Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

hey guys and gals of Dakka... I am calling upon your car knowledge and experience here. I've been searching for a car since May... test drove a few... and I am down to two finalists

2007 Honda Accord, 22,000 miles $15,300... V4, sun roof certified used.... basically basic after this....
2007 Ford Fusion AWD SEL... 55,000 miles... $15,100... V6, Sun roof, Heated seats, MP3 player... the works... (edit: also certified)

:( Thoughts? Which would you choose?

forget both and get a v8. anything other engine is for girly-men.

I would go with the Honda. Better track record for long term reliability.

The Honda doesn't have a V4, those engines are pretty rare in cars Its got an inline 4 cylinder engine.

I like that the Honda is certified used and has less miles but that AWD Ford wouldn't be a bad choice either since its got more features. Go for the Honda for the safer pick and it'd be the one I'd go for too. Just promise you won't install a fartcan on the end of it and scream V-TEC!

year 2007 , for $15k im sure you can find a excellent condition Mercedes

LunaHound wrote:year 2007 , for $15k im sure you can find a excellent condition Mercedes

Yea... can't afford the replacement parts... And its never been my style to drive around in a billboard that says "I have money"... but it is tempting...

the Honda is certified... and the Fusion is ALSO certified...

Get an SUV.

The Fusion has gotten good reviews across the board, and Ford has done a lot to improve the overall quality of their product (basically emulating the German firms).

Personally, I'd go with the amenities, but it will really depend on how much driving you do. When I had a car I would regularly drive back and forth between Chicago and Minneapolis, so little things like heated seats and the sun-roof were really nice.

frgsinwntr wrote:

LunaHound wrote:year 2007 , for $15k im sure you can find a excellent condition Mercedes

Yea... can't afford the replacement parts... And its never been my style to drive around in a billboard that says "I have money"... but it is tempting...

the Honda is certified... and the Fusion is ALSO certified...

Driving merceds doesnt mean you have to be rich ( though thats not a bad thing is it o_o )

But im abit concerned many of the japanese cars are like paper thin , in every accident they look like crumpled paper....

Drive what I drive: 1990 Caddillac Brougham [or however it's spelled].

5.7L V8 Engine [I used this monster caddy to pull a friends Honda Civic Hatchback out of a ditch on a dirt road.]

I say go with the Fusion. Its a good car, very reliable, has better amenities, and was rated to be fairly good by JD Power & Associates. I do like Fords anyway though, so I am slightly biased.

I like old school air-cooled VW Beetles.

Thanks everyone so far for the input... does anyone here actually have either of these cars?

LunaHound wrote:

frgsinwntr wrote:

LunaHound wrote:year 2007 , for $15k im sure you can find a excellent condition Mercedes

Yea... can't afford the replacement parts... And its never been my style to drive around in a billboard that says "I have money"... but it is tempting...

the Honda is certified... and the Fusion is ALSO certified...

Driving merceds doesnt mean you have to be rich ( though thats not a bad thing is it o_o )

But im abit concerned many of the japanese cars are like paper thin , in every accident they look like crumpled paper....

looking like crumpled paper is a safety feature, the crumpling of the car increases the amount of time the accident takes place in, which decreases the amount of force exerted on the passengers of the car during this time. Conservation of momentum.... (m)(Vi)-(F)(t)=(m)(Vf).... if Vf is 0 then I want a big "t" and a little "F" to avoid injury. This is assuming only car i am driving is in the system... The car crumples so I don't have to...

SUV's are generally safer in accidents because they have more mass and thus have a smaller change in momentum and the passengers would experience a much smaller force exerted on them during the time of the collision for the same effect. But sorry Orkeo... I wouldn't want the car that can flip around turns that easy as well as pay for the gas and parts that are usually expensive on SUVs


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Persephone 66 wrote:I like old school air-cooled VW Beetles.

Thanks... but which did you prefer from my list of 2 cars?

I vote for the Ford. The amenities are nice (I got a used Saab 9-5 last year, and the heated seats and sunroof definitely get use), and AWD is awesome (I miss that from when I used to have a Subaru).

I worked in the Car Sale Wold and have driven almost every thing.
What do you need with the car and in what order
1] Passager Capacity
2] Fuel Economy
3] Eas of Matnitnace
4] Cargo Capacity

Hondas last forever.

forget both and get a v8. anything other engine is for girly-men.

You mean go out and buy something that looks and weighs the same as a tank, and doesent move?
I hate yank cars, i really do



To be honest mate, it depends on what you want the car for.
If you go with a honda you have a decent reliable car, nice engine, and generally the electrics are sound in them, however, the new one weighs a fething ton!

Ford stands for something over here: Fixed or repaired daily.
Generally the gearbox in them isnt the best, but its still fine (should get you a fair few miles before a new one)
Also, it chews through cam belts due to a design fault, so it may cost a bit after a while.


Generally speaking, i wont waste money on a new car.
Ive stuck with my old Integra type-R for years now, and its needed little or no work done to it.
Not only that, but due to high output and no weight to the car it moves nicely.

Manna has a point here, and thats the one thing that makes scoobies good cars, however, if your going to put out a fair bit of money on a car that you want to throw about and have fun with, but either the Lancer EVO VII, or the R33 skyline.
Both have come down in price alot now, and also, you can pick up imported ones cheap, which will have had work done on them (plus, all imports are factory tuned to some degree, rather than basic output that we get)


Just my opinions on it

A 2007 Honda, if bought in the USA is made in the USA. My old Honda had a higher domestic content than those "Amurcan made " tauruses.

I don't have either car.

I would go for the Honda on the basis of much lower mileage for its age.

That's a good reason too. I nearly voted for the Honda on that basis, but then AWD roxxors my soxxors.

Your list...
1] Passager Capacity
2] Fuel Economy
3] Eas of Matnitnace
4] Cargo Capacity

My list...

Ease/cost of maintenence
Cargo Capacity
Fuel economy
Passenger capacity

Go for the honda.

I used to race with a 1990 honda civic with over 300,000 miles on the nearly stock motor that had never been rebuilt. the car got on average about 43 MPG and would go up to 50 mpg if I tried. on top of this it would regularly beat 350Zs and V8 mustangs in street races. I dont street race any more, but I thought my input might add some insight to the mix.

Fords are great if you are buying the European models in Europe (like the Mondeo), but American made Ford cars and trucks have a pretty bad track record for reliability.

One question, are they standard or automatic transmissions?

The fusion sounds okay, but 55k miles isn't exactly nothing. Many vehicles need serious replacements around that mileage.

Go with the Honda, you can pimp it out over time if you want too, and it already has the most important part... the sunroof.

frgsinwntr wrote:Your list...
1] Passager Capacity
2] Fuel Economy
3] Eas of Matnitnace
4] Cargo Capacity

My list...

Ease/cost of maintenence
Cargo Capacity
Fuel economy
Passenger capacity

My list was in no paticular order, but
A] Most Hondas
-No reasons not to.
B] Kia Rio or Sophia.
Here is why
1] You can pick up a new one for under 15k if not unser 10k or less with a 100k warenty. You can aslo find them for only 1k-2k on the street, that may only need a new engine that should only set you back another 1k and yoou have a good engine in it now for only 2k-3k.
2] They have a decent Trunk space, you can shove 4 Plastic tubs ealsy in one.
3] Some of the best milage ou there
4] 2 Adults can ealsy fit in the front and you can put 2 in the back of the 4 door with a resonable amout of comphort.
A reason not to
-No Resale

Buy a Chrysler.

Not if you're sane.

Frazzled wrote:Not if you're sane.

Sanity and car quality is for the weak.

My Honda Civic LX (Manual) is 10 years old now, and aside from a couple of hiccups along the way (the AC compressors are prone to seizing, better in more recent models though, and I need to get a new Timing belt soon), its given me 180,000 miles with no major, non-routine fixes needed. That weren't my fault (driving into a wash smashing up my exhaust...).

When I get my next car, it will either be a pickup truck or a Honda, or both .

True that.

frgsinwntr wrote:

Persephone 66 wrote:I like old school air-cooled VW Beetles.

Thanks... but which did you prefer from my list of 2 cars?

I'd go with the Honda, I've never had good luck with a Ford product.