Older Honda Accords

robertsmx

Why would you say that LXV6 doesn't sell well while it remains rare trim on dealer lots? John pointed out the unavailability of this model which is my observation too.

prophet2

According to all three dealers on our island, the allotment of LX-V6 has always been far less than the EX-V6. A lot of LX buyers opt for the 4-cylinder and this is the best selling model. It seems that those looking for the V6 are willing to pay for the features which come standard with the EX. Then, there's the question of color choices. The other week, there were EX-V6s in all six colors available, including three in gold. There were only TWO LX-V6s total, one of which had a dealer-installed "spoiler."

The financial reality is that in considering "supply-and-demand," the actual deals which can be negotiated result in price differences between EX-V6 and LX-V6 being far less than the MSRP spread, often about half. Some will consider that a great value for the extra cost, others won't. Why should a dealer discount the low-supply unit the same as those which are overflowing the lot? They won't because they don't have to.

I prefer the "bells and whistles" packaging approach of the EX-V6 rather than "up-grading" the LX-V6 with after-market stuff. Others think otherwise. Whatever "floats your boat," I guess.

vonlinz

Thanks for your responses. Apparently, it was the solenoids. The dealer replaced them and so far, so good.

canadiancl

Here in Canada, the LXV6 was only offered one year (2001), so my guess is that there wasn't much demand for it. IMO, the EXV6 is a better value (maybe the BEST value for ALL family sedans) if you consider content to $. However, there are a few people who simply don't like some features on the EX for practical reasons. The moonroof and leather are the 2 most commonly named features that people don't want. Personally I am neutral on those items. I actually prefer the LXV6 for a reason that no one else has mentioned. The LXV6 did NOT come with the factory alarm system. I much much prefer the Honda dealer-installed alarm. It has a lot more features than the factory one. It must be just me since no one else seem to take issue with the factory alarm. I was hoping that they would include alloys on the LX for 2002, but unfortunately they discontinued it altogether.

moses13

i have to say that i feel the ex v6 is THE BEST value of all midsize sedans under $30k (maybe even $35k) when you look at what's out there for this money and how some manufacturers(are you listening toyota ?) nickel and dime you with options and option packages you have to appreciate the "boring" accord. honda gives you all the bells and whistles, super reliability, and fantastic resale value. for those who don't think resale value is important let me tell you a story...
we live in fairfield county connecticut, a nice affluent suburb about 50 mi north of nyc
in 1996 we had our '91 accord se stolen. the police found and chased the thieves thru several local towns and lost them. the car was later recovered abandoned down a ravine in the woods with over $8k damage. insurance repaired it all(it's still going strong at 125k miles) but the guy who owned the insurance carrier approved body shop told us that had we had a taurus or some other common midsize car we would have received a check for a few thousand dollars and been forced to go buy a new car. RESALE COUNTS!!!
also for those who poo poo the moonroof... we live in the northeast and let me tell you after a dreary winter on those early spring days when the sun finally shines and the trees are singing and the birds are in bloom(you know what i mean) there is nothing nicer than turning up that stereo, opening the roof and taking a ride. as for the leather, cold, hot, whatever ? with minimal care the leather only gets better with age and adds so much to the quality feel of the interior. it does not take too long to cool in the summer or warm up in the winter and it is far superior to ANY cloth interior
save your money, save your time, by an exv6 and rest easy knowing you've found something actually worth your hard earned money. any doubts? read intellichoice, car and driver , road and track, edmunds, etc, etc, etc...

dz_annaba23

But isn't it true that if you buy an Accord, you' re taking a risk of your car being stolen. I guess if I decide to buy an Accord 02 EX 5M, they will try to get me to get Low jack which is another $500 or $600 dollars !!! All you accords owners, what is your take on this: your car being stolen ?? have you thought about it before you bought your accords ? does your insurance cover everything when you find your car ? THX

canadatwo

Replaced by the SE-V6 for 2002

added alloy wheels, sunroof, and a couple other "goodies" over the 2002 LX-V6

The alloys are not as nice as on the EX. They actually look pretty cheap.

moses13

if you wear a nice watch don't you risk being mugged? sure so maybe you insure it
so if you buy an accord and it does get stolen
the whole point is if it recovered or not because it holds it's value so well you will get a fair shake from your insurer
of course as with anything proper discretion must be exercised
low jack,alarm whatever
bottom line you want a good car, you don't want to pay an arm and a leg and should anything happen you don't want all your money to fly away the moment you drive off the lot
whatever you buy follow your head and your heart but to me it would seem shortsighted not to buy a vehicle solely because it's a favorite target of thieves unless you have to keep it in a high crime area, in that case buy beater for a few hundred and use it to drive to your garaged accord in a safer area
good luck

jfavour

I bought a 2000 LX-V6 over the EX-V6 and the EX 4cyl auto. At the time the EX 4cyl. was about the same price, but had a few more features (moonroof, cd player standard, which has since been added to the LX-V6). The EX-V6 was over 2k more, yet I got exactly the same car mechanically, the only driveability difference being the tires. I like moonroofs but am indifferent about leather, so for me the 2k wasn't at all worth it. I know the EX-V6 has other things like steering wheel stereo controls, automatic climate control, etc. but do you really need those things? The stereo is an easy reach from the drivers seat and the climate controls are about as simple and ergonomically perfect to operate as there are in the auto world.

BTW Edmunds lists the TMV of the EX-V6 at $23,774, the LX-V6 at $21,115, and EX 4cyl auto at $20,884. Local deals will obviously vary from place to place. Any way you go, all of the Accord models seem like great deals compared to other cars!

zorglub

back in Nov 2001 (cloth, not leather). Main reason I got it is that the EX came standard with ABS, and I felt pretty strongly about getting one. I know that you can get it on the LX, but it is apparently pretty hard to find. Furthermore, the list of standard equipment in the EX won me over. And finally, I did not want to spend the extra $2-3k to get the V6.

Overall, I'm very happy with it (6 CD changer rules) and the engine has all the pep I need. I'm sure you'll enjoy your LX-V6 just as much.

Happy driving.

ghomaz

I would like to thank you for the excellent tip that you gave me about where to buy a HondaCare Extended Warranty at a reasonable price. Thanks again!

ghomaz

Personally, I chose to buy an LXV6 last year as I tend to keep my cars a long time and I have seen from experience that sunroofs/moonroofs start leaking after 7-8 years and leather becomes brittle and develops cracks.

canadiancl

As Car & Driver once noted, you cannot go wrong with ANY of the Accord models.

qamarmu

Bought preowned 2001 EX-L 4 cyl, great car, fun to drive, excelent handling, nice and spacious interior, with all quality craftmanship, 6 cd chnager is best thing in dash..can't camplaint..

Gas millage is wonderfull, added couple of exrta after market items, looks and feel better then a Lexus or BMW

ickes_in_wi

Does anyone here think their Accord is loud on the highway? We just drove to Wisconsin today, and I swear this car has more tire/wind noise than my '95 Contour. I-94 from Minneapolis to Madison is mostly concrete which is loud to start with, but I also percieve more noise as we pass people.

I read in one of the archived discussions about door/window seal problems that may be the culpret. Could just be tires too.

canadiancl

Hondas in general are not particularly quiet cars. Post-2000 Accords are supposed to be quieter though. Tire noise is a common complaint. Different brand may help.

ickes_in_wi

I get the sense that the Michelin MXV4 - Energy Plus tires on the car may be "hard" to improve fuel economy.

ickes_in_wi

I probably wouldn't buy them again anyway as they cost $160 each!

fxashun

I don't think you have to fear a Honda roof leaking. I've owned a buncha dem and not only are they leakproof they seem to work more reliably than any other brand.

robertsmx

At about 52K miles, I had the opportunity to replace the tires (Michelin MXV4 Energy). Those tires don't seem to like concrete/old asphalt. And they are expensive. I did some research and the best deal was at $127/piece.
I decided to go cheap, and got Michelin X-One (T-rated) instead, not a great tire, but quieter on roads where the OEM tires were vocal. However, these tires seem to have a little more rolling noise on smooth surface.
Mine is '98 Accord EX-L with about 65K miles/

robertsmx

In five of the cars that I have owned with moonroof, only one has had leak, but it was also an aftermarket unit, and the rubber seal gave up too early. Otherwise, never had a problem with one.

I prefer having moonroof for more than one reason, fresh air, nice 9-months in Texas, and useful during the remaining three months (July-September) too!

fritz1224

I got the lx because of the lack of certain features which I felt were unnecessary, possible future problems and just not desired.
1. Leather upholstery-not wanted
2. Alloy wheels-just look at the wheel covers'gashes and scrapes and no more needs to be said.(wife's car)
3. sunroof-don't like holes in my roofs no matter how well they seal.
4. various electronic gizmos-unnecessary IMHO
The important stuff like power, ABS, SAB. Oh, and did I mention power, are what matter to me.
And since my lx is signet silver, the rarity of this configuration becomes even more pronounced even if it's not the most sought after.
I did see a lx the other day that had body color matching side moldings. The running boards(?) were the normal black. Guess they had to special order that set up. Looked nice.

moonkat

robertsmx,

michellin x-one's cheap...?

to reduce noise on my 99 Ody EX (firestone affinity oems back then), i went with michellin mxv4 energy plus's. up until then, i was a michellin fan, and agonized between michellin x-one's (excellent tire), which i had installed on my 95 gc awd in 96, and the mxv4s, and i opted for the bettter handling mxv4s (you've got to drive the ody to understand why i wanted good handling tires on a van).

the mxv4s are a good tire and did quiet the ride though not as much as when i switched to the x-ones on the gc. also, snow performance was lacking, and tread wear is not great.

when the x-ones needed replacement (70K miles) last year, i wanted something similar but inexpensive (here's where the 'cheap' part comes in). i scoured the 'tire-rack' site and came up with a recommendation (top 3 in all season tires) for yokohama aegis ls4. at $50 per tire, it was half the price of the x-ones it has been an excellent value. quiet, in spite of the aggressive tread; great in snow, and surprisingly good handling (there's that word again) on my old van.

since then, other better tires are outscoring the ls4 in its category. now that i will be replacing the mxv4s on the ody, i am considering the bf goodrich control t/a m65 which looks to be an even better $50 tire. see tire rack:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/bfg/bf_control_ta65.jsp

moonkat

actually meant to point to this chart on the tire rack site:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/as.jsp

postoak

We are in agreement on no desire for a moonroof or leather upholstery (the alarm on the EX would have been nice, though), but I don't understand your comment about side moldings. Our 2002 LX has body colored side moldings and the black running boards (okay, I know they aren't actually running boards) -- isn't that normal? I have seen some older Accords with body colored running boards and thought they looked better than the black ones, but I wonder if they don't show up dirt more.

robertsmx

X-One's "cheap" compared to to Energy, but not really cheap at $82/piece. I preferred to stay with Michelin (and then I also got a pretty good Emergency Tool kit from Michelin with tires).

fritz1224

Maybe the term I am using is incorrect. The items I am referring to are the strips of protective rubber that are mounted to the surface of the doors to protect against parking lot door dings. My 2k lx has black ones and I was under the impression the color ones only came on the ex. Is this wrong? Was this added to the later model lx's?
And as far as color matching running boards(whatever), I thought these were only available in the ex trim.
Is your,s a v6?

venus537

"Was this added to the later model lx's?"

Yes, this is correct.

fritz1224

Maybe the term I am using is incorrect. The items I am referring to are the strips of protective rubber that are mounted to the surface of the doors to protect against parking lot door dings. My 2k lx has black ones and I was under the impression the color ones only came on the ex. Is this wrong? Was this added to the later model lx's?

fritz1224

I went to edit my last post and when I reposted, your response was posted ahead of my edited one. You were either quick to the draw or you have ESP(LOL)

postoak

I have a 2002 LXV6. venus537 has explained about the side molding color being changed between 2000 (yours) and mine. On the running boards, I think you are suggesting this is different for EXs. I'll start noticing if the ones that are body-colored are EXs.

nofeer

Any pictures, updates, information? Size, etc.

benjaminh

Does anyone out there own an Accord DX 5 speed? Our local Honda dealer advertises them sometimes for $13,950, which seems like a pretty amazing price. I realize that the DX is a bare bones model--no power anything, not even ac, just a stereo, but you still you get all of the essential qualities of an Accord at a low price, and perhaps there are fewer gadgets to break later. AC is a must though, and I assume that Honda dealers will install that for a price, but what price? Also, what kind of mpg do you get with the 5 speed, city and hwy? Thanks...

ickes_in_wi

My in-law, who works at a GM plant, says the noise is from the Bailey around the door (that's a seal to you and me). I'll have it checked next time I'm in for service.

fxashun

You would think for the frugal driver that would be a more sought after model. In the Accord or the Civic. The Honda engine runs forever already and taking off all the other options would pretty much make the car bulletproof.

ghostbuster23

Wow. I'm also a BenjaminH.

Don't know about DXs though. LX will probably hold its value better. Who's going to want to buy a car without all of the power accesories in five/ten years? You also get the 150hp VTEC engine with the LX.

diploid

That a DX model can be so spartan. Perhaps that's why I don't see any on the road.

alpha01

I had a 94 Civic DX that was so simple and true to the priciples of basic transportation, it was just a machine, and I really enjoyed it for that reason, especially as my first car, purchased completely with my own funds as a 17year old, in 1998. Too bad I only had eight thousand trouble free miles, as my engine... did not run forever, the Head Gasket blew and it never ran well again. Finally sold it at a major loss, and ghostbuster is right- having no desirable options save A/C, my DX did not enjoy the resale value it would have, had it been an EX. I loved that car, but it sure was a money pit.
~alpha01

stevem327

I own an Accord DX, but it's a 4-speed auto. It came with A/C, floor mats, and pin striping for $14,426 last November. $14,426 was actually the invoice price WITHOUT A/C, floor mats, and pinstriping (the dealer just wanted to get it off his lot). I think the actual dealer cost on this car was about $15,400 after they added the options.

The window sticker MSRP for the A/C was $1,695 but I'm guessing it probably costs the dealer around $800 to install. My gas mileage so far (after 3,200 miles) is running about 28 mpg combined highway and city driving.

The only thing I miss about this car is not having power locks. But my goal was to just keep my monthly payments low so I'm not really too worried about the lack of options on the DX model. It's reliable and inexpensive, so I'm happy for now.

fxashun

But yours seems to not be the rule. I know my 1993 EX Coupe runs like a top at 143000 miles. I'm gonna sell it at 150K and get a 1995 with V-tech or maybe another 92-93 Integra.

alpha01

thats why I'm not soured on Hondas. I still think that some of Honda's models are tops in their categories- ESPECIALLY home runs like the Odyssey and S2000.
~alpha

tcpip1

I have better luck than alpha with my '89 Accord DX 5-speed with A/C. It works well as a commuter car for me. It has ~190K miles now, with the original transmission and engine. A few times I wished it had power window, when my passenger forgot to fully close the rear-passenger side window; the wind noise was annoying. One complain: the headlight bulb seems to fail quite often.

I was a newbie when I bought the car. (I liked the popup head lights. I just looked up my purchase invoice. I paid $15K+ for it in '89!

robertsmx

Try not to touch the glass of the bulb when replacing it.

twoonsongbird

Well, here I am...a newby at posting and hoping for responses...I'm probably lost...I want to know this:
Am I crazy for thinking that a dealership in zip 76133 wanted to give me $9200 for trade in of our '97 Accord EXV6 with 70600 miles (dark green)? It has leather, power driver seat, pw, pl, moonroof, alloy wheels, alarm & keyless, tinted windows, window antenna, good tires and is clean, clean, clean...
If I'm in the wrong place...please tell me where to get this info...

sobers

Go to this forum (use search facility)

benjaminh

190k on your 89 Accord DX 5 speed with the original transmission and engine! It sounds like you got your money's worth. I guess it's too much to hope for that it has its original clutch too. What are some of your secrets to long car life (aside from buying a Honda)? Oil changes every 3-5k? What kind of mpg do you get? Will your next car be an Accord too?

prophet2

In our area, it was the Accord that started the "Additional Dealer Margin" on the "Add-A-Tag" second-sticker mania decades ago. It was a $500 premium those days; now, it's $3995, even though the selling prices are typically $1-2K below MSRP. You'd be surprised how many people are unaware - they consider a $2K discount off the MSRP + ADM price a "bargain."

When it's the Odyssey, that's another story. After three years, they still command a premium and MSRP is a great deal.

p_g_00

What's the market like? anybody purchased a 4 EXL recently?

chauct

A friend of mine just got 1 for 20.5k

jrct9454

For our area on the West Coast [95758], I can assure you that a '97 with those kind of miles will book wholesale right around the number you were quoted, plus or minus a couple hundred $. Certainly, no one in the current saturated used car market would bid around here at over $9.5k.

A private sale is always an option, of course, but with all of the requisite hassles...