Honda Accord - 2003 Redesign

tanveerm

Hi all,

Considering an '03 EX-L purchase and need to decide whether to spend extra on the new 5-speed Auto or stick with the standard Manual. Any thoughts on the following questions?

- would availability of an EX-L MT be a problem? Anyone tried to buy one and have a long waiting period?

- How seriously does having a manual affect resale value? I don't want to have to pay for it come trade-in time, at least not more than the Cdn$1k (US$650) price difference I'll save up-front.

Thanks in advance.

steedm

I am also looking for one since I like to drive, not just to sit there and steer.
There are rare, to date I have found one (EX silver). If you want a manual, your will need patience to find the one you want.
The good news is that since all 03 Accords are well equipped (even LX has remote locking and ABS)player), once you find one it should have enough goodies on.
For the older model, it was easy to spot the manuals, they had red tags on!!!

rerenov8r

The coupes probably won't be hurt more than the price of the tranny, but sedans get hit harder. Especially in areas where commuter traffic is heavy, there are very few buyers who look for a used four door with manual. Dealers don't like them. Depending onother factors, the tranny could hurt the resale value to almost double the cost of a new one.

The other factor that get considered with 5-7 year old manual tranny used vehicles in the condition of the clutch. While an abused auto is easier to spot and simply cross off one's list, a clutch that needs replacement will make otherwise eager manual buyers nervous. You can't avoid this...

ickes_mobile

I've got 197,000 miles on my '95 Contour 4-cylinder, all on the original clutch. I think Ford must make a better transmission if you all think a Honda' needs replacement after 5-7 years! Of course, try telling that to anyone when I try and sell the damn thing...

;-)

tanveerm

I live in suburban Toronto, very much a "commuter" Honda market and I can see a manual transmission being a major negative when time comes to trade-in or resale. I think I'll go test drive the 5-spd auto.

jud95accord

They actually left the "accord" off of the back end? I ran out to my garage and made sure I had one on my 03 V-6. It did. I have not noticed the car drifting to the right - hopefully that won't happen in near future. How do you like your ivory seats and wood accents? I have the black seats and the silver trim. Did you get a rear spoiler? If you look on the bottom of it, it spells out "accord". My husband's 02 coupe spoiler spells out the word, also.

glideslopes

I drove a 5-Speed manual LX on Monday. It was very smooth, short throws. The shifter is located nicely. I have short arms, and did not feel the need to reach as much as I do in most manual equipped autos.

I felt it was noticeably quicker than the auto LX I drove two days prior.

This sales persons said it would be extremely difficult to locate the EX Manual I wanted. In other words, he was telling me he was not interested in locating one for me. He really blew me off after I expressed interest in a manual.

Regards,
Mark.

clpurnell

I got a quote off 21,855 for an ex auto. Is that a good price or should I be seeing more of an discount.

inky4

Yep they left "Accord" off the rear end. I know that the drift is a simple alignment problem and will make appointment soon.
I live the Ivory leather and fake wood. Matter of taste.
INKY

jagadees1

It looks like very good price. you are getting on inovice price. Which dealer & place?

pda97

It's a typical review, kinna like reading about last yr's review. But don't kid yourselves, it's not a "glowing review" by any stretch of the imagination. The following quotes from the article also prove that Honda has made NO gain in the styling dept.

Quotes:

- "When people use words like "sleek" and "sporty" in a sentence with "family sedan," they're often talking about the Volkswagen Passat or Nissan Altima."

- "........but people in Los Angeles and Detroit still managed to drive past it without a second look.

- ".... along with the Accord's traditionally below-the-radar styling....."

Oh, well, maybe next time, Honda. You'll make a sports sedan out of the Accord just yet...(maybe after a couple of lobotomies).

clpurnell

This is a cloth model not leather. The invoice is 20,619 and sticker is 22860 So I am getting 1005 off sticker and paying ~1230 above invoice. I am looking at this as mainly a commuter car. I am looking at this the altima 2.5s and passat 1.8t. I actually like the alty and passat better but the leasing of the accord is unbeatable. I am still probably a couple months away from a deal though.

clpurnell

this is at a dealership in houston, tx

jud95accord

What dealership are you working with? I bought my Accord at Sterling McCall Honda in Kingwood. Just curious. Is that the lease price and did you check into buying it also?

mark_nj2

Has anyone heard anything critical/positive about the voice navigation? I'm a bit hesitant to pay $2k for a feature I can't see in action. Very little available on web about it. Any info would be helpful.

Thanks - Mark

cardingtr

I will bring in my 03 EX tomorrow because of drift problem. When I called for appoinment, they said it just an alignment readjustment.
Well see.

clpurnell

The dealership is russell smith off of the south loop. That is the price period I got it through their online quote system. using honda's online calculator it would be 316/mo to lease for 36 months 15k/yr. The buy payment would be 430/mo at 6.75%(CU rate) for 60 months. as this would most likely be our second car I would prefer to lease it to keep our payments low. Also I love new vehicles so it's smarter for me to lease than buy and run the possibility of being upside down on it when I'm ready for something new.

jar1945

Hi-

I have a new Honda 2003 4 cyl automatic EX-L and it has the horrible rotten egg smell that a small percentage of cars have (all makes). I have tried different grades of gas and it does not matter. I will get the converter changed but does anyone else know of this problem and what causes it? It is not a new car smell; it smells like noxious gas (sulphur) and really it taking all the fun out of an otherwise perfect car!

Opinions?

Jerry

cardingtr

I went to the dealer today, they checked the alignment and found both front wheels TOE off the spec and front left off spec for caster.
I now got the car and everything is OK. No more off centered wheels. Wait time is 2 hours.

s852

You do not have to worry about spending $2k now for the navigation because it will not be available until January. When it it becomes available, you can always test drive it before buying.
Just go look at a Pilot or TL with navigation and assume it will be at least as good plus have voice commands.

s852

It seems like a waste of money to pay somewhere around $500 for the MP3 add-on single disc player.
It probably would have cost less than $100 to add MP3 reading capability to the existing 6 CD changers in the EX Accords instead having to have a complete separate unit installed just for MP3s.
A factory 6-cd MP3 player would have been really cool and they could make the optional accessory a XM satellite receiver instead.
Has anyone heard if satellite radio is going to be an available accessory for 2003? I heard talk about it, but I don't see it listed anywhere. Maybe it is further down the road for 2004 or 2005.

alinda

Nav system, beside being activated, will be made much more user-friendly, can store more locations, have a split screen option that shows 3D guide to location as well as map, plus with the nav you have about 50 commands for the car, like changing the temperature or the radio station or cd track. Can't remember much more right now.

gmttr1

Doesn't look like the price is holding up at all for the new model. Today's Washington Post has a a local dealer (Sheehy) advertising $1900 below MSRP for the LX (asking price $18560 for a $20460 MSRP LX-Auto). I presume similar disounting on the other trims as well; may or may not include V6s.

There are also some even lower prices quoted by another dealer (College Park Honda) but his ads are well-known to be just plain BS. Sheehy, on the other hand is generally a no-nonsense dealer so the ad is most probably genuine.

inky

Do not expect similiar EX and Esp. V-6 discounts yet. The LX is the volume value leader and for that price it is a great deal.
INKY

Cardingtr
Did your do what mine is doing drift to right on highway regardless of crown and even when braking.dealer first said HOnda makes slight spec to right for....Appointment monday
INKY

toneman2

'03's arrived in Canada this past week. Went to a dealer on Wednesday with much anticipation to test drive an EX V6. What a disappointment. The interior is great but that is it. That is one butt ugly car from the front, side and back. You feel every bump in the road. With the initial hype of a new model they should sell quite well for a while. Once the euphoria wears off I am not so sure.

jrct9454

...if the dealer left the tires at 45 psi, which is how they are shipped to prevent flat-spotting. Too many dealers put them out on the lot that way - I never take a test drive without bringing my tire gauge with me. My personal test in this car says the ride is improved over the last model, and by a noticeable amount.

anonymousposts

Don't worry jrct ... there's always somebody who has to find SOMETHING wrong with a car no matter how good it is compared to the rest of the competition.

inky

Wow, I must be dreaming. I sold my 02 TL and feel that I upgraded. Funny.
INKY

inky

twice now I have gotten 31 mpg in expressway driving. 15 mile highway commute and various 5 mile trip in town. Not sure if .3 cd, 5 speed auto and more efficient engine are to blame.
This is good and I cannot wait for a highway trip.
INKY

mdbaker1

inky, I wasn't as lucky with my first tank...

I only got about 18.79 mpg! 10 mile commute (each way - mostly highway) and the rest consisted of various 5-10 mile in town trips. Very strange! I'm only halfway through my second tank. I'll be documenting my future mpg results on my website.

By the way, have you tried using premium yet to see if you notice the 10HP gain? I haven't...but I'm very curious.

-mdbaker1

2003 Accord EX V6 in Satin Silver - purchased 9.11.02

P.S. Concerning tire pressure, my car left the dealer with about 36psi all around - I have since lowered it to the recommended pressures (32psi front | 30psi rear) and the ride is much improved.

rodiva

bought an Accord EX-L today here in SF Bay area, I thought Accords are made in Ohio, this one is made and shipped from Japan. I also noted some 5 speed model made in USA (based on its VIN #)

Do California dealers get accord from japan while dealers at the east coast get those made in U.S?

jrct9454

4 cyl cars can come from at least three sources: Ohio, Mexico, and Japan.

6 cyl cars are generally produced exclusively in Ohio.

Japanese-made 4 cyls are common on the West Coast - all of the early '03 4s in our local dealer stock [Sacramento suburb] were imported through the port in San Diego.

Honda has gradually propagated a production system at all of their plants worldwide that allows them to quickly reconfigure the line to produce a wider variety of models than is typical with most car makers. The days of a plant being exclusively dedicated to one model for an entire model cycle are now pretty much over at Honda - they send the production to the plant that has the capacity.

cardingtr

My car I have to restate if I stated it different before, does not drift. The steering wheel is off centered like the spokes are like 48/18 mins on the clock. Its all fixed.

inky

Wow I will be watching the mpg over the long haul.
Maybe I had some really good gas and drove conservatively.
I tried 93 Octane to get the 31 mpg. Cannot imagine that helping. I noticed a little oomph but may be in my head. I will stick with 87 for $ sake.
INKY

s852

No one replied, but I just did a search on Yahoo! "2003 Accord XM" and I got back several articles stating XM satellite radio will be available on the 2003 Accord. I did not see anything that said when. Probably after Janauary when the satellite navigation option becomes available.
Hopefully it will not be overpriced like $1500 rear DVD player.

bklynguy

According to a press release on the XM Radio website, XM Radio should be available for the 03 Accord, Pilot and MDX starting on Oct. 1

One way to know for sure, would be to check Honda's website on Oct.1 and build your Accord, XM Radio should be listed in the audio upgrade section along with the cassette and MP3 player if its available.

It will cost $ 9.95 a month for about 100 channels of digital music, talk & news. So far it has received good reviews and even some awards. Tall buildings can interfere with the signal but "repeaters" are being installed to solve this problem ( this may take some time )

Channels include CNN, weather channel, discovery channel, ABC News,
Fox news, CNBC, USA Today radio, CNET radio, disney, ESPN, NASCAR radio, and dozens of music & talk channels.

sentrafan

I read an article that said the 2003 Accord has a recommended oil change interval of 10,000 miles. Does anyone know how Honda pulled this off? Are they using synthetic oil, or do they perform some engineering magic?

jrct9454

...have been common in Europe for years. What pollutes the oil is engine blowby more than anything else, and as emission controls have become more effective, the oil just doesn't get destroyed nearly as quickly as in the old days.

There is a reluctance on the part of Americans to buy into this - I expect the usual reactions from people [including references to Toyota's problems] - but the fact is that dumping the crankcase oil prematurely is almost exclusively an American habit...everywhere else in the world, longer oil change intervals have been the norm for most of the past decade.

anonymousposts

If you drive in alot of stop and go situations or you take short trips just to the store and back and then park it for a few days then I would get the oil changed between 5,000 and 7,500 miles. My car is recommended at 10,000 for normal driving conditions but I will probably change it at 7,500 with synthetic oil and then change it every 7,500 miles afterwards.

inky4

first of all, 10k interval is for 4 bangers, 7.5 max still stands for V-6. Regardless of the hype I like a modest 5k interval.

On my drift to right. Dealer checked alignment--all within specs. Switched front tires and dada all is well. Called radial tire pull. Well, the switch worked. Not sure why.
INKY

Kirstie_H

I'm sure there are plenty of caveats to the 10,000 mile oil change. Your best bet is to always 1) take into account your driving conditions, and 2) check your oil regularly. Regardless of what any manual recommends, those two low-tech methods are still the most valid.

As Americans, we're often too trustworthy and are sucked in by intervals suggested by none other than people who earn their living changing oil (See: Jiffy Lube). Why, if they say 3 months/3,000 miles, it must be in your best interest. Or theirs.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

jrct9454

Yes, an individual tire can cause a pull, even when new. The belt structure can be misaligned ever so slightly, and the tire will want to go off in that direction.

Michelin is not immune to this syndrome, just better than most of the others. There is still a lot of handwork in the manufacture of radial tires - something all of the majors are laboring mightily to try to reduce - and this results in the occasional less than perfect tire, despite the best QA in the world.

All tires involve the melding of disparate, and often otherwise incompatible, materials under heat and pressure in an attempt to make them roll happily together for 50k miles. Sometimes the amazing thing is that there are not more problems than what exist today...

This syndrome of the underlying belts taking a "set" and wanting to pull the car in a given direction is one reason why the best advice is to rotate early and often, or forget about it entirely. After about 4-5k miles, many radials will only want to spin in the direction they have been turning, and trying to change that can result in pulling and vibrations.

ssaclub

The MP3 player option seems forward looking, but many people have gone further and bought a hard disc MP3 player like the Apple iPod. Wondering if the '03 accord has a stereo input, even in the back that I can use so that I can forgo burning MP3 CD's that only have 650 Mb capacity?

bklynguy

I'm not sure if there is a stereo input port but I think MP3 hard drives are still a couple of years away ( as dealer or factory installed options )

I'll gladly take a MP3 CD player ( I have 2 MP3 CDs with 306 songs )

laz3

I just picked up my 03 Accord LX 4 cylinder auto two days ago. I got it for 1000.00 below sticker at Rusty Wallis Honda in Dallas. The car is fabulous, drives smooth and I believe the quitest Honda ever (I always thought that Hondas were very noisy cars, but well built).

However, I have one little complaint, and it might have something to do with the alignment. On the highway, at about 50-80 mph, the steering wheel seems to wobble slightly, as though the tires are not balanced (car only has 110 miles on it). Mine you, it's hardly noticeable, but it's there and it's kind of bothering me. It's not on all hiway roads, but on a few around town. Once below 50, all it great.

I've had a 99 Accord and a 02 Civic and it never did this on these cars no matter what road I was on. Anybody else experience this?

Other then that, it's a great car. BTW, this 4 cylinder rocks. I've had absolutely no problems passing cars, or accelerating onto the highway. I'd loved to have bought the 6 cyl, but the budget didn't call for it.

Laz

cohenmr

My new 03 Accord EX 6 also drifted to the right. I brought it in and they fixed the alignment, not the tires. I should go on a long journey and test out the tires too.

cohenmr

I have a new 03 Accord. Does anyone know if there's a roof mount bike rack available yet? If not, does anyone reccomend a trunk mounted one that won't have the bikes hitting my car? Thanks!

Michael

inky4

That is weird as you and I both know drifting is plain wrong. Switching the tires did fix my woes (for now) but I am worried these tires are defective --if so bad that switching fixed the problem.
Alignments and bad tires are difficult to solve when tire manufacturer and car maker are on not wanting to pay front. My alignemt was checked and was in spec according to dealer. However, I wonder how a bad radial can have such a great effect. How does running it backwards solve the problem--it most likely just hides the problem for now.
INKY

inky4

Just got my box of 03 Accord stuff from Handi Honda or whatever they go by. Only one item was mine other stuff for some other guy named Chan.
They are picking up UPS and resending my stuff. My mailorder expericences the last two times from Hondaacura world and now here have no been easy. Always a glitch or hangup. I am reevaluating the point of saving a few bucks when you loose the selling dealer relationship. Plus when a part becomes defective say after 6 months, the local dealer is not real interested in helping you PLUS you do only get the 3 yr 36k warranty on parts if put on when new. Otherwise 12 months.
INK

a_l_hubcaps

I saw my first 2003 Accord in person today. It was a silver EX with the 5-spoke alloy wheels. I'd say I liked it better in real life than in the photos I have seen previously. I still think the H in the grille is too large, but on the whole, the front-end styling looks good. I liked the rear end in the photos, and I liked it in reality, too.

It's probably not a car that I would want to own (I generally prefer more "formal" looking cars like the Camry and various GM sedans), but I think the new Accord does a better job with the sport-sedan look than the Altima. I never could figure out why so many people like the Altima styling.

-Andrew L