Honda

Battle of the Sedans: Camry, Accord or Altima

Published by G

Instead of recommending which car is built better, I’ve decided to take a different approach and tell you which car leases better. For this particular “special competition”, I’ll be comparing the Accord, Camry & Altima. You probably don’t need my thoughts about which car is the better car, after all, there are tons of websites doing that already. I just want to tell you which one will save you some greens. Let’s roll!

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  • Camry XLE V6
  • MSRP $30,014 ($30,514-$500)
  • Invoice N/A
  • Standard inception fees + tax not included
  • Residuals posted are for 12K miles/year.

2009 Toyota Camry XLE V6
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00099 Base Rate

36mo Payment: $337 at TMV, $357 at MSRP

Without an invoice price, it is rather difficult to get a nice range on the Camry. Edmund’s TMV does suggest the sale price to be about $29,317 after the $500 rate. This means you only about $697 off MSRP in most areas.

  • Altima Sedan 3.5 SE + Premium + Moonroof
  • MSRP $29,685
  • Invoice $27,367
  • Standard inception fees + tax not included
  • Residuals posted are for 12K miles/year.

2008 Nissan Altima Sedan 3.5 SE
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00087 Base Rate

36mo Payment: $337 at invoice, $397 at TMV, $403 at MSRP

TMV suggests the sale price to be at around $29,476. Not much of a discount off MSRP here according to Edmunds. I’m not 100% sold on that fact however. Keep in mind that the Altima is a 2008 model, so I think discounts could be had.

  • Accord EX-L V6
  • MSRP $28,730
  • Invoice $26,086
  • Standard inception fees + tax not included
  • Residuals posted are for 12K miles/year.

2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00129 Base Rate

36mo Payment: $317 at invoice, $341 at TMV, $393 at MSRP

For the Accord, we are looking at a sale price of $26,927 according to Edmund’s TMV. Cheapest of the bunch thus far. But how does it lease with a higher MF and middle of the pack residual? About the same.

My Take: Clearly, the Camry stands tall compared to the other two. At TMV price, it blows away the Altima and is relatively competitive with the Accord, at $4 less per month. The Camry comes in with the highest residual and the 2nd lowest MF (by a hair), making it the more attractive lease despite the fact that it’s the most expensive car of the bunch. The only instance in which I would pick the Accord or the Altima over the Camry is if both could be had at invoice or below invoice price and the Camry couldn’t. In the spirit of the Olympics, here’s how the winners break down.

Gold Medal: Toyota Camry XLE V6
Silver Medal: Honda Accord EX-L V6
Bronze Medal: Nissan Altima 3.5 SE

Lease rates for remaining Accord and Altima Coupe models:

2008 Nissan Altima S w/CVT Manual Coupe
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00209 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00209 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord LX-S I4 Automatic Coupe
24 Month – Residual 65% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord LX-S I4 Manual Coupe
24 Month – Residual 65% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX I4 Manual Coupe
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX I4 Automatic Coupe
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX-L I4 w/Navigation Manual Coupe
24 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX-L I4 Automatic Coupe
24 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 Coupe Automatic
24 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Navigation Coupe Automatic
24 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00186 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

Honda OSM Concept, the Next S2000?

Published by G

Honda OSM Concept

image courtesy of autoblog.com

Looks like Honda is conducting a design study on their next roadster. About time I say! The S2000 has become rather outdated compared to the rest of the Honda lineup.  I really hope they decide to make this one, or at the very least, something resembling the concept.  The latest entries from Honda have left much to be desired. They are up to par with technology, unfortunately, they lack much from a design standpoint.  I’m going to keep my thoughts short on this one because I know pictures speak a thousand words.

Honda OSM Concept Gallery, brought to you by autoblog.com

PRESS RELEASE

LOW EMISSION HONDA ROADSTER BREAKS COVER
Two-seat design study unveiled at British International Motor Show

Honda’s low-emission sportscar study model has been revealed at the British International Motor Show, at ExCeL, London.

The lightweight roadster design study displays one of Honda’s core engineering principles – to design stylish and exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible.

Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), the two-seater joins the confirmed-for-production CR-Z sports hybrid and FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car on the Honda stand at the show.

“We’re trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive,” says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. “There is no reason why a car that’s more environmentally friendly can’t look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive.”

The concept for the project was ‘Clean and Dynamic’ – and this direction was followed for both the exterior and interior design, ensuring a joined-up, consistent ‘language’ between the two. One example of this can be seen at the rear of the car, where the body actually extends into the cabin between the seats.

The exterior design is a balance of smooth, rounded curves and sharp lines to provide definition in key areas. The headlights are cleverly integrated into the front end, stretching from the nose to the top of the wheel arches to look more like a part of the original body.

Inside, this uninterrupted, fluid approach is continued, with long sweeping curves extending from both door panels to form a frame for the instrument display. The concept for the dashboard was to avoid creating the traditional block of ‘heavy’ colour and material in front of the driver; in keeping with the clean and lightweight theme. For that reason, the dash is broken into sections, with the most important instruments in direct line-of-sight of the driver.

Key information is displayed in a rounded, enclosed central binnacle, with levels and figures in bright blue on a black background. This matches the trim inside the car, with the seats and door furniture trimmed in a new, gloss-effect blue leather, accompanied by white leather sections, in line with the exterior body colour, a one-off paint called Mystic Pearl.

The driver’s main controls and functions are distributed in an intuitive layout, close at hand on a panel that curves downwards to the right of the driver. A centrally-mounted semi-sequential gear-shift points towards a fun-to-drive transmission, along with paddle shifts either side of the steering wheel. Integrated into the gearshifter itself is a red ignition ‘start’ button, which reinforces the sporty direction of the car.

The Honda OSM was designed by Honda’s R&D facility in Offenbach, Germany. It’s the latest example of the young talent being developed within Honda’s design studios in Europe – following the Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept (Geneva 2007) and the Accord Tourer Concept (Frankfurt 2007).

At present, the Honda OSM is a design study model, and there are no plans for it to enter production.

July 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda Pilot

Published by G

2008 Honda Pilot VP 4WD
24 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 39% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 33% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate

2008 Honda Pilot SE 4WD
24 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 39% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 33% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate

2008 Honda Pilot EX 4WD
24 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 39% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 32% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate

2008 Honda Pilot EX-L 4WD
24 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 38% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 31% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

My Take: As you can see, Honda isn’t exactly offering any incentives to lease the 08 Pilot anymore. Buying seems to be the ongoing theme this month. Low APR financing is making its way in from pretty much every manufacturer for all 08 models. You just might do a bit better leasing a 09 Pilot than an 08 Pilot.

July 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda CR-V

Published by G

2008 Honda CR-V LX 2WD
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

2008 Honda CR-V EX 2WD
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

2008 Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD
24 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

2008 Honda CR-V EX-L w/Navigation 2WD
24 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

My Take: Not the best MF right now. Buying isn’t look that much better since there isn’t any special financing available either. If you can afford to wait on the CR-V, I would recommend doing so.

July 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda Civic Si

Published by G

2008 Honda Civic Coupe Si
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00370 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00270 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00255 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

My Take: Not exactly the best lease right now, specially for the 24mo term. I would wait, or simply buy it. Looks like most manufacturers are introducing very attractive financing options and rebates for purchase this time of the year.

July 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda Accord LX

Published by G

Honda Accord LX
36mo/15k –  money factor .00186 – residual 58%

My Take: The MF fairly reasonable for the month of July and the residual is still strong (60% for 12k yearly miles). Is a fantastic deal like Honda commercials claim it is? Not really, but they can find your lost beagle, shuck you some oysters and what not, that WOULD BE a great deal.

June 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda Civic Si

Published by G

2008 Honda Civic Coupe Si
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00165 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00165 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00235 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 37% of MSRP – .00245 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

My Take: Now is a great time to jump into a Honda Civic Si coupe. The residual values are strong and the lease rates for 24 to 36 months are lower than the standard Honda lease rate. If you can’t drive a manual, learn, because this car only comes in manual. This is probably one of the best/quickest/fuel efficient car of its class.

June 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Honda Element

Published by G

Element EX
24mo/12k – Residual 60% – Money Factor .00350
36mo/12k – Residual 54% – Money Factor .00250
48mo/12k – Residual 45% – Money Factor .00235

Element LX
24mo/12k – Residual 63% – Money Factor .00350
36mo/12k – Residual 56% – Money Factor .00250
48mo/12k – Residual 47% – Money Factor .00235

My Take For those outdoorsmen(women) out there, you may want to hold out for better rates on the Element. There currently isn’t any lease support for these models. I personally like this car more than the Scion xB (which is really ugly in my opinion). It’s not to say that the Element is pretty, it’s not. However, Element is versatile and spacious and it comes in 4WD, which makes a it a decent alternative to compact SUVs.