First off, I'm not a troll (though this question may make some think I am).. I am just curious about something and was hoping to get answers from you guys since you clearly know the new Accord.

I have a sister with an 2005 Accord EX and we were comparing our cars (I have a 2005 E320 CDI) the other day and we found what seemed at first to be a strange thing. The two cars are almost identical in size (volume, or space occupied).. it's all with in 1/2" in either length, width, or height.. which is kinda odd since the Accord doesn't look that big. So, I went to a website to compare them more closely since she insists my car is a rip off... It turned out that the Accord weight was about 3340lbs while my car was 3835! That's almost 500lbs! In the same size car! Also, my car has all aluminum panels except the doors and roof.. does the Accord?

What is it about the Accord that makes it so light? I know the MB has boron steel re-inforced cage, and double wall safety cage construction.. is that it?

Any ideas are appreciated, so I can tell my sis to shut it!

Thanks in advance..

 

1) interior. An MB has a lot more features, leather seats, better heating/cooling, SOUND DEADENING TAR (heavy) possibly navi, etc. that all adds weight.

2) SRS: Does your car have side airbags as well?

3) Engine. Does she have a 4 cyl and you have a 6 cyl? Plus the K series is an aluminum block, I believe

4) Wheels: The accord has 16 inch wheels, I believe, while the MB probably has larger and heavier wheels. I know BMW wheels are heavy by the way they are made (cast I believe) while the accords are lighter (forged) or vice versa.

Hondas have been as a rule light in weight. The lightness allows them to have smaller engines, which equals better economy.

Your question isnt bad at all

 

Well, here's what we have.. My MB actually (yes, I can't believe it either) has 16" wheels.. the V8 gasser has the 17's.. but they are indeed cast however.

Also, she has the V6 (240hp).. and I have an I-6 (diesel)

I am sure my engine weighs at least 150lbs more since it's iron block.. but the E350 Mercedes is a Alum V6 and it's only 100lbs lighter than my car.. so still a 400+ lbs weight difference over the Honda. And remember, the MB's have all of that aluminum sheet metal? Where is that weight? It's can be just the leather and wood... that' probably 50lbs at most.. and sound insulation is probably 100lbs..

I'm just amazed that the accord is that big... it doesn't look it!

anyway.. thanks for your thoughts..

 

Eh, if I knew how to make cars weigh less there'd be lighter cars everywhere

I can't think of much else, besides fuel capacity, a gallon of gas weighs in at 6 lbs I believe. Not much difference, but another possibility.

 

youd be SHOCKED to find out how much the extra electronics and sound deadneing will weigh. also the MB is RWD is it not?...drive shafts and rear axles can often be MUCH heavier than FWD setups

 

YUP.. I guess the RWD adds the differential and drive shaft... that's prolly 75-100lbs.. it's mostly alloy, but I'm sure the drive shaft isn't.

I was also thinking maybe the 8 airbags? but I though the accord had rear side airbags? And those can't weigh more than 10 lbs with compressed air.

We're talking about close to 500lbs.. so 150 for the engine, 100 for the drive train, 100 for sound deadning, 50 for electronics (though my brakes are brake-by-wire which is supposed to be lighter).. and we're about 400lbs into it... but we need to factor in the aluminum body panels into this equation which probably give the accord 150lbs in the + column.

 

We've covered all the bases on weight already. It's in the electronics, the interior, the sound insulation, the diesel engine, the rear wheel drive. So your mb has a couple of aluminium panels.... not much weight savings. think of a piece of sheet metal and a piece of sheet aluminium... same size, the aluminium still weighs alot. Just because it's alloy or aluminum doesn't mean it is weightless. Your car is heavier, less efficient, costs more... but it says Mercedes on it so I'm sure that makes up for all it's shortcomings.

 

Soudns Good HondaTechPro - I'll print this thread out and show her our conversation.

She'll like your conclusion!

 

Wait... I had to correct you on something.... not sure if my car is less efficient.. it's a diesel after all.

27/37mpg with 204hp & 369 ft/lbs torque. That's 40 ft/lbs more than the V8 and 10mpg better!

In my area here diesel is about 10 cents less than super.

(sorry, should have used the edit feature above)

 

Air bags with compressed air? I thought they used granules of sodium azide and potassium nitrate (just nitrogen gas). Are there different classes of airbags? Just curious since compressed air was mentioned as an inflatant.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FLY750 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wait... I had to correct you on something.... not sure if my car is less efficient.. it's a diesel after all.

27/37mpg with 204hp & 369 ft/lbs torque. That's 40 ft/lbs more than the V8 and 10mpg better!

In my area here diesel is about 10 cents less than super.

(sorry, should have used the edit feature above)

</TD></TR></TABLE>


Yea, dude, don't knock diesels, the diesel engine will own your car like no other. A V6 MB diesel will surpass any 6 cyl honda (minus Accord hybrid) in fuel economy...and check out the torque, something we dont have

 

Not knocking diesels.... I must have misread, and thought he had the gas hog V8... diesels are much more efficient than gas engines... more power from the fuel, cheaper fuel (especially right now) and they are cleaner burning ( they emit ALOT of soot... but not as many of the toxic gasses that gasoline burners do)

 

Sorry, I couldn't reply earlier.. the 5 post in 24 hour limit got me!

Anyway, The MB diesel is currently an iron block I-6, but the V6 (aluminum) is on the way for '07. I personally prefer the I-6 (for many reasons).. and while the V6 will be more powerful and efficient, I don't think it will last like the iron block.

As for the soot... it has soot.. but not like you're used to seeing.. these new diesels, are close to gas car silent, with no smoke, and little soot.. most guys that see my car don't believe it's a diesel.

I wonder why the Japs don't sell diesels here.. they make good diesel engines for their own country.

 

arent they all trucks though? like the japs dont make their own diesel cars for the general public? mayb i just missed that i have no idea.

 

Maybe, but I seem to remember toyota making a lot of diesels.. but those may have been pick-ups. Eitherway.. with gas prices the way they are now, and the direction they're going.. it's going to have to become a reality soon. Willie Nelson and Pat Goss but to name two well known people are driving a Mercedes CDI because they want to raise awareness about alternative fuels. Willie even uses 100% biodiesel...

here.. http://www.biodiesel.org/resou....shtm

 

to alt fuels. too bad non petrol vehicles are so damn expensive tho.

 

Honda has a diesel engine, but the diesel market seems to head towards Europe (and that's where the H engine is going). They've had teh experience in Europe to build more efficient ones, because they have to out of necessitiy for gas prices

 

It does tend to defeat the purpose of saving money, when they up charge you for the motor.. The CDI is $1200 more than the base V6 E class.

 

the way things are going now they will pay for themselves faster and faster..1200 extra..its really not hard to spend that much on gas in under a year. wtf is with this government restriction on alt fuels i keep hearin about

 

brake by wire? How in the hell does that work? Sounds like a nice alternative to bleeding brakes...and heavier

 

It's called SBC (Sensotronic Brake Control) and Bosch developed it.. MB uses it in the later W211 (E class) and a few other cars, including the $300,000 McLaren

Here's a good link explaining it to the mechanical types: http://www.whnet.com/4x4/sbc.html

The first generation ones from 2003/4 were a bit artificial feeling, but the newer '05 and '06 models are amazing.. hard to tell from vacuum assisted... and they brake like nothing I've seen.

More over, they have features like applying the brakes (lightly) when it rains to keep the rotors dry, using the rain sensor, bringing the calipers closer to the rotors when you suddenly remove your foot off the gas.. and they also save quite a bit of weight I'm told..

A couple of them have failed from early installations leaving the driver with manual back up of only the front brakes without power assist.. that would have been uncool, but a recall fixed that early on.