This review is for the Accord EX V6 4-door. I have owned the car for 8 months now, enough time to get to know it very well.
First of all, the V6 engine performance is nothing short of stunning. It is incredible quick, and will cruise effortlessly at highly illegal speeds all day long. A smoother engine there never was....it's as if a turbine engine were under the hood. The 5-speed automatic transmission is also a gem. Always knows what gear to pick, and offers fast kick downs for passing. Gas mileage has been about 30 on the highway and maybe 20, or so around town. Good, but hey, you don't buy a 240 horsepower V6 for mileage bragging rights now do ya.....
The interior is also much better than one has a right to expect from the mid-size family class. The front power seats are probably the best I have ever sat in. They are large, high and very supportive. Your back and derrierre will not ache after even a thousand miles of driving.
The highway ride is hushed, almost no wind, or tire noise and visibility is very good.
The dashboard is classy, and as one would expect of nay Honda, finished in high quality materials and with buttery smooth switchgear. The steering wheel is satisfyingly fat for good grip, and has easy to use thumb controls for the stereo system and cruise control.
The styling looks much better "in person" than in photos easily outclassing the Camry and making the Malibu look like a throwback to the 1980's. VW's got nothing on Honda, here.......the Accord is classy, understated and sporty looking.
Reliability has been 100%. The car never let me down. Ever.
Now for the areas that need improvement: Honda should offer a handling package since there is more body roll in cornering than there should b, This car is sprung for ride and not for handling. Handling is passable, but the chassis just cries out for better springs and shocks. My previous car, a '99 Nissan Altima was a real canyon carver, and the Honda is a relative tugboat by comparison. Better tires need to be on the list here, too. The Michelin all-season MX4's just need to be stickier. Period. But tires are easy to swap.
The HVAC controls are confusing and I still have to take my eyes off the road to use them, but once you spot the button you want it's easy enough, though, because the buttons are large.
The stereo should have a few more watts as well. The sound is alright, but sometimes louder is better.
My car has had periodic body rattle problems coming from the rear passenger door trim panel and the interior sunroof shade, and it was annoying. Also a loose fitting speaker would buzz like a house fly before it was tightened down. If this were Detroit Iron the automotive press would never let us hear the end of it. There were also a few minor misalignments in the trunk lid and tail lights. Marysville assembly plant needs to get on the stick here.
Bottom line: Stunning performance, buttery smooth power delivery and ride, excellent seats, passable handling, but middling build quality.
Would I buy one again? You bet, but just know that as excellent as the Accord is, it is just a car and it's not perfect.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 24500
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: EX V6 Automatic w/o Navi
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.