The frustration of buying the new Accord

[eisfeld]

22 minutes ago, Jitar said:

 

The hybrid Accord does not use a variator type CVT.  In any case reliability cannot be generalised to a transmission design.  There are examples of problems with different transmission designs including CVT, planetary autos and dual clutch transmission.  

Well said. Honda CVTs should have OK reliability, it's the least of my concerns. Especially if I can get proper warranty on it and always follow maintenance schedules.

 

And you are also right about the Hybrid, that one has an electric motor plus direct drive ICE so calling it an eCVT is misleading imho as there is no variable ratio transmission at all.

[sotsira]

18 hours ago, Jitar said:

 

The hybrid Accord does not use a variator type CVT.  In any case reliability cannot be generalised to a transmission design.  There are examples of problems with different transmission designs including CVT, planetary autos and dual clutch transmission.  

My point about this thread was that the OP stated his preference 

to purchase a 10 speed conventional Auto transmission Honda

Accord, but due to non availability in Thailand would have to choose

between the CVT or eCVT as the only options.

My point of concern is that the reviews I've read have all stated that 

the 10sp auto is the better option.

 

I'm fully aware that any type of transmission can have design problems, (Ford DCT come to mind as do Jatco CVT's in Nissan's)

 

When it comes to purchasing a new or used car, I would always 

pick out the cars that have been proven with reliability already

on the road. Now with CVT's, I'm still not convinced on that, mainly

due to the length of time they've been in use and whether they

will last the lifespan of the vehicle.

I also came across this interesting article by a reputable Japanese 

car blogger who also owns a repair garage.

 

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/how-long-do-cvt-transmissions-last/

 

Note that he states :- 

Though Honda guarantee the transmission fluid for a lifetime but it is not like that:

1) NO transmission fluid is lifetime — it still needs to be changed.

2) CVT’s are not as reliable and durable as regular automatic transmissions — when they go out, you can replace it for several thousand dollars or get rid of the car for little in return.

 

[eisfeld]

1 hour ago, sotsira said:

My point about this thread was that the OP stated his preference 

to purchase a 10 speed conventional Auto transmission Honda

Accord, but due to non availability in Thailand would have to choose

between the CVT or eCVT as the only options.

My point of concern is that the reviews I've read have all stated that 

the 10sp auto is the better option.

 

I'm fully aware that any type of transmission can have design problems, (Ford DCT come to mind as do Jatco CVT's in Nissan's)

 

When it comes to purchasing a new or used car, I would always 

pick out the cars that have been proven with reliability already

on the road. Now with CVT's, I'm still not convinced on that, mainly

due to the length of time they've been in use and whether they

will last the lifespan of the vehicle.

I also came across this interesting article by a reputable Japanese 

car blogger who also owns a repair garage.

 

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/how-long-do-cvt-transmissions-last/

 

Note that he states :- 

Though Honda guarantee the transmission fluid for a lifetime but it is not like that:

1) NO transmission fluid is lifetime — it still needs to be changed.

2) CVT’s are not as reliable and durable as regular automatic transmissions — when they go out, you can replace it for several thousand dollars or get rid of the car for little in return. 

 

As said, CVTs have been used in cars for decades, they are not new.

 

The article you linked asks the question "How long do CVT transmissions last?" and then completely omits to answer the question. They just say "at least more than 5 years", probably across all brands. Years is a bad metric because it probably depends on km driven more than age. Doesn't state the failure rate or expected lifetime. It states instead that Honda CVTs are the best in class and in the embedded video the guy says he never saw a Honda CVT fail, while he saw many Nissans fail. Same as the article also mentions that Nissan had CVT issues. So I don't really see how this should play into the decision making process when looking at the Honda Accord. I did also a bit of googling and can't find many recent reports of CVT issues with Hondas. A few from 5+ years ago. So let's put the CVT fears to rest.

[RocketDog]

NoLiving here successfully is all about lowering expectations, of just about everything.

 

It is and never will be what we had in our home countries. The good news is that a lot of what we had in our home countries is not present here.

 

It's all tradeoffs.

 

Stressing over cup holders,  ventilated seats, and upholstery colors is something I don't need. Spend the money on dashcams, good tires, motorcycle helmets, and theft alarms; more bang for your buck.

 

I'm not trying to be offensive, just suggesting that there are things in life that are simply not worth the hassle.

 

My car in America is a 2002 Rav4 that I bought in 2008. Got me from A to B for the next 8 years at minimum cost, insurance, care, and maintenance. I still have it and plan to keep it until it dies irretrievably.

 

Trying to buy quality anything here is going to be a frustrating experience because most residents don't recognize and cannot afford quality so it's not offered. If you do manage to buy quality here it will be a nightmare to get it serviced, maintained, or repaired, and actually more likely to be degraded/destroyed than properly serviced/repaired. By and large these are monkies f*cking footballs.

 

Westerners are accustomed to wide variety, informed sales/service (mostly), and decent customer interaction. Those things will never exist here. Thailand is only a pimple on global marketing's face and not worth most manufacturers' efforts with the exception of motorcycles and western junk food.

 

Buy crap versions of products you don't care about (which should be most of them) and when it fails early just toss it and buy more of the same crap. Less brain damage in the end.

 

Acceptance of defeat? Most definitely. I've only been here 3 years but that's all it took to understand the way it is.

 

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a car salesman, mechanic, auto expert, manufacturer, dash cam/theft system/tire salesman, interior designer, upholstery expert, psychologist, moral ethicist, quality expert, or rocket surgeon.

 

I am and have been a consumer for many years.

[eisfeld]

You've been only here 3 years as you say. Not sure if that's enough time to see what absolutely HUGE changes Thailand has gone through and will continue to go through. Things will improve (and some will get worse).  The requirement for improvement is to recognize issues. That's what has been done. Not more, not less.

 

While I am all for being realistic and managing expectations, I'm all against defeatism.

 

People have complained about bad service from car and motorbike dealers in Phuket and the brands have cancelled their contracts. Eventually someone takes over and provides better service. It's a long process but it happens.

 

In about two weeks time they should start having Accord Hybrid test drives, I'll do that and see which version I like more.

[Fallangpakwan]

After my first company car here in 1981 a fancy and expensive Peugeot, and other staff members having problems like me every day with their European and Swedish cars.,after a year of  it  Toyota was and still is my answer.

[eisfeld]

Now the Accord launched in Indonesia. At the spec level it's at 100k cheaper than Thailand (though 1.5 turbo instead of Hybrid) and of course they showed a white exterior with matching white interior. It also has 17Nm more torque than the Thai version. I wonder if it's actually made in Thailand and exported there. The Indonesia plant according to Wikipedia doesn't build Accords there.