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Comments
Also - it's a testament to Honda's goodness that a 4 cyl Accord is rated higher than the Altima 6 Cyl!
First, they sent a nice letter about the tickets. When I called, they told me that they ran out but would put me on the waiting list. A week or so later, the tickets simply arrived in the mail!!
What a great way to promote their products and enhance their image to a certain extent. Free passes to the Auto Show is pretty awesome. All I did was express an interest in knowing more about the car.
I think it's very impressive that the new Accord is winning such rave reviews among auto journalists and consumers alike and even coming out on top in several comparisons.
I'm curious to get a closer look and perhaps even test drive one to see what the fuss is all about. If it's that great, I may consider trading my Camry in earlier than I had planned. :-) I just wish I liked the new styling of the Accord better, it hasn't grown on me yet. Maybe it never will, but it sounds like a great car in all other respects.
I have always admired the Accord as well as the Camry since the late 80s. When I bought my Camry, I almost bought an Accord, in fact it was actually my first choice. But the steering wheel was too low for the seating position that I needed, and I didn't think I would be comfortable in the long run, so I bought the Camry.
I feel that Honda and Toyota make some of the most reliable, refined and high quality cars in the market today IMHO. I like my Camry and I think very highly of Toyota, but I'm also glad to see that the Accord is doing so well.
Just my 2 cents.
But when I think about it, that same phenomenon came into play when I bought my Camry in 1999. It isn't the "snazziest" looking car around, but there was so much else to like about it compared to what was available at that time, it got my vote. I bought it for reasons other than styling, and for my money, it was the best vehicle for me at the time, with the Accord as a close second. They were both elegant, classy looking cars, if not "super sharp looking" IMHO. Styling is just so relative to the individual, it's all personal preference.
However, there's a lot more competition in the midszie segment now than there was back in '99. Neither Mazda nor Nissan were even on my radar screen back then, but now they have some good looking cars in the 6 and the Altima respectively. There's also the VW Passat, but reliability would be a concern to me as well as maintenance/repair costs.
Since I put styling secondary in my last car buying decision, I guess I'd like my next car to be more visually appealing stylewise (to my eyes, anyway). So the 6 and the Altima catch my attention, but I don't know how they stack up in other areas compared to the Accord or the Camry. FWIW, I don't care for the styling of the new Camry either. Between the two, however, I think the new Accord is better looking. JMHO
When I do take an Accord test drive, I'll post my experiences/feedback here. I'll probably wait until the weather improves though, maybe in the spring. Then I can see if the sum goodness outweighs the styling issue.
Next October (late fall), take your car to get a Rust Check before the onset of winter. This is an operation where they spray your car inside out with a special oil to protect it from the salt. It's a messy deal.
I can tell you more. But we may be using this forum's server space illegally here. So let me know your email address (or I can tell you mine) and we can continue, if you want.
My email address is jie_zheng@excite.com, could use my McGill address, but it's not working yet
about the driver's window noise, it was explained as a result of the car's aerodynamics and that they can't do anything about it.
there've been a couple of posts about this problem, suggesting that it's a design defect.
i'm somewhat handy with cars, so i'll try some solutions and post my findings. my first stab would be at the weatherstrip vent holes. i've jiggled the grabhandle and don't think it's the source.
about the "phantom ball," it'll be an "a-ha" when that's solved. can't imagine what could be causing it.
Before I bought it, test drove Camry SE 5 speed and Altima 2.5S 5 speed as well. Camry 4 cylinder sounded louder than my wife's 2000 Camry but it was quieter than Accord. Accord still "pings" at high speed but much quieter than 96 we used to have. Altima was nice looking but besides the interior, the ride was a bit buzzy in high speed.
I did not get to drive Mazda6, we like the looks however, it is only model that does not have "bloated" look.
Overall, no major complain, wish the shifr knob was a little larger. Also, the car key is much too big, it is not comfortable to have a such big key in my pocket.
I purchased 4 of them in late October, 2002 in
Montreal, Canada. They are terrible!! For 2 months I had constant steering wheel vibration at speeds greater than 50 MPH....very irritating and frustating to say the least. I tried everything: re-balancing the wheels three times, confirming the the brand new 15 inch steel rims (which I bought at the same time time as the tires) were
not uneven or imperfect. Nothing worked.
Eventually the dealer concluded that the at least 2 of the TOYO tires were defective, and causing the steering wheel vibration.
I got a FUll reimboursement on the 4 tires.
Also, one more thing, I drove the TOYO tires thru
3 winter storms, and their traction HAS A LOT TO BE DESIRED! I was slipping ALL over the place...
So much for Internet opinions on these tires!
I do NOT recommend these tires to anyone.....
Piceno
i I
I purchased 4 of them in late October, 2002 in
Montreal, Canada. They are terrible!! For 2 months I had constant steering wheel vibration at speeds greater than 50 MPH....very irritating and frustating to say the least. I tried everything: re-balancing the wheels three times, confirming the the brand new 15 inch steel rims (which I bought at the same time time as the tires) were
not uneven or imperfect. Nothing worked.
Eventually the dealer concluded that the at least 2 of the TOYO tires were defective, and causing the steering wheel vibration.
I got a FUll reimboursement on the 4 tires.
Also, one more thing, I drove the TOYO tires thru
3 winter storms, and their traction HAS A LOT TO BE DESIRED! I was slipping ALL over the place...
So much for Internet opinions on these tires!
I do NOT recommend these tires to anyone.....
Piceno
i I
Pros: 1. Engine power/smoothness 2. Seating position & comfort (leather quality of $30-35k range vehicles) 3. Gas mileage (average 28-30mpg mostly highway) 4. Excellent stereo for standard package (non-Bose) 5. Excellent Price (paid $24,750 plus tax - price was difficult to negotiate since inventories were low at the time)6. Honda sales teams are top notch (no sales tricks)7. Excellent in snow (Pennsylvania)8.Honda residual value (People get $7500 for '94 with over 100k miles)
Cons: 1. Harsh ride on highways (feel every bump) 2.No heated mirrors 3. V6 wheels look cheap, 4cyl EX ones are nicer) 3. Outside Temperature gage should be separate from odometer 4. Black leather not available like Acura TL
Otherwise I am extremely happy with the car and would recommend it. I looked at Camry (too expensive), Acura TL (outdated body style), and Nissan Altima (quality appeared questionable, also $30k fully loaded) and the Honda won hands down. I received about 5 follow up phone calls from both Honda and the dealer after purchase. They wanted to know if there were any problems with the vehicle.
Also, my Accord had a noise above the drivers door also. The dealer replaced the headliner because there was an ink mark on it from the factory and the noise went away.
As far as styling is concerned, it grows on you. I did not like it in photos but it looks sweet in person. Once you drive it, especially the V6, it's sold.
The dealership was very vague about the problem. They indicated that technicians from Honda fixed the problem, not the dealership mechanics.
They said something was loose under the headliner and that it was fixed.
That problem is fixed. There are other minor rattles left.
On 3 occasions my key became stuck in the ignition when I was trying to leave the car. Pushing, pulling, turning, etc. didn't work. I was forced to leave the key in the car (I carry 2 keys) and after restarting and driving to my next destination, the key came out like normal (with a slight push).
Has anyone else experienced this?
Does that make sense to anybody? Does anybody else have fuse blowing problems with their 2003 Accords?
With the key - was the wheel turned left or right? Sometimes when there is tension on the wheel locking mechanism, it is difficult to turn the key to start it. This may be the same problem.
Thanks for the response. It's possible the wheel was turned too far, though I did attempt to turn the wheel in all 3 cases. One time was in a mall parking lot but the other 2 were in street parking situations.
chiggaraccord4
1) Initial fit and finish Well engineered and built, so many improvements on what was an excellent car to begin with (unlike Altima), great finish Con 1 small rattle Rank 9 out of 10
2) Interior Wow, the leather seats are comfortable on those 900 mile runs, leather seams plusher, better interior door panels, better center arm rest. Way better stereo, 6 cd changer great, stereo display, dash lighting superior (white lighting no eye strain), wheel controls improved Alum panels better than fake wood Con Car mats seem cheaper Rate 9.
3) Drivetrain - Gearbox tight and precise, good spacing, great clutch feel Engine was tight during break-in, after 1200 slowly raised revs, at 5,000 shows plenty of power, no problem cruising @ 80, passing or uphill through mountain passes did 900 winter road miles in 12 hours, only passed 2 on the 1700 miles back, I can't believe this engine only has 160HP because matched my 98 V6 auto except on top end Rate 9.
4) Handling/Roadnoise/MPG Handling good at low speed, but took some getting used to at higher speeds through mountain curves, better with cruise off powering thru curves, very good on dry and wet roads, good for snow but somewhat twitchy on high cross winds and on rutted ice (but with 5 adults and their luggage to boot, so fully loaded) Roadnoise and ride much improved, more like TL than 98. MPG 28 to 30 highway even at 80+. Rate 8
5) Family utility Bigger interior, way comfortable seats front and back, decent sized trunk, good access, wide rear door access, great heater, loved dual air for driving, Rate 9
6) Styling/Value I wasn't impressed with pictures, was so so on first look, liked more after first drive, and have grown to appreciate the styling on the sedan and love the coupe, I find styling based on trends and fashion appeals to some initially, but looks bad in time. I'm already tired of the Altima and G35 rear lights, the Eclispe and Camry indents, etc so they will be dated in a few years. IMHO, the Accord is different enough and yet familar, functional yet graceful, simple yet appealling Stying 7.5. Value, all this improvement for same cost as before, plus great fuel efficiency for regular gas and I believe the quality of product is still there. Value = 9
Does the new Accord apeal to everyone? No. It is not a sportcar nor will it draw crowds or become the envy of your rich relatives. But to me its the best Accord ever engineered, and I fully suspect it will hold up as well as the 7 Hondas I owned before. If I'm this impressed in 3 years as I am today, Honda has done its job.
That said, my next car is an Accord. We've already got an '01 and I'm anxious to add this 7th generation to our garage. The Contour is a piece of recycled garbage next to our Accord, unrefined and poorly assembled. When we got the Accord, the Contour was our "big" car. Comparing the Accord and Contour really shows how poorly designed the passenger compartment of the Ford was.
Good luck with your car...
If so, does anyone know if there are separate tests for side impact on Accords without these side-curtains?
Go to http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm
NHTSA has yet to post test results for the car.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?G3C622A03
It talks about Honda's crash testing facility and how the company wants to be the "Japanese Volvo."
http://www.caa.ca/e/automotive/pdf/autopinion-02.pdf
That said, does anyone else think that the comparison tests that C&D runs are becoming more and more bizzare?. In the past, for family comparos, they realistically tested automatic trans. cars, within a certain price bracket, and with min interior volume constraints. This month's comparison spans nearly $7000 MSRP, the cars have a 100hp plus spread, some of the cars have ABS, two are automatic cars even though C&D eliminated the Mitsu Galant and Ford Taurus b/c they are auto only. What gives? Can we eliminate some variables, please?
~alpha
I didnt argue that the Accord would not win if the playing field were level- I agree with you and your borderline arrogance. I'm just expressing my opinion that the trend in their comparison tests seems to be reducing constants. For example-I think its absurd that they used a notation to explain the Saturn's deplorable performance in the 70-0 test. And shouldnt ABS be standard in the 23K Altima? In the least they could have mentioned that the Accord provides ABS standard, yet another one of its virtues. Bottom line: A level playing field makes for a more useful comparison test, and usually an even more interesting one.
~alpha
Thanks.