2004 Accord vs. Passat

Hi:
I'm looking to buy a new car, and the choices have boiled down to an Accord EX
or a Passat GLS (both 4 bangers with automatic).
Any opinions, is the Passat worth the 2K premium?
TIA
Frank

 

Get the Altima.





How to turn off 'Maintenance Required" light:

1. Hold trip/reset button on dash
2. Turn key to "ON" or start engine
3. Hold button til light goes out

 

Passat is a GREAT car to drive around in the springtime with the windows
down. If you hang over at the VW newsgroups for a few days, you'll
find that most new VWs are really good for driving around with the
windows down. Even in the middle of winter, and rainstorms, and when you
want to lock up your car, and overnight.

Don't you just hate it when you come out in the morning and find a
'street person' sleeping in your Passat because the window won't go back
up ? ?

We dumped our GTI after a 'short fling' and moved to a Honda, or two.

Check the resale value of the New Beetles that are flooding the used
carlots. There's gotta be a reason that people are unloading them so
cheap...

'Curly'

========================

--

To REPLY: If there are a couple of underscores in my return address,
you must remove them to reply directly . . . . . . Thanks.

Regarding stage performances: When everyone else has finished playing,
you should not play any notes you have left over. -

 

The maintenance premium dwarfs the 2k price premium.

Andrew

 

I have a 2000 Passat V6 Wagon and a 9 month old 03 Accord EX-L.

They are both very nice cars, but with very different personalities.
The Passat V6 is strong and smooth. I think it has about 190 HP. My
car is extremely quiet, comfortable and handles very solidly. I've
driven cross country a couple of times and it was a joy.

The Accord is noisier and has a firmer ride. I find the 4 cyl
performance is very good, in most circumstances as strong as the V6 in
the heavier Passat. It feels more sporty and agile, though as I said,
I've been impressed with the Passat handling as well (dodged two deer
that jumped in front of the car at the very last minute while I going
80+ mph without the slightest hint of a loss of control).

I have friends who have the 4cyl turbo and report that it is a great
car. I chose the V6 because it was smoother and quieter than the 4 cyl
in the Passat.

The Passat is certainly not troublefree and I'm assuming the Honda
will be cheaper to maintain / more reliable. I've never been stranded,
but the Passat certainly has had to have its share of time at the VW
dealer. And the Honda gets ~ 34 mpg on the highway using regular gas;
the Passat uses premium.

Tom

 

Hi:
VW's are not good cars. My sister-in-law bought a 2001 Beetle and within 9
months the door panels started coming off, the power locks went out and it
started getting a lot of rattles. The driver's side fog light also fell out
from underneath the car, completely unprovoked. I had a 1990 Passat GL and it
handled really well, but it stayed parked needing work more than I drove it.
From what I understand, they haven't gotten much better.
J Hebert

 

VW's are not good cars. My sister-in-law bought a 2001 Beetle and within 9

That's because the Beetle is assembled in Mexico. It's a fact that cars from
there have higher rate of problems.







How to turn off 'Maintenance Required" light:

1. Hold trip/reset button on dash
2. Turn key to "ON" or start engine
3. Hold button til light goes out

 

My wife (then girlfriend) had a 96 Jetta that ate an alternator and two
wiring harnesses due to a dealer-installed A/C system. Factory A/C systems
had the H-D wiring harness; the dealer-installed AC cars had the lite duty
harness (which was later discontinued). The first one that got burned out
was a warranty replacement, the second one and alternator were paid for with
apologies by VW Corporate when the dealer told us to F-off despite us
demonstrating that they created the problem by installing A/C without
replacing the wiring harness.

I won't touch a VW with a 100 foot pole from now on. I personally think
they're for people with Audi attitudes but a lesser budgets. I also find
they're rude, aggressive drivers - "Ich bin ein autobahn fahrer" or some
other fantasy.

 

That's because the Beetle is assembled in Mexico. It's a fact that cars

That's because the Jetta is also built in Mexico.


Factory A/C systems

How to turn off 'Maintenance Required" light:

1. Hold trip/reset button on dash
2. Turn key to "ON" or start engine
3. Hold button til light goes out

 

"TL" wrote, among other things

I can hear myself breathing while driving my '04 4-cylinder Accord. Don't
anyone get the impression it's noisy! To me, the car is a joy to drive.

Howard

 

===========

Howard, it's all relative... now somebody who is pro-VW will suggest
that you need to quit smoking. It's hard to win these discussions.

'Curly'

 

At 180km/hr, the Passat is one of quietest car I've been in. Also, the
seating is nicer then the Accord.

Pars

 

I've owned both, Honda Accord 98 and VW Passat 99, both were used cars.
Things to take into consideration...

1. Warranty/Repair costs:
PASSAT: An extended warranty is a MUST for Passat. The costs will eat you
alive if something goes wrong that is not covered by warranty. Let me tell
you that something will go wrong within the first 6 months. My Passat cost
me a arm and a leg. The manufacturing quality is not as it should be.
Remember, they are selling the passat on the cool styling, hip factor. Many
mechanics do not feel comfortable working with Passats because they are not
common as a Honda.
ACCORD: Other than recommended maintenance, My accord has survived well,
very little to no problems. The only issue I've run into with my V6 Accord
is the emissions light but can be easily fixed.

2.COOLNESSS FACTOR: I think Passat has beaten Accord for the last few years.
The Passat styling is a european higher class car level. Honda is finally
in the game with a new look out last year.

3. PRICE: both are about equal on this front.

4. OTHER THOUGTS: The hybrid accord will be out next year. Good luck trying
to get a hold of one.

 

Did he ask you about the Altima or do you have trouble reading?

 

Howard, it's all relative... now somebody who is pro-VW will suggest

You're right. Absolutely right. But at least I'm ahead of the game -- I've
never smoked. OK, I didn't inhale.

But seriously, folks, before I got my Accord some 6 weeks ago, I had read
all the reviews, especially comparing the Accord to the Camry. I came away
with the impression that the Accord wasn't as quiet as I would have liked it
to be. Turns out it is *very* quiet... especially compared to my former '82,
'91, and '97 Civics. Yes, it's relative.

Howard

 

I boiled things down to these same two final contenders last year, and
neither car has really changed for '04.

VW's are reportedly less reliable than Hondas, but I am very frustrated by
the number of rattles in my V6 Accord which the dealer is either unable or
unwilling to fix. Also the driver's seat rocks back and forth and the
answer continues to be that Honda America is working on a solution ... this
10,000 miles and nine months after purchase. Now there are signs of ATF
fluid leaking on my car and that means another visit to the dealer, which is
likely to result in nothing being fixed.

In my case at least I often wonder if I would have done better with a
Passat.

Others will of course disagree with me!

Buy what you like!

John

 

FWIW, Consumers Union rates the VWs as having poor reliability. My son
has had an '03 Jetta for over a year - it's been trouble free & he loves
it. Like everything else, there are no guarantees. I bought a Honda,
however, when it came time to buy a car ('03 Accord sedan).

 

And what some people consider a rough ride others find taut &
responsive. There's always a big personal factor regarding who likes
which cars.

 

"Gus" wrote

That is at least why there are hundreds of different model cars out there -
something close enough for everybody. Yes, I find my '04 Accord's ride
rougher (pardon me: tauter) than I would have liked, but overall I'm
thrilled with this car.

Howard

 

I don't believe so, because it buys you the right to have a less
reliable car. That would be silly.