Older Honda Accords

cho7819

I just saw a 03 accord today, interior is beautiful, but the extrior looks like a cross between a Nissan Altima(front), and a Saturn L200 (rear & side). I'm intrigued by the V6 but believe that it is maxed out at 240hp .... which means cheap mods dont work The nissan alima also has 240hp but is easily modifiable, i.e. its big brother the Z350 has 290hp!

ickes_mobile

who works at the GM plant in Janesville Wisconsin, they have a whole parking lot full of new trucks that need repair before shipment. THe best are the ones with no oil that seeze up when started. He also said that they recently had acres of new 2003 Tahoes that needed new batteries because of a defect in the ignition. The keys were left in the ingition for shipment, which drained the batteries because of a short. Must be some advantage to buying used because you know that the car at least ran for some number of miles...

ickes_mobile

The Accord V-6 output can be increased by 10hp. by using premium gas. I'd think some more radical modifications such as a supercharger, exaust, or even maybe a chip good get more from it. You'd probably have to modify the suspension to handle it however...

dudleyr

Drive the I4 Accord, and I think you will find that it has more pep than your v6 626. You will have no problem merging onto highways.

dindak

I thought those 03 prices sounded high. Ouch!

Might want to get out there and get an 02. Lots left as far as I can see.

stantont

Our '01 EX V6 gets 28-29 mpg on the highway on cruise control at 78-80 mph. Not a one-tank number, but consistent results for lots of trips, lots of fillups. Even at 90-100 mph (in far west Texas), it gets 25-26 mpg.

And I have checked both the speedo and odo for errors against highway mileage markers. Both are accurate to within 1% or as close as you can read the needle.

seaf

I've read the LATimes article and some people's stories on these boards, it seems that the older generation Accord transmission problems only affect the V6 transmissions. Has anyone heard of an I4 transmission problem?

fredvh

Can anyone here advise the price increase of the 2003 base LX and EX with the I4 engine over the 2002 price?

Seaf: I have heard that the transmission problem affected only the V6 and NOT the I4.

bcab

I would appreciate it if anyone would share a recent lease deal you either signed or were offered. Please include the details like model (LX or EX, I4 or V6, Leather, etc.), lease term & miles, a breakdown of all out of pocket costs, monthly payment, etc.

I'm looking for a 36 month/12k mile lease for an '03 EX-L 4-cyl. auto. trans.

Thanks!

ickes_mobile

Irish - ...or a educate the assembly guys issue.

Fred - Check Edmunds pricing - they have both the 2003 and 2002 costs (no invoice for the 2003 however).

bowke

...i am confused by what your husband told you.

first..was he listening to the radio with the key OUT?
second...yes, the radio pulls a small drain on the battery, but you HAVE TO HAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION to turn on the radio. i think he has spliced different car issues into one. please help me understand.

seaf

Irish24, turning the key to "accessory" turns on only a few minor low battery-draining electronic accessories including the radio. Turning it a step further to the ON position turns on even more electronic components such as fuel pumps, steering, electronic fans, basically everything that is on when you're normally driving the car. A step further to START takes the most drain out of a battery as it needs lots of current to crank the engine, but fortunately this setting is only on for a few seconds when you start the car's engine. As for having the key in the ignition causing shorts, that should not happen unless the car has a faulty design or manufacturing process. There's nothing wrong with leaving a key in the ignition in the OFF position, only thing is it triggers the alarm when you open the driver's door to remind you to take your keys out.

blane

My '99 Cougar has a great feature that I've never had in previous vehicles (including my '90 and '95 Accords). The radio works with the key in the usual positions that we are all accustomed to. However, when you remove the key from the ignition, you can just press and release the on/off/volume button to turn the radio on. Simple but elegant, and considering the miniscule amount of juice consumed by modern radios, it won't even matter if you leave it on for a few days. Honda engineers please note.

seaf

The cougar feature sounds cool, however from a reliability standpoint, it can cause problems when the car gets older, wires get frayed and they may leak current. By having the circuit to the radio connected even when the keys are out, it opens a new avenue into which the mysterious "dead battery syndrome" can appear. When the car is old, the radio may draw more current than it should, such as when the volume potentiometer gets corroded, the volume switch may be set higher than what you hear, so it would be drawing a lot more current out of the battery. This is just ONE example of how the radio could consume more battery than it should.

I think this is an example of how Honda engineers have evaluated features versus their practical and reliability over the long run. Their decision to have only the EXV6 Accord models get side curtain airbags is probably another example, since Hondas have never had side curtain airbags mass produced, they want to make sure there aren't any major problems and so are phasing it in slowly rather than put the new feature in every car and then discover that they have some major flaws in them and have to recall them. This kind of engineering usually means more reliable products, but lag in features compared to other brands.

bkm119

It's an EX V6.

Sorry for the omission.

ickes_mobile

seems to have some retained accessory power once you remove the key. The sunroof and windows still work, but I'm unsure about the radio except to eject CDs...

venanzik

as much as i like honda, i am not liking the new accord, interior is very nice and the v6 ex has every feature one could really ask for at a reasonable price, if they only could figure out how to make the outside look good (i was with 3 other honda lovers and we all thought the same thing). think i may start searching for 02 or move over to the passat or altima. put the body of the altima on the accord and you have a true winner. or give the passat the reliablity factor of the honda and you have another winner.......just wish once they would get it right.

ecarmack

Well, I had a slight change of plans. I found a dealer much closer to me than Dubois, PA that agreed to sell the 2003 EX V6 for $24,350. The dealer is Allan Nott Honda in Lima, OH and my salesman is Jake.

Thanks to BKM119 on his recommendation of Matt in Dubois, he seems like a very professional guy, and I would recommend him if you can make it to that area.

From the Honda website, I sent out literally hundreds of emails to dealers over the weekend (many came back as undeliverable), and received dozens of replies. Many were for MSRP, but some were discounting slightly, and I had 6 in the $24,350 to $24,675 range (in MI, IN and OH), which is great. If you have the time, and are willing to travel some, I would definitely recommend sending out emails to get the best deal.

dudleyr

You have to compare apples to apples - can't just say my v6 gets x actual mpg and compare that to the EPA numbers of the 4 cyl. 35 mpg on the highway is not hard to get with the 4 (higher with the manual tranny). The EPA subtracts 22% from their measured highway figures, so they are very easy to beat.

stantont

I wasn't comparing real world data with EPA data. I was replying to a previous note from JOEJOEJOE1 to the effect that all his neighbors got "26 mpg tops" with V6 Accords. I was offering another bit of real-world data that was quite a bit better than his "26 mpg tops". Neither of us was talking about EPA data.

irish24

turned out...it was when I hooked up my seat belt that my husband said would drain the battery even faster than just the radio alone....sorry for the earlier post...he says the manual warns about it and says the engine is getting ready to kick on...w several different systems.....

toneman2

prices may sound high, but compare them to the prices our friends to the south are paying if you take into account our 63 cent dollar. We are paying tons less than in the USA and we get to pay with monopoly money. They have to pay with real dollars.

diploid

LOL "real dollars" Some of the newer designs have been labeled as looking too fake! Not even going to talk about the state quarters...

Drove past my usual Honda dealer and he had at least 10 sitting in the back lot (the hoods had those white factory wraps/stickers on them). None were on the front lot. They're selling them as fast as they get 'em.

toneman2

At today's exchange rate it will cost you 1.5825 Cdn dollars to purchase 1 Am. dollar. The list for an EX V6 is US$25,800, according to other posts. That works out to Can$40,828. We get a Cdn$8,300 (or about US $5,000) discount over our friends in the USA. I am sure Honda Canada is not selling these vehicles at a loss in Canada. Makes one wonder how much Honda is making on each car sold south of the border - at least $5,000 per vehicle more than in Canada. Strange if our market is supplied from vehicles made in the USA.

bodydouble

I think for sure the US market is much much more lucrative. That's why we hear all these stories about buyers in the US getting their cars for hundreds or even thousands UNDER INVOICE. But in Canada, in the absence of factory rebates, one would be hard pressed to be able to buy any import at invoice.

toneman2

Fair point. According to several recent articles in the newspaper, there is a huge and apparently lucrative grey market for new high demand vehicles being purchased in Canada and going over the border to the USA. It is fuelled by the diiference in the exchange rates. The difference in the dollars gives us a tremendous benefit in price over the USA,unless there is steep discounting involved. As long as the new Accord remains in high demand we are getting it dirt cheap in relative terms compared to the USA.

bcab

Did you hear from any NY-NJ-CT dealers? If so, where were their prices at?

ecarmack

No, I only checked deals in the Midwest. But just go to the Honda.com site, and in the bottom left corner you can search for dealers by town. I believe each search returned the closest 20 dealers, and their email addresses. I typed my email once in Word, and copied it to each dealer. It literally took minutes to send at least a hundred emails. Take a little time and you will find a good deal. Good luck.

bcab

I was just at the honda web site, and when I enter my zip code into the dealer search it comes back as "Error: zip code not found." I guess I'll keep trying.

diploid

Try a zip code of a nearby town or if you live near a state capital, use that zip code.

ecarmack

Use the search on the corporate Honda.com site, not the one on Hondacars.com. You only need the city and state for the search on Honda.com.

robertsmx

My last two mid-sized sedans have been Mazdas: '97 Milenia and '99 626, both v6.
My question is "Can a v6 guy find happiness with an i4?"
Accord I-4 should feel very much like your Mazda 626/V6. the output is very well matched.
Accord I4:
160 HP @ 5500 rpm/161 lb.-ft @ 4500 rpm
626 V6:
165 HP @ 6000 rpm/161 lb.-ft @ 5000 rpm

dindak

I'm not comparing the 03 CDN prices to US, I'm comparing to the old Accord and the competition in Canada. What goes on with US pricing is irrelevant. The 03 Accord is definitely not a great value, though I'm sure it will be a good car. I think the average Joe who wants an Accord would be smart to pick up an 02 before they are gone.

bcab

Thanks to both of you for your responses. I'll try the Honda.com search, and the Mazda V6 - Honda I4 seem comparable enough for me (especially since I think the weight of each car is close to the same).

mdbaker1

Here's the link:

http://users.starpower.net/mdbaker1/exv6main.htm

Eventually it will become a full site with a logbook, future accessory upgrades, brighter pictures (sorry), etc.

Enjoy...

-mdbaker1

maple49

mdbaker1 - The pics are great. Your Accord is beautiful. Do you live in VA? Looks a lot like my parents neighborhood in Potomac Falls.

Lots of luck with the new wheels. Don't forget to get the truck liner to keep it clean and dry.

ahossa

Congrats. Very Nice Car. Great PIX.However, It just doesn't stand out like an Altima. It's still a small car relative to Camry ans Altima.

dindak

Nice pics. Too bad Honda is still using those old style hinges in the trunk. Makes packing a full trunk a challenge.

ickes_mobile

Be sure and take the dealer license frame off. I am amazed at how people leave these things on their cars.

The trunk hinges are one thing I'm really disappointed about on this new car. Why use the gooseneck design when the trunk is already smaller than Camry/Altima/Mazda6/Passat? They should have used the $$$ they saved on the one piece folding rear seat for the double hinges.

mike1qaz

That short rear decklid really looks like it screams to be a hatchback.

ickes_mobile

even in Europe...

fredvh

Thanks so much for the nice pictures. I think the car looks sharp. By the way, do those wheels come standard with the EXV6? Are these the same wheels that come with the I4? Please keep us advised as the miles roll along.

sobers

After looking at the new styling in "person" it appeared to me more Mecedese like than prev Accords. There are many really interestig styling cues on the car. It is more complex than the usual coockie cutter [non-permissible content removed] styling. There are many detais that don't appear in the pictures

Interior is just awesome...materials approach luxury cars.

mdbaker1

Thanks everyone! Let me attempt to answer some questions:

-maple49: yep, I live in Ashburn which isn't too far from Potomac Falls.

-ahossa: The trunk is definitely smaller and I agree that the exterior looks smaller, but all three cars are comparable in size:

2003 Accord Sedan
Length: 189.5 in.
Width: 71.5 in.
Height: 57.1 in.

2003 Altima Sedan
Length: 191.5 in.
Width: 70.4 in.
Height: 57.9 in

2003 Camry Sedan
Length: 189.2 in.
Width: 70.7 in.
Height: 58.3 in

-ickes_mobile: actually, that license frame says "Alumni - Virginia Tech". I've put it on every car that I've owned since college. The car actually has no dealer markings whatsoever.

-fredvh: Yes, those 16" 7 spoke wheels are the standard design for the EX V6 sedan.

Keep the questions coming...

-mdbaker1

P.S. I just ordered some chrome exhaust finishers, wheel locks, and a cargo net...I'll take more pix when I add them to the car.

talon95

Where did you order the exhaust finishers from? How much were they?

Great photos, BTW...

mdbaker1

$65.00 for the pair at collegehillshonda.com

I've never ordered from them before, hopefully it will work out.

I used to buy a lot of parts from hparts.com, but they don't have any 2003 Accord accessories online yet.

I was a little disappointed that the dealer didn't throw these things in...especially since I paid full MSRP for the car. Oh well, you win some, etc...

-mdbaker1

marylandpeter

Why do you suggest taking off the dealer license frames? Do you make this suggestion for cosmetic reasons only?

I still have mine on my '02 Accord. My buying experience from the local Honda dealership was extemely positive so I'm willing to give them the free advertising.

obladida

I'm curious as to how (well) it works. As well as how well it fits in with the whole stereo/climate control set up.

ickes_mobile

Purely cosmetic. You just spent $25K on a car and have that cheap plastic thing around your license. However, my favorites are those on BMW, Mercs, Audi, Lexus, etc., from more midpriced dealers where the car was bought used.

silverk21

Sorry for the late post. Live in S FL so a swap would not be possible. Interesting though, many find the five spoke wheel more attractive. Check with the dealer to see if anyone local may be interested in a trade.