Two cars..

  • Thread starter Thread starter halfracedrift
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halfracedrift

halfracedrift

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My friend's family is looking into a second hand car.. Their choices have been narrowed down to:

a) 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS Sedan

b) 2000 Honda Accord SE

He's looking for good pickup and good low-end, but definitely has to be comfortable as it is a family carrier, not a race car.

+ and - are always welcome!

edit: Woops.... Too much alcohol... it's SE.
 
What in the world is an Accord SP? Did you mean SE by any chance?

The 2.5RS was the sport Scooby back in '00, so it's not going to be as comfortable as the Accord. It's smaller, too, which is something to take into consideration for a family car. You can't really go wrong with either, however.
 
I'd be leaning on the Accord, simply because I've had great luck with Honda's and not quite as good of luck with Subaru's. But, that's from a very biased opinion.
 
Both cars are extremely reliable, as I know people who swear by both manufacturers. And seeing how you're from BC, the Impreza might be a better choice due to it's excellent 4WD system (The Accord is front wheel drive). But of course, if space will be a concern, then the Accord is the better car. It all depends on the needs of your friend's family.

But, as PunkRock said, you can't go wrong with either car. They are both excellent machines.
 
They're looking more into Reselling value.. It's going to be my friend's MOTHER's car..

So I'm guessing Accord? Because a woman in her 40s driving around a 2.5RS looks plain weird. :odd: Agree?
 
There's a 40 something female teacher at my school who drives a '03 WRX, and I don't think she looks too weird driving it.

But I'd think the Subaru would have better resale value, since they have excellent reliability, offer 4WD (not too common for your everyday sedans) and are less much common than Accords, which are so common they practically grow on trees.
 
1995_volvo_850_turbo.jpg


I can't honestly think of anything that fits the bill better than the 95-96 Volvo 850 Turbo. It's certainly leagues better than the Impreza and Accord, with lots more power (222-horsepower 5-cyl turbo; 0-60 in 7 sec) and way more stuff (standard heated leather, power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, front side airbags, 16" alloys). $5000 (average 95) to $9500 (nicest 96), too, or around $11000 for the nicest 1997 T-5.
 
That Volvo looks better than the Accord and Scooby, too! 👍
 
pimp racer
You live in Canada so you might need 4wd right? So I guess the 2.5rs would be the best choice?
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Not Canada, BC. Yes, BC is in Canada, but that doesn't mean he need's 4WD. It all depends on where, if you live in Vancouver BC (where you're most likely to get rain and have a temp of 19C year round then either will do) then the accord will probably work perfectly. If you live in the mountains of BC however, like say Nelson or Kootenay area then the 4WD will be very welcomed as you can get up to like 4 feet of snow in a day and a half. I'd go with the scuby tho, but both get near-perfect ratings from Consumer Reports, so unless you're willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort and space for traction and adaptability then it's pretty much a dead heat between them.
 
I have to agree with M5's suggestion, although it does have some shortcomings. The Volvo does not have the Accord's outstanding reliability (The Volvo is still a good reliable car, but I know a few people who've had bad experiences with Volvo), and the Volvo is a front drive car, whereas the Subaru is all wheel drive, a huge asset if you live in British Columbia.
 
PublicSecrecy
Not Canada, BC. Yes, BC is in Canada, but that doesn't mean he need's 4WD. It all depends on where, if you live in Vancouver BC (where you're most likely to get rain and have a temp of 19C year round then either will do) then the accord will probably work perfectly. If you live in the mountains of BC however, like say Nelson or Kootenay area then the 4WD will be very welcomed as you can get up to like 4 feet of snow in a day and a half. I'd go with the scuby tho, but both get near-perfect ratings from Consumer Reports, so unless you're willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort and space for traction and adaptability then it's pretty much a dead heat between them.
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Oh ok I just assumed that he might need it since its so north up and I assumed the weather in the winter time would be like hell on cars. I guess I would agree with Doug's suggestions since its pretty cheap. Oh and now the hard part is finding one.
 
Ev0
I have to agree with M5's suggestion, although it does have some shortcomings. The Volvo does not have the Accord's outstanding reliability (The Volvo is still a good reliable car, but I know a few people who've had bad experiences with Volvo), and the Volvo is a front drive car, whereas the Subaru is all wheel drive, a huge asset if you live in British Columbia.
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Uhh, how is it a huge asset if you live in BC? I live in Quebec, it was -28C yesterday, and we have more than a foot of snow. Toronto and everywhere around it doesn't have a smidgen of snow yet. We have always owned Front Wheeled cars (an old Legacy when I was maybe 4). I really don't remember getting caught in too many snow mountains in my lifetime.

Canada does not = 4 foot snowdrifts everywhere.

Even if he did live in British Columbia's more snowy areas, if you have proper tires and proper knowledge of how to drive, AWD isn't considered such a "huge asset".
 
Talk to anyone who has had to drive down a mountain in the snow, and they'll tell you how 4WD is worth the price, or how they had wished they had it. Although it is true an FF car with a good driver and snow tires is perfectly safe, why not add an extra layer of safety with the improved traction of 4WD. And it's harder to get stuck if all 4 wheels are providing power.

I know the best advice is to avoid mountain driving in the winter, but sometimes it could be unavoidable.
 
Man, you've got it all wrong, RWD is the best for snow! Just toss a sandbag in the back and have fun countersteering to full lock at 20 MPH!
 
Takumi Fujiwara
Man, you've got it all wrong, RWD is the best for snow! Just toss a sandbag in the back and have fun countersteering to full lock at 20 MPH!
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:lol: But I think its his friends mom's car or dads so no drifting for them.
 
Ev0
Talk to anyone who has had to drive down a mountain in the snow, and they'll tell you how 4WD is worth the price, or how they had wished they had it. Although it is true an FF car with a good driver and snow tires is perfectly safe, why not add an extra layer of safety with the improved traction of 4WD. And it's harder to get stuck if all 4 wheels are providing power.

I know the best advice is to avoid mountain driving in the winter, but sometimes it could be unavoidable.
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Do you think that British Columbia means driving down snowy mountains?

Are you off your head?

Ever been to Vancouver? It's no snowier than Seattle. Which, coincidentally, is only about 50mi away.

Nevertheless, the Volvo has a winter mode on its transmission permitting third-gear starts. That takes care of wheel slippage on acceleration. Furthermore, it's got 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution, and AWD or not, you can't do any better than that.
 

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