- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
I'm buying a car within 2 weeks.
Should I go with Honda Accord LX-V6? or VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo?
features approx. the same. Jetta reaches it's 180HP at 2000rpm whereas the Accord never actually reach its 240HP (who drive their car at 6500rpm at all time?), I figure the most I'll get from the Accord on my regular route is approximately the same as the Jetta.
Will the Jetta have better fuel economy since it's a 1.8L Turbo?
oh yeah, and the Jetta have Tiptronic, Accord have its 5-spd Auto.
How about the reliability? price of parts? any recalls? etc etc.
Please help me. I know NOTHING about cars (other than brochure comparisons).
Last but not least, how crampy is the Jetta vs Mazda Protege? (for both front seats and back seats).
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 2,893
Personal opinion;
I'd go for the Accord. Hop in the back seat of the Jetta and it's pretty much useless.
I prefer Japanese interior to the european.
Take a look at the newe Mazda 6. It appears to ba a drivers car ...ESP with the V6.
Brent
\"I\'m on morphine and I\'m higher than a kite.\"
- Joined: July 2000
- Post Count: 1,877
If you're looking at a Jetta, get the TDI. One of my coworkers has one. He gets over 50 miles to the gallon. He can drive over 600 miles on a single tank of gas. It's insane.
And it's a nice car. The back seat is small, yes, but not useless. I've sat it in plenty of times - it's really not that bad.
If you aren't concerned about gas milage, then go for the Acura. The V6 will cost you more to run but the extra power (and extra room in the car) is nice.
-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
\"What more can I say? It\'s just one way.\"
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
brentl,
no more Mazda for me. After changing the brake rotor at 55,000 km (about 35,000 miles), blown intake gasket and broken transmission at 60,000km (about 40,000 miles); I've had enough with Mazda in general.
So I'm selling my 61,000 km Mazda Protege a.s.a.p.
Ryan Wright,
TDI is not an option for me. I'll shoot myself in frustration if I have to drive a car with only 90 horses, regardlesss how cheap the gas cost going to be. I don't race my car, but sometimes I need to pass, I just can't with 90 horses (I used to drive a Tercel with stickshift).
Ryan & Brett,
How tiny is the backseat anyways? tinier than a Protege?
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
- Joined: July 2000
- Post Count: 1,877
Quote:
| I don't race my car, but sometimes I need to pass, I just can't with 90 horses |
I'll second Brett's suggestion. Go drive a TDI. You might be surprised. It won't cost you anything but time, and could save you a heck of a lot of money on gas. I've been in one plenty of times and it's not your typical, slow as molasses economy car. It has plenty of power for passing.
As for the back seat - just go sit in one. I have no problem with it. Then again, I'm only 5'7". You 6'+ people might be annoyed with it.
-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
\"What more can I say? It\'s just one way.\"
- Joined: June 1999
- Post Count: 1,468
Between the two I'd take the Accord LX V6 in a second, even though the two cars are not really comparable. The Passat GLS V6 competes with the Accord LX V6, not the Jetta 1.8T, which competes with the Civic EX.
"Home is where the theater is!"
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
Thanks for the inputs.
I was about to take a test drive last night but the weather turned weird with all the ice pellets and such. So it's being postponed until Saturday.
Meanwhile, what kind of CD changer does it use? According to the salesperson, it's a Panasonic with custom connector.
Can I use any other Panasonic 6-disc changer with an adapter?
Any input about the Tiptronic system?
How's the stock sound system sounds? I don't want to change the entire setup. However, if the sound is not good, then I have to think twice about buying the car. Listening to lots of music is part of my job.
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 2,893
"David is Ontario" NO he's not ! He is IN Ontario! Mel Lastman is Ontario!! Oh wait ... he is Toronto
You're right Dave the weather sucks,(I'm in Uxbridge work in Stouffville) you have a test drive to come I need to hit the junkyard to keep my car running for antoher year!!
I'm sure a company like Scosche should make an adapter for the Honda or VW whichever you pick.
Brent
\"I\'m on morphine and I\'m higher than a kite.\"
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
Kevin Farley,
My wife can't drive a stick, so I'm stuck with a a non-stick.
Daryl Furkalo,
I'm not getting the Monsoon system, just the stock (made by Clarion) and maybe getting the Panasonic CD changer for the back (Panasonic makes the CD changers for VW).
BTW, I've found the adapter, it's only US$35.
ps: I know I'm fat, but not as fat as the entire Ontario
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
- Joined: May 2002
- Post Count: 3,596
Quote:
| I don't even think the two cars are in the same class for me. |
youre probably right. i think the accord is in the same class (size wise) as the passat. i would go with the jetta all the way. and i will also contribute about the tdi. we may sound like a broken record, but dont judge the tdi by its 90 hp. they go a long way, you may be surprised at how much power it has for only 90 hp. compating hp like this is comparing watts per channel. most of us know that it doesnt add up exactly like that. i had a friend at school who had a 2001 jetta tdi, and he had trouble getting LESS than 60 mpg. even driving like an asshole on the highway (85mph+) he was getting that. and if you are looking to get a tdi, the best place to visit is the
TDI Club. you could say its the "home theater forum" for diesel information and resources. the accord is a nice car too, but its in a different class, competes with the passat. i'm not much of a fan of japanese cars, the interiors are pretty bland, much like driving a rental car. vw's are fun to drive, reliable, and fun to drive! i know the jetta has a small back seat, but how often are you driving from there?
CJ
And then when I feel so stuffed I can't eat anymore, I just use the restroom! And then I CAN eat more!
- Joined: January 1999
- Post Count: 2,309
If you have to have auto, I'd go with the Accord. The 5spd auto is a good match for the VERY free-revving V6. Torque will not be a problem. I have a 2002 Acura TL-S, with 260hp 3.2l, and it is an absolutely wonderful engine. Gas mileage on my city/highway commute is 24-25mpg- not bad for a 3550 lb car. For reference, I also drive a 95 Accord EX on this route (145hp, 2.2l VTEC 4cyl)- and it averages 30mpg.
Plus, if you are moderately, uh, "biggie size" (no jab intended), Accord might be a more comfortable fit than Jetta.
I recently spent some time in Germany in a colleague's VW TDI Wagon (he kept saying it was a Golf Wagon- naming conventions not the same there). We had no trouble accelerating in the city, and he had no trouble accelerating away from me on the Autobahn as traffic thinned. I was in a 1.8l supercharged C-Class Benz. We cruised for a while (I was following him home) at 180+ kph.
I thought that was quite impressive for a "Little Diesel That Could."
Todd
I love to singa, about the moon-a, and the june-a, and the springa...
-Owl Jolson
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
Christ Reynolds,
for me, tiny backseat may pose a problem, both my wife and kid sit at the back.
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
- Joined: September 2000
- Post Count: 4,608
Why are you considering the Accord and the Jetta? Is the Jetta that much more expensive?
Anyhow, I'd suggest the Accord (or similar sized car, like the Passat) simply because you could use the extra room for the family! Uh, unless you force the kid to sit in the back, and the wife in the front.
I remember when Jettas were not known for their reliability. Have they improved enough to compete with Toyota/Honda/Nissan yet?
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him...a super-callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Gamesh...
- Joined: May 1999
- Post Count: 1,199
Max Leung,
The Jetta is CAD$1500 (plus taxes) cheaper than the Accord and Passats are CAD$2000 (plus taxes) more than the Accord.
I've decided to stay away from the Accord for now. The salesperson is a major pain in the you know where; very childish.
\"I cna ytpe 300 wrods pre mniuet!\"
www.kiwihouse.com
