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2013 and earlier-Honda Accord Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • desmonsmdesmonsm Member Posts: 48
    how long should it take if I were to put in a factory order for an Accord EX-L auto 2.4L today? The reason I ask is because before purchasing my vehicle this past weekend, I suggested to the salesperson that maybe I should just order what I want from the factory, and he advised me it would take 3 months! That sounded ridiculous to me, but taking his word I went ahead and purchased the vehicle on the lot because if in fact it were to take 3 months to get exactly what I wanted, it would only be approx 3 more months until the 2005's rolled out.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,565
    The Honda dealers won't "order cars". They will do a dealer trade to get you what you want, but thats about it. Doesn't seem like it should be that hard to find what you want. There is usually only one leather color choice with each exterior color. Maybe you need a bigger dealer? What color combo are you looking for?

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • higgins7higgins7 Member Posts: 24
    gatrhympy: is the 3% hold back calculated including the destination (490.00)?

    Price without haggling is $25,766.00, which is 275.00 below invoice plus 490.00. Plus TTL, 3% hold back of 852.00 less 275.00 is 577.00 which is 2.26% profit from 25,5521.21
  • desmonsmdesmonsm Member Posts: 48
    kyfdx,
    I purchased the vehicle last Saturday at Honda of Frankfort in Frankfort, KY. It's a 2004 Accord EX-L 2.4L auto, satin silver metallic exterior, black leather interior.

    I brought up ordering or trading for another vehicle to the salesperson because the one I test drove had 150 miles on it, pin stripes, fenderwall and door edge guards. I wasn't wild about any of these. The salesperson said the vehicle had 150 miles on it because they had traded with a dealer in Columbus, IN (approx 125 miles away), and they had to drive it back to Frankfort. That struck me as odd...I thought they'd put the vehicle on a flatbead truck or something, not put the miles on it.

    I told him the pin stripes weren't a deal maker or braker, but that I didn't really like them. The odd thing was that I had seen them on other Accords when I went on my first test drive at another dealership, but those pin stripes said "Honda" on them at the rear of the vehicle, and the ones on mine don't (I'd rather they didn't actually).

    I paid $22,300 for the vehicle plus all-weather mats, wheel locks, mud guards, fenderwall and door edge trim, and the cargo tray. The dealer charges $239.95 for "customer services/prep charges" (checking fluids, tearing plastic off seats, etc. = ripoff), $21 title/lien fee, $1,337.04 tax. Fair price?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,565
    That is normal for dealer trades.. A lot cheaper to pay a retiree $50 for six hours of driving, than a flatbed truck operator. I'm not that familiar with the pricing on EX-L 4 cyl.. Isn't that about $2100-2200 off MSRP? I'd say thats very fair. As far as pinstripes, most dealers outsource it. A guy in a truck comes to the dealership and does them once per week or whatever. Some provide their own pinstriping (no Honda logos) and some get it from the dealer. Not a big deal.

    Congratulation on your new car!!

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • rbrrbr Member Posts: 113
    That appears to work out to about 26,000 (including destination) for the car before fees -- not a bad price. I paid 26,600 for ours in Minnesota, and the NAV equipped Accords were in very short supply. My closest (preferred) dealer wouldn't meet the lowest price I was offered, but I used other bids to get a price I was willing to live with. My personal opinion is to not try to extract the last possible buck from the dealer -- life is too short, and I want the dealer to have a positive impression of me in case there's an unusual problem with the car.

    I have a silver one as well -- I think all the silver ones come with a black interior, which is good news and bad news. The good news is that (just like when you have a black exterior) it looks great when its clean, but every little piece of dust and grit of sand is clearly visible. Dont get me wrong, it still looks great but looking back on it I would have probably opted for the tan or grey interiors.

    One other thought -- you mentioned third party financing -- Honda is offering 1.9 - 3.9 financing on Accords right now depending on the financing period. Good luck.
  • desmonsmdesmonsm Member Posts: 48
    Another question for ya (I actually posted this on another board and didn't get a response): How can I tell the build and delivery dates of my vehicle? I didn't see it on the vehicle's sticker. The previous vehicle I purchased had this info on it's sticker. I'm just curious how long the vehicle sat on the lot, that's all.

    Thanks.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,565
    The month and year of manufacture are on the drivers door jamb.. 12/03 for example..

    For reference, the '01 Accord that I leased on 1/11/01, was manufactured in 12/00. Just one month before.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • lilbuddhalilbuddha Member Posts: 5
    My Accord came with a certificate of origin that I believe had the date the car was either shipped from the factory or when it was received by the dealer....if you are looking for more specific than month/year.
  • cwrigh01cwrigh01 Member Posts: 23
    A dealer markup on a 6-speed? The dealer near me tried the same tact, "they are so rare." Uh yeah, because they aren't that popular!

    I digress. go to Temple of VTEC's website (vtec.net) and look in the dealer area, you will see a couple of dealer's selling them for near invoice. You CAN and SHOULD get a similar deal, or walk away.

    Chris
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    never pay over msrp on accord/solara manuals-- come trade-in time, you'll be penalized BIG-TIME for the manual tranny....
  • sleepystevesleepysteve Member Posts: 11
    I paid $26131 for mine with the nav (msrp 28990)
    could have had non nav for $24484 msrp 26990).
    I'm in the Philadelphia PA suburbs. I got the 24484 quote from the internet department at one
    dealer and had another dealer beat it by $100. YOu
    can use Edmunds or MSN auto to get up to three
    dealer quotes. It is true that they don't have many 6speeds but also not many people are interested in manual transmissions. All dealers
    started with the "we don't get many of these in"
    stuff. Start with getting an internet quote first
    and go from there. Mine was Mainlinehonda.com
  • topgun7topgun7 Member Posts: 412
    Comparison shopping can be fun for a lot of us. However for a lot of other folks, it can be a very difficult thing to do. Think about all the posters come here asking whether their deal is good or not. If they shop around at all, they would have known what the local market offer. My first round of quote get me a best quote of $200 below invoice. The 2nd round get me $700 below invoice. My wife took over after the 2nd round and talked to 3 lowest dealers and get us $1000 below invoice (and took out all the dealer additional fee in the lease deal). It is not very time consuming, we spent may be about 6 hours total. But it is definitely different than your day to day shopping experience (when is the last time we go to a grocery store and tell them that their competitor is selling the milk 50 cents cheaper and ask them to beat the price???) For those folks who find it difficult to work with the salesperson negotiating or just don't have time to spend on car shopping, using car shopping service like carbargains or site like,cardirects.com, is not a bad deal. Everyone has a price for their time, if they figure their time and the peace of mind is worth $200 to them, using car shopping service can be a life saver. We used carbargains about 10 years ago when our kids were very small and both of us worked. It was impossible for us to go car shopping in the traditional way. Carbargains get us a chrysler minivan 300 below invoice (that was back in the day when minivan was hot and dealer tried to get people pay full msrp).
  • elfy6xelfy6x Member Posts: 6
    I just got an Accord LX 4dr, auto, w/ side air bags tonight. It's actually an '03. (though its brand new. - only has 12 miles on it) I was going to go for an '04 until I asked the dealer if they had an 03's left. Ended up getting the car for $17,896. I live in Columbus, OH. Personally, I think this was an excellent deal. After taxes, $100 doc fee (standard for OH apparently) and $20 for title, I got the thing for $19,229.91 OTD. Hope this helps anyone else in the central Ohio area!
  • pjamupjamu Member Posts: 11
    Why would you buy one over other when you get 2001 certified used RL at the same cost as Honda Accord EX v6?

    - Accord v6 is better performance, but it is no match for RL in luxury
    - RL is bigger and nicer
    - RL also looks better and feels better, quiet.
    - Accord has better gas mileage
    - Both will have similar depreciation since RL loses quite a bit in its first 3 yrs.
    - Both are equally reliable, RL probably a bit more reliable

    And with RL's prestige, wouldn't anyone be tempted to go for it if you are going to get same life, similar depreciation, similar reliability and better luxury at the cost of a little performance?
  • gatrhumpygatrhumpy Member Posts: 126
    Higgins7 and rbr,
       What I wrote in my last post (that I would not pay higher than $27,671) was what I was willing to pay. My dealer gave me a price quote of $200 BELOW what I said. In other words, he gave me for the car $25,351. The total tax was $1,297.05, which was 5% of $25,351+$490 (destination)+$100 processing fee. I actually got the car for $25,841 with destination and before taxes and fees. Not too bad. I think I shopped around for a total of 4 hours. I could have haggled some more (I guess), but only one other dealer was willing to give me the car for $27,671 (what I ORIGINALLY would have paid) and he would not come down in price. I told whoever was on my e-mail list that the lowest dealer would get the sale.

    We had a mutual form of respect for eachother because I offered him a fair profit (around 2.7%)while he got me the best deal around Washington, DC.

    I was honest with him, and he with me. I was quite frank with him and asked him why he was willing to sell me the car at that price. He told me, "Well, I can see right off the bat you're a very knowledgeable gentleman. I know that you're going to treat me with respect and I hope you'll do the same with me. Plus, I have to be honest with you, I can get a little more profit from the average guy who just walks in here and didn't do his homework like you obviously did." I knew right then that he was cutting away all the BS.

    I also shopped around in the Rochester, NY area (because my parents live up there) and the best any Honda dealer could do up there was $28,300 OTD. If it would have been worth the money I would have bought the car up there, but it wasn't.

    I'm very happy with the car, and let me tell you, I laughed my butt off the enitre way to work listening to the Comedy station on XM radio. It's great! Now I know I will never go back to a regular car again.
  • mitzijmitzij Member Posts: 613
    You mention the website carbuyingtips.com. Be careful how much of this guy's 'advice' you take. His service contract page is a complete advertisement for 2 service contract companies. Believe about 1/3 of what is written there and ignore the rest. A service contract is very rarely a good use of your finances. I work for a car dealership. In the last three years, I've seen, maybe, three people see a return on the money they've laid out for an 'extended warranty' The majority of that website is either common knowledge or common sense. The rest is advertising.
  • gatrhumpygatrhumpy Member Posts: 126
    Thanks for the tip. That's exactly what I did. I already knew about 1/2 of the information that was on those pages. When I read those pages, I just kept an eye out for any tricky business at the dealer and negotiating for a new car.
  • s2hfls2hfl Member Posts: 1
    Paid 18k (including dealer fee and destination) + tax, tags and title for my new accord.

    I received an e-mail quote from Holman Honda in Ft. Lauderdale that was invoice + desitination + $400 dealer fee. The price was okay but unfortunately it turned out to be one of the most unprofessional places of business I've ever dealt with. I was flat out lied to via e-mail and over the phone about what they had in stock. It wasn't until I made it to the dealer for an appointment with a sales rep (who showed up 15 minutes late) that I discovered they had no such vehicles in stock and there weren't any available in my area. Rather than try and find me what I wanted they explained they were willing to make me a good deal on what they had in stock because of the "miscommunication on their end" (I did this on the last day of 2003 so they were trying to make end of month quota that a different salesman told us about). Talk about a shameless bait and switch attempt. I think the best part of that ordeal was receiving a phone call that night from one of their reps asking me why I missed my appointment earlier that day.

    I took my quote from them to Sherwood Honda in Delray and they were able to beat the original quote by a couple hundred dollars. They were also able to get me the car I wanted and were much easier to work with. The information all over this website was a big help and I felt well prepared for my dealings. Considering it was my first car buying experience and I was able to get the car I wanted below invoice I was pretty happy.
  • pjamupjamu Member Posts: 11
    Received a quote of Invoice minus 800$. The same dealer quoted 21600 for EX - v4.
    But I am also considering a pre-owned certified RL with 35000 miles on it. The quote I received for it is 22000$.

    What do you guys think?
  • serendipserendip Member Posts: 60
    After all these months, I have to comment. There are a total of 4 Honda dealers in the whole state - 4. (Vermont) When I read about contacting 12-18 dealers, I gasp. Comparison shopping was NOT going to help me at all. I wasn't even sure I *wanted* a Honda. Went to the local dealer, knowing what the pricing was from here and other sites, and knowing what I'd be willing to pay, if I liked the car. (Accord '03 EX V6) They didn't have the car in the color I wanted, on the lot. I didn't know when I'd be able to get the car, based on insurance payout on my totaled car. And it was August, and I wanted an '03, and couldn't wait for an '04. In other words - this wasn't a walk in the park for anyone. Salesman quoted me a price. It happened to be $900. LESS than I was willing to pay for the car. Absolutely no games with add-ons, fees, etc. And then he had to jump through hoops to find me the color I wanted, trade for it, and to get it to me when I needed it. Which he did, happily. Of all the cars I bought, this was the easiest. Could I have negotiated a lower price? Probably. But it was already lower than I expected (and lower than the Edmunds TMV price) so why bother? Sometimes, you luck out, and I did. I have to think that we both did. And yes, I'm sure that it will never be this easy again...but I can be hopeful!
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    You wrote:

    "I paid $22,300 for the vehicle plus all-weather mats, wheel locks, mud guards, fenderwall and door edge trim, and the cargo tray. The dealer charges $239.95 for "customer services/prep charges" (checking fluids, tearing plastic off seats, etc. = ripoff), $21 title/lien fee, $1,337.04 tax. Fair price?"

    $22,300 is a fair price before taxes, license, and a $50 doc fee. It's better if the dealer installed items are included.

    My question, however, is what you had to pay for those dealer installed items. The $239.95 prep charge is pure profit, so you're up to $22,540 which is still a good price if that other cr*p were included.

    For your info, I paid $22,700 +TTL= $24,876 TOTAL in San Francisco--a costly place to buy anything. My car is an '04 EX-L 2.4L sedan with AT and no Nav. It has been a superb car--luxury and economy, too.

    I purchased no dealer options although wheel locks were already on the car that was traded with another dealer--the locks were just thown in at no cost to me. That was in late August, the start of the '04 model year.

    Given that '04s are likely be discounted about $2400 after the '05s are introduced in late August or early September, it follows that the car should get about $200 cheaper every month into the model year.

    Of course, demand, weather, availability, etc. can affect the linear relationship of price to time left in the model year, but it makes sense for cars to become cheaper as buyers have fewer months to enjoy the newest car.

    If I made a decent deal last August, I'd expect to pay about $800 to $900 less now--about $21,900 +TTL. So, $22,540 is not awful, but not great, either. Those dealer installed goodies almost always cost more than they're worth, so if you paid very much for them, your price was not so great in my opinion.........Richard
  • shine3shine3 Member Posts: 3
    Is 22,500 a good price for a 2004 coupe ex with leather? This is a no-haggle price I got from an Internet manager from a dealer in Atlanta. Any feedback is appreciated!
  • desmonsmdesmonsm Member Posts: 48
    Richard,
    Thanks for the response. What you said makes total sense. The $22,540 included all of the options...installed. That's basically invoice, which in my opinion is just as you said: a good price, not necessarily a great one.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    I think you did very well given that the car had some dealer-installed goodies included in your near-invoice price. You're going to really like the car. Drive it in good health!.......Richard
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    shine 3:

    If the EX-L Coupe is the 4-cylinder automatic without navigation, your $22,500 figure is a decent price. You might try for two or three hundred less, but it may not be worth the effort.

    If it is the 6-cylinder automatic without navigation, $22,500 is a fantastic price.
  • ystressystress Member Posts: 25
    It seems to me anytime you pay less than invoice or even less than MSRP you a getting a good "deal". Sometimes even paying MSRP can be a good deal. Case in point, my girlfriend purchased a '03 CR-V EX at MSRP but the dealer paid off her '01 Mustang that was worth a lot less than what she owed. Took a few tries but we were finally able to unload it. Even the best discounts I've seen on the CRV board were less than the difference in what she owed and what her Mustang was worth. The key is, stay away from all those add ons (ext warrany, undercoatings etc) that are designed to erase any so called discount.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    ystress:

    It is a fact that the instant you drive your new vehicle off the dealer's lot, its resale value is down about ten percent. For example, if you pay $25,000 today and try to sell it back to the dealer or to a private party tomorrow, you should only expect to receive $22,500. After all, it is now a "used" car since the title has been transferred.

    That is only one of the reasons that when purchasing a new car you should only consider paying about 90% of the MSRP. That's close to the dealer's "cost". In your initial purchase, you should always consider what percentage of the original price you will be able to recoup when you eventually sell it. The more you pay today, the larger the percentage gap when you sell tomorrow. That's real cash out of your pocket or purse. Better out of the dealer's than yours. They'll make it up on their next customer.
  • shine3shine3 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for your response Blane! Acutally, I had a 2001 accord coupe ex that I bought new and on jan.2 it was totaled. :-( I loved that body style and can learn to like the new body style.

    I hate dealing with car dealers and have tried the email route with a few of them to see what kind of quotes I can get in writing before I head out. Today, I got an "internet special" from a dealer in Atlanta. This is for an '04 coupe with cloth interior...what do you make of this? Doesn't seem all that special to me.

    $20,137 + tax
    $490- freight
    $387-processing
    $20- title
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    shine3:

    For a 2004 EX 4-cylinder Coupe with automatic transmission, cloth interior and without navigation or side curtain airbags (which is what I presume you've been looking at based upon your post #3666), total dealer cost, including $490 freight, presuming that they retain none of the 3% holdback, is $20,151.

    Add whatever you choose for things such as local advertising, profit, a portion or all of the holdback, etc to determine what you are willing to pay.

    Of course each state has different tax and title rates. That $387 processing fee sounds very negotiable though.
  • lawdawgfllawdawgfl Member Posts: 75
    Ok, after using Edmunds to send a price quote to several dealers in South Florida from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale, I live in Naples, kind of in the middle, this is what I got.

    Several dealers called and said come in and get the best price; this isn’t what I wanted so I dealt with the dealers who actually sent a price.

    Now for a car that is so rare like Germain Honda in Naples stated and would not come off MSRP $26,990, I got quotes from a dealer in Ft. Lauderdale for $25,250 + Taxes, Tag and Title, and another from a dealer in Tampa for $25,135 + Taxes, Tag and Title, and then for the heck of it I called a dealer in Ft. Myers, which is just up the road. He quoted $25,100+ Taxes, Tag and Title. So the question is am I missing anything? Edmunds TMV puts the car at MSRP for what people are paying $26,990. This is for an Accord EX V-6 coupe with 6 speed, I do not want the Navigation system.

    Any help would be appreciated, Thanks
  • sleepysteve1sleepysteve1 Member Posts: 7
    go to mainlinehonda.com
    get the quote emailed to you (24,484 was what I
    received a couple of weeks ago. As of 1/17 they
    have a blue 6 speed coupe without Nav.(this is
    the one I drove) This is in Pennsylvania but tell
    the dealer in Florida your driving there or going
    to have it shipped for about 400.00.
    Best of luck Steve
    P.s. another dealer in my area beat this quote by 100.00
  • ystressystress Member Posts: 25
    Absolutely, it's always best to negotiate your best deal. The dealer can only say no. Just don't get burned with back end add ons.
  • lawdawgfllawdawgfl Member Posts: 75
    Wow, within seconds I got the quote of $24,484 in an e-mail. Now to take it the dealers and see what they have to say. Thanks Steve. :)
  • ramped1ramped1 Member Posts: 159
    Richards, your theory of new cars depreciating $200 or so a month until the end of the model year may not be entirely accurate. Manufacturers generally RAISE the prices of their cars through the model year and have that much more profit built into them by the time the end of year clearance deals roll around. I believe Isell would probaby have insight into this discussion.

    Blain: A 10 percent depreciation upon delivery is pretty optimistic, even for an Accord. I'd figure on more like 20 percent as soon as it crosses the curb. I am not a professional and this is only my opinion, but the sales guys and dealers on the boards have posted these approximate percentages on numerous occasions.

    In any event, you both got great cars and great deals, so enjoy.
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    My suggestion that a new Accord should decline about $200 per month in price is, of course, theoretical and springtime demand after horrible weather in some places, a better economy, dealer inventory levels--all kinds of things can impact prices. I'd like "isell's" opinion on that, too.

    Still, all else equal, I would expect to pay less for my '04 Accord in late February, '04, than I did in late August of '03 when I bought mine because the car would be half way through its model year in February and I'd enjoy the newest Accord for only 6 months instead of a full calendar year.

    Maybe it's just a way to rationalize why some people are now paying a few hundred dollars less for "my" car now than I did then when more deals seemed to be closer to the price I paid.

    The important thing is that my deal, as well as most others I've seen posted here, seemed to be good deals at the time and those of us who use the internet--on this excellent site as well as others--probably do MUCH better than most people who go to the Honda dealer unprepared.

    As far as the car choice is concerned, I think the Honda Accord is first-rate and I'd recommend it to anyone....Richard
  • beardown99beardown99 Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,

    I’ve been out looking at various makes and models (TL, TSX, G35 etc.) over the last couple of months. I’ve been driving my current Accord for nine years and love the car. I drove the new Accord last (knowing I would love the car, especially the V-6 EX). My one concern is the stereo, the stereo on my current Accord LX is terrible and I don’ want to re-live it. Any thoughts/opinions from those of you on this board would be greatly appreciated and will serve as final validation for me. Most of the new Acura’s etc. come standard with 360 watt stereos. Should I be concerned? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • kendridkendrid Member Posts: 97
    How many watts a stereo is 'rated' at has nothing to do with how good it will sound.

    The stock 04 LX stereo is ok. I put in an Alpine 9815 headunit ($350 online) and MB Quart 6.5" component speakers ($150) and it sounds amazing. The 'accessories' Accord board has quite a bit of chat about upgrading the stereo system.
  • zhelderzhelder Member Posts: 42
    The stereo in the '04 EX sedan is very good. FM stations and CDs, especially those with high quality mastering, pump out great sound with lots of bass. The XM stations don't crank out volume quite as powerfully, but they still sound good. It's not going to compete with a 7.1 DVD-A system, but it's very nice for a standard car stereo system. BTW, I think the Acura TL's DVD-A system is 210 watts. The Accord EX sedan's stereo has 120 watts, and I think the EX coupe has a 180 watt stereo.
  • bmichael2bmichael2 Member Posts: 2
    I have an 18 yr old daughter and will be purchasing a new Accord. Does the 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder have the "get up and go" to get her out of harm's way if need be? Is there a need for an 18 yr old to have the V6? Is the difference that substantial? She will have the automatic 5 speed, by the way. Thanks a bunch for the help!!
  • richards38richards38 Member Posts: 606
    Such an easy question to answer! When I turned 18 in late 1956, I had traded a rusty '47 Studebaker for a rusty '50 Plymouth. Both cars were dangerously slow. OK, times have changed. I've had V8s--'68 Dodge Charger 383, and '72 Buick Skylark 350. I won't bore you with the '66 Ford Fairlane V8 that was a consummate lemon, but was fast when it ran at all.

    I drive little these days, walk more living in downtown San Francisco, but just finished a 1227 trip driving to/from Palm Springs (8.5 hours each way--500 miles) and I'll tell you that my '04 Accord 2.4 EX-L with side curtain airbags, etc. felt safe, was very powerful and responsive, and I never for a second wished I'd bought the V6.

    And I'm rich enough to get anything I want--Maybach included! My suggestion to you and all others out there is to test drive the 4 cyl. Accord and make your own decision. Please don't assume the the 4 is slow and noisy as so many 4s were in the past. The 2.4 Accord will surprise you with its power and smoothness along with great gas mileage, too.

    If you want your daughter to be safe, be sure to get the EX with side curtain airbags optional, or go for the EX-L (leather) which has them standard.....Richard
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,565
    is plenty. I wouldn't want to put an 18 year old in a car with 240HP. My wife has had 3 4-cyl Accords, and my CRV also has the same engine. Its more than enough to merge on crowded interstates and cruise at 85 MPH all day on a trip. I love the V6s, but are they necessary? Not at all. Drive the 4-cylinder for yourself, and you won't need any other convincing.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • biggsly5000biggsly5000 Member Posts: 3
    Can anyone suggest a dealer in the Houston are that they had a good experience with? I will be buying a new Accord V6 Automatic LX or EX within the next 3 or 4 months I do not want nav. or any other extras added on. I want to drive the 4 cylinder too, just to see if it is as good as everyone says. I will also check out the CRV, I am tired of bending over to put my daughter in her car seat! Looks like some people on here got some really good deals, I didnt know you could go lowere than invoice price. I bought one new car before and it was a very unpleasant experience.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    bmichael2:

    In the long run, you and your 18 year old will be better off with anything other than a new car. Maybe it won't be something to show off to her friends, but the statistics say that it will be in the body shop within a relatively short time. That's why insurance costs so much for under-25's.

    You should consider getting her a gently used, reliable brand, 4-cylinder car that gets decent mileage and has side airbags. Your concern about "harms way" should probably be related to whether she accelerates too quickly, not whether she accelerates too slowly.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    My parents and I decided years ago that for graduation I would get a new car.

    Since I am now 18, I have been looking at everything. From Honda Civics to Nissan Muranos.

    I have found that after testing so many new models, 4 cylinder cars are enough power.

    My 1991 Honda Accord has been going through some things lately and I have been driving my mother's Odyssey. I can tell you that if an Odyssey with 240 hp feels too power for someone like me, a V6 Accord would definately be too fast.

    Coming from a younger person's opinion, an I4 Accord would be more than enough, heck a Civic would be good enough power wise.

    I am aiming at fully loaded versions of the Accord, Camry, Altima, Passat or Mazda6 with 4 cylinder engines.

    Let her get a V6 on her on someday, right now I think an I4 would be more than enough, especially the Accord's I4.

    As a matter of fact, when I test drove the Accord I4 and V6 back to back, the saleperson basically suggested that I get an I4 because the V6 would be too much power and have worse gas mileage.
  • higgins7higgins7 Member Posts: 24
    A couple of weeks back, we were looking at a brand new 2003 Accord Coupe V6 for a great price, 21,988 plus tax,title, and doc fee. Had a change of heart due to the 2 doors and having children. Also considered a used 2002 or 03 Acura 3.2TL-S.

    Now have a 2004 Accord EX Sedan V6, Redondo Red with foglights and the automatic day / night rear view mirror option. Price is $24,602 plus tax (6.5%), title (143),doc fee (53.27). Sounds like a good deal. Input please. THANKS.
  • tpricetprice Member Posts: 46
    I have a 6 month old EX-L, 5 speed that I casually checked on trading today on a Certified Acura RL. I like the Accord a lot, but almost got an RL at the time I bought the Accord last summer so it's been a nagging question in my mind - should I have got the RL, etc.. Anyway, in round numbers (i.e., without digging out my papers!), the EX-L had MSRP around $23K - I purchased for around $21K +/-. I was given a trade/wholesale value of $16 today! In six months that would work out to almost 25% loss - $833 per month. I know there is a big off the lot hit but I've not experienced anything so dramatic in many previous Honda's. In fact, when I bought the EX last summer, I actually traded in a 7 month old Si. The Si was purchased for $16.5K in November '02 and I was given $15K as trade allowance against the Accord which was discounted to invoice. So th Si took less than a 10% hit over basically same time period - about $215 per month. In talking to the salesman today about this, he said that Si can hold it's value quite a bit better because it's much more limited production, etc. (never mind they were not exactly flying off dealer lots!). He also said that they had a 2002 5 spd Accord that they could not give away, the used car manager at their sister store is not interested in taking in my 5 speed, etc., etc.. Seems like the story changes depending on which side of story you're on - buying it's one thing, selling it's complete contradiction. I really don't have a good reason to get rid of the EX - it's a great car and I mostly called the Acura store on a whim! We bought an MDX from them in September so thought I would give them another try. Anyway, it ended up giving way to frustration. I've had a ton of Honda's and have always bragged about their high resale but this is reminding me of my Expedition and the huge hit that thing took, some Chrysler T & C's, etc. Enough rambling, just thought I would vent a little. Thanks for your thoughts.
  • bmichael2bmichael2 Member Posts: 2
    The MSRP on the following Accord is $26,300
    The invoice is $23,664
    Neither includes the $490 Shipping Cost

    What do you think would be a good price to purchase the car? Thanks for the help in advance, and thanks for the info on the 4 Cylinder vs the V6.

    2004 Honda Accord 4 Door Sedan EX-LNAV (Moonroof, Leather, Navigation System)

    2.4 Liter 4 Cylinder 5 Speed Automatic Transmission

    XM radio

    Exterior Color: Graphite Pearl

    Interior Color: Gray
  • tommister2tommister2 Member Posts: 393
    tprice, I think the used car market is soft all around. At least Honda and Toyota still have the highest resale as far as I can tell.

    It is good for people to keep that in mind when buying new. If you like to buy and sell frequently you risk losing more in a market like this.

    Just my $.02....
    2011 Toyota Camry, 2014 Jeep Wrangler, 2017 Honda Civic Coupe, 2019 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid XSE, 2021 Toyota Tundra, 2022 Toyota 4Runner, 2022 Tesla Model 3
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    tprice:

    You've now found, as I did years ago, that since 95% of new sedans are sold with automatic transmissions, resale value of a sedan with a manual transmission is abysmal. If your EX-L was equipped with a slushbox it would probably command at least $1-2K more at resale time.

    Sure, I prefer stick shifts, but I just bought an Accord Coupe with a slushbox for the same reason, value at resale time.
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