Older Honda Accords

bodydouble

Imagine how guys who live right at the border feel -- so close, yet so far!

I guess the trade-off is you guys usually have better color selections.

hky

I would change it rather than sorry later. 10 yrs ago I had an eclipse (< 50k at momment), on a drizzling day and I was talking to myself the car is so smooth...then "pop" and lost all the power - the belt broke and damaged the engine. Dealer replaced everything but the car sounds like a tractor afterwards..

dudleyr

A/C is a dealer installed Accessory. Your Honda dealer will install it for about $1,000 or so. The DX is an excellent buy, especially since it now has ABS, and is often advertised very inexpensively as a price leader. I bought my Integra RS (base model without A/C) and had the dealer installed A/C - it is seamless, just like factory air.

diploid

Off-topic, but the front of this little Honda looks really nice. Should've been the Accord, IMO.

http://auto.ascii24.com/auto24/issue/2002/1030/images/images668006.jpg

http://auto.ascii24.com/auto24/issue/2002/1030/images/images668007.jpg

bowke

why would any of you use oil thats not recommended by the manufacturer?!? do you think you can out-guess the people that built the thing!?! for crying out loud, why would honda tell you to do something that would harm a product they build, just for an extra tenth of a mile per gallon?!?

accord7

Regarding the rattle at the top of the door, I think it will go away on it's own. We have an Odyssey built in Japan that had a rattle at the top of both front doors. It drove me crazy for a whole year, then it gradually went away. I think the problem was definitely at the top of the door frame. Honda tried to put pressure on the frame to make it fit tighter, but it didn't help. This is what I would call a "breaking in" rattle, on it's way to becoming silent.

maxamillion1

I think the mudguards look very nice on the new Accord, but I don't think they do much to keep dirt and rocks from hitting the body, especially the front ones which are VERY small. If I decided that I want the Accord, which is probably going to be the case, I'll have my mudguards painted to match the paint of the car (Noble Green or Redondo Red) I bet they'd look nice body colored. I hope this helps.

Also, you may want to order your guards from
www.collegehillshonda.com
or
www.handa-accessories.com

They sells these accessories cheaper than ANY dealerships in my area. If you haven't finished the deal on your new car purchase have the dealer throw them in for free, they did this for us when we brought our new Honda Odyssey in August.

muskadine

My wife and I are gearing up for a battle royale between an '03 Camry LE and an '03 Accord LX. What are people paying for Accord LX's? I live in Northern California and would like to see how accurate Edmunds' TMV on the Accords is.

Thanks,

muskadine

gmg1031

Think we should start our own "elusive rattle club"? I have an '03 EX-V6 and noticed after a week or two that I, too, was getting a rattle. Mine may be different from yours -- it seems like it's either where the windshield meets the car on the front driver's side, lower left corner. Or it sometimes seems like it's in the driver's door window right at the level of the side view mirror.

Anyway, my point is that over the next 2 weeks, the rattles started getting fewer. But any little residual rattle drove me nuts. Every now and then I'd hit a hefty bump in the road and I'd hear that little squeak/rattle/knock sound. I tried every different scenario short of driving the car (via cruise control) while pushing on the windshield with one foot, wiggling the driver's side window with my other knee, stomach pushing up against the telescoping steering wheel (in case that was the culprit), one elbow against the center armrest, my head stretched all the way to the moonroof to try different presses and pinches and pushes, then reaching forward to steady the driver's sunshade, and somewhere in all that mess, having at least two fingers on my left hand to steer with.

In the end, I'm happy to report that none of that disgusting visual was ever necessary. The rattle is gone, all on its own. For 3 solid weeks, not a peep. I therefore figure a 3 week survival rate in the world of squeaks could be considered a cure. Good luck with yours!

diploid

That agrees with what accord7 suggested.

darmarm

We purchased our new 2003 LX at the invoice
price in AZ. We weighed the two cars you are
considering and the Accord wins for 2003 be-
cause of its new technology, increased hspr
and mileage as a result. The main difference
is that the Accord is a more solid ride, while
the Camry is softer.

bodydouble

I hate to be a party-pooper and I pray to God I'm wrong, but sometimes rattles disappear due to weather (ie. temperature) changes only to re-appear when warm (or cold) weather returns.

oddhack

Edmunds TMV prices seem to be way too high in this area. I just bought an LX-V6 in Palo Alto for $250 over invoice, TMV was much higher.

You might want to see the "Honda Accord Owners - How Much Did You Pay?" discussion as well.

pkcicco

MTR2, I would change it. There is no reward in waiting. If it goes you'll kick yourself in the pants not to mention the wallet. When u go to have it changed they'll wanna hit u for a waterpump as well. Most places will only charge u for the pump and not the labor since its off already. Good luck

pkcicco

I had the exact same problem a few years ago. First they thought it was a fuel filter/injector/ pump problem. After going through that expense with no results, it turned out to be a timing belt problem. They changed the belt and the problem was solved.

dindak

I've seen several 03s now and although they are bland, they still look much better than the 03 Camry. I wish Honda would take more chances with styling as most of their vehicles still do not move me in any way.

prebmw

I also had thought that maybe my noise could be weather related. However, I live in the midwest and have had the car long enough to have the weather go from very warm and dry to cold and wet (45 today and haven't seen the sun for over six days). I was driving it last night in the rain, once again the noise started. I lowered the window a bit and the noise went away. Closed the window, and back it came. So my lastest guess is that it has something to do with the way the window sits when closed. I can definitly identify with the above post that talks about the driver being a contortionist while driving trying to figure out what the cause of the noise is. I always pray that no one sees me that I know while I am driving and trying to figure out the source of teh noise. I know that they would have me put away.

prebmw

After reading a couple of my past posts, it struck me that besides the fact that I can't spell, I sound kind of negative about my 03 Accord. I don't want to give that impression. Besides being anal, I am a bit of a car freak. I subscribe to several car publications and follow cars closely. I drove everything out there before buying my Accord that cost between $20,000 and $30,000. My final decision actually came down to the Accord & the Lexus IS 300. Other cars would might something that I liked better, but when I took the total vehicle into account, nothing topped the new Accord. My wife had her RX300 in for service last week. We had a new ES300 for a loaner. It was not $10,000 better. When the total cost of ownership comes into play, there is no question in my mind where I should put my money. No, the car is not perfect. I have a rattle. The visibility out the back is not the best. However, it does drive well (nice combination of power, handling and comfort). The cost to buy is reasonable, it is not expensive to keep up (unlike our Lexus - great quality, but $50 for an oil change?!), high quality and I feel good driving it. Sorry for the rambling, but for the my needs and the overall cost factor, I am very happy that I have a new Accord.

dfong87

prebmw- hope you read this before you hit the dealer tomorrow.

I have one theory based on cleaning the car last night: the source of the rattle may be from a molding on the OUTSIDE of the car. i'm not sure this is the right term, but i think it's called the "rain channel." there is a molding that runs from the corner of the windshield, along the side of the windshield, over the driver and back doors (along the roof edge) and terminates near the back window. while wiping down the car last night, i noticed i could make it do a muted rattle. the passenger side, on the other hand, had no such play. the give/play is minor, but i would guess that it is enough to vibrate over uneven pavement and emit a sound audible within the car cabin. my guess is that's why we can't seem to pinpoint it when in the car. when the car window is open, i think there is enough other noise, that we can't hear the rattle since it is quieter than ambient noise.

just a theory, but at least to this engineer/scientist/wanna-be rattle detective, this makes sense.

if you guys could check this molding strip out on your cars (just push down on it to see if it emits a sound), we may be able to confirm/refute this theory. my guess is that once it is "popped up" in equilibrium, the rattle ceases...but then something disrupts that equilibrium, and it starts again. hence, the coming and going of the rattle.

just my 2 bits. maybe prebmw can have this looked into during his friday visit.

dfong87

muskadine, last time i checked, the TMV numbers are way off. you are better off looking at Carsdirect.com for guidance in terms of what you should pay. [ie, don't pay more than it would cost you via carsdirect.com!]

FWIW, on our 2003 Accord EX, we paid about 50-100 bucks over invoice (i can't remember the exact numbers: i offered an out the door price and they backed out the appropriate pre-tax/title/license/doc fee cost) at Honda of Stevens Creek. i would imagine you could do a similar deal or better (since this was a few weeks ago) on an LX model. Other Bay Area dealers (i'm not sure which part of No. California you are located in) worthy of checking out (based on prior experiences): Anderson Direct in Palo Alto and Capitol Honda in San Jose. all 3 dealers are fairly high volume and probably can cut you a decent deal.

good luck.

dfong87

gosh, i hope you guys are right. i would love for these rattles to go away on their own. i would guess that my rattle is similar to what gmg1031 describes...it seems to move about some. i do think the theory i posed a couple posts back has some merit. perhaps that strip seats itself finally so that the rattling goes away.

dfong87

well, it sounds like we are cut from the same cloth: anal about rattles and make dumb typing/spelling errors in our posts.

anyway, i completely agree with your assessment of the car: beyond the rattle (which i admit is really driving me nuts, and subsequently, i'm driving my wife nuts!), so-so rear visibility in the rear, this is a fabulous car. i have no reservations about recommending the car, even with the rattle i'm trying to subdue. the rest of the positives outway my sniggling complaints.

the es300 and is300 are nice cars indeed although i haven't test driven the latest generation. you're right, 10k more is a quite a big difference in cost.

question though: your Lexus (RS300)has been reliable otherwise though, right? $50 for an oil change is ridiculously expensive. my guess is if you avoid going to the dealer for maintenance, ownership (after initial cost) costs of the Lexus is fairly low, right? [i do oil changes myself or, if lazy, go to my mechanic whom i trust and he charges me only $10 labor if i bring the oil, filter and washer]

aming

Just can't seem to get enough info on the accord.

Here are the power bands for the 2002 and 2003 Accords.

http://www.hondastyle.com/articles/press-releases/8.9.02_Accord/ dyno2.jpg

http://www.hondastyle.com/articles/press-releases/8.9.02_Accord/ dyno1.jpg

Please remove space between 8.9.02_Accord/ and dyno1.jpg and paste in browser.

Thanks...

inemer

I done this only once: skip mudguards installation on my wife car (93 Nissan). And I regret this decision every time I wash her car. After this all my cars (Accord and Maxima) had mudguards. I don&#146;t care how they look, what I care that they safe lower bottom of the doors.

seaf

For those of you who have visited dealers lately, have you noticed if the LX I4 Auto with Side air bags as being common in the dealer lots? I just hope it's not one of those "you can order them, but we hardly ever stock them" type of deals. I'm sure the regular LX I4 is common, but the side airbags is important for me, and I don't want to pay extra for the EX moonroof, CD changer and alloy wheels. Thanks.

dan165

My neighbour bought an 03 LX. Having been an Accord owner for a number of year (traded it for a Olds Bravada SUV this year) , I was very curious.

So far no major complaints though there were a couple of loose pieces of trim inside the car which had to be fixed up. I was very impressed with the new interior. What does not impress me is the exterior which seems a bit bland. I guess a lot of people like bland these days so I'm sure it will be a best seller as always.

dfong87

they are around, but not close to as common as the standard LX.

for example, at the dealer we bought www.hondaofstevenscreek.com, i see that their current inventory has 1 such vehicle of that model compared with 20 of the plain LX.

if you aren't worrying about Color, then you probably will be ok. i think if you want a particular color, then you may have a more difficult time getting your car of choice at a reasonable price.

we were sort of in the same dilemna as you: wanted front side airbags, and wife definitely wanted a white car. after looking around at inventory and getting a feel for LX with side airbag avail., we ended up with the EX. it wasn't such a hard sell for us, however, because i strongly wanted the 4 wheel disc brakes as well. the other stuff [alloy wheels, 6 disc CD changer, alarm, and sunroof] were nice but not necessary (about in that order of priority for us). in the end, i'm glad we got the alloy wheels and 6 disc changer. the other two are less useful. but i like having 4 wheel disc brakes...whether it really is much better than the disc/drum combo of the LX is probably more my subjective imagination.

but i agree, if all you want is the airbags, then why pay an extra 1800 for the other goodies that you don't care about. but if they don't have what you want around and charge a premium to get your car, you may end up looking at the EX because it makes better economic sense.

good luck.

robertsmx

I wouldn't call it bland, especially given the way people discuss it. IMO, it is stylish in its own way, some call it ugly. Bland would be something where it is more mainstream than anything, neither ugly nor stylish, just easily forgettable. I think Honda took some chances with styling this time and they have succeeded in that regard. But I think, front is more aggressive than the rear.

prebmw

Thanks to all that offered advice on the rattle. I also had suspected that maybe it was the roof molding on the driver's side causing the noise. When I checked, the driver side molding was actually tighter than the passenger side. Plus, I think that the noise disappears if I lower the window a bit. Hope that I find out at the dealer tomorrow. In regards to the Lexus, yes they are very cheap to run. Our 01 RX300 has never been back to the dealer for defects. My family is actually big into Lexus - my brother has a GS and RX, my father has LS and had an ES. All have been wonderful except for my dad's LS that had a groan with the motor on the power steering wheel. It is a well known problem. Armed with the information I had received from Edmund's, that got taken care of. The only problem is that it costs an arm and a leg to get service from the Lexus dealer. Plus, I think that I get better service from my Honda dealer - just no loaner car.

dfong87

please follow-up after you've returned from the dealer. hopefully you'll have some good news and information to report back.

bklynguy

a couple of days ago, I saw 6 new Accords on the same day ! ( 3 on the nj turnpike, 2 on Rt.3 & 1 on Rt.46 )

It looks like I jumped the gun, but I still think people are waiting for the Mazda6 ( or for the economy to improve )

well, I'm taking a 3 week trip to Germany & Austria soon, I wonder if I will see any interesting Hondas over there ( is the euro accord available yet ? )

diploid

I think the Mazda6 has been soooo overhyped it's not even comprehensible.

You want handling, looks, and roominess and performance and decent pricing in a family sedan? I don't think so. 4/5 maybe, but definitely not 5/5; something's gotta give.

I saw 3 more Accords today - 2 graphite and 1 white. The taillights are starting to become less objectionable.

jrct9454

...you can go all day and all night and not see anything Japanese, much less a Honda. Mazda, Nissan, Toyota have the most share right now; many more Honda models are to be found on the roads of the UK [since they are built there, along with some Nissan products], but much less so in Germany. Switzerland, on the other hand, has been very receptive to Japanese cars from the beginning [while everywhere else there were import restrictions, now gone, thankfully]; now that the trade barriers are down, and quotas off, it's going to change. Honda still doesn't have the penetration it wants in the EU - Toyota is growing faster, with a wider product line right at the moment.

muskadine

Thanks to everyone for the pricing tips. And, uh, yeah, next time I'll check out the "Accord Prices Paid" page.

Is it just me, or is the Edmunds TMV indicator becoming less reliable as an indicator of fair market price? This is the second or third time that there was as much as a 5% desparity between going price and Edmunds TMV.

Go figure.

Thanks again for the tips,

muskadine

ickes_mobile

There was just an artical from Rueturs (i think) that said Germans favored Japanese cars in a recent owners survey. If I remember right, the survey was similar to a JD Powers owner satisfaction survey. The result is probably due to the fact that there are so few Japanese car owners, there aren't enough of them to be dissatisfied!

s852

I really doubt most people are waiting for the Mazda 6. Most people have no idea that it is even coming out.
Many people may be waiting for the ecomony to improve before buying a new car though.
The exterior styling of the new Accord is kind of bland and could have been better, but it is not a deal-breaker for most people. Look at the Camry! Is that any more exciting than the new Accord?
Passat and Altima exist for people who place exterior style as a higher priority. Too bad the the Altima has such a cheap interior, yet still prices out with a higher MSRP than an Accord once you match options and standard equiptment. In fact, the Altima, Camry and Passat all cost more once you add options to match an EX Accord. I can see some money in the Passat interior, but the Altima has no excuse.

ickes_mobile

Seems like all those people waiting for a Mazda6 are jumping ship because of limited option packages. Nothing but negativity for the last 100 posts or so...

diploid

Good. Give 'em a taste of their own medicine after coming in here when the Accord was initially launched.

maxamillion1

Most people don't even know that the Mazda 6 exists. When I showed some friends some pics of the new Mazda 6 they didn't know what it was. Actually a lot of people think that the Mazda 626 was discontinued years ago, it seems that way because so few are seen around here. I too was disappointed with the option configurations with the new Mazda 6, hopefully they will get to the bottom of that. But I can load a fully loaded 6s with everything except BOSE audio, Sports pkg. and Side airbags for about $23.8K according to the Mazda website. So acutally the Mazda 6 can be cheaper than the Accord, but I want have the nice sound system or the side airbags. Leather sunroof and other options are included though.

dindak

Mazda will have to do a heck of a sales job on the 6 as people will not be expecting what is coming. Many people may think it's just a reskinned 626.

From what I have read the 6 will be a very competitive car so if sales are slow, deals could make it very attractive to me in the future.

ickes_mobile

currently has some very competitive products that do well in most reliability surveys. However, they seem stuck in the detroit model incentives game. Even on the Protege5, which they consider to be a sales sucess, is offered with zero percent financing...

pmhtv

I am getting ready to start shopping for an '03 Accord EX 4 cyl w/5-speed. How prevalent is this combination on dealer lots? Will I have to special order, and if so, how long do special orders usually take?

tblazer503

is a not so common vehicle... There are currently a few running around... also depends.. coupe or sedan? coupes are kinda touchy to find right now by what I've seen shopping around, and EX 5MT's are difficult to comeby depending on what color, etc. I was told that you couldn't special order one because they are all allocated.

As for the poster that wanted to know about Accord LX over the Camry LE, I would go w/ the Accord. For about the same money, you can get(for the I4) ABS standard, they now have timing chains, and, I believe alloys. I also believe that the Honda LX's are getting decent deals in the western area right about now...

dindak

Hey, if I was buying a small car today it would be a Protege, not a Civic. If they want to sell with 0%, all the better!!

ickes_mobile

except to point out the resulting depressed resale value. This of couse can be off-set by keeping the car long term/high miles.

dudleyr

Protoge is a nice little car that handles well, but it sure does guzzle gas. Gets the same on the highway as the much larger v-6 Accord. Both are 30 mpg with automatic.

umyaya

Anyone know if there are any financing offers out there on 03 Accords? Or of good sites to check to find such offers in general?

eman5

Has anyone experienced this? Is the ride noticeably different? Are the 17" wheels worth getting?

jvkalra

and Camry sales down 9%. I'm sure there is more than one reason for the drop in sales, but suspect that the '03 bloated look could be a significant factor.

pda97

Jvkalra - you're probably right. However, let's wait another month or two before jumping to conclusions. However, with all the heavy discounts on the 02 models, you'd think that October sales figures would be way up there. It's interesting that they're down for the Accord.