Older Honda Accords

dindak · July 2003

The new Civic is not the home run Honda had hoped for like the Accord is. Many people were disappointed with it and Honda has made changes for 03. That said, the new Accord is a big step up from the Civic as it should be as it cost lots more also.

2greg3 · July 2003

On the U.S. website for the accords, they mention about it having side beams for extra safety, when I checked on the cnd. website, there is no mention of
this. Do you think they make two different accords
for the U.S. and Canada or they just didn't bother
to mention it?

Thanks, Greg

scooter71 · July 2003

It seems the talk is exclusively about new Accords, so pardon me if I have the wrong thread.

Anyhow, I just bought a '91 Accord LX Coupe 5-speed. There are a few things concerning me a little, and I was wondering if any mechanically inclined posters could provide pointers. Thanks.

1. Maybe 70% of the time when I push in the clutch, I can hear a quick "whisp" (psssht) sound, almost hydraulic-leak-like in nature. What might this be?

2. When I start the car, it starts very quickly and a bit dramatically. Not violently, but not at all like my '00 Accord. Anything to be concerned about?

3. When I go over speed bumps, there is one back forth rocking of the body on the suspension (i.e., not rocking front to back several times, but once. I also noticed that me shifting weight in the car easily rocks the car a bit. What might be the cause?

4. Finally, what does it take to convert an older car to using the current AC stuff? (R134a?)

venus537 · July 2003

"costs lots more" may mean something different to me. an accord lx doesn't cost that much more than a civic ex. well anyway, considering how much more car your getting, it's a no braner for me to get an accord over a civic.

marcnyc · July 2003

I'm considering the '03 Accord Sedan but I'm concerned about two issues that are cropping up: noise at highway speeds and rumbling while idling. Are these exaggerated claims or issues I should be concerned about. I haven't yet test-driven the car but want to first determine if there are any known problems that should knock the Accord out of consideration. Thanks for your thoughts.

venus537 · July 2003

as far as road noise goes, it's well above average in that regard. if your seeking the quietest car with road noise, then the camry would be one of the few cars that would be better than an accord. the passat also has low road noise, but the 1.8t engine would start to intrude at 75 mph or higher.

the accord's i4 rumbling at idle is probably overstated. but a test drive would determine that for you. i heard that the rumbling goes away after the engine breaks in.

overall the accord's i4 is simply a wonderful engine. it has it all. the combination of power, fuel economy and overall refinement is beyond approach.

CR raves about it. edmunds is currently doing a long term road test of an i4 accord and they like the engine very much too.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/honda/accord/100144771/roadtestar- - ticle.html?articleId=98548

tc123 · July 2003

Drove my brother in law ex 2003 accord sounds nice and all that,but at slow speed like just tapping on the accelerator,does any one feel the car shake and the steering column shakes also?

Thanks

ian2 · July 2003

I noticed our Accord EX-L engine shaking in the winter when it was new. Now, after 5000 miles, the engine is smooth as silk. There aren't many I4's out there that can beat this 2.4.

w5kap · July 2003

Hi Guys, just nought an 03 V6 Accord with leather and nav yesterday. One of the reasons was reading the things I saw in this forum. Dumped a 99 Intrigue for the Accord. Thanks for all your ideas. Looking forward to a great car.

tdub45 · July 2003

Congratulations on your new Accord. I have been looking at the same model with Nav. Can you tell us deal you were able to get?? Thanks!

dindak · July 2003

In dollar amounts it does cost more and to some one on a budget that means something.

aggie1995 · July 2003

How bout you, did you make a decision on the V6 vs the I4?

robertsmx · July 2003

You still didn't give me a better place to go for data than JD Power??
Because I don't base my opinions on surveys. I would prefer to draw conclusions based on facts than sampling, probably this website is one in that direction, but not current at this time.

JD Power (initial/long term) surveys hold no meaning to me.

anonymousposts · July 2003

I am about to hit 14,000 miles. Man they are piling up waaaay too fast. But I love my car and hope to keep it until 150,000 miles at least.

w5kap · July 2003

Thanks! Well, I have a loaner from the dealer today as mine had to be shiped in from Houston (to San Antonio). We are still dickering on the price a bit but it should be around $26k. There were only three red V6's with Nav in the State of Texas. I brought all myt Edmunds materials along with me plus a flyer from the Chicago SunTimes which showed the same vehicle for $25432 plus TTL.
We'll see what happens today or tomorrow when it gets in. I willpost the final numbers if folks are interested. Have put a 100 mile or so on the loaner and I love it. It's soooo much quieter than my Intrigue. Cheers, Kenn

dindak · July 2003

I'll take up to data reliable sampling from a reputable source like JD Power over 7+ year old data off some site that no one had heard of. Even if the data is reliable the whole world can change is 7 years for petes sake!

Sorry, I don't think you would sell many people on that.

robertsmx · July 2003

Old but accurate data is better than 'new but just a survey'. But then, it is just me, you may be perfectly happy with inaccuracy, I'm not.

JD Power may be more known than other websites (like I posted above), but that does not make it everything to draw conclusions upon. Facts are facts and should be treated as such.

emale · July 2003

personally i'd like to know what each car maker spends on warranty work....that would tell it all!! however, internal audits are highly garded secrets and we'll never know those numbers. and that's unfortunate because that would give everyone a clearer picture of true quality...

btw, those of you with coupes, i noticed my door window trim is now showing that plastic "bubble up" problem some of you have mentioned. just wondering if that piece is replaced with a likewise piece of plastic...or something different. have any of you had the problem re-appear after the fix?? thanks...

dindak · July 2003

Even facts are useless if they are 7-10 years old. That's like giving your daughter some old encyclopedias to write a report for school. She will get an F.

What evidence do you have that JD Powers data is "innacurate"?? Political polls (which are also surveys for lack of a better word) are pretty dead on accurate most of the time. Random sampling is nothing to sneeze at.

robertsmx · July 2003

Didn't I mention that they were old stats? Even if you cling on to that aspect, it is still far more accurate way of arriving at reliability index than JD Power 'survey' ever could.

dindak · July 2003

Yes you did mention they were old and I'm telling you, basing a decision on old data (especially this old) will yield useless results unless nothing changes which is clearly never the case in the auto industry.

Is that so hard to understand?

robertsmx · July 2003

The question would be... what do you want to understand?

You asked for an example that can give information that is more than a typical JD Power study provides. I quoted one of THE KIND I would rather see to draw conclusions, not necessarily THE ONE to use.

And I stand by my points about a lot of factors (including age) affecting credibility of JD Power surveys.

BTW, would you say that GM has different quality standards when it comes to badges (Buick has stricter quality control than say, Oldsmobile or Cadillac).

c182skylane · July 2003

emale,

I noticed you have the coupe 6spd. How difficult was it to locate? Were you able to get a fair price? What's your driving impression thus far? Did you get the NAV option?

Thanks.

pmaric · July 2003

US and Canadian Accords are definitely different. US ones are more advanced in terms of features and safety. For example, Canadian version does not have side curtain air-bags. I talked to Honda Canada and they are waiting for 2004 model info. My neighbor across is a General Manager of local Honda dealership and I asked him to check this too. He is telling that 2004s are coming in September. Hell see also for side curtains.

I found that US version for 2004 non-leather Accords will have an option of having side-curtain airbags.

I hope that by mid August Honda Canada will give info on 2004 models.

gamehen · July 2003

I just purchased a 99 Accord EX Sedan 4 cylinder for $12,200 from a private seller. 57,800 miles.
Leather seats, wood trim package, alloy wheels and all of the other stuff that comes with the EX package. Test drove it and it handled superbly with minimal highway noise.
All the regular maintenance was documented and the car appeared to be in outstanding condition.
My research on car sites makes me feel good about this purchase. Does this seem like a reasonable price?

dwillia4 · July 2003

Congratulations on your purchase!
The bottom line is how do YOU feel about the deal? If you did your research and you feel that you made a good deal, then yes, this was a reasonable price. What's done is done. Go out and enjoy your car!

emale · July 2003

c182skylane,

what made you think i had the 6 speed??

i have an ex v6 automatic with no NAV...

indydriver · July 2003

If I buy, I will get the EX-L 4 cyl manual. I grew up on sticks and the joy of having both hands and feet involved in driving again is great. That, coupled with the 250 lbs. lighter weight, better balance and resulting better handling (help) make up for 80 fewer ponies.

I do have a few obstacles before I buy. First, I am doing this homework because I need a vehicle and I am expecting my request for a company vehicle to be turned down. But....if they come through, no Accord. Second, my wife is pitching a fit about the manual trans because she won't be able to drive it (even though she never drives my car). Three, it seems the Indianapolis area dealers have very few cars of this spec. To date, I have found ONE (!) and its not the color I prefer. Anyone working for a dealer within 200 miles of Indy can email me at indythompson@comcast.net if they have one in silver or graphite.

Also, I just read Edmund's June update on their long term Accord. What do you posters think about the comments on the fan noise?

indydriver · July 2003

Has anyone put Bridgestone Turanza LS's on the '03 Accord? I read good things about them on a tire website. Anyone bought other tires for their 16" '03 yet?

larryt22 · July 2003

I regularly frequent the Honda dealers in Northern Indiana and I have only seen one 2003 EX-L 4 cyl with manual transmission Sedan. It so happened to be graphite and was at the Michigan City, IN dealership back in about January-February. It didn't stay there long. Good luck in finding one as they seem to be really rare.

dindak · July 2003

Well if this is only "the kind" then fine, but where do you actually find the up to date data then? I'm sorry, but I can't follow the path you are laying down here.

As for branding, I would say yes or no depending on the car and the name plate. Can't make a blanket statement. Honda has 2 names and many fewer models so it's a little easier to follow.

talon95 · July 2003

I have no problem with fan noise on my EX V6. I rarely play the stereo, so if there was a whistle, I'd notice it.

berbel · July 2003

As a sidebar to your question regarding Bridgestone tires.......

I read at least six different road tests of the '03 Accord prior
to making a final decision to purchase mine. In every test
where the tires were mentioned, the evaluators made very
negative comments about the Michelin Energy MXV4's. One
comment was, "they do everything well BUT STICK."

What can you tell me/us about the Bridgestone Turanzas
you mentioned?

berbel

winbro · July 2003

agree with #11197. in the end you will enjoy the car and foget about whether you got a ok deal; a good deal or a great deal. with incentives & holdbacks it is almost impossible to tell what the dealer really made on your deal. call dealer profit the 8th wonder of the world.

robertsmx · July 2003

I'm sure there are websites I don't know about that have 'the kind' of information I need to draw conclusions. Not having accurate information does not make anything that is available a logical alternative.

One should expect to see brands from the same automaker close (and consistent) in any kind of survey/factual data. And yes, having only two brand names does help in identifying disparity, or the lack of. It would make sense to see VW/Audi, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus (now Scion as well) and Nissan/Infiniti close to each other, no matter where they lie (among the best, mid-pack or worst). Here is another interesting website, this time from UK.
Reliability Index

An interesting point to note is how well VW (and Mazda) rank in the UK's reliability index, compared to where they stand in JD Power survey. Subaru and Nissan do fairly well in JD Power study, but they are among the worst in the other scale. Something that is consistent between the two, however, is that Honda and Toyota rank among the best in both.

Discussing this will not take us anywhere, but OT, so this will be my last post on the issue.

dindak · July 2003

You still have not explained why JD Power surveys are "inaccurate"? I think it's pretty obvious to anyone why 7+ year old data is. Since there is no up to date info that you know of it's clear that your method is useless.

As for inconsistencies between Europe and NA, they could occur for a number of reasons. Different souces for cars, different methods of data collection, different climates ect ect ect. Inconsistency between two continents does not make JD Power's results wrong?

What you base your buying decisions and reliability rankings on is still a mystery to me and writing off a well respected research firm like JD Power is completely unfounded. No doubt Honda is still near the top of the heap over all and likely will be for the forseable future, but one can not deny that other firms both from Japan and the US have been improving and catching up.

robertsmx · July 2003

Reliability should be based on data from repairs and services performed on vehicles, not interviews. That is the bottom line. A seven year old data based on the premise of repairs may be old, but it is closer to facts. JD Power is inaccurate in its very concept that it is based on sampling. That said, I do not want to drag this thread into an OT discussion. I have made my point, you can continue to put all your bets on JD Power survey, I won't.

robr2 · July 2003

My two cents - an issue with JD Power currently is what they define as a problem. Poor gas mileage and tire noise were the biggest "problems" on the H2 according to their owners and "bad cupholders" was a major complaint on the 9-3. Should items such as those be taken into account on reliability studies?

dindak · July 2003

robert : Random sampling is not inaccurate and if you knew more about statistics then you would not say that. In fact random sampling (with an approprate sample size which JD Power has) is as accurate as you can get in the real world where getting exact data is impossible.

robr2 : FYI, The cup holder / mileage type issues you mention are not part of this report. The LT study of 3 year old cars covers "147 specific problem symptoms grouped into nine major vehicle systems".

robertsmx · July 2003

Ample to you may not be good enough to me.

robr2 · July 2003

"The cup holder / mileage type issues you mention are not part of this report"

I know that but it is still a published JD Powers report that will be touted by automakers in their advertising and used by consumers as a basis for decision making.

ckrll · July 2003

I have an 03 I4 Coupe which I put a set of Turanza LS-H's on.

The coupe comes with the Turanza El-41, which is a noisy, reasonably responsive tire on dry roads, but which is not particularly good under wet conditions.

The LS-H is a tire that is quieter, smoother, maybe a little less responsive on dry, but much, much better on wet roads. It is definately an upgrade from the original.

dindak · July 2003

robert : Whatever. I think we have beat it to death. You look at your 7 year old data and make your decisions on that then.

robr2 : Perhaps, but we weren't discussing other reports. We were only talking about 3 year long term quality that was just released. Initial quality is another story.

c182skylane · July 2003

I thought that I read in one of your previous posts that you had the 6spd. I must have been confused. So, how do you like the automatic?

emale · July 2003

auto tranny works fine for me. i do find it's shifts kinda lurchy at light throttle application, and when the powertrain is cold. overall though it works just fine...:)

marcnyc · July 2003

As a true Honda devotee (I own an '86 Accord Coupe w/nearly 150,000 mi. and near perfect reliability) I was eagerly looking forward to the new geenration Accord sedan, and was originally disappointed in the design. But, I have to admit that I'm really warming up to it now and actually look for them on the road to study the design. In fact, just this morning, I waited to cross the street as I watched a new Accord sedan turn the corner. What I'm appreciating is the overall muscular look of the car, especially the front-end and rear. As the car this morning approached me, the front-end looked positively massive, in a very flattering way--bold! The front lights are amazing in their size. All in all, the simple, forceful lines of the front-end give it a stealth-like appearance. And, as the car turned, I really could admire the lines of the roof (the squarish hoodlines originally bothered me, but not now), and I also admired the rear. This particular Accord had the lip on the trunk which I think is flattering to the overall appearance of the rear-end. As for the controversial rear lights---I like 'em, something I never thought I'd say. I now feel that the rear lights look as though Honda actually gave thought to how to integrate these lights into the lines of the rest of the body. And to those who criticize the rear lights, my reply would be: How many models of cars actually have rear lights that DON'T look like afterthoughts? Most of them do. Hey, how about the new 7 Series' rear lights? Talk about an afterthought! Talk about fugly. So, kudos to Honda for what I believe is a truly cutting-edge design and for taking some design chances in order to be innovative, when in reality they could have stuck with the same old same old design and probably still break sales records.

emale · July 2003

hummm...everybody has their own opinion. mine is still that honda could have done a better job on the sedan's tail lights. the rest of the car looks good!

robr2 · July 2003

Which is funny because I thik the rear of the vehicle and the taillights look great but am still pretty disappointed with the nose. I just don't like the cut lines of the hood.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

dindak · July 2003

Tail is the weak spot on the Accord. Looks like the back sags. The rest is pretty nice IMO.

indydriver · July 2003

I read the several negative articles about the OEM Michelins. I easily squealed and slid the Michelins on my brief test drive of both 4 and 6 cyl EX-L's. I do not want to spend the first two years and 50,000 miles of my relationship with a new Accord with this tire. I went to the most popular tire website and just looked at their offerings in the OEM Accord size. Spend some time reading through the personal reviews of the Turanza LS-H and you'll find rave reviews from many Honda (and competitor) owners. I do have some first hand knowledge of the Uni-T technology in this tire and can tell you it really works. Ckrll-thanks for the first hand report.

Older Honda Accords

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