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Honda Accord - 2003 Redesign
Is there any interest here about the redesigned 2003 Accord?? I'm surprised that there hasn't been any discussion as of yet. Supposed to be more of a drivers oriented sedan w/ possible 3.2 or 3.5 liter v6--220-240hp??--and a possible 6 speed. Believe to be released in Sep. Hopefully will have actual pics and not drawings sometime before then. If anybody catches anything out there. . please post. And a wagon too??--Honda better bring it back. Now is the right time for a wagon. Early-Mid 90's wasn't w/ the starting of the SUV craze. . just my thoughts
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I've also heard that the next 2-door Accord will be sportier and even further differentiated from the 4-door than currently. It will be a de-facto replacement for the Prelude in the Honda lineup. I would guess the 2 door would get a 6-speed but the sedan might not.
Also, I agree about the wagon. It would be well received, IMO.
The current Altima puts both, the new Camry and current Accord to shame. Honda needs to go back to their 1980's ideology of well made, sporty, innovative and interesting cars. Today's Accord is a good appliance to get from point A to point B, nothing less, nothing more.
Honda can and it is capable of producing a very good Altima contender with better interior quality, better engines, etc.
But for 2003 I am not holding my breath. Honda has become the "Sleeping pill" company per excellence, what a shame.
Honda needs to bring back the Accord Station wagon. Not everyone wants an Oddessey, Passport, Pilot or CR-V as their daily commuter.
dtownfb:
What sales stats are you looking at? Since the full inception of the 02 Camry, it has been outpacing the Accord in sales. (Nov, Dec, Jan). INDEED, the Accord over took the adimittedly tired last gen Camry, and the higher sales of the 02 model couldnt overcome that in Calendar Year 01, so the Accord wound up on top.
~alpha
Keep the Accord "low" looking. Don't raise up the roofline like you did with the Civic, and how Toyota did with the new Camry. The Civic and Camry might as well be Subaru Foresters, they are so tall and awkward looking. I always thought that the Accord was the most boring looking car out there. After seeing the new Camry - I prefer boring over goofy.
Just for me personally, the Altima doesn't turn me on much in the styling department. I don't like the rear end, the tail-lights look like some aftermarket parts from a "slammed" Civic. All it's missing are the ridiculously huge wing and the No Fear stickers
http://www.mag-x.com/index_ie.html
But, what it really will look like is one of the best kept secrets of today's car world.
Why why make it an either/or comparison? If you could have a sporty family car that was also safe, reliable, etc., wouldn't you choose it over a boring one? Isn't that pretty much what Nissan has done with the Altima?
I sure hope it doesn't look like a bigger 2001-2 Civic...YUCK!
In any event, I am impressed with Honda's build quality and solidity. I'm sure the new Accord will trounce any further thoughts of that G35.
There would be more of a buzz about this revision if Honda weren't so good at holding its cards close to the chest. They have the discipline to keep a secret until they want to pop it out.
since the current mazda 626 isn't selling very well, mazda will have more information available on their next car. since the old altima didn't sell very well either, you basically knew everything about the new car way ahead of the cars release. the only speculation left was about gas mileage. the accord is a different story, honda wants to sell as many of the current accords as possible.
my speculation (all you can do at this point) is that the redesigned accord will have the most radical departure from the current car in it's history. i read rumors to that effect anyway. v6 engine displacement will go to at least 3.2l with at least 225 bhp. remember, a honda vp said the altima's 240 bhp won't be enough. they'll keep the double wishbone suspension since the redesigned tl will be based upon new accord. and yes, the new coupe will be a replacement for both the prelude and current coupe.
Speaking of engines - I bet honda sticks with the 3.0 litre V6 as the top engine but increases the horsepower. [probably to 220] The basic TL has 225 so Honda will [probably] avoid crossing THAT 'line'. Then again - the Acura MDX in 2003 is supposed to have a 3.8 litre V6. [up from the current 3.5] If that's TRUE - AND the TL ALSO gets that 3.8 litre engine - then maybe Honda WILL stuff a 3.2 into the Accord.
I'm glad someone started this topic.
Craig!!
As someone else mentioned, a recent review by C&D had the current Accord, which is basically a five year old design, beating the newer designs from Toyota and Nissan.
If anyone gets a look at the actual pix, please let us know.
Please, Honda. make a sports sedan!
A 5 speed 4 banger will not be enticing enough
INKY
That said, I am not putting down the Accord. It will no doubt be a fine car, but I wouldn't expect exactly what MagX is showing.
European Accord: Choice of 1.8 liter (140 HP), 2.0 liter (150 HP), 2.2 liter (210 HP), 2.3 liter (150 HP) engines, 4 and 5 door models.
European Accord - 1
European Accord - 2
Japanese Accord: 1.8 liter (140 HP), 2.0 liter (150-180 HP), 2.2 liter (220 HP, Euro-R model), 2.3 liter (150 HP/200 HP, SiR wagon)
JapaneseAccord
For 2003, rumor is that Honda will merge European and Japanese Accord, and manufacture them only in Japan (European Accord is currently manufactured in UK plant which will shift its production line to Civic 3/5 door and CRV for Europe and export to NA/Japan).
I will not be surprised to see Honda give up doublewishbone suspension upfront, but they will keep the 5-link rear suspension. There will be some of us who would be disappointed, but a properly tuned suspension is all that will matter in the end.
Engine choices will be 2.4 liter for sure in the four cylinder models, and may or may not be tuned to make more than 160 HP (although there may be a 190-220 HP version for European and Japanese Type-R models replacing the current 2.2 liter DOHC VTEC). 175 HP is a possibility though, even if it means only in the EX trim.
The V6 will likely be brand new 3.0 liter DOHC iVTEC, pumping out 210-220 HP, mated to a five speed sportshift automatic transmission. A few months later, TL/CL will be redesigned, and may start using the new 3.5 liter DOHC iVTEC that Honda has already developed and could deliver 240-260 HP in base trim, and 280-300 HP for Type-S (the prototype at 2001 TMS had 300 HP @ 6500 rpm). This could also be the time when Honda releases a Sport model for Accord with the 3.0 liter V6 pumping out 240-260 HP with a 6-speed manual. In coupe form, it could be the potential Prelude replacement that Tom Elliot mentioned a few months ago.
Anyway when I went to Europe last year I saw very few Hondas and just some Accords. The biggest concentration of Hondas perhaps is to be found in the UK. The most common Accord there was an ugly 5 door hatch (I love hatchbacks but this one was uglee) and some American made right hand drive Accords as well. It seems that in Europe buyers can get the Euro Accord or the American model of the same.
The Euro 'ccords shown in those links certainly look much better than the sleeping pill they sell here. Those cars look almost like luxury cars, not like Rubbermaid renditions which are what the American Accords emulate.
The Japanese Accord also looks nicer, specially the rear door window treatment. It also resembles more our Accord but in the photo it looks longer. May be a longer wheelbase?
The current Accord wagon sold in overseas market is very sweet. Too bad we missed it in this current, boring and dreadful generation of the car.
Truth to be told, Honda sells its best and most interesting products outside of North America.
C'mmon Robbie! Give me a break! Double Wishbone suspension has been a Honda TRADEMARK ever since they came to our shores. I have owned a total of 6 Honda/Acura products and each and every single one of them had a double wishbone suspension in all 4 corners.
Honda is going the cheapo way and most people claim that the current Civic doesn't handle as well as the old one.
I remember reading Honda's sales literature where they bragged to no end about the advantages of Double wishbones and how McPherson strut suspension were basically trash....so now they changed sides? How convenient, eh??
1)Car will not grow in size from the current one. Better packaging will allow more room inside
2)Strut front suspension will replace current double wishbone. Don't know what the fuss is about, I have a '93 civic and the car handles like crap.
3)Car will continue with a larger version of the 3.0L V6 ~ 225hp. 4-cylinder versions will be ~ 160hp. Possibly the same engine in the CRV?
4)Coupe will be very different from the sedan, will have a much sportier and agressive look to take the place of the Prelude. Manual/V6 option?
I have heard many rumors that the next TL/CL will be based off the next RL platform which would be RWD. Makes sense since a 280hp/300hp FWD car would be quite stupid. I wouldn't bet that the next TL will be accord based.
I do not think Honda has always stuck double-wishbones at all corners. They seem to like playing with the suspension setup more often than others do. And not many probably know that the 5-link rear suspension in current Accord is not really a double wishbone suspension, but a modified version.
As for going cheapo, we don't call BMW or Porsche cheapo for using struts, we don't think VW is cheap using the same and beam axle rear suspension, so I do not understand the hoopla about Honda's move. It is probably because some of us like to talk about it, and the press thinks it would be a cool thing to cover. I would bet that many agree that RSX handles better than the Integra, and Civic Type-R has been raved about in handling department. Suspension done right can work. If not, it can back fire. With Civic, Honda tried going softer, and that was the problem. People don't buy Civics to have a Corolla like ride. Last I heard, Honda was going back to stiffer springs.
And you may not have noticed that some models, using the same platform as current Accord, are using McPherson struts upfront. The vehicles... MDX and Odyssey. I would like to experience how a suspension works rather than guess.
bobbyknight
I doubt TL would move away from sharing platform from Accord, CL might. One of the reason would be that RL is manufactured in Japan. It would get its own production line, and for TL to move to the new platform, the production would have to move to Japan as well unless the current production lines are also re-tooled, which is less likely, IMO. CL is a lower volume car (~25K) so it may be easier (and makes more sense) to move its production to Japan, and/or there may be another sedan to share the production line and platform with RL that we do not know about.
But isn't Honda known in the industry to have a very efficient re-tooling scheme? I think I read somewhere that it only takes them a couple of months to re-tool an assembly line whereas other manufacturers would either need a completely new factory or take much longer to re-tool.
I believe the rumor about the TL sharing platforms with the next RL is true. With Infiniti and the new G35, Acura must either have a true RWD sedan to compete or something similar to the G35 (a sort-of-but-not-really mid-engine sedan).
It doesn't seem like Honda is coming out with any true IS & 3-series fighters any time soon, so I think it will be likey that the TL will fill the void. Also, a 300hp FWD car is bad news and there is no doubt that Honda knows that. Heard the next RL will have 350hp.
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1 Toyota Camry 36,124
2 Honda Accord 25,947
3 Honda Civic 19,854
4 Ford Taurus 18,414
5 Chevrolet Cavalier 15,471
6 Nissan Altima 13,682
-----------------------------------------
http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolfc.asp
However, Diploid, like you pointed out, Honda uses a very efficient re-tooling process. The latest example is moving the production of European Accords to Japan, and dedicating the European facility to produce only 3/5 door Civic and CRV (may be HRV too). Now is the first time that Civic hatchback (3/5 door) is completely designed (Germany) and manufactured (UK) in Europe, and will be imported into Japan (and NA).
So, they have done mass move of a platform from one country to another. So TL could very well be the next car to move (back) to Japan. Or it may happen that Honda will continue to make TL here and also export them to Japan (as Inspire or Saber), and either Inspire or Saber could move to RL platform and exported to us from Japan. Or, we could get a completely new compact sport sedan to go against IS300/G35/3-series.
I have a feeling that brand new RL will be launched next Spring as a 2004 model, and could there be another RWD sedan/coupe pair in store? Let us hope so. And given that Honda uses platforms quite well, a few RWD cars are a good possibility in next 2-3 years. Whether it will be the TL, I doubt that however. It is selling well, and is the volume car for Acura, that goes against ES300, A4, S60, easily forgotten I35 etc.
I doubt Honda satisfies the enthusiasts with this next Accord. Their competition is Camry, a really mainstream car. Don't be surprised if the front double bones go to make more interior room without increasing overall car bulk. They'll probably bump up power modestly just to keep even with competition, now including Altima. And I bet the new Accord will be very attractive, looking almost like a near-luxury car.
I fear the best enthusiasts can expect might be a really nice coupe to pick up Prelude mourners.
Just my thoughts...
If they do have it, they will stand well above the competition (as they probably will even with a 4 speed) and I'll certainly be in line.
If they do go with the 2.4L I hope they don't give it too much hp, my CR-V with the same size engine will feel slighted :-( .
Actually the Odyssey's Acura counterpart is the MDX. The MDX is an Odyssey with the same exact platform and powertrain. One is shaped as a Minivan, the other is shaped as a SUV.
The MDX, while it shares many of the same mechanicals as the Odyssey is not it's Acura counterpart. One is a minivan, one is an SUV. As machiavelli pointed out the Pilot will be the MDX's counterpart
My point was that I don't think the 7G Accord will have the 5 speed auto tranny because the TL does. One caveat, if the Pilot has a 5 speed auto tranny, then my theory is out the window.
Better fuel economy
Competition doesn't have it yet
Better acceleration from all speeds
Quieter at hwy speed since RPM's would be lower in 5th
Not much more expensive to produce(if at all)
Give it an advantage over others in a car the sells 400K per year!
Cons:
TL has it.
I think that the next Accord would have a 5-speed auto because it doesn't make much sense not to. If the TL is going RWD, then the accord will be the flagship of its FWD platform. I'm willing to put money on this...