Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
And about the Navigation system playing DVD's, I couldn't agree with everyone more. I once saw a guy in Miami going 110 MPH and watching a movie, which was on his sunscreen visor! Of course, that's Miami for you.
s852 - I kept applying the brakes during the test drive because I thought the harsh recoil braking action was due to rust build-up (these were all brand new cars and rust could have developed when the car has not been driven). I thought the braking would get less harsh as I used it more but it remained the same throughout a 5-to-10 minute test drive. I will keep in mind that perhaps I need to adjust to it.
tblazer503 - EBD might be causing the abrupt, jerky brake action? Gee, what a difficult tradeoff decision to make. I like the features on an EX, though, so I'll have to either live with it or not buy it.
chucko3 - I tried to not step on it as "hard" although I don't consider myself stepping on it hard. Either I was too soft (felt the car not stopping fast enough) or too hard (I got my upper body jerked forward). So I don't know... it seems I might crash into the car in front of me if I consciously tried to not step on it hard. To me, stepping on the brake pedal is a pretty intuitive and straightforward action -- Don't know how much I can vary this. But I will try your suggestion again in my upcoming test drives.
lelandhendrix - I currently drive a 1992 Civic Sedan and know and love exactly what you are talking about --- a very smooth, no-drama braking response. My car (12-yrs old) just stops. With no jerking action whatsoever. And made by Honda also. Go figure.
thanhho - Thanks for sharing your experience. I feel for your regret for buying the 2003 Accord V6. This is precisely what I hopefully can avoid.
(Perhaps you can sell it and buy the 04 Maxima).
snakehair - The brake force is more a physical irritation (i.e. gives me motion sickness after a short while) than dangerous. I feel it is stopping fine, but just harsh in feeling the recoil-like shock wave.
talon95 - I agree that it should be considered a problem, but the dealer is (of course) pretending there is nothing wrong with it.
Thanks again. I have set up a test drive this Thurs with an Accord EX V6 with more mileage on it (with a demo car) to see if the harsh braking becomes more gentle after somewhat more mileage breaking in the brakes. Will let you know. Kevin
May be a tired question, but as all V6s are built in US (so I can’t buy a J vin unless I opt for a 4banger) has there been any solid evidence/consensus that US built Accords are every bit the equal of Japan built?
I hate to be a snob but can't help feeling the Japanese versions have an edge. My '87 J vin Accord Hatch was 100% problem free for well over 100K miles - my US built V6 Camry has ongoing rattles and creaks, broken strut mounts, leaking head gasket, etc etc all in under 40K miles.
Say it ain't so re the US Accords!
~srp
I visabley notice better built quality myself. I'm able to determine (well most of time) where an Accord is assembled without looking at the VIN or window sticker.
This didn't stop me from getting a V6 Accord however. I did have three green ones to choose from though.
For some reason most people don't actually give their potential car a good look over. Seems crazy to me. Once you drive off the lot, it's yours.
I've driven my '04 Accord EX-L, 4 cyl. sedan only about 300 miles, but the brakes apply very smoothly and they're easy to modulate. What you experienced was not normal in my opinion, and the grabbing you described has nothing to do with ABS which doesn't operate unless you brake so hard that a wheel would otherwise lock up. My car was delivered to me with 21 miles on it because the dealer had to make an exchange to get the color I wanted, so the car was driven very little before I took delivery--break-in is not needed for proper brake feel. I suggest you not take delivery of a car with brakes as sensitive as you describe because something's wrong somewhere.......Richard
#2869 of 2869
http://www.avelectronic.com/products.htm
please drive saftly for driver need to pay attention on the road.
anyway, it is very illegal to have it done, and like the others, what would you do with a video screen that you can't possibly watch while giving your complete attention to the road?
The only DVD system's that I know of that don't have an interlocked safety on them are the ones mounted behind the driver.
If you have a reaaly good reason to disable the feature and want to put yourself at a huge risk for a traffic citation, give me an email and I can try to tell ya how to figure it out, but you will need schematics to do it... not too difficult.
Just kidding... =o) never had that happen, but people seem to be so concerned with stiff brakes. =o) Personally, I like them, so does my fiancee who is used to driving camry's(notorious for weak brakes). In all honesty, the brakes are IMO stiffer than some brands. My fiancee didn't believe me when I said the brakes were stiff until she drove it home from IHOP one morning. She had just turned onto a road, and some butthead decided he had enough room to cut us off, so she hit the brakes(my head almost hit the windshield that time)... and I never heard a complaint about the stiff brakes since... lol
Simply stated, the brakes are something that have been easy for me to get used to. I wouldn't change a thing on my car right now.
Even get the salesman to drive it also. Does the car lurch the same when the other two drivers brake?
If so it its the car, if not then its your foot.
That's not a bad thing just reality.
As soon as I learned to use lighter pressure on the gas and brake pedals, everything was fine.
While you shouldn't be getting seasick in your car, it may just be that you don't need as much pressure as you do with other cars.
the Accords brakes are fine. there would be lawsuits, recalls, 60 Minutes expose's, etc, if anything other than good safe brakes were one of the top selling cars on the planet.
Thanks Honda, I'll save half the price of the car and get a Neon next time!
To be fair your Accord is 5 years old. Sounds like a very minor repair with a very major overreaction.
that's pretty unusual 4wheeler... even at 93k miles. If I remember correctly, the harmonic balancer on the engine is held on by about a 1.25" nut which should also have a thread lok compound on it. Since it seems that the crankshaft didn't split, I would guess the nut just "fell" off. talk about a freak occurance... should have still been able to put it back on in like 15min. well, plus the 45min for the other belts, correct tension, etc.
BTW... i believe at about that 90k miles mark, you are probably due for a timing belt change. whoo hoo...
And with a Neon, you'll probably sink $5000 for parts before you reach 150K km if that car can hold up till then. I don't know what you were smoking but if you really think Honda is gonna cover it after 5 years and 150K km, why don't you build your own ride! Give me a break
I'm clueless...
We're only going to turn things around when we place consequences that are harsh enough to deter unwanted behavior. You can't legislate against objects and succeed. You can only legislate acceptable behavior and acceptable usage of inanimate objects. The object isn't and never will be bad. Only the user has the possibility of being bad and the Honda NAV system is sooooooo incredibly NOT bad but playing video's in sight of the driver is VERY BAD regardless of what system is playing them.
But now at 4500 miles, I noticed that I did not hear that grinding noise anymore.
I don't believe I have suffered that much due to the wind noise from my Honda. So what is going on here? Anybody has similar experience? Thanks.
However I still have that loud "Clack" when braking for the first time after starting the car, which is apparently the calipers "waking up."
According to edmunds:
2003 Accord EX-V6: MSRP $26260, Invoice $23675
2004 Accord EX-V6: MSRP $26890, Invoice $24704
Now, why would MSRP go up by $630 while invoice goes up by $1029? Doesn't make any sense.
According to:
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- 37579
the invoice for 2004 EXv6 is $24244.
Now, $24244 plus $460 is $24704, which is Edmunds' invoice. It seems that Edmunds added on the old destination of $460 to the $24244, which already includes the new destination of $490.
I think Edmunds should correct the error, since a lot of people rely on their posted invoice prices when bargaining with dealers.
Any moderators out there?
the invoice price for 2004 EX V6 is
$24244 (destination included).
As for the brakes, here in the US you can buy pads at any parts store and receive lifetime replacement.
You think you are going to do better with another car? Best wishes.
Overly soft underdamped ride (think Buick, bigtime), ponderous luxo-boat handling and interior pieces that look like they came from a trash bin... as harshly as the interior of the Altima has been criticized for materials quality, it's still way better than the Impala.
Yes, physically the Impala will do the same job as the Accord, but for most it'll be a significant step down in driving dynamics and refinement from an Accord, Camry or Altima. The Impala is very definitely vintage late 90's GM, which isn't a good thing. At least the 2004 Malibu is a step in the right direction.
I've never heard of a harmonic balancer falling off but anything CAN happpen. No, it shouldn't have done this.
Quick Recap - Took car in for 3750 oil change and asked a question about my tranny to service (double engagement and slight delay getting to "D"). Service replaced the transmission and the new one (as well as every other one on the lot) did the same thing. This is NORMAL. As a result of the swap, service created other problems. Dealer indicated that they would find me an '04 to replace the '03 and make me whole on the '03.
Final Chapter - They did just what they said. I picked up a brand new EX V6 XM/Navi sedan yesterday! What dealership is this you ask? Lynnwood Honda (WA). I would rate them very highly for sales and overall customer support/satisfaction! Rick F. in the internet sales is the best salesman that I have ever dealt with. Give him a call if you need a car and live in the Seattle area.
_______________________________________________________________
Things I noticed about the 04 that are different than the 03 -- The 04 has;
... a seat belt warning system and automatic front air bag deactivation system when a passenger weighs less than 65 lbs
... an upgraded Navi DVD and software (20030629). For example, elevation is now accurate to 10 feet. The 03 rounded to the nearest hundred feet.
... XM is really nice. I never thought I would ever pay for radio, but I just might when the free three month OEM package expires. Great integration with Navi system!
... The drivers seat hip support is much softer. Electric seat are smoother running. On the 03 the seat edge was very firm/stiff. My 03 electric seats chattered as if a gear was missing a tooth
... NO RATTLES in the 04. The 03 that I had was a rattle trap.
... The car suspension seems more compliant and it feels to me to ride much smoother AND quieter. Perhaps this is all in my head, but I don't think so. I think some dampening was incorporated to reduce the rattling issues.
... Fit and finish seems much improved (tight gaps). The 03 was made in July, just prior to the retooling for 04. The tooling used on the early 04's might have better tolerances and run out then at the end of the run for the 03's (after 400,000 copies)
Well, that's about it. Questions are always welcome.
jebinc1
With the 04 V6 there is that much of a price increase? I'm surprised at that. You can get a Lincoln LS with the same amount of equipment that you get and same buying price with the Accord EX-V6. Not that I would buy a Lincoln though. I'm just just surprised at the price increase from 03 to 04 for the Accord. The day the Accord hits at a sticker price of 30K is the day I hit the floor.
I know this guy who was telling me the other day that he went to a Honda dealership and the salesman told him they were selling Accord's at MSRP. I told him no thats wrong. I told an Accord sells for 500 dollars over invoice and thats it. If a Honda salesman told me an Accord sold at MSRP I would laugh. A car that sells 400,000 copies a year sells at MSRP? You have to be kidding me.
Finally, with the Impala the interior is cheap but quality/reliability has been very good. Even CR rates the reliability of the Impala above average.
According to the latest results on their website, for 2003 models, they rate the Accord's predicted reliability as much better than average, while they rate the Impala as average.