Actually, it is quite possible that he can't see out of the HAH. Some people have really long torsos and short legs. These people sit tall, while standing at the same height as another person.
No I did not adjust anything. The salesman was standing right next to me. This was his only HAH and they were watching it closely. I slipped my hand flat ways on top of my head and it was against the head liner. I told the salesman, he did not suggest the seat would go down any further. I had plenty of leg room. I am only a bit over 6 foot and most cars have at least four fingers above my head. I then went into the showroom and sat in an Accord EX. Same thing only a flat hand. We went out and checked out the Odyssey EX and there was plenty of head room in it. I left the Honda dealer with a "who would ever buy an Accord attitude"? I would consider the Odyssey. It looks like it is a nice versatile vehicle.
The only possible cause as to what you experienced was that the seat was all the way up. Even with that, my EX-L w/ the Sunroof allows me 4 fingers + half a thumb of headroom before my head would hit the headliner and my seat is neither all the way up or all the way down. The AH has another 2 + inches above that! I believe you now realize that the AH, V6 based LX’s and EX’s, and I4 EX-L’s have 8-way powered drivers seats including powered height adjustment
In regards to the linked article, MB does not make a hybrid but they did speak of the following:
But especially in the luxury car segment interest was present for diesel hybrids as long as they offer fuel efficiency, meet emissions standards, perform well, are fun to drive and can be marketed at a reasonable price, he said.
The only diesel MB’s offers is not only ultra expensive, it does not meet any emissions std.’s worth bragging about (1 of 10 in the SMOG comparisons) on the current EPA list let alone (Not for Sale) after 2006 with the Tier II/Bin ratings about to become law and any state that follows the CARB rules even today At least MB’s receives good FE out of it but the AH knocks the only MB Diesel available into the dirt in so many respects that its almost laughable!
Aside from the polution factor you also have the reliability factor. MB is at the bottom of the list and Honda is at the top of the list. MB options are overpriced as well. In summary, if you buy an Accord, you're merely buying a reliable Mercedes that's friendly to the environment. You'll also save $20,000 too! That will buy lots of gas and lattes.
I drive 80 miles each way, to/from work, 5 days a week in I-95 in South Florida. In the heat, and in stop & go traffic. About 2 hours travel time each way - maybe 1 1/2 hour best case. On Saturdays I drive it approx. 30 miles of city driving.
I've had the HAH for 4 weeks today. I have 3200+/- miles on it so far. I am consistently getting 35 - 37 miles a gallon! CONSISTENTLY. With a high of almost 39 miles per gallon - on regular.
WHAT A GREAT CAR! And it can hustle with the best of them. I traded in a beautiful Maxima GLE which I loved and was a real fast car. The HAH is faster & more comfortable.
Honda engineers are brilliant! I am saving $150/month on the car in fuel alone. Add in the tax benefits at the end of the year (and lower insurance premiums) and it practically pays for itself!
THANK YOU HONDA! & THANK YOU ED MORSE HONDA, West Palm Beach!
In other words, you have no idea how big the Accord cabin is, especially behind the driver's controls. Just zip down to your Honda dealer and try out a regular gasoline Accord...the Hybrid is exactly the same inside the cabin.
I am 6 ft tall and even at the highest driver seat level I do not touch the sunroof...by the way, there is no headliner above the driver on EX or Hybrid models...there is a sunroof cover that is the closest to your head...the sunroof comes standard.
Please visit a showroom and see for yourself, don't try to speculate how you would fit. Also look at the tilt/telescoping steering wheel, seatback angling electric control, seat highth electric controls, seat tilt electric controls and lumbar support to assist all drivers in getting comfortable. Honda offers a lot of flexibility for the driver's comfort and not a manual seat that can't be adjusted...but that is why it is a Honda and not something else that has built-in driver discomfort. People are here to help, especially current model year owners.
Please visit a showroom and see for yourself, don't try to speculate how you would fit.
I am assuming you just looked in on this thread. To make a long story short I did go and sit in both of the Accords. First the HAH & 2nd the EX with the moonroof. The salesman gave no explanation as to adjusting the seat so that my head was not within less than an inch of both the headliner in the HAH and the moonroof in the EX. I guess I was a victim of poor salesmanship. I am not sorry as they did not offer to let me test drive either vehicle. No wonder Honda has lost car sales over the last few years.
My hat's off a couple of times to welcome you to our HAH Gang. I have repeatedly told you folks in this forum that the HAH is a very fast and quiet car. I am going to buy another one as soon as I have to surrender this one to my little spoiled son who also very much adores his DAD's graphyte pearl HAH w/ NAV. It's a truely great piece of automobile engineering.
you need the salesman to give you the hint that the seat adjusts?
I was already turned off when he said no test drives in the Accord Hybrid. Why would I do a salesman's job for him on a car he is not going to let me drive? The funny thing is he could not understand why the HAH had not sold after 10 days on the lot.
I wouldn't mind to pay a little bit extra to get great cars/ products. In the long run, I get good rate of return, lower maintenance cost and peace of mind much better than buying inferior cars/ products. I got some bad experience while trying to save here and there by buying cheaper or used products. It turned out that the costs to buy cheap and replacement products were much higher than buying very good products in the first place and getting lot of headache.
Yesterday I called the Honda dealership near my home to check if they have the HAH's spare rims/ tires in stock. Answer is no (or unavailable). In the meantime keep mending and pumping the flat tire. The HAH is truely the best Accord. I really enjoy the torque. It merges and changes lanes real fast and nicely. Feeling is "quietly flying low" on highways. No wonder why it has been rated top sedan by CR and other automobile critics. My next HAH will have a moonroof and turn signals on side mirrors like a MB. .
I just picked up my HAH and turned down the dealer's $2000 extended warranty. I have been advised to checkout Warrantydirect.com. They are about $1300 less. Anybody have experience with them or other warranty advice? I drive about 25K a year. Thanks.
I am a Finance Manager for a Toyota Dealer, and just bought an 05 HAH. I am the guy that sells the $2000.00 warranty. The best thing to do is find a dealer (Honda or Online) that offers a Full reimbursement guarantee on the warranty. This is the only way to buy a warranty.
If the warranty has to be used, (i.e. warranty claim) it has done what it is supposed to do (fix the vehicle). If you don't ever have to use the warranty, you get a full refund of your monies. This is a win win situation for the dealer, service and you most of all.
Here are a few tips in purchasing a Warranty:
1. Only buy OEM (Honda, Toyota etc. etc.) 2. Price is negotiable 3. Pay extra for $0.00 deductible (cost generally $50.00 to $100.00) 4. Buy the warranty! 3 words as to why you should get the warranty. Computers, Computers, Computers...........
You might want to visit our Extended Warranties discussion and read through some of the warnings re: Warranty Direct. Many of our experienced members will strongly recommend that you look again at the manufacturer-backed warranty, and if you visit our topic called Honda Extended Warranties: Pricing and Info, you can get some recommendations on where to buy at a lower price and, as czeitner recommended, get a full reimbursement guarantee.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Never,ever buy a warranty for an automobile from a third party. You're just asking for trouble. A company called warrantygold (think that was the name) went bankrupt just before I was going to buy a policy for my Audi. They were a pretty big outfit too. If you have Geico insurance, they sell an extended warranty but there is a deductible which I consider high ($200).
Thanks to all for their advice. I failed to mention Florida residency, which is a MAJOR problem. HC is not discounted in this State, which I will take up with the Commissioner. In the meantime, any other options besides MSRP or going bare? I spoke with Bernardi (Tim) who was quite helpful.
Try and buy the extended warranty from any Honda dealer in the country. Do some google searches. I am sure if you're diligent, you'll find one. Good luck!!
...is a special case - so far. Florida's refusal to allow instate insurance discounting is a state law, not the Florida Insurance Commissioner's arbitrary decision (though it might not be much of a stretch to suspect state insurance commissioners arise out of the industry and maintain cozy relations with it). Out-of-state insurance sellers cannot (and will not) discount policy pricing to Florida residents under penalty of sanctions up to and including an outright ban on doing business in Florida. Ostensibly, the Florida law was to designed to protect Florida residents from fraudulent sales tactics. Anyone who believes that's the real reason for the current insurance law in Florida probably also believes in the tooth fairy. Effectively, the law really protects in-state brokerages from having to compete. A number of other states' legislatures are currently watching the Florida example closely at the urging of their respective in-state insurance brokerage lobbyists. Will Rogers was right shortly before the Great Depression: "We got the best government money can buy."
Just curious, one of the "flaws" in the Accord Hybrid is that it can't run on batteries alone. I saw someplace that the new 06 Civic Hybrid was now a "true hybrid" and could. I was wondering if the 06 Accord hybrid had this flaw fixed as well?
For a LOT of folks the difference would not matter, but for those that face sitting in traffic and crawling along the ability of the car to run on electric alone means you can "keep up" in crawling traffic in many cases w/o even firing the gas motor - which should result in a HUGE "city" MPG increase for those folks.
IIRC the 05 Accord hybrid has to re-fire the engine any time to want to move the car so slow crawls and stop,crawl,stop,crawl traffic really wastes gas VS a car like the Prius which can do all that on batteries alone (given enough charge).
I got a call from my salesman and my 2006 HAH has a manufacture date. On October 23rd, they will build it in Japan. It will then take however long to ship over here and make it's way to the dealer. It still looks like mid-Nov for a delivery date.
:confuse: This is such a great site for research. I sometimes get spooked by the harmonic drone syndrome. Has anybody else experienced this and found a fix?
djr3, are you from the Bay Area? Are you able to share salesman info and/or dealership?
This was published earlier on the forum" ; "HYBRID ACCORD NOISE SYSTEM RESET
If your harmonic drone sound is most apparent between 1500 and 1700 RPM try this. 1. Accord Hybrids with Navigations system: Turn the ignition switch to ACC (1) or ON (II) 2. Turn the Audio Unit off. (Radio on and Off button, push to off) 3. While holding down the upper part of both the "CH/DISK" and "SEEK/SKIP" buttons simultaneously, press the VOL/Pwr knob. This will place it in Diagnostic mode...DIAG will appear in the upper window above the Nav unit. Now while the engine is stopped and while in DIAG mode, turn the ANC ON and OFF by pressing the SCAN Button, you may have to push SCAN button ON and Off a couple times... While in the OFF mode, This will be displayed in the upper window above the Nav unit..... a low frequency hum (50HZ should be heard. While this low frequency tone is sounding turn the engine on and the sound should go away. IF it does your ANC is working and now is reset to the on position automatically. Now drive your car and see if the low frequency drone is gone!
If you do not have the NAV unit follow this procedure. 1. Turn the ignition switch to ACC (1) or ON (11) 2. Turn the audio unit ON. 3. While holding down both the "Preset1" and "Preset6" buttons simultaneously, press the AUDIO PWR knob. 4. "DIAG" will appear on the audio unit display to indicate you have entered the self-diagnostic mode.
NOW, while in Diag mode turn the ANC ON to OFF by pressing the #1 button, A LOW frequency hum (50HZ) should sound for up to a minute. While this low frequency HUM is Sounding turn the engine on and the HUM should GO AWAY. Now drive your car and see if the low frequency drone has gone away!
There have been numerous cases where the ANC appears to toggle off all on its own. My car started this drone after only 250 miles since new and with NO luck with the dealership I purchased the shop manuals which describes the above diagnostic procedure. It worked for me. Do not change the order of events. Do exactly as printed."
Actually a noise cancelling system is very simple. You pick up the noise sound frequency and shift it 180 degrees. Honda implemented a pretty cheap system with pretty cheap speakers. They picked ahead of time what they though was noise synthesize it, shifted it 180 degrees an sent it out the speakers. The only problem is that in a few cases the speakers are not producing the noise shifted 180 degrees so not all of the noise is cancelled and you get part of the original noise and part of the 180 degrees cancellation noise, i.e. drone. Believe it or not, Honda's standard fix is to replace the front speakers. Another fix is for the system to relearn the noise and resysnthesize they cancellation signal ( soemone with a shop manual has posted it on this thread). Many technicians chose to go to replacement rather than the resynthesize proceudre . Go figure ?
I believe the Honda system is somewhat more sophisticated than that, although I will admit I am not sure. If they manufactured the cancelling sound out of hand why would there be 2 microphones in the passenger compartment. I suspect they use cabin sound, properly filtered for the expected harmonics, to assure there is not the unwanted resonance in the air.
Being manufactured in late October and arriving at dealers in November.
Changes on the 2006 are - • 3.0-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Integrated Motor Assist (output of 253 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 232 lb-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm) • The Accord V-6 Hybrid achieves AT-PZEV certification for the 2006 model year • Power moonroof added • VSA added • Temporary-use spare tire added • Revised rear spoiler, new front chin spoiler and rear diffuser, heated side mirrors with built-in turn signals and an exclusive taillight design added\ • Premium White Pearl has been added as an Accord-exclusive exterior color
With the standard moonroof this is a hybrid I would like to own. Tough to justify though as I can obtain a 2006 Accord EX V6 for $24K.
I cannot resist to buy a HAH '06. Thanks to my little son who is going to enter a "prestigious" college soon so I can "get rid" of my HAH '05. The VSA is a very nice safety feature on the Lexus and other high-priced Honda/ Honda vehicles. Problem is my 11-year-old-220K-mile Accord still runs like crazy. This antique is specially reserved for the old picky woman of the household who doesn't care much about cars.
I gave Honda an A+++ and lot of feedback when I answered their survery on the future HAH. Huh !!! It's very tough to resist a tempted sin to buy a new HAH. Even when I drive my son's new Accord V6 EX or the "Little Antique" I feel like Heaven. Vivre le Honda ! You makes us, loyal customers, very happy everyday.
Called my salesman earlier this week and got a different message - my actual manufacturing date is now 11/15 with a "mid-to-late December delivery". I didn't get a real clear indication of what changed or why. In some ways, the delay is very disappointing. I was hyped up and ready to go with selling my old car and taking delivery in the next couple of weeks. On the positive side, I can take delivery in January and get the 2006 tax credit rather than the 2005 tax deduction.
BTW, I did stop by the dealership to see if i wanted to take a 2006 4 Cyl Sedan as an immediate alternative. It certainly had all the power I might need and the MPG is close at 24/34. But ultimately I decided to wait for my HAH.
Anyone else have one on order and experience a change in delivery? Anyone have any updated info on when they might appear on the lots?
The HAH with NAV adjusts to Standard Time/ Daylight Saving Time by itself. Interestingly, last Sunday of October when I was about to figure out how to change manually the HAH's time to Standard Time suddenly the clock in my HAH automatically changed itself to the Standard Time.
The AUTO STOP does not work all the time. Sometimes, at red lights it does not work. However, it works on 99.99% of the time.
My younger brother just bought a '05 Accord I4 EX. He has driven several Honda Civic. Now, he upgrade himself to an Accord. I tried to tell him buying an Accord V6 EX or a HAH but he is a little bit frugal and buying an small Accord probably to save some money to get married. But he still sticks with Honda
BTW, I did stop by the dealership to see if i wanted to take a 2006 4 Cyl Sedan as an immediate alternative. It certainly had all the power I might need and the MPG is close at 24/34. But ultimately I decided to wait for my HAH.
In real world driving for most folks, the I4 and the hybrid will return about the same numbers. So if you are happy with the power of the I4 you could save yourself a TON of money and just get the I4. Even if YOU get a little better mileage in the hybrid, you will likely never save back the premium price you have to pay for the hybrid over the I4.
Now, if someone wants Accord V-6 power and better AND the I4 economy numbers, the hybrid is a heck of a car
Certainly I thought a lot about those exact points in my decision process. Personally, I decided to wait for two main reasons.
1) I want the best mileage I can possibly get for a car that meets my needs (features, room, safety, reliability, service, etc.). Without going into all the details, for my typical driving pattern and routes, I believe that I will get better mileage from the HAH. P.S. I have some major hills I must go up and down everyday, so no matter what vehicle I get, I tend to be on the bottom end of the EPA estimates. I am driving a Lexus GS 300 today and averaging 17 MPG. Love the car and the service, am embarrassed by the MPG.
2) I want to support MPG improvement technologies. Note I didn't say hybrid. The HAH is a marvel of several different technologies including Variable Cylinder Management.
I am will to spend more money to meet these goals because they have real value to me.
I am will to spend more money to meet these goals because they have real value to me.
Nothing at ALL wrong with your choice - as long as you go in with eyes wide open. Since you are making an informed choice it is the right one for you. IF you were one of those folks who used the EPA numbers as "gospel" to choose then I wanted to spare you the real-world shock
I think they changed the Civic to run on battery alone for the 06 model year, didn't they? One of the flaws (to me) of the Accord is that if you are stuck in stop/go/crawl traffic it can't run on battery alone. This one "simple" change in design would net a LOT more MPGs for those in that kind of traffic.
I only face about 12-15 miles each way commuting to work and about 1/3 of that is freeway and it is not to bad MOST days. Hard to justify the premium price with so few miles. What DOES appeal to me is getting I4 or better fuel mileage while getting better than V6 sedan quicks :shades:
quote Dennis-"I think they changed the Civic to run on battery alone for the 06 model year, didn't they? One of the flaws (to me) of the Accord is that if you are stuck in stop/go/crawl traffic it can't run on battery alone. This one "simple" change in design would net a LOT more MPGs for those in that kind of traffic."-end quote
Not EXACTLY.....the HCH-II is not yet a full hybrid like the Prius.
From what I understand so far about the process, is that in certain low-acceleration, low-speed cruising situations, ( which would exclude stop and go situations ) the car will switch itself to full electric mode for short periods at certain combinations based on internal software calculations.
There are websites which explain it better than I just did, let me try and find one and link it here.
If while doing the "there is a wreck ahead" crawl it will run on batteries alone that would be a huge plus. The current Accord always starts the gas motor every time you move. Traffic here is rarely FULL STOPPED then just goes - it is 99.9% stop/start or slow crawl or a combo of both. In those cases keeping the gas motor off would save lot of fuel.
Someone posted a while back that in the Accord you needed to sit a let the traffic go on, then start off to maximize fuel savings. That just will not work here - on a multi-lane road everyone will just pass you and you will NEVER get where you are going - or the folks behind you will start having fits (or both).
Will Honda make any changes or even offer the HAH for 2006. Their website does not show any Accord Hybrid in the choices. With the poor sales they may drop the line. It has little advantage for them to keep it. The Insight gives them the highest mileage car.
Since the 2005 hybrid was introduced last December, they may introduce it later in the model year. As you probably know, there is a $1,200 incentive now. If I were in the market for this vehicle, I'd buy the I4 loaded. This is the problem this car has. It has to compete with its sisters. It doesn't have much more to offer than a quicker sprint to 60. Once the Camry hybrid is released, Honda may put an end to the HAH.
The 2006 HAH has been announced. Since it is not yet available, they haven't updated the web site. There are brochures and full specs available from the dealers, though. Delivery to dealers is still a bit in flux. I have one on order. See my append earlier regarding estimated delivery. The incentive on 2005's is, as is the custom, to move out the inventory before the 2006s arrive. However, it is true that more popular hybrid models like the Prius don't seem to have a need for year end incentives.
The improvements for 2006 - Moonroof - Side mirror turn indicators - The same outside redesign as the rest of the accords - New colors
While one can't predict for sure where a model or line would go, Honda is certainly moving ahead full speed in 2006.
Once the Camry hybrid is released, Honda may put an end to the HAH.
The Camry hybrid will need to get at least 40 MPG combined or it will suffer the same fate as the HAH. Poor sales, to a very limited group of enthusiasts.
Comments
No I did not adjust anything. The salesman was standing right next to me. This was his only HAH and they were watching it closely. I slipped my hand flat ways on top of my head and it was against the head liner. I told the salesman, he did not suggest the seat would go down any further. I had plenty of leg room. I am only a bit over 6 foot and most cars have at least four fingers above my head. I then went into the showroom and sat in an Accord EX. Same thing only a flat hand. We went out and checked out the Odyssey EX and there was plenty of head room in it. I left the Honda dealer with a "who would ever buy an Accord attitude"? I would consider the Odyssey. It looks like it is a nice versatile vehicle.
The only possible cause as to what you experienced was that the seat was all the way up. Even with that, my EX-L w/ the Sunroof allows me 4 fingers + half a thumb of headroom before my head would hit the headliner and my seat is neither all the way up or all the way down. The AH has another 2 + inches above that! I believe you now realize that the AH, V6 based LX’s and EX’s, and I4 EX-L’s have 8-way powered drivers seats including powered height adjustment
In regards to the linked article, MB does not make a hybrid but they did speak of the following:
But especially in the luxury car segment interest was present for diesel hybrids as long as they offer fuel efficiency, meet emissions standards, perform well, are fun to drive and can be marketed at a reasonable price, he said.
The only diesel MB’s offers is not only ultra expensive, it does not meet any emissions std.’s worth bragging about (1 of 10 in the SMOG comparisons) on the current EPA list let alone (Not for Sale) after 2006 with the Tier II/Bin ratings about to become law and any state that follows the CARB rules even today At least MB’s receives good FE out of it but the AH knocks the only MB Diesel available into the dirt in so many respects that its almost laughable!
Good Luck
Wayne R. Gerdes
I've had the HAH for 4 weeks today. I have 3200+/- miles on it so far. I am consistently getting 35 - 37 miles a gallon! CONSISTENTLY. With a high of almost 39 miles per gallon - on regular.
WHAT A GREAT CAR! And it can hustle with the best of them. I traded in a beautiful Maxima GLE which I loved and was a real fast car. The HAH is faster & more comfortable.
Honda engineers are brilliant! I am saving $150/month on the car in fuel alone. Add in the tax benefits at the end of the year (and lower insurance premiums) and it practically pays for itself!
THANK YOU HONDA! & THANK YOU ED MORSE HONDA, West Palm Beach!
I am 6 ft tall and even at the highest driver seat level I do not touch the sunroof...by the way, there is no headliner above the driver on EX or Hybrid models...there is a sunroof cover that is the closest to your head...the sunroof comes standard.
Please visit a showroom and see for yourself, don't try to speculate how you would fit. Also look at the tilt/telescoping steering wheel, seatback angling electric control, seat highth electric controls, seat tilt electric controls and lumbar support to assist all drivers in getting comfortable. Honda offers a lot of flexibility for the driver's comfort and not a manual seat that can't be adjusted...but that is why it is a Honda and not something else that has built-in driver discomfort. People are here to help, especially current model year owners.
I am assuming you just looked in on this thread. To make a long story short I did go and sit in both of the Accords. First the HAH & 2nd the EX with the moonroof. The salesman gave no explanation as to adjusting the seat so that my head was not within less than an inch of both the headliner in the HAH and the moonroof in the EX. I guess I was a victim of poor salesmanship. I am not sorry as they did not offer to let me test drive either vehicle. No wonder Honda has lost car sales over the last few years.
and here I was taking you for a gearhead!
:-)
My hat's off a couple of times to welcome you to our HAH Gang. I have repeatedly told you folks in this forum that the HAH is a very fast and quiet car. I am going to buy another one as soon as I have to surrender this one to my little spoiled son who also very much adores his DAD's graphyte pearl HAH w/ NAV. It's a truely great piece of automobile engineering.
I was already turned off when he said no test drives in the Accord Hybrid. Why would I do a salesman's job for him on a car he is not going to let me drive? The funny thing is he could not understand why the HAH had not sold after 10 days on the lot.
Yesterday I called the Honda dealership near my home to check if they have the HAH's spare rims/ tires in stock. Answer is no (or unavailable). In the meantime keep mending and pumping the flat tire. The HAH is truely the best Accord. I really enjoy the torque. It merges and changes lanes real fast and nicely. Feeling is "quietly flying low" on highways. No wonder why it has been rated top sedan by CR and other automobile critics. My next HAH will have a moonroof and turn signals on side mirrors like a MB. .
Could it be the 3k premium he mentioned? Try a different dealer. Not all dealers are the same.
If the warranty has to be used, (i.e. warranty claim) it has done what it is supposed to do (fix the vehicle). If you don't ever have to use the warranty, you get a full refund of your monies. This is a win win situation for the dealer, service and you most of all.
Here are a few tips in purchasing a Warranty:
1. Only buy OEM (Honda, Toyota etc. etc.)
2. Price is negotiable
3. Pay extra for $0.00 deductible (cost generally $50.00 to $100.00)
4. Buy the warranty! 3 words as to why you should get the warranty. Computers, Computers, Computers...........
kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
For a LOT of folks the difference would not matter, but for those that face sitting in traffic and crawling along the ability of the car to run on electric alone means you can "keep up" in crawling traffic in many cases w/o even firing the gas motor - which should result in a HUGE "city" MPG increase for those folks.
IIRC the 05 Accord hybrid has to re-fire the engine any time to want to move the car so slow crawls and stop,crawl,stop,crawl traffic really wastes gas VS a car like the Prius which can do all that on batteries alone (given enough charge).
Just wondering.....
Dennis
The next generation HAH will surely have this feature, and probably an improved version of it.
djr3, are you from the Bay Area? Are you able to share salesman info and/or dealership?
;
"HYBRID ACCORD NOISE SYSTEM RESET
If your harmonic drone sound is most apparent between 1500 and 1700 RPM try this.
1. Accord Hybrids with Navigations system: Turn the ignition switch to ACC (1) or ON (II)
2. Turn the Audio Unit off. (Radio on and Off button, push to off)
3. While holding down the upper part of both the "CH/DISK" and "SEEK/SKIP" buttons simultaneously, press the VOL/Pwr knob.
This will place it in Diagnostic mode...DIAG will appear in the upper window above the Nav unit.
Now while the engine is stopped and while in DIAG mode, turn the ANC ON and OFF by pressing the SCAN Button, you may have to push SCAN button ON and Off a couple times... While in the OFF mode, This will be displayed in the upper window above the Nav unit..... a low frequency hum (50HZ should be heard. While this low frequency tone is sounding turn the engine on and the sound should go away. IF it does your ANC is working and now is reset to the on position automatically. Now drive your car and see if the low frequency drone is gone!
If you do not have the NAV unit follow this procedure.
1. Turn the ignition switch to ACC (1) or ON (11)
2. Turn the audio unit ON.
3. While holding down both the "Preset1" and "Preset6" buttons simultaneously, press the AUDIO PWR knob.
4. "DIAG" will appear on the audio unit display to indicate you have entered the self-diagnostic mode.
NOW, while in Diag mode turn the ANC ON to OFF by pressing the #1 button, A LOW
frequency hum (50HZ) should sound for up to a minute. While this low frequency HUM is Sounding turn the engine on and the HUM should GO AWAY. Now drive your car and see if the low frequency drone has gone away!
There have been numerous cases where the ANC appears to toggle off all on its own.
My car started this drone after only 250 miles since new and with NO luck with the dealership I purchased the shop manuals which describes the above diagnostic procedure. It worked for me. Do not change the order of events. Do exactly as printed."
Sorry for the delay. No I am not from the bay area. Texas actually. The dealership is First Texas Honda in Austin.
Dan
cal_cal
I suspect they use cabin sound, properly filtered for the expected harmonics, to assure there is not the unwanted resonance in the air.
Changes on the 2006 are -
• 3.0-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Integrated Motor Assist (output of 253 horsepower @ 6000 rpm and 232 lb-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm)
• The Accord V-6 Hybrid achieves AT-PZEV certification for the 2006 model year
• Power moonroof added
• VSA added
• Temporary-use spare tire added
• Revised rear spoiler, new front chin spoiler and rear diffuser, heated side mirrors with built-in turn signals and an exclusive taillight design added\
• Premium White Pearl has been added as an Accord-exclusive exterior color
With the standard moonroof this is a hybrid I would like to own. Tough to justify though as I can obtain a 2006 Accord EX V6 for $24K.
What is VSA? Thanks.
I cannot resist to buy a HAH '06. Thanks to my little son who is going to enter a "prestigious" college soon so I can "get rid" of my HAH '05. The VSA is a very nice safety feature on the Lexus and other high-priced Honda/ Honda vehicles. Problem is my 11-year-old-220K-mile Accord still runs like crazy. This antique is specially reserved for the old picky woman of the household who doesn't care much about cars.
I gave Honda an A+++ and lot of feedback when I answered their survery on the future HAH. Huh !!! It's very tough to resist a tempted sin to buy a new HAH. Even when I drive my son's new Accord V6 EX or the "Little Antique" I feel like Heaven. Vivre le Honda ! You makes us, loyal customers, very happy everyday.
stop beig so sombre! Try to enjoy your car a bit more!
Called my salesman earlier this week and got a different message - my actual manufacturing date is now 11/15 with a "mid-to-late December delivery". I didn't get a real clear indication of what changed or why. In some ways, the delay is very disappointing. I was hyped up and ready to go with selling my old car and taking delivery in the next couple of weeks. On the positive side, I can take delivery in January and get the 2006 tax credit rather than the 2005 tax deduction.
BTW, I did stop by the dealership to see if i wanted to take a 2006 4 Cyl Sedan as an immediate alternative. It certainly had all the power I might need and the MPG is close at 24/34. But ultimately I decided to wait for my HAH.
Anyone else have one on order and experience a change in delivery? Anyone have any updated info on when they might appear on the lots?
Dan
The AUTO STOP does not work all the time. Sometimes, at red lights it does not work. However, it works on 99.99% of the time.
My younger brother just bought a '05 Accord I4 EX. He has driven several Honda Civic. Now, he upgrade himself to an Accord. I tried to tell him buying an Accord V6 EX or a HAH but he is a little bit frugal and buying an small Accord probably to save some money to get married. But he still sticks with Honda
In real world driving for most folks, the I4 and the hybrid will return about the same numbers. So if you are happy with the power of the I4 you could save yourself a TON of money and just get the I4. Even if YOU get a little better mileage in the hybrid, you will likely never save back the premium price you have to pay for the hybrid over the I4.
Now, if someone wants Accord V-6 power and better AND the I4 economy numbers, the hybrid is a heck of a car
Dennis
Certainly I thought a lot about those exact points in my decision process. Personally, I decided to wait for two main reasons.
1) I want the best mileage I can possibly get for a car that meets my needs (features, room, safety, reliability, service, etc.). Without going into all the details, for my typical driving pattern and routes, I believe that I will get better mileage from the HAH. P.S. I have some major hills I must go up and down everyday, so no matter what vehicle I get, I tend to be on the bottom end of the EPA estimates. I am driving a Lexus GS 300 today and averaging 17 MPG. Love the car and the service, am embarrassed by the MPG.
2) I want to support MPG improvement technologies. Note I didn't say hybrid. The HAH is a marvel of several different technologies including Variable Cylinder Management.
I am will to spend more money to meet these goals because they have real value to me.
Nothing at ALL wrong with your choice - as long as you go in with eyes wide open. Since you are making an informed choice it is the right one for you. IF you were one of those folks who used the EPA numbers as "gospel" to choose then I wanted to spare you the real-world shock
I think they changed the Civic to run on battery alone for the 06 model year, didn't they? One of the flaws (to me) of the Accord is that if you are stuck in stop/go/crawl traffic it can't run on battery alone. This one "simple" change in design would net a LOT more MPGs for those in that kind of traffic.
I only face about 12-15 miles each way commuting to work and about 1/3 of that is freeway and it is not to bad MOST days. Hard to justify the premium price with so few miles. What DOES appeal to me is getting I4 or better fuel mileage while getting better than V6 sedan quicks :shades:
Dennis
Not EXACTLY.....the HCH-II is not yet a full hybrid like the Prius.
From what I understand so far about the process, is that in certain low-acceleration, low-speed cruising situations, ( which would exclude stop and go situations ) the car will switch itself to full electric mode for short periods at certain combinations based on internal software calculations.
There are websites which explain it better than I just did, let me try and find one and link it here.
Someone posted a while back that in the Accord you needed to sit a let the traffic go on, then start off to maximize fuel savings. That just will not work here - on a multi-lane road everyone will just pass you and you will NEVER get where you are going - or the folks behind you will start having fits (or both).
Dennis
That's me. Dennis. Count me in.
With the poor sales they may drop the line. It has little advantage for them to keep it. The Insight gives them the highest mileage car.
link title
The improvements for 2006
- Moonroof
- Side mirror turn indicators
- The same outside redesign as the rest of the accords
- New colors
While one can't predict for sure where a model or line would go, Honda is certainly moving ahead full speed in 2006.
The Camry hybrid will need to get at least 40 MPG combined or it will suffer the same fate as the HAH. Poor sales, to a very limited group of enthusiasts.
Just curious, is the $1,200 incentive on ALL left-over 05 Accords (including the hybrid) or just the hybrid?
Dennis
I don't know about the incentive since my deal is for an 06. Someone else may be able to answer that.
Dan