Need your help.....99 GS4 or 05 Accord V6
#31
Trouble Maker
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This is a no brainer. I'll buy da gs400 in a heartbeat. Very comfortable, reliable car. A few of my friends got a 2004 and 2005 v6 accord and they regret it. As far as i Know.. all accords v6 model has transmission recall, front driver seat recall, radio recall. I know because my friends have already taken their car back to the dealer and get all the problem fixed. For a new car this problems shouldnt happen. A well equipped V6 accord can go up to 29k. If i'm paying 29k for a brand new car.. i dont wanna see those problems. If you dont mind driving a fairly quick and reliable car plus is a rear wheel drive, then you can't go wrong with the GS400. If you want a new car.. I'll spend a little bit more and get the Acura TL instead. Good luck with your decision!!
Tommy
Tommy
#32
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<<nothing beats driving in a brand new car>>
...until you have to pick up your boss and his wife and/or 3 clients to go out to dinner. Now, if you don't care about impressions and/ or don't appreciate higher quality, go ahead and pick them up in an Accord.
Here's the rub I've always had...
First, I'm cheap (or valued oriented) I just can't come to terms with buying "new" regardless of what I can afford. I bought my current GS still within factory warranty so I got an extended warranty, bumper to bumper, to 100K or 4 additional years. That takes repairs out of the picture. Next, the price I paid is 48% less than what I would have paid new.
So, with the above said, I'm on an apples to apples basis with any new car in the "used" GS price range. Oh I forgot, since the GS has taken the depreciation hit, I won't be upside down in the "what's it worth" equation. If I've got to get rid of it - I can, at a moments notice, with very little (if any) financial pain.
OK, do I want the used GS or a new "whatever"? It's simple for me but then again, I don't associate any status with "new". I think in terms of cost vs. reward or bang vs. buck.
Good luck,
Eric
...until you have to pick up your boss and his wife and/or 3 clients to go out to dinner. Now, if you don't care about impressions and/ or don't appreciate higher quality, go ahead and pick them up in an Accord.
Here's the rub I've always had...
First, I'm cheap (or valued oriented) I just can't come to terms with buying "new" regardless of what I can afford. I bought my current GS still within factory warranty so I got an extended warranty, bumper to bumper, to 100K or 4 additional years. That takes repairs out of the picture. Next, the price I paid is 48% less than what I would have paid new.
So, with the above said, I'm on an apples to apples basis with any new car in the "used" GS price range. Oh I forgot, since the GS has taken the depreciation hit, I won't be upside down in the "what's it worth" equation. If I've got to get rid of it - I can, at a moments notice, with very little (if any) financial pain.
OK, do I want the used GS or a new "whatever"? It's simple for me but then again, I don't associate any status with "new". I think in terms of cost vs. reward or bang vs. buck.
Good luck,
Eric
#34
Lexus Test Driver
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I also have a 02 Acura TL Type-S. I just received a safety recall notice from Honda. This recall letter stated that "a defect relating to motor vehicles safety exists in certain 01-03 3.2 CLs, 00-03 3.2 TLs, and
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
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#35
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Originally posted by gs400998
I also have a 02 Acura TL Type-S. I just received a safety recall notice from Honda. This recall letter stated that "a defect relating to motor vehicles safety exists in certain 01-03 3.2 CLs, 00-03 3.2 TLs, and
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
I also have a 02 Acura TL Type-S. I just received a safety recall notice from Honda. This recall letter stated that "a defect relating to motor vehicles safety exists in certain 01-03 3.2 CLs, 00-03 3.2 TLs, and
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
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This is shocking news to me! What happened to honda reliability? I hoped this wouldn't happen. I have often wondered if other car makers would look at benz, see how they continue to sell cars and have high resale with poor quality.....then imitate it to cut costs. Maybe not purposely but as a result of cost cutting measures. We have to admit, benz is getting away with it. Why not imitate? These people aren't enthusiasts. What a shame.
#36
Lexus Test Driver
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Originally posted by gs400998
I also have a 02 Acura TL Type-S. I just received a safety recall notice from Honda. This recall letter stated that "a defect relating to motor vehicles safety exists in certain 01-03 3.2 CLs, 00-03 3.2 TLs, and
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
I also have a 02 Acura TL Type-S. I just received a safety recall notice from Honda. This recall letter stated that "a defect relating to motor vehicles safety exists in certain 01-03 3.2 CLs, 00-03 3.2 TLs, and
04 TLS. Certain operating conditions can result in heat buildup in the transmission second gear set may lead to gear tooth chipping. In very rare cases, gear breakage can occur. Gear failure could result in transmission lock-up, and a crash could occur without warning." I don't think I'll be buying another Honda/Acura soon
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
At 5000 miles my wifes car started having mysterious transmission shifts and slips. After reading where others were having bad things happen on crowded freeways, she said I don't want this car any more I don't feel like I'm safe nor can I trust it to get me where I want to go. So we took a $5000 loss to get out of that car and she got the 1999 GS 400 and she could not be happier.
3dog
#37
Lexus Champion
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Well I hope I can offer a fresh perspective. I consider myself largely unbiased when it comes to cars and a lot of friends depend on me for advice and help with car purchases... I've led people to just about every brand of car out there almost... they all of their ups and downs.
With that said
FWIW I've never been impressed with the 98-02 Accord and 98/99?-03 TL/S
The new 03+ Accord is very nice though.
The interior on it in terms of looks, feel, and material, seems to belong in a car at least 10 grand more expensive (especially if you have an LX). Heck, I think it's a nicer interior that you find on quite a few domestic vehicles costing more than twice the price!
The ride is also impressively smooth and quiet. Honda really did their research on noise supression methods other than just loading the car up with a ton of sound deadening material.
Next, on to the chassis... absolutely top notch. It's most definitely more solid (higher natural resonant frequency and less bending and flexing) than the current generation GS4 as far as I can tell. Heck, Honda claims its actually stiffer than the current BMW M3 and previous genration Mercedes E class... both cars known for being rigid as a bank vault.
The guages are very nice looking and easy to read, and the nav system absolutely kicks the crap out of even the current Lexus nav system, IMO... not ot mention the ones from back in 98-99.
Lastly, with the new 05 V6 hybrid... gas milage on the Accord will easily destroy the GS4. Oh, don't forget about the optional 6-speed manual, if that's your thing?
The GS4 was most definitely a far superior car in 98 when it first came out as did the then new generation Accord... but you'd expect that for almost twice the price (depending on model).
These days, the Accord has evolved a generation. So not only is the GS400 older in terms of wear... but it's also older in terms of the engineering and technological limitations of the day.
Now on to the GS4.
The GS4 is still going to be far quieter. Period. It's night and day getting in my car vs my friend's accords. The GS4 is also going to have a much more 'stable' feeling when handling. The Accord feels more nimble, light, and tossable... but when the going gets rough, I'd rather be in the GS4. It goes where you point it no questions asked, and doesn't seem stressed in doing it.
And that's another point, the GS4 just has a totally different 'feel' to it. It just feels so much heavier and more significant... higher quality overall. I even notice this when driving a brand new 04-05 Lexus ES330... they feel so much lighter and less signficant overall than when climbing into the GS4, which feels more like a 'cockpit' than anything.
Engine noise and vibration in the GS4 are almost completely undetectable. Honda mades some damn fine motors, but the 1UZ-FE is literally just one of the smoothest motors on the planet, and is also one of the most durable. I'm not sure I've ever heard of somebody having to rebuild their 1UZ-FE unless something bad happened like a serious wreck, a seriously poorly modded car (tons of nitrous with no tuning), etc. They just don't wear out. And neither do the transmissions... relatively speaking, anyway. Any auto transmission can be suspect with age.
The build quality in the GS4 is nice, but it's certainly not free of rattles. I'm constantly disappointed in how many rattles my car has. Some say it's just becaus the car is so quiet, and to an extent, I think this is true... but doesn't explain everything.
I don't know what to tell you about the 03+ Accord yet. The 98-02 Accord had terrible rattling issues. My fiancee's 99 Accord was frustrating as hell to drive down all but the smoothest of roads. It wasn't always like that... it happened with age, as did happen with my GS4. So honestly since the highest milage of my friend's 03+ Accords is around 20,000 miles... I don't know whether or not they're going to develop the same rattling problems. But I can say their interior does seem put together much better than the 98-02 models. Looks can be deceiving though. Both of my 03+ Accord owner friends already have a couple of minor rattles, but nothing obscene and still less rattling than my 70k mile GS400 has. Again, that could just be a question of age, though.
I have plenty more info and opinions for you if you'd like... but I've already typed enough for today so feel free to ask any more if you wanna know something specific.
I'll just close with the comment that the GS4 is an awesome car. The new Honda Accord/Acura TL is the only new car currently on the market for under 30-35k that makes me even consider trading my baby in. But I never get far with that thought because I'm still waiting to see how they hold up over the long term, and by the time I find that out, there'll be a whole new generation out anyway. So I guess my philosophy is that there are no worries like that with my car, so I'll just stick with it until the wheels start to fall off.
With that said
FWIW I've never been impressed with the 98-02 Accord and 98/99?-03 TL/S
The new 03+ Accord is very nice though.
The interior on it in terms of looks, feel, and material, seems to belong in a car at least 10 grand more expensive (especially if you have an LX). Heck, I think it's a nicer interior that you find on quite a few domestic vehicles costing more than twice the price!
The ride is also impressively smooth and quiet. Honda really did their research on noise supression methods other than just loading the car up with a ton of sound deadening material.
Next, on to the chassis... absolutely top notch. It's most definitely more solid (higher natural resonant frequency and less bending and flexing) than the current generation GS4 as far as I can tell. Heck, Honda claims its actually stiffer than the current BMW M3 and previous genration Mercedes E class... both cars known for being rigid as a bank vault.
The guages are very nice looking and easy to read, and the nav system absolutely kicks the crap out of even the current Lexus nav system, IMO... not ot mention the ones from back in 98-99.
Lastly, with the new 05 V6 hybrid... gas milage on the Accord will easily destroy the GS4. Oh, don't forget about the optional 6-speed manual, if that's your thing?
The GS4 was most definitely a far superior car in 98 when it first came out as did the then new generation Accord... but you'd expect that for almost twice the price (depending on model).
These days, the Accord has evolved a generation. So not only is the GS400 older in terms of wear... but it's also older in terms of the engineering and technological limitations of the day.
Now on to the GS4.
The GS4 is still going to be far quieter. Period. It's night and day getting in my car vs my friend's accords. The GS4 is also going to have a much more 'stable' feeling when handling. The Accord feels more nimble, light, and tossable... but when the going gets rough, I'd rather be in the GS4. It goes where you point it no questions asked, and doesn't seem stressed in doing it.
And that's another point, the GS4 just has a totally different 'feel' to it. It just feels so much heavier and more significant... higher quality overall. I even notice this when driving a brand new 04-05 Lexus ES330... they feel so much lighter and less signficant overall than when climbing into the GS4, which feels more like a 'cockpit' than anything.
Engine noise and vibration in the GS4 are almost completely undetectable. Honda mades some damn fine motors, but the 1UZ-FE is literally just one of the smoothest motors on the planet, and is also one of the most durable. I'm not sure I've ever heard of somebody having to rebuild their 1UZ-FE unless something bad happened like a serious wreck, a seriously poorly modded car (tons of nitrous with no tuning), etc. They just don't wear out. And neither do the transmissions... relatively speaking, anyway. Any auto transmission can be suspect with age.
The build quality in the GS4 is nice, but it's certainly not free of rattles. I'm constantly disappointed in how many rattles my car has. Some say it's just becaus the car is so quiet, and to an extent, I think this is true... but doesn't explain everything.
I don't know what to tell you about the 03+ Accord yet. The 98-02 Accord had terrible rattling issues. My fiancee's 99 Accord was frustrating as hell to drive down all but the smoothest of roads. It wasn't always like that... it happened with age, as did happen with my GS4. So honestly since the highest milage of my friend's 03+ Accords is around 20,000 miles... I don't know whether or not they're going to develop the same rattling problems. But I can say their interior does seem put together much better than the 98-02 models. Looks can be deceiving though. Both of my 03+ Accord owner friends already have a couple of minor rattles, but nothing obscene and still less rattling than my 70k mile GS400 has. Again, that could just be a question of age, though.
I have plenty more info and opinions for you if you'd like... but I've already typed enough for today so feel free to ask any more if you wanna know something specific.
I'll just close with the comment that the GS4 is an awesome car. The new Honda Accord/Acura TL is the only new car currently on the market for under 30-35k that makes me even consider trading my baby in. But I never get far with that thought because I'm still waiting to see how they hold up over the long term, and by the time I find that out, there'll be a whole new generation out anyway. So I guess my philosophy is that there are no worries like that with my car, so I'll just stick with it until the wheels start to fall off.
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#38
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I dont like my 04 Accord. i traded it for 03 Yukon. the accord is an alright car, fun to drive, really easy to drive basically point and shoot but its so...."eh" for lack of better words.
#40
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Originally posted by NoRyceGS4
I dont like my 04 Accord. i traded it for 03 Yukon. the accord is an alright car, fun to drive, really easy to drive basically point and shoot but its so...."eh" for lack of better words.
I dont like my 04 Accord. i traded it for 03 Yukon. the accord is an alright car, fun to drive, really easy to drive basically point and shoot but its so...."eh" for lack of better words.
I once had a 2000 Chevy Silverado and was just shocked to see what amounted to about 90% identical dash in my friend's brand new 2002 Escalade!
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