|
|
|
|
 |
ACCORDLOVER
 |
|
I have about 25K miles on my RL and well the tranny went today on my way home from work. I was in 5th gear and it just slipped. I was using the paddles.
Now my question is this, should I sell this POS once it fixed by the dealer, or just keep it? I mean I am getting the S63 next year and I could just drive my E until then which is not a problem at all.
One would think that the transmission issues would be fixed but I guess once again Honda has failed in their quest to make a rock solid drivetrain. When I went to the dealer on the tow truck he was shocked to see that the tranny had blown. Hell I think every mechanic there was in shock.
I have little to no faith in Honda's ability to create a transmission. Perhaps they should enlist the companies such as GM, Mercedes, Toyota, or anyone for that matter. I am very frustrated and very upset.
|
BOOMER
|
|
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
I have about 25K miles on my RL and well the tranny went today on my way home from work. I was in 5th gear and it just slipped. I was using the paddles.
Now my question is this, should I sell this POS once it fixed by the dealer, or just keep it? I mean I am getting the S63 next year and I could just drive my E until then which is not a problem at all.
One would think that the transmission issues would be fixed but I guess once again Honda has failed in their quest to make a rock solid drivetrain. When I went to the dealer on the tow truck he was shocked to see that the tranny had blown. Hell I think every mechanic there was in shock.
I have little to no faith in Honda's ability to create a transmission. Perhaps they should enlist the companies such as GM, Mercedes, Toyota, or anyone for that matter. I am very frustrated and very upset.
|
I'm really sorry to hear your transmission failed. 25,000 miles from their top model is discouraging, but I would give the car another chance if I were you. However, I understand your frustration because I'm experiencing a slight amount of slippage between gears on my 04 TL in Sportshift mode, nothing serious, but it worries me a little. I have decided its a bad idea to downshift the 5AT into 2nd gear, I have shift shock unless I'm under 15 mph w/the brake on. I don't think AH has solved the automanual feature yet, and 2nd gear is vulnerable, as the recall pointed out.
It may be significant that you were using the Sportshift when it failed. I think AH needs to provide a throttle increase before downshifting, like the Infinitis have currently. They need to address this now, not in the next model change. A running change needs to be made or we may see more of these failures.
|
SIVELOZ
|
|
|
Are sportshift or semi-automatic transmissions the most susceptible to pre-mature failure? Seems like Honda can't get this type of transmission to work....... from Pilot, TSX, TL to RL.... all are at risk?
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
Two weeks for a new transmission to come in is what I was told while at the dealer. He also said that AHM was likely to investigate the cause of the failure since this might very well be the first RL to have transmission slippage. I did not redline the car at all today and havent done so in the last few weeks. Only redlined about 2 times after the engine was broken into by the wife as I was driving the E55 at first when I bought this car.
Perhaps some better engineering will come as a result, but who knows. No more first year models from Honda/Acura again as it has become evident that making reliable cars has come at a steep price. It seems as though their main priority is making money, cutting costs, and sharing platforms between the two companies. Its about bloody time they got their act together or sales are going to plummet rapidly.
I am just thankful that I have one hell of a service department that really takes care of its customers. The general manager of the dealership along with the sales manager gave me an RL as a loaner and I could not be more pleased, however, I will not drive it since I can drive the E350 or E55 a bit more now lol.
I will keep you all updated on the cause of the failure moday. Service manager put the shop foreman on my car today and said they will try to have an answer by Monday at the latest.
|
JeffX
|
|
BOOMER wrote:
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
I have about 25K miles on my RL and well the tranny went today on my way home from work. I was in 5th gear and it just slipped. I was using the paddles.
Now my question is this, should I sell this POS once it fixed by the dealer, or just keep it? I mean I am getting the S63 next year and I could just drive my E until then which is not a problem at all.
One would think that the transmission issues would be fixed but I guess once again Honda has failed in their quest to make a rock solid drivetrain. When I went to the dealer on the tow truck he was shocked to see that the tranny had blown. Hell I think every mechanic there was in shock.
I have little to no faith in Honda's ability to create a transmission. Perhaps they should enlist the companies such as GM, Mercedes, Toyota, or anyone for that matter. I am very frustrated and very upset.
|
I'm really sorry to hear your transmission failed. 25,000 miles from their top model is discouraging, but I would give the car another chance if I were you. However, I understand your frustration because I'm experiencing a slight amount of slippage between gears on my 04 TL in Sportshift mode, nothing serious, but it worries me a little. I have decided its a bad idea to downshift the 5AT into 2nd gear, I have shift shock unless I'm under 15 mph w/the brake on. I don't think AH has solved the automanual feature yet, and 2nd gear is vulnerable, as the recall pointed out.
It may be significant that you were using the Sportshift when it failed. I think AH needs to provide a throttle increase before downshifting, like the Infinitis have currently. They need to address this now, not in the next model change. A running change needs to be made or we may see more of these failures.
|
Actually I noticed that the RL's tranny does do rev matching on downshifts if you are at a completely lift throttle, non braking situation. It's not quick enough if you're on the brakes, and it seems to do nothing if you're already toeing the throttle slightly. I found that it's most noticeable if you're coming down from 2nd to 1st gear, so you have to be going pretty slow in the first place. The '05 RL's biggest liability in my opinion is that damned automatic tranny, and I'm not even thinking about potential failures.
|
Kratas101
|
|
|
Sorry to hear about your RL. For that kind of money I would also expect super-solid reliability. I've had 4 trannies on my 02 Accord 4cyl so my faith in honda transmissions have hit rock bottom. It's sad though because i like everything about Honda's features and styling, I just wish they could build a solid transmission. It's funny, we also have a perfect 99 V6 Accord and aren't V6s the ones that are supposed to have tranny probs? :(
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
Kratas101 wrote:
Sorry to hear about your RL. For that kind of money I would also expect super-solid reliability. I've had 4 trannies on my 02 Accord 4cyl so my faith in honda transmissions have hit rock bottom. It's sad though because i like everything about Honda's features and styling, I just wish they could build a solid transmission. It's funny, we also have a perfect 99 V6 Accord and aren't V6s the ones that are supposed to have tranny probs? :(
|
Not exactly. My nephews 2001 Accord EX (4 banger) had the transmission replaced at 32K miles. He sold the car in 2003 and bought a 2003 EX-V6 with navi, and that transmission went out too. Honda really needs better transmission engineering or they will get trampeled by Nissan/Infiniti and Toyota/Lexus.
I have decided to sell the car and not worry about taking such a large hit on the value of the car. I rather my wife and babies be safe than riding around in a POS. Luckily her ML500 should be here next week so she wont need to take the 750li out as much now.
|
Kratas101
|
|
|
Ah, I see. I guess I've been somewhat lucky so far since none of my transmissions have ever blown out on me, but they make funny noises or jerk a little, so Honda tells me I need a new transmission and I get them replaced. Have fun with the ML500!
|
jchau4265
|
|
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
Two weeks for a new transmission to come in is what I was told while at the dealer. He also said that AHM was likely to investigate the cause of the failure since this might very well be the first RL to have transmission slippage. I did not redline the car at all today and havent done so in the last few weeks. Only redlined about 2 times after the engine was broken into by the wife as I was driving the E55 at first when I bought this car.
Perhaps some better engineering will come as a result, but who knows. No more first year models from Honda/Acura again as it has become evident that making reliable cars has come at a steep price. It seems as though their main priority is making money, cutting costs, and sharing platforms between the two companies. Its about bloody time they got their act together or sales are going to plummet rapidly.
I am just thankful that I have one hell of a service department that really takes care of its customers. The general manager of the dealership along with the sales manager gave me an RL as a loaner and I could not be more pleased, however, I will not drive it since I can drive the E350 or E55 a bit more now lol.
I will keep you all updated on the cause of the failure moday. Service manager put the shop foreman on my car today and said they will try to have an answer by Monday at the latest.
|
I'm sorry to hear that your RL's tranny is having problem. I work with a lot of Honda folks and that's the first time this has been reported. I had driven one since they were released and it has been great.
I cannot say the same for my W211 E500. As for the reliability of the MB W211 chassis, those cars are so bug ridden. See the posting on another forum regarding tranny failure on a brandnew E350.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1216593&posts=1&fid=18
In fact, I have seen friends with MBs with their COMAND lock up, SBC system failures and now tranny problems. My E500 drive-by wire brakes failed the first month of ownership. Almost got my whole family killed in that car. My 05 SLK350 blew a hose and had an ESP malfunction even before the ODO hit the 1000 mile mark. Despite with the problems I have with my MBs, the stealership that services my cars continues to be so arrogant. Even the folks at Montvale (MBUSA) are equally arrogant. The quality of MBs have gone down the tube. Good luck with your E350, E55 and the upcoming ML500.
While my MBs reliability have been questionable, my Hondas and Acura have been rock solid. As for your RL, I trust your tranny issue is an isolated one and the your dealer will resolve to your satisfaction.
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
jchau4265 wrote:
I'm sorry to hear that your RL's tranny is having problem. I work with a lot of Honda folks and that's the first time this has been reported. I had driven one since they were released and it has been great.
I cannot say the same for my W211 E500. As for the reliability of the MB W211 chassis, those cars are so bug ridden. See the posting on another forum regarding tranny failure on a brandnew E350.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1216593&posts=1&fid=18
In fact, I have seen friends with MBs with their COMAND lock up, SBC system failures and now tranny problems. My E500 drive-by wire brakes failed the first month of ownership. Almost got my whole family killed in that car. My 05 SLK350 blew a hose and had an ESP malfunction even before the ODO hit the 1000 mile mark. Despite with the problems I have with my MBs, the stealership that services my cars continues to be so arrogant. Even the folks at Montvale (MBUSA) are equally arrogant. The quality of MBs have gone down the tube. Good luck with your E350, E55 and the upcoming ML500.
While my MBs reliability have been questionable, my Hondas and Acura have been rock solid. As for your RL, I trust your tranny issue is an isolated one and the your dealer will resolve to your satisfaction.
|
Hey, what year is your E500. My E350 and E55 have been trouble free and I can really tell the difference between the build quality on the two. The SBC brakes on my E55 are much much better now after the SBC upgrade and draining of brake fluid. I did have the audio gateway replaced on the E55 but it was a very simple fix.
Early build E's had a lot of problems but the newer 2006 ones honestly seem to be built better with very few bugs in them. My 2003 E55 (one of the first few built) had a lot of problem with the audio gateway, Keyless GO, Pano roof sqeak, and supercharger pulley problems. Just one of the many reasons I had traded it in for the 2004, and since then it has been great.
Who is your dealer BTW? The new 7 speed is a beauty and the car shifts so smoothly. I will say that my dealer is really top notch and takes every complaint and problem with the highest level of quality and professionalism over at BMW, Mercedes, and Acura. I think you have a really crappy MB stealership near you and it may be time to find a new one.
Indeed, my last 3 Honda/Acura products have been horrendous. 2003 Accord EX, 2004 Acura TL, and now 2005 Acura RL. I think someone would have to pay me a million dollars at this point to buy another Honda/Acura product.
Im just looking forward to getting the S63 next year lol. Still hoping that twin-turbo version is in the works. How about that new S500 with 388hp and 383ft/lb of torque.
|
FMKorg
|
|
|
Just out of curiosity how would you compare the RL to your MBs and Bmw. Is it comparable to those makes. Is it in the same league. What were the pros and cons when comparing it to the E class.
|
jchau4265
|
|
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
Hey, what year is your E500. My E350 and E55 have been trouble free and I can really tell the difference between the build quality on the two. The SBC brakes on my E55 are much much better now after the SBC upgrade and draining of brake fluid. I did have the audio gateway replaced on the E55 but it was a very simple fix.
Early build E's had a lot of problems but the newer 2006 ones honestly seem to be built better with very few bugs in them. My 2003 E55 (one of the first few built) had a lot of problem with the audio gateway, Keyless GO, Pano roof sqeak, and supercharger pulley problems. Just one of the many reasons I had traded it in for the 2004, and since then it has been great.
Who is your dealer BTW? The new 7 speed is a beauty and the car shifts so smoothly. I will say that my dealer is really top notch and takes every complaint and problem with the highest level of quality and professionalism over at BMW, Mercedes, and Acura. I think you have a really crappy MB stealership near you and it may be time to find a new one.
Indeed, my last 3 Honda/Acura products have been horrendous. 2003 Accord EX, 2004 Acura TL, and now 2005 Acura RL. I think someone would have to pay me a million dollars at this point to buy another Honda/Acura product.
Im just looking forward to getting the S63 next year lol. Still hoping that twin-turbo version is in the works. How about that new S500 with 388hp and 383ft/lb of torque.
|
First, let me apologize to other HONDA luvers for turning this thread into a MB discussion.
I am glad that you are having good experience with your W211s. What I am saying that is that experience is not universal. My W211 is July built 2004 which in some ways late model year and is almost a 2005. Got it as 2004 model year so that I could still have the so call 'free maintenance' program. My, for a $70+K car, it is a piece of crap. OK, that comment could be too strong but definitely over rated. I thought this experience was an anomaly but when I decided to shop for my (wife's term of mid-life crisis toy) hard-top convertible, decided to give MB another shot. Big mistake, my SLK has spent more time in the shop than my own garage. The car has slightly over 2000 miles of which, almost 1000 miles was for driving it to the stinking stealership at FJ in Newport Beach (now you know which arrogant stealership).
I have friends with their 211s which similar problems. In fact, one of my buddies just got a spanking new CLS55 AMG. Guess what, 400 miles and needed a tranny replacement. Therefore, I was not at least surprise when I saw the comment about tranny failure for an 06 E350 (which I posted earlier)
I have had a lot of luck and consistent reliability with my Acuras and Hondas. Not completely trouble free but consistently reliable. To give you a perspective, since I am so 'anal' when it comes to maintenance with my cars, I keep a log for all activities; service records, accessory purchases, anything done for the car; and all these are kept in binders. Therefore I have a binder for each and every car I purchased. Use these info for my overall TCO computation for each of my cars.
My typical Acura and Honda binder is less than .5". This is the same for my '03 Ody, '02 Accord, '05 RL, '99 Civic and many of my other Hondas and Acuras that I had before and sold.
I cannot say this for my MBs or the Bimmers that I have. My E500 is already 2" thick (and I have just 1 year of ownership), SLK is getting there.
Long story short, base upon my experience, I have much better faith with Honda and Acura than my glorified German name brands.
Again, good luck and like I mention earlier, I sincerely believe your Acura dealer will resolve this for you.
|
TonyEX
|
|
Wow... you sure run into a lot of Honda car problems.. I have never heard yet of an 4cyl transmission failure, only the 6 banger autos.
BTW, I have to echo others on this thread... the MBs have a lot of problems. My tax guy got rid of his S and E before they went out of warranty because they were falling apart. The cars were just two years old ( '02 vintage ).
Somehow, I wonder, though, a bit about your posts.... why would you have ever bothered with an Accord if you have those other cars?
BTW: I've never heard of a 750li.... I thought those old cars were called 750iL.
ACCORDLOVER wrote:..
Not exactly. My nephews 2001 Accord EX (4 banger) had the transmission replaced at 32K miles. He sold the car in 2003 and bought a 2003 EX-V6 with navi, and that transmission went out too. Honda really needs better transmission engineering or they will get trampeled by Nissan/Infiniti and Toyota/Lexus.
I have decided to sell the car and not worry about taking such a large hit on the value of the car. I rather my wife and babies be safe than riding around in a POS. Luckily her ML500 should be here next week so she wont need to take the 750li out as much now.
|
|
CivicB18
|
|
I have to agree with TonyE on this, you sure do have a slew of cars. Plus you buy the high end stuff, E55 and 7 series. Why would you have a Accord, or any Honda/Acura?
My neighbor 2 doors down has a late 90's E320, and its always parked. One day I asked her why she didnt drive it often and she said " its about ready for the tune-up, the less I drive it the more time I have before I have to take it to the dealer". She drives a Chrylser Concorde everyday and she stated that it was more reliable than the Benz. I know the car has electricl gremlins because the right side parking lights stay illuminated some nights, all night. This isnt the first Benz I see do that either.
Yes I like Mercedes cars, well their designs, but I would never have one in my garage. But any car can malfunction weither it be a Honda or Benz. Nothing is perfect. Im sticking with my Honda/Acura vehicles.
Patrick
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
I had the Accord, TL, and RL to drive around town within southern california, nothing more than that and they made some great cars. But, I like many others have noticed that Honda/Acura has really began to fall apart in the quality control department.
The parking lights you see on the Mercedes are unique, you have the option to turn on either the left or right side parking lights depending on how you are parked on the street. If you park on the left, turn the left side parking lights on to make the car more visible at night, and the surprising thing is that this doesnt drain the batteries much.
Per your last comment, To each his own,Patrick. For me Honda use to make a great car and well these days they just have not been cutting it.
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
TonyE wrote:
Wow... you sure run into a lot of Honda car problems.. I have never heard yet of an 4cyl transmission failure, only the 6 banger autos.
BTW, I have to echo others on this thread... the MBs have a lot of problems. My tax guy got rid of his S and E before they went out of warranty because they were falling apart. The cars were just two years old ( '02 vintage ).
Somehow, I wonder, though, a bit about your posts.... why would you have ever bothered with an Accord if you have those other cars?
BTW: I've never heard of a 750li.... I thought those old cars were called 750iL.
ACCORDLOVER wrote:..
Not exactly. My nephews 2001 Accord EX (4 banger) had the transmission replaced at 32K miles. He sold the car in 2003 and bought a 2003 EX-V6 with navi, and that transmission went out too. Honda really needs better transmission engineering or they will get trampeled by Nissan/Infiniti and Toyota/Lexus.
I have decided to sell the car and not worry about taking such a large hit on the value of the car. I rather my wife and babies be safe than riding around in a POS. Luckily her ML500 should be here next week so she wont need to take the 750li out as much now.
|
|
Tony, the 4 cylinder issue could have been just his car but I am not that very well suprised it failed.
I chose the Accord since that was the first car I had purhcased with my own money back in the early 90's and really loved its reliability, looks, features, and form for the price point it was at. Later on for me the Accord really became a great car to drive around town and that was one of the many reasons I loved the 6th generation, and the 7th generation. HOwever, with the 7th generation, I could tell that the build quality was not up to par of that the 6th generation. Just one the many reasons I decided to move up and get the TL when it first came out in 04. I really fell in love with the new RL for its looks, features, and options. It made a great car, and I got rid of the TL.
BMW increased the size of the engine for 2005 on its base 7 series engines in the US to a new 4.8litre, fixed iDrive issues, chaged the rear taillights, front bumper, fascia, and a few other things. For me it was a worthwhile upgrade from the 745li since I did not take that large of a hit on it at all. I thought it would have been worse.
From now its looking like a isolated incident on the transmission from what the dealer said this morning preliminarily.
|
CivicB18
|
|
Im not saying that Honda/Acura vehicles are perfect, Im just saying that there still more reliable than most makes including Mercedes. Merecedes themselves know their cars quality went down the tubes to the point where the last ML class was quite embarassing. But at least there making an effort at increasing thier quality standards. Im not saying Mercedes is a bad car but I dont see the point in paying all that $$ for a car when quality is below the domestic brands. Why do you think Lexus excelled so much in the US?
Yes Honda/Acura seems to have a bit of trouble lately compared to older Hondas but Im not worried. Our new Odyssey has been flawless for 10k and my CL-S (which Im selling here in about a month) has had NO PROBLEMS (32k) other than a creaky sunroof which was fixed. Other than that nothing.
The S2000 we just purchased not to long ago hasnt given us any trouble and my 1995 B18C1 powered (now idividual throttled hehehe talk about mid range torque, I gained nearly 30lb ft adding the throttles and Autronic) Civic sedan (w/ over 220k on chassis, 225k on motor) has given me few problems, I had to replace a wheel sensor for the ABS. But with that many miles and the "abuse" (track time) it sees its not much. But everyone can improve on their quality, some need to more than others.
In my opinion Mercedes and BMW are just image cars, well their viewed that way here. There are better cars out there that are built just as well or better and have better reliability. But I have to admit I have a thing for a last gen 740iL with the sport pkg and M wheels, it just looks so damn good!
My father has a 2004 Lexus LS430, he travels A LOT, it already has nearly 70k on it. He hasnt had 1 problem, not 1 issue with the car. The paint is flawless, the interior doesnt have a defect or quality issue anywhere. This is probably one of the best built cars anywhere on the planet. Yes its better than the S, the 7, and the A8 in that area. I dont know how Lexus does it but their quality control is on point.
I have to say Im slightly dissapointed in Honda for letting the tranny issue go on for what.....5 years or more. But it was/is a small percentage of all cars sold. Nobodys perfect!
Patrick
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
Patrick, again its all about opinions. In my opinion the LS is a blatant rip off of the S class, and many others will agree with me. As nice of a vechile it may be, its not a drivers car and I am sure that most people will agree with me, nor does it have any awe inspiring deisgns or features on it.
Just wait till the new S is released, no more electronic brakes thank god. It will most surely set the benchmark in deisgn, perforamce, comfort, and features. But then again, that is just my opinion.
|
iivtecracerii
|
|
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
Patrick, again its all about opinions. In my opinion the LS is a blatant rip off of the S class, and many others will agree with me. As nice of a vechile it may be, its not a drivers car and I am sure that most people will agree with me, nor does it have any awe inspiring deisgns or features on it.
Just wait till the new S is released, no more electronic brakes thank god. It will most surely set the benchmark in deisgn, perforamce, comfort, and features. But then again, that is just my opinion.
|
it does have at least one awe inspiring feature that i know of. the LS430 (post MMC) has some of the nicest HID projectors ever. superrrr wideeee beam that can light up like all the lanes on a 6 lane highway. :-D
|
CivicB18
|
|
I can say the LS resembles the S in some ways, but its all Lexus. No its not a drivers car but neither is the S, although the S is better suited. If you want a drivers car in this segment you would go buy a 7 series. And with the LS you get a lot more for a lot less that the base price of the S.
The new S may be better than the current, but the new LS will offer things the S wont. The hybrid LS version will have the fuel economy of a V6 while giving V12 performance. And of course it will be more driver oriented. It will be even better made ( I dont know how they will do that), and have more features. To me the LS is the "smarter" buy.
It seems like Mercedes and BMW just apply some sort of electronic gizmo just to say " I have this". Yes Ive heard some eerie stories on Mercedes electronic brakes, and how the electronic steering on some BMW models took away a bunch of steering feel. Probably why they dont add it standard and to the M models. And although the S is a nice looking car its not a leader in its design, that would go to Audi.
The A8 is the best looking full size luxury car hands down. Its almost stunning in person, especially in black with those pie plate looking wheels. But again another German car company with horrbile reliability. But as my father says "just because it looks good doesnt mean it is good".
My 2 bosses both have German cars. One has a newer 530i and the other has a newer C-class Kompressor sedan. Both are attractive vehicles but I ask myself why spend so much money on vehicles that arent reliable? Both cars have had enough issues.
The BMW (as Ive mentioned before on here) is at least in the shop once a month for something. Sometimes he gets a loaner vehicle and sometimes he gets dropped of by the Honda Odyssey Touring Cusotmer Shuttle. The BMW dealer is also owned by the same guy who owns the Honda and VW dealer (Don Jacobs BMW/Honda/VW).
The Benz had its 1st issue (Ive seen) Friday after work because something keeps draining the battery and the white and blue ML320 Roadside Assistance vehicle was there giving him a jump. I guess that being PROPELLED by the 3 POINTED STAR isnt always the best way to travel. I had to say that..
Patrick
|
greenie
|
|
|
The most common problem amongst Honda products is tranny failure. They have a patent on a particular part of the tranny and it is different than most others. Ya think they might "give it up" after all of these failures? Saying that, Id probably still have Honda replace the tranny and hopefully. you wont have to look back!! Good luck!
|
ACCORDLOVER
|
|
CivicB18 wrote:
I can say the LS resembles the S in some ways, but its all Lexus. No its not a drivers car but neither is the S, although the S is better suited. If you want a drivers car in this segment you would go buy a 7 series. And with the LS you get a lot more for a lot less that the base price of the S.
The new S may be better than the current, but the new LS will offer things the S wont. The hybrid LS version will have the fuel economy of a V6 while giving V12 performance. And of course it will be more driver oriented. It will be even better made ( I dont know how they will do that), and have more features. To me the LS is the "smarter" buy.
It seems like Mercedes and BMW just apply some sort of electronic gizmo just to say " I have this". Yes Ive heard some eerie stories on Mercedes electronic brakes, and how the electronic steering on some BMW models took away a bunch of steering feel. Probably why they dont add it standard and to the M models. And although the S is a nice looking car its not a leader in its design, that would go to Audi.
The A8 is the best looking full size luxury car hands down. Its almost stunning in person, especially in black with those pie plate looking wheels. But again another German car company with horrbile reliability. But as my father says "just because it looks good doesnt mean it is good".
My 2 bosses both have German cars. One has a newer 530i and the other has a newer C-class Kompressor sedan. Both are attractive vehicles but I ask myself why spend so much money on vehicles that arent reliable? Both cars have had enough issues.
The BMW (as Ive mentioned before on here) is at least in the shop once a month for something. Sometimes he gets a loaner vehicle and sometimes he gets dropped of by the Honda Odyssey Touring Cusotmer Shuttle. The BMW dealer is also owned by the same guy who owns the Honda and VW dealer (Don Jacobs BMW/Honda/VW).
The Benz had its 1st issue (Ive seen) Friday after work because something keeps draining the battery and the white and blue ML320 Roadside Assistance vehicle was there giving him a jump. I guess that being PROPELLED by the 3 POINTED STAR isnt always the best way to travel. I had to say that..
Patrick
|
I will admit that the old ML was a true POS and it did not deserve the 3 pointed star on it.
Mercedes new 4 valve engines on the C class are looking very promising for the market they are going after and should offer the new 3 series some stiff competetion after the C is redesinged next year.
The 5 series is a true POS with a pure plastic interior, nothing fantastic about it at all. Even the Hyundai Sonata has finer interior materials in it. Bangle needs to be fired period.
|
TonyEX
|
|
I believe you're thinking about the AT that HMC used to use up to the early 90s. It was more like an auto manual than an auto with a torque converter. Although efficient and light the "cushy" folks complained of harsh shits.
I don't think AHM has used that transmission type since the 93 Accord (and Vigor/Legend).
greenie wrote:
The most common problem amongst Honda products is tranny failure. They have a patent on a particular part of the tranny and it is different than most others. Ya think they might "give it up" after all of these failures? Saying that, Id probably still have Honda replace the tranny and hopefully. you wont have to look back!! Good luck!
|
|
Mike B
|
|
ACCORDLOVER wrote:
I had the Accord, TL, and RL to drive around town within southern california, nothing more than that and they made some great cars. But, I like many others have noticed that Honda/Acura has really began to fall apart in the quality control department.
The parking lights you see on the Mercedes are unique, you have the option to turn on either the left or right side parking lights depending on how you are parked on the street. If you park on the left, turn the left side parking lights on to make the car more visible at night, and the surprising thing is that this doesnt drain the batteries much.
Per your last comment, To each his own,Patrick. For me Honda use to make a great car and well these days they just have not been cutting it.
|
My Porsche has the "unique" parking lights, it is not uncommon in cars from Germany (sold there) as they park on the street a lot, the streets are narrow and they get lots of rain and fog.
As to the RL being a POS, it sounds like you are just a Benz guy? They make some great cars, very popualr as taxis in Germany :-) Although the Benz reliabilty is very very bad as shown by JD Power reports, owner forums and slow sales. I looked at one before I bought my RL (BMW's too) but went with the RL. Happy so far, and it makes my German cars (Porsche, M3) jealous so they run better :-)
|
hondamore
|
|
|
I must agree. Before you brand the RL a POS, please consider that you are the only person that I have heard of having a problem with the RL's transmission. This raises the possibility that your particular driving habits may have contributed to the issues that you are facing. The fact that you were using (or abusing) the transmission with the paddle shifters when the problem occurred lend credence to this theory. I am not saying that the RL's paddle shifters shouldn't be used for spirited driving, but, just as redlining an engine and popping the clutch will have negative effects on a manual transmission, downshifting too aggressively with the paddle shifters of the RL may be damaging to the transmission. Myself and every one of my fellow RL owners has "played" with the paddle shifters and found them to be a blast, but we all realize that there is a learning curve in using them properly and that some practice is needed to master their use. I just ask that you acknowledge that, with no other RL owners reporting transmission problems, that your driving may have caused or contributed to this problem. I would also ask that you reserve the term "POS" for the next time your Mercedes is in the shop with electrical gremlins.
|
evanskhan
|
|
I must agree. Before you brand the RL a POS, please consider that you are the only person that I have heard of having a problem with the RL's transmission. This raises the possibility that your particular driving habits may have contributed to the issues that you are facing. The fact that you were using (or abusing) the transmission with the paddle shifters when the problem occurred lend credence to this theory.
are you a mechanic, cause you sound like one? accusing someones driving style as the cause of failure is a cope out to the n-th degree. as someone who drives aggressively, redline and all on a 90 accord knows that the owner should demand better of honda. further more, the honda 5spd transmission has known issues. the other flaw in your argument is that he is "the only person that I have heard of having a problem with the RL's" - haha. new car, tons of shared parts including the tranny (again, a known issue).
|
AccordinglyJay
|
|
|
FYI - there's an article on the front of the Wall St. Journal's MarketPlace section today about the new Benz S-class. The subtitle tells it all...mentions the lagging quality issue. Also uncovers an interesting diff between Benz and Bimmer that has led to more profitability/flexibility for Bimmer (potentially at the cost of some quality): Benz's S-class assembly line is only set up for that car. Bimmer can switch to production of other models as the market dictates. Interestingly, Benz thought they could get better quality out of their stodgy approach, but we all know that didn't happen with the last generation. They hope to better integrate technology, in particular, this time around without the problems of the past. A lot on the line for them with this new S-class...
|
KenB
|
|
TonyE wrote:
I believe you're thinking about the AT that HMC used to use up to the early 90s. It was more like an auto manual than an auto with a torque converter. Although efficient and light the "cushy" folks complained of harsh shits.
I don't think AHM has used that transmission type since the 93 Accord (and Vigor/Legend).
greenie wrote:
The most common problem amongst Honda products is tranny failure. They have a patent on a particular part of the tranny and it is different than most others. Ya think they might "give it up" after all of these failures? Saying that, Id probably still have Honda replace the tranny and hopefully. you wont have to look back!! Good luck!
|
|
Agreed Tony, there is a dramatic difference in Automatic Transmissions in say the Legend vs the 1st gen TL and RL, or in Accords and Civics. The older transmissions were "rough" shifting (I prefer the term firm) but they shifted quickly!
|
JeffX
|
|
KenB wrote:
TonyE wrote:
I believe you're thinking about the AT that HMC used to use up to the early 90s. It was more like an auto manual than an auto with a torque converter. Although efficient and light the "cushy" folks complained of harsh shits.
I don't think AHM has used that transmission type since the 93 Accord (and Vigor/Legend).
greenie wrote:
The most common problem amongst Honda products is tranny failure. They have a patent on a particular part of the tranny and it is different than most others. Ya think they might "give it up" after all of these failures? Saying that, Id probably still have Honda replace the tranny and hopefully. you wont have to look back!! Good luck!
|
|
Agreed Tony, there is a dramatic difference in Automatic Transmissions in say the Legend vs the 1st gen TL and RL, or in Accords and Civics. The older transmissions were "rough" shifting (I prefer the term firm) but they shifted quickly!
|
I actually liked the feel of those trannies. The one on my mother's '86 2.5L legend would lay rubber pretty consistently on the 1-2 shift if you stayed on the throttle hard. That car was pretty quick for its time, particularly once underway. Off the line the torque was a little light, but man, in the midrange and top end that car could really scoot. Much better than the 151hp rating would suggest. By the time she got an '89 Legend LS (with the 2.7), the tranny had been "cured" of that issue, but it felt too slushy to me, and in general the whole car was "cushed out" too much for my liking. It felt like it gained 250lbs. I don't know what the actual weight figures were, but it sure felt that way. It had lost some of the feistiness of her '86.
|
cobalt
|
|
Jeff wrote:
I actually liked the feel of those trannies. The one on my mother's '86 2.5L legend would lay rubber pretty consistently on the 1-2 shift if you stayed on the throttle hard. That car was pretty quick for its time, particularly once underway. |
My father had an '87 Legend, with (I believe) the same automatic transmission as the '86 you're referring to. You're right -- it was an awful lot of fun to go about a dozen MPH, go WOT and get a good downshift into first, have that thing kick you back into your seat and take off. What a rush! Today I'd probably find the shifts too harsh, but man were they fun at the time....
|
|
|
| |
|
| Thread Page - [1] 2 3 |
| |
|
![[home]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/home.gif){kind=small}
![[rumors and news]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/rumors.gif){kind=small}
![[model release matrix]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/newmodelreleasematrix.gif){kind=small}
![[dealer network]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/dealernet.gif){kind=small}
![[desktop calendar]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/calendar.gif){kind=small}
![[exhaust notes]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/exhaust.gif){kind=small}
![[tov forums]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/forums.gif){kind=small}
![[links]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/links.gif){kind=small}
![[search]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/search.gif){kind=small}
![[sponsors]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/sponsors.gif){kind=small}
![[garage]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/garage.gif){kind=small}
![[login]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/login.gif){kind=small}
