MOre pictures of the Accord sedan & Coupe can be found at http://www.wieck.com then click on "public" from the left menu bar and on the next page type in "Honda" in the search box. Lots of pictures of the 2003 Accord will come up.
I can't believe the 2003 Accord is this ugly. I was expecting great styling from Honda for this generation. But now, the Civic looks better and the front end looks more expensive than the Accord's. I definately wouldn't buy one, because I don't think I could stand to look at the front end every day! The interior looks really nice, it's definately a upgrade over my 2K Accord. And the engine and trans choices are definately great!!! Ultimately, I would rather take the current coupe body style(with some remodeling) and take the interior and powertrains of the 2003 Accord. Otherwise, I'll pass on the 2003 Accord.
Lets remember that the accord is a 25-26K loaded car and you get a lot for the money. in 10 years the Accord will still be running like new with none or little problems. remember the saying you get what you pay for. as for the styling, the accord looks just fine, nothing great but nothing even close to bad looking or ugly. Most people that go out looking for an accord do not need anything flashy or might not even want a Luxury car. they just want something very nice and very reliable with excellent quality. Honda is not stupid for what there doing. there is a big market for these cars more so then a 3 series, A4, or a TL. if Honda asked me I would say keep doing a great job with the Accord. but remember there are people out there that would pay for a Car that just like a 3 series or IS3300 in rear wheel drive. selling accords and a 3 series fighter would bring a lot more money to Honda, TRUST ME.
Sounds like many of us are disappointed with looks of the Accord. I find it fine. Unlike the current civic this car is an improvement overall. The NVH improvements along with powertrain excellence will push the success once folks settle down and accept the style. for pete's sake why does Honda and Acura resist one touch sunroof open and close along with all four power up windows. Someone cited cost. What. How much would that cost on all of them. I would pay $5 more for the function. That is my only gripe. INKY
A huge percentage of Accords will be 4 door LX, 4 cylinder automatics, selling for around $18,500 (give or take a few hundred). The $26-27K car is with V6, auto, leather, sunroof, NAV system, etc...
Let's see how it does in 2004, to see if this generation can be seen as a successful redesign. The competition is MUCH tougher, and only getting better.
Hello all. I am looking to purchase a 2002 honda accord 4dr auto DX with AC. I wanted to know what I should expect to pay out the door. I live in atlanta, GA. I can buy now and put in in my wifes name or I can save some more money and buy in NOV. Do you think that I will be able to find the above vehicle in NOV or do you think that all the 2002's will be gone by then?. I have heard that the 2002 accord should still be on the lots till DEC but am not sure if this is true. Any ideas?
well actually edmunds says that the new accord will go for 17,000 stripped. The 02 accord can be had for 14412 with auto at cars direct....add ac and it will go to 15412.00. I also think that it may be easier to get financing. I do not know what to do...I want to wait till I have more money for a downpayment.
It's very difficult to get side curtain airbags on a low-to-mid line CAMRY without also getting the sunroof - i tried and it boosts the price considerably.
Price wars are ongoing with $4002 off MSRP on the EX-V6 ($21,758)and the SE is less than $18k. Makes it tough to wait for the '03. Decisions, decisions...
Why do you suppose Honda chose to limit availability of this feature to the V6 EX? Altima and Camry offer it across the board. Honda took quite awhile to get ABS available in most Accord models. You still can't get ABS in a Civic unless you buy the EX. I suppose Honda sells every unit they produce so they feel they can use safety items as luxury features but I think this is a little shortsighted. I always wonder about the true usefulness of some safety features but it turns out that the head air bag may actually be very useful, especially if you wrap the side of the car around a tree. I'd like this feature without all the nice stuff in the EX. Why can't I have it Honda?
For everyone who feels let down by the design of the '03 Accord, we now have more confirmation that Honda has intended all along to segment the market by giving the conservative folk the Accord and giving the edgier crowd the new TSX (presumably the Euro Accord recently seen at Nurburgring).
...so long as it's front drive. I'm a big fan of what Honda does, admire both the old and new Accord platform [and the Acura derivatives thereof], and can tell you that there is still no substitute for rear drive if you want to be taken seriously in the so-called sports sedan class. It's not a religious belief for me, but it is for a substantial part of the marketplace. One of these days, Honda needs to bite the bullet and develop a rear-drive platform that can be used worldwide as Nissan, Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes have. Audi gets away with emphasizing AWD, but still doesn't get the pure respect they would with a rear-drive car.
For starters, there are limits on how much hp you can push through the steering wheels - and we are getting very close to those limits with the next generation of fwd platforms from Honda and Nissan. It's one of the reasons Nissan is leveraging the rear-drive platform that underpins the Z and the G - the hp wars are not going away.
Without rear-wheel drive, it's pretty much a waste of time. It won't compete with the Lexus IS/3-series/Infiniti G35. Just like the current TL is not competitive with them. So why bother?
One very big disappointment is the lack of the helical limited slip differential for the 6 speed. This has been universially praised in the CL for much improved handeling for a FWD car. I was seriously considering the 6 speed accord coupe but now not so sure.
FWIW, I believe a flat torque curve from 2000 to 4000 rpm is what is more important than raw HP numbers because torque is what you feel when you slam down on the accelerator. Look at the TL/TL-S torque curves, drive the cars and you'll understand. Just my opinion...
> Honda would easily beat Nissan in the horsepower race. Nissan has a 3.5 liter displacment to get to 240 horsepower, while Honda uses a 3 liter.
There is no replacement for displacement. Why are people still buying into this "VTEC" stuff? The horse power only looks good on paper. You have to drive it hard (6300rpm) to get the claimed horsepower, while other car gets the same horse power at 5300rpm. Just go test drive a Nissan 3.5V6 and an Accord 3.0 V6. The Accord V6 siginicantly feel more sluggish, noisier, and less refined. Let us be realistic, people didn't buy Accord V6 because its engine. People buy Maxiam and Altima V6 because of the engine.
I finally saw the pics of the new accord today and while it isn't ugly it isn't really that beautiful. I was expecting more from Honda (but not a whole lot more, especially given the new Integra fiasco). The exterior is conservative. I like the front, but it looks a bit too much like a civic. The rear looks a bit weird. I don't like how they broke up the bumper. I don't like the center dash at all, nor the instrument panel. Call me old fashioned but I like traditional black and white gauges, which you can see when the car is turned off. I'm not really a big fan of the electronic dashboard. I can't imagine how much that would cost to fix if the electronics ever fail. But I suppose that is the current trend. I much prefer the dashboard set-up from the prior generation car. If they had kept that interior it would make for a much sharper cabin. Overall, the new accord kicks camry rear. The camry wreaks of "old-man car", while the Accord doesn't suffer from such a deficit. You can still drive an accord without having someone mistake it for your grandpa's car. I can't wait to see what the coupe looks like. I hope it will have a more sporting exterior and the handling to go with it. And kudos to Honda for finally offering a 6-speed manual for the V-6, although a 5-speed would be just fine for a 6. But, again, the current trend seems to gravitate toward the 6 speed. Isn't a 6 speed trans more expensive than a 5?
"But Honda engineers are so serious about putting more pizzazz into the Accord that the vehicle's project manager and a key powertrain engineer last February got a hold of a Nissan Altima and ran it in a makeshift drag race against their car in the dead of night. The results of the rat-racing in a parking lot behind the company's technical center in Torrance, Calif. : The 240 horsepower Altima was faster from the start to 30 miles an hour, but as cars zoomed to 60 miles an hour, the new Accord pulled ahead by a length."
I personally love the looks of the re-designed coupe. Aftermarket rims will be essential though. And the interior...looks real good to me. I think they did a good job on the re-design. Can't wait to test drive one. I have a '99 coupe that I love. The car has been literally flawless
There was some mention of the Nissan 3.5V6 above...yeah, you may buy that car for the engine cause that's all that thing has. They are butt ugly. Seriuosly, I mean I can't imagine anyone liking that car. What the heck were the designers thinking with those tailights?? Now the Maxima on the other hand... now that's a nice car. The Altima...nah, way too plain and boring and lets face it...it's an Altima... does that bring thoughts of a nice car in to your head?
"The Accord V6 siginicantly feel more sluggish, noisier, and less refined."
I've driven both, and that's absolute bull. Yeah, the Nissan V6 is larger and more powerful, but that doesn't make the Accord V6 sluggish. And of course, the Accord just gets better with the 2003 horsepower and torque increases.
As for refinement, here's a quote from Motor Trend's test of the 2002 Altima, Camry and Accord (all V6):
"Honda's 3.0L engine performs quietly and smoothly in the Accord. Only Camry's engine matched for smooth idle quality and overall civility."
Note that they *didn't* include the Altima V6 as an engine that matches the Accord V6 in smoothness and civility. Don't get me wrong, they loved the Altima V6, but they still rated the Accord (and Camry) engines higher in smoothness and civility.
Which matches my experience exactly. I'd say overall that the Accord and Altima V6's are evenly matched in refinement. But the Accord V6 is NOT behind the Altima V6 in refinement. Not a chance.
Are curtain airbags standard on EX V-6 or available at a higher price? That would make an additional model trim to further complicate things. Production on 03 Accord began last week in slow fashion, but I would not expect a 02 Accord on any lot past October as they are no longer manufactured. Dealers should get last shipment in mid August and first 03 Shipment in late August. Where could they store 30,000 '03 cars--monthly production. INKY
>The 240 horsepower Altima was faster from the start to 30 miles an hour, but as cars zoomed to 60 miles an hour, the new Accord pulled ahead by a length.
First, I cannot find the quote in the link. Second, how did they do it? The "consumer-report-tip-the-Susuki" way? or fair and square?
Well, you didn't say that, but above or below 4000 RPM, your assertion is still bull. The review said "overall civility". That means the entire operational range, not 3000 rpm and under. And they also rated powertrain noise for the two equally.
Surely the fine folks at Newsweek are joking when they write "...Honda is rolling out a sleek new look to lure fans of VW's Passat". True, VW Passat sales have risen dramatically over the past few years....BUT, they were pathetically low for a long time. Why would Honda want to copy a vehicle that has 1/4 the sales of the sales winning Accord?
Torque is the key to quick starts from dead stops. Accord's 240-hp V-6 is rated 212 pounds-feet of torque. Altima's 240-hp V-6 is rated 246 lbs.-ft.
The Accord V-6 ratings assume regular-grade fuel, and Honda will market it as a regular-fuel engine. But — pssst — it's good for another 10 hp and 10-plus lbs.-ft. on premium, acknowledges V-6 engineer Asaki.
Plus Accord is more fuel efficient than the Altima I-4 or V-6! INKY
I hope it looks better in real life. I've looked at various pics from all sources over and over again. The 03 Accord is so ugly, it makes the 02 Accord look like a BMW ! But you've got to hand it to Honda engine designers, squeezing 240hp out of a 3.0L engine on regular gas and getting 30mpg at the same time is simply superb engineering ! Thank you Nissan. Isn't competition great ??
I was thinking of getting the 02 accord but decided to wait to see what the 03 was like. Well, after reading the reviews and seeing the photos, my conclusion is that the 03 is superior in every respect except for the styling. 5-speed auto, more HP, less noise, improved handling. I'll reserve judgement on styling until I can see the car in person.
I know people are saying that an 02 can be had now for a bargain price, but I believe that since accord (and the industry as a whole) sales are down, it'll be just a matter of time until we see discounts on the 03 accord. How long, though, remains to be seen. 6 months? 1 year?
Actually according to the link below, auto sales are running at a blistering pace. Compared to a year ago, they are on a pace to sell 12% more this year as compared to last year at this time.
You would get 18 million if the industry sold the number of cars in July every month of the year. However, according to Automotive news, industrywide sales this year are at about 10 million after 7 months. That means the industry would have to sell 1.6 million cars in each of the next 5 months to get to 18 million for the year. And 1.5 million is already a blistering rate!! In the current environment, this would be extremely difficult to attain.
I was going to get an ES-300, but for 8K less I can get a fully loaded EX V6 with Navi. So I have to wait 5 weeks. Has anyone seen one yet. I am sure they are floating around some where.
"You have to drive it hard (6300rpm) to get the claimed horsepower, while other car gets the same horse power at 5300rpm. Just go test drive a Nissan 3.5V6 and an Accord 3.0 V6. The Accord V6 siginicantly feel more sluggish, noisier, and less refined."
It is quite obvious you are against the Accord no matter what with the Bull statements. From your above statement, it's obvious you should not be talking about cars in any manner whatsoever. You are comparing a 3.5L 240bhp V6 to a 3.0L 200bhp motor.....of course the Accord is going to be more sluggish!! Duh! the Accord is 40BHP short on power! As for refined...the Accord 3.0 is just about as refined as the Altima 3.5L V6(the Altima engine is slightly more refined). And noise. The Accord 3.0 seems quieter to me.
"People buy Maxiam and Altima V6 because of the engine. " Huh. Yeah, I'm sure all the old geezers driving Maxima's buy it for the engine. It's more like they buy it for price & size.
I preordered V-6. Dealers put first orders in two months ago. They know their allocation by type and even color at this point. Exact delivery times TBD but Accord is in production Now and you cannot store 30,000 cars (months production) for very long. INKY
Comments
I can't believe the 2003 Accord is this ugly. I was expecting great styling from Honda for this generation. But now, the Civic looks better and the front end looks more expensive than the Accord's. I definately wouldn't buy one, because I don't think I could stand to look at the front end every day! The interior looks really nice, it's definately a upgrade over my 2K Accord. And the engine and trans choices are definately great!!! Ultimately, I would rather take the current coupe body style(with some remodeling) and take the interior and powertrains of the 2003 Accord. Otherwise, I'll pass on the 2003 Accord.
The NVH improvements along with powertrain excellence will push the success once folks settle down and accept the style.
for pete's sake why does Honda and Acura resist one touch sunroof open and close along with all four power up windows. Someone cited cost. What. How much would that cost on all of them. I would pay $5 more for the function. That is my only gripe.
INKY
Will there be some around? Who knows. Since Honda says the 03 will be price simililarly to the 02, why not get an 03 DX?
The choice is yours but no one can guarantee a 02 DX will be hanging around come Nov-Dec.
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=27088
For starters, there are limits on how much hp you can push through the steering wheels - and we are getting very close to those limits with the next generation of fwd platforms from Honda and Nissan. It's one of the reasons Nissan is leveraging the rear-drive platform that underpins the Z and the G - the hp wars are not going away.
There is no replacement for displacement. Why are
people still buying into this "VTEC" stuff? The horse power only looks good on paper. You have to drive it hard (6300rpm) to get the claimed horsepower, while other car gets the same horse power at 5300rpm. Just go test drive a Nissan 3.5V6 and an Accord 3.0 V6. The Accord V6 siginicantly feel more sluggish, noisier, and less refined. Let us be realistic, people didn't buy Accord V6 because its engine. People buy Maxiam and Altima V6 because of the engine.
The exterior is conservative. I like the front, but it looks a bit too much like a civic. The rear looks a bit weird. I don't like how they broke up the bumper. I don't like the center dash at all, nor the instrument panel. Call me old fashioned but I like traditional black and white gauges, which you can see when the car is turned off. I'm not really a big fan of the electronic dashboard. I can't imagine how much that would cost to fix if the electronics ever fail. But I suppose that is the current trend.
I much prefer the dashboard set-up from the prior generation car. If they had kept that interior it would make for a much sharper cabin.
Overall, the new accord kicks camry rear. The camry wreaks of "old-man car", while the Accord doesn't suffer from such a deficit. You can still drive an accord without having someone mistake it for your grandpa's car.
I can't wait to see what the coupe looks like. I hope it will have a more sporting exterior and the handling to go with it. And kudos to Honda for finally offering a 6-speed manual for the V-6, although a 5-speed would be just fine for a 6. But, again, the current trend seems to gravitate toward the 6 speed. Isn't a 6 speed trans more expensive than a 5?
"But Honda engineers are so serious about putting more pizzazz into the Accord that the vehicle's project manager and a key powertrain engineer last February got a hold of a Nissan Altima and ran it in a makeshift drag race against their car in the dead of night. The results of the rat-racing in a parking lot behind the company's technical center in Torrance, Calif. : The 240 horsepower Altima was faster from the start to 30 miles an hour, but as cars zoomed to 60 miles an hour, the new Accord pulled ahead by a length."
http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020730/200207301610000828_1.html
There was some mention of the Nissan 3.5V6 above...yeah, you may buy that car for the engine cause that's all that thing has. They are butt ugly. Seriuosly, I mean I can't imagine anyone liking that car. What the heck were the designers thinking with those tailights?? Now the Maxima on the other hand... now that's a nice car. The Altima...nah, way too plain and boring and lets face it...it's an Altima... does that bring thoughts of a nice car in to your head?
Anyway, back to Honda... Great job!
I've driven both, and that's absolute bull. Yeah, the Nissan V6 is larger and more powerful, but that doesn't make the Accord V6 sluggish. And of course, the Accord just gets better with the 2003 horsepower and torque increases.
As for refinement, here's a quote from Motor Trend's test of the 2002 Altima, Camry and Accord (all V6):
"Honda's 3.0L engine performs quietly and smoothly in the Accord. Only Camry's engine matched for smooth idle quality and overall civility."
Note that they *didn't* include the Altima V6 as an engine that matches the Accord V6 in smoothness and civility. Don't get me wrong, they loved the Altima V6, but they still rated the Accord (and Camry) engines higher in smoothness and civility.
Which matches my experience exactly. I'd say overall that the Accord and Altima V6's are evenly matched in refinement. But the Accord V6 is NOT behind the Altima V6 in refinement. Not a chance.
Production on 03 Accord began last week in slow fashion, but I would not expect a 02 Accord on any lot past October as they are no longer manufactured. Dealers should get last shipment in mid August and first 03 Shipment in late August. Where could they store 30,000 '03 cars--monthly production.
INKY
below 3000rpm, most of the engines are comparable.
First, I cannot find the quote in the link. Second, how did they do it? The "consumer-report-tip-the-Susuki" way? or fair and square?
INKY
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F12122A61
Again, matches my experience exactly.
What experience?? 5 minutes of test drive?
True, VW Passat sales have risen dramatically over the past few years....BUT, they were pathetically low for a long time.
Why would Honda want to copy a vehicle that has 1/4 the sales of the sales winning Accord?
Funny thing... I guess even your sainted Nissan buys into it, since they designed variable valve timing into the Sentra SE-R and SE-R Spec V.
The Accord V-6 ratings assume regular-grade fuel, and Honda will market it as a regular-fuel engine. But — pssst — it's good for another 10 hp and 10-plus lbs.-ft. on premium, acknowledges V-6 engineer Asaki.
Plus Accord is more fuel efficient than the Altima I-4 or V-6!
INKY
I know people are saying that an 02 can be had now for a bargain price, but I believe that since accord (and the industry as a whole) sales are down, it'll be just a matter of time until we see discounts on the 03 accord. How long, though, remains to be seen. 6 months? 1 year?
http://money.cnn.com/2002/08/01/news/companies/autosales/index.htm
You will probably see discounts on 03's eventually - when all depends on your dealer and local market.
http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=2945
You would get 18 million if the industry sold the number of cars in July every month of the year. However, according to Automotive news, industrywide sales this year are at about 10 million after 7 months. That means the industry would have to sell 1.6 million cars in each of the next 5 months to get to 18 million for the year. And 1.5 million is already a blistering rate!! In the current environment, this would be extremely difficult to attain.
Who do we trust?
As an aside, IMHO most companies would be ecstatic if sales were only down 1% considering the state of the economy.
Vtec is the greatest new engine technology introduced in the last 20 years!
Honda CR-V on pace to sell 150,000 this year.
Honda Pilot sells 5300 in first full month. Toyota Highlander almost 10000.
I was going to get an ES-300, but for 8K less I can get a fully loaded EX V6 with Navi. So I have to wait 5 weeks. Has anyone seen one yet. I am sure they are floating around some where.
Michael
It is quite obvious you are against the Accord no matter what with the Bull statements. From your above statement, it's obvious you should not be talking about cars in any manner whatsoever. You are comparing a 3.5L 240bhp V6 to a 3.0L 200bhp motor.....of course the Accord is going to be more sluggish!! Duh! the Accord is 40BHP short on power! As for refined...the Accord 3.0 is just about as refined as the Altima 3.5L V6(the Altima engine is slightly more refined). And noise. The Accord 3.0 seems quieter to me.
"People buy Maxiam and Altima V6 because of the engine. " Huh. Yeah, I'm sure all the old geezers driving Maxima's buy it for the engine. It's more like they buy it for price & size.
INKY