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Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
I know this had nothing to do with Accords but I had to mention it anyway.
Also, does anyone notice the part where the stick shift is can easily be scratched? Do you have any recommendations on how to avoid the scratches when getting the car cleaned? Thanks.
I'm thinking that I'll probably want the windows tinted for looks and to help keep heat off the black interior. I haven't had a car tinted since the mid 80s so I have acouple quick questions.
How dark most people go, aren't they now rated in % UV blocked or transmitted?
Do you tint the front passenger windows also and should I go as dark as the back?
What is a ball park price from dealers vs aftermarket?
Thanks
Through a dealer you can probably expect to pay between $300-$500. Aftermarket will vary widely due to different quality products. Not sure where you are located but we have a favorite place in Florida that will do a 4 door sedan for $140 with a lifetime warranty and they use very high quality tint. We have used them 4 times and have always been pleased with the work.
I don't know what is your primary criteria in choosing a car. Even though I'm a Honda owner, I liked the Mazda6 more than the Accord for both driving and styling, and Mazdas in general have good reliability. You may want to check out the 6 before you decide. Unfortunately, the 6 wasn't out in time for CR to test, but I expect it to be close to the top of the CR rankings when CR testing is complete.
I have a suspicion that NAV is a $2000 toy I can do without, but I’d like some feedback from others who either had a NAV unit in another car or know more about what Honda’s system will do. Do I really need to pay 2K more so my car can give me directions that I could easily print from Yahoo or is the coolness factor just too great to pass up (along with the fact that NAV banishes those GIANT knobs from the dash)? Opinions appreciated.
I dont want the Ivory interior because it will show dirt and that fake wood is god awful. So that eliminates - Black, Desert Mist, White, & Green.
I dont like the blue its to bright.
So that leaves Silver, Graphite Pearl & Red. Any one of these colors would be acceptable to me.
I'm leaning towards Red because Graphite Pearl will probably show the dirt and eveybody and their dog drives a silver car, although it would easiest to keep looking clean.
All of this is of course JMHO.
PS: Anyone get any good deals between Harrisburg and Philly, PA.
Here's my take on which the Navi is good (also, look at the other Accord forums that discuss Navi vs GPS).
- Voice recognition to control climate and stereo and Nav is nice...keeps those eyes and hands on road.
- Eliminates the need for maps. Seems small, but I used to carry a lot of maps...this eliminates it and gains space.
- Don't need to print out or d/l anything from the internet (ex. mapquest, etc)before you make your trip...plug in the address (or if it's a business, the phone number), and viola, you are all set.
- Predictive keyboard makes narrowing the search relatively quick.
- It is also very cool. Everyone who takes a ride loves it, even those who have a Camry with the Toyota navigation (this one is better).
- I save a lot of time when driving to less than familiar areas. Also, the joystick allows you to scroll the map and surrounding area, in case you need to find a landmark or alternative route. (even though GPS will reroute you if needed).
- Driving through an area and want some fast food? A couple words or taps, and there they are to pick from. Closest movie theater, hospital, etc. same thing. And if you ask for gas stations, it will even display the brand icon (Chevron, Shell, 76, etc). on the map.
Trust me, this is completely worth it. I thought it was a toy, but every day that goes buy, I'm so glad I got it.
Reincarnation raised a good point about costs for updates although if one can afford to buy a car with NAV, one can probably afford the update (or at least Honda probably is thinking that way).
How much time/effort is needed to accomplish the voice training for the system? And how well does it work without mistakes? Voice recognition computer software still isn't at Star Trek levels and mistakes are common without strong diction.
There has also been discussion of whether design changes might occur in the short term, even though the design is new for '03 (e.g., messages #8157, #8158, #8179, #8185). Does anyone think they might offer different color combinations as soon as model year '04 (what I really want is silver/gray)? They could use the same materials they've already ordered. Is there any history of this kind of change? Is there somewhere on the web where I could look it up?
I recently bought honda from Grand Honda, they have great price and Sunny Sharma is a good dealer to deal with, check this dealer ship.
Thanks
If you are ride-sensitive [as I am], the slightly firmer suspension of the new Accord absolutely requires that you buy a good tire gauge and use it often. DO NOT exceed the recommended pressures displayed on the doorjamb placard [usually 30 psi cold or so, depending on the model].
My only drive in an '03 [an EX 4 cyl automatic sedan] was noteworthy for how much quieter and generally settled the car felt vs our '98. Ride was slightly firmer, but not objectionable at all - but then I never go on a test drive at a dealer without first checking the tire pressures [yes, I bring my gauge with me, hose and all, for these occasions]. If you have an '03 with a rocky ride, my first suspicion is that the tires are over-inflated.
If you are going to have the car for 7+ years, I would still recommend the Navi.
This isn't like a software company going belly up; these companies have been around for a while, so I expect they will support it (or someone will) for many years to come.
I think they may be using the same OEM for their GPS/NAV as does Alpine, so again, support will likely be around.
The 99 is quieter, but the suspension is stiffer, and I really don't feel 'one' with the car. However, my wife likes this car more, and I like it well enough.
Since our kids are out of the house, we are considering getting an Acura RSX, but I don't know if I would actually enjoy that car more than our 97 Accord.
I am sure there are people in the world with more serious problems than this.
Wound up buying an '02 EXL instead of the '03 EXL that I really liked because of the ride. Also have a '97 Accord, which has better ride quality for me.
Again, the updates DVD is optional; if you don't live in an area that changes frequently, you're probably okay.
fjb
You may want to get the updates, but like I said, it depends how much your area changes over the course of time...some places don't, some do.
I think you could update the DVD once every 2-3 years, and feel confident that you are "current".
Even if you spent $150 a year, that isn't a lot. (it's not just the maps, but the business listings and places) And if you use the car for business, you could deduct it from your taxes.
Now, if I was only back in the states, I would definitely be interested in the EX-L w/ navi.
-nobee
I've been doing a lot of comparison shopping lately and for the money a fully loaded Honda Accord, EX-L w/ Navi can't be beat. You get all the ammenities of a luxury car and the dependability that surpasses any European make or model. Having said that, however, If I only had to buy 1 car, instead of 2, I would probably revert back to a BMW. Most likely a 5-series. But again, 1 x EX-L w/ Navi and 1 x 6MT Coupe wouldn't be too bad, either!
Or do 35% (darker) on rear 3 with front 2 tinted with the 20% (lighter) for 189.99.
What did you use?
Does anyone think using darker on rear 3 with lighter on fronts will look goofy?
Is 20% two dark?
Did you shop other Dealers and find Grand to be best? I have the Internet price from Grand, but a Salesperson from Carrs` has promised to beat that.
Anyone else had experiance with either? Both reputable?
Thanks
It was a walkin to a Grand Honda Dealer, they had advertised Honda-EX for $19995, which is approximately 600-700 less than Invoice. I shopped with few of the honda dealers like Valley Honda, Honda of Lisle, Schamburg honda etc., they we at least 700-800 dollars more than grand honda. No suprises when I went in there, finance manager tried to sell me the extended warranty which I declained. I checked with few people around here who were happy with Granda Honda. Good Luck with your purchase.
In reality, I don't save much as far as money goes by doing it myself. Costs me about $14.00 using Mobil(dinu) and Honda filter, but the time saved and pure satisfaction of knowing it's been done right is worth it.
accord's factory rim has a 55mm offset because the car has a wide track to begin with.
thus, the 38 or 40mm offset can make the tires scrape the fender, i imagine, with a full load. worse, it'll strain suspension parts as the miles pile on, leading to early repairs.
i'm thinking that a 45 or 46 mm offset will be just right to improve performance and appearance while minimizing the downside.
i still have to do a serious computation, primarily of the offset in combo with 215 or 225 width tires, before i invest in the upgrade.
beware of stores both online and onsite that will push rims and tires with the wrong specs; rare is the knowledgable vendor (see those cars/suvs with knock-kneed rims and fender-scraped tires ?).
I want an ExL-v6 in graphite pearl. How hard is it to get invoice price for this model. and if I had to order it would it be harder to get close to invoice price than one off the lot?
Also does putting a larger down payment help with negotiating?
is it possible that C&D tested a v6 instead and got typos in the magazine saying it's a v4 (or i4?)
I have a Graphite Pearl EX-L...very good choice.
Had to pay a bit above invoice (I'm in CA).
By May, you may get a better deal, but it's all about supply and demand.
You will always get a better deal buying off the lot rather than ordering. Dealers make money moving the cars thay have. My advice is to find a dealer with one on the lot, and hit it.
Size of down payment has nothing to do with it.