I have 1500 miles on my new EX V6 and thought I would give some general impressions for anyone considering buying a new 2003/2004 model.
I was looking for a 4 door sedan with good power...classy yet sporty. I was also considering a Camry xle and Infiniti G35. I thought the Camry was nice but the interior wood grain turned me off, the engine not as powerful and the ride more luxury than sporty. The G35 of course was real tempting but quite a bit more $$.
I am very happy with my EX V6:
Ride - Car is tight and handles well but if you are looking for a soft ride it may be too bumpy for you.
Engine - Very smooth and powerful. It is quiet and you can hardly tell the auto tran is shifting.
Interior/Exterior - I got a Silver one which I think gives it a classy look. The interior is black leather and has the sporty look. Lots of creature comforts and is of high quality. 6 CD changer and dual auto climate control is nice. Still slightly confused by the auto climate control though. What all can i expect it to do for me?
Brakes - Yes they are very touchy but something I have gotten used to. It is not that big a deal. I noticed it on the test drive but that was not a decision maker at all.
Tires - Don't know what to think. Have heard stories on this board of bad wet handling but similar MXV4 tires get good ratings. I have not driven in much rain yet so have not much to say. They seem noisy when cornering mildly but maybe this is because they are new.
That "clack" sound after starting - To me it is more of a "clunk" heard everyday after backing out the drive and moving forward a few yards. My foot is always lightly on the accelerator when it happens and i feel a slight vibration on it. Thanks to other posters on this board, I did not get all excited about this. I eventually asked the service advisor about this and he said it was the brake calipers setting into place. Does my description of this match others?
Seats - Has the best lateral support of any car I have had and fit me like a glove (5' 7").
Minor things to improve: + Lighting on the steering controls would be helpful. + Let driver see outside temp and odometer at same time. + Gaps on top of dash could be done nicer. + compass
Nice Touches + After shutting off engine and pulling the key, the interior lights come on for a few seconds then dim. This helps more than you would think. + Two tripmeters.
Although an accord does not turn heads and I have seen my car too many times already, this car is terrific and has lots of bang for the buck. Why pay more for something like a TSX and get less (i.e. 4cyl, less interior room)?
Overall a terrific car and a nice improvement over the 94 LX I was driving!
Does anyone know how to reset this airbag light? My dealers service department is staffed by idiots. They installed a day night mirror in my 04 (after I told them that I'd rather do it myself) and now the SRS light is on. Of course, I could bring it back to the dealer on Monday, but I'd rather reset it first myself. Is there a way?????
My wife just happened to be around and read your post. She said she heard the same "clack" sound too. And it occurs exactly the way you described it. Me, I don't hear anything when I drive it. Maybe I accelerate it a bit too hard and don't hear it.
There was no way I was buying an accord that wasn't full tilt loaded. The navi is the best option we have too.
Even if you don't leave the city you are in, it can be very helpful. I can leave work, call my wife, ask her if she wants to go out to eat or go carry out. either way, I can pull up the list of places, have their phone number there and even be guided to them!
Another nice thing is that it's priceless the day your out and either miss a turn or get re-routed due to an accident. I was headed down-town, got off one exit early, wasn't really sure how to navigate around the city to my destination...no biggie. While at a red light, the system routed me the 1.5 miles I needed and saved me from a few one way street PIA turn-arounds I surely would have had to make.
It's so nice, you really won't find yourself looking at the maps anyway. It calls out everything. "right turn in 1 mile, followed by a keep right" and "destination is ahead on the left" or "keep right at the fork in the road" it's awesome. You'll love it.
"You can get a Lincoln LS with the same amount of equipment that you get and same buying price with the Accord EX-V6"
A base Lincoln LS V6 is $5400 more than an Accord EX V6. Equipment levels are nearly identical.
The Accord is actually very reasonably priced compared to it's competition. A similar Camry XLE MSRP's for $28,779, Nissan Altima 3.5SE MSRP's for $28,890, and the VW Passat GLX MSRP's for $31,430. At $26,890 the Accord is nearly $2000 less than both the Altima and Camry and $4500 less than the Passat.
I have a early-build 2003 Accord LX. It is flat-out exceptional. It goes about its business with a quiet, confident level of competence that I have only experienced in cars costing over twice as much.This is my first Honda car but definitely not my last. Yes, i have had a rattle or squeak in my Accord. No biggie. There is simply no other car that for the money that does everything as well as the Accord.
Are you sure that you did not reverse the version numbers? No offense, please, but version numbers normally go from 1.x to 2.x; not from 2.x to 1.x. Maybe, its me just misreading your post, please clarify.
Well the interior actually looks kinda nice. I don't care for the exterior. The front end looks too big or thick looking. The back looks like it came off an Opel which isn't bad. The front end just doesn't look right.
As far as Lincoln LS is concerned there is discounts on the LS too factor in too.
Have not tested one yet, but the reviews I have read so far seem to point to a very competitive Malibu matched closely vs Camry / Accord in terms of refinement, quality and capability. I would not say the same thing about Hyundias and Taurus.
In its full review, Car and Driver called its styling and interior bland and predictable and called the engine and handling uninspired. They summarize by saying that it aims too squarely at average to ever hope to hit exceptional. The overall feeling expressed by the review and the editors was that they all had high hopes for the new Malibu, but most were left disappointed.
OTOH, Road and Track was more positive in its first look. But I always like to wait for full reviews, since a more in-depth look often yields somewhat different results from "first looks".
It's a step in the right direction compared to previous GM mid-sized cars, but "matched closely vs. Camry/Accord" is subject to much debate.
I have news for you...I had the same problem withe my car the '03 mirror is NOT compatible with the '04 Accords. I just bought my car last week, the service technicians installed it and they noticed the glitch. They are looking for another mirror that is compatible so if you find one LET ME KNOW! I guess we are the guinea pigs. If I were you I would have them take off the mirror for now so that you don't have your airbag light on...just in case it's sending some other messages that you don't know about.
There is a message out on the mirrors that the parts departments have access to. I asked for a mirror for a 04 accord and they said one is not available. The 03 mirror is not compatible on the 04. I guess we know why now. Maybe something to do with the changes in the passanger airbag for 04. Sucks..cause Id really like to have one.
Like I said, I have not driven it but I would hardly call Camrys / Accords exciting either, even in V6 forms. Autoweek gave the car a rave review and another review said it had better ride quality than the Accord. Given the price difference, the Malibu could be a good value play. That said, the Mazda 6 has not sold that well so Honda isn't likely very worried.
"We have investigated this with our Honda Invoice Pricing contacts and have learned that the numbers reported failed to subtract additional fees that were in the invoice pricing that was provided to us. We are working now to remove these additional fees from the Invoice pricing that we are publishing and will have the corrections visible on the live site no later than the evening of 10/29. Thank you for posting your message and bringing this to our attention."
Guinea pigs we are, AND your are correct. While the mirror worked, I noticed my airbag light on this morning. Took the car back and they just received the bulletin from Honda. They took it out and reset the SRS light. For the hassle I asked for and they gave me a cargo net, all weather floor mats for the front and rear and a truck tray. There is not currently a mirror that will work in the 04. Please let me know if you find one or hear that Honda is shipping them.
When I go into setup, tab 4 the database version is 20030623 and the software version is 1.0800. I also notice a BIG difference in the map accuracy and the operating system is different than the 03. Perhaps the 1.0800 is the player software version and not the DVD version. Does anyone else have an 04 with Navi???
"Like I said, I have not driven it but I would hardly call Camrys / Accords exciting either, even in V6 forms."
Well, Car and Driver is just one source (albeit a very high profile one), but their comments about the Malibu were in comparison to the Camry and Accord. I agree that the Camry and Accord are not the most exciting cars on the road, but in the opinion of those automobile experts, the Malibu is bland and uninspired in comparison to even those conservative competitors.
Unless something changes dramatically over recent GM models, any price difference between the Malibu and a comparably equipped Camry or Accord will probably be eaten up in no time by the worse to much worse than average depreciation that GM mid-sized cars have exhibited for years.
I remember in 1997, Chevy was singing the same tune about that new Malibu... THAT was the car that was going to show Camry and Accord what's what. Didn't happen then. Will it happen now? Time will tell. But a generally lukewarm-to-negative review from one of the top car magazines is hardly an auspicious start, Autoweek's opinion notwithstanding.
Part of the reason that I'm so skeptical is that I believed the hype and the positive press back in 1997 (the Malibu was MT's COTY, don't forget), and went with the Malibu's upscale cousin, the Oldsmobile Cutlass... my first American car in years. And what a disappointment that car was! Damaged dashboard on delivery, clunky suspension (normal, they said), squeaks and rattles galore, HVAC controls had to be replaced THREE times. All of this in a mere 2 1/2 years. I got rid of that car pretty quickly and got my first Accord. From that point on, I understood what all the fuss over the Accord was about. So you'll have to excuse me if I take Chevy's hype about the new Malibu with a huge grain of salt. I believed them last time and got burned.
Let's don't get too far off the subject, folks. We have a separate single-vehicle Malibu discussion and we have a Malibu vs. the world discussion on the Comparisons board. The search features on the left will help find appropriate discussions and as always, feel free to drop me an email if I can help locate anything around the Town Hall.
I love it, no complaints at all, I have 1200 miles on it so far. Taking a 5000 mile trip next week, so the Navi will get a good workout. Navi and XM are both outstanding. They even operate with the car parked in my garage with the door closed. I purchased a 3 year plan with XM. Works out to about $8.00 a month. My wife totaled our Lexus ES300 back in July. (just a small bruise) So we roughed it driving my truck for a few months, waiting for the 04's to come out. Finding an EX V6 Sedan with Navi is not that easy. The Lexus was nice, but I like the Honda better.
Last Malibu wasn't a great car, I'll give you that. That was then though and the 04 will be an interesting car to watch. No doubt, resale winner will almost certainly be Accord.
"finding an EX V6 Sedan with Navi is not easy" - No kidding! Here in Seattle, you have to look around. I bought an 03 in July because my 2000 was totaled (Rear ended on the freeway). No injuries The 03 was butchered by the service dept and they gave me an 04 for just the difference in purchase price. Re. XM - Make sure you get the first 3 months FREE before paying the $8/mo. This is what I did. In three months time, I will buy a package. Re. XM works in the garage - Not well here in Seattle. The garage, tall trees cause "no signal" from time to time. This is because the satellites are over the Equator and my car is at a northern latitude.
Has anyone living in one of the counties in VA that requires an emissions inspection bought a new Accord? Does the dealer provide you with an emissions certificate?
call me the old man in the group, but I find everything I need in the accord as far as power & handling. Anything more and I would probably have to try my luck in NASCAR. On a recent trip, I got penned in the right lane behind a slow mover. I was able to get in the left lane very quickly when I could with a very controlled feel and the acceleration from 60 to 80 seemed like it only took about 3 seconds or less. that's all I really ask. Now squeaks & rattles.........that's another story.
so when you bought your car, you didn't have to provide documentation to the dmv of emissions certification? does the dealer state that it is emissions tested when it fills out the registrations papers for you?
any and all car dealers in Northern VA, used or new, MUST get cars emission tested, and provide that info to DMV. car can't be registered otherwise. and since the dealer does all the DMV paperwork for you, they take care of it.
a late model Honda would pass a VA emissions test with flying colors anyway....
Just took our baby (V6 w/NAV)on its first long trip. San Antonio to Branson and back to total over 1800 miles. I can't say enough great things about this car. It cruised effortlessly at 80 on the Interstates and got over 33 MPG in the process. It was a ball to drive through the Ozarks in Nrothwestern Arkansas. The seats proved to be very comfortable for a 12 hour day behind the wheel. The car simply loves the open road. The smooth power a nice ride made this trip a pleasure. Sure glad I dumped the Intrigue for this gem. BY the way, the NAV system was awsome especially in the Branso area trying to find various addresses.
I called my dealer about "take off" rims ($66.30 each) for snow tires - a bit higher than I expected. Is that ballpark for rims? I asked about wheel covers - phew! $30 each, and bolts are $30 each, too. Parts manager said no one ever buys them, and they recommend autoparts stores, Walmart, etc. for basic wheel covers. I don't see them on the usual Honda parts places, either - is it because of the price? Any suggestions?
I will be trading in my '94 Ex (manual)for a new Honda within the next few months. Unfortunately this time I have to get an automatic. I would love to get the V6 but don't really need leather seats, xm radio, etc. Is there any way to get the V6 without all the extras? Not sure I would be happy with the 4 cyl after driving the manual for 10 years. Anybody have an opinion?
How about the LX V6? Compared to the EX V6, the LX V6 eliminates features like alloy wheels, dual temp control, home link, leather seats, heated seats and the XM radio.
You are going from a 147/145 TQ/HP engine to a 161/160 TQ/HP engine. that's almost a full 10% increase in HP and TQ.
There are rumors going around in the tuner community that the Accord numbers are understated, however, and that numbers are closer to 175TQ/170HP. This is what I've seen based on the stock dyno numbers and a standard 15% driveline loss.
I would test drive the vehicle and see for yourself. No matter what you do, IMO, going from a stick to an auto is a pretty fair change and is difficult to get used to. =oP
Guess I'll have to drive them both and see what I think. Just wondering if I'll notice the 10%increase in hp going to the automatic transmission. Will definitely notice the 250 hp.
Try the tirerack for steel rims. Their price for 16" steel is $49 each.
When I tried to find 16" wheel covers for my Ody, there was nothing to be found in the local stores. I wound up getting a set by posting on the buy/sell/trade of another forum that I was willing to offer a productive life to a set of wayward wheel covers that had been cast aside for some bling bling. Someone offered me a set within a few days!!
I bought the lug nuts from hondacuraworld.com at a very resonable price - $22 for the set of 25 IIRC.
I highly recommend against using aftermarket lug nuts. I bought some and one seized onto the lug - I wound up breaking it and it cost $180 to repair.
According to carsdirect a Lincoln LS V6 base with side airbags would be $27,175 if you choose the $4000 rebate instead of 0.0% financing. A 2004 EX V6 Accord would be $24,300. Not to mention that to get NAV on the LS you have to spend another $6000 to get the premium package THEN pay another $2000 for the NAV.
Hello everyone ... got a quick question. Getting ready to replace my POS Grand Cherokee with either a Mazda6, a Passat or an Accord Coupe. Leaning towards the Coupe V6 (with traction and ABS) -- but living in New England, I'm dying to know -- how's the Accord in the snow? I drove a '90 Accord way back when and it was like a sled. I'm hoping the new ones are better. Any thoughts? Experiences? Reccomendations (v6, v4, tire sizes, etc.?) I'm an idiot when it comes to cars, but this is an important factor to me. The value, reliability and gas mileage of the Accord may be too much to overlook if I can get along in the winter. Thanks for your input.
Comments
I was looking for a 4 door sedan with good power...classy yet sporty. I was also considering a Camry xle and Infiniti G35. I thought the Camry was nice but the interior wood grain turned me off, the engine not as powerful and the ride more luxury than sporty. The G35 of course was real tempting but quite a bit more $$.
I am very happy with my EX V6:
Ride - Car is tight and handles well but if you are looking for a soft ride it may be too bumpy for you.
Engine - Very smooth and powerful. It is quiet and you can hardly tell the auto tran is shifting.
Interior/Exterior - I got a Silver one which I think gives it a classy look. The interior is black leather and has the sporty look. Lots of creature comforts and is of high quality. 6 CD changer and dual auto climate control is nice. Still slightly confused by the auto climate control though. What all can i expect it to do for me?
Brakes - Yes they are very touchy but something I have gotten used to. It is not that big a deal. I noticed it on the test drive but that was not a decision maker at all.
Tires - Don't know what to think. Have heard stories on this board of bad wet handling but similar MXV4 tires get good ratings. I have not driven in much rain yet so have not much to say. They seem noisy when cornering mildly but maybe this is because they are new.
That "clack" sound after starting - To me it is more of a "clunk" heard everyday after backing out the drive and moving forward a few yards. My foot is always lightly on the accelerator when it happens and i feel a slight vibration on it. Thanks to other posters on this board, I did not get all excited about this. I eventually asked the service advisor about this and he said it was the brake calipers setting into place. Does my description of this match others?
Seats - Has the best lateral support of any car I have had and fit me like a glove (5' 7").
Minor things to improve:
+ Lighting on the steering controls would be helpful.
+ Let driver see outside temp and odometer at same time.
+ Gaps on top of dash could be done nicer.
+ compass
Nice Touches
+ After shutting off engine and pulling the key, the interior lights come on for a few seconds then dim. This helps more than you would think.
+ Two tripmeters.
Although an accord does not turn heads and I have seen my car too many times already, this car is terrific and has lots of bang for the buck. Why pay more for something like a TSX and get less (i.e. 4cyl, less interior room)?
Overall a terrific car and a nice improvement over the 94 LX I was driving!
Thanks
Not really. Mine is a Graphite. ;-)
My wife just happened to be around and read your post. She said she heard the same "clack" sound
too. And it occurs exactly the way you described it.
Me, I don't hear anything when I drive it.
Maybe I accelerate it a bit too hard and don't hear it.
Even if you don't leave the city you are in, it can be very helpful. I can leave work, call my wife, ask her if she wants to go out to eat or go carry out. either way, I can pull up the list of places, have their phone number there and even be guided to them!
Another nice thing is that it's priceless the day your out and either miss a turn or get re-routed due to an accident. I was headed down-town, got off one exit early, wasn't really sure how to navigate around the city to my destination...no biggie. While at a red light, the system routed me the 1.5 miles I needed and saved me from a few one way street PIA turn-arounds I surely would have had to make.
It's so nice, you really won't find yourself looking at the maps anyway. It calls out everything. "right turn in 1 mile, followed by a keep right" and "destination is ahead on the left" or "keep right at the fork in the road" it's awesome. You'll love it.
A base Lincoln LS V6 is $5400 more than an Accord EX V6. Equipment levels are nearly identical.
The Accord is actually very reasonably priced compared to it's competition. A similar Camry XLE MSRP's for $28,779, Nissan Altima 3.5SE MSRP's for $28,890, and the VW Passat GLX MSRP's for $31,430. At $26,890 the Accord is nearly $2000 less than both the Altima and Camry and $4500 less than the Passat.
I have a early-build 2003 Accord LX. It is flat-out exceptional. It goes about its business with a quiet, confident level of competence that I have only experienced in cars costing over twice as much.This is my first Honda car but definitely not my last. Yes, i have had a rattle or squeak in my Accord. No biggie. There is simply no other car that for the money that does everything as well as the Accord.
As far as Lincoln LS is concerned there is discounts on the LS too factor in too.
In its full review, Car and Driver called its styling and interior bland and predictable and called the engine and handling uninspired. They summarize by saying that it aims too squarely at average to ever hope to hit exceptional. The overall feeling expressed by the review and the editors was that they all had high hopes for the new Malibu, but most were left disappointed.
OTOH, Road and Track was more positive in its first look. But I always like to wait for full reviews, since a more in-depth look often yields somewhat different results from "first looks".
It's a step in the right direction compared to previous GM mid-sized cars, but "matched closely vs. Camry/Accord" is subject to much debate.
"We have investigated this with our Honda Invoice Pricing contacts and have learned that the numbers reported failed to subtract additional fees that were in the invoice pricing that was provided to us. We are working now to remove these additional fees from the Invoice pricing that we are publishing and will have the corrections visible on the live site no later than the evening of 10/29. Thank you for posting your message and bringing this to our attention."
We really appreciate your speaking up about this.
Well, Car and Driver is just one source (albeit a very high profile one), but their comments about the Malibu were in comparison to the Camry and Accord. I agree that the Camry and Accord are not the most exciting cars on the road, but in the opinion of those automobile experts, the Malibu is bland and uninspired in comparison to even those conservative competitors.
Unless something changes dramatically over recent GM models, any price difference between the Malibu and a comparably equipped Camry or Accord will probably be eaten up in no time by the worse to much worse than average depreciation that GM mid-sized cars have exhibited for years.
I remember in 1997, Chevy was singing the same tune about that new Malibu... THAT was the car that was going to show Camry and Accord what's what. Didn't happen then. Will it happen now? Time will tell. But a generally lukewarm-to-negative review from one of the top car magazines is hardly an auspicious start, Autoweek's opinion notwithstanding.
Part of the reason that I'm so skeptical is that I believed the hype and the positive press back in 1997 (the Malibu was MT's COTY, don't forget), and went with the Malibu's upscale cousin, the Oldsmobile Cutlass... my first American car in years. And what a disappointment that car was! Damaged dashboard on delivery, clunky suspension (normal, they said), squeaks and rattles galore, HVAC controls had to be replaced THREE times. All of this in a mere 2 1/2 years. I got rid of that car pretty quickly and got my first Accord. From that point on, I understood what all the fuss over the Accord was about. So you'll have to excuse me if I take Chevy's hype about the new Malibu with a huge grain of salt. I believed them last time and got burned.
Just my opinion...
Db ver. 20020930, Software ver. 1.0200
Speaking of Accord, back to it...
Thanx
Thanks.
however, the 2.4L iVTEC 4cyl has a timing chain.
probably a stainless exhaust... don't know.
highway rev's? I have the MT, but the top 3 gears in the AT are the same, and at 55mph I am usually running at about 2200-2500 rpm.
so when you bought your car, you didn't have to provide documentation to the dmv of emissions certification? does the dealer state that it is emissions tested when it fills out the registrations papers for you?
Thanks.
a late model Honda would pass a VA emissions test with flying colors anyway....
Thanks!
There are rumors going around in the tuner community that the Accord numbers are understated, however, and that numbers are closer to 175TQ/170HP. This is what I've seen based on the stock dyno numbers and a standard 15% driveline loss.
I would test drive the vehicle and see for yourself. No matter what you do, IMO, going from a stick to an auto is a pretty fair change and is difficult to get used to. =oP
When I tried to find 16" wheel covers for my Ody, there was nothing to be found in the local stores. I wound up getting a set by posting on the buy/sell/trade of another forum that I was willing to offer a productive life to a set of wayward wheel covers that had been cast aside for some bling bling. Someone offered me a set within a few days!!
I bought the lug nuts from hondacuraworld.com at a very resonable price - $22 for the set of 25 IIRC.
I highly recommend against using aftermarket lug nuts. I bought some and one seized onto the lug - I wound up breaking it and it cost $180 to repair.