honda or toyota?

BigAl3 · 10-05-05, 09:29

i was just curious.... what is your preference & experience between the two auto companies?

kgb · 10-06-05, 03:37

I am a Honda and Subaru fan. When I was looking for a car last year I was looking at Honda, Subaru, and Toyota. I was trading in my 2001 Civic. Honda build quality is just excellent in my opinion. The subaru line up is impressive and I love the boxer engines, AWD, and handling of them. The Toyotas were really nice but just too pricey. We looked at the Scion line but they felt sort of cheap. But, you can not go wrong with a Toyota in my eyes if you want to pay for it. And now Toyota bought GM's shares of Subaru so it's all good. LOL

drewski59 · 10-06-05, 03:50

I love Hondas. Build quality is excellent, and the engines just kick butt. As said above, the interiors are better looking. And while Toyota remains completely nonoffensive in the design dept.(read: boring), Honda isn't afraid to be a little more bold(just look at an Accord vs. a Camry). Also, while Toyotas are more concerned with ride comfort, Hondas have always felt sportier to me.

A big thing with Honda is the standard features, especially on EX models, is extensive. Toyota contrasts this with high base prices and very steep options. I think they've just started charging for the brand name.

BTW, the Toyota V6 requires premium fuel, while the Honda only requires regular! That's a big point right now too!

Picus · 10-06-05, 04:16

What drewski said. I like both brands, but Toyotas seem to be geared more towards the real-estate broker crowd. That's not to say Hondas aren't, but generally they seem a little sportier to me, and I've always had good luck with them. I actually "prefer" Nissan to either, but that's not the topic.

It's cool that this hasn't turned into a flame war...yet. Keep up the good work guys!

SpoiledMan · 10-06-05, 04:32

Do you REALLY want me to say which one?

docker · 10-06-05, 04:36

Both brands, obviously, are quality through and through, and both will last a 'lifetime' if maintained properly. IMO it comes down to value, appearence and personal experiences.

I recently bought a 2005 Civic EX Special Edition. Traded in my 94 Accord with 300,000 miles, which I picked up after my 80-something Accord, with ~200,000 miles, got totaled. Prior to that I had Civics. My personal experiences with Honda's have been A+++.

When I was shopping for my 05 Civic, I did objectively look at the Toyota line and was impressed. However, what others have said regarding pricing is correct - Toys seem to be priced somewhat higher for comparable size and equipment. For what I was looking for, Compact or Mid, it came down to Accord & Civic -vs- Camry & Corrola. IMO, Honda got the nod for appearence and style. When I tallyed up the (3) categories, value, appearence and personal experiences, my choice was then between only the Accord and Civic.

With all that being said, IMO the pendulum has swung even more toward with Honda side with the 2006 models. Oh, boy...the changes to both the Accord and Civic (style, better mileage, increased power) are very attractive. Again, IMO, the Civic sedan & coupe are the best automobiles in the under 20K category, and the Accord is one of the best in the 20K-30K range. I'm hoping to trade in my daughter's 99 Saturn for a 06 Civic coupe in the near future.

Sorry for rambling...

docker · 10-06-05, 04:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpoiledMan

Do you REALLY want me to say which one?

Come on SpoliedMan, sing the praises !!!!

toyemp · 10-06-05, 05:24

hmmmm

hint = screenname

kgb · 10-06-05, 05:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by toyemp

hmmmm

hint = screenname

Or his signature.

rfinkle2 · 10-06-05, 05:32

I've had both...along with many other manufacturers and feel that Japanese cars are , in general, excellent. Honda may have it over Toyota, now that it has a truck...which from what I read is really well built.

IMO...japanese cars are made best, many german cars are overrated, and dare I say it, in the past few years, the americans have made ground on the japanese.

drewski59 · 10-06-05, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfinkle2

IMO...japanese cars are made best, many german cars are overrated, and dare I say it, in the past few years, the americans have made ground on the japanese.

I agree. American cars have made HUGE strides in quality over the past five years. Fit/finish, fuel mileage, and value have gone up greatly in most American cars. Just compare the new Cobalt to the outgoing Cavalier, the new Impala to the outgoing one, the new Cadillacs, etc...

Too bad all the American companies are going to the graveyard soon.

RobD · 10-06-05, 06:09

A couple of months ago, I was given a new Toyota 4 cyl. Camry loaner (low miles, under 5K) while my car was in for service. After reading all of the positive comments about Toyota over the years (drive, build quality, durability, etc.) and never owning one, I was a little interested in getting in it. I came away somewhat disappointed. The interior build quality/fit and finish was alright, but not worthy of the praise I've read about. The car rode/drove fine, though was nothing special. The powertrain was not quiet under acceleration and, in general, did not have a refined feel. Overall, I wasn't very impressed. I didn't examine the exterior panel gaps or paint (car was dirty) so I won't comment on them. The durability is probably there, I can't comment on that, either. IMHO, this Camry is comparable to, though not superior to the Hondas/Nissans I've owned, or some American cars I've owned/been in. My $.02