though, the domestics have no resale value
and you don't want to be stuck with one. Next year the new Civic will
come out (and hopefully they'll do a good job on it, unlike the current
one), the new Sentra and a few others will come out soon as well. By the
time your lease will expire all the new models will be on the market.

Cosmin

 

blondee_yvr wrote:

[snip]

> This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
> have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
> really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
> also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
> have some roll.

The domestics have far worse reliability than Honda in every respect,
including the transmission. Honda got so much bad publicity because it
is very uncommon for them to have ANY problems, whereas with the
domestics replacing a transmission is just "regular maintenance". I do
understand your frustration with the manual transmission on your TDI. It
happens to me all the time that someone stops too close, but I usually
leave myself enough room in the front to pull up a bit, and when people
see I drive a manual, they back off. Rush hour traffic is another issue
though. :P
[snip]

> Me and used get along as much as oil and water. No matter how hard I
> try, we can't mix.

I understand. I think I looked at 15 Preludes before I bought mine...


> Agreed, it's very dated along with the Corolla. I seriously thought
> about the Mazda 3 and with ABS it is in the same ballpark price as my
> TDI. However, I don't like the styling of the 3. Perhaps I am a good
> candidate to lease a domestic car for three years until something
> comes my way that I like that way the car will be fully under warranty
> regardless of [most] problems?

That's definitely an option if you don't really care what kind of car
you drive. Just don't buy it though, the domestics have no resale value
and you don't want to be stuck with one. Next year the new Civic will
come out (and hopefully they'll do a good job on it, unlike the current
one), the new Sentra and a few others will come out soon as well. By the
time your lease will expire all the new models will be on the market.

Cosmin

 

blondee_yvr wrote:
> the Civic or the Corolla <snip> are too "girly" for me.
<snip>
> I probably will
> go to an automatic this time.

First you insult my manhood and then you wimp out and go to an automatic???

<vbg>

 

blondee_yvr wrote:
> the Civic or the Corolla <snip> are too "girly" for me.
<snip>
> I probably will
> go to an automatic this time.

First you insult my manhood and then you wimp out and go to an automatic???

<vbg>

 

In article <TrDSc.80800$M95.9353@pd7tw1no>, nothing@no.som.com says...
> This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
> have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
> really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
> also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
> have some roll.
>

Don't.

I'm in the UK, but as a Current classic Saab owner, and soon to be
generation 4 Prelude owner, I hear so many horror stories from US
forum/Newsgroup people who own Saabs and domestic US cars, and jap cars.

The Jap and Saab owners are happy, with Saab weirdness, and jap
reliability.
The domestic and Saab owners all state how much better Saab is than US
domestic, but long for the reliability of Jap cars to go with the
longevity of Saabs.

Euro cars like saab and VW etc can be odd. But having learned to drive a
stick, I don't understand how you could consider going back to a
slushmatic, you think you roll back bad now, try it with a slush box.

You just need to learn a little more clutch control, and get on the bite
before releasing the brake or parking/emergency brake.
--
The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

 

In article <TrDSc.80800$M95.9353@pd7tw1no>, nothing@no.som.com says...
> This is why I may need to look at the domestics because they *should*
> have better reliability than the imports. My TDI is a 5 speed and it
> really is a nuisance in the city and when I have to stop on hills. It
> also ticks me off when the bozo behind me is right on my butt when I
> have some roll.
>

Don't.

I'm in the UK, but as a Current classic Saab owner, and soon to be
generation 4 Prelude owner, I hear so many horror stories from US
forum/Newsgroup people who own Saabs and domestic US cars, and jap cars.

The Jap and Saab owners are happy, with Saab weirdness, and jap
reliability.
The domestic and Saab owners all state how much better Saab is than US
domestic, but long for the reliability of Jap cars to go with the
longevity of Saabs.

Euro cars like saab and VW etc can be odd. But having learned to drive a
stick, I don't understand how you could consider going back to a
slushmatic, you think you roll back bad now, try it with a slush box.

You just need to learn a little more clutch control, and get on the bite
before releasing the brake or parking/emergency brake.
--
The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

 

"Abeness" <news@nada.x> wrote in message
news:411b75d0$0$5914$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
: :
: First you insult my manhood and then you wimp out and go to an
automatic???

You drive a Civic or Corolla? Don't be offended dude, it's just my
preference and my opinion. If you are happy with the aesthetics with
your car, great and good for you. It's just not my style. It doesn't
mean I am right, it just my opinion. As far as wanting an automatic?
Well, it's a lot less stress for me in the city during rush hour.

 

"Abeness" <news@nada.x> wrote in message
news:411b75d0$0$5914$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
: :
: First you insult my manhood and then you wimp out and go to an
automatic???

You drive a Civic or Corolla? Don't be offended dude, it's just my
preference and my opinion. If you are happy with the aesthetics with
your car, great and good for you. It's just not my style. It doesn't
mean I am right, it just my opinion. As far as wanting an automatic?
Well, it's a lot less stress for me in the city during rush hour.

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b858d7cdef6fe0c98a482@news.individual.ne t...
: :
: Don't.
:
: I'm in the UK, but as a Current classic Saab owner, and soon to be
: generation 4 Prelude owner, I hear so many horror stories from US
: forum/Newsgroup people who own Saabs and domestic US cars, and jap
cars.
:
: The Jap and Saab owners are happy, with Saab weirdness, and jap
: reliability.
: The domestic and Saab owners all state how much better Saab is than
US
: domestic, but long for the reliability of Jap cars to go with the
: longevity of Saabs.
:
: Euro cars like saab and VW etc can be odd. But having learned to
drive a
: stick, I don't understand how you could consider going back to a
: slushmatic, you think you roll back bad now, try it with a slush
box.
:
: You just need to learn a little more clutch control, and get on the
bite
: before releasing the brake or parking/emergency brake.

I hear ya. With my TDI, I dont need to use the handbrake. The car has
enough torque to handle most hills but sometimes I need to be hard on
the clutch in the hills. I don't like it and that stresses me out. In
general, I am one of those people that can easily get stressed out,

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b858d7cdef6fe0c98a482@news.individual.ne t...
: :
: Don't.
:
: I'm in the UK, but as a Current classic Saab owner, and soon to be
: generation 4 Prelude owner, I hear so many horror stories from US
: forum/Newsgroup people who own Saabs and domestic US cars, and jap
cars.
:
: The Jap and Saab owners are happy, with Saab weirdness, and jap
: reliability.
: The domestic and Saab owners all state how much better Saab is than
US
: domestic, but long for the reliability of Jap cars to go with the
: longevity of Saabs.
:
: Euro cars like saab and VW etc can be odd. But having learned to
drive a
: stick, I don't understand how you could consider going back to a
: slushmatic, you think you roll back bad now, try it with a slush
box.
:
: You just need to learn a little more clutch control, and get on the
bite
: before releasing the brake or parking/emergency brake.

I hear ya. With my TDI, I dont need to use the handbrake. The car has
enough torque to handle most hills but sometimes I need to be hard on
the clutch in the hills. I don't like it and that stresses me out. In
general, I am one of those people that can easily get stressed out,

 

Cosmin N. wrote:

> Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
>
>> In article <PJfSc.70190$M95.38365@pd7tw1no>,
>> "blondee_yvr" <nothing@no.som.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Wow, were do I start. Repeated rotor warpage, interior seats poorly
>>> stitched, headlight seals broken, poor quality paint (Honda repainted
>>> the entire car), MAP sensor replacement, throttle body replacement,
>>> proportion valve replacement, radio replaced, windows seals replaced,
>>> transmission replaced three times. I probably missed a few things....
>>
>>
>>
>> I'd long ago have asked Honda simply to replace the car. They would
>> have done that (for me, anyway).
>>
>
> I really think you had a lemon, because that really doesn't sound like a
> Honda. Even today, I still see quite a few late 80s Accords and Civics
> driving around Toronto (looking like rust buckets, but they still work),
> whereas most other cars from that generation have all but dissapeared.
>

even in so cal, where cars dont rust, i see a lot of older hondas. late
80s and up. i still think the 90-94(?) gen accords look nice.

what i dont see are a lot of crapaliers, escorts and tempos from that era.

> We have owned 4 Hondas in my family over the past few years, 94 and 02
> Accords, 99 Odyssey and an 01 Prelude and the only major repair was a
> failed transmission on the Odyssey (covered under the warranty).
> Otherwise, only minor things, and only after 150k km (95k miles) on the
> 94 Accord.
>
> Give Honda a try, they are still some of the most reliable cars on the
> market today.

honda can afford to lose a few customers for the few lemons they make.
they end up being replaced by disgruntled GM/ford/chrysler owners. and
of those, most end up happy and stick around. if not with honda, then
acura, or toyota and lexus.

its a net gain.

>
> Cosmin