Honda Accord Coupe

jrp6977

I am more in line with the demographics of this car (just turned 45, but tend to have a bit younger tastes), and I can't get used to it either. I think the sedan fits its position better than the coupe, but it still looks a bit "Buicky". The coupe, on the other hand, is way too round and despite the fact that it can be either a sporty coupe or a luxo coupe, depending on how its trimmed, fails to deliver on either from the exterior. The elegance of the previous car is totally lacking and it looks too flabby to be sporty. I think Honda needs to send it to the gym to give it a more defined, edgy look. I really have my doubts that this style will age well. The only place I have ever heard anyone state that they like the coupes looks is on this site. Everyone else(and I have talked to many) even salesman, say they either don't like it or "its okay, but it lacks something". I really wish I liked it. It would sure make things easier when I am car shopping in the next year to 18 mos. I can only hope that Honda makes some changes in that time.

mikek37

Im with ya. I loved , and I mean loved the look of the 6th generation coupe, especially the rear, very sharp looking car.

ral2167

i washed my 2001 coupe and it's an easy job, especially in the rear which is very flat and with not a lot of nooks and crannies....

i wouldn't buy a new accord coupe today if only for the lame color choices....

off topic, but i wonder when a redesigned acura CL is due; its current design has been out some years now yes?

emale

acura is dumping the CL relatively soon...there isn't going to be a replacement...

ral2167

thanks for the acura cl info-- i did not know that....maybe accord coupe can steal some of their colors...

jrp6977

I hope that those of you that have problems with the new Accord coupe will do what I did and write Honda. Whether its the flabby styling, or the lame color choices and interior trim combos,or something else, let Honda know. Its the only way they know how potential customers feel. And maybe, just maybe, they will listen and make changes.The address is:
              Honda Automobile Division
              American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
              1919 Torrance Blvd
              Torrance, CA 90501-2746

Unfortunately, they don't have an email address or website link that I can find to send my opinions.

carguy58

won't probably happen till 06. For the 01 model year Honda did a little revision till the coupe's front grille.

jrp6977

I was thinking maybe the '05 model year, but you may be right. However, if Honda gets enough feedback, they may speed that up. BMW is speeding up a tweaking of the controversial styling of its 7 series, which is almost unheard of for that company. Pontiac made some very quick changes to the hideous Aztek after just one model year.

aggie1995

Not to be a stick in the mud but.....

If Honda sells 400,000+ Accords like they have been doing the past several years. (Coupes and Sedans combined) Where is the incentive for them to change when possibly 1000 people send letters complaining about the looks of the car?

1,000 complaints

400,000 purchases

Hmmmmmm?

ian2

My friend has an old base Grand Am that says "Sport Sedan" on the side. It is as unsporty as it gets... On the other hand, the S in SUV stands for sport and yet it is totally the opposite of sharp handling or going fast.

emale

imo, the coupe looks just fine....it's the sedan's butt that needs some work!!

jrp6977

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If Honda gets just a few complaints, of course they won't change the coupe. However, if they get plenty of complaints, and, more importantly, sales are off, they may make some changes. I feel, that I need to let them know that they are likely to lose me as a customer if the car does not change. That's all I can do. If others feel as I do, I encourage them to do the same. Customer feedback is essential, whether it is good or bad. Honda, as well as other companies, should seek it out.

emale

what would you have them change on the coupe?

ticos

Hello all. I am considering buying an 2003 Accord V-6 Coupe 6 speed but cannot find any reviews particular to this model. The reviews I have seen either mix the Accord sedan with the Coupe or they review the Coupe and no mention of the 6 speed manual model.

If anyone has any links to reviews of the 6 speed or knows of any car magazine that has done a review on this model please let me know, thanks.

anonymousposts

I like both the coupe and sedan. The sedan is a very classy looking car to me especially from the side. I wasn't crazy about the car from the first photos but once I saw it in person I came around. Accord sales are pretty strong right now so I doubt Honda is losing enough sleep to make them consider changing the car just one year into it's life span. Maybe next year.

Car and Driver (I think) did a comparison test between a 2003 EX V6 6-speed and a 2003 MB CLK320. Good article.

jrp6977

emale: I would like to see a bit more edgy and "masculine" styling on the coupe. The broad, featureless doors along with the overly round styling looks too flabby and soft to me. I would also like to see changes made to the front fascia. Give the car a small, grille without the weird insert that makes the car look like a frog sticking its tongue out. And how about the holes on the lower fascia that can house the fog lights. Make them smaller and closer in size to the fog lights, instead of filling up the space with a cheap looking grid. A little brightwork around the windows (at least as an option) as well as more color choices and interior trim colors and combos would also be nice. Overall, (sorry '03 coupe owners) I feel that the coupe actually looks cheaper than the previous coupe did. Of course, this is just my opinion...

mitchflorida

As an owner of a 99 Accord Coupe, I have to agree that the styling on the new Accord is mediocre at best. The back looks fine to me, but I hate the front . . it looks very downscale, reminds me of the old Ford Pinto.

What was Honda thinking???

mikek37

I dont know mitch. But Honda isnt complaining, their sales are up almost 22 percent this quarter, and I see more and more coupes on the road. The coupe isnt bad looking , it is growing on me. THe back is really nice, the side needs something, and the front is nice as well.

As with anything, its a matter of tastes.

jrp6977

Everyone has been saying that the Accord is selling well. I would agree that the SEDAN is selling well, but have no idea about the coupe. Honda does not break down its Accord sales into coupe and sedan when it releases its sales figures. I would love to know what coupe sales are and if they are up. I really don't see that many around here and I drive lots and lots of interstate miles.I see tons of sedans. The old coupe sold well, here, but I just don't see that many coupes. I wonder if there is a way to find out this info. It would be interesting to know.

carguy58

20% of Accord's sold are coupes but this stat dates back I think to a year ago.

notm

just a follow up to "replacement coupe: a '03 i4 vs. '02 V6" [to replace my totaled '00 01 ex MT]

got quoted good price on the '03 EX-L 4cyl MT coupe ....$21k so I estimate that would be near $23 OTD. SF-BAY

$23k vs $16k OTD [for the '01 EX MT I got a few days ago...super clean and and still under warranty.]

I saved an initial cost of $7k...which is a big deal to ME [saving for the casa]. and less stress to me due to not worrying about anyone dinging, bumping, etc. a BRAND NEW car. maybe I saved $10 Giving myself $3k for avoid extra emotional stress?

So I will see you guys on the highway [from behind -so I'll be seeing the '03s best view] and see you over in the regular accord coupe group. Maybe a newer coupe is in my future? but that 04 acura TSX is sweet-tight and zippy! I'd like to see a review comparing the two. different I know, but would be interesting comparison.

cheers
e

gee35coupe

I'd say they are doing just fine in this market. Some people say they see a lot of Mazda6's though. So I guess that's not a good measure.

anonymousposts

Straight from the factory the 03 could be considered plain but still attractive. But my 03 with fog lights, spoiler, body-side moldings, tinted windows, splash guards, and chrome exhaust finisher looks just fine to me. Out of the box the 98-02's were a tad plain too. You had to still add accessories to give it some visual oomph. But both are a great canvas to start with.

carguy58

I think the 03 looks "classy" in exterior styling vs the 98-02 which had a sleek look to it. The 03 looks more coupe-ish if you will more than the 98-02. I don't know how styling is going to age with the 03 though.

jrp6977

Its interesting you say that carguy58. I personally think that a "classy" look is what is totally missing from the new coupe. I do think there is potential and with a few relatively inexpensive tweaks the car could be almost as classy looking as its predecessor.

emale

being the owner of an '03 coupe, i think the coupe looks just fine, thank you. i have nothing against the previous coupe, but do think the new coupe looks more modern and has a more seperate identity from the current sedan vs the old coupe and old sedan. the only thing i'd change about the new coupe is i'd have given it a slightly crisper "character" line down the side. i like the front and rear...and the interior is very nice, imo!

cstiles

Go to Motortrend.com and search for the comparison test between the V6 coupe and the Mercedes CLK coupe. This was in the March or April issue. There is also an ongoing test and comparison between the V6 coupe and the TSX at www.vtec.net. I also read a review of the V6 coupe on Forbes.com, and also one on a Canadian auto site...I think it's World of Wheels, but I'm not sure. But you are right...there are very few articles or performance data available on the V6 coupe at this point in time. Good luck.

midnight_stang

I can't really compare the coupe to the older versions, but I do know the 2003 is a joy to way. Very smooth, and lack of trim pieces make it easy to "Wax on" and "wax off". The leather interior is killer, as well as the dash.

jrp6977

emale: I agree, a stronger character line, or even a crease, would do much to improve the side of the coupe.
midnight_stang: I think the interior is the best thing about the new coupe. The seats are much more comfortable than the previous model. I did, ironically, have trouble getting comfortable in the new coupe even though it has a new telescopic feature on the tilt wheel. Honda as well as the other imports could learn one thing from GM, that is how to make a proper tilt wheel. In my '00 coupe, there is a very narrow comfort range due to the fact that the wheel doesn't low tilt enough. If someone drives my car it takes me forever to get back into the comfort zone. In the new coupe, it seems even more difficult. The seating position is now, unfortunately,lower and the wheel doesn't seem to tilt lower to compensate. Have you, or anyone else,noticed this?

ral2167

i wonder if the new 2003 coupe has:

1) a pivot that kinda extends the seat belt forward so it's easier to reach after entering vehicle. on my 1999 solara, the seat belt was easy to reach cause there was a pivot that moved the seat belt forward so it's easier to reach.

2) a pivot for the head rest-- again, so it pivots forward and you can actually rest your head on the headrest without it being uncomforable-- the solara had this.

i have a 2001 coupe now-- i miss those two items that my solara had-- but the coupe has a better center armrest and coinbox.

emale

jrp6977,

there is a crease down the side of the '03 coupe...it just isn't crisp enough imo...

maxamillion1

But both were nice looking, espcially the 2001-02 Honda Accord EXV6 coupes..but I LOVE the new 2003 Accord EXV6 6spd.

jrp6977

I know there is a faint character line on the coupe, it just needs to be either more prominant (as you said) or perhaps a groove like on the previous Tbird. I would also ditch the strangely low positioned early '90's style door handles for the ones they use on the sedan. They look much more upscale. Honda must have had lots of those left over or something.

emale

yeah, they should have put the sedan door handles on the coupe too!!

notm

In my post #700 I mentioned that it'd be interesting to have a comparison between the 03 accord coupe and the 04 TSX and here it is

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=113992

jorax

Has anyone tinted their '03 Accord Coupe? I need advice before tinting my silver 6MT. Tint guy says the 3" band of ceramic "dots" at the top of the window will make the tint look poor because of trouble getting good adhesion. He says he can tint over it, or cut off right below. Dealers he works for want it cut off. Any experience or opinions? What the heck are those dots for, anyway? I see them on some other auto glass too.

anonymousposts

The sedan's door handles would not look right on the coupe. It wouldn't match the "sleek" design they were going for. If you think the side is plain check out a coupe with body-side moldings. They made a difference on my car if you ask me.

I have my windows tinted and so far I haven't noticed the tint to be any different where the dot matrix pattern is. Don't know what the dots are for though.

As for the driving position, once I got used to the higher dash I am more comfortable in my 03 than I was in my 99 sedan or my 01 coupe.

emale

i disagree, grab type door handles would like just fine on the coupe...and more modern than the current ones.

maxamillion1

The sedan's door handles do look nice...and I think they would look really nice on the coupe.

Seems like every new car uses those grab-type door handles, I wish the Altima had them..

anonymousposts

Looking at my coupe I think it would mess up the flushness of the side of the coupe.

emale

the sedan handles don't mess up the flushness of its side profile.

anonymousposts

I think they suit the sedan but not the coupe. They are two completely different cars when it comes to design with the exception of the headlights.

emale

imo, the coupe and sedan actually have quite a bit of similarity. both bodies taper up from front to rear...and the side glass gets smaller front to rear. obviously they don't look exactly the same, but you can definitely tell they came off the same platform.

cstiles

Honda sales are up +12.5% through June, and their US market share has increased from 6.5% to 8.1% over the past 5 yrs. In fact, total Japanese market share has climbed +4.5% since 1998, while total US market share is down -9.7%, in spite of record domestic spending on incentives. Although a chunk of Honda sales are courtesy of Pilot, Odyssey, TL, and Civic, the Accord is currently the #2 best selling car in the US. (Actually #1 to consumers, since Toyota sells a bunch of Camrys to fleets like Hertz, which Honda eschews.)

The styling on the Accord coupe/sedan has definitely sparked controversy, yet remains pretty conservative at the same time. With a cd of .30 for the sedan, and .29 for the coupe, they are becoming significantly more efficient. I suspect more and more cars are being designed using CAD, which means they start with a highly efficient exterior shell, and they design head lights and other elements around that. I think this is partially what is driving the funky styling that we are seeing on Hondas, BMWs (check out the 7 and 5 series...whoa), and a few other models. Efficient doesn't necessarily mean pretty.

But I agree that the styling on the Accord coupe can be improved with just a few little tweaks. Go to VTEC.com to see photos of the new Honda Inspire, which is basically the Japanese version of our US Accord. The Japanese version gets a normal grille, integrated fog lamps instead of these cheap-looking dealer-installed aftermarket lamps that we get, a stronger character line, slightly sleeker rear end that helps a lot, and turn signals in the side mirros (a la TSX). How can the same Accord look so much nicer in Japan, when it's basically the same car? Honda is concerned that if they made our Accord look too nice, fewer people would buy Acuras...

atlantabenny

The 03 Accord coupe has neither of the 2 pivots, which were good convenient features in the Solara (had one before the 03 coupe).

However the Accord's driver's seatback release lever, located much higher, is better (if one uses the coat hanger often).

jrp6977

I think Honda may have something to worry about with the new Solara. It has more trunk space, passenger room, and fuel capacity than the Accord. It has an even more upscale interior than the Accord, which is saying alot. There are more exterior/interior color combinations available on the Solara,and less limitations on wood trim or metal trim. With the SLE you get BOTH wood and metal trim that looks great together. There are more wheel choices, a better sound system and the fog lamps are integrated. This can only be good news, though, for Honda fans, since the company will probably have to respond and further improve the Accord coupe to compete.

grndefx

My Graphite EX came with side moldings, ground effects (front, side rear), moonroof deflector and trunk protector. The mouldings and ground effects make a BIG difference in the appearance. I wouldn't have bought one with out them. Always turns heads!! I do have a couple of issues, Black strip around front side windows is pealing off and power seat loose. I also am having trouble getting comfortable. I agree with the headrests, I like Cadillac's type that can swivel forward so you can actually use them (Eldorado) - ( Maxima and others(Volvo), have the accident type and they claim you cant have it against your head because it moves upward and forward in an accident), personally, I want to rest my head on the headrest while driving. I have seen add on's to make them swivel.

atlantabenny

Interior is upscale and finely detailed. Transparent shifter panel looks delicate. Good use of brushed aluminum. Exterior is elaborate and somewhat overwrought, particularly the headlights. Bottomline, a nice personal coupe for the comfort-seeking driver.

As Accord owners, we probably know already that Honda's "design language" and overall philosophy differ in many areas from Toyota's. Accords tend to grow on a person over time while Camrys/Solaras give almost instant gratification or repulsion as the case may be.

Myself, drove away from the Toyota dealership feeling that my 03 Accord coupe was the better personal choice.

anonymousposts

After seeing the outside of the Toyota SCtiburon .. I mean Solara, I definitely have no regrets with my Accord EX-L coupe.

mikek37

Yup, I am not partically fond of the outside of the new solora. But then again, I have yet to see one in person. The interior looks pretty top notch though.