(no subject)
Does anyone like leather seats? To me something like the sporty cloth seats that James has are perfect. I really don't see the advantage that leather has over cloth, and in several cases I'd just outright think cloth is better. But at some point as you move up to the better trim packages on a car, leather gets in there somehow. I guess it's seen as the best. Maybe someone can tell me why. It seems to me like it's just an imaginary market. They say it's a luxury item, that it costs more, and by doing so they make people want it. I know I'm over thinking this and that really it's not a big deal, but I just don't get it. When leather is an option is seems to run around $700 more than cloth. So if I'm getting a car that includes leather seats as part of a package, I know that I'm paying for them even indirectly.
Currently, I'm liking the 2008 Accord Coupe.
http://automobiles.honda.com/2008-accord/?modelname=accord+coupe
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=103650
It's hard to pick anything bad about it. But that in itself could be bad. It's almost too good to the point of being boring. But trying to find something that's a little sportier or edgier just doesn't seem to work. Honda strikes a nice balance between reliability, gas mileage, and whatever with a fun to drive car.
I've read that for 2008 there will only be the EX-L trim level on V6 models. The nice thing about that would be that it's the top of the line trim, 18 inch wheels, heated anything that anyone could reasonably want heated. The bad thing is like I said above, it comes with leather seats, and it pushes the price up. A 2007 LX V6 is $25,300 and an EX-L V6 is $27,500. I value $2200 a lot more than I value the stuff that adds. Actually most of the stuff it adds I don't want to the point of it being a negative that it's there. So if the only option for 2008 is to get all those things and end up with a price around $28,000? That's a turn off.
Another option is the Nissan Altima Coupe.
http://www.nissanusa.com/altimacoupe/index.html
It's actually very similar to the Accord. Both 3.5L V6 with around 270hp, both front drive. Both based of an existing sedan. The Altima has a CVT which is interesting, not good or bad I don't think, just interesting. As far as the looks go I think the Altima looks more cohesive maybe. Almost too much like an Infiniti, but I like it. By not getting the $3000 "upgrade package!" I can avoid all those things I don't want and it's only $25,390. I'm still trying to figure out if there's anything in the list of features that I'd even use, but I don't think there is. I think it has 17 inch wheels standard with the option to upgrade, but I'd have to see them to tell what looks better. If 17 inch looks like a good fit, there's no reason to get bigger just for the sake of bigger.
But if I'm looking at an Altima Coupe... there's a 350Z sitting right there near it on the same lot. $27,900 which isn't a huge jump, less than the Altima if I added only a single option. The benefits are that it's a rear drive car, which I like. The negative is that it moves a step closer to being too much sports car. It only has 2 seats (not a huge deal to me, but less practical) and it's only available in a 6-speed manual (again, I don't mind that, but this is going to be my new daily driver and I'm not sure I like that).
I've looked at Mazda RX-8, and while it seems pretty nice, I don't know. It just seems too odd. Rotary engine and all that. Plus much like the Z, its price is getting close to $30k and just too much sports and not enough car.
I still like Mustang. A GT fits around the same price range, with the advantage that it's more of a muscle car than a sporty derivative of a sedan. The negatives are that it's a Ford. And my image of it tends to be that of teenage hooligans. I don't know why, maybe because everyone has one. I really like the looks of it, it's probably my favorite car out of anything I've named based on looks. If it wasn't for the likely high insurance and the fact that I assume it will fall apart since it's American, I might not even be debating things, I'd be driving a new Mustang.
That's a good summary of what I've thought about. 2008 Accord Coupe is probably my favorite right now, but I haven't ruled anything out. Honda carries a lot of weight on name only. I assume that it would be reliable and just generally well thought out. I assume that insurance would be worse on anything that's more sporty like the Z or Mustang, but I don't know that for sure. I'm fairly certain that the Accord beats all the others in gas mileage, which isn't my primary concern, but it's a plus for sure.
So let me know what you think, or give me some more suggestions. No, I'm not getting a hybrid.
Currently, I'm liking the 2008 Accord Coupe.
http://automobiles.honda.com/2008-accord/?modelname=accord+coupe
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=103650
It's hard to pick anything bad about it. But that in itself could be bad. It's almost too good to the point of being boring. But trying to find something that's a little sportier or edgier just doesn't seem to work. Honda strikes a nice balance between reliability, gas mileage, and whatever with a fun to drive car.
I've read that for 2008 there will only be the EX-L trim level on V6 models. The nice thing about that would be that it's the top of the line trim, 18 inch wheels, heated anything that anyone could reasonably want heated. The bad thing is like I said above, it comes with leather seats, and it pushes the price up. A 2007 LX V6 is $25,300 and an EX-L V6 is $27,500. I value $2200 a lot more than I value the stuff that adds. Actually most of the stuff it adds I don't want to the point of it being a negative that it's there. So if the only option for 2008 is to get all those things and end up with a price around $28,000? That's a turn off.
Another option is the Nissan Altima Coupe.
http://www.nissanusa.com/altimacoupe/index.html
It's actually very similar to the Accord. Both 3.5L V6 with around 270hp, both front drive. Both based of an existing sedan. The Altima has a CVT which is interesting, not good or bad I don't think, just interesting. As far as the looks go I think the Altima looks more cohesive maybe. Almost too much like an Infiniti, but I like it. By not getting the $3000 "upgrade package!" I can avoid all those things I don't want and it's only $25,390. I'm still trying to figure out if there's anything in the list of features that I'd even use, but I don't think there is. I think it has 17 inch wheels standard with the option to upgrade, but I'd have to see them to tell what looks better. If 17 inch looks like a good fit, there's no reason to get bigger just for the sake of bigger.
But if I'm looking at an Altima Coupe... there's a 350Z sitting right there near it on the same lot. $27,900 which isn't a huge jump, less than the Altima if I added only a single option. The benefits are that it's a rear drive car, which I like. The negative is that it moves a step closer to being too much sports car. It only has 2 seats (not a huge deal to me, but less practical) and it's only available in a 6-speed manual (again, I don't mind that, but this is going to be my new daily driver and I'm not sure I like that).
I've looked at Mazda RX-8, and while it seems pretty nice, I don't know. It just seems too odd. Rotary engine and all that. Plus much like the Z, its price is getting close to $30k and just too much sports and not enough car.
I still like Mustang. A GT fits around the same price range, with the advantage that it's more of a muscle car than a sporty derivative of a sedan. The negatives are that it's a Ford. And my image of it tends to be that of teenage hooligans. I don't know why, maybe because everyone has one. I really like the looks of it, it's probably my favorite car out of anything I've named based on looks. If it wasn't for the likely high insurance and the fact that I assume it will fall apart since it's American, I might not even be debating things, I'd be driving a new Mustang.
That's a good summary of what I've thought about. 2008 Accord Coupe is probably my favorite right now, but I haven't ruled anything out. Honda carries a lot of weight on name only. I assume that it would be reliable and just generally well thought out. I assume that insurance would be worse on anything that's more sporty like the Z or Mustang, but I don't know that for sure. I'm fairly certain that the Accord beats all the others in gas mileage, which isn't my primary concern, but it's a plus for sure.
So let me know what you think, or give me some more suggestions. No, I'm not getting a hybrid.