2013 Honda Accord Driving Impressions

michaelvox

Hey everyone. Thought it would be nice to have a place to discuss what we like/don't like about our new Accords. Be sure to mention which Accord you own.

Me: EX-L V6

Like: quietness, acceleration, features, MPGs.

Dislikes: not crazy about the engine braking. We'll save our brakepads, I suppose. The iphone integration isn't what I thought it'd be for texting. The way it stands, its a feature I can do without.

Comments: I don't mind the LDW. Few false alarms. Often I don't know I'm over the bike lane marker until it beeps. I've had fewer collision warning beeps. And mark my words: that camera on the right mirror is going to make all of us _worse_ drivers than we are now. I have never been in an accident in 30 years of driving, but even for someone as safe as I am, I find myself doing a headcheck less than I used to. There is almost no reason to use the right mirror. I mean, of course there is a reason, but it's easy to just check the screen and carry on.

Anyone else?

yatittle

Hi! I am torn between EX-L w/nav four or V-6. Heard bad things about CVT so am leaning toward V-6 to get six-speed tranny. Don't really need all that extra horsepower, and reduced gas mileage is not a good thing. Also, am very leery about that feature where three of the six Cylenders shuts off if the car deems it appropriate.
Please share some insights.

michaelvox

I chose the V6 because the Honda V6 I'm replacing is still running smoothly and quietly with 208,000 miles on it. It's parked outside right now. I didn't get either V6s so I could race people, but a big engine gives you power if you ever need it. Plus, it's my opinion that Honda has a pretty good idea of how to make them. The CVT is supposed to be an awesome improvement over older ones, but my other car is a Camry hybrid and it weezes as it finds the right gear. I'm sure that Honda has made them much better. The Cylinder shut-off has been a technology for years. Even pickups use it. The mileage is something to think about. My real world average is 27.04 but I've been playing with different speeds and power and gears. When I calm down, I expect around 30 for the way I drive.

frogee

There is as thread here about unwelcome vibration with the six, presumably when it switches to three cylinder mode. I realize that Honda has been using cylinder deactivation for several years, but I think they have changed it for this model. Namely, they used to also employ a 4-cylinder mode at times, but have dropped that. Perhaps they need to do some rethinking.

Also, Sport mode on the V-6 is almost useless, way too aggressive with shift points. It doesn't shift to fifth gear until you reach 70-80 mph! Would be nice if they offered a manual mode, as they do on the coupe.

jjjaymmman

I have the 2013 V6 EX-L, no navi. Driving with Econ off (using all 6 cyl) everything is smooth and the response is impressive. I got 28.2 mpg on a 17 mile trip (1/2 city, 1/2 highway and very little hills). With Econ on, I pulled an impressive 42 mpg on the return trip (same 17 miles). I did not notice any bad vibration at all. The engine did sound a little different and the response time was a bit slower, but look at the mpg difference (well worth it). Also, while using the Econ dash green light to monitor my driving, I only added about 90 seconds more on the return trip. Overall, excellent vehicle, excellent price.

jjjaymmman

Sorry, I did not preview my previous post. 42 mpg was incorrect, it should have been 34.2 mpg. I apologize.

valleytrojan

You mentioned that the engine sounded different, but was there a noticeable vibration? Some have complained about a vibration.

jjjaymmman

Honestly I have no complains about how this car feels when it flips over to 3 cylinder mode. I have not experienced any heavy vibrations as some others have posted. For me to notice the change over, I have to shut the radio off and really listen for it, it is very minor at best.

Also, I really like the electric steering. It is quiet, smooth, and reacts so much better while parking.

I've read that some do not like the electronic steering feedback while driving on the highway but I did not have the same reaction. It drives just like a BMW 5 series I had while living in Germany. It handles great at all speeds.

Actually, this was one of a few tipping points on why I went with the accord versus the Camry.

beav6

Just traded our 2008 EX-LV6 for the new one and like the improvements very much. Interior is quieter and finished nicer. Seats (especially head rests) feel much better. Touch screen controls are easier to use and we like the bigger display for audio. The new 6 speed trans is smoother than the 2008 5 speed and the new suspension and sound proofing gives a very nice driving experience. Hope the lane departure and forward collision improves safety with interstate travel. Looks like gas mileage will be better than the 30 highway mpg of the 2008. Only disappointment so far (had the car a week) is the loss of storage space in the console and lower dashboard area. Three pockets are gone and the two that remain are half the size of the 2008. Very happy with the new model thus far!

stevec27

I traded my 2011 EX-L V6 for a 2013 EX-L V6. Loved my 2011 with no complaints. Really like the upgrades to the 2013 including the exterior and interior. My wife didn't the the faux strips on the trunk of the 2011. It was a very solid car. The noise reducition in the 2013 is nice and the other amentities are great too. No complaints whatsoever. Bought it for $27752 using Consumer Reports guaranteed pricing. Corwin Honda in Jefferson City Mo was great to work with and hassle free

yatittle

So if I understand correctly, if you shut off the economy mode, you lock out the three cyllinder option. Hopefully, this is correct??(yat)

yatittle

How do you folks feel about a black exterior and black leather interior? Too much black??What the heck is "Hematite"? Most of the color options are so common. Guess this should be the least of my worries!

blueiedgod

Took a 2013 Accord EX 6 spd for a test drive over the weekend.

I have to say that for a big car it does not feel big at all. Seemingly endless power, all the way to the red line, without the drop off.

The clutch is feathery light.

The shifter is snickety slick, with precise gates.

Reverse is really way out to the right, I actually hit the salesman's leg looking for reverse.

It is a little bit wierd to shift into "reverse" going on the highway, when you in fact shift into 6th. But, it really is a tall gear. Dropped RPM's to about 2500 at 70 mph. But, even in 6th, at 70, when punched, there was enough torque to gain speed without the need to down shift.

The car corners like it is on rails, there is no body roll, and shifting the weight forwared enterring the turn, and back to the rear midcorner makes it really dig into the corners. I felt like I was driving the old Honda 4WS, as if the rear wheels were also turning in the corners.

There was not a hint of understeer, and maybe even mild oversteer.

I was lucky, I had a salesman who knew of the vehicle's potential and actually encouraged me to take corners at higher speeds than I did.

I haven't tried the V6, since they don't make it with real clutch in sedan, but what can't imagine having 100 more horses up front would feel like. But, the I4 felt like it had more power than one would use everyday, and plenty of "emergency" power.

faischivo

Had the 013 v6 sedan with navi since sep. I would like to know if the navi in your car is a little slow to respond ,and if your having any problems what so ever with the phone or any other issue .

rodut

You say: "It is a little bit weird to shift into "reverse" going on the highway, when you in fact shift into 6th".

Actually it's completely impossible to shift into Reverse while driving forward high speed on highway. I tried. At faster than a couple of miles per hour, forward motion, the R disappears from the map. You simply can't push the lever to the right of the 5-6 position anymore. A really funny test you can do, to see it for yourself, is the following:

At let's say 25 mph move the lever to neutral, and release the clutch. Then start gradually slowing the speed with the car in neutral ALL THE TIME. Keep pushing the lever to the RIGHT, and releasing it, like you would want to reach the R level. It will go only till the 5-6 level (like R wouldn't exist). At a couple of miles per hour suddenly the lever will go more to the right, reaching the R level. It's a great safety system ! This test is no risk for the gears, because during the test you neither push the lever forward, nor pull it. I am talking only about lateral motion to the right, and release. Wonderful, huh ??

I agree that the 4 cylinder engine is amazingly powerful, so killing the planet by buying a V6 isn't a responsible choice.

suydam

We purchased a 2013 EX-L (without nav) 2 weeks ago and are really loving it so far. Our previous car was a Nissan Maxima (2001). Interestingly, back when we got the Maxima, we looked at the Accord, but it seemed like a distant second in every way. How things have changed! We wanted to change from the V6 to the CVT and from premium to regular fuel, but we wanted a similar driving experience as in our Maxima. So far we have found it in the Accord. The engine is much smoother and quieter than the Altima, which we also drove. Interior is very nice. Love all the new technology like the backup camera, lane watch, and right turn camera. You have to get nav to get some of that plus touch screen on the Altima. The two-screen interface for radio and all other controls is really easy to use and I am certainly enjoying the 3 months free XM. Everything seems to be right where it should be. My only gripe is that currently you can only get the Homelink garage opener on the V6 -- why???? Had to dig out my old door opener remote.

What I most like about it is how effortless it drives, but not floaty or dead feeling. The steering, handling, all feels just right, just as our Maxima always did. I feel more connected to the road than we did driving the Altima or especially the Camry. The whole car feels very solid. I like the memory power seats too. Accord also has power passenger seats -- neither Altima nor Camry do. The Altima is better looking IMHO but I like the interior of the Accord better.

mpholt08

Hi all,
First ever new car purchase for me, upgrading from my 2002 Nissan Sentra.

I've been considering the new 2013 Accord and also had been interested in the 2013 Altima. I've test-driven the Accord, but not the Altima. Pretty much no longer considering the 2013 Altima due to all the issues I've been reading about with the CTV, etc.

I had a few questions on the Accord, and appreciate if anyone can help answer. The questions may be a bit over the place, but appreciate any insight you can give on any of them. Almost definitely going to get the Accord, just now to decide which one

1. Considering the Sport trim. Is maintenance on it much higher over the life of the car? That is, will the tires add up to a lot more?

2. Interested in getting the Remote Engine Start accessory added. However, does that require two remotes to use it?

3. I'd like a good sounding audio system (audiophiles would call by good system a decent probably - that is, i'm not an audiophile, but would prefer a system that the everyday owner would consider good). I would prefer leather heated seats, which I saw only comes available on the EX-L model. However, not sure its worth it to pay the extra money. Two dealers mention they offer having a 3rd party company install the leather and heated seats on the base model (well any model probably). One dealer mentioned they would absolutely not do that at their dealership, as they don't want to worry about the airbags in the seats. I'm definitely hesitant about having the aftermarket done. Considering an EX-L but not sure its worth the extra money for primarily the heated leather seats. Any opinions?

4. When do the new 2014 Accords typically come out? Any rumors on what to expect? Trying to decide if I should wait til get the next version instead - or, buy the 2013 for cheaper when the 2014's come out.

5. I had a verbal offer they though they could get me for 27,000 out-the-door on the EX-L. Good offer?

6. I've heard the EX is the sweet spot for bang for buck, which model/upgrades would you get?

Thanks for any help you can provide!
Matthew

mpholt08

suydam

Can't answer questions about the Sport as I have the EX-L. I think you should at least drive the Altima. It has remote start and a better stereo (in the SV and SL trims), for one. It's a good-looking car too.

However, we got the Accord instead. I found the Altima engine to be annoyingly noisy while the Accord is much quieter. The stereo is not as awesome as my Maxima's Bose, but it is pretty darn good, and I'm picky. I hate tinny sound! Remote start sounded nice but keyless entry is fine with me as I have a heated garage.

You should be able to get the dealer to install leather/heated seats on any vehicle. I had that done on a Mazda I bought awhile back. That said, the EX-L is really nice, but I wanted the other extra features like the right lane camera and Lane Departure system, which you can only get with Nav in the Altima. So check out the extra features and see if that makes it worth it to you. Pricewise, according to Edmunds the invoice for an EX-L including dest. fee is $26,399.

Finally only you can be the judge of these things -- noise and sound quality are very subjective. The 2014s don't come out until October I believe.

beav6

Until you can get your 4 cyl to run on three cylinders like my V6 does most of the time please don't call me irresponsible.

rodut

I can't remember ever talking to you. But if you insist, I would say that your V6 running on 3 cylinders burns more gas, so pollutes the planet more, than my 4 cyl running on all cylinders. The highway gas consumption numbers (when the V6 runs on 3 cyl) show it.

I could explain why, but I have this feeling that it would be a complete waste of time.

With some people it's just not worth it. What really bothers me is that sometimes this kind of people are our leaders. This is really sad for mankind.

beav6

I guess it's a sign of the times that civil dialog is dismissed. You can write me off if you like but I would be interested in your highway consumption numbers.

rodut

Looking around ... not many people talking here ... OK, I would look at the "EPA Fuel Economy", not at the "Unofficial MPG Estimates from Vehicle Owners ":

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=33172&id=33269

So on highway, the V6 running on 3 cylinders burns more gas than the 4 cyl running on all its cylinders. I agree the difference is small. But the real difference is in city driving when all 6 cylinders stay turned on (Honda couldn't turn off 3 cylinders when waiting at the red light, because the engine would vibrate like crazy).

If you ask about my car (2012 Accord, 4 cyl, manual), the most economical value I got was 6 liters per 100 Kms, which is 39mpg. This looks better than the best EPA value for my car, but a bit worse than the NRC value:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/tools/fuelratings/ratings-results.cfm

Canadian and US values don't match for the same car. Because the testing method is different. Canadians test highway driving at very low speed (48 mph - not realistic). US testing is more realistic. For instance to get that very economical value for my own car, I drove on side roads at relatively low speed (around 50-55 mph) for many hours, without many stops (this gets better mileage than going high speed on highway, because of the high friction with the air at high speeds). Nobody drives at 48 mph on US highways. Here in Canada, on these curvy side roads, you can drive for hours at relatively low speed.

At least you didn't buy a V8 4x4 Hummer to take the kids to the soccer practice. I saw it done.

beav6

Thanks for the info Rodut. You're correct, of course, when we're sitting at a light or around town. We just completed our first highway trip of aprx 1200 miles and got between 38 and 40 mpg. Manual calc was right with the car computer calc. Most of our driving is highway so I don't think ou Accord will compelety spoil the air you breath.

rodut

Highway involves speeds way higher than my 50-55 mph. So poorer mileage. Even if we had the same engine.

Was it downhill all the time ?

beav6

Nope, St. Louis to Athens Georgia has as much uphill as down (Tennessee mountains). We drive 70 to 75 mph and go thru several stop & go towns like Nashville and Atlanta. I was pleasantly surprised by the gas mileage as our 2008 V6 wouldn't do more than 30 mpg. By the way, you're cold cylinder theory is as least a little more credible than the global warming bit

marcus216

I have a one month old Honda Accord EXL V6 and am totally happy with it. My lease was up on my 2010 Acura TL, and though I loved the TL, I just could not see a major difference in my TL to the new 2013 Accord, other than handling. The interior in the Honda is every bit as nice or nicer than my TL was (granted the TL came out in 2009). Acceleration is on par and gas mileage is about 25% better in town and about 35% better on the highway. Much more room in backseat and trunk and much better visibility. TL had some pretty bad blind spots. That is huge difference. I just could not justify a $6,000 difference in price. And, on top of that, I got a $4,000 discount on my car from my local Honda Dealer, so I bought it and did not lease this time. I plan on keeping this car 8 to 10 years. Besides the Accord, I looked, from a lease standpoint, at another TL, ES 350, Avalon, BMW 3 series and a few others. From purchasing standpoint, I looked at Altima, Camry, Optima, Fusion. My view was Accord V6 was significantly better than all other alternatives with the exception of the Fusion. I think Ford has done great job with that car and if it was not for the horrible "My Ford Sync" system, I may have bought the Fusion. The mainstream manufacturers have done a fantastic job upgrading the main street midsize sedan. They now rival the entry level luxury sedans in many ways and the price difference makes them great options versus, for example, an ES 350.

ar39

Not so fast rodut. I clocked 42 mpg on my 2013 touring driving 100% highway at ~60mph for 250 miles. Even though 250 miles is a short distance and the route didnt have much change in the altitude, 38 mpg for a the new V6 is possible.

suydam

I agree that midsized sedans have improved tremendously. Our previous vehicle was a Nissan Maxima (granted, an '01), and the Accord is so much better that we didn't even look at a new Maxima. The Maxima is now very large and it continues to require premium fuel. We got the 4 cyl Accord and love it so far. Visibility is excellent. It has all the premium features we want: heated leather seats, lane watch, backup camera, nice stereo (not as good as the Maxima Bose but much better than average), great touch screen connectivity and access to Pandora and XM. Didn't get nav because we don't need it with a smartphone, which connects beautifully too. It's amazing that so many features that once were only available on cars like the Maxima and Acura have now become standard on many midsized sedans.

Kirstie_H

Several personally-directed posts have been removed. You know who you are. Let's keep the conversation focused on vehicles rather than on each other.

marcus216

I have a friend who just leased a new Acura RLX. It is a beautiful car, no doubt about it. But he had not seen my Accord EXL V6 until the other day. I let him drive the Accord. And he made an interesting comment. He said that there is no way his RLX is worth 20 grand more than my Accord. He thinks the cars are very similar in the way they drive, handle, etc. Now, there is no question the RLX is an upgrade, don't misunderstand me, but I agree, I can't find 20 grand difference.

rodut

I agree that in ideal conditions (like your low speed drive, on a flat highway) you can achieve impressive mileage (like the EPA or Canadian ratings). 42 mpg on a 4-cylinder is probably as good as you can get.

But if somebody says he got 38-40 mpg, on a V6, when mountains were involved, big cities were crossed in a stop-and-go setting, and the rest was high speed driving (70-75 mph), then that's BS.

I don't know how to say it more polite than this.

ral2167

It's my understanding that there's no blind spot indicator on the driver side, but just on the passenger side. If so, seems odd to just have it on one side and not both.

suydam

The rationale is that when you're turning right, you are looking right, toward the screen. But when you're turning left, you're looking away from the screen so it would be more unnatural and a distraction. It is very useful when merging into a right lane.

ral2167

Yes but other cars have a little light indicator that pops up in the driver side mirror when a car is in theblind spot on the driver side. Wish the accord had that. The Camry for instance has the option of ablind spot indicator on both driver and passenger side.

4lc4pon3

I just wanted to know if there were any other cars I COULD of looked at before purchasing my Brand New 2013 Honda Accord Sport (Automatic with Paddle Shifters) Sedan. Here is my story

I Purchased a 2009 Honda Civic LX from Honda 1 year ago and it was the WORST car I have ever owned. When I first purchased the Civic I was new to Financing so I jumped in without really doing any research so I got the car at 12,995 but had a 13% Interest rate @ 380.00 per month.

1. Paint Scratches super easy
2. EXCESSIVE road noise (Unbearable)
3. Basic Interior
4. Transmission was semi jerky

I finally Decided I could not take this car anymore so I went back to Honda and told them I hate this car & I need to get out of it NOW ive had enough. He told me he could get me out of the Civic and into a Brand New 2013 Honda Accord Sport (Black on Black) so I with excitement did what I had to do and bought it.

anyways I was wondering in the price range of 24-25k what other options could I have looked at or gotten into. I read great reviews of the 2013 Accord but I do know there are MANY cars out there. Did I make the right choice???

I do love the car is a black on black 2013 Honda Accord Sport, 18s, leather, Comfortable seats, Primacy MXM4 tires (Super Quiet), transmission shifts superbly and the ride is fantastic, Interior is really nice.

Wish It came with Push button start but it didn't. I am paying more for the Accord because they tacked on an extended warranty which was 2398, I had a roll over for the civic of 1608 and dmv fees added. I ended up paying 35,142 for the accord @ 480 per month 100.00 more.

4lc4pon3

gmanusmc

Not sure if you can do this, but consider canceling the warranty, and shopping the online dealers for hondacare at probably half the price. Not much you can do about the rest of the deal - looks like you have made the purchase and are now doing research - 35k for an accord sport seems like a very high number.

suydam

Have had our Accord EX-L CVT for just over a month now. Just took it on a 100 mile trip and back, mostly freeway, but some city winding around too. Got 38 mpg on the highway, 35 mpg overall. Very pleased with the CVT so far. We had a V6 Maxima before, but the CVT 4 cyl. acquits itself very well and takes regular fuel. It has plenty of power and isn't noisy. Seats are extremely comfortable on a long drive. Visibility is excellent and I love the right lane camera -- great help on the highway changing lanes. Inside, everything is easy to reach from the driver's position -- cruise control is particularly well located on the wheel itself rather than on the stalk. The suspension is just right for me -- not too cushy so the drive feels wallowy, but not so firm that you notice every bump, and I drove over and around many, many, potholes on this trip. So far it's an excellent car and we are really pleased with it.

wayne21

I'm sure by now you realize you overpaid by about $10k and there's not much you can do about. I agree that you should cancel your extended warranty and buy one somewhere else for half (maybe less than half) of what you paid. It's likely going to be awhile before you buy another car and hopefully these last two experiences will make you a better shopper.

suydam

Just cancel altogether. Why get an extended warranty with a Honda? BTW, this forum is for "driving impressions". Why not go over to "prices paid" where such things as warranties are discussed?

packer3

Need to know, been driving for a million years regular to my first CVT 2013 Accord, it's awesome you don't feel the gear changes no buck in between or engine rev. so why do I read about the issues of the CVT unless you have test driven the new Accord and if you do you will be amazed.

flgirl2

I am very close to buying and have driven both the 4cyl Accord EX-L and v6. I am unsure if the extra 2K is worth it or not. IMO, upon test drive of both vehicles, I noticed a higher noise level with the 4 cyl upon acceleration. The v6 was more powerful, no doubt. My main focus is mpg savings which immediately makes me think I should get the 4 cyl but I have concerns about the complaints with the CVT. My commute is almost 2 hours each day. I also drive to FL with my 3 teenage kids and our "stuff" twice a year so the mileage adds up quickly. I am trading in my 2012 CRV. Loved the vehicle but disliked the gas mileage. If anyone can offer their 2 cents on which model I should select, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you!

suydam

We just made the change from a V6 Maxima to the 4cyl EX-L Honda, also for fuel economy. It does take a little getting used to a 4cyl after a V6. CVT not an issue for us. If you didn't know it was a CVT you would just think it was a regular 4 cyl car. We did exclude the Nissan Altima CVT because we thought it was annoyingly noisy with an unpleasant whine when you accelerate. Not so the Accord. It is a bit louder than a V6 but not excessively so, and only at first acceleration. It has plenty of power. Overall it's very smooth and surprisingly quiet. We felt the payoff in fuel economy is definitely worth it. We've had it over a month now and are very satisfied so far.

marcus216

I recently purchased the EXL V6 and am very happy with it. I bought the V6 for several reasons. 1st, I don't like CVT transmissions, even though the one in the Honda is probably the best of the bunch. 2nd, I like having the extra power and the V6 is significantly more powerful than the 4cyl and it is also much smoother, in my opinion. My gas mileage has been impressive, at least to me. I average about 23 MPG in town, and on my one road trip on the interstate, I got just over 35 MPG. Great numbers for a V6. I realize the price difference and it is sizable. That was a huge consideration for me, but in the end, since I plan on keeping the car 8 to 10 years, I felt the extra power, smoothness, and the excellent gas mileage offered by the V6 was worth it.

thegraduate

I am trading in my 2012 CRV. Loved the vehicle but disliked the gas mileage

The loss you'll take trading in a car to gain some MPGs is kind of like cutting off your nose to spite your face isn't it? You're spending money to save money. Obviously I don't know specific numbers, but both vehicles being equal in your eyes (liking them both), you're going to be on the losing end of the financial equation for several years most likely.

flgirl2

thegraduate...true but since the dealer is a personal friend...I think I'm going to make out pretty well...after 5 cars with him, referrals that I bring him, and our freindship...it better be!

flgirl2

suydam....thank you for the input. I'm leaning toward the 4 cyl. I don't plan on holding the car for very long. (2 to 2 1/2 years max is what I average) I'm looking forward to getting it soon. Now my question is WHAT COLOR? I like the white, black and red. What do you have? Thanks!

thegraduate

Good to hear. I do like both the CR-V and the Accord (I've had both a '96 and an '06 Accord 4-cyl)!

bluesocks

Hi guys, 2013 Honda Accord V6 here, just hit over 1K.

I swear when I first synced up my iphone and used bluetooth, it would mute my music and give me verbals directions when I used the iphone map app. Now, it says my iphone is linked via bluetooth, but I don't hear the directions verbally. To deal with this, I have to change it every single time I get into the car so the verbal directions come through my iphone directly.

Same deal - I thought my music would mute when a new text in, but it no longer does it. I never got the opportunity to try the text reading function.

I tried to reset to factory default settings in hopes that it would fix this problem but it hasn't. Help?!

flgirl2

Update on my purchase....I decided to go with the Accord 4 cyl in black and don't regret it one bit. I have had no issues with the CVT after driving it since Tuesday night. Happy to have made the switch from the CRV...saving on gas was key and I'm definitely doing that! Thanks for the input!