Honda Accord *Updated*

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DMLonghorn

100+ Posts
I'm looking to buy a car (used or new) and have been going back and forth between all different makes and models. I think I've decided on the Honda Accord (haven't decided on the coupe or sedan yet though). Do any of you have thoughts, pros/cons, or any general feelings about the Accord?

Thanks
 
Pretty good car. My wife drives a 98, and my observations are that the car is a) pretty boring, b) needs a 6 cylinder engine badly, c) fairly useful and generally reliable. If you're looking for a decent driving appliance, the Accord's not bad - I'd cross shop it with a Camry though at the least - just for your own comparison. Another would be the Mazda 6.

What do you want in a car?
 
basically, i'm looking for a car that can get me around on the weekends and outside of the city. i live in sf, so the public transportation is fine during the week, but there is a lot to do outside fo the city. i will definitely get the v-6, test drove both, and the difference is noticable.

I was looking at a bmw 3 series or an audi, but realized i could get a pretty decked out cheaper car instead of a stripped down expensive car. I also thought about an suv, but its kind of the same deal, more expensive for less. the only thing would be usefulness outside the city, but i'm not a big offroader anyway, and mpg is kind of important out here, also parking.

Also, i'm going to be keeping this car for the next 5-7 years at least, so i want to get a car thats going to last and i can still enjoy. After taht it will still be a second car, so again, durability is important. That is one of the reasons i'm thinking new vs used (really limits the beamers or the audis), because its more of a long term investment than a flip.

Hopefully that gives a little more insight into my search and y'all can throw out any advice you have.

thanks again
 
I bought the 2003 last year and never looked back. If I had more money (i'm a grad student), I would have got the 6 speed V6. Still a great car for the money and no problems thus far. I've been getting a little higher gas mileage than listed (27 city/ 31 highway).
 
The Accord is supposed to be a very solid car. It is always on the 10 Best list (Car and Driver, I think). It is fairly average looking (some would say ugly) and fairly boring but is reliable, performs well, etc. It isn't as exciting or fun to drive as the BMW or Audi but it doesn't sound like that is what you are looking for. Other options to look into are the Acura TSX or TL, the Infiniti G35, perhaps the RX-8, maybe the Volvo S40 (or S60 for a little more cash) or the Nissan Maxima. I think the Camry is a little uglier than the Accord (and I think the Accord is pretty average looking) but it is another option. A friend of mine has an Accord sedan and he thinks it is a solid car--he doesn't rave about it or think it is good looking but he traded in a 12 year old Accord for a new one, which says something. I've had a 3 Series and if you aren't going to drive it much it probably isn't worth the extra expense--they are pretty nice, though.

I didn't read your first post carefully enough--you've decided on the Accord which is great. I'm in the process of selling my car (I don't drive it enough to justify the expense) and I'm looking at the cars I listed (plus the Audi but not the BMW). Any thoughts on why you picked the Accord?
 
Like I said, I'd been looking at a lot of other, more expensive cars, then i realized, i could get a nice car with all the trimmings if i went for a cheaper car (looking at leather, 6 speed v6, ex, satellite radio and even possibly the navigation package). a good friend of mine has been driving an accord since high school, and even though he has the dx (lowest trim) has never had a problem with it. The thing that put me over the edge was i saw the accord coupe driving around the other day, and I didn't think it looked half bad. so that is where I stand, trying to decide between the coupe and the sedan.

but i looked at almost all of those, the tsx, tl, g-35, bmw, a-4, but they were all just too pricey and i couldn't afford the toys i wanted. Anyway, thats pretty much what i've heard, the accord isn't anything special to look at, but its a good, durable car, and i think thats what i'm looking for, and i get some extra toys as well.

Any other thoughts - pros/cons - on the accord or any other cars mentioned, esp. the tsx or the volvo s40?
 
I have a 4 cylinder 2000 SE model, and I get 26 mpg in the city, and 34 on the highway. You'll definitely appreciate that since gasonline is $2.50 a gallon or more in the bay area. It's not as slow as you think, either. Accords in general are boring cars, but that's not why people buy them. I've never repaired anything other than scheduled maintenance in 4.5 years.
 
I looked closely at the G35, but went with a 6 cylinder Accord coupe for most of the reasons you cited. Honda and Toyota make damn good engines and engineer solid cars.
 
The TSX is just the European Accord that Acura took and made a little nicer. I think they run roughly $27k so it is probably the same as a nicely equipped Accord, but it has a 4 cylinder (supposed to be better than the Accord 4 cylinder but not as quick as the Accord V6). It is new so it doesn't have the history of the Accord but it should be just as reliable. I'm going to check the TSX out this weekend and will give you my thoughts. That being said, I need a 4 dr. so I can't get the Accord coupe (which I prefer).

I don't know much about the S40. I just started looking into it this morning.
 
If you really like the Accord, and gas mileage is a major factor in your purchasing decision, you may want to wait until December. Honda is due to release an Accord Hybrid that actually has more power than the current V6, and the mileage is rated at 30city/37hwy. This seems like everything you want.

The Link
 
I own an independent Honda/Toyota repair shop, and the main reason we chose these cars is they are usually well worth repairing as they get older. Just check the resale prices of a five or eight year old model of the cars that were recommended on this thread, and you will see why Honda Accord has been the number one or number two selling model in the U.S. over the last ten or so years.
For your criteria, it is perfect. If you are into avant garde styling, zero to 60 times, racing, turbos, numerous electronic features that will cost a fortune to repair in four or five years, then get one of the other cars.
 
Sounds like you're not really looking for a sporty ride, just something to get around in comfortably for the next 5-7 years. I would stick with the line of thinking you have going and I'd go drive and compare the higher trim levels of the Accord, Camry, & Mazda 6. If you're not as concerned with resale value, throw in the Chevy Impala or Malibu (both rank very high on initial quality surveys & dependability over a 3-5 year stretch). One thing to think about would be to go for the highest trim level you feel comfortable buying - the LX that my wife drives is pretty fatiguing to drive 2-3 hours because it lacks the insulation and sound deadening material found in the EX.

I drive a RX-8 that someone else mentioned, and I wouldn't probably go for it unless you want to do some spirited driving, don't mind paying more for gas (20 mpg, premium), and don't want to put much in the trunk (2 bags of golf clubs). Awesome car, but not a whole lot of utility.
 
On our third. We could have bought anything up to $30K and decided on a loaded EX - again. No regrets.
 
We had a 1990 model with a 4 cylinder that had 250K miles on it when my wife totalled it in 2000. Other than normal maintenance and having to replace the CV joints once, we never had any problem with it. Ultra-dependable. I would recommend one.
 
I bought a Toyotal Prius less than a year ago and am very content, so I think that the hybrid Accord would be a great choice but for recent "market adjustments" that are being placed on highly fuel efficient cars due to the skyrocketing of oil prices. I was at teh Toyota dealership last week and there was a $10,000 market adjustment on the Priuses. This is ten grand slapped on the MSRP because of recent demand. My wife and I were thinking about getting a hybrid Highlander but we may have to reconsider or postpone our purchase.
 
i was looking at the Accord Hybrid as well, and spoke to the dealers about it. I think the website says december, but he was saying they weren't going to get any until early January, and I really don't want to wait that long. i like the fact that it has an extra 15 hp, but the gas milage jump wasn't all that impressive. like was said, the mpg jumps from about 21/30 to 30/37, while i think the civics mpg jumps a full 20 in town and on highway. And as of right now, with as little driving as i'm going to be putting on it (almost solely weekends) the mpg is not the main concern. also, the extra initial cost may not be worth it.

but all that is being said is reassuring me of my choice. I think that its a good car and a good decision. Now, if any of y'all have opinions on the coupe vs. sedan i would appreciate it.

My basic opinion on this is that i like the look of the coupe more, and it has just as much room in the trunk, had good room in the back seat (i had a buddy with me on my test drives and he said it was fine), and it probably has a little bit better power due to the lighter body.

However, another factor in my decision is the time horizon. While i may be a single fun-loving guy now, who knows whats going to happen in 5-7 years, and if i have a family by then and am still using this car, would the 4 door be more practical. Also, as of now, is it too early to be making decisions based on "what could happen" down the road?

thoughts?
 
Buy the car you want now while you can. You can always trade it in if you decide down the road that your needs have changed.
 
Great cars mechanically. Probably a bit more sporty than the Camry, but a Mazda, Nissan or anything from Europe would be a lot more fun to drive. The current body style is fugly (IMO). Look for a lightly used previous-generation Accord. Let someone else pay for the first year depreciation, and still get a car that lasts forever.
 
My one complaint about my 2001 Accord LX is the road noise. Other than that I am very happy. I put ~30,000 mi/yr on the car and all I have had to do is replace a strut that was still under warranty.
 
If it's not a Acura or a Honda, I don't want to drive it
biggrin.gif
 
Buy the car you want now (the coupe). Deal with the kids thing if/when it happens. When you have kids, having to trade in a coupe for a sedan will be the least of your worries. If you need to you can sell the coupe for a used sedan when you have to.
 
I bought a 1989 Accord Coupe LX-i with 90k miles around 1994 for $6,900. I drove that car for 7 years, put another 142k miles on it and sold it for $2,000 with 232k miles.

I loved that car. It was fun to drive and very reliable. Very few repairs besides normal wear items. It had a 5-speed which made it feel sporty, even with a four cylinder engine.

I would have bought another Accord Coupe, but the V-6 versions didn't offer a 5-speed. The new Coupes do offer a 5-speed which has me considering them again.

Bernard
 
I drove two of them over a 15 year period and the only thing I ever replaced was a clutch at 75k and a cv joint.

Just incredibly reliable, well built machines.
 
i have a 98, and i have never had any problems with it. checkups are affordable. my mom had an 04 before she got her x5, and loved it. she was very upset when my father sold it, and is probably going to buy another.
 
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