Need a little advice. My wifes 2000 Special addition is in need of some new tires. This year special edition has 15" factory Honda wheels. Should I keep this car original? or should I go for 16" aftermarket wheels? Will this will hurt the cars resale value if I do go with 16" aftermarket tires and wheels? Believe me, I know this car is not a collectors item, nor will it ever be, but, just thought I would ask...
Go ahead and get yourself some 16"s. Do your shopping with www.Tirerack.com or www.wheelmax.com.
I got a set of 17"s with tires mounted on the wheels and balanced for $599 delivered. It's been a great inprovement, plust it makes the car a little bit more unique. just don't go crazy with some chromes or anything.
As the owner of a 1998 Honda Civic HX CVT coupe, I love this transmission. For one thing, the application of power is extremely smooth and you don't get engine flat spots in terms of performance.
If Honda can manufacture enough of that special drive belt used on CVT's I wouldn't be surprised that Honda will offer a CVT on the four-cylinder Accords for the US market within 18-24 months.
As I recall, Car & Driver had some unpleasant things to say about their long-term experience with an Audi A-4 or A-6 with CVT. I can't quite remember what it was, but I remember telling myself, DON'T BUY IT.
I too remember the Buick Dynaflow and Chevy Powerglide. They never seemed as fast or responsive as my friend's '52 Olds 88 with 3- or 4-speed Hydramatic. There must have been a good reason why GM abandoned Dynaflow and Powerglide and gave Buick and Chevy the Hydramatics which become standard throughout GM.
I have 2003 LX Sedan, and wondering if any of you guys can hear VTEC sounds when they rev high. I remember, my friend's old prelude used to give buzzing sounds at 4000 RPM, but mine is so quite. However, I do hear some slight hissing sounds(like blow off valve on Turbo) when gear change at high RPM. Is this VTEC sound?
CVT is a great concept-am not brave enough to be an early adapter-if reliability issues can be resolved along with service-repair being at a reasonable cost-wonder what the efficiency numbers look like-if it is much more efficient than the standard torque convert auto trannies-then it will be quickly embraced as auto companies are doing all they can to get their fleet mileage numbers down-the reason apparently behind the infamous Michelin "energy" tires.
I don't think you need to worry about CVT reliability issues. Honda's experience with CVT's on the Civic HX coupe for the US market and the Fit/Jazz model for the Japanese market has shown they can be very reliable indeed. I think Honda was somewhat unwilling to sell more CVT-equipped cars in the US market due to the fact early CVT's weren't compatible with cruise control systems; now that Honda has overcome that hurdle, I wouldn't be surprised if Honda does offer the CVT from the Japanese-market Odyssey minivan for the Accord within 18-24 months.
Owners of '03 and '04 Accords, how's the audio quality--radio and CD? Pretty standard car radio stuff or good quality audio? I have a Bose system in my Maxima which is great, and the audio in the new Acura TL is supposed to be the best in the business.
I have an 04 Coupe and I am very satisfied with the audio quality. It's a pair of 5.25s in the doors, tweeters in the dash (where the windshield meets the dash), and 6x9s in the back deck. The 6x9s deliver pretty good bass and you can actually turn up the system pretty loud without distortion. I don't feel the need to replace anything. I definitely would not want to replace the head unit.. it's fine.. but maybe in the future if I have money to burn I will put Alpine Type-Rs in the back deck and a component set up front.
The 4 cyl version get a 120 Watt version and the 6 cyl gets a 180 watt stereo (I think)
I have the 120 watt version. In my opinion the 120 watt version is pretty standard car radio stuff. As long as my volume is under 15 (designation when you turn the dial) the sound is great. But louder than that and it becomes distorted.
You'll be happier in the TL for the sound system. It doesn't compare to your Bose system either.
However, the reception is great, and the 6 disc in dash system is a nice convenience.
The front speakers in the Accord Coupe are 6 1/2. Only the 6 speed coupe gets the 180 watt stereo and it is as good or better than the Bose system that was in my Acura CL-S. I was very satisfied with it, but to get a little more bass, I replaced the 6x9's in back with a pr of Kickers from Crutchfield.
I already have a pair of Alpine Type R 6x9s for my new LX that I took out of my old car.
I have a very nice MP3 headunit and I am considering one of the install kits that goes where the Honda MP3 deck would go. Having two radios in the dash will be a little odd, but I am not paying $380 for a Honda MP3 player.
OK -- after my hemming and hawing about whether to seriously consider the Accord (in light of all the quality control issues I see posted here), I'm baaack: Getting ready to do some serious Honda shopping.
The questions now are: How's the traction control work in the winter? Is it very effective? For that matter, what is the 4 cylinder LX like in the snow?
Given that I live somewhere downwind of the Great Lakes (IOW, buried under snow from mid-December through April), I'm wondering if the traction control makes the LX V6 worth the extra $3K or so. Trouble is, my budget keeps telling me to stick with the LX 4 cylinder. Can anyone talk me into splurging for a V-6 because of its superior winter performance? Thanks! ;-)
The Navi is awesome! A lot of people think it's gimmicky, but once you've used it for a bit, you'll never go back. A bargain at the price.
- Never need to carry maps - Database of all business; food, gas, all type. For example, I needed a watch battery replaced, and was able to find one in an unfamiliar area; no phone calls, no internet hookup needed. - Voice command is nice; keeps the hands on the wheel.
Go all the way; it's a relatively small amount for a nice feature. If I didn't have it, I'd be kicking myself.
The LX-V6 is not a popular vehicle so if you plan on selling the car within a few years it wouldn't be the best choice. The LX 4 cyl Auto and the EXV6 are the most popular. It is a great deal in my opinion on what you get for the money. Just plan on keeping it till the wheels fall off.
I don't have anyother info on the traction control. Texas don't get much snow down in these parts. But I'm sure that many of the Northeastern states get heavy snow and ice. And I know I've seen plenty of previous generation Accords in Wash D.C., NY, Jersey, Hartford, and Virginia. They were mostly 4cyl accords. So by pure speculation I would assume that the Accord functions fine in snow.
This last weekend my wife and I purchased one of the last '03's manufactured. It is an EX-V6 w/o navi. Very happy with the car so far and no squeaks, rattles or problems. Again it has less than 200 miles so I really don't expect any. We've owned Accords before and hope to have the same wonderful experience with this one. We started looking at the Accord, went to the Pilot and came back to the Accord because my wife feels more comfortable in a car. I'll be posting now as an owner and hope to add some tidbit to the forum. Happy motoring.
Porknbeans
Grand High Poobah The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
All I've read, and my chance to try it out, is that the system works very well, and delivers on its promises. The $2k system will be worth ~$400-500 on trade, so take $1500, divide by the # of months you'll have the car (figure three years, 1500/36 = $42/month), and decide if you're willing to pay that for the functionality. Personally, I'm not, but that's me, and you're you.
Good tires make a big difference-if you can when you buy a new whatever honda-get anything but those Michelin energy tires-one reviewer in a auto mag said they stick to everything but the road-bad in snow dangerous on wet. I live in WI and spend lots of time on the road-don't think there would be any diffference between I4 and V6 in snow-the big issue is not going into a skid-traction control probably won't help there.
Have heard some people say the I4 "handles" better cause of better weight distribution than the V6-can't say but one reason why I continue to buy accords is their suspension system-most other vehicles like the camry are way too loose in the [non-permissible content removed] end-hard to tell when you are just beginning to break loose on slick roads.
Tires and driver are the biggest variables with an accord in snow imho.
If you travel often or drive in unfamiliar areas, I highly reccomend the Nav system. If money is an issue and you are worried about trade in value, I'm sure you could survive without it. However, coming from someone who owns the system, instead of just reading about it or trying it once or twice, it is worth the money. Two weeks ago, I was very sick while on vacation in New York City and needed to find an emergency room. The Nav system guided my wife flawlessly to the closest hospital, undaunted by the tall buildings and narrow streets in Manhattan. All she had to say was 'Find the nearest hospital'. Every car should have this option.
Well, the V6 is 174 lbs heavier on the front end so should theoretically have better traction on a front-drive car. Be sure to drive the 4 cyl. Accord because it's very smooth and quick.
Unless you need the extra power you might be wise to save your money as I did--my '04 EX-L 4 cyl. is plenty quick IMO.....Richard
Only problem w/new Accords in snow is the V6 and torque. If you've got the V6 and find yourself banging away at the traction control try starting from a dead stop in D2. Works pretty good for me. Also helps to use the old "egg on the gas pedal" mentality.
The Michelin Energy tires do suck pretty bad, but of all the things they suck at, they suck the least in snow. I have an Acura Integra with Michelin Artic Alpins, it's good in the snow. My Accord is driveable. The BMW I used to have with Dunlop SP2000's was immobile in the lightest of snow dust.
My Jeep Cherokee w/Bridgestone Duelers.....unstoppable ;-)
As I stated, there are no option on either car. The MSRP on the window sticker from Honda is where I received those figures. When this particular dealer adds options, they add another window sticker next to the factory one.
Obviously I can just ask them, but I want to know if their response is going to be B.S.
"Car A was 19790 and car B was 20560. Any ideas what makes for a $770 price difference?"
$19,790 is MSRP (including destination) for an LX manual without side airbags. $20,560 is MSRP (including destination) for an LX automatic without side airbags. Check out the Edmunds TMV pricing reports. One of them must've been automatic, one must've been manual.
fjm1 you are right on the money about snow driving. D2 is the first step for me, especially because I have the I4, and I don't have any trouble. (For those who don't know, D2 makes the transmission start in SECOND gear instead of first, thus reducing the chance of wheelspin)
And the Michelin Energy's are actually better than the all-purpose average in snow, while in my opion considerably poor in the summer.
Has anyone had problems with chattering wipers or wiper blade deposits on the windshield? I've cleaned the glass with Bi-nami and other cleaners per Honda suggestion and also had them replace the blades twice. Once clean with new blades, the wipers work for about 45 minutes and then the noise, deposits and chatter return... the deposits are near the end of the wiper stroke/travel (locations where the wipers reverse direction) Any suggestions? I have checked the blade orientation to the glass and that seems fine. It's almost like the glass is not smooth enough or the tension is wrong (or a bad design). Also tried rain-x early on. Thoughts, suggestions???
I've heard that if you've cleaned the windshield and replaced blades but still get chatter the wiper arms need some sort of adjustment. I don't know what that entails though. Good luck and keep us posted.
Just picked up my 2004 EX V6 w/Navi yesterday and we are gettting to know each other.
I spent some time last night becoming "marginally" familiar with the voice command feature with the car running in my driveway). When I would press the voice command button on the steering wheel, the radio would mute every time and the system would accept my command.
This morning, while I was driving to work, when I pressed the voice command button it would only mute the radio about one-third of the time to allow me to enter a voice command. I tried not to continually press the button to allow the system time to reset or whatever. The only thing that seemed to help was waiting a minute or two and then trying again.
Are there any features in the system that would intentionally cause this to happen? Thanks for any advice.
Check out this site for TSB and recall info http://www.alldata.com/TSB/24/032401AV.html. Can't say how reliable the site is but there is something about wiper problems. Good luck.
When I access the Alldata link, I get a message that Honda does not want individuals to be able to access TSB, recall, or repair information for acura and honda.
What kind of company does not want individuals to know what's going wrong...?
I've heard that before, and don't understand it either. You can hop over to our Technical Service Bulletins discussion and ask there. There are a couple guys who have access to and share all kinds of TSB info. Not sure if they have access to Honda info, but it's worth a try.
Is because some people look at the number of TSB's and say "that car is junk". But if you actually read them you will see that many of them are just directions for removing stuff or spec sheets or other general info. Lots of them are just fluff if you are looking for real defects.
I understand now!!! It's not available to the people who might buy the cars because they might know what is going wrong with various cars. Those people wouldn't be able to understand that problems don't mean anything if it's in my honda.
It's obvious the image is more important than the reality to honda...
Other manufacturers have their TSBs available... but honda no. Oh well.
You know how the blade flips as the wiper moves back and forth? Well, when the wiper was moving from right to left, the blade was not flipping. I tried to bend the arm a little to encourage the flip, and it worked.
It wasn't so much a bend as a twist or a rotation. When I twisted it, I didn't think it would hold the new position at all, but the wiper worked much better, so I must have done something right.
Good luck. Noisy wipers are very, very irritating.
Would love to know what that TBS says. I'll try the other board but if anyone knows,, please post in here. Any other suggestions/advise?! This is really annoying.
Who knows without seeing a breakdown of Accord sales by models; however, the 4 cyl. Accord is plenty fast and has what most people really need a mid-sized car. So someone who wants a V6 is likely to want a more upscale vehicle with leather, sunroof, 4 wheel disc brakes, etc. and LX buyers are more likely to be happy enough with a 4 cyl. engine.
An Accord LX with a V6 could be viewed as an over-improved lower priced car instead of the near-luxury car that the EX V6 is.
Similarly, the EX-L 4 cyl. with leather has almost everything on it but a V6 engine. I bought the EX-L 4 because the LX didn't offer side curtain airbags that were a MUST HAVE option for me--the leather was too classy to refuse, so I have that, too.
But if side curtain airbags had been available on the LX, that's probably what I'd have purchased. Drive a 4 before you buy a V6--you might be very surprised.....Richard
I don't think that unpopular is the right word. I think most of the dealers order the LX in the 4cyl for "economy minded" shoppers, both in fuel economy and MSRP. The Ex has the following extras in the Coupe version(I don't have a brocure on the sedan): Alloy wheels, Dual Zone Climate Control, lighted power window switches, Homelink door & light controls, Premium interior accents, Console lighting, Leather wrapped steering wheel, Outside air temp, XM satellite radio, Side curtain airbags, Heated leather seats, and Sunroof. The biggies are the sunroof, leather seats and alloy wheels, but if you don't these goodies, the LX is still one heck of car!
Yeah, I did test drive a 4 once and it really was great and it gets about the same mileage as my current car--a little 4 cyl 119 horse Saturn. Amazing!.......I just wish the LX-4 had power seats, or at least a power drivers seat because I want that really bad. In fact, I'd probably buy one then.........that EX 4 w/leather looks like a great car too. I am looking at those closely.
The reason for my original post on the V6 was the availability of traction control, which isn't included on the 4 cylinder.
But I, too, would mention that I've ridden in a friend's LX 4 cyl. (manual shift) and it seemed just as smooth as most V6's that I've been in...very impressive.
I paid $22,700 for the EX-L 4 cyl. automatic sedan and it has the 8 way power seat, side curtain airbags, and too much other good stuff to list here. Mine has the PZEV emission control hardware that costs an additional $150 MSRP ($135 invoice) in California. That might not apply in your state.
My price was about $238 over invoice--an early '04 with $460 transportation instead of the current $490. You might be able to do better on the price now--I've seen deals both more and less favorable than mine, but $200 to $400 over invoice is OK.
Anyway, I'd recommend that car--you'll save about $1900 by getting a 4 (and save on gas, too) and have a real luxury car for under $25K after ALL costs and taxes are paid.........Richard
My wife and I started looking at the LX-V6 because it offered all of the things that we wanted. The problem, I think, is that once you see the goodies on the EX, realize the 4cyl is a good and strong engine and you can save a couple sheckles they move up to the base EX. We ended up with an 2003 EX-V6 because we could get it for less than a 2004 EX or a 2004 LX-V6.
Porknbeans
Grand High Poobah The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
What is the general timeframe that it is ok to wax a new car? I live in Chicago and it is going to be somewhat nice out tomorrow (50F). I just picked up my car yesterday and I am concerened about it going through the winter with no wax (if wax even does anything I am not sure, but I'd rather be safe). Is it ok to wax my new car already? I do not know when it was manufactured. It is an 04 LX.
Comments
I got a set of 17"s with tires mounted on the wheels and balanced for $599 delivered. It's been a great inprovement, plust it makes the car a little bit more unique. just don't go crazy with some chromes or anything.
If Honda can manufacture enough of that special drive belt used on CVT's I wouldn't be surprised that Honda will offer a CVT on the four-cylinder Accords for the US market within 18-24 months.
I too remember the Buick Dynaflow and Chevy Powerglide. They never seemed as fast or responsive as my friend's '52 Olds 88 with 3- or 4-speed Hydramatic. There must have been a good reason why GM abandoned Dynaflow and Powerglide and gave Buick and Chevy the Hydramatics which become standard throughout GM.
I don't think you need to worry about CVT reliability issues. Honda's experience with CVT's on the Civic HX coupe for the US market and the Fit/Jazz model for the Japanese market has shown they can be very reliable indeed. I think Honda was somewhat unwilling to sell more CVT-equipped cars in the US market due to the fact early CVT's weren't compatible with cruise control systems; now that Honda has overcome that hurdle, I wouldn't be surprised if Honda does offer the CVT from the Japanese-market Odyssey minivan for the Accord within 18-24 months.
and the 6 cyl gets a 180 watt stereo (I think)
I have the 120 watt version. In my opinion the 120 watt version is pretty standard car radio stuff. As long as my volume is under 15 (designation when you turn the dial) the sound is great. But louder than that and it becomes distorted.
You'll be happier in the TL for the sound system. It doesn't compare to your Bose system either.
However, the reception is great, and the 6 disc in dash system is a nice convenience.
I have a very nice MP3 headunit and I am considering one of the install kits that goes where the Honda MP3 deck would go. Having two radios in the dash will be a little odd, but I am not paying $380 for a Honda MP3 player.
http://www.installer.com/kits/99-7862.jpg
It can be purchased online for $20. I figure if it looks aweful when installed it is just a $20 loss.
The questions now are: How's the traction control work in the winter? Is it very effective? For that matter, what is the 4 cylinder LX like in the snow?
Given that I live somewhere downwind of the Great Lakes (IOW, buried under snow from mid-December through April), I'm wondering if the traction control makes the LX V6 worth the extra $3K or so. Trouble is, my budget keeps telling me to stick with the LX 4 cylinder. Can anyone talk me into splurging for a V-6 because of its superior winter performance? Thanks! ;-)
i was considering only the EX-V6 model at first but now i'm thinking what they heck..might as well go all the way...
tell me your opinions...
- Never need to carry maps
- Database of all business; food, gas, all type.
For example, I needed a watch battery replaced, and was able to find one in an unfamiliar area; no phone calls, no internet hookup needed.
- Voice command is nice; keeps the hands on the wheel.
Go all the way; it's a relatively small amount for a nice feature. If I didn't have it, I'd be kicking myself.
Go for it; esp. if you go 2004, it has XM radio.
I don't have anyother info on the traction control. Texas don't get much snow down in these parts. But I'm sure that many of the Northeastern states get heavy snow and ice. And I know I've seen plenty of previous generation Accords in Wash D.C., NY, Jersey, Hartford, and Virginia. They were mostly 4cyl accords. So by pure speculation I would assume that the Accord functions fine in snow.
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Have heard some people say the I4 "handles" better cause of better weight distribution than the V6-can't say but one reason why I continue to buy accords is their suspension system-most other vehicles like the camry are way too loose in the [non-permissible content removed] end-hard to tell when you are just beginning to break loose on slick roads.
Tires and driver are the biggest variables with an accord in snow imho.
Unless you need the extra power you might be wise to save your money as I did--my '04 EX-L 4 cyl. is plenty quick IMO.....Richard
Car A was 19790 and car B was 20560. Any ideas what makes for a $770 price difference?
Only problem w/new Accords in snow is the V6 and torque. If you've got the V6 and find yourself banging away at the traction control try starting from a dead stop in D2. Works pretty good for me. Also helps to use the old "egg on the gas pedal" mentality.
The Michelin Energy tires do suck pretty bad, but of all the things they suck at, they suck the least in snow. I have an Acura Integra with Michelin Artic Alpins, it's good in the snow. My Accord is driveable. The BMW I used to have with Dunlop SP2000's was immobile in the lightest of snow dust.
My Jeep Cherokee w/Bridgestone Duelers.....unstoppable ;-)
Obviously I can just ask them, but I want to know if their response is going to be B.S.
$19,790 is MSRP (including destination) for an LX manual without side airbags. $20,560 is MSRP (including destination) for an LX automatic without side airbags. Check out the Edmunds TMV pricing reports. One of them must've been automatic, one must've been manual.
And the Michelin Energy's are actually better than the all-purpose average in snow, while in my opion considerably poor in the summer.
I spent some time last night becoming "marginally" familiar with the voice command feature with the car running in my driveway). When I would press the voice command button on the steering wheel, the radio would mute every time and the system would accept my command.
This morning, while I was driving to work, when I pressed the voice command button it would only mute the radio about one-third of the time to allow me to enter a voice command. I tried not to continually press the button to allow the system time to reset or whatever. The only thing that seemed to help was waiting a minute or two and then trying again.
Are there any features in the system that would intentionally cause this to happen? Thanks for any advice.
What kind of company does not want individuals to know what's going wrong...?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Let us know.
they might know what is going wrong with various cars. Those people wouldn't be able to understand that problems don't mean anything if it's in my honda.
It's obvious the image is
more important than the reality to honda...
Other manufacturers have their TSBs available... but honda no. Oh well.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You know how the blade flips as the wiper moves back and forth? Well, when the wiper was moving from right to left, the blade was not flipping. I tried to bend the arm a little to encourage the flip, and it worked.
It wasn't so much a bend as a twist or a rotation. When I twisted it, I didn't think it would hold the new position at all, but the wiper worked much better, so I must have done something right.
Good luck. Noisy wipers are very, very irritating.
An Accord LX with a V6 could be viewed as an over-improved lower priced car instead of the near-luxury car that the EX V6 is.
Similarly, the EX-L 4 cyl. with leather has almost everything on it but a V6 engine. I bought the EX-L 4 because the LX didn't offer side curtain airbags that were a MUST HAVE option for me--the leather was too classy to refuse, so I have that, too.
But if side curtain airbags had been available on the LX, that's probably what I'd have purchased. Drive a 4 before you buy a V6--you might be very surprised.....Richard
But I, too, would mention that I've ridden in a friend's LX 4 cyl. (manual shift) and it seemed just as smooth as most V6's that I've been in...very impressive.
My price was about $238 over invoice--an early '04 with $460 transportation instead of the current $490. You might be able to do better on the price now--I've seen deals both more and less favorable than mine, but $200 to $400 over invoice is OK.
Anyway, I'd recommend that car--you'll save about $1900 by getting a 4 (and save on gas, too) and have a real luxury car for under $25K after ALL costs and taxes are paid.........Richard
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
Thanks!