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Comments
Jeff
Is there any way to add them here?
and they are and advantage in cold damp weather.\
Well worth the "option" on the Accord.
-Craig
o heated side mirrors
o head air bags (standard)
o illuminated steering wheel controls
o illuminated everything else as well
o projector beam headlights
o gas struts for the hood AND trunk
o heated windshield washer jets
o heated seats (5 levels)
o auto up/down for front windows
o traction control
o MFA with outside temp, mpg (instant/average), mph (average), miles to empty, trip time, etc.
These are things that I'd miss if I jumped to an Accord EX-L. But I'd gain
o a nifty Nav system with voice controls
o better gas mileage
o runs on regular gas
o gas tank filler on correct side of car
o anticipated better reliability
Cost of entry to my Passat was $24k even (GLS, leather package, luxury package, Monsoon radio). An Accord EX-L with Nav, I'd guess, would run about $23k. Roughly the same price.
I'm not slamming the Accord. I would actually like to entertain the possibility of trading in my '02 Passat for an '03 Accord w/Nav after reading all this crap about coil packs blowing. But I have to get over the fact that I'd be getting less "content" by going to a newer vehicle.
-Craig
Herb Chambers Burlington
Herb Chambers Boston
Clair Honda Boston
Honda Cars of Boston in Everett
Silko Honda Raynham
Boch Honda Norwood
Weymouth Honda Weymouth
Honda Barn North Reading
Atamian Honda Tewksbury
Commonwealth Honda Lawrence
Honda North Danvers
Kelly Honda Salem
Bernardi Honda Natick
Honda Village Newton
Cambridge Honda Cambridge
See what their ads say, compare to TMV and carsdirect and try to get the best you can. Good Luck.
Do any of you know if body-colored splash guards are offered anywhere for the '03 Accord?
If you ever find a dealer that includes oil changes with the purchase of a car, you will find they use the 7500 mile interval since it is coming out of their pocket.
I am sure this response will create a flood of opinions that aren't backed by any scientific data. Honda knew what they were doing when they set the oil change interval for your car. I would tend to believe Honda over the opinions that will follow.
-Trip computer comes with navi (mpg, miles-to-empty, etc.)
-heated seats (2 levels)
-Outside temp
-Head airbags (along with side and curtain)
-traction control
-auto up/down for driver's windows (but not passenger)
Admittedly, some of these might not be on the EX-L 4cyl.
I agree that heated side mirrors should be there. All they have to do is route a heat vent into the door.
You're free to do what you will. For a 200,000+ mile engine, you're going to want to change the oil more frequently than this. I think Quaker State will warranty any engine that has the oil changed at 3k intervals all the way to 250,000 miles for FREE. Of course, these are too extremes- 10k and 3k miles from a company trying to sell cars and one trying to sell oil, and I'd say either is a bit extreme.
Remember, the point of changing your oil is to never have oil that needs to be changed.
The first oil change is most important- do not go over 3000 miles. In fact, I'd change it after 1 or 2k. It gets all the metal fragments from the engine break-in out.
Recent model cars, do not have "metal fragments" than need to to be removed at the first oil change unless they are defective. The build process is alot more precise than years ago and the engines are run at the factory before they are installed in the car. The owners manual will say what you need to do during the break-in period.
Sometimes they actually specify, DO NOT change the first oil early.
The cleaner an engine runs, the less often the oil needs to be changed because it takes longer for the oil to get contaminated.
There is generally a "severe" driving maintenance schedule you can follow that has more frequent oil changes if you think you way you drive is close to what is described as "severe" driving conditions. In this case that is every 5k miles. Sometimes the definition of severe is what most people consider normal, so perhaps many people should be following that schedule instead of the 10K oil change schedule, but no more frequent than that.
~alpha
The point is that if consumers can get it in Canada, why can't we? What?... it would be so difficult for Honda to do this? We have money and we want what we want.
You may want them but you certantly dont deserve them. Your comment makes you sound like a spoiled child.
you are free to change as often as you want, but the oil industry has so many people brainwashed with the numbers 3 and 3000 seared into our brainpans. it is also correct that the less emissions an engine has, the less often the oil is "dirty". honda has the cleanest burning engines in the industry.
My current car is an Acura CL with a 4-cylinder engine. The manual says to change the oil every 7,500 miles. When I first got this car, I checked the oil every few weeks and noticed that the oil on the dipstick began to get dirty and gritty at about 5,000 miles. So, that's how often I changed the oil. The car now has 182,000 miles on it, and it runs like a Swiss clock. No repairs have been needed, and I never have to add oil between changes.
I have a 4-cylinder EX sedan on the way, and I'm going to do the same thing with this car. I suspect that I will change the oil at about 7,500 miles, but time will tell.
They have a list of criteria in the owners manual for a more frequent maintenance schedule. The entire maintenance schedule (air filters, brake inspections etc), not just oil changes, becomes more frequent under those conditions.
5K also seems reasonable because it syncs the oil changes with tire rotations so you don't need to make a separate trip for the sole purpose of tire rotations at a different time.
On the other hand changing the oil every 3,000 miles on a car where the normal schedule is 10K miles is wasteful.
I remember setting them to 30 front/29 rear before bringing the car to the dealer, evidencing that the dealer lowered the tire pressure when they serviced the car.
With some folks not liking the firm ride, is it possible that Honda is rethinking the Accord's suspension setting for 04 models ?
Ever notice the clackety racket of older engines on start-up, gradually quieting down after a few seconds ? Those are the worn head parts like rocker arms, tappets, cam lobes, etc. that would get "late lubrication" either through the wrong oil or engine design or both.
The "winter-grade," first-crank number of 5w in the oil should therefore extend engine life. Not to worry, the 20 "summer" grade number makes the oil work just as well when the engine is at normal operating temperature. It's the nature of "multi-grade" oils to properly lubricate the engine under different operating temperatures.
That said, I'd personally follow Honda's 5w20 recommendation.
the '5w' part would be ok with the 5w30, but the 30 doesnt work right. the main reason behind the longer life of the oil in hondas is from much lower emissions, and less "leftovers" inside the cylinders after firing.
I don't have an issue with the rear end of it, except for the view from the front end looking back. Upside-down taillights.
And I'm not gonna whine about the lack of split-fold rear seat, foglights, trunk struts, and heated mirrors (yes, we do use those down here!), but it would have been nice...
My big beef (and this could well put the kabosh on an Accord) is the lack of side curtains in anything but the EX V-6. An abomination! You can even get them in a lowly 4-cylinder Camry LE or Altima 2.5S.
Fix it, Honda, and fast!!