I am thinking about getting a new 2008 Accord which has a new body style. (My 1991 Caprice Classic has finally died.) I have heard that it isn’t good to buy a car the first year of a new body style because bugs are still being worked out. I’ve never bought a new car before, and of course, I keep my cars for a while.
You are right; it is generally not a good idea to buy a new model car. However, a lot depends on the company that makes it. Toyota and Honda have a good reputation for elaborately testing their vehcles before putting them in prodction. Having said that, the Camry V6 is having a number of problems, as did the Toyota Avalon.
I would not hesitate to buy a car with a new body only if the mechanicals remained the same, provided the manufacturer had a reputaion for quality. My son bought one the first Mazda 3s, and the car is great except for some squealing brakes.
In summary, if the mechnicals of the Honda are mostly carried over, I would buy the new Accord.
Cars I would not buy a first year model from under ANY circumstances are: Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Nissan, Volkswagen, Kia.
Hyundai used to have spotty quality, but have vastly improved.
The funny thing is that while perception has Honda and Toyota as two of the only safe bets for first year production, recent evidence hasn’t been so kind to them. As mentioned, Toyota has had plenty of first year bugs with the Camry, Avalon, and Tundra… I don’t know of any in particular that Honda has had yet with the Accord, but the Civic was plagued by recalls, and the Accord 2 generations back was plagued with transmission failures. By contrast, Ford, who traditionally did not do launches well, has had very good launches with recent models (see the Fusion/500/Taurus lineup)… In fact, the Fusion in its first year out matched the old Accord and Camry for reliability (per C.R., if you believe them - I don’t trust the rank order, but just that there really is no statistical difference)…
I know the V6 is new for the new Accord, and has variable cylinder management, which historically hasn’t been the best for reliability, but maybe Honda nailed it…
Personally, I’d avoid the V6, particularly if the I4 is carryover (?). The chassis is new, though, so be prepared for some possible bugs there.
In short, I doubt its a bad choice… I personally would be drawn more to the Fusion, which offers a competing prouct for about $4200 less out the door than an Accord, at least with the equipment I would want on both. But that is just a personal decision (I’m a cheap ba****d)
Agree, the Fusion is getting very good reviews, and 2 years from now I may want to buy one. Similarly, the new Malibu may be a good car; time will tell. Ford, unfortunately has a bad history of warranty administration and taking a while to correct design faults.
The JD Power new car ratings mainly deal with assembly quality, where problems surface in the first 3 months. This is no indication however, how long the car and its major components will actually last. Th JD Power Long Term and the Consumer Reports survey give a good indication of medium term reliability. Lets hope the Fusion will keep scoring well; I personnaly like the car better than the Camry.
Let’s hope these problems are behind us.
I’ve never had a problem with getting Ford to pay for any warranty repair… But then I haven’t had any real problems, and haven’t been covered by warranty for, what, 8 years? 
I didn’t even mention JD Power, which you are correct, won’t have the Fusion on its long term survey yet. With C.R., pretty much anything labeled average or better is pretty darn good anymore - there really isn’t any statistical difference.
But for an idea of longer term reliability, remember the 6 cyl used in the Fusion has actually been around since 1994, and the 4 cyl used is essentially the same engine used in the Mazda 3s and 6, so that should give a few more years of data for an idea of its reliability). It really is just like buying a bigger, cheaper Mazda6…
I’m also considering the 2008 Camry, which isn’t a new style. 4cyl no matter what I decide. Would the Camry be a better bet? I just want something safe and reliable that I can keep for a long time. I’m also considering the Honda Element, but I prefer having a trunk. I have an elderly mom who needs to be able to get into the car easily. But I’d prefer a car.
From the past history, as well as current testimonies, a 4 cyl Camry with minimal options, is about as bullet-proof a car as you can get at a reasonable price. My sister is a retired accountant, and had the time and skill to do a true life cycle cost analysis, since she wanted to keep the car for 20 years. The 4cyl Camry had the lowest overall life cycle annual cost for a medium size car, if it is maintaned by the book. The only thing cheaper is a standard Corolla, but they wanted a car for extensive highway holiday travel.
The Camry is now 5 years old and nothing has broken on it yet.
I happen to think the new Accord coupe is gorgeous. And history shows that Hondas are an excellent gamble, even in the first year of a redesign.
I would not hesitate for a second. Enjoy your new Accord!
The “first year jitters” do not apply to Honda or Toyota products. If you like the new Accord, buy one, and don’t worry. There’s a HUGE difference between an Accord and a Caprice Classic. My guess is; once you own a Honda you’ll never go back.
I bought a '97 Accord as a used car in 1998. It has been absolutely trouble-free, and is the best car, overall, I’ve ever owned. I’ve been driving since 1968.
For Honda and Toyota, there is an advantage to buying the first year model, resale value. Because the designs are spaced about 4-5 years apart, if you keep the car clean and waxed, no one will know until the next design comes along that your car isn’t brand new. For this reason, they will hold their value longer that the last year of a model.
I bought a new 1998 4 cyl, Accord, which was the first year of that generation. Have had no problems with the car, now with 188,000 miles. Interesting that the Honda automatic transmission problems surfaced in 2000 and 2001, which were the same generation as mine. I believe the transmission problems were with the V-6 engines only. Perhaps Honda didn’t upgrade the transmission to cope with the V-6’s power.
My auto transmission is original and have had no problems with it. I do get it power flushed and new fluid installed every 40k miles.
“The “first year jitters” do not apply to Honda or Toyota products.” ???
There are plenty of first year models those two have put out that have had issues. I wouldn’t touch a current generation V6 Camry from its first year…
My brother still has his 1987 Honda Accord, which now has about 300,000 miles on it. The only nagging problem he had was several Air Conditioner compressor failures. The car has some rust on it now, but otherwise is quite reliable.
Having owned both a Chev Impala and a Caprice, both V8s, your new Honda will surprise you with its much higher reliability and fewer maintenance trips to the shop.
I know a couple people who have had problems with transmission failures in that generation of Accord with 4 cylinders, but the failure rate overall does seem to be much better than the rate with the V6. I know of several people on their third transmission with V6s…
One thing not covered is that even though it may be a new Body Style…the mechanics may NOT have changed. I have no idea if this is the case or not…If it is then that will reduce your risc of buying it.
I tried touching on some of that, actually…
For the new Accord, it is a new V6 and new chassis. No idea bout the 4cyl or transmissions (but both are likely carryovers - engine specs are very similar and the transmissions were new for the last generation).
You’re right, though - careful selection of carryover designs will reduce risk. I’d stick with the 4 cylinder for that very reason, as well as a manual, considering automatics have been Honda’s biggest problem recently…
In the past, Honda has had a shorter development cycle than the traditional US manufacturers. That allowed them to test more and still have an attractive design-to-market time.
One more thing: This design may not be new to the world, just the USA.
I didn’t care for the position of the fan speed control buttons on the dual climate version. I had to reach over to the passenger side of the console to set the fan speed, but I was able to control the temp on my side. rolls eyes
What are the automatic transmission problems that surfaced? I have a 2003 account V6 and it seems that once in a while, when shift from second to third, my car seems to be searching for third gear. I have taken it to the dealer and they cannot duplicate the problem.
saw one for the first time, and thought it was a Saturn before seeing the Honda badge !