Friday, 11 January 2013

New Accord OR New Sonata

The luxury sedan segment is always a battleground with serious competition.Toyota Camry is the king of the segment world wide but it failed to make an impact in India.Honda Accord is Honda's sedan on the segment.Today we compare it with Hyundai's new Sonata.Lets see who is the winner

Exteriors





The Honda accord has a smart styling which looks fresh.The nose is finished in wing theme as the headlamps make up the wings and the grill is the body.The fog lamps are also nice.There is not much on the sides and the rear too.There is nothing impressive or striking about accord's interiors.The accord may look a bit old on the exteriors.The accord is constructed on Honda's lightweight theme but it is not the lightest car around.

When we see the Sonata you feel like you have traveled some years to the future.The U shaped grill and streaky headlamps look impressive.The front stance is pretty good for a car.The fog lamps and air damp also looks sporty.The car has some strong lines on the side's and the front as well.The rear of the Sonata looks good with sleek tail lamps twin exhausts and a well designed tailgate.The Sonata really is good to look at and is clearly the winner in looks.

Interiors

 

The accord has  better interior than before with softer plastics and quality technology.The dash is generic Honda with large gauges and many buttons.The display for navigation and audio is installed on the top of the central console like in a drawer.The are many tiny buttons here and there in the dash which looks confusing.The interiors of accord is neither bad nor brilliant.





The vehicle is roomy with 11.4 inch of wheelbase which adds more space.The seats are quite comfortable to be in.They offer good support and are cushioned really well.There is enough legroom, headroom and under thigh support on the rear.The rear row is not completely flat there is a bulge on the center and the fifth passenger would find it difficult to cape with.

The car is now equipped with advanced features.The major features are dual zone climate control, tit telescopic steering, 8 way powered driver seat, Audio system with CD player USB and blue tooth interference.


The sonata is marvelous in its interiors.It has a much better interior designing than the accord.The dash board and central console feels very much of the current gen.All the buttons are user friendly and easily accessible.Quality is top notch in Sonata.


The sonata has enough space for a family with good interior and boot space.The back seat is perfect in all areas.The inclination is perfect the cushioning ins perfect and the legroom and headroom is also generous.

Tall guys have to duck to enter the back row and headroom will be tight for them so they wont be pleased.The front seat cushioning is a bit firm.


The trunk is more than large to carry luggage for a family outing or to pick someone up  from an airport.the rear seats can be folded to obtain more space.There are also plenty of storage ares present in the Sonata.The ride tends to be bit firm.But the cabin is silent.

The Sonata also has an extensive amount of features as well which are available on higher class cars.

Performance


The accord comes with a 2.4 l DOHC engine and a 3.8l V6.But in India you will only get the 2.4l engine.The 2.4l engine is  direct injected engine.It produces max power of 188 HP and max torque of 182 lb ft.It retains Honda's fun to drive characteristics and gives you joyful speeding experience on the road.The engine is well refined than competitors(quieter than Sonata). The car responds quickly to throttling and loves to rev.


An auto box is also available for the Accord which is called CVT (Continuousness Variable Transmission) which is said to improve fuel efficiency and response.You don't feel CVT like an auto box it feels full control.

Only 1/5 of the people opt for the V6 engine world wide.The Horse power is a massive 278 HP of power and 252 lb ft of torque.Its light weight increase its speed than before.The V6 come with Variable Cylinder management system which only uses cylinders according to the output.Most of the time it runs on 3 cylinders to attain beter fuel figures.It would have been nice if Honda offers V6 in India.



The sonata doesn't come with a V6 option but you wont be bothered by it.The Sonata come in three variants.The 2.4 l and the 2.0l turbocharged petrol and a 2.4l hybrid.

But only the 2.4l engine is available in India.it produces 200 Hp of power and 264 lb ft of torque.the 2013 version only gets a six speed auto gearbox.The auto is a seamless one and responds well to your input.Sonata's light weight and peppy engine gives it a sweet impression in highways.

The 2.0 l Turbocharged model is as powerful as a V6.It has 274 HP of power and 269 lb ft of torque.The motor is mated with an auto box with paddles shifts.It may not be as responsive as the V6 but definitely more efficient.

There is also(not available in India)a hybrid sonata available.It has a 2.4 l electric motor powered by lithium batteries.It reaches 100km in 9 s with electric power.The auto gear box is not smooth enough.

Ride And Handling


Honda accord rides like a luxury sedan and handles like a sports car..The steering and the suspension co-operates to give a sporty and agile drive.The car absolutely precise at corners and even tends you to go faster.The car is extremely stable at higher speeds.The only complaint is about the tires which offers insufficient grip and is made of cheap rubber.The EPS steering is precise but gives less feedback to the driver.

The accord gives a plaint and comfy ride even tough it has a sporty set up.The car absorbs all the undulations on the road at higher speeds and does a brilliant job to flatten the road in the city as well.The accord rides better than a BMW 3 series.

The ride and handling of Sonata is not as well sorted as Honda accord but decent.But it is sufficient for your family needs.Enthusiasts may not be delighted by the handling.It is not well sorted as in accord and the car has a fair amount of body roll due to the softly sprung suspension.But Sonata can be easily drove through a mountain road.

The softly sprung suspension offers good ride quality.The lare 19 inch wheels in the SE model surely flattens the road to give a composed and relaxing ride.


Safety


The accord is a safe car in all means.there are some advanced features to save you from accidents.The rear disc brakes helps to slow the car quicker.The safety features are ABS, EBD, BA, intelligent 6 airbag system, G-Force control and G Con body.

You can assure your's and your kids safety in Sonata.It was the top safety pick of US in 2013.SO it may the the safest car in its segment in India too.You get front side and curtain airbags(6 total), BS, EBD, BA, Traction control, Active headrests and a rear view camera.

 

 Fuel Efficiency

 

The new accord 2.4 gives a decent figure of 7.5 km/l in the city and 10.6 km/l on the highways.

The Variable Cylinder management(VCM)tech helps the V6 to give the efficiency of an ordinary car.You get rally impressive mileage with VCM on.

The Sonata's  2.4l motor gives you 7.3 l on the city and 11.9 l on the highway.So Sonata has more mileage in highway by 1.3 km/l.SO we can say Sonata is the more efficient car.

 

Verdict

In our test Accord is the clear winner.Accord has a peppy engine and also a comfortable ride and  precise handling.The suspension is well sorted and the driving pleasure is fantastic.Accord may not be good looking but it is an able performer.An Enthusiast will be exhilarated while driving accord

The Sonata loosed out because of its suspension which is shaggy.The performance is great but not great as Accord's.But you cant ignore Sonata.It makes up for a good family car and has striking design.


New Sonata OR New Accord ?

Definitely The New ACCORD!


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