2009 Honda Accord EXL V-6 Navi
Have owned 9 Honda Accords over 27 years (1989 - 2016). They have been great cars for reliability and economy. My kids have had 2 each as hand me downs through the years and they agree, can't beat Honda Accords to get from Point A to Point B. This particular 2009 EXL with V6 and Navi was a unique purchase from a gentleman moving out of state. It had 159k and now, 2.5 years later, has 202k. Just had timing belt and water pump service, as well as new spark plugs. That's it. These vehicles just plain run. The V-6 is a great engine! I have the exact same car in 4 cylinder, and although I love that one too, the V-6 is so much nicer to driver. Smoother, quieter, and a lot more responsive. The V-6 averages about 27 mpg on the highway, and the 4 cylinder version (with 210k miles) averages about 29 mpg on the highway. The V-6 version has bluetooth, but no one can get their phone to connect. The navigation is way out of date, and Honda wants $99 to update, but why when any smart phone works, and we can connect through the 3.5mm jack to play through the car speakers. I have not had to perform any suspension work on either of these cars, the ride straight and smooth. Both have leather and there are no rips or interior damage, so they are holding up very well after 12 years and 200k miles. One of them is starting to show some paint bubbles around the inside of the rear fender, but the other one has been kept in a garage much of it's life and has no visible signs of rust anywhere on the vehicle. I change the oil and filter every 5k using Valvoline high mileage oil, an additive called Restore since both vehicles burn about 1 quart of oil every 3000 miles. I drain and refill the transmission every summer, and I don't abuse on either one when I drive. They last a lot longer that way. The heat and AC work great, especially in the V6 version. All other lights and accessories work as they should. Although the V6 has a faded headlight I will replace before winter. The newer Honda Accord we have is a 2016 with a 4 cylinder and the CVT transmission. It gets 40 mpg on the highway (my record is 45.5 mpg). But I like the gears of the earlier generation models like our 2009's. I would not hesitate to drive any of these vehicles across the country. The 2009 model also has decent storage and split fold down rear seat. I have a trailer hitch on my 4 cylinder and now use it for a bike rack. But originally I towed a 400 lb utility trailer with 2 dirt bikes and our gear when my son and I raced. Averaged 19-20 mpg on the highway going out of state, and car did fine without any strain or swaying. I'm sure the V6 would pull much better, but,,, to put a trailer hitch on it, have to drop the exhaust, and the dual exhaust of a V6 doesn't drop as easily as the single exhaust on 4 cylinder version. Oh, yes, I did go through seat belt / air bag fiasco with Honda years ago. They took care of everything while I sat in waiting room for 45 min. Personally, I think this is one of the nicest looking years, although I will say the ride is a little stiff with the 225/50 series tires. New version has 215/55 for slightly more narrow and taller rubber with less road noise. The V6 is definitely quieter inside in terms of traveling down the highway, but it's not bad. The car has served itself well and looking at others for sale, it's impressive how many are over 300k miles and still asking a decent price. Take care of them and they last a very long time.
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