2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6: Family Road Trippin'

Actually the estimates for the V6 are 19/29 22 combined. The EPA combined number isn't impressive, but your combined number is, depending on how much city driving there really was. Like 70/30? or 80/20?

I agree about hard seats on the new Accords. Last year, when I was test driving cars to buy my new car, I particularly found Accords to be hard, kinda like airline economy class seats; shaped right but uninvitingly hard. Contrasted to that, Hyundai Azera's seats were oh-so-comfy! Long story short, would have bought an Accord if the seats were comfortable, but Azera's soft leather seats won over.

That's easily the Accord's best angle you have there. It looks very attractive above. I'm bummed to hear that the seats are not that comfy, and that cabin noise is still excessive. I mean, how hard is that? Get it right already.

I thought Anderson's was in Buelton.

Wait, so how did this thing keep winning the comparison reviews when no one can stand sitting in it for long? I seem to recall the malibu being driven across country with no complaints from the editor!

My uncle loves his new V6 Accord, different strokes for different folks I guess.

It's not true that nobody can stand sitting in it for long. I've taken several 2-3 hour trips in mine and I haven't had any comfort problems at all, nor have my passengers. In fact, when it's time to choose the car to take when family and friends are going to travel together, my Accord is the one selected because they find it so comfortable.

I remember a number of years ago when my parents bought a 1988 Mercury Sable. That was back when Ford still maintained their design direction for the Taurus/Sable as European inspired (firmer ride, firmer seats, etc.). My dad had come from a GM mid-size with typical living room plushy seats, and at first he didn't like the firm seats. That was until he took a longer ride in the car shortly after taking delivery. He found that on an annual day long trip, he was far less fatigued driving the Sable than he had been driving the GM car on the same trip in earlier years and could drive probably half again as long before switching out drivers. That's because the firmer seats supported his body better, so he didn't have to use his muscles as much to support himself. I found the same thing in driving the 2 cars. Over a few weeks, he adjusted to the firmness and ended up loving the firm seats. From that point on, he said that he didn't know how he could have endured those soft seats in other cars for all those years.

And I find the same thing with the Accord. No problem with numb butt or lower back numbness. I don't have experience with the Azera's leather seats, but I did drive a leather equipped Optima when on vacation recently. It had softer seats than my Accord. It initially felt real cushy (and probably would have been comfortable during the typical test drive), but I noticed fairly quickly that I started having to shift my body around while driving because my butt was falling asleep and my lower back was starting to hurt. No problems whatsover with either of those things with the firmer and much more supportive seats in my Accord.

And although I mentioned this before and it caused a huge uproar, I'll reiterate the fact that Consumer Reports rated the front seat comfort on their 2008 Accord EX-L V6 as excellent. This is just one publication's opinion, just like Bryn and Dan's, but regardless of how much stake one puts in those ratings, clearly the majority of the test drivers at CR found the Accord's seats very comfortable. (Spare me all of the "CR can't rate seat comfort" rhetoric... we've been through all of that already and it doesn't merit rehashing.) So it is a case of different strokes for different folks... some may find the Accord's seats uncomfortable, but clearly others can handle sitting in the Accord for hours at a time without discomfort.

I also don't have any problems with wind noise in my Accord. If it was severe enough to be a point of complaint on the test car, I suspect there might be a problem that needs to be fixed. I will agree about the road noise. Since this is my 3rd consecutive Accord, I don't mind it a whole lot, but I think they should have reduced it more compared to the previous generation than they did.

cxlover: thanks for the catch on the fuel EPA estimates. I've edited the post to reflect the correct numbers.

I'd say the driving was 70 hwy/30 city.

everyone is going to have a different opinion what "comfortable" is.

Hey, is that the same place that was in the movie Sideways?

Seems the comfort issue is easy to resolve. Just get cloth seats...and it's cheaper too! I'd go for the 4 cylinder coupe with 190 HP. Much nicer looking and economical.

It seems to me that seat firmness is a very personal issue. My parents HATED the firm seats of their BMW 3 Series and I loved them. They were accustomed to very cushy GM Buick and Cadillac seats. I find the leather seats in our 2008 EXL V6 to be excellent - the firmer the better on a long trip. Numb butts may be more a factor of leg length and seat cushion length and the possibility of one's circulation being cut off.
We have taken several 3-4 hour trips in complete comfort. Road noise - there is no question in my mind, after having ridden in my father's 2007 Camry Hydrid that our Honda is much noisier - and that may be part of the whole Honda "experience" - higher revving engines, and more road noise to keep the driver "in touch with the road" and not feel like you are driving in an isolation chamber. Very subjective review in my opinion and not necessarily relevant to the car's qualities - something you need to drive and experience to form an opinion,and we all know about opinions - they are like something else we all have.

Nice economy numbers for the trip.

Seat feel is all up to the person sitting in the seat, but they're some seats that are just all around amazing, like Volvo seats.

Road noise "keeps the driver in touch with the road"? Seriously, now?

Even with firm seats, it helps to have at least a minimal layer of plush for your joints and bones. I didn't find the Accord seats to be hard, but I did find some other seats around (namely Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota) to be much plusher.

Cloth seats are definitely the way to go on the 08 Accord. I recently had a 6 hour drive up to Santa Cruz with no comfort issues whatsoever, though as it's been mentioned, the road noise is a bit excessive.

Honda states that road noise is part of the equation as it somehow connects the driver with the car better, so dont EVER expect Lexus or Buick like isolation from Honda.

Ive never had a problem with any Honda Ive owned regarding seat comfort. I know that Honda changed/upgraded its grade of leather for the 08+ Accord so maybe thats the culprit?

Now Lexus seats are a whole different matter. The seats in my former 1996 ES300 always felt too low, almost like driving a old Jeep Cherokee Classic. Not a drop of support and it wasnt good for my back. My wifes former 2000 GS400 was decently comfortable as I sat more upright but I like seats that have good bolstering. Civic Si and NSX seats are pure perfection and offer great all around comfort while holding you in place during spirited driving. I also find Mercedes seats (C Class Sport) to be very comfortable, also BMW sport seats fit the bill.

I have driven cars that seem to let in all manner of droning road noise - most tiresome over a long haul and in no way "connects me to to the car". It's just annoying. I don't accept that the only two choices are an excessive and aggravating level of road noise or complete sensory deprivation.

I do believe that seat comfort is subjective, and I happen to prefer firm seats. But it is nonenetheless significant that the seats in this Accord have been the already been the subject of negative commentary by more than one reviewer.

I don't see where anyone said that "the only two choices are an excessive and aggravating level of road noise or complete sensory deprivation." There are many levels in between. As with most things on a car, different noises are noticeable to different degrees depending on the sound insulation and other facets of a car's design. For some people, a tolerable level of road noise is just one way of reading the road surface and how the cat is connected. I've seen this mentioned in auto reviews in the past, not just about the Accord, but other cars as well, so it isn't like this is the first time it's ever been stated. You don't agree, you find it annoying and you have the right to your opinion. But others feel differently, and that's their right as well.

It's hardly as if the Accord exhibits road noise like an old pickup truck. Most reviews mention the level of road noise because it is higher than you'll find in cars like the Camry. But it's not like you experience utter silence in the Camry and total cacophony in the Accord. Referencing Consumer Reports again, all they say is that "road noise is still a bit noticeable". That's "a bit"... not like the road noise is blowing out your eardrums. In fact, despite the road noise comment, it apparently isn't enough to bump the Accord to a lower noise rating than the Camry... both are rated Very Good.

They made no mention of a problem with wind noise, and my experience matches that. In fact, this is the first mention of wind noise problems on the 2008 Accord that I've seen in a review, and I've pretty much read them all. I checked again on the freeway on the way home from work yesterday and wind noise was essentially nonexistent, not even close to "significant" as Bryn stated. I turned on some soft jazz and had no problem listening to it... it sounded great. If Bryn and her family experienced so much noise that it caused problems with using the audio system, I strongly suggest that the test car be taken to the dealer to check for wind leaks somewhere.

As I stated above, I find the Accord EX-L seats to be very comfortable and supportive. Other posters agree. And again, Consumer Reports rates them Excellent in comfort. But that doesn't mean that everyone will find them comfortable, because as everyone has been saying, comfort is subjective. So I don't see the comments of 2 Edmunds editors to be an indictment of the Accord's leather seats, especially in light of the fact that other reviews (from both media and owners) have expressed opinions to the contrary. Those comments are, however, a reminder that it's your responsibility to make sure that a particular car fits your needs (eg, has seats that you find comfortable), even in the face of positive reviews. If you simply take review results as gospel, you may be unpleasantly surprised, as each of us has our own definitions of what constitutes characteristics like seat comfort.

Many owners who rated the Accord on Edmunds mentioned lack of seat comfort. While this issue is personal, it appears that many owners have a problem with the lack of compliance in the seats. When I read through ratings on the Malibu and Camry I saw no mention of seat comfort so it appears that some cars in this class have seats that please a higher percentage of owners.

As for wind noise, it should be noted that other cars in this class have gotten quieter. I doubt the Accord is really that loud, but it's louder than some competing models. I know the Camry is very quiet and the Malibu/Aura are as well due to laminated glass. I rode in a 2007 Accord I-4 and the road noise was pronounced compared to my car. I assume the 2008 is better but I dont remember reading much about specific measures taken by Honda to suppress road noise. If you compare the noise levels at 70mph in various midsize sedan comparos you will see the Accord is never near the top.

I wonder if an aftermarket leather kit like Katzkins on the EX seats would be the way to go? Maybe the higher quality leather or foam from the cloth seats would make for a cushier, comfier experience? If so, I may be in the market for such a conversion.

Whoever is willing to pass judgement on a car based solely on a reviewer's experience and without actually checking for themselves, I have some property in the Pacific I'd like to sell them. I've owned both Toyotas and Hondas and from my experience cloth covered seat versions of Hondas tended to be firm and Toyota's tended to be soft. My personal preference is for the firmness of the Honda as driver and passenger. And remember softer seats or beds feel better but are not necessarily better for you, ask any chiroporactor or good mattress salesperson. Unless you already have some underlying back problem already.

I find the fixed upper lumbar support very uncomfortable, even after 15-20 min. Has anyone found aftermarket kits or upholstery enhancements useful?

Hi. Just left the Honda dealer and walked away from a real good deal on a new coupe. After a 10 minute test drive I pulled over to try to adjust the drivers seat to get "comfortable". I have two big problems. The seat back lumbar support is too big even at minimum setting. The leather seemed very thick and the gathering at the seams are very "bunchy". The other issue is the steering wheel-- it doesn't tilt down enough. If I raise the seat high and lower the wheel, it is very uncomfortable. (like driving an SUV)

When I returned to the dealer, I broke the bad news that I wasnt going through with the deal on that car. We strolled the lot and sat and looked at several other coupes. The gathering of the leather on the seams were very different on almost every car. I sat in one red with black and it was much more comfortable than the white / tan that I wanted.

Anyway, I told them to find a different loaded white/tan and ill try it out. Real shame, I was looking forward to driving a new car today. (BTW, I current own a 2000 NSX that is a dream to drive long distances, and I sold a 2005 S2000 recently that, although a little tight fit, was comfortable).

Thanks for reading...