freddofrog said:
LOL definitely not a freddofrog effect
You're actually showing your limited knowledge of the LCA on the front on the 7th and 8th gens.
7th gen
8th gen
sixth gen
It''s all very well
trying to generally espouse the virtues of double wishbones, but if the engineering is poor, then the end user finds maintenance and setup very frustrating ....which it
is on the 7th and 8th gens.
On 7th/8th gens the LCA is one-piece, and, the front bush is upside down, so if you drive along too many undulating roads the bush tears apart.
It's most probably an idea that Honda copied from Hyundai I think, it's just another Honda "off-the-shelf" or "copy from somewhere" idea -->
http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/23260-so-how-much-of-your-accord-is-an-off-the-shelf-design/
The myth about Honda was one of the reasons why I bought my Accord in 2006, only to discover that the dealers are a rip-off and so I had to learn all about the car so as not keep being ripped off. If the Honda brand was that good, that shouldn't have happened. The myth is based on JD Power surveys, which looks at the first 3 years. After that, and definitely after 6 years, Honda's start to fall to bits unless you resort to DIY. I'll never buy a Honda again, but I will support all the poor beggers that have bought an Accord and are finding that they need to go up the learning curve just like I did. On that basis, I should have bought a Legacy wagon instead of a mid-00's Accord Tourer
But that is the very point that some of us are making, struts work fine in a harsh environment, they're easier to replace and set up ...
QED
edit: as well as WRC, Honda haven't exactly shone in WTCC either -->
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Touring_Car_Championship#Champions
As for F1, I don't remember a Honda chassis plus Honda engine ever winning the championship in one year. Indeed, unless you count the chassis in the year that JB won in the Brawn, no Honda chassis ever won, but it was powered my a Merc engine (and it is said that they wouldn't have won with a Honda engine).
Well that's part of the myth of branding isn't it ?
I've never considered Ford because of all the anti-Ford sentiment that exists in the UK, Ford seems to be like Marmite ....but next time I will consider them
this applies to struts too
If it's like the Accord, they possibly used trailing arm on the rear on the estate ?
I'd consider a Legacy next myself, or a Ford, anything that still works properly after 6 years
Freddo you sound bitter
and I probably sounding like a bit of a blind fanboy which is annoying you.
I know what the Accord suspensions look like, I have one, I didn't say they weren't complicated, just that they aren't any more complicated than a lot of other suspension setups out there. The cut out diagrams make it look mind boggling, most small parts are just bushes, but to me its no more complex than putting a large wardrobe together lol but I can accept to some others it will be complicated and annoying, if that is the case then you bought the wrong make of car, something more basic and unsophisticated like a Vauxhall would be a better choice.
Honda haven't copied anything from Hyundai lol, its the other way round, I have worked on Hyundai/Kias their engineering is copy of Japanese cars. Honda's double wishbone is inhouse engineering, it's somethig their engineers developed, if you knew a little about Honda and what they are about you would understand this. Their suspensions are all made by Showa, and they are not off the shelf products, they are made by Showa a third party company, but that isn't an 'off the shelf' part.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your Honda, but one experience doesn't negate the reputation of the whole brand, it's a bit irrational to judge something in such manner, almost rmeinds me of my dad who has a bad view of Toyota's because he had a bad experience with a Camry many moons ago before he started buying Honda's.
As for struts, they can work in different environments, including on the road, thats not in question, BMW, Porsche use mcpherson struts in their sports car, you can tune them to good setting, but you have to add to them which also starts making them complicated...Double wishbones are inherently better for performance hence their application in many high end cars and use in motorsports.
Struts being used in rallying isn't a good example for an argument, they are used because they give certain advantage in that environment of which has been mentioned. However those certain requirements dont necessarily transfer onto the road. You are driving on tarmac in sensible conditions, not driving on rough terrains at 120mph and making big jumps over hills. It's not really comparable so the point isnt there.
Honda have never competed in WRC. They haven't had much success in WTCC, Germans tend to dominate, they have however had many success in BTCC. They use double wishbones there, so do I beleive every other manufacturer, I think it may be in the regulations to use double wishbones. See here:
http://www.btcc.net/about/technical-overview/
As for Formula 1, Honda have won with McLaren several times, dominated entire seasons, they had input in the chassis too back then. They haven't had much success in recent times. Not sure what the point is though, Honda are not the only who use DW, everyone else use DW too!
Also I'm not so sure there an anti-Ford sentiment in the UK, they have been the most popular brand in the UK for decades, they are staple car brand in the UK. They make good cars, they are lovely to drive, I have driven the current generation Focus and Fiesta, whilst the Focus was a bit poor in the driving enjoyment, the Fiesta was an absolute joy, super handling and the 3 pot turbo was a lovely engine. Likewise the Mondeo's are nice cars, they handle very well, they use struts and I think multi link at the back, there suspension are weak though, so is in general reliability and durability. But it's your call if you want to try them. I would say try out a Subaru as your next car, something like the Outback, as the Legacy is no longer sold in the UK, the Avensis might be a worth a shot too, although Toyota quality hasnt been so great in the last decade.