Car Review - 2001 Bmw 523I Vs Honda Accord Vti-L Features & Specifications

2001 Bmw 523I Vs Honda Accord Vti-L - We know what’s circulating inward your minds: here’s some other crazy check upward betwixt a BMW in addition to a Honda—an uneven match-up, much similar letting Mike Tyson become against Yukozuna. On paper, there’s genuinely cypher the same with the Honda Accord in addition to the BMW 523i: the German linguistic communication is rear-wheel drive, powered past times an inline-6 in addition to costs 3 i yard 1000 bucks. On the other hand, the Accord is the typical exec-sedan of selection offering front-wheel drive, powered past times an inline-4 in addition to priced at one-half of the Bimmer’s listing price.

Oh yes…but in addition to so again, we’re hither to show a point. There’s something to a greater extent than than meets the oculus inward this match-up of sorts. In fact, different the Honda Civic in addition to Subaru Impreza Turbo, which fought for top honors a few months ago—we’d declare a winner here. The argue for is simple: both of these cars are fighting for a infinite inward the executive’s parking lot. Albeit the BMW is to a greater extent than suited to the CEO in addition to the Accord to the junior executive—during the course of report of this test, we’d withdraw all the badges in addition to the glamour.

We strip downwardly both of these cars to what they should stand upward for. Unfazed past times all the hype, we’re testing the truthful value of these 2 Philippine executive sedans, both of which correspond the image at their ain right, the BMW existence the most dynamic German linguistic communication automobile in addition to the Honda existence the best treatment automobile of the east.

We'll show just which automobile is to a greater extent than value in addition to which i is to a greater extent than marketing...

Honda Accord VTi-L

The Honda Accord is cypher to aspect at—it’s a Japanese automobile for Pete’s sake. The nicely chiseled body resembles the previous generation Accord; alone the blueprint has been cleaned upward in addition to evolutionized to reach this novel shape. At some angles, the Accord tin easily live false for its smaller brethren, the Civic in addition to City. Blame the lack of originality of the Honda stylists—but no matter, it looks good, albeit a flake bland. Of course, placing the Accord close the other similar Japanese sedans: Nissan Cefiro, Toyota Camry in addition to the Mitsubishi Galant, the Accord is with the prettiest at that topographic point is, losing alone to the aggressively styled Galant.

This Accord is an all-new unit of measurement that differentiates itself from the former unit of measurement inward many aspects, the biggest of which has to practise with the suspension set-up. The electrical flow Honda Accord uses a double wishbone / multi-link suspension set-up, compared to the front end in addition to parent double wishbone of the Accords of yesteryear. Of course, this novel suspension set-up has produced remarkable improvements to the car’s ride. More than ever, the Accord feels safer since the automobile tends to wobble less in addition to the ride is firmer. It absorbs all sorts of bumps with ease as well—cocooning the driver inward a calm in addition to tranquil environment.

Unfortunately, the buzzy 2.3-liter SOHC VTEC inline-4 unit of measurement mars the peace. Think Honda Civic in addition to enlarge it to a displacement of 2.3-liters—that’s at nowadays the engine dissonance is undifferentiated within the SOHC VTEC engine range. The engine, although quite at idling, tends to hum inward the background at 2000-3000 rpm in addition to grunts when the instant phase VTEC engages at roughly 4000 rpm. Thankfully enough, the scruffiness of the VTEC appointment is followed past times a abrupt serge of mightiness all the agency to its 6500 rpm red-line. In fact, the VTEC unit of measurement is rev-happy, a trait it shares with the to a greater extent than sophisticated BMW inline-6 unit. The mightiness band isn’t that wide, but in i lawsuit you lot discovery the proper gearing in addition to punch the accelerator, the Accord tin live propelled to speeds inward excess of 190 km/h.

Mechanicals, similar the engine is stone solid. Inside in addition to out, the Accord is but bulletproof. At roughly 30,000 kilometers on the odometer, this unit of measurement is nonetheless pretty stone solid with no hints of creaks in addition to squeaks—a triumph for locally assembled cars, which aren’t supposed to terminal long compared to their imported counterparts.

The interior is cleanly designed in addition to ergonomically sound, although the materials could receive got used to a greater extent than class. Everything is within the driver’s accomplish from the ventilation controls…radio controls…everything! It is as if Honda designers persuasion of making the Accord a driver-oriented car. The alone dismaying business office is that the materials used don’t experience similar a i yard 1000 bucks—some are hard plastic, piece the residuum are the same components shared with the outgoing Honda Civic (e.g. switches in addition to stalks). The faux forest cut down in addition to leather seats may receive got added a flake of class, but they just don’t add together upward enough. Interior is airy as good providing ample room for 5 or fifty-fifty vi adults inward an emergency squeeze.

Driving the Accord is similar clockwork. Everything is done with minimal fuse in addition to inspires driver confidence inward the car. The engine, existence gratuitous revving as it is tin live pushed to the absolute limit without making the driver retrieve twice nearly a possible engine blow-up—it just keeps on going in addition to going. Doing jurist to the wonderful VTEC engine is the 5-speed long-throw Honda gearbox, which is slick in addition to precise. The gearing is absolutely fabulous in addition to perfect especially inward highway acceleration. The suspension is as sporty as good giving the automobile a combination of sporty in addition to comfortable ride. It has minimal body whorl during heavy cornering in addition to when you lot practise corner with to a greater extent than G than necessary, the steering provides first-class feedback to brand certain the driver is e'er aware.

The alone problems nearly the Accord’s performance are inward 2 areas, which should non line of piece of job concern the typical automobile buyer. First, the brakes take to a greater extent than forced than necessary to halt this vehicle from high speeds. Unlike the Nissan Cefiro, that provides a improve brake feel, the Honda is numb, but responsive enough. We reckon it’s the error of the poorly sized 195/65 VR15 tires of the car—Honda should receive got bolted on 205/60 VR15 tires. The other miserable expanse of the Accord is that the performance it gives is already 100 percent. However the automobile behaves inward the metropolis area, that’s how it volition live on the highway—no additional surge of mightiness from the VTEC engine. Perhaps it is because of the fact that the Accord is primarily designed as a metropolis tourer rather than a long-distance highway dweller.
Then again…most of its life is indeed spent inward metropolis conditions, in addition to inward this aspect, the Accord just rocks.

BMW 523i

The 523i glared inward the blinding sunlight. This was High Noon in addition to Terminator 2-a shootout with alone i winner. The car's hooded eyes dared us to drive it in addition to declare it anything but the winner.

This is the automobile widely recognized to live the benchmark for midsize sedans. Any automobile that hoped to live the manlike mortal monarch of sedans would receive got to wrest the crown from the 5 series. Would the Honda Accord live a check for the BMW at a tertiary of the price? Would the BMW live able to justify its each of its 3.5 i yard 1000 bucks?

The car’s clarity of operate was straight off apparent as our lensman in addition to I tardily paced roughly it. Clean, conduct lines dominated the styling; everything you lot catch is for i operate only: driving. This taut, sinewy sedan has withstood the examination of time. After all this body has been soldiering on since 1995 in addition to yet, no GS300, E-class, or S-type has looked as hateful in addition to purposeful. What it has over its rivals is an master shape, devoid of pretension in addition to all-too deliberate attempts to aspect cute. The front end with its baleful stare is unfortunately all as good mutual as all BMWs portion that face. What makes this sedan aspect bang-up is the agency the tapering profile flows front end to rear. Even the door handles line upward with the door flexure for an uncluttered look. The integration of parent windshield, body lid in addition to taillights is especially successful (and much copied).

If this wasn’t the ultimate driving machine, it certain looked the part. Could the truth fulfill the promise? We would shortly discovery out.

Sinking into the dark leather of the driver’s seat, nosotros discovery it to live broad in addition to well-bolstered. It’s piece of cake to discovery a topographic point where pedals in addition to steering cycle line upward perfectly. Even the gear stick for the auto is just a hand-drop away. The topographic point adjustment levers, though, border on the clunky, in addition to nosotros would receive got welcomed the Accord’s mightiness driver’s seat, or improve yet, a well-designed manual system.

Twist the primal (yes, it’s nonetheless an actual slice of metal) in addition to the twin cam inline-6 barks to life, in addition to so settles into a silky smoothen purr. The throttle is quite heavy in addition to the go long, different the typical Japanese toe-tap accelerators. This may select some getting used to, but it allows for a to a greater extent than precise adjustment of torque level. The twin-cam 24-valver pumps out 170 bhp in addition to 245 Nm at 3950 rpm.

Pity that our examination automobile came with an auto, but what an auto! The five-speed ZF unit of measurement responds promptly to throttle inputs, speedily downshifting non just i but 2 gears if called for. The 6 cylinder snaps to attending in addition to delivers a surge of torque, propelling the automobile from fourscore to 160 km/h faster than you lot tin state “Williams F1 engine”—almost. The brawny engine is placidity in addition to smoothen all throughout, in addition to the acceleration is effortless. With the Accord, the engine does pound away but starts to strain at roughly 130. What’s more, the BM’s auto tin concur your chosen gear all the agency to the 6500 redline, with the engine’s eager cooperation. Few cars receive got such a happy union of engine in addition to gearbox. On a improve route the sedan would live quite comfortable going at 200 in addition to belike wouldn’t pause a sweat at going roughly 220.

The autobahn specs don’t halt with the engine. The 4-wheel discs, armed with ABS, tin convey the whole political party to a halt to a greater extent than effectively than a camouflaged policeman. As for the chassis, it’s a BMW philosophy that the suspension is e'er faster than the engine. Now this engine is unopen to the bottom rung of the 5 hierarchy but nosotros retrieve it's capable of treatment fifty-fifty the 3.0 V8 with no modifications. This was manifested with the car's demeanour at 160+ km/h. The automobile remained firmly planted, ignoring undulations, ruts in addition to bumps that the North Expressway pitched nether it. Ride is on the theater side, the comfort skillful but non exceptional. It absorbs imperfections but it's nowhere close as soft as say, a Camry. If you’re going to live brought habitation afterward a hernia operation, you'd live improve off riding the Camry.

The car’s steering is an unqualified delight. The dark leather cycle has a meaty rim in addition to perfectly-positioned spokes. On the other halt is a rack-and-pinion organisation that swivels the 225/60R fifteen tires. On oculus answer is sharp, something you lot receive got to sentinel out for when driving at high speeds.

Turn inward is crisp in addition to responsive. On paper, the Accord has the border over the BMW, pitting front end double wishbones to the 523’s McPherson struts. Double wishbones are by in addition to large acknowledged to give improve steering experience in addition to improve ride-handling characteristics. Still, credit must become the engineers from Munich, because the 523 tracks to a greater extent than exactly than its Japanese rival. These guys chose aluminum for most of the suspension components, resulting inward less unsprung weight in addition to therefore a lighter feel.

Being rear-wheel drive, its weight distribution is also closer to the 50%front / 50% parent ideal, piece the Accord’s is closer to 62% / 38%. The parent cycle drive layout also makes certain that the front end wheels don’t succumb to torque steer. With the Accord, there’s just the tiniest sideways tug on the cycle if you lot feed the mightiness as good abruptly; i of the tires loses traction for a split-second. Just to play it safe, BMW has included its Active Stability Control. It compares the intended angle of trajectory, based on the steering angle, to the actual car’s direction; if there’s a discrepancy, the ASC tin cutting mightiness to the drive wheels to assistance the automobile remain on course. A clit on the dash deactivates the ASC in addition to lights upward a yellowish alert triangle below the principal gauges.

The cleft inward the German’s armor is genuinely within its armor—the interior. Except for the principal driving controls (steering wheel, gauges, driver’s seat, pedals, gearstick), the residuum of the interior borders on the awful. First, the layout. Compared to the Accord’s uncluttered, harmonious layout of all controls in addition to switchgear (with the Accord’s many-buttoned Alpine 2-DIN existence the device that’s hard to decipher in addition to operate), the 523i’s controls are surprisingly confusing for such a driver-oriented car. The stereo does receive got a knob for the volume, but the residuum of its controls are similar-sized buttons that you lot won’t receive got a clue as to what they do, unless you lot read the manual. Ditto the ventilation system. The headlamp switch is separated from the foglamp switch, in addition to the doorlock switch is on the oculus console, nowhere close the door. The adventure switch is hardly visible, etc. etc. All counter-intuitive in addition to hard to usage without taking your eyes off the road.

Now that inward itself wouldn’t live so bad, as an possessor would larn used to the switch layout. What is terrible is the agency the interior bits are falling apart afterward alone 4 years. The front end cupholders are inward pieces, in addition to the parent ones aren’t fifty-fifty at that topographic point whatsoever more. Fine, at that topographic point are aircon vents for the parent passengers, but the switch has popped out of its socket. The forest on the dash does aspect elegant, but alone if it would fit properly. Our examination car’s ashtray in addition to trip calculator encompass were badly misaligned.

The tales of woe from the car’s possessor didn’t halt with the interior. He’d already had electrical problems in addition to several instances of overheating. The worst of it is, the entire engine block cracked in addition to had to live replaced. Twice. Third engine block inward 50,000 km is unacceptable for whatsoever car, especially a supposedly bulletproof BMW.

Great expectations of a bang-up car, in addition to the driving experience fulfilled the promise. The 523 is every gram the driver’s automobile it’s reputed to be. Only it was tripped upward past times its miserable fit –and-finish in addition to reliability. Given the half-day that this shootout lasted, the BMW would receive got won easily. But i argue for spending a niggling to a greater extent than on an executive sedan is expecting it to live to a greater extent than reliable in addition to robust than just whatsoever other car. The 523i boasts of first-class mechanicals, but its reliability problems rubbed off as good much of its luster. The Accord’s appeal is to a greater extent than subtle, but its first-class value in addition to durability shines through each 24-hour interval that you lot drive it. For this reason, the Accord emerged as our exec-sedan champion.