Trade CL9 Accord Euro for E90 320i?

[Kevl]

Hey Guys,

Purchased a 2006 (Facelift) Honda Accord Euro around three months ago.

Now one of our relatives are trading in their 2005 e90 BMW 320i and we are considering buying from them as the dealer is offering them a ridiculously low price.

If we buy the 320i and sell the Accord we will probably have $1000 or $2000 to spare aswell.

Things I like about the Accord;

Feels "bunkered down" when driving, very stable
Adequate amount of power, never really feels lacking and is pretty responsive
Really like the look of the car
Has a quality premium feel to the car
And many more.

I do however have two main gripes with the car;

Poor Fuel Economy, I get round 12-13L / 100KM (around 70/30 city highway split)
Poor visibility, I find the car really hard to park, especially parallel park due to the high boot / beltline of the car. Also its difficult to judge how far the wheel is from the curb from the side mirrors unlike my previous car which I could fit into the smallest spots.
Overall I am happy with the car (fuel economy aside) but after owning the car for longer now I feel like the BMW could be a nice upgrade.

I have driven the BMW a few times and drives well. Didn't used to like the heavy steering but the euro also has heavy steering and now that I'm used to it I like it (drove my parents Rav4 and the steering just felt way too light)

Things I like about the BMW

Looks
More prestige as a BMW (though not hugely important)
More features, this ones pretty loaded, has cornering xenons, leather, upgraded wheels, parking sensors etc.... whereas my accord euro is the non L model.
Main worry is the reliability of the car, our relative has had a couple of things go wrong (power steering pump and something else, around $2,000 per repair). That is alot of money.

Any opinions would appreciated on whether to trade or not

Would love to know opinions from people who have owned a 320i or know people who have owned one for a while as I have noticed that impressions of cars change dramatically (at least for me) when u actually own a car vs. just a test drive.

Thanks in advance

[Lazarus]

What if you do a short time swap?
Like give the 320i a good week/fortnight worth? Just to get a better feel in the long run?
Although imo 320i is a very nice upgrade + the extra cash can always come in handy.

Damn, tough choice!

[trism]

yep, you hit the nail on the head. Parts and repair costs on the BMW are going to be triple what they are on the accord. That alone is enough reason to not buy it.

[Kevl]

What if you do a short time swap?
Like give the 320i a good week/fortnight worth? Just to get a better feel in the long run?
Although imo 320i is a very nice upgrade + the extra cash can always come in handy.

Damn, tough choice!

That's a good idea! Would love to try it for a couple of weeks. Don't think the relatives will be too keen though (uncle is bit weird about this stuff) but two weeks would definitely help make the decision.

yep, you hit the nail on the head. Parts and repair costs on the BMW are going to be triple what they are on the accord. That alone is enough reason to not buy it.

Yea, that is very true. But you always think you won't be the one which is rarely the case.

If we get it we will get a mechanical warranty (which is still an extra expense). Funny thing is would be much cheaper to service the BMW though because there are independent BMW specialists but no independent dealers who just specialise in Hondas (least in Auckland).

Any idea of the fuel economy / performance of 320i vs Euro?

[Fredoops]

Yea, that is very true. But you always think you won't be the one which is rarely the case.

If we get it we will get a mechanical warranty (which is still an extra expense). Funny thing is would be much cheaper to service the BMW though because there are independent BMW specialists but no independent dealers who just specialise in Hondas (least in Auckland).

Any idea of the fuel economy / performance of 320i vs Euro?

Thats the thing tho, in Kiwi-land it'll most likely be cheaper to service and repair a BMW (at least labor) than a Honda........
And you can always source parts from USA, in which case the price difference in parts is.... negligible.

Economy wise they'd be about the same, BMW might be slightly better due to smaller engine and VANOS (think continuously variable VTEC).
Performance wise, 320 will be slower in a straight line but since its RWD it'll be better in the corners.

[antony]

KEEP THE EURO.

We have had 5 BMW s in the family,a few 320is,and they become very niggly,and expensive to maintain after 5-6 years.

We have swopped to Hondas,and could not be happier.

The Euro will outlast a BMW,THE 3 SERIES IS BUILT IN sOUTH aFRICA,THE eURO IN jAPAN,AND THE QUALITY OF THE eURO IS FAR BETTTER.

Euro will easily do 300 000 kilometers without much difficuilty,the 320 might also,but is a far more complex car,and will require far more maintenance.

If it was me,I would stay FAR away from the Bee Em,honestly.

[tony1234]

yep, you hit the nail on the head. Parts and repair costs on the BMW are going to be triple what they are on the accord. That alone is enough reason to not buy it.

^^^^Agreed.

[Fredoops]

Kevl, you're asking on Honda forum on whether to ditch the Honda for something else.

I think we'd all be biased like hell, everyone will be banging on about 'costs'...

Fact is, we dont know how much you earn or your financial position, you might well be able to afford the difference in cost (if there is any.... I was surprised how stupid Honda servicing costs are in New Zealand...)
Also, E90 is a LOT more reliable than the previous gen E46, and the 3 series in general is a lot less niggly than the 5 or 7 series.

do a swap, try it out, get some prices on key parts. and then make your own decision

[Kevl]

Kevl, you're asking on Honda forum on whether to ditch the Honda for something else.

I think we'd all be biased like hell, everyone will be banging on about 'costs'...

Fact is, we dont know how much you earn or your financial position, you might well be able to afford the difference in cost (if there is any.... I was surprised how stupid Honda servicing costs are in New Zealand...)
Also, E90 is a LOT more reliable than the previous gen E46, and the 3 series in general is a lot less niggly than the 5 or 7 series.

do a swap, try it out, get some prices on key parts. and then make your own decision

Fredoops, You're right in that there would be some bias. Thought there would be some people who would give a balanced view though (like yourself)

Yea they are ridiculous. We had it serviced at Honda when we first bought the car (was due for a service) and it was $700 for routine maintenance! and I left a couple of items off the 'recommended' list (which would have bought the bill to $1000!).

One of the items recommended to be replaced was the fuel filter, doesn't the Euro have a fuel filter which lasts the life of the car?

We're still waiting on whether our relative is going to trade in their car or not but looks like we will give it a go if they do. Might change our other car instead of the Euro (02 Rav4).

[Adrian128]

Buy the BMW and some good tools (if you don't have them yet)..and try to get hold of a BMW service manual for that car.. parts are not overly expensive if you know where to buy them. Replacing parts are easy, most can be DIY. Only take it to the specialists for the major stuff.

[Kevl]

Buy the BMW and some good tools (if you don't have them yet)..and try to get hold of a BMW service manual for that car.. parts are not overly expensive if you know where to buy them. Replacing parts are easy, most can be DIY. Only take it to the specialists for the major stuff.

I know a fair bit about cars but have never actually touched anything mechanically lol (which I guess means I don't know that much), but luckily there is a cheap bmw specialist nearby where I live

[I CU2]

Base German cars are only bought because of the badge status, well that's what I think when I see one on the road. They aint foolin anybody.