PRO: Longest available factory extended warranty (8-yr/120k), good chance of Honda providing goodwill assistance once out-of-warranty, uses regular fuel, easy-to-service transmission, interior quality and design.
CON: Wind and road noise, expensive tire replacement (About $800/set for touring tires), timing belt replacement every 105k @ $600-$1000 (depending on the shop), higher 0-60 time compared to Altima and Camry, lack of manual mode for transmission, worst fuel economy @ 21 mpg (compared to Altima and Camry) according to Consumer Reports.
No wind noise here. A little road noise, but I know it's coming from the crappy OEM tires. As many have said, you can get whatever tires you want on the Accord as long as they are the same size. The OEM tires on almost every single mass production car suck anyway. Timing belt.. eh I drive well under 10k a year, probably won't have the car by then.... The Accord is still quick. It's not the quickest in it's class, but how much do you really care about drag racing from stoplights? Highway acceleration is excellent (ie, 50 to 70). Consumer Reports is a joke. Even with a tremendous amount of idling (which does nothing but burn gas) and many quick accelerations, I got 23.5MPG on my FIRST tank of gas. The engine's not even broken in yet, so it will likely improve.
Camry SE V6
PRO: Styling (subjective, I'll admit), good 0-60 time, manual mode for transmission, reasonable tire replacement costs for long-life touring tires, timing chain, uses regular fuel and obtains 23 mpg overall
Styling is very subjective.. I think it's ugly. I've driven several cars with manumatics but for the most part they are just gimics. Have you seen that Mitsubishi commercial where they show the guy using the paddle shifter while he's stopped on his driveway? WTH are they trying to prove there?
Altima 3.5SE V6
PRO: engine/transmission performance, 0-60 time, CVT transmission w/manual mode, interior quality is better than the Camry, timing chain, water pump job does not require engine removal The only good thing about this car is it's engine. The Altima tries to be the sportiest sedan in the class, but to me it was just uncomfortable and quite boring. Not as boring as the Camry, but still boring. Car has a HUGE turning circle, and even though it is smaller than the Accord, it feels like a boat. It doesn't require premium gas, though... I don't know where you got that idea from.
