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Comments
Perception = Reality
ho about pebbles.......? just kidding. Thanks for the post. I do think that the vast majority of Honda/Toyota buyers would agree with your stance on the better Japanese quality. That brings me to
BBurton:
Very true! There is no reality only perception. You took the words right out of my mouth! (I think the car you were thinking of is the Chevy Prism (aka now defunct Geo Prism))
Thanks.
Thanks.
England. If Consumer Reports states that Japanese built cars are better than say, a Chevrolet made in the USA, does it not seem reasonable to believe that the same logic would apply to other cars made in the USA, no matter if they are GM, Ford or Honda or Toyota???? I never meant for my post to give the allusion that everything stated was fact, and I think opinions derived from personal experiences are of value in rating products, however if you would read my last post you would see that the small parts comments were from parts manufacturers who operate factories in different parts of the world. I think they are in a position to make such statements as fact.
It wasn't really a squeaking noise, but perhaps it has the same cause?
I had to leave the car overnight so the dealer could hear the initial grinding. That might be helpful if you want the technician to be able to replicate the noise.
I plan on changing it every 3750 miles of 2/3 city and 1/3 highway driving over 4 months. I have been told that oil filters by-pass after some 2900 miles of filtering. I have also been informed that there is no significant difference in engine wear for those changing their oil every 3000-4000 miles; however, there is some difference for those who wait until 5000 miles for an oil change.
On drain interval, some points to ponder: changing engine oil is largely dictated by contamination of that oil by unburned gasoline. In older, carburetted and contact point/condenser (remember those ?) engines, combustion efficiency was so-so. Thus, 3k mile changes meant good maintenance.
Today, all engines are fuel-injected and have consistently hotter electronic ignition systems - all managed by a computer - that burn fuel much more efficiently. Thus, less oil contamination and longer oil drain intervals are safely justifiable (same reason tranny oil lasts longer - there's no chemical contamination there).
Additionally, oil technology evolves together with engine technology (see SAE/API codes in oil containers) to deliver optimum useful life. Having been in the oil industry once, we can rest assured that oil companies strive to lengthen, not shorten, oil life - thanks to competition and integrity of chemical engineers.
One remaining common factor that impacts oil contamination by unburned fuel is the air filter. Old and modern engines with clogged filters will have more fuel contaminating the oil. Thus, this needs to be changed as scrupulously as before.
With that addressed, I feel safe extending oil changes to 5k miles in mixed driving, 7k if mostly highway.
There is also a DETOUR feature on the system so that when you get stuck in the inevitable traffic passing through DC (or anywhere else for that matter) it will re-route you around the bumper-to-bumper stuff. A true sanity saver.
So they take trades... I asked them how much they would give me for the old ones(Michelin MXV4 S8's) he says... nothing.
So he measures them(I have been rotating about every 5k or so w/ the oil changes) and they are 6/32"(rear) and 6.5/32"(front)... i have 11k miles!!! sheesh. I'm like so lemme get this straight, at about 20k miles, I'm gonna need new tires on a car? yup. No signs of "abnormal" wear, abuse, etc... just wearing out fast and evenly... lol.
So I called the dealer I bought it from... service manager offered to check it out since the tires(which start at 10/32" and have the same tread wear rating(400) as a 65,000 mile Michelin tire) are about half gone and won't make it through even the warranty period.
I'll let you all know(if you are interested) what comes out of it... I thought these S8's were supposed to be great tires... =o(
Edit... by the way... these tires are like $150 each to buy. =o(
We replaced both sets with Bridgestone RE 950's. The tread on these tires is very open, so they should be good as dispersing the water when driving in the wet. They were also rated very good by the Tire Rack.
Because the tread on the Bridgestones is so open, we thought they would be too noisy, but that has not been the case. We are as happy as Barney.
2003 EX-L 4 Cyl Manual
2200 miles
Car is driven twice per week on a 60 mile round trip drive with a 4 hour stop in the middle.
The drive is 75% highway and 25% suburban city streets.
I'm averaging 29.5 MPG using Sam's Club regualr gas(cheap). A/C is always on.
I only fill up about every 3 weeks. I fill up about 14 gallons with about 420 miles per tank.
I'm pleased with the mileage so far. In Nov I am taking a 600 miles round trip that is all highway, so I'm hoping I can wring 35/36 out of my Accord on that trip.
What is everyone else seeing as far as MPG?
Is 8-way power driver seat worth the money? (Never driven a car with power seat before, so I am unfamiliar with it.) Does it give more adjustments than manual driver seat? If yes, do those adjustments make a big difference? If I am the only driver, then seat adjustment is usually "set it once and forget it" so power seat doesn't seem worth the money? Even with two drivers, after some practice you can adjust manual seat to your liking quite quickly.
There seems to be a consensus (though not unanimous) that the Accord tires are not that good. But is the Accord's braking power (i.e. stopping distance) worse than, or on par with its Japanese-make peer (especially the Camry sedan), if you fit them with the same tires?
How much worse are the brakes of LX I4 (with rear drums, and no EBD) compared to LX V6? i.e. how much percentage longer stopping distance, assuming same tires on both. If I am very concerned with safety, would I need to worry that the LX I4 has "poor" (below-average, at least) brakes?
Do front seatbelts have load/force limiters (in addition to pretensioners)?
Do the cars come with front and rear splash guards?
Are there any "accessory power outlets"?
Is there a button for the driver to lock out (disable) all power windows, so that a child seating at the rear cannot play with the window while the car is moving?
Can I set the audio system to have sound coming out from the front speakers only (i.e. not to disturb sleeping passengers at the back)? (Question applies to I4 and V6 which have different audio systems.)
When I turn off the CD player (CD changer for V6 model), does it remember the exact disc/track and location to resume playing next time? (If not, maybe the beginning of the track?)
Thanks!
not without problems though, the moonroof rattle really got on my nerves. I cant understand this because all I have to do is pull down gently in the center of the headliner and the rattle goes away. also heard a rattle in the coin box by the CD holder compartment. that only happened on the bumpiest local roads. as far as the tires go, I had no problem with gripping and stability. anyone familiar with the PA TPKE knows the
S-curves near Pittsburgh, well the michelin's did well in them at 70 mph or so. as far as tire noise goes, on asphalt - no problem, however on concrete roads - very noisy.
"Is 8-way power driver seat worth the money? (Never driven a car with power seat before, so I am unfamiliar with it.) Does it give more adjustments than manual driver seat? If yes, do those adjustments make a big difference?"
The main difference in adjustments is that the 8-way power seat can adjust the front and rear height independently, while the manual seat only adjusts the overall height. IOW, the power seat can adjust the angle of the seat cushion. I use this to make sure that I get sufficient thigh support (bringing the front edge of the seat up). Is this a critical difference? I don't think so.
"There seems to be a consensus (though not unanimous) that the Accord tires are not that good. But is the Accord's braking power (i.e. stopping distance) worse than, or on par with its Japanese-make peer (especially the Camry sedan), if you fit them with the same tires?"
CR rated both the I4 and V6 Accords as above average in braking, and the I4 Camry had slightly longer stopping distances, so it's essentially a wash. I don't know about your drum brake vs. disc brake question.
"Do the cars come with front and rear splash guards?"
Not standard on any Accord model, but available as an accessory.
"Are there any "accessory power outlets"?"
One in the console and one in the center armrest (intended for cell phones). This is for the EX, but I think they're all the same.
"Is there a button for the driver to lock out (disable) all power windows, so that a child seating at the rear cannot play with the window while the car is moving?"
Yes. When set, the only power window control that works is the driver's window on the driver's door. Even the driver can't adjust the passenger door windows.
"Can I set the audio system to have sound coming out from the front speakers only (i.e. not to disturb sleeping passengers at the back)? (Question applies to I4 and V6 which have different audio systems.)"
Both have a fade control, which controls front-to-back balance. I don't know if it can cut the rear speakers off completely, but it should quiet them enough for your purposes.
"When I turn off the CD player (CD changer for V6 model), does it remember the exact disc/track and location to resume playing next time? (If not, maybe the beginning of the track?)"
The changer starts at the exact location, and my previous Accord with a single CD also did so. So my guess is that they all do.
This is for US-spec cars... I believe all of this applies to Canadian-spec cars also.
the calendar feature is nice but only if it can be synched with a phone or pda. Otherwise, it is a real pain to have to type events in. I tried it at the dealer. took me a while to mistype the thing.
Speaking of which, are there pens for the touch screen? My fingers were too large to hit the keys on the screen and I am average sized. I tried my Palm pen, but it was not big enough to register.
I was really looking forward to bluetooth cell phone integration mentioned here, but apparently it is only available on the Acura units. Any chance that it can be activated on the Accords?
I think I'll put it on the list for my next car.
However, by the time I'm ready for something new, cars will probably drive themselves anyway...
also, have to say, the passing times between 75-95mph are second to none. i just think about passing a slow truck that is clogging the left lane, and before i know it, my car and me are ahead of the pack again. smooth and painless.
they seem very over priced. you can get a laptop pc for less than a grand. navi's seem to be around 2k. you can get detailed maps from aaa pretty cheap, directions from mapq for free.
i've seem the nav in an m5, and it does look pretty good though. it had exit #s, which seems like a good thing. most of the time, reading the road signs works too. some people want 500 watt stereos. if that's what they want, good for them if they have one.
The dealer salesperson said this rocking motion from the braking force is normal and is typical of ABS brakes. My current car (a 1992 Civic) does not have ABS but have absolutely no jerking motion when I brake and this is a 12-year old car.)
Does anyone who have 2003 or 04 Accord sedans have similar experiences w braking? Please let me know if you do, and what can one do about it? Is the condition possibly temporary (i.e. will the brakes get less harsh after they break in?)
Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I had my mind set on the Accord EX V6 NAV, and was very close to sealing the deal.
Thanks very much in advance.
Kevin
You have to adjust to how sensitive different car models brakes are.
After you noticed the sensitivity of the Honda's brakes, why did you continue to press the pedal so hard during the entire test drive?
Some cars are also jumpy on the gas pedal at low speeds. I drove an Expedition for a day and for the first few seconds of driving at parking lot speeds it was jerking around due to a very sensitive gas pedal. In less than a minute I was able to adjust and drive it smoothly.
I noticed this as well, but the LX was pretty smooth all around for braking. (I believe the 4cyl are the only ones w/o EBD)
The electronic braking force distribution is a safety feature that basically distributes the brake force to the tires that need them, and alleviate it from tires that don't ... this is supposed to help prevent the ABS from activating(since it increases braking distance) and still give you control of the car... neat feature, but I noticed it causes "abrupt" braking sometimes. If the brakes are warmed up, it doesn't happen as severely, just mainly when they are cold.
In regards to hooking up a laptop in order to save a few bucks, I dont think so. Talk about useless, bulky and ever so cumbersome.
I guess you are missing the point in regards to how easy the Navigation system is. Voice activation, the system even talks to you, which is a lot easier then "reading signs" while traveling around areas you are not accustomed to.
So lets see, you receive voice activation, a talking spokes person , and a touch screen for around 1500 bucks, not too shabby if you ask me.
Aftermarket will never, and I repeat never equal the honda navigation system!
Wish I purchased a nav with my current car.
Try to have your detailed map or mapquest directions tell you where the nearest gas station is or where to eat (categorized by cuisine type) WITH the phone number so that you can call ahead for reservations.
Admittedly, I am directionally impaired. I am also a gadget freak. This thing is awesome! It makes traveling safer, easier and more fun. You may argue that the cost is excessive but I have not heard a single person who owns a car with nav say that it was a waste of money.
Don't pump the brake. Let's the ABS do its work.
It took me a few times to adjust to this sensitivity going from 89 Accord to 2003 EXV6.
In regards to strange brakes, my Accord took some adjusting to--much more time than you spend in a test drive. I had a 1992 Civic sedan previously, and found it MUCH easier to modulate brake pressure in that car. The salesman making some remark about it being the ABS, that is a load of crap.
Depends on your experience with seats in the past. If you fit most cars comfortably with very little adjudstments needed, then you should be fine in the LX. If like me, you never seem to get the right comfort level in cars, the 8-way power is worth every penny.
However, I will say the standard LX seats are very comfy even to my picky hindside.
If there is a way to disable this feature, then Honda has just opened themselves up to a world of legal hurt. It is illegal (and just plain stupid, frankly), to have a movie screen anywhere in the car that's visible to the driver.
i don't notice anything strange with my brakes. of course, i came out of a VW, which has always had notoriously grabby brakes.
Do the 04 Accords still say to use 5w20 oil?
I heard rumors that they say to use 0w20 oil.
I can turn the car off and sit in the car for 30min+ bs'ing w/ my buddies at work, and just leave the car, no issues. Is it possible that you lock the car while you are in it or somehow arm the vehicle?
I will try and check out the manual to see if there is anything interesting about the security system.
It would never happen because the liberals would find it much too harsh however it should be cause for automatic forfeiture of the vehicle if there is a screen visible to the driver.