We have a 2007 4-cyl Accord with about 59K miles. Everything you’ve heard about these cars is true: it feels safe, even fun, to drive; gas mileage is great; road and wind noise are excessive; it hasn’t had a single mechanical failure.
Yet I want to replace it with a used Highlander, even going back to 2004, even with 150K miles. The only similarity will be, I expect, reliability.
Am I crazy to take a chance on what might be a problematic vehicle – though one that’s arguably safer, certainly quieter and larger – in place of a known quantity that’s not quite everything I want?
Why do I feel like a guy who has a perfectly attractive wife at home and is thinking of cheating on her, with all the inevitable headaches.
Because as men it’s in our nature to want to have variety, women on the side, to propagate our lineage and to brag to our friends about how my mistress is prettier than your mistress…oh wait, we’re discussing cars here…haha!
I have a quibble with your statement about the Accord that it’s fun to drive though. Those cars are anything but fun. Drive a Camaro, Challenger Hemi, Cadillac, Acura NSX, those are fun. But anyway, the only reason that makes sense to trade the Accord for a Highlander is practicality. Is your family growing and you need room for kids that an SUV provides? Have you taken up skiing or camping that requires an SUV? Has your job changed to one that would be better served by driving a Highlander? If not, keep the Accord. It will serve you well for years to come, and a 10 year old Highlander with an unknown service history will almost surely cost you more in maintenance and repair over the next several years.
Or you could just do what I do. I get bored and tired with routine, so I have more than one. Sometimes as many as 3. I mean cars, not women.
Granted, the Accord is not a fun car in my opinion and neither is the Highlander. They’re transportation from A to B; not Porsche type driving excitement.
I think it’s insanity to even consider getting rid of the Accord and you’re making an assumption that a 10 year old, 150k miles Highland will be a reliable vehicle based on the cheap plastic badge stuck on the back of the vehicle. A 10 year old, 59k miles Highlander may be rolling junk.
Who knows.
Your Accord is an '07 and I would hope the timing belt service (applicable to engine) is up to date. If not and the belt breaks then you might be car hunting due to engine damage. That would be tragic on a 2007 Accord with very few miles on it.
You might be surprised by the improvement in ride from new tires if your tires are the originals. They’re worn, probably hardened, and were probably not top of the line to begin with. I’d do that. But if you actually NEED a lot more room, then I’d get a NEWER Highlander.
Gotta agree, yeah nuts. And one might question the legitimacy of the reliability factor compared to other makes in this day and age. Other manufacturers have similar reliability now but the reputation lives on, just like in high school. And any car with that many miles will be showing its age in some way or shape. If you want to get a new or newer one fine, but sheesh, why go backwards?
The Accord IS fun to drive. Compared to a Camry or Malibu of the same age. Of course, i drive a v6, not the I-4. It seems to me that a Highlander is closer to a hippo on a wet river bank than any Accord though. At least the Highlander can drive through a deeper puddle.
You have to do better. Try and rationalize this crazy decision more, I good at this
No, seriously, I haven’t ready why you NEED a Highlander. And the generation you are looking at is not even very versatile, at least buy the 2008 & up models.
There is an old saying…something along the lines of…The Devil that you know is preferable to one that you don’t know.
In addition to the blatantly obvious (and mind-boggling) part about wanting a vehicle with ~3 X as many miles on the odometer, there is the slightly less obvious part about not knowing what type of maintenance this hypothetical old Toyota has been given.
For reasons that I will never understand, many people seem to be wedded to the concept that certain brands and models of cars are ultimately bullet-proof, without bothering to consider the maintenance (or lack of same) that those vehicles have been given. A vehicle–of any make and model–will only be as reliable as its maintenance has prepared it to be.
If the OP has maintained this Honda at least as well as the mfr specifies, he/she would have to be delusional to think that a different vehicle with ~3 X the number of miles on the odometer–and with an unknown maintenance record–will be equally reliable or dependable.
I’m the OP. And I see I left out why I’m looking to go to the Highlander.
It’s because our daughter says they need a pickup on the farm. The Tundra is too big, the gator too small. So I’m going to give her our 1994 Mazda B4000 that’s been in the family since '96 and occasionally has strangers offering to buy it off our driveway.
When the truck goes, it means that loading dirt or rocks from Home Depot (or groceries) will be easier on my aging back with the Highlander than the Accord.
Frankly, I also worry the Accord wouldn’t protect us as well in a crash. Never had one yet, so I’m due. There’s just more sheet metal in the Highlander. (On the other hand, I suspect the Accord’s better handling would help avoid a crash in the first place.) As the years pass, survival becomes important. At some point it won’t matter, but I’m not there yet.
Reading and thinking about all the comments (thanks!) I’m going to keep the Accord but put a tarp in the trunk and, if the load is too big, rent a U-Haul.
One last thought on the Highlander: I was a contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan 2006 - 2010, off and on. Highlanders were what we usually drove around in. Not that it would help against an IED, but every Highlander I was in rolled right over the potholes and craters, with air conditioning that never quit, and never breaking down. I think I’m in love with the beast.
Plus in all our long marriage we’ve never had a comfortable car, and my wife deserves one. She’s never complained, but it would be great to put her in a clean Highlander. (Don’t tell me to get a new one. All of us know that’s not smart.) She wants a van (she forgets we’re empty nesters) and an SUV like the Highlander will give her the room and height while keeping me out of a minivan.
This last post by the the OP puts a different slant on the issue. I like the higher seating position of a van or SUV. Over the years, cars seem to have become more uncomfortable as my wife and I get older. Back in 1992, Consumer Reports tested an Oldsmobile 88, a Buick Roadmaster, and I think a,Mercury Grand Marquis. For comparison, they resurrected a 1952 Buick Roadmaster to see,how autos had changed over 40 years. The cars had improved in handling, braking, acceleration and gasoline mileage. However, the then 40 year old Buick had the most comfortable seats,and best driving position.
Right now, our vehicles are a 2011 Toyota Sienna and a 2003 Toyota,4Runner. We find these vehicles more comfortable than a conventional sedan. The lower gasoline mileage doesn’t bother me. We’ve paid our dues owning a Ford Maverick. and,a Ford Tempo. At my age, I am willing to spend,more on gasoline,to be comfortable. In August, we are planning a site seeing trip out west. We will fly part of the way and have a SUV reserved for the driving part of the trip.
In your case, a Highlander may make sense. However, go for a new,or late model newer,than your Accord.
If you’re giving up a vehicle to a family member it sounds like you need to replace that vehicle, not the 07 Accord. Surely the Accord is paid for and with the known history will be a cheap and reliable vehicle for you for years to come. Go and look for a Highlander and get your wife the comfortable car she deserves.
I like the Highlander, I think they’re comfortable cars.
If your wife deserves a comfortable vehicle then she should be the one to choose. And if driving a practical minivan is a problem for your image then you have problems.
If you can put a class I hitch on the Accord, you can get a light trailer for about $500. That’s lower to the ground and easier to load and unload than an SUV or a truck. I couldn’t live without a trailer and we have done a lot of work together including moving several times, rock, sand, lumber, yard equipment, etc. etc.
My ex-wife took on a Chevy Suburban head on at 45 mph with my 2000 Accord. The Suburban won as the Accord was totaled but, despite the complete devastation, the first responders were able to open the passenger door normally and my ex suffered nothing worse than bruises. The paramedics were impressed with how well the Accord absorbed the impact.
