legacy versus accord

hello all

i am cross shopping the new accord coupe and the legacy models

the awd isn't necessary for the weather I will be driving in but I am intrigued by the claim that awd handles better on dry roads than fwd. although neither of the cars are performance cars, I will by the one that's more fun to drive. The accord has more power and better mpg, but if the legacy has better handling and is more engaging than the accord, it will be my next car

 

would love to hear this forums opinion

I bought a brand spanking new Legacy GT Limited in 2008, sold it for an Accord V6 Coupe in 2010, and still couldn't be more pleased with my decision. (and it snows here) Buy the Honda.

thanks captain! Any reasons in particular?

thanks captain! Any reasons in particular?

 

In one word: RELIABILITY

 

My car spent something like 30 days (literally) in the shop having warranty work performed during the first year of ownership. Motor, transmission, TPMS, A/C, seat frames, moonroof, electrical gremlins, wheel corrosion, you name it, it had issues.

 

Beyond reliability, the GT (turbo) model was killed off a couple years ago, and the 5th gen body simply looks like shit. It looked like a bloated turd when it debuted in 2009, and it still does. The Accord Coupe, on the other hand, is well made, has an attractive body, and performs well. If you don't live in an area where it snows constantly, it's a no brainer.

In one word: RELIABILITY

 

My car spent something like 30 days (literally) in the shop having warranty work performed during the first year of ownership. Motor, transmission, TPMS, A/C, seat frames, moonroof, electrical gremlins, wheel corrosion, you name it, it had issues.

 

Beyond reliability, the GT (turbo) model was killed off a couple years ago, and the 5th gen body simply looks like shit. It looked like a bloated turd when it debuted in 2009, and it still does. The Accord Coupe, on the other hand, is well made, has an attractive body, and performs well. If you don't live in an area where it snows constantly, it's a no brainer.

 

interesting. I always figured subaru's reliability was close to honda. I don't like the look of the current gen, but hopefully the 2015s will be better to look at

I personally would not base your choice on just one unhappy Ex-Subaru owner. I also would not judge the whole brand by one modified car. Once you start tinkering, you are going to have issues no matter what badge is on the trunk.

AWD and Subarus in general have more character and performance feel than a honda with FWD, in my opinion. It's hard to put ones finger on why FWD Hondas and Toyotas feel "blah".

 

Reliability, the Honda will likely be a tick better, having seen 1000s of subies in the past 10 years, overall an unmodified well maintained subie will run for a good amount of time. I'm not a fan of the look of the '10-14 Legacies but let's hope '15 brings a better refresh.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg

Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001.

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"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

interesting. I always figured subaru's reliability was close to honda. I don't like the look of the current gen, but hopefully the 2015s will be better to look at

 

well to compare the reliability of a turbo subaru to an N/A honda is pretty useless anyway... haha no shit the honda is more reliable, but compare it to an legacy 3.0R/3.6R with the H6 and while the honda is probably still a bit more reliable (because it is still a honda after all) they'd be pretty damn close. The legacy will feel a bit more "luxurious" than honda as well.

Honestly, if I had to buy a new sedan this year and AWD wasn't a factor, I'd buy the Accord, or the Mazda6 over the Legacy N/A. they are superior, according to every magazine, etc. I have driven neither.

 

If I had the need for AWD 4-5 months a year, I'd buy the Legacy. But I have a Grand Caravan with snow tires and it has made multiple trips to the mountains thru the scary mountain passes without issue. So there is another point for a good solid FWD car with snows strapped to it.

 

If I was an enthusiast and wanted a superquick turbo car for under 40K, there isn't much choice, and the LGT would be my choice again.

 

My next car is really looking like the turbo diesel Mazda6. If they bring the wagon to Canada / USA, super easy choice. I don't need a race car anymore, and I can get 250lbs of flat torque and 30+ mpg, bingo.

thank you for all the helpful responses.

 

The main factor in determining which car to buy will be which is more fun to drive, as they are both practical cars

Few examples: Now and in the spring when there is a lot of sand on the road, FWD will easily spin the tires; AWD will not. You can maintain speed/accelerate through a turn much better with AWD over FWD.

 

So for the Accord V6 FWD, you have to be more concerned about wheel spin while having fun will this is of a lesser concerned with the 3.6R H6. The Honda may be faster straight but the 3.6R Legacy may brake better (but have not looked as the specs recently.)

 

Can you define what "fun to drive" means to you?

 

Find a fun road and test drive both of them.

There is something about driving a subaru that makes it special. For one you will not see your same car parked next to you at the mall parki lot. They are very good cars and fun when you need them to be. I have owned three since 2005.

 

Go drive them and make your own conclusion. The 2014 legacy sport in white looks so much better.

Few examples: Now and in the spring when there is a lot of sand on the road, FWD will easily spin the tires; AWD will not. You can maintain speed/accelerate through a turn much better with AWD over FWD.

 

So for the Accord V6 FWD, you have to be more concerned about wheel spin while having fun will this is of a lesser concerned with the 3.6R H6. The Honda may be faster straight but the 3.6R Legacy may brake better (but have not looked as the specs recently.)

 

Can you define what "fun to drive" means to you?

 

Find a fun road and test drive both of them.

 

fun to drive means I prefer a responsive car with a better feel of the road than a smooth and luxurious ride.

fun to drive means I prefer a responsive car with a better feel of the road than a smooth and luxurious ride.

 

You will likely enjoy the Legacy H6 better then.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg

Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001.

Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) |AIM: AZP Installs

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

fun to drive means I prefer a responsive car with a better feel of the road than a smooth and luxurious ride.

Disagree, I think you would like the Accord better if that's the case. My family has owned some proper Hondas and I had an 8th gen Civic. My mom still has her '02 TL Type-S. In terms of road feel the Honda will give you more, comparing it to the current Legacy at least. It's lighter and more nimble, and Honda can do a chassis right if they put their mind to it. They've done a great job with the new Accord. Also you can get a manual gearbox with the 6 cylinder coupe and a shift feel that a Subaru can only dream of. No matter which Legacy you choose the steering will not be as immediate as the Accord because of the 4WD in the way. Fuel economy will be much better too.

 

Be sure to drive both! Nothing will impact you more than your own perceptions of the two.

My first reaction is that the 2014 Honda Accord LX looks square and dull but the driving feel is so much better in normal driving conditions. The throttle response feels torquier without the Econ button pressed. Overall after driving it for about 10 miles "moneywise" the Honda Accord wins hands down, better gas mileage, less weighty (have not confirmed but seems like it), less mechaical parts to do the same task which is get you from point A to B. But there is a couple turns on the way to work that I "need" to stay planted on in high speed applications....anyway like I said in normal driving the Honda will be the most efficient oh yeah the cabin sounds way less terminator like too...

For one you will not see your same car parked next to you at the mall parki lot.

 

I know that in my city there are only two more cars that are identical to mine (almost, they're 5EAT's). I see one of them about once every 6 months. I almost crashed the other day as I was staring at it in disbelief

I traded a 2013 Accord EX for a 2013 Legacy 2.5i. The Legacy has a more sporty feel and the steering is much better.

 

Also traded 2013 CRV for 2014 Forester (this was actually the first trade). The Hondas weren't bad but the new models with CVT and electronic steering just don't drive as well as our previous Hondas (we previously drove 2010 Accord and 2007 Pilot).

 

After 12 years of exclusive Honda ownership, I never expected to buy anything else. The CRV was, for me, all over the place and new design lost rear visibility. After falling in love with the Forester drive and visibility, I decided to test the Legacy and you know the rest.

 

I say test drive them both and see for yourself. The fun to drive factor is subjective. Both are good cars - Legacy is shorter and a little smaller which I like.

fun to drive means I prefer a responsive car with a better feel of the road than a smooth and luxurious ride.

 

Disagree, I think you would like the Accord better if that's the case. My family has owned some proper Hondas and I had an 8th gen Civic. My mom still has her '02 TL Type-S. In terms of road feel the Honda will give you more, comparing it to the current Legacy at least. It's lighter and more nimble, and Honda can do a chassis right if they put their mind to it. They've done a great job with the new Accord. Also you can get a manual gearbox with the 6 cylinder coupe and a shift feel that a Subaru can only dream of. No matter which Legacy you choose the steering will not be as immediate as the Accord because of the 4WD in the way. Fuel economy will be much better too.

 

Be sure to drive both! Nothing will impact you more than your own perceptions of the two.

 

I have a LGT for my DD, and a Miata for fun, and I had an Impreza 2.5RS from age 2005 until early 2013 when I bought the Legacy, so I'm most accustomed to AWD.

 

I don't drive FWDs very often, and when I do, I hate it.

 

It just feels so incredibly wrong....not wrong from some Jeremy Clarkson-esque high-and-mighty use of the word, implying that the only right-wheel drive is rear wheel drive. I mean wrong like that feeling if something is screwed up on your car and it isn't driving correctly....like you just know something is off.

 

I've never driven a good sporty FWD car (GTI/GLI/civic Si, etc), so I have no idea what those are like, but torque steer and understeer in corners drives me crazy, and have been present in every FWD I've driven. Subies understeer a bit going into turns, but you can still power out of a turn, which you can't really do in FWD.

 

Test drive them and see what you like. For regular ole' commuters, the Accord and Mazda 6 look to be great cars, and would actually be my choice over a non-LGT '10-'14 Legacy, for looks alone.

 

Mazda has the whole zoom-zoom thing going on, so at least from their marketing it sound like they try to infuse some fun into all of their cars. The Accord is available in the "Sport" trim, which has gotten good reviews from enthusiasts.

I would definitely go test drive a Mazda in your decision process. Myself, I am not a fan of the 5th gen Legacies, but they are correct in the H6 motors lasting forever on the reliability scale.

 

I have owned 2 first gen Mazda 6s, and though they have gone through 2 generation updates since then, Mazda makes a point of providing a more "fun" experience with their vehicles.

 

Never hurts to try them all, and if you get bored, don't forget about a Nissan Altima.

If you're looking for something fun to drive in that segment, I would take a look at the new Mazda6. More fun to drive than either, better looking, better fuel economy, and better predicted reliability.

I personally would not base your choice on just one unhappy Ex-Subaru owner. I also would not judge the whole brand by one modified car. Once you start tinkering, you are going to have issues no matter what badge is on the trunk.

 

Contrary to ignorant belief, having an ECU tune has no bearing whatsoever on:

 

- the alignment coming out in the first 2 weeks on the road

- the steering wheel creaking

- the sport# button only working occasionally

- the moonroof failing (stuck open, would not shut do to broken plastic piece inside)

- the ENTIRE TPMS system needing to be replaced, all sensors x2, wiring, and module (and still had issues)

- the fuel gauge failing

- the ambient temperature gauge being off by over 5 degrees

- the driver seat frame cracking and needing to be replaced twice (I'm 180lbs)

- the transmission slipping between shifts (did this immediately off the lot)

- the transmission occasionally banging into 3rd and 4th gear for no apparent reason (did this immediately off the lot)

- the rims becoming corroded around the center cap after 5k miles

- the turbo needing to be replaced after 5k miles (before it was ever tuned)

- the PCV Valve needing to be replaced at 5k miles

- the cabin rattling in multiple places

- the AC requiring a new compressor at 7k miles

- the brake rotors requiring resurfacing after only 9K miles

- the arm rest extension rattling and requiring replacing

- the oil pan leaking

- the belts requiring replacing at 18k miles

- the weather stripping requiring replacing at 18k miles

- the acceleration stutter between 3000 and 4000 rpm

 

Further, the tear-down of the motor after it spun the #4 rod bearing revealed that a factory machining flaw prevented proper oiling in the short block. So although it was turned, Subaru never balked at replacing the motor under warranty. While I had my vehicle at the dealership almost constantly during my ownership, I regularly saw other turbo 2.5's of similar vintage that had suffered premature death from the same issue. It was under no circumstance limited to tuned vehicles, let alone my individual specimen.

 

fun to drive means I prefer a responsive car with a better feel of the road than a smooth and luxurious ride.

 

You will likely enjoy the Legacy H6 better then.

-Mike Paisan

 

Having personally owned and driven both, a lot, I completely disagree. Stock vs stock, the Accord is more responsive, better handling, and more in tune with the road.

 

As far as the Mazda, my buddy had great luck with his Mazdaspeed 6, but that's a far cry from the larger, under-powered, family hauler that the 6 is now. As others have suggested, get behind the wheel of everything you can get your hands on and go from there.

 

. . . if you're willing to consider a lightly used car, I'd highly suggest test driving the Lexus IS350 and Infiniti G37 as well.

A few notes...

 

You have a sample size of 1 for your Subaru reliability testing. Come back when you've seen 1000s and 1000s of them over the past 12+ years.

 

Any stock FWD car is not going to be terribly sporty, sorry, but if you feel that way we are talking about very different ideas of sporting.

 

Either way drive everything, especially ones with 20k, 30k, or find a rental company that has the models you want. The great thing about rental cars is that if it has 10-12k rental miles, their abuse will likely be a normal person's 30k or so miles.

 

-Mike Paisan

 

http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/153798190.jpg

Maintaining, Modifying and Educating TriState Enthusiasts since 2001.

Like us on Facebook! | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) |AIM: AZP Installs

"Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!"

I never thought reliability would be an issue when making this decision. I was under the impression that subaru and honda are neck and neck when it comes to reliability. After driving an accord sedan recently, I did not like the steering feel or handling. I actually though that my 07 outback was nicer to drive. I'm interested to try an accord coupe or v6, but I think in my opinion, the awd offers better handling than fwd.

A few notes...

 

You have a sample size of 1 for your Subaru reliability testing. Come back when you've seen 1000s and 1000s of them over the past 12+ years.

I'm literally best friends with a 15-year certified Subaru technician that sees the cars when they break down, not when they're looking for a few parts bolted on. My sample size is likely larger, and more importantly, more useful for judging overall reliability.

 

Any stock FWD car is not going to be terribly sporty, sorry, but if you feel that way we are talking about very different ideas of sporting.

Obviously we are, as yours apparently starts with NARROW and ends with MINDED.

 

OP: If you haven't already, I would suggest posing the same question on a prominent Honda forum to even out the fanboi replies.