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Comments
Can you give me a quick summary of the best-rated
winter tires from the magazine?
Thanks.
H rated winter tires (up to 130MPH, good for low speeds / handling )
Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW-2 $132 - excellent
Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 $126 - excellent
Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport $155 - excellent
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 $130 - excellent
Q rated winter tires ( speeds up to 99 MPH, where winters are less severe )
Kumho I'zen Stud KW-11 $50 - excellent
Michelin Artic Alpin $85 - excellent
Very true. I can just imagine going through the rigmarole with the Honda salesman about it. Too much effort for something that should be available from the factory, regardless of how inconvenient it is for Honda. Ends up being more of an inconvenience to the customer.
Another thing is, when I turn the key halfway just short of igniting the engine, all warning lights are turned on including the three lights on the left-hand side (battery, engine oil lights--I forgot the third one). Although honda manual says door open warning light is turned on, it doesn't say the same about battery, engine oil check lights, etc.
Please let me know if anyone is experiencing this.
For those of you who also had a problem with it pulling to the left or right, how did it get resolved?
Thanks!
I have a 2002 Accord Special Edition 4cy - I am just turning 2900 and have to change my oil by next weekend - Do I have enough Miles to switch to synthetic oil ok at this point? Am I considered 'broken in' with 3000 miles?
Thanks,
Dan
As for the 17" wheels and tires .. almost all Honda options are dealer installed because you can't pick and choose options from the factory. Fog lights, front and rear spoilers, wheels .. all of those are dealer installed.
the reason i say "trust" is that a dealer's products, for the most part, are able to be backed up, and there is no risk OTHER than money.
if you have a stupid salesperson, dont be afraid to ask for another. it's your money. i've had customers that our personalities didn't mesh who i turned over to another salesperson myself. you could go to the same dealer on different days, and have 2 totally different experiences.
if the risk and work involved to do it yourself are worth the dollar savings, then more power to you. i just have a problem with people coming on here saying "ALWAYS do this, and NEVER do that".
thats like me saying "always buy a honda, and NEVER look at anything else"
I agree with ickes when he says that you already paid for the 16 inchers, and now you have to shell out an additional $1,000.00 for 17 inchers. Unless, of course, you want to upgrade to the EX model, which I think Honda wants you to do if you're willing to pay that much for a nicer set of wheels.
Buy a set of 4 17" Honda wheels from any of the various online Honda parts seller. Buy a set of performance tires from tirerack. Sell your existing wheels/tires on ebay.
If you have an EX model, which already has 16" alloys, you likely will get $700 selling them as a set on Ebay.
New 17" wheels = $850, shipped
215/50-17 tires = $650, shipped
Local tire mounting = $80
Sell existing wheels/tires = ($700)
-----------------------------------
Total = $880, which is a $500 savings over the "upgrade" price from the Honda dealer.
I would love to hear what other dealers are doing about this. My steering and driving was actually made correct by switching the tires which seems a little too easy and only masking the situation
INKY
The V-6 Accord represents to me not a perfect package but a nicely done all around car for the money. The Camry is outclassed, the Altima is way outclassed. The interior quality and nice leather is impressive to me. Too bad Honda has no intent of making a 6 speed V-6 with a spoiler called the SE V-6. Why? Why? funny marketing. but it is all about volume not a 10000 unit selling manual V-6.
Second, the Odyssey will also "roll" if you take your foot off the brake in a incline/decline. I discovered that this is the way the transmission is designed, it is supposed to do that. Since the Accord now has a 5spd auto (Odyssey also although I don't think they are the same) I would be comfortable that this is not a problem.
I would not be worried about either issue. If you still have doubts, check with the dealer.
You can see that this is intended to be an update of the 5th generation design. But, I didn't think the sedan looked too great in low light either, mainly from 3/4 rear view. This is basically the same view I had of the car the other day on the highway and didn't like either. I really think the back end could use an extra inch or two of length relative to the rest of the car (especially the c-pillar). And, the tail lights are too thin if anything.
Of course, that interior can more than make up for the exterior...
The V6 has a 7500 interval for light duty. For extreme duty it does have a 3750 mile interval.
Honda's bigger than Nissan, has more money. Infiniti's coming out with a bunch of RWD cars. If Honda puts its mind to it, it has the engineering to make its RWD cars outhandle BMW. TLs, CLs are bumping into the limits of what FWDs can do.
Over there, they think their Accord (or the Mazda6)is huge because its bigger than a Focus. Right or wrong, we don't have the same spatial or economic constraints making is feasible to drive a more roomy car. What's wrong with rear seat room?
Honda has themselves said that they will not invest the $$$ into developing RWD platforms or V-8 engines. Its just not consistent with their ideals. Look for them to make-up the difference with technology, such as IMA, instead as shown on their current concept cars...
Don't get me wrong. I know in its way the new cord is a great car. But its looks are just so bland. What's sadder still is that it's trying to look beautiful. And Honda knows how to make a great performance car, witness the euro cord R and integra R, but they just don't want to do it in NA.
Do dealers have any control over the interest rate I pay with Honda finance corp? I have perfect credit and am seeking a rate below 4%... can I negotiate it in any way?
Also, who keeps the documentation fee? I might buy in GA and it is like $300 there.
OH, and what's the website to see the Euro Accord? Will honda be making a station wagon out of the Accord?
2. Your doc fee would be paid in whatever State you register the car. If I buy a car in WI but live in MN, I have to pay to register it in MN, not WI.
3. Go to www.honda.uk to see the Euro Accord sedan and ESTATE.
Do dealers have any control over the interest rate I pay with Honda finance corp? I have perfect credit and am seeking a rate below 4%... can I negotiate it in any way?
Also, who keeps the documentation fee? I might buy in GA and it is like $300 there.
OH, and what's the website to see the Euro Accord? Will honda be making a station wagon out of the Accord?
as usual confused
Thanks
[Our personal car at the moment is an MB C240 in Bordeaux Red - high maintenance for sure...but then I have the time to spend to make it look good. Most people don't and won't...]
Euro/JDM Accord is shorter than Passat and Mazda6. It is probably a compact sedan by EPA standards (must have 96 - 105 cu ft. interior volume to qualify as mid-size). American Accord squarely falls in the middle of the pack with 102.7 cu ft. (about 99 cu ft EX/EXV6 models). To maintain volume in America, I'm sure it would be difficult to compete with space disadvantage. American Accord is still smaller by American standards. Forget Buick, it is shorter than Nissan's midsize offerings (Altima and Maxima).
And then, based on rumors, Euro/JDM Accord is being anticipated as Acura TSX here, and it will likely be a parallel offering to American Accord. So, "lifestyle" buyers (as Honda call 'em) have a choice besides the volume seller. Not a bad idea. If Euro/JDM Accord did look like American Accord, a lot of people would continue to bash for being look-alikes, and this difference in styling is a way to cure that. Think of next TL as the larger Euro Accord. It should look very similar except that it may retain Legend-like rear as opposed to RSXesque tail lamp.
I have not driven the new Accord yet, but have learnt from these boards and road tests that the ride is Euro-firm and overall an improvement in terms of smoothness and sportiness over previous generations. So, it is neither Buick-like isolating and floating car (Camry/Avalon have the patent), nor entirely in BMW regime. In their mainstream offerings, Honda seems to prefer middle approach, and we could see it as the better of both worlds, or the worse of both worlds, depending on our preferences and approach. And Honda mentions the American Accord not as a direct competitor to Passat ("Lifestyle") or to Camry ("Volume"), but to both.
As far as RWD platform is concerned, Honda may be developing one to compete in the commuter car market, or may be not! IMO, their priority may be to improve market position by maintaining strong presence and financial situation. Development of new platform and several models is tough on bank balance and Nissan can do it now because they have to as they must improve their position compared to their recent past. Renault would like to get returns on its investment. Honda has to go alone and must continue to do the same that has helped it grow.
Over RWD, I would prefer to see Honda offering IMA in a variety of models, including TSX, TL and RL. I test drove Acura CL 6-speed a few weeks ago and I was impressed at its dynamics, very much like my Prelude and for all road driving requirements, it lacks nothing (except that it deserves to lose some weight and size).
It's been impossible to find a 5-speed EX-L coupe to drive. Since it's so hard to find one the dealers want us to give them $500 to reserve one even without us being able to test drive one. We were told last night that a local dealer had a 5-speed EX to drive but after driving 70 miles all they had were LX 5-speeds. ARGH!
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/ly/images/03accord_1.jpg
OK, so this afternoon my two year old wanted to go for a car ride. I asked if she wanted to go look at Honda's and she said "YEAH!! - HONNNA!!" (That's my girl - a fanatic in training).
Anyway, this dealer had a number of LX and EX models out on the lot. In spite of my earlier comments, the EX (either I4 or V6) is good looking. The LXs are not (again my opinion). I don't know if its the hubcaps, the black rocker panel or what, but its not good. I also don't know if its just me, but is the paint different between the LX and EX. There was a green LX that looked really flat.
All I know is its going to be a REALLY tough choice when I get around to buying a new car.
But the back of the coupe is definitely, IMO, Acura CL with Mercedes inspired taillights.
I thought the 1995 CL-X concept had an aggressive styling, but the production CL (gen-1) benefitted little from it (side sills, grill and to some extent the headlamps and may be the rear deck). With gen-2, CL became a 2-door TL. Now I hope, the next CL gets more of the CL-X lines.
Being a Civic owner myself, I'm looking forward to buying my next Honda in a year or two. Hopefully, Honda will unveil some new vehicles during that time. But I can't help feel that this sales of the Accord are going to be really struggling for that 400K annual volume after the first year.
My email address is pat@edmunds.com, but you can always find it in my profile. Besides in the title of posted messages, all hosts profiles are accessible at the top of main discussion list of the boards they host.
Jeff
As much as I loved my 97 Civic LX (yes, also a 5 speed) the Accord is on a different level.