Honda Accord Future Models

mansfield

My Camry was hit and totalled by another motorist. Insurance to pay this week. Trying to decide between a TL and an Accord. How soon will the 06's arrive? I am interested in the Hybrid for it's performance and cutting edge design, but I like the 06 looks better. So, WHEN do you all think I should expect to be able to GET an 06 TL, 06 Accord Hybrid, or a v-6 Manual Accord??? I can probably get the insurance co. to cover my loaner another couple of weeks....

biker4

They should start arriving on dealer lots next week. Model availability and price are still unknown.

djr3

Just to add my personal experience on availability. I decided on the 06 hybrid after seeing the brochure and put in an order. According to the salesman the dealership was just putting their first order in (about 2 weeks ago). He estimated November as the actual on the lot date. YMMV.

jfergus

To those interested in the '06 model, Honda has put the '06 Accord sedan on their web site with MSRP pricing:

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/model_overview.asp?ModelName=Accord+Sedan

The Coupe and Hybrid pages are not yet updated, just the sedan. Note some accessories changes, like the DVD-based i-VES (in-Vehicle Entertainment System) for the rear passengers. I don't recall seeing that on the former '05 model page.

jchan2

looks nice.

retro12

The new Honda Accord 2006 has been released. I just read this at Honda's website. Contrary to Edmunds' "2007 Honda Accord" this new Accord has come out just like the version that appeared in Edmunds. This new Accord features either a 2.4-liter engine that powers 166 hp or a 3.0-liter engine that powers 244 hp. Also new modification to the rear of the Accord have been among the many new things about it. For more information visit http://automobiles.honda.com

temj12

I went to the website but could find nothing about the 2006 Accord

chuckf1

Mouse over the Honda Accord Sedan under the "Models" section in the Honda web-site and it says 2006 Honda Accord Sedan. Follow the link and you can read all about the new Accord. The Honda web-site is still showing the 2005 for the Civic, Honda Coupe, etc.

With those new stubby tail-lights I'm even gladder that I got an '05 two months ago.

jimex

It's funny, a lot of people complained how ugly the butt of the 05 Accord was, so Honda changed it. I, too, like my 05 a lot better now after seeing the 06. The 06 Accord butt looks like the rest of the sedans out there. Very generic., i.e. the Mitsubishi Galant comes to mind....Now that the 06 has been released, I wonder if there will be a rush to scoop up the remaining 05's....

gearjammer62

The mechanical and feature improvements -especially on the V-6- which are signficant- trump what the taillights look like, IMO. The increase in HP in both sedan engines is a bonus, as is the increase in the powertrain warranty. The new front and rear fascias and new sheet metal for rear-quarter panels (made possible by changing the taillights) were re-designed not just to look different, but also reduce both drag and wind noise This will be the quietest Accord yet, and a nice step forward in continuous Accord refinement. Typical Honda - not just changing form, but improving function.

My local dealer hasn't had too many '05's recently since they've practically been giving them away under the Clearance lease program. If someone wants an '05, they won't have much selection to choose from ...personally, I'm glad I waited.

kath3

I like the looks of the 06 and have decided to wait on those before buying an EX. My dealer has told me 2nd week of September.

It looks like the "wood grain" trim package upgrade isn't available anymore. Just a metal trim package?

jfergus

Kath3,

I'm pretty sure wood grain trim is still available. It will probably still only come with the ivory color interior, which is available with the exterior colors: desert mist metallic, taffeta white, carbon bronze pearl (new '06 color), and nighthawk black pearl.

Here's why I'm confident wood grain is still around: go to the Accord Sedan page on Honda's site, and click on What's New on the right side. Scroll to the very bottom, and in the section Sportier Styling note the last bullet point on the left: New wood grain trim

As for a wood grain accessory "trim kit" that extends the trim up the sides of the center stack and up over the glove box and under the driver's legs, they may not have it quite ready. Just as it seems they didn't have the base wood grain interior quite ready for their brochure and web site picture photo shoot, since there don't seem to be any pictures of it.

If it's "new" then I guess they think it looks better than the '05 wood grain, which kinda looked a little artificial to me.

kath3

Is the "Ivory" interior what looks like tan? It's not really ivory is it? A white leather interior would be ghastly IMHO.

kath3

You are right. I saw where it says "new word grain" trim. THANK YOU.

ctalk

I've been reading other forums, and some people do agree with you that the 05 looks better. They also dont like the new gauge display.

IMO my 05 does look better. But what i hate is it looks bad from certain angles.

srobak

My neighbor has a Mercedes with Ivory/white leather guts and it is absolutely beautiful.

Honda should consider it... the tan does look really sharp.

temj12

Hey man, Thanks for sending this. I did get to pull it up. Just spent a lot of time looking at the changes. I bought an '05 Coupe and the tailights on the sedan look like the tailights on mine with a more squared off rear-end. I am wondering if they will make much change in the Coupe.

alpha01

Additionally, the LX V6 went from a pretty undesirable model to exactly what I'd be looking for- powerful V6, full compliment of airbags, moonroof, 17 inch alloys (which are much sharper than the new and unoriginal 16s that adorn the LX-SE and EX 4s), VSA, and best part.... NO LEATHER!

I feel like Honda's finally built an Accord for me. Now if I were just looking for a new car....

~alpha

gearjammer62

Very minor changes on the coupe. The trunk lid is a little flatter, the middle tail light has been moved to the trunk sill, and the rocker panel moldings look a little different - more like on the Acura TSX/RSX, and the exterior door handles were changed. Tailights are the same as the '05. The dash changed just the same as the sedan. And of course, the engines got the same"> increase in HP as the sedans.

bartalk3

Besides larger tires on the V-6, Honda has also modified the suspension on the '06. This may alter the ride and handling. If you test drive the new V-6, please report on these changes.

akaristos

Appreciated all the input. But I must say that if any of you could edify me on all internal and external differences between the 05 and 06 model including meaning, value or desirability, then that would help me make a sounder choice to buy one or the other, with of course a possibly a much better deal for the 05. Especially for the 4 cyl EX or SE. Many thanks in advance for your input and recommandations.

jchan2

There's not much change in Value. a 2006 Accord vs. a 2005 Accord will still be very reliable, durable, and will hold its value despite the cosmetic changes.

The 2005 may depreciate slightly more since its already a year old when you drive it off the lot, so keep that in mind. This is the "2005 Honda Clearance".

I'm actually attracted to the Special Edition, but it doesn't offer a moonroof. Guess that's an EX thing nowadays. (I had a moonroof in my 1997)

Too bad its not new car time yet.

midnightcowboy

Actually larger tire sizes do improve handling and traction.

They do usually give a rough ride but not necesarrily for the reasons you think. They offer stiffer sidewalls and any cushioning that was achieved via sidewall flex goes away; this improves handling. The reason the rider is rough is because the suspension is usually associated with sportier models, i.e. better handling, etc.

I am not sure i would use the word FAD. It is more like keeping up with the Jones. They offer it so we need to offer it to be competative. A FAD goes away after time; we won't see sammler wheels in the future.

As far as tire wear, many larger tires are assocaited with sports and performance and use a softter compound and yes softer trie compounds are stickerier, handle better, have beetter traction, BUT THEY ALSO WEAR FASTER!

Bigger turning radius wider tires can only turn so far in the wheel well space. Yes the truning radius is usually larger because of the width of the tire. However, these cars can still turn around and don't seem to bother a majority of those drivers.

YTCMV,

MidCow

atlantabenny

I think turning circle is for the most part a minor spec of a car unless it doubles parking maneuvers and such.

Nevertheless, this thread has got me investigating and discovering a thing or two: only the Accord 6-speed has had a 3-foot wider turning diameter since the generation's intro.

The 6-speed has 17" wheels and a manual tranny, so it begs the question: is it the larger wheels or the tranny packaging that increases turning diameter ?

I fitted my V6-auto with 17" wheels which have the 6-speed's exact wheel specs, and the tires don't rub against any part of the wheel well. Makes me think it's not the larger wheels per se that made Honda increase turning diameter but rather the manual tranny.

Since the 06 4-door sedan will come with a V6 & stick option, my guess is that the V6s - even the automatic only LX - will have the wider turning diameter because of tranny packaging and production line mandates .

And so - the theory goes - it's not the wheels but the tranny.

As to the larger wheels, while ride cushiness is diminished, a larger and lighter wheel delivers drivetrain longevity and handling benefits due to lower unsprung weight. The tires themselves are almost as long-wearing (up to 360 treadwear) and affordable (as low as $65/tire for Falken/Kumho) as the 16s.

bartalk3

Benny. You're wrong that the increased turning circle is only on the 6-speed manual tranny sedan. Check the '06 brochure. Both the EX V-6 automatic and the 6 speed have 17" wheels and an increased turning circle. The Hybrid keeps the 16" wheels and the shorter turning circle. Likewise, I believe, the LX V-6.

mazda6s

Too bad you can only get the V-6 6MT if you want leather seats.

atlantabenny

BTalk, I knew that and should have said "...until the 2006 V6s, the 6-speed coupe..." (read my post to the end).

That the 2006 LX-V6, which won't have the 6-speed, will also have a wider turning diameter suggests that production efficiency is a factor.

bartalk3

Yes, all '06 V-6s will have the 17" wheels and the wider turning circle, which Honda claims is 39.6 feet, but which according to CR measurements is in reality 42+ feet, similar to the Acura TL and RL, and a definite disadvantage in turning around, maneuvering in parking lots, etc. When I took a test drive of a BMW 330, one of the standard things the salesmen do is have you turn around in a big parking lot, showing the really tight turning circle. Obviously, a longer turning circle in itself is not a deal breaker, but it is a disadvantage. Lately I rented a Nissan Maxima, and the large turning radius of that car definitely makes it cumbersome in tight spots.

bartalk3

Because the '06 V-6s will have larger wheels and tires and also, according to Honda, modified suspensions, they will probably ride and handle differently than the '05s, so to those who test drive the new ones, please report back on your impressions.

kath3

This is mentioned as a new feature on the 06 Accords. I'm not sure what this is? Anyone?

midnightcowboy

I have the 6-sped with 17 inch wheels and the turning diameter is no a problem.

The turning diameter has nothing to do with the transmission. It has to do with the increased tire width. So that the wheels don't scrape the wheel well area the limits of the left maximum and right maximum were limited; if you can't turn a wheel as far left or right the turning radius is increased. Sometimes to make larger wheels more sporty the stering wheeel turns lock-to-lock are decreased.

If you have the standard 17 inch wheel on your 05 great; this means Honda probably could have left the turning ing diameter the same.

And I agree you can get tires with high treadwear which will wear longer. The downside is that there is reduced traction, so even with traction control on and high acceleration you will probably spin your tires.

Motor On,

MidCow

P>S> I can report already the 17inches ride and handle better

jfergus

kath3,

"by-wire" means that there is not a direct, physical cable link between the accelerator pedal that your foot controls and the fuel injection throttle that controls the gasoline flow into the engine. Instead, it is now an electrical signal over a "wire" between the accelerator and the throttle. Honda states that this "improves drivability". The term "by wire" is kind of misleading because you may interpret "wire" to be "cable" or some other direct linkage. But "by wire" really means electronically controlled.

kath3

Thanks jfergus!

siva15

visit the honda website and get full specs on the v6 accord

the 06 honda looks way better than the 2005 one

akaristos

Way better? How so? What are the differences between the 05 and 06, and in my case I am interested in the 4 cyl, EX or SE, manual? Does it justify paying a "premium" for the 06 instead of finding a great deal on the 05? Thanks for shedding some light for me.

midnightcowboy

look on the web site http://www.hondapreview.com/ to get exact information or search Edmunds.

Main features DRL ,VSC, LED taillights, heated mirrors, more HP, better mileage.

bartalk3

Honda is looking over their shoulder and seeing the '07 completely redesigned Camry to be released in the spring. To meet that challenge, they're upgrading the '06 Accord, especially the EX V-6 with lots of new goodies, adding VSC, increasing the powertrain warranty to 5/60, larger wheels, revised suspension, brake assist, etc, etc. Minimal price increase, I think. I believe it's worth waiting for the '06; they're trying to meet the competition from the '07 Camry now.

kath3

Where I am, there just aren't a lot of 05 Accord SEs or EXs left. There were a few silver ones left, but I didn't want a black interior.

If you really want to know what's new on the 06s, then go to the Accord website and click on "what's new" and it will tell you.

ctalk

Well, you may think that but I've been reading other forums. There are mixed opinions on the 2006 Sedan. Some think it looks over weight, some think it looks to much like other sedans.

kath3: Honda's sales were at a record high (in August) Accords Sales rose I belive around 20%. I'll try to find the article and post it.
Honda Canada's also posted a record high.

blane

The 2006 Civics have an AUX (auxiliary) jack allowing use of third-party audio devices such as portable XM and Sirius radios, iPods, etc. I cannot find anything in the 2006 Accord brochure indicating whether that vehicle will have a similar AUX jack.

Anyone know?

youngshopper

On Honda's website, a MP3 player remains an accessory for purchase when you "build" a 2006 Accord. I'm not a tech guy, but I suppose that an AUX jack for something like an iPod would make this accessory a lot less desirable. Whether that means the 2006 Accord will have an AUX jack, who knows.

Offering an AUX jack would definitely make me more likely to buy a 2006.

canuck1933

in comparing the rear of the new '06 accords where the exterior appears to have been modified most significantly...is it just me or did the sedan get uglier and now resembles a Ford Five Hundred from the rear... while the coupe got better looking (the old coupe was a little too rounded for my taste before)...

ctalk

the coupe's rear now.

It looks very nice IMO.

Looks a lot like Mercedes CLK.

maxamillion1

It was an EX with cloth in Carbon Bronze....

Can't say I was really impressed. The color looks like mud and the new EX alloy wheels are about as bland as the 16s on the Hyundai Sonata.

The front looks a bit better with the chrome grille.
The rear, however, doesn't seem to match up well with the front. From the earlier pics, the rear end looked sportier, now I'm not sure if I like the 06 rear better than the 03-04. I definitely DON'T like the 05s.

fredvh

Was it a V6? I did not realize that the 05 was different than the 03-04?

ctalk

The 05 has all red lights. The 03/04 have a red/white split.

oldjoe

I have the "red" 05 and the taillights look great...to me definately better than the 03-04 look that the Sonata copied...but that is my taste because I never looked for an Accord in 03-04.

bikerking

Why they have to put all red lighting instead of Red & Amber combi .
Most of the European models and all the Lexus models have red and amber.
One rainy night, a car front of me was M-B E class sedan that shows its presence
in clear and simple manner. I mean, separate bright red led when brakes( not the usual dimmer red becaome brighter ) and nice and solid amber when turning.
I think red and amber combination is much safer than all red.
Think about sunny mid day or rainy evening.

06 Accord has now LED , I hope they put back amber turn lites in 07.

Anyway new rear does not go well with sleek front, it is trying to be sexy but just dull, fat and need of refinement.
Honda,Please go check rear of M-B C and E class or VW Jetta(not the new ones)
they are , to me, simple and funtional and in harmony.

midnightcowboy

Bikerking said:

" Most of the European models and all the Lexus models have red and amber. "
No longer true, since they went to true LED lights only red. Recheck the models. Yellow LEDs don't show up and are not used.

Acurs, Infiniti, Cadalac, Lexus, MB, BMW all use red only!. The new Jetta does not use LEDs. The rear of the MB does not show amber. http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/models/gallery/photo_gallery/index.jsp&mcode=E35- - 0W&modelCode=E350W&menu=4 If that is amber in the slices then it is not LED.

I agree with you though Amber and Red are more distinct and show up better, but I don't think we will see thatcombination anymore.

Cheers,

MidCow

dudleyr

Red and amber is much more distinct. Brighter red hardly stands out at all. With all the fuss over the latest safety equipment I am suprised that style wins out over safety in regards to turn signals.

The weird thing is I have an Acura that has red and clear lens covers in the rear, yet it has amber turn signals because of the bulb color. So you can have the red and clear look with amber signals.