Honda Accord Coupe

temj12

I have never had a Honda until April of this year. I bought an 05 Accord Coupe 5spd MT 4 cylinder. I love the coupe. I am 6'6 and it has plenty of leg room for me. The back is a little crowded but for people who are average height it has room so that it is not uncomfortable. Drive one and you will be sold. That is what I did and I was very impressed with the car.

gee35coupe

I bought an EX-L coupe. I didn't fit very well in the regular EX. But the EX-L fits me like a glove. We have an EX-L sedan now.

suzannafl

How does the EXL fit better than the EX?
I thought they were the same car, besides the leather.

Thanks,
S

suzannafl

It's been a while since I've had a new car.

I may be getting the new Accord coupe from out of town, several hours away.

Are there breaking-in driving instructions?

Thanks,
S

blane

suzannafl,

Just drive at moderate speeds for the first six hundred mile break-in period. Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration. Don't tow a trailer during that period. Don't use cruise control because you should vary your speeds. Avoid hard braking for the first two hundred miles. Do not change the oil until the scheduled maintenance time indicated in the Maintenance Schedule in your Owner's Manual. (That varies: 7,500 for the six cylinder engine or 10,000 miles for the four cylinder engine, using the normal schedule.)

anonymousposts

The 8-way power seat in the EX-L has more adjustments and more thigh support. The EX with cloth only has the power up and down.

snowful

Atlantabenny,

My black window molding also wrinkled, but I got it replaced under warranty. Not a huge concern and I don't think it affects appearance much, but might as well get it replaced before the warranty runs out. I have an 03 coupe also, but about twice as many miles. Everything was fine until this week when I had to get my alternator replaced. Not a single creak, rattle, or any other common complaint you see on here - almost perfection until now.

anonymousposts

window molding replaced in our 03 Coupe when we had it. No big deal. Was taken care of during a routine service.

atlantabenny

I've also enjoyed the car thus far, especially the V6's power and smoothness.

Not sure what to make of it, though, but the car has had problems uncharacteristic of other Hondas and a TL we've owned. Adding to the wrinkled window trim, there have been: broken engine mount (fixed under warranty), headliner creaks (warranty fix not successful), and unglued moonroof panel lining (in-warranty fix).

More recently, Check Engine Light came on and disappeared after a few days, and the radio/HVAC backlight went out too (an $800 hit if not for a goodwill replacement by HOA's district rep).

You're probably in the extreme minority with the bad alternator which I'm sure wasn't a cheap fix nevertheless.

An extended warranty would now seem to make sense for the next Honda/Acura purchase.

suzannafl

I've been looking at various Accord coupes.
Have noticed that the window tint is darker on some than others.
These are not after-market films.

Is this how the dealer orders from Honda?
It's not dependent on the color of the vehicle, nor whether it is an EX or EXL.

The after-market film on my current (older) Accord is bubbled, so would rather have darker glass this time.

Thanks,
S

blane

suzannafl,

Dealers cannot special-order vehicles from the Honda factory with different glass tints. What you may have observed are slight variations on the glass manufacturer's production lines. Or, perhaps, glass produced by more than one company.

suzannafl

How many keys come with a 2005 Accord?
Does anyone purchase extras?

S

blane

suzannafl,

You'll get two regular keys (with remote control built in) and one or two valet keys. Extra regular keys are fairly costly (close to $100?), but are available through the dealer.

Judging by all of your recent posts on several forums, you are surely doing your pre-purchase homework. Enjoy your new wheels.

dairyshick

I live in florida and bought a SunPass, which is one of those passes that lets you go through toll booths. However, I've been having problems half the time I go through where the toll booth doesn't detect my Sunpass, and I end up just going through without actually paying. The Sunpass manual says that cars with metal oxide containing windshields could cause this sort of problem.
Does anyone know if the windshield of this model contains metal oxide?? I have never had any after-market window tinting applied.

2001 Accord coupe - EX, 4-cylinder
....Thanks.

blane

No, Brian, Accords do not have metal oxide windshields. Do you perhaps have an aftermarket windshield tint that contains such material?

ezshift5

..engagement...

For the first time (and I haven't had an automatic transmission since my last year at San Jose State) I am unable to get good clutch engagement: '05 V-6 6-speed Coupe. Great car: clutch seems vague!!

..On a standing start, ...been engaging without throttle (no stalls:mostly flat around the state capital). Then - once the drivetrain is locked up - I feed in the drive-by-wire.

Clutch engages about 1.5" up from firewall/carpet - smooth, light, no chatter - but if initial engagement throttle used, the V-6 overrevs. Beats the hell outta me!

..I'd really appreciate any feedback from other manual shifters out there...........this sort of thing never did occur in my Porsche, Corvette, RX-7 (or any other veehicle).

all the best, ez

blane

ezshift5,

Have you considered adjusting your seat a bit forward or backward?

ezshift5

.......appreciate your response, blane....

..at this point (odo circa 1500) I'm willing to try almost anything.

..looking at your profile, I'm curious: does your Coupe have a clutch? Have we the same car?

thanks again, ez....

blane

ezshift,

No, although most of my previous vehicles have been manuals, my 2004 Accord Coupe has a slushbox since it's leased. Leasing companies tend to not want the hassle of selling MTX cars at ends of leases.

Best of luck with your new wheels.

jay_ray83

When i purchased this car nearly a year ago, i did not know that the radio does not play burned cds!!!!!!! is anyone else having this problem or know how to fix it w/o it costing me an arm and a leg? Also, i seem to only be getting around 22mpg on the highway on my 6 cylinder accord coupe. Is this normal or is there something i should or could do to improve my gas mileage especially since it just went up to $3.00/gal where i live. thanks, j

rhaeffele

How you burn your CDs may be a factor. I've never had any luck with mixing selections from multiple sources to a single CD and having it work in my Sonata's CD player. But when I generate an image file from a single commercial music CD and then burn a dupe from the image file, the resulting CD copy plays fine in my car. I use the Nero suite that came with my generic Chinese CD/DVD burner.

I have no idea why your Accord's fuel mileage is that low unless you're romping through hill & dale in 3rd gear with the revs close to redline. Also, you're not resting your left foot on the clutch pedal are you? Might be time to pay your dealer a visit. You should be seeing close to or actually 10 mpg more at constant highway speeds over level terrain.

spotty

im thinking of getting one of these,and the dealer im buying from is sending me a info packet.However,im an impatient person,does anyone know where i can find pics of the new coupe?

atlantabenny

http://www.collegehillshonda.com/accordcoupe/gallery.htm

wayde

the coupe is now up on Hondas website (hondacars.com) - enjoy!

tranti

Hi! Jay:
It can play burned CD if the CD is R only. It can not play burned CD if the CD is RW ( rewritable)

ezshift5

....to be fast (per R/T, C/D et al.....)

..fuel efficient: 7 tank-ups now. MPG Range is 25.57 - 28.39; mean=27.45;mode is 27 and the median is 27.66. Mostly around state capital 70FWY/30CITY.............

and fun...I'm here to tell you. (But y'all knew that anyway)

best, ez

:P

jfgolf3

Is their a special sequence to re-code a 96 Accord radio?

fsugirl24

Just after I hit 75K on my 99 honda accord coupe, my check engine light came on.

Any idea if it is programmed to do this? Or should I take it in and get it tested?

mitchflorida

this also happened to me, it was a bad egr valve. . Honda fixed in for free under a tsb. . Would otherwise have been a $600 repair. ..

haefr

The factory window tinting is a metal oxide applied internally during glass manufacture. That's the only material that can A> withstand the heat of molten glass, and B> not fade over time.

ego29iste

My 2004 ex-v6 seems to have a loose drivers seat. When braking or turning it slides or shifts slightly, nothing excessive, but noticeable. I keep thinking that in a serious car accident the whole thing would come right off! I asked the dealer to take a look at it once and was told that this was characteristic of this car. I don't quite buy it - is there a TSB or something I can refer to at next service interval?

Also during my last service I had the brakes resurfaced (6000 miles) due to a shudder when I was braking. They seemed fine for awhile but I noticed a slight shake when breaking recently. If this worsens, do I have grounds to ask them to replace it as opposed to re surfacing it again?

Thanks in advance for any guidance,

Tom

snakerbill

My 05 EX V6 Coupe has 205 60 16 tires, and the 06 is now coming with l7 inch wheels with 50 series tires. I do not think this is an improvement as the car will only ride harder and provide less protection for the expensive wheels. I much prefer a car with 60 series tires, and I generally buy a new car every year, but I think Honda has lost me with those tires and l7 inch wheels. After all an EX V6 Automatic Coupe is not a kids hot rod, and I would much prefer the all around goodness of the coupe, rather than have a one trick pony with a hard ride. I think my 05 handles well and if I wanted a performance car I would buy something else. Anyone else have an opinion about this?

ezshift5

..05 EX V-6 Coupe 6M.....

..certainly rides a little harder than my 00 Solara SE-V6 5M former car...........which had the same tire/wheel set you indicate...........

...OTH, my EX - from an engineering standpoint - is 4.0 (Navyspeak for tops).

..all the numbers surpass those of the Supra Turbo I drove '90 to 00........

...after a few more miles, I'll try bending it around a 135 degree flat curve out in the hinterlands of NoCal. Comparisons with a '69 Vette, a '74 914, an '83 RX-7 and the '89 Supra await. (The Solara would have left the roadway..........bouncing, pitching and yawing.........

...best, ez.....

plethysmo

I reported a problem with my driver's seat before the warrantee ran out. It felt like there was a bowling ball under the seat with about 1 inch of freedom. So I would feel it roll from side to side, or back and forth when turning or braking. It was fixed under warrantee. After the repair it was hard to use the power controls as the seat would keep moving after releasing the control. I had to reverse the control to stop movement which often started the seat moving in the opposite direction. They fixed that in 10 minutes by 'cleaning' a switch.

I did not not any braking problems or judder/shudder and still had about 40% left on original pads at 45K service. The dealer asked if I had noticed braking problems because they said the disks had 'hot spots' . They replaced the disks 'under warrantee' even though it was well past 36K.

cstiles

Hey ez--I have an 2003 6spd coupe pushing 22k. This is my 8th straight Honda with a manual. It took me a bit longer to adjust to the 6spd V6, but I was nailing it by the time the odo hit 500 miles. I wonder if you need to have your clutch adjusted, since by now you should be shifting smoothly, IMO.

I have done a lot of stop and go in this car, so have gotten good practice. After the first month of adjusting, I was shifting fine, and now pushing 3 yrs, the car shifts like a dream. There is a lot of torque from the V6 driving those front wheels, so you do need to feather the clutch a bit more carefully. All of my prior Hondas were 4 cylinders, so I didn't have to be as precise.

Good luck with your car. At times I wish this car had a limited slip since I can really spin it if I'm not careful with the available power. Occasional torque steer is evident if I get overzealous, but it's not a major problem. Even in the snow this car handles fine, although I often will start in 2nd gear.

Overall a very sweet car that is rewarding to drive fast. I did swap out my tires so am running summer rubber and aftermarket rims for better traction. With crappy weather on the way, it's almost time to mount those Michelin MXM4's back on.

Best regards.

ezshift5

..appreciate your words on feathering the clutch.......you are dead right there.....

...the coupe's engineering has me spellbound.....this is really a great car.........

..on the drive to Arizona next month, what are my chances of breaking 33 mpg? (c/c, 70-75, regular gas......odometer should read about 3000 by then)

Thanks again for your input.............terrific car........best, ez......

Claires

Hi, ego29iste,

Have you tried asking the folks in the Honda Accord Owners: Problems & Solutions discussion?

cstiles

Best MPG I've gotten on this car was 32 mpg, so good luck hitting 33 on the hwy. I think it's doable if you drive a little slower and hold the RPMs at just below 2000. But it's hard for me to drive like that.

I have been running super unleaded. Honda confirms a 10 horsepower bump to 250 on 91+ octane, but I admit it's barely noticeable.

Normally I switch cars every 3 yrs, but I am nowhere ready to turn this one over. The slightly tweaked styling of the 2006 looks nice (especially in the rear), and the blue instruments in the new interior are an improvement. But I'm happy with my "classic" coupe...

midnightcowboy

cstiles said:

"I have been running super unleaded. Honda confirms a 10 horsepower bump to 250 on 91+ octane, but I admit it's barely noticeable. "

I heard that was a rumor an Honda engineer said one time. Inever could find an offical Honda notive that sated that. I did find a quote on an interview when the current 7th generation engine was about to be released. I am curious if you have a source of the extra 10 HP on premium.

I have a 6-speed 2005 Accord EX Coupe w/NAV. I added K&N air filter and Borla exhaust and Sylvania Super white lights ( still toying with the idea of putting in true Xexons for about $500).

I can get 32-33 if i go a steady 65 mph on flat terrain. Lately I have been dirving for mileage and can get 26-27 on my work commute of 22 miles (5 miles 80 mph, 5 miles 60-65 mph, 12 miles stop-n-go city). If I drive it like it should be driven it drops by 4 mpg

By the way I just use regular, unless they are out of regular which happend with hurricane Rita.

Anyway both you guys: ezshift and cstiles have great cars.

cruis'n in 6th :shades: ,

MidCow

P.S. - 11k miles no problems!

heejoman

Have they dropped the SE models for 2006?

I missed out on the SE model for 2005 (few hundred more than LX and get more goodies).

Are alloy wheels standard for 06' LX?

Handling: Front and rear stabilizer bar for LX?

Or EX still handles better? Thanks.

gee35coupe

closer to the 250hp number when running on premium. Can't link to the vtec web site but I remember the dyno test.

ezshift5

....horsepower.......

...at odo 2650(and AZ voyage imminent): looking forward to replicating MidCow's 32-33 mpg..........tach at 2200 ought to buy me 65 on cruise..........fast enough for a sailor like me - - - used to a 15-knot fleet auxiliary (single screw!)

...later, we (the coupe and I) can address 91 octane for even better performance.....

...great car!

best, ez......... :P

puncher

Silly question I know,
But my red used 04 V6 6 speed coupe with nav. has 17" wheels ( are 17" wheels std. on the ex?) with of course tan leather and a "graphite trim". I guess my question is how common is this set-up. I haven't seen the graphite trim anywhere except on this car and I was wondering if there are many out there in Honda Land. Thanks guys.
Punch

whitecloud1

What you describe is all standard on the 6 SPEED Accord EX-L. 16" on the automatic. I think that the trim is a preference thing among the different types.

synergy1

Hey, i'm new here...and was just wondering if i got a good deal for my 2005 Accord coupe LX V6 SE...as you guys already know, it comes with the moonroof,decklid, and alloy wheels (i think the regular LX don't have moonroof and the wheels) It also has the mudguards and wheel locks. Well, i got it for $23,600 out the door...i think it was $21,165 before taxes. It was a new car...i bought it in August...For anyone who replies thanks! good deal?

dgsxrr

I have a 96 civic dx 4-cylinder,and a 02 accord ex v6. The new 4's are chain driven versus the belt driven v6s. If the belt breaks, which is rec. to change @ 100,000 mi., it will cause severe damage to the engine Go with the 4; more reliable better gas mi. less likely to get stolen and ticketed.

chillenhonda

I have an 03 6-speed V6 with 23K miles. My usuall commute and driving around is about half highway 65-80mph and half around town. I average 24-27, depending on if there is more city or highway.

Last week took a trip from San Diego, to Hollywood, around LA, out to Palm Springs, and back through the mountains on 74 to San Diego. Over about 450 miles, I averaged 32.2 mpg. I was going around 70 going up to LA, on the slow side, but 90+ in the desert.

cstiles

The 10hp boost has been documented in at least two places.... (1) it was referenced in the Technical Correspondence section of Road & Track Magazine about a year ago. The writer confirmed that a Honda engineer stated this to be the case. (2) vtec.net articles and forums have also confirmed this on several occasions. Not sure if they actually dyno-tested the coupe to compare the two grades of fuel, but the writers on that website also referenced a Honda engineer confirming the 10HP boost.

But this could still go down as an "urban legend," I suppose. But the piece in R&T appeared legit, at least in terms of actually talking to and quoting a Honda engineer, and the folks on vtec.net are hardcore Hondaphiles who frequently test Hondas through various tests. They are also often in contact with Honda factory representatives.

That's all I know about this.

cstiles

The 17 inch wheels are only stock on the 6speed coupe. Other coupes (I4 or V6) come with 16 inch wheels, except the 2006's are now coming stock with 17 inch wheels on V6 slushbox models.

All red coupes have tan interiors, but the graphite panel trim is either a dealer-installed option or installed as aftermarket. I saw a black coupe with the graphite, and thought it looked pretty nice. Some of the 2006 coupes have graphite or silver trim around the audio/climate control display and also on the steering wheels. Looks a little like the interior of the TSX. Not bad.

Claires

Synergy1, you might want to check out the Honda Accord: Prices Paid and Buying Experience discussion. You'll be able to compare the deal you got with other members who are in the process of buying or have just bought Accords.