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Comments
also i will move to montreal, do you guys think the ground clearence of a sedan is going to be enough consider the snow up there?
It's not as bad as that!
By the way, that also is the season for camping because igloos also melt during that time.
The only trouble with summer is that supply of blubber becomes kind of scarce and we are forced to eat grass (some call it vegetables) and other animals (cows/pigs/hens) etc. but that is only a short term hassle.
Life is good in Canada! I am sure you will enjoy it once you get used to it.
i would prolly agree that honda smacked a homerun with the latest 4 door accord...if they'd done a better job on the styling of the car's rump. i'm sorry, but those taillamps are just so measily and unexpressive on a car that otherwise looks pretty good.
as far as nvh control, the 4 banger ex-L i test drove was good, but not earth shatteringly good. it did display some wind noise and road rumble...kinda like the previous gen accord only slightly more muted...
maybe i was expecting too much. the reviews i'd read said there was virtually no wind or road noise in the new accord. i didn't find that to be true.
btw, i really couldn't hear any engine noise on the four banger i drove...
I agree with your comments about the Michelin MXV4 tires; good, but pricey and wear fast (45k). Had them on my 99 Ody EX. Also had the Price Club version of the X-one (plus) on 95 Dodge GC AWD which Michelin rates as not quite as good as the X-ones (9 vs 10). They were luxurious when new and lasted 70K miles & 4 years but got harsh towards the end. They were not great in snow.
Then tried Yokohama Aegis LS4 for last tires for the GC AWD. They felt as good as the X-one pluses, were surprisingly quiet inspite of the blocky tread, were great in snow, and at half the price of the Michelins. The 99 Ody is due for a new set and I have ordered Yokohama Avid Touring tires for it. They are the newest design Yokohama Avid tires and get great reviews at the TireRack site.
Both the Aegis LS4, and the Avid Touring are near the top of their class in TireRack's "All Season" and "Touring" tire classes.
Consequently, in shopping for my replacement vehicle (family parity), I am considering another Pilot, an Accord, and others, though I do like Hondas. Test drive in 03 Accord EX V6 pursuades me I can have the near luxury ride and quiet I enjoy in the Pilot with a whole lot more spirited driving.
Also, I'd like to buy from a dealer closer to home what with the recalls these first year Honda's are having.
Total delivered price was $23,991 ($316 over invoice)
Dealer Mark Roberts Honda in Bartlesville OK
This price was available until 9 Sep but dealer then went market pricing.
$1000 discount on 4 bangers and V-6 is close to sticker but I think they sold quite a few for $316 over invoice prior to 9 sept (from allocations)
Mine was the second V-6 delivered. I ordered it on 22 July and it was built week of 4 Sep and finally arrived noon today.
Keep in mind I sold my 2002 Acura 3.2 TL privately for this Honda.
I find the Honda superior in many regards to the 3.2 (more power 240 vs 225)
Better quality interior materials and leather is much better than the stuff people called pleather on the last gen Accord.
Quiet and smooth. The seat is super comfy (dealer was 50 miles away so nice long return trip) I really like the color and was a little worried. My accessories are due in a few days and on the morrow I get the mandatory OK window tinting.
My sunroof wind visor fit from my TL so will I put it on—that 2003 style is way too “bat man” for me. Ordered splash guards, exhaust finishers and touch up paint.
The engine is fast and smooth. Amazed I can use 87 Octance. Insurance quote was less than my 02 Acura 3.2 so I am one happy camper.
INKY
what do you think about the price? high? low?
what do you think about the number of miles? high? low?
what do you think about the price based on miles?
any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
my cons:
- price is high considering kbb and tmv values and the mileage
- mileage is high
- car has avg. 12,900 miles/year (over 10 years) ... high, but okay
- about 70,000 miles left before 200,000 miles. that's not a lot of miles left and if i was to use it 10,000 miles/year that only gives me 7 years of use, that also is not a lot of years (it was suggested to me that I should at least expect 10 years of use).
my pros:
+ kbb "good" or edmunds "clean"
+ 2 owners
+ clean history
+ test drive
Thank you for the invoice information. However; the 03 Accord I looked at listed for MSRP $26,260.00 I did not see in your list one at that price level. It was an EX-L V6 loaded, except nav.
Do you know the invoice on that one?
Thank you,
Pete 85
And who said by default all used cars should easily last ten years? It all depends on how old the car is. The chances of a 5-year old car lasting ten more years problem-free is alot more than a 11-year old 1992 model. If I were planning on spending $5k on a car, I would be happy if it lasted 7 years/70,000 miles and I am pretty sure your car will last. But ten years might be pushing it. The car will last ten more years in one piece, but as the years progress, you'll need to spend more on maintenance. How much more is a matter of luck and Honda quality.
So keep in minds, for a car that old, repairs & maintenance costs need to be considered. if I keep my car another 5 years, I would budget at least $1k/yr on R&M. That has been the average of what I spent the last 5 yrs, driving 12,000m/yr. Cars are never maintenance-free. So don't think you'll pay $5k for any car drive it for ten years and not spend regularly on it's upkeep.
FYI I'm looking to replace my car, not because I find anything seriously wrong with it, but because I am ready for a car with more luxury/safety features and less maintenance requirements. Good luck.
Also, no offense, but there is a lot of talk about the new accords and newer models in this area. Is anyone aware of boards or groups that talk more about older honda's. Any help will be appreciated!!!!!
1. No side curtain offered in any of the trim level. A real bummer.
2. 17" wheels are an option. Cool. (Standard on the Coupe 6M of course).
So true!! Many car makers are missing the boat on this one (redesigned Avalon, new Pilot, Highlander, Accord, RX300, etc.)! There is an excellent research article on how impactful (no pun intended!) side curtain bags are at the insurance institute's crash site (not the gov. one). The stats are shocking on how they save your head (life) in a side crash. I've postponed buying a new car until the one I want has them. (I'm still not sold on the Passat's long term reliability - and Volvo sells overpriced & unreliable transportation.)
Here is a link to their list of articles, but I couldn't find the article. May be a link off of another article. http://www.hwysafety.org/sr.htm
Ralph
INKY
My theory is that since NO hondas/acuras have had side curtain airbags (except maybe the RL), they want to phase it in slowly to make sure there aren't any major problems with them such as the single stage airbags in earlier cars that were a risk to people who sat too close. Hopefully the '04 accord will have it at least as an option on more models.
The fact is the Accord is still just a low- to mid-priced car (although an excellent one). Therefore, it is equipped accordingly. As an example, you have to get an EX or LX-V6 just to get rear disc brakes.
Typically safety features start off on more expensive cars and trickle down to the "lesser" models. That's one reason you don't see other safety items like HID headlights on the Accord. But over time you will as these features become more mainstream.
as for the side curtain airbag, since i'm not gonnna get the exv6 anyway (sunroof eat too much headroom), so i don't really care if canadian model has them or not
as for the HID light, i really don't think it's a safety feature, as it's not all that helpful for city driving and would likely blind the incoming drivers.
Regards,
Mark.
HID lights are not considered a safety feature in most people's minds. Sure they light up the road better, but Honda's current halogen headlights are almost just as bright. They are certainly not as important in terms of safety as side curtain airbags, and in terms of safety offered per dollar spent.
Hopefully the accord's body structure will be strong enough to be able to get by for a few years without side curtain airbags in most of its models. But I'm almost sure they'll offer it as an option towards the end of the current generation just like how side airbags were not offered in 1998 on the accords, but are now in 2002.
http://english.honda.ca/models/accord_sedan.asp
Not to mention, there is a difference in brand and market appeal. Professionals and corporate executives will drive a TL (we have a couple of 45-plus VP's in our Corporate head office who drive TL's) but would never consider an Accord. Why would you when you're getting a nice car allowance? I doubt the core Acura buyer would go down-market to a Honda. On the other hand, you might see more Accord-owners (like us) tempted to go up-market, which is a good thing for Honda, since there's better margins on luxury lines.
Besides, the main competitor (2003 Camry XLE V6) is already at $36.5k without the options you added on (although i would argue the MP3-players "must-have" status).
I do agree, there doesn't appear to be room for a TSX-sedan in this pricing scheme. Unless, they don't sell the EX-V6 in Canada and slot the Acura TSX in that range, a possibility?
But you will pay significantly more in maintenance. I've never had the pleasure of bringing an Acura in for service to an Acura dealer, but based on what my Honda dealer charges me for service on an Accord, I would expect Acura service costs to be much higher.
Do any of you '03 owners have any initial impressions about handling and cornering yet?
On my '01 V6, I found the handling was biased a bit too much toward understeer for my taste; the coupe was better (it uses a 17mm rear bar), and the Acura TL was better yet (18mm rear bar). The TL Type S was the quickest handling (least understeer) with a 19mm rear bar. All used the same front bar (25.4mm, hollow). I opted for the Type S 19mm rear bar, and the resulting handling is dramatically quicker and cornering is flatter than stock.
The bars cost about $50 each (dealer order; obviously not an in-stock item), plus about $20 for new bushings; installation takes less than an hour, just 6 bolts. The ride penalty is almost undetectable except on a series of sharp one-wheel bumps, where you can tell the rear is a bit stiffer than before. On both-side bumps like expansion strips, the bar just pivots, so it has no effect on ride.
I have a suspicion that Honda opted to use the lighter rear bar to design more understeer into the family sedan, thus making a stability-control system less important. The 19mm bar on my '01 makes the steering pretty neutral, so if you are stupid, you probably CAN spin it on a hard turn by doing something violent like hitting brakes in the middle of the turn. With the stock 16mm bar that is pretty difficult to do; the heavy understeer covers your errors pretty well, at the penalty of slower handling responses.
Honda seems to be following BMW's lead. The base prices seem reasonable but they kill you with the options. Just consider the following: $2800 for DVD, $415 for a cassette deck(!), $270 for outside temperature gauge, $400+ for auto day/night mirror, $1600 for a set of nice alloys, $200 for "premium" floormats. All in Canadian funny money, but still adds up quickly. I noticed this even on the Pilot. I think the Pilot is only good value when you opt for the base model with very few options.
8-way Power drivers seat
6-disc CD in-dash
Driver's one-touch up AND down
That funky remote-all-windows-down-feature
Driver & Front passenger side airbags
Security system/anti-theft device
Telescopic steering wheel
On Camry, but not Accord:
Cassette
Vertical headrest adjustments on rear seat
Rear seat splits 60/40
There may be more differences between the two, but I would say the two models aren't twins in terms of equipment. I'ld go through the detailed list of specs with a fine toothcomb, take into account the warranties amd financing being offered, and resale value, then make your choice. Either choice is likely a good one.
In addition to the items listed by tanveerm, the Accord has the trunk pass-thru, the 5-speed auto, dual-zone auto climate control, traction control & electronic throttle control, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, heated seats. The Camry also has outside temperature gauge and rear HVAC vents (I think).
So is the added features worth the extra $3.5K? I think Toyota's PDI/freight is a couple of hundred dollars more than Honda, so the difference is closer to $3K.
Even just looking at the MAJOR equipment differences, would I pay an extra $3K - $3.5K for 48 more HP, a 5-speed auto, side airbags, traction control, auto climate control, and a power driver seat? It's not a slam-dunk no-brainer, but I would probably say "Yes".
The above also confirms my belief that if you resist the temptation to load the car up with DIO, the Accord will be as competitively-priced as any other COMPARABLY EQUIPPED Japanese sedan. The no-brainers will come after the 3rd year when Honda starts bringing out the SE models.
Keep us posted on your car as you continue getting it broken in!!