I've had both and the 7th gen (2003 up) Accord's seats front and back are significantly better. The seat bottoms are longer thus offering better thigh support.
However I find the driver's lumbar area obtrusive even at the flattest setting so the seatback needs to be more upright (maybe because I like slouching a bit).
In all, the 7th gen Accord's interior feels more mid-size and the 6th gen's just like a bigger Civic's.
I had a chance to test drive the 03 Accord. It's a short drive, so I can't really tell if the seats will support me for long drives. One thing I can tell you.... the current accord interior is NICE. It's like a Lexus ES300 but $10k less expensive + it's 240 hp!
One more question... the seats on previous Accord are a bit on the "hard" side. Are the seats softer in the current Accord?
I have an '03 EX-L w/Nav. I purchased the Honda trunk tray on the internet for much less than the dealer price. I also thought the Honda cargo net looked overly difficult to install and purchased an aftermarket cargo "hammock" from a local auto parts store. It mounts with two rubber knobs that the hammock hangs on. I mounted the knobs with two long screws through the back panel of the trunk just inside the taillights into pre-existing holes in the frame. Works great and much less expensive and complicated than the Honda net.
Ask your dealer if you can do an extended test drive, and judge for yourself. (Pick up on day one, return on day two.) Most dealers, at least in my area, will do this, so long as it's during the week. I did this w/the Accord '03 myself, for the very same reason you state. I ultimately found the side bolstering on the seat bottom to be uncomfortable but, as others have said, it's all a matter of personal preference.
The 7 gen's seats seem just as firm as the 6 gen's. Otherwise there's really a world of difference between the 2 cars.
My wife and I both have the 03, one a 4-cyl EX-L and a v6 coupe the other, so here's a real-world nutshell observation (if deciding between the 2 engines):
Get the v6 - fuel economy is virtually the same, and there's a general smoothness of operation the 4 just doesn't have. Sitting in traffic, for example, the 4 gets rough especially when the a/c kicks in.
Plus, the v6 leaves everything (except racerbikes and the top shelf Mustangs) behind from a traffic light or from 40 mph up. The 4 cyl on 2nd gear is weak, which I found of real concern when merging in awkward situations.
get an aftermarket speaker system installed. My current set-up is crystal clear, with great imaging and range. My sound reproduction range is like 30Hz-21KHz.... not very many stock systems have that... Cost is around 600-1k for total install... speakers for 200 or so, wiring, converter, fuse, amp, etc....
I will agree that for 20k you would expect a lot more out of the stereo's in cars, but you aren't really paying for a stereo, right? First priority should be to buy a car that suits your needs... stuff like wheels, sounds, lights, etc. can all be altered/adjusted later. Body, Engine, Tranny, safety, etc are generally much more expensive to add on aftermarket...
the Accord stereo/changer is just fine. just as nice as the Jetta, or the Harmon Kardon in the 325Ci. (drive that often too)....
quite honestly, i am not a big stereo kind of guy, so don't notice much. if it plays CD's and sounds good loud, i am fine.
i will say this - the Bose unit in my old Pathfinder was my favorite so far. people knock Bose, but i found in the Pathfinder it was great. i would never pay extra for a better stereo than what is offered as standard though.
Accord seats are great so far.
HATE the Michelin Energy MXV4 tires. my only complaint.
just for the record i also checked out a new hyundai 2004 tiburon with the 360 watt infinity stereo system and huge subwoofer in the back this thing sounds unbelievable. the best i have ever heard in a car but, unfortunatley the cost to insure the tiburon was much higher than the other cars that iam considering, probably due to the tibbys poor crash test results rateing.
I think the Accord sounds fine for what it is. The XM radio is VERY clear and a nice extra.
I love the seats in both the 03 coupe we owned and now the 04 sedan. I know the seats in the coupe were very comfy for long trips and the daily commute. I will see how the sedan is next weekend for long trips when/if we take it to get the windows tinted.
I have an 04 EX-L automatic and so far the car has had more than enough power for my driving situations. The V6 woulda been nice for the lead foot in us but the 4 is more than adequate for the new parents in us. I got 31 MPG on my second tank of gas @ 600 miles. Most driving was done with the AC on and there was a mixture of stop-and-go and rural highway driving.
I have a 2003 LX sedan with the single disc player.
I'm looking to replace it with the one from the ex, but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my HVAC controls. Since the unit from the EX is auto-climate control and dual-zone, will it enable either or both of these features? Or, will I have no control whatsoever over the hvac.
Yes, the Mazda6's V6 engine is based on Ford's Duratec, but the rest of the car is all Mazda designed. Since the Mazda6 was designed to be a world car, they didn't have the resources to design another engine since a V6 is not popular in the rest of the world (very well-received btw). The V6 is highly modified though, only the engine block is based on Duratec, it has been modified and optimized for the Mazda6 by Mazda engineers.
This is not to say that the Duratec V6 in Mazda6 is good or bad, but Mazda engineers may have just tweaked the engine for output, not the basic design itself. Much like GM engineers are ‘preparing’ Honda 3.5 liter V6 for use in some of their vehicles.
The Duratec V6 stands no chance against the Honda 3.0/V6 though. Not even the Jaguar S-Type 3.0 version.
Before I bought my 2003 Accord, I read about the tires and I was a little concerned. When I was buying the car, the dealer said he couldn't (or wouldn't) allow me to trade them out. Well, I thought, how bad can they be?
Anyway, now I have 1300 miles on the car and the tires are not too great (noisy and so-so traction)but I thought I could live with them.
It finally rained. Yikes! You would think it is snow from the way they responded. Those tires are dangerous!
What are my options? Go to the dealer and complain? Find a Michelin tire dealer and complain? Just buy some decent rain tires and toss these away?
for my GS300. Have no problem with them other they like to warm up in the morning. I'm scared of the people saying they don't have any traction in the rain. How do these people drive. You are supposed to respect the weather conditions. I do know to slow down in the rain.
The oem tires have been the subject of a LOT of criticism not only here but in numerous "test drive" reviews of the Accord by people who make a living test driving cars.
The oem's do have an "A" traction rating but my personal experience with them on wet roads has been less than inspiring.
Knowing all this, I believe it comes down to a question of a judgement call on your part. Do you "live with" the tires in light of what others have experienced with them or do you do whatever is necessary to increase your safety, that of your passengers and other people who are using the same road that you are?
At 3500 miles, I had mine replaced with Bridgestone Turanza LS-V's. They are smoother riding, quieter and have a "AA" traction rating. This was MY judge- ment call and that's what I did. Think about it!
If you drive like a granny-hey these things are great. However the way I drive they are scarey as hell-can not believe such poor rain performance-will never forget a 4 wheel slide on the O'Hare entrance ramp. Snow performance sucks also. Went to X-One's and got over 80K out of those-had 10K more rubber on them but wanted to replace them cause some idiot didn't check the air pressure often enough. Even the X-One's had a lot of miles on them-still great wet/snow performance.
Someone on this board a couple of years ago said the reasn why the MXV4's have no wet traction is the tread actually squirms up off the pavement-all I can say is when the MXV4's break loose-you have no control what so ever-not the case with the X-One's-hit some really deep water driving way too fast-no problem getting control back after water skiing for a ways-would have crashed if had the MXV4's.
The amazing thing is the MXV4's are pricey tires-guess a few tenths of extra gas mileage make it desirable for Honda to put them on their vehicles. I love adrenalin thrills-but not when the consequence may be removal from the gene pool-don't want to make anybody too happy.
As far as getting anything out of the dealer or Michelin-LOL-sell them on ebay but get them off your vehicle if you don't drive like a granny and value your hide.
I should add that on all my past cars I have put on highly-rated rain tires so I guess I have gotten used to having control of my car in the rain. The MXV4 may be considered OK by some, but boy, are there better tires out there.
The tires I think I want to get are the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Vs, so I am glad to hear someone else likes them.
So you think my best option is selling them on e-bay?
I just replaced oem tires on my wife's 00' Altima with Bridgestone Turanza LSH, and they are amazing in the rain, as well as in dry conditions. I switch back and forth between our 03 Accord and the Alty, and the difference is huge. I can take ramps with much more conficence in the ALty than the Accord (something I never thought possible), because even in dry conditions, the michelins start squirming around (I always have correct air pressures)
I have 20k on the Accord, and am waiting to go about 20-25 k more and replace them probably with Turanzas or better still Potenzas. These are cheaper too, though obviously the trade off is mileage, which is okay with me
I also switched to Bridgestone Turanzas recently on my 98 V6. Bought from Tirerack, and I went with the LS-H instead of the LS-V, I think at the time the LS-H was $15-$20 cheaper per tire than the LS-V. I realize there may be some warranty issues with not going with a V-rated tire, but I have never experienced any warranty issues with tires. They wet and dry traction is greatly improved over the Michelins. Road noise seems about the same to me.
Mine has the "S8" version as well... I'm generally satisfied with them. Tire noise seems to be less noticeable than with my 2000 EX V6 with the "Plus" version, but I think it's as much or more the improved sound insulation of the car than the different tires.
Just wondering if the posters complaining about the wet traction of the michilin tires on their accords are referring to the 15" or 16" sizes or both?
Also, did any of the posters research of have experience with dunlop tires as a possible replacement for the michilins. Most people seem to favor the Bridgestone Turanzas, but I was wondering whether they chose them over both the michilins and dunlop or just over michilin mxv's?
My MXV4 Plus tires came with my '99 Accord. I've only put 29,000 on the them, but they are excellent in the rain & noisy in the dry. About every 5000-7500 miles I find myself airing up the tires riding the drive wheels. I guess they lose some air via semi-aggressive driving. No major complaints or they'd been gone by now. I like Goodyear tires & would be interested in knowing if anyone has Aquatred-3's & whether its a love or hate relationship.
Does anyone who owns a 2004 Accord with the 6-disc CD player know whether the unit is capable of randomizing song play over all the CDs rather than just on an individual CD? I believe the 2003 Accord stereo unit could not do this so I'm hoping that might have changed. Thanks in advance.
I think they're rated for 40,000 but I'll double check and post later for you, o.k.?
Incidentally, though the mileage rating is kinda
20,000) the performance of the tire should be, IMHO the key to a buying decision.
JUSTIN:
If the tire is a "PLUS" or an "S8" those designations will be stamped on the sidewall of the tire.
To Anyone Who Cares:
One of the "test drive" articles I read prior to buying my Accord stated, (referring to the MXV 4's), "These tires do everything well except stick."
Another "test drive" article criticized the Accord's stopping distances. The tester strongly suggested that the replacement of the MXV 4's would undoubtedly solve that problem.
Sorry, but I think some of you simply need to SLOW DOWN during wet weather.
After reading some of these forums, I thought I was taking my life in my hands driving around with these on my car.
This is Seattle where it rains a LOT. I never once, slid out or felt a loss of control with these and no, I don't drive like a granny but I don't drive like an idiot either.
Having said this...at 50,000 miles, I hit a piece of metal on the freeway that managed to put a deep cut in one of the tires. At the same time, I spotted a large screw in a corner of the tread that was unrepairable.
So, I decided to spring for four new tires. The 50K michelins still had half their tread left or more.
Based on the reccomendations in these forums, I did go with the Turanzas. First thing I noticed is the fact they are much quieter. Handling seems a bit better and they seem marginally better in the rain...not much difference.
I had a 99 Accord EX with the MXV4's. Put 40,000 miles on them before I traded it and the tires still had about 50% of their tread left. Made me a believer.
Hello, how are you? I have a question about the Navi System on the Accord. I read somewhere that it has trip computer functions. What specifically does it show? MPG? Miles-to-empty? Average speed?
Also I hear that it is upgradeable, how often does Honda upgrade?
Assuming the Accord has the same Navigation System as the Acura TSX, which it appears to, it DOES have a Trip Computer. You access it by pressing the Information button and then select it from a menu.
The trip computer shows the following information: 1) Instantaneous fuel use 2) MPG since last reset 3) Estimated range (miles until empty) 4) Hours of use since reset
It also shows the last set of figures, which include the dates covered, the MPG, the average Speed, etc.
I have an 03 EX V6, and will need snow tires for winter driving in Vermont. I used (unstudded) Hakkepolitas (sp?) on the last two cars I had (Plymouth Sundance and Chrysler Cirrus) - any reasons not to get them for the Accord? Any tires seem better? Since I had alloy wheels on the Cirrus, I had the snows on steel wheels - that is the way to go again, yes?
The tire size and advice to use narrower tires in the snow is always confusing to me...are there reasons I do NOT want 205/60/16 snow tires on my Accord? If so...do the tires from the Cirrus, 195/65R15, fit?
A narrower tire can put more pressure per square inch on the road/snow/ice. It also can cut through deep snow easier.
It is nice to have a tire with a similar outside diameter as the stock tire. Your speedo reads more accurately and you have similar final drive ratio. Also, 15" wheels many not have enough clearance with the brake rotors to work. You may have to use 16" wheels to clear the rotors.
Hakks are good winter tires for sure. I have some for my Civic. I will probably be getting Bridgestone Blizzaks for the accord because they are more widely available. I had to special order the Hakks since nobody carried them in my area.
I'd go with the steel wheels and the 16's. Tirerack has them all ready to go. My experience with Honda alloys and snow is that they don't hold up well.
I've had good luck with Michelin Arctic Alpins here in MA on my Ody. They are good on bare pavement and have yet to leave me stuck in the deep stuff.
Once put a set of wider tires on an accord-even they were M&S rated-turned it into a sled-a friend had a MB V8 coupe with fairly wide tires-we like to never got that thing home after a surprise snow storm.
Buying a set of already mounted tires on steel rims from Tirerack makes a lot of sense - a couple of remounts will pay for the steel rims. A friend has Blizzaks on a Bimmer in Mpls and sez no problems with snow/ice traction.
if the bolt pattern is the same, and offset is the same, it should work fine. The LX trim has 15" steel wheels on it, and the 10mm thinner tires shouldn't be a huge issue, your speedo will simply be about 1-2mph faster than you actually are going.
Good point tblazer. But usually Tirerack will test smaller steel rim sizes on vehicles and give the option of it when you check out their winter wheel packages. For the EX Accord Sedan they only list 16" steel rims. You may want to call them to see if they tested the 15" and what their outcome was.
Comments
However I find the driver's lumbar area obtrusive even at the flattest setting so the seatback needs to be more upright (maybe because I like slouching a bit).
In all, the 7th gen Accord's interior feels more mid-size and the 6th gen's just like a bigger Civic's.
One more question... the seats on previous Accord are a bit on the "hard" side. Are the seats softer in the current Accord?
My wife and I both have the 03, one a 4-cyl EX-L and a v6 coupe the other, so here's a real-world nutshell observation (if deciding between the 2 engines):
Get the v6 - fuel economy is virtually the same, and there's a general smoothness of operation the 4 just doesn't have. Sitting in traffic, for example, the 4 gets rough especially when the a/c kicks in.
Plus, the v6 leaves everything (except racerbikes and the top shelf Mustangs) behind from a traffic light or from 40 mph up. The 4 cyl on 2nd gear is weak, which I found of real concern when merging in awkward situations.
get an aftermarket speaker system installed. My current set-up is crystal clear, with great imaging and range. My sound reproduction range is like 30Hz-21KHz.... not very many stock systems have that... Cost is around 600-1k for total install... speakers for 200 or so, wiring, converter, fuse, amp, etc....
I will agree that for 20k you would expect a lot more out of the stereo's in cars, but you aren't really paying for a stereo, right? First priority should be to buy a car that suits your needs... stuff like wheels, sounds, lights, etc. can all be altered/adjusted later. Body, Engine, Tranny, safety, etc are generally much more expensive to add on aftermarket...
quite honestly, i am not a big stereo kind of guy, so don't notice much. if it plays CD's and sounds good loud, i am fine.
i will say this - the Bose unit in my old Pathfinder was my favorite so far. people knock Bose, but i found in the Pathfinder it was great. i would never pay extra for a better stereo than what is offered as standard though.
Accord seats are great so far.
HATE the Michelin Energy MXV4 tires. my only complaint.
I love the seats in both the 03 coupe we owned and now the 04 sedan. I know the seats in the coupe were very comfy for long trips and the daily commute. I will see how the sedan is next weekend for long trips when/if we take it to get the windows tinted.
I have an 04 EX-L automatic and so far the car has had more than enough power for my driving situations. The V6 woulda been nice for the lead foot in us but the 4 is more than adequate for the new parents in us. I got 31 MPG on my second tank of gas @ 600 miles. Most driving was done with the AC on and there was a mixture of stop-and-go and rural highway driving.
I'm looking to replace it with the one from the ex, but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my HVAC controls. Since the unit from the EX is auto-climate control and dual-zone, will it enable either or both of these features? Or, will I have no control whatsoever over the hvac.
Thanks for the help.
The Duratec V6 stands no chance against the Honda 3.0/V6 though. Not even the Jaguar S-Type 3.0 version.
Anyway, now I have 1300 miles on the car and the tires are not too great (noisy and so-so traction)but I thought I could live with them.
It finally rained. Yikes! You would think it is snow from the way they responded. Those tires are dangerous!
What are my options? Go to the dealer and complain? Find a Michelin tire dealer and complain? Just buy some decent rain tires and toss these away?
for a characteristic of any higher mileage tire rubber...
I slow down when it's wet and have no problem with my
Michelins, XH4s, X-Ones, Symmetrys.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
criticism not only here but in numerous "test drive" reviews of the Accord by people who make
a living test driving cars.
The oem's do have an "A" traction rating but my
personal experience with them on wet roads has been
less than inspiring.
Knowing all this, I believe it comes down to a
question of a judgement call on your part. Do you
"live with" the tires in light of what others have
experienced with them or do you do whatever is
necessary to increase your safety, that of your
passengers and other people who are using the same road that you are?
At 3500 miles, I had mine replaced with Bridgestone
Turanza LS-V's. They are smoother riding, quieter
and have a "AA" traction rating. This was MY judge-
ment call and that's what I did. Think about it!
berbel
Someone on this board a couple of years ago said the reasn why the MXV4's have no wet traction is the tread actually squirms up off the pavement-all I can say is when the MXV4's break loose-you have no control what so ever-not the case with the X-One's-hit some really deep water driving way too fast-no problem getting control back after water skiing for a ways-would have crashed if had the MXV4's.
The amazing thing is the MXV4's are pricey tires-guess a few tenths of extra gas mileage make it desirable for Honda to put them on their vehicles. I love adrenalin thrills-but not when the consequence may be removal from the gene pool-don't want to make anybody too happy.
As far as getting anything out of the dealer or Michelin-LOL-sell them on ebay but get them off your vehicle if you don't drive like a granny and value your hide.
Love to rant on MXV4's-they deserve it.
The tires I think I want to get are the Bridgestone Turanza LS-Vs, so I am glad to hear someone else likes them.
So you think my best option is selling them on e-bay?
I have 20k on the Accord, and am waiting to go about 20-25 k more and replace them probably with Turanzas or better still Potenzas. These are cheaper too, though obviously the trade off is mileage, which is okay with me
They wet and dry traction is greatly improved over the Michelins. Road noise seems about the same to me.
"At 3500 miles, I had mine replaced with Bridgestone
Turanza LS-V's. They are smoother riding, quieter
and have a "AA" traction rating."
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Then I'll put a set of 17's on with summer tires, dump the MXV4's for snow tires on the OEM 16's
I've put a few thousand miles on my 03 ex v6. Great car. Needs sportier springs and shocks to go along with that strong V6.
1. MXV4
2. MXV4 Plus
3. MXV4 S8
The first is the original design and the last the most recent. Check out the Michelin web site.
My Accord came with the "S8" version. These seem to be okay, but still a bit loud. What does everyone else have??
Also, did any of the posters research of have experience with dunlop tires as a possible replacement for the michilins. Most people seem to favor the Bridgestone Turanzas, but I was wondering whether they chose them over both the michilins and dunlop or just over michilin mxv's?
I think they're rated for 40,000 but I'll double check and post later for you, o.k.?
Incidentally, though the mileage rating is kinda
20,000) the performance of the tire should be, IMHO
the key to a buying decision.
JUSTIN:
If the tire is a "PLUS" or an "S8" those designations will be stamped on the sidewall of
the tire.
To Anyone Who Cares:
One of the "test drive" articles I read prior to
buying my Accord stated, (referring to the MXV 4's), "These tires do everything well except stick."
Another "test drive" article criticized the Accord's stopping distances. The tester strongly
suggested that the replacement of the MXV 4's
would undoubtedly solve that problem.
berbel
After reading some of these forums, I thought I was taking my life in my hands driving around with these on my car.
This is Seattle where it rains a LOT. I never once, slid out or felt a loss of control with these and no, I don't drive like a granny but I don't drive like an idiot either.
Having said this...at 50,000 miles, I hit a piece of metal on the freeway that managed to put a deep cut in one of the tires. At the same time, I spotted a large screw in a corner of the tread that was unrepairable.
So, I decided to spring for four new tires. The 50K michelins still had half their tread left or more.
Based on the reccomendations in these forums, I did go with the Turanzas. First thing I noticed is the fact they are much quieter. Handling seems a bit better and they seem marginally better in the rain...not much difference.
But...that's just my opinion.
my salesman wished they made more.
The fours are more than adequate. Just don't test drive a V-6 though or you'll want one!
Also I hear that it is upgradeable, how often does Honda upgrade?
Thanks for your time
Don't know about any "upgrades" except I'm sure updated disks will be available as needed.
The trip computer shows the following information:
1) Instantaneous fuel use
2) MPG since last reset
3) Estimated range (miles until empty)
4) Hours of use since reset
It also shows the last set of figures, which include the dates covered, the MPG, the average Speed, etc.
Guess I should go play with one!
See...even I can learn here!
Yes, I'm a "gadget freak".
The tire size and advice to use narrower tires in the snow is always confusing to me...are there reasons I do NOT want 205/60/16 snow tires on my Accord? If so...do the tires from the Cirrus, 195/65R15, fit?
Thank you!!
It is nice to have a tire with a similar outside diameter as the stock tire. Your speedo reads more accurately and you have similar final drive ratio. Also, 15" wheels many not have enough clearance with the brake rotors to work. You may have to use 16" wheels to clear the rotors.
Hakks are good winter tires for sure. I have some for my Civic. I will probably be getting Bridgestone Blizzaks for the accord because they are more widely available. I had to special order the Hakks since nobody carried them in my area.
I've had good luck with Michelin Arctic Alpins here in MA on my Ody. They are good on bare pavement and have yet to leave me stuck in the deep stuff.
Buying a set of already mounted tires on steel rims from Tirerack makes a lot of sense - a couple of remounts will pay for the steel rims. A friend has Blizzaks on a Bimmer in Mpls and sez no problems with snow/ice traction.