{"id":14623,"date":"2014-04-05T15:34:12","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T19:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=14623"},"modified":"2014-04-07T15:35:35","modified_gmt":"2014-04-07T19:35:35","slug":"review-second-hand-king-accord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2014\/04\/review-second-hand-king-accord","title":{"rendered":"Review: Second-hand King Accord"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Last decade I bought a used Dodge Neon that spent as much time in the shop as in my garage. \u201cBig Three sedans keep me in business,\u201d said my repair shop guru, John, who I got to know on a first-name basis. \u201cI never see a Honda or Toyota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ouch.<\/p>\n

No wonder the Asian makers have dominated used car sales just as Detroit makers rule used truck sales. No wonder the Honda Accord was the best-selling used car (again) in America in 2013 just as the Ford F150 was the best-selling used truck (again).<\/p>\n

We used car shoppers are proud, practical, and penny-wise. We demand reliable, utilitarian, good-handling transport. The Accord, a perennial Consumer Reports pick (the bible of used car buyers), delivers in all three areas. The average buyer prefers Honda. The average used car sells for $15,000. The average 2011 Accord sells for $15,017.<\/p>\n

So I moseyed on down to my local used car \u2013 er, pre-owned vehicle \u2013 dealer and asked for average, please.<\/p>\n

At $14,900 with 67,000 miles on the odometer, my 2011 Honda Accord test mule was average only in price. Indeed, the used Accord one-ups its newer sibling. Where the new Accord trails the best-selling Camry by 40,000 in new cars sales,\u00a0the used Accord leap frogs<\/a>\u00a0its Asian competitor. One reason is surely the Accord\u2019s lead in new retail sales \u2014 the Camry relies more on fleet sales, notes HIS Automotive analyst Tom Libby \u2014 and the used car market is (mostly) retail.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s also the brand factor.<\/p>\n

Auto salesmen tell me that Honda\u2019s racing history matters. That when it\u2019s time to buy a used car, buyers want a sense of thrill even as they are buying practical. Kinda like putting fudge swirl in your vanilla shake. So when you\u2019re sitting in your Honda Accord, you feel a connection to those screaming motorbikes. Or Honda engines winning Indy nine of the last 10 years. Ya gotta\u00a0dream\"\"<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Camry? It\u2019s just vanilla.<\/p>\n

I like the theory. It matters to someone \u2014 especially young someones \u2014 buying their first car. Could it be that mom and dad buy new Camry? But then budget-conscious junior buys used Accord?<\/p>\n

Whatever it is, the Accord doesn\u2019t disappoint even with 67k miles on its legs.<\/p>\n

The used 2.4 liter engine purred like a kitten on Detroit\u2019s roads. In performance brand tradition, the car doesn\u2019t sacrifice performance for efficiency. The 4-banger pulls the car\u2019s lightweight chassis with purpose, even as the Honda returns impressive 27 mpg. Handling is sure, never numb.<\/p>\n

The Accord\u2019s pleasant lines won\u2019t turn any heads, but the lack of coupe-like roof line pays dividends inside where your long-legged author can easily fold into the backseat with knee-room to spare. In the captain\u2019s chair, the Accord is ergonomically friendly as the EX (thankfully) only has one console screen. Add nav and Accords become a riot of two screens and confusing controls. The EX package is an example of addition by subtraction.<\/p>\n

Buying second-hand doesn\u2019t mean second-class service.<\/p>\n

Certified pre-owned cars come with a dealer premium, but the piece of mind that they have been reviewed stem to stern. Many dealers have upgraded the experience by building additional showrooms just for used cars.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the best part of buying used.<\/p>\n

As a certified motor head, I feel comfortable buying used cars from individual owners of sport models (BMW M3s, Ford STs, Honda SIs, and so on) treat their cars like their first-born child. Are you less confident about the owners of popular cars (who treat them like a common frig) but dread a visit to a dealer like you want another root canal? You can buy from individuals with the help of CARFAX records and a list of online price sites like Cars.com as long as your arm.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s still not the best part. Pre-owned ponies like the Accord also come with Honda\u2019s extended powertrain warranty of 7 years\/100,000 miles (whichever comes first) on top of the 5-year.60,000 when new. Sure Hondas are bullet proof. Sure 200,000 miles is the new 100,000. But that warranty does wonders for a hand-me-down.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the best part \u2013 the used Accord costs $9,000 less than a new Accord. A 2014 EX goes for $23,700 and for what? Reliability, resale value, and a warranty already built into your not-so-old filly. Three years on a car? Heck, Kentucky Derby thoroughbreds are in their prime at the age of three.<\/p>\n

So go forth my fellow second-hand shoppers. The Accord will make you proud, practical, and penny-wise.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

2011 Honda Accord<\/h3>\n

Vehicle type:<\/b>\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan
\nPrice:<\/b>\u00a0$14,900 used
\nPower plant:<\/b>\u00a02.4-liter, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine
\nPower:<\/b>\u00a0177 horsepower, 161 pound-feet of torque
\nTransmission:<\/b>\u00a0Five-speed automatic
\nPerformance:<\/b>\u00a00-60 mph: 9.1 (Car & Driver); Top speed: 127 mph
\nWeight:<\/b>\u00a03,350 pounds
\nFuel economy:<\/b>\u00a0EPA 23 mpg city\/34 mpg highway\/27 mpg combined
\nHighs:<\/b>\u00a0Ol\u2019 reliable; nimble handling
\nLows:<\/b>\u00a0Stale styling could learn lessons from sleeker Civic; More USBs, please
\nOverall:<\/b>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last decade I bought a used Dodge Neon that spent as much time in the shop as in my garage. \u201cBig Three sedans keep me in business,\u201d said my repair shop guru, John, who I got to know on a first-name basis. \u201cI never see a Honda or Toyota.\u201d Ouch. No wonder the Asian makers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14623"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14623"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14625,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14623\/revisions\/14625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}