Edmunds Family Sedan Consumer Comparo

[turbo200]

Edmunds

The Chevy is overwhelmingly picked as the number one entry, in a three-way even comparison with like-priced 4 cylinder Accords and Camrys. Accord also rates highly to many, though the Camry is picked as the laggard of the group, except when a Camry owner actually tests his own car against the competition. I smell some buyer's remorse.

The interior is even the gray color scheme! This is a great example of what discerning Americans getting a chance to see the competition side by side pick the Chevy above the competition!

[siegen]

They had to pick the ugliest color Accord, Burgundy. Yuck. Should have gone with Royal Blue.

[CSpec]

Wow, the Malibu got some extremely high praise. Also, the Camry was given uniform disdain.

[Northstar]

They had to pick the ugliest color Accord, Burgundy. Yuck. Should have gone with Royal Blue.

I don't think Edmunds picked the color... Honda most likely gave them what they had available.

Regardless, a change in color shouldn't make one's opinion of a vehicle differ much, nor should the exterior of a vehicle look drastically different in one color or another.

I think it's pretty safe to say the Malibu and Accord are pretty much neck and neck at the top of the class in terms of being a good family sedan with the Malibu holding the edge in the looks department.

[turbo200]

as one tester put it, Malibu is the sexier youthful sedan for young families...Accord is for those looking for less risk and more familiarity.

[siegen]

Regardless, a change in color shouldn't make one's opinion of a vehicle differ much, nor should the exterior of a vehicle look drastically different in one color or another.

I disagree completely. The exterior color can make a world of difference in how a car looks. And the exterior of the car is the first thing people base their impression on. The Malibu looks sporty and youthful in bright red, while the Accord looks mundane in burgundy. One driver said Burgundy was not her favorite color, and that the red was sharp. What if the Accord came in white (that driver's favorite color) and the Malibu in tan? Also, what if the Camry came in red instead of the dark gray as it did? I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Camry does look quite a bit better in red than in dark gray.

I'm not saying the Malibu didn't earn it's place. Based on what the different drivers had to say about the cars (their interiors especially), I think it's safe to say the cars appeal to very different customers. The Malibu may appeal to a slightly wider audience with it's more mainstream and less techno interior.

There was at least one inaccuracy a driver made about the Accord (auto-start), not sure if there were others for any of the other cars as well.

[Northstar]

I disagree completely. The exterior color can make a world of difference in how a car looks. And the exterior of the car is the first thing people base their impression on. The Malibu looks sporty and youthful in bright red, while the Accord looks mundane in burgundy. One driver said Burgundy was not her favorite color, and that the red was sharp. What if the Accord came in white (that driver's favorite color) and the Malibu in tan? Also, what if the Camry came in red instead of the dark gray as it did? I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Camry does look quite a bit better in red than in dark gray.

I'm not saying the Malibu didn't earn it's place. Based on what the different drivers had to say about the cars (their interiors especially), I think it's safe to say the cars appeal to very different customers. The Malibu may appeal to a slightly wider audience with it's more mainstream and less techno interior.

There was at least one inaccuracy a driver made about the Accord (auto-start), not sure if there were others for any of the other cars as well.

It may make a difference, but not so much that one should pick one car over the other because of exterior color. It's not the reviewers' faults that Chevy gave them a color they liked and Honda did not. The lady also said that red is not her favorite color. Another reader said the Chevy's paint was the deep and luscious. Again, not Chevy's fault Honda and Toyota didn't give them as nice of a paint job.

The Malibu in tan looks quite good, and I usually despise tan cars. The Malibu looks good in gray too. Looks good in every color I've seen it in, which is why I say it shouldn't matter what color the car is in. If the design is very good, a color can only detract from that so much. The color should not make the car look good, the design should.

[CARBIZ]

WOW. JUST WOW! Nothing NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is more subjective than color. Color can actually scare a customer away from a vehicle entirely (for example, the diarrhea brown leather interior of the Trailblazer, circe 2003) or 'make' a vehicle. I would desperately hope that Edmunds (and other media outlets) have enough friggin professional sense to get over what color the supplied vehicle is and simply rate it in its merits.

And lay of the burgundy: I've owned two burgundy cars, including my current one!

[Northstar]

WOW. JUST WOW! Nothing NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is more subjective than color. Color can actually scare a customer away from a vehicle entirely (for example, the diarrhea brown leather interior of the Trailblazer, circe 2003) or 'make' a vehicle.

Perhaps a totally gross color could make someone not purchase it, but burgundy is not a totally gross color. (Nor is red or gray).

[turbo200]

WOW. JUST WOW! Nothing NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is more subjective than color. Color can actually scare a customer away from a vehicle entirely (for example, the diarrhea brown leather interior of the Trailblazer, circe 2003) or 'make' a vehicle. I would desperately hope that Edmunds (and other media outlets) have enough friggin professional sense to get over what color the supplied vehicle is and simply rate it in its merits.

And lay of the burgundy: I've owned two burgundy cars, including my current one!

it was not Edmunds reviewing the car, but a test panel of Joe Shmoes, average people.

The point Siegen is trying to make about a color taking away or adding to the desirability is correct. The right color can do wonders for a car. But in this case, your argument is flawed. I've seen the Accord in several different colors, and the red color in particular is dull. [there is a dark purple on the uplevel model that looks stunning though] I tend to get the same impression from the sheetmetal, "icy". I think it's very techno and engaging but there's almost no feeling to it, like a robot almost. The direction they are heading in is great, they are right at the head of trends it seems, the Accord is as contemporary as the Malibu but not as fun? [in terms of just the lines not the concept or style] I don't know if that's quite the word I want to use, but the bottom line is down to the sheetmetal and the way its curved, the Accord says techno saavy and the Malibu says I want to romance you softly. The front end also isn't as appealing, the character and expression aren't appealing, it doesn't call at you or inspire confidence like Malibu.

Color-wise, the Malibu really does look great in most colors. I've seen most again in person, and so far the gray on the hybrid and base models isn't all that attractive, but the upper level silver works great. The dark gray is one of the classy colors for Camry that works well at imparting luxury while showing off the lines. The red drowns out the tension of the lines and the red offered is too deep and boring. The same goes for Accord, their red is just a heckuva lot more conservative than the aggressive red GM chose for Malibu; it goes without saying the marketers were aiming in different directions when the imaging for both cars was being put together.

While the cars are going to appeal to different crowds, the people did say the Malibu and Accord shared one similar trait, an engaging drive. That's one thing I'm glad to hear confirmed from a number of different sources here. It means good things for the upcoming EP II cars.

Edited December 31, 2007 by turbo200

[siegen]

Edmunds did a follow up review of the same 3 cars. This time tested by Edmunds editors. Read here. The Accord came out on top, narrowly. The suede leather, 17-allow wheels, and heated front seats of the Malibu really closed the margin between Accord/Malibu (and the Malibu was only $275 more expensive). Camry lost just as it did in the consumer comparison (still #1 selling car though... we'll see).

[regfootball]

i am totally fine with those results.

myself, if pressed, might pick the honda over the BU, (only for space reasons really) but I am glad to see they treated the cahmree appropriately. Where was the Altima?

[2chevs]

The Altima was in the V6 test, I think it had something to do with the price of the Altima I-4 that it wasn't in the test.