[vtecharry]

I purchased a 2019 Sport 2.0 10-sp., but before I test drove it, I drove a 2018 Sport 2.0 because they brought the wrong MY car out and I didn't realize it until after the test drive.

Here is what I noticed.

1. The 2018 with a built date Aug. '18 had Goodyear Eagle A/S tires on it. The 2019 I got (built date 11/18) has Michelin Primacy A/S tires. This is the same tire on the Acura TLX SH-AWD btw.

2. The 2018 had a bigger wheel well gap by about 1/2 inch. I could fit 4 fingers between the tire and the fender, and only 3 in the 2019. Only things I can think off, the Michelin has less rubber (I doubt) so it's "shorter" (again I doubt it since they are the same size 235-40-19), or the 2019 has slighly shorter springs, or different spring material that causes the springs to settle quickly, or they changed to smaller shock bushings in the 2019's. Who knows, could be other things suspension related.

3. The 2018 had a smoother ride. This could be because of possibly shorter springs in the 2019 or a change in the suspension, or because of the different tires. My 2019 has a rougher bumpier ride, and is more noisy (almost resembling banging noises on rough roads) when going over bumps and cracks in the road. The 2018 was more like "thump, thump" and more quiet. The '19 is more like bang and clunk...

4. 2019 has more tire noise when taking turns even at very low speeds. 2018 had almost zero tire noise when turning - again must be the different tires. 2019 had 3 miles on the odo when I test drove it and the 2018 11 miles, so both had brand new, not broken-in tires.

5. 2018 felt more solid and tracked straight, also lane-keeping assist was very smooth. The 2019 I got does not track straight and the lane assist is a little jerky and keeps telling me "driver assistance required' all the time when the road slightly bends. Not the '18. I kept it on for 3 miles on the NYS Thruway and it did great when the road curved several times. I probably got one built the day before or after Thanksgiving :sad: hehe :smile: Hopefully it's just a wheel alignment but it wonders left or right a lot, no where near the '18 I drove. The 2019 needs constant steering input and correction.

BTW, I put 9 miles on the 2018 test driving it so I put it through its paces, which is why I can compare the ride and Lane assist between the 2 pretty well, but I am not saying it's going to be the same with everyone that gets a 2019. Some cars feel and drive differently than others depending on the alignment and if all the bushings & parts were the same and in excellent condition (no defects) when installed.

Anyway, that's all I observed. Everything else inside & out appeared to be identical.

Also about the wheel well gap or ride hight... First thing I did was look for other 2.0's in the lot. There were two (2) 2018 Sport 2.0 Manual's and a 2019 2.0 Touring in the lot. The wheel well gap difference was still there between them but a little less, but still noticeable - about 1/4" - 3/8". Mine was the "lowest" at about 1/2". I think this small difference in ride height could be contributing to a rougher ride in the '19's. Just my opinion, and hopefully I am wrong, but I can't help thinking they have changed something in the suspension or springs in the 2019 MY because there was a noticeable difference in ride comfort between the 2 MY's.

Does anyone else have a 2019 2.0?

Harry

PS.
Yeah I know, I should have bought that late '18 model... It is what it is.

 

[BuickNut]

First off were they both on level ground?

 

[Fired00d]

Thanks for the comparison.... as far as the ride height difference w/different tires the fact that the tires were different manufacturers may be the reason for the difference you are seeing. If I'm not mistaken two tires from different manufacturers the same size may appear/show some differences in height/stance... no expert here, but for some reason I remember reading/hearing that.

My wife recently got a '19 Acura TLX SH-AWD (nice car) but as you mentioned in another thread/post (Sport models interior color choice for the price to performance difference) I too am happy w/what I have.

 

[Ghawkins]

My 2018 Sport 2.0 10 speed was delivered with the Michelin Primacy’s. Now stored in my garage because I changed to 18” wheels. January build. Your “wheel gap” concern seems not relevant. These comparisons are variable depending on on a number of issues; the parking spot pitch angle, backed or driven into the spot, number and weight of passengers in the last ride, etc. I suspect all the mechanicals are the same, 17”, 18”, or 19” wheels. Only the tire profile changes. The rolling circumference has to be very close to the same to account for equal gear ratios, CAFE fuel consumption numbers, etc Guessing that if you moved all these cars to different parking spots, your gap measurements would all be shuffled. I don’t understand your interest in wheel gap. You can check the Honda,com site where all specs are detailed. I would look at overall vehicle height for the most consistent numbers.

 

[vtecharry]

I am not that "concerned with the wheel gap". I like that mine doesn't have a lot of it, and 2 of you brought up a good point, but fortunately I am not a "novice" and have raced cars for 20 years (road racing & auto-x) plus I was an instructor for 9 years, so I know a thing or 2. I pay a lot of attention to detail. Both 2018 & 2019 Sport 2.0 I test drove were parked in the same exact spot by the door where I was standing. The salesmen brought both cars to the same exact location, so the surface was the same. Like I said I noticed it with the other 2 2018's and 1 '19 Touring but they had a bit less of a difference. Noone was sitting in the cars and when I pointed it out the salesman agreed. I don't really care and like I said I like that my '19 appears to be lowered a tiny bit more with slightly less wheel well gap.

The only thing I really care about is that my car rides worse than the '18. Today with the window down I heard a constant squealing sound coming from the rear or under the car like bad wheel bearings used to sound in my older cars. It could be as simple as brake/disc flange rubbing, or something is up with the rear suspension because the rear makes a loud "clunk" when I go over small cracks on the road, but the front doesn't.

 

[EngTech1]

I say it's all Air Pressure in Tires ~ Rear ( Ride Quality ) and Bad Rare Alignment which effects Ride Height ..
The Other Item ~ New Spring most likely weren't settled yet .. ( New ) just My 55 Cents

 

[vtecharry]

I say it's all Air Pressure in Tires ~ Rear ( Ride Quality ) and Bad Rare Alignment which effects Ride Height ..
The Other Item ~ New Spring most likely weren't settled yet .. ( New ) just My 55 Cents

Only camber affects ride height, not toe changes. Does the 10th gen Accord have camber adjustment? Honda never allowed for camber adjustment in any of their models except for the S2000.

Springs - yes. As I mentioned in my original post it could be either shorter springs, or different spring material or spring rates that allow for quicker settling - OR as I mentioned earlier they could have installed larger/thicker upper shock bushings or lower spring seats which would compress the spring more.

Anyway, I will be checking the alignment soon, because excessive toe-out or toe set at the limit (negative/out) of the factory recommended range can affect ride quality a little.

Pressures are set at 33 all around as per the door sticker. I had them at 35 psi before and did not notice a difference in ride comfort going to 33 or the clunking-type sound from the rear getting reduced over rough road surfaces. I will not attempt anything lower than 33 with these low profile tires. The car actually handled slightly better with 35psi, and IMO these tires would perform and last longer with 34 - 35psi.

Harry

 

[Ghawkins]

I am not that "concerned with the wheel gap". I like that mine doesn't have a lot of it, and 2 of you brought up a good point, but fortunately I am not a "novice" and have raced cars for 20 years (road racing & auto-x) plus I was an instructor for 9 years, so I know a thing or 2. I pay a lot of attention to detail. Both 2018 & 2019 Sport 2.0 I test drove were parked in the same exact spot by the door where I was standing. The salesmen brought both cars to the same exact location, so the surface was the same. Like I said I noticed it with the other 2 2018's and 1 '19 Touring but they had a bit less of a difference. Noone was sitting in the cars and when I pointed it out the salesman agreed. I don't really care and like I said I like that my '19 appears to be lowered a tiny bit more with slightly less wheel well gap.

The only thing I really care about is that my car rides worse than the '18. Today with the window down I heard a constant squealing sound coming from the rear or under the car like bad wheel bearings used to sound in my older cars. It could be as simple as brake/disc flange rubbing, or something is up with the rear suspension because the rear makes a loud "clunk" when I go over small cracks on the road, but the front doesn't.

One additional thought...tracking straight. Currently I have two cars, the other being a ‘15 VW GTI. Also owned several Accords. Consciously or unconsciously I am constantly comparing the two cars. While it’s true that either car has certain preferable features, I have noticed that all my Honda’s have not been so good at tracking on the freeway. They seem to require your full attention to go straight even in perfect alignment. This feature is one the VW does better. No drifting left or right. I have seen various opinions on this. I have seen some ideas about different alignment engineering and specs. One thought is related to toe; in or out. Maybe Honda is sacrificing some tracking ability for gas mileage. Another thought is that European engineered cars generally have more caster for stability purposes. I don’t have the specs for either car or wouldn’t know how to interpret them if I did.

 

[BoostedAccord]

Honda only makes slow improvements in response to demand. A prime example is that only now they got rid of torque steer on the Civic Type R.

 

[vtecharry]

Absolutely. Caster has a lot to do with stability, and if caster is off by a little from left to right the car will wonder left and right, and won't track straight.

If your car takes left turns better than right turns and you have done a good wheel alignment where left-to-right settings are the same or pretty close, it could be you have more caster on one side - the outside wheel that takes the turns better. So if your car takes better or quicker left turns, most likely the caster angle on the right side is higher. What usually changes caster on one side of the front of your car after you have owned it for a while is pot holes, or just 1 big one. Caster difference is usually the result of a worn (or slightly defective) ball joint or a bent suspension arm that connects to the wheel hub via a ball joint (if you have bottomed out the front, or due to an accident).

I won't know what my alignment settings look like until I convince the dealer to put the car on the rack. Once I have a printout of the current settings I will hopefully have the whole story and will make improvements. I am pretty sure the rear clunking sound is another story though. Sounds like shock/spring related.

I agree European/German cars are more stable and track straight more than recent Hondas of the last 12-13 years or so. My older 90's and 2001 Civics (and Integras) tracked perfectly straight because of their double-wishbone suspension. Once Honda went to a strut suspension in the front and electric steering, their cars have not been the same, and do not feel as stable. I wish they would bring back the double wishbones.
My '99 Integra GSR still tracks perfectly with 20 year old arms and ball joints (but with new upper/lower control arm bushings) and feels very stable at any speed, even at 140mph (has 30 more WHP than stock with various bolt-on's). But even before the suspension mods when it was stock it tracked straight and was stable. Now just more so..

To conclude my 2011 335i (last year w/hydrolic steering) and '99 Integra have way better road feel and stability, and are more confidence inspiring than any car or Honda I have owned or driven under $50K in the last 15 years. They also handle the best and are way more exciting to drive. Unfortunately those 2 cars I still own is what I judge most of the cars by, so I am never truly happy with any new car I get unless I spent a LOT of $ to get something as equally good or better, and I am not mentally ready for that yet I almost bought a new '18 BMW M3 2 weeks ago that the dealer had discounted $10K, but $70K is still more than 2 Accord 2.0T's worth. Luckily I snapped out of it when I got home after the test drive :smile: Car just before that I almost bought was a '19 Stinger GT. Very fast car, but I am glad I didn't make that mistake. The rear felt very squirrely when turning, floaty and heavy feeling, wouldn't track on the highway, whole car vibrated at low & high speeds, plus it had 2 rattles/creaks and wind howling in the cabin that I could hear the salesperson speak. And this car stickered in the 40K's, some in the 50's w/more options (like the Stinger GT2). Yikes!

My favorite still is the Mustang GT of which I test drove 2 different ones, 1 with Perf.pack 1 and the other with PP2. I would order the PP2 on the spot (especially after a $5K discount the dealer gave me) if it wasn't more like a 2-seater and a cop magnet. Not a practical car, but I liked it better than the 2018 & '19 Q50, TLX, IS350, 328i, Stinger GT, Camry V6, and all other cars I drove (including my Accord Sport 2.0T) at or below $50K in the last 30 days.

If I could have found a new Golf R it would have been my next car. But I am content with the Accord for now. It's going to be my wife's after we trade in her 2013 Accord next Spring/summer, so I may get the car I want yet...

Harry

 

[vtecharry]

One additional thought...tracking straight. Currently I have two cars, the other being a ‘15 VW GTI. Also owned several Accords. Consciously or unconsciously I am constantly comparing the two cars. While it’s true that either car has certain preferable features, I have noticed that all my Honda’s have not been so good at tracking on the freeway. They seem to require your full attention to go straight even in perfect alignment. This feature is one the VW does better. No drifting left or right. I have seen various opinions on this. I have seen some ideas about different alignment engineering and specs. One thought is related to toe; in or out. Maybe Honda is sacrificing some tracking ability for gas mileage. Another thought is that European engineered cars generally have more caster for stability purposes. I don’t have the specs for either car or wouldn’t know how to interpret them if I did.

It's the steering rack! Members here are starting to report that the dealer is replacing their "steering system (whatever that might be - might not be the entire steering rack).

https://www.accordxclub.com/forum/1...-steering-issue-jumps-center-2.html#post16790

I am having the same symptoms they are on my '19 Sport 2.0. There is resistance in the steering which prevents you from keeping the car straight. So you are always overcompensating and correcting. Lane Keep Assist does the same thing - it can't keep the car going in a straight line when the road is straight and smooth. It's pretty bad and getting worse in my car. I think they are jumping on these and replacing the steering system because it can be a safety issue. Until they know what exactly is wrong I guess they will be replacing the entire system. Once they figure it out they will probably replace the electric assist box or a smaller component, or download new software. We 'll see... but no TSB yet. Dealers appear to be taking the initiative or Honda told them to because they don't know exactly what's causing the instability and tracking issues.

Harry

 

[EngTech1]

Only camber affects ride height, not toe changes. Does the 10th gen Accord have camber adjustment? Honda never allowed for camber adjustment in any of their models except for the S2000.

Springs - yes. As I mentioned in my original post it could be either shorter springs, or different spring material or spring rates that allow for quicker settling - OR as I mentioned earlier they could have installed larger/thicker upper shock bushings or lower spring seats which would compress the spring more.

Anyway, I will be checking the alignment soon, because excessive toe-out or toe set at the limit (negative/out) of the factory recommended range can affect ride quality a little.

Pressures are set at 33 all around as per the door sticker. I had them at 35 psi before and did not notice a difference in ride comfort going to 33 or the clunking-type sound from the rear getting reduced over rough road surfaces. I will not attempt anything lower than 33 with these low profile tires. The car actually handled slightly better with 35psi, and IMO these tires would perform and last longer with 34 - 35psi.

LOL Haa Man that's a lot of Horn Blowing :
Last I Checked ~ Just Like I Stated : I say it's all Air Pressure in Tires ~ Rear ( Ride Quality ) and Bad Rare Alignment which effects Ride Height ..
The Other Item ~ New Spring most likely weren't settled yet .. ( Newer Build vs Older Build as Cars Generally Built Months Ealier ) just My 55 Cents
( Never Mentioned Toe , so Don't put Words in Month that aren't there ! )