2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6: Maybe It's A Tumor

I'd like to know what the reason behind the bulge is, too, Mr. Kimble.
 
My 2004 Subaru Impreza has a much smaller bulge where the parking lights are.
 
http://www.skivvies.com/WRX/images/headlights/03-top_bolts_s.jpg (not my left front headlight)

"I'd like to know what the reason behind the bulge is, too"
 
To increase visibility.

the front lights look like spectacles the way they protrude from that angle. I totally agree that they are very susceptible to damage. It seems that Honda will make some money from the replacement parts. BTW, what's the average mpg so far? Thanks

The light looks great and as louiswei suggests improves visibility.
 
I find that I can appreciate some sculptural qualities within lamp assemblies so long as these forms do not seem to dictate transformations in sheetmetal.
 
Perhaps someone can remind me of the particular model of Pontiac that had scalloped tail lights with the scallops such that they led into/out of the rear quarterpanel. In doing so Pontiac designers allowed the quarterpanel to take on the rounded shape of the scallops for a flush fit. Truly ghastly!
 
That is all.

The headlight bulge has been tried on a few other cars, and it has never looked good. Too bad some poor styling choices detract from an otherwise nice car.

louiswei and rideon,
 
I dunno about this improved visibility hypothesis. Was anyone really complaining about a lack of headlight visibility with previous Accords? Given that virtually all new cars have flush-mounted or at least sleekly integrated headlights (e.g. the Camry, which has slightly bulging lamps but nothing like the Accord's), I doubt that Honda's design here has much to do with making the lights more visible.
 
But I could be wrong -- anyone have evidence that this hypothesis is accurate?
 
Josh

The Camry and Corolla have the same style for their tail lamps I think. Maybe a (very bad) Japanese design trend? I can't imagine why you'd need more visibility than a flush mounted set.
 
rideon16s:
I think that was the Grand Prix. I think the joke was it looked as if it had already been rear-ended when it rolled off the factory floor.
 
"Honda aficionados will tell you this is part of “driver involvement”"
Not this one. Honda stinks at road noise isolation and I think it's just because they're being cheap or trying to do something else with the space. It's a definite negative in my mind.

Looks nasty, all blown out.
 
At least the coupe looks good.

Yeah, cx7, why does the coupe get the good headlights, but the sedan gets the good joint between the hood and grille?

The reason for the lack of road noise isolation is probably a little bit of cost savings and a little bit (more) weight savings. Honda keeps their vehicles light where they can, so that they can keep the fuel economy as high as possible while still using torqueless rev-happy engines and a lot of safety gear (the latter adds much weight to cars nowadays).
 
This is why folks criticize domestic vehicles, especially GMs latest stuff- too much weight. You can't have everything folks- light weight, well insulated from outside sounds, and still affordable aren't all inclusive. Pick two..

That angle is terrible. The worse angle however is the rear view. The rear of this car is one of the blandest in the segment. Honda's have never been known for great noise isolation or cushy rides. While steering feel is great I don't think a harsh ride is acceptable in a mainstream family sedan. I surely hope this Accord doesn't have a stiffer ride than the Aura because if it does that is ridiculous.
 
"This is why folks criticize domestic vehicles, especially GMs latest stuff- too much weight. You can't have everything folks- light weight, well insulated from outside sounds, and still affordable aren't all inclusive. Pick two.."
 
exactly. If they made the Accord as quiet as the quietest cars in this class it would probably add another 50-100lbs and this car is heavy enough already.

This Accord is hideous, yet tons of people are buying them. I guess not everyone factors exterior looks into the purchase of a car.
 
This angle is awful and I agree with 1487 that the rear view is the worst.

I know its sunny CA and all, but does the Accord experience a hard 1-2 shift right after a cold start?

I agree that the headlight side bulge is ugly and weird looking. Makes the car look bug-eyed from the sides. Bad styling move on an otherwise somewhat attractive car.

disgusting. it's like an insect...not a cool insect either but an ugly insect like a fly

My 06 Civic SI has this but about 80% less. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I hate it. But that picture really highlights the ugliness of it.
 
I find the Accord to have a fine exterior. It looks decent to me overall. The interior is where the magic is...
 
My one drive in the Accord kinda matches what others are saying, to a degree. I found the ride extremely comfortable and more body roll than I expected, but I was very surprised by the road noise. It seemed noisier (given there were different tires) than my Civic SI at 30-45 mph speeds. My SI makes more intake and exhaust noises obviously, but wind and road noise seemed higher.
 
Back to the Accord's looks: For me, the last generation (2003-2005) had the worst looking rear-end....hideous. Then 06-07 became crisp and refined, not beautiful, just much more tailored. So, coming from that perspective, I was surprised to like the Accord's exterior upon initial inspection.
 
joe

I dont see anything magical about the interior. It's large and it has a relatively logical layout but its nothing exceptional for the class. The Altima and Malibu interiors are no worse. I am not a fan of the huge AARP compatible fonts Honda uses in its vehicles. Its so un-European and makes the Accord seem like a car for seniors. Why do you need such big buttons and fonts in this car? I also find the gauges to be incredibly dull for a Honda.

I think the most handsome Accords by far were the 1990-1993 generation:
 
http://www.honda-accord-guide.com/1990-93-Honda-Accord-90802041990219.JPG
 
A lean, crisp, neatly tailored style that featured a low cowl and slim, elegant roof pillars that provided excellent outward visibility.
 
The next generation had a bloated look that was counter to Honda's previous clean, no-nonsense styling themes.

A sharp handling car doesn't have to be harsh. Examples:
 
3-series
Accord

JerryWimer,
 
I don't buy your explanation for the Accord's road noise problem.
 
You said that "You can't have everything folks- light weight, well insulated from outside sounds, and still affordable aren't all inclusive. Pick two.."
 
What about the Camry? Fuel-efficient, well-insulated and affordable. It's been that way for years, in fact -- quieter than the Accord yet with no penalty to speak of at the pump. I'm just puzzled as to why Honda hasn't seen fit to emulate Toyota in this regard. Why would they continue to allow the Camry to have the upper hand in refinement?
 
Detective John Kimball

LouisWei,
 
Actually, in my original post I asserted that the sharp-handling Accord has a relatively harsh ride for a family sedan. Do you disagree?
 
I'm with you on the 3 Series. Honda should try to work some BMW magic on the Accord's ride compliance.
 
EDIT: Oh, and 1487, I wouldn't call the Accord's interior "magical," but there's definitely something upscale about the center stack design. Reminds me of the Infiniti M45's.

Hondas have always had road noise. It's a problem the company apparently has no interest in fixing, much like their marginal brakes.

"I'm a cop you idiot!" LOL
 
I really liked the design of the 1994-1997 Honda Accords, especially in British Touring Car Championship race trim. :o)

Suby, I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions. And I want to have them answered immediately.
 
Who is your daddy, and what does he do?

jerrywimer -
 
Re Honda weight and road noise - the '08 V6 weighs 3600+ pounds. It is no lightweight. I sincerely believe the intrusion of road noise is intentional - part of the Honda engineer's concept of keeping the driver in touch with the road. IMHO. as for the ride and handling - I DO think they could do a more BMW like level of sophistication with firmness but suppleness. The Honda handles well but the ride is excessively harsh.

Stop whining! You lack discipline! Sorry...enough OT high jinks.
 
I couldn't find a good photo of a BTCC 1996-1997 Accord. Google is not my friend today. :(

1487 -
 
I think they used the large font because they put so many buttons in a small space....they need the large font to seperate them from each other. Not attractive, in my eyes.
 
Aside from that and the ho-hum guages, I think the rest of the interior is clearly class-leading. I'd say 2nd place is the Malibu....but I don't consider it close. The Malibu has better artiness in it's design, but the Accord has to me far greater day-to-day functionality, ergonomics, and ridiculous spaciousness. That's why I consider it so great. I don't care for the car as a whole (not my cup of tea, I prefer sportier cars), but that interior makes me want to buy it :)
 
Joe

The accords's interior reminds you of an acura which is no surprise. I wasn't too impressed in person, especially with regards to the 16 point type on all the controls. Due to the large controller the Accord's interior does have some similarity to Infiniti interiors but I hardly consider that to be such a great thing. In fact, I think the accord interior without the nav screen looks kind of old school due to the blocky 80s style test display on the standard screen.

although i believe it's a huge styling faux-pas and the main cause of the accord sedan's ugliness from the front end, i think that the protrusion of the headlight is there so that the turn signal is easier to see from the side and from behind at certain angles by the cars around it in traffic. It negates the need for turn signal side markers. Toyota has done that with some of their vehicles. I think the new landcruiser has one of these inexplicable headlamp bulges too albeit it isn't quite as ugly and obvious as the one on the new honda accord.

Wow! Almost 11,000 miles on the accord already, watch out aura.

1487,
    I total agree on the buttons. The font is way too big, and so are the buttons. you don't even need to use your fingers to push them. You can just smack them with your first.
 
     They do look nice, but I can't help but think "old person car" when ever I see the interior.

Since Suby sucks so bad at googling I'll help him out here...
 
'97 BTCC Accord: http://www.redshoes-archive.com/info.php?ID=183&cat=11

Yeah, Louis. I F41L. :o) That photo of James Thompson in a 1997 BTCC Honda Accord is a great example of what I was looking for.

This is a case where putting the side markers on the car (or side mirror housed turn signals) would've allowed a MUCH better styling of the headlights.

sadbuttrue,
I take your point about a call for evidence regarding the visibility of the lights and whether or not this was the main selection criterium for their shape.
 
Obviously, I can't know for sure but I think ddkk has done a better job than me or louis in giving some flavor of the argument that supports the case for visibility being a factor. The most bulbous part of the light seems to house the indicator. This would allow the light (assuming the throw and projection pattern confirm this) to be more visible at oblique angles and also to pedestrians.
 
Also - I don't fully buy the argument against these lights being that they never needed to like that before, that is: the old lights never wanted for visibility then the new lights do not need better visibility. This argument seems more like an appeal to tradition.
 
Having said all this. I'm kind of backtracking on the visibility issue myself. I think it was more of an aesthetic choice than any other factor. Obviously one that has polarized a lot of people.
 
I happen to like the car's looks on the exterior though I find the side profile overly long. The interior is not my favorite by a long shot. So many buttons! It looks like it belongs to a control system for a mech-fighting game. I think people are really attracted to button overload though - it seems like you are getting lots! And conversely a simplified center stack dash seems a rip off (again, to lots of people).
 
Thanks for the discussion!

"I think people are really attracted to button overload though - it seems like you are getting lots! And conversely a simplified center stack dash seems a rip off (again, to lots of people)"
 
I like buttons because they let you do stuff directly without getting lost into menus and submenus like the BMW iDrive. In fact BMW started increasing the number of buttons in its cars to simplify the iDrive.
Also, I like illuminated buttons because they make you feel you drive a spaceship at night without having to put those silly , no purpose, childish interior and exterior ambient neon car lights :)
 
BTW, the yellow lights on the picture are not the turning signals which is totally stupid. These are just some market lights.

banhugh - thanks for the clarification on the lights' purpose: that is stupid and blows the visibility reasoning away.
 
I have a strong respect for your spaceship fantasy and could see that aspect in appreciating button love so to speak.
 
I also agree that direct controls are important and dedicated buttons permit that facility. But maybe we don't all need to do so much in our cars?
 
Still - I wonder if you think that there is anything to the idea that lots of buttons somehow, especially without cognizant recognition of the affect, imbues an increased sense of value or luxury to a car's interior.
 
just some thoughts and thanks for your post!

Im sick of hearing the button complaints people. Test drive one and you will see that the buttons are ridiculously easy to push/not confuse. Besides with voice recognition you don't even need to press a button.
 
Getting on topic, am I the only one that likes the headlight bulge. I think it gives the car from the front view a BMW esque profile in real life due to the reflection the plastic part gives in the daytime making the housing take on a bimmer form. of course when viewed from the side the yellow markers make it look ugly. In Asia the clear markers make it look more upscale. Am I the only one that thinks this is the best looking accord to date? 7th gen was the ugliest by far. And previous to that they got better and better.