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2003 Honda Accord

Date: 25 April 2003	Miles: 7,700
Ultra-conservative Honda went a little further out on the limb than usual in designing the 2003 Accord. Trading in their trademark square styling for more of the chiseled, arrow-look used by their premium Acura brand, the all-new 6th-generation Accord is more stylish than any before it. Overall the build quality of our Accord is excellent, with the only fault a sticking passenger side power door lock. Our staff thinks the new Accord, especially with the 240- horsepower 3.0-liter V-6, drives more like an Acura, too. Strong and solid, with more feedback through the suspension and steering than before. Only sometimes harsh automatic downshifts mar our car's refined character. With 7700 miles on the odometer, mileage is 20.9 miles per gallon. Now, that's at the bottom of the government estimates of 21 City and 30 Highway.
Date: 27 June 2003	Miles: 12,000
Every time a new Honda Accord comes along, it ratchets up what Americans should expect in a very comfortable, reliable, and competent family sedan. The sixth generation car, introduced just last fall, continues that tradition, but also adds a level of finesse that befits cars we usually call luxury. After 7 months of use, one of the best luxury features of our Accord EX V-6 is the luxury of not worrying about it. No significant problems, no squeaks or rattles. The sticking door lock has been cured. And, despite a lot of snow this winter, and rain this spring, the Accord always feels solid to the ground. Much of our Accord driving has been just like owners, around town and in daily commutes. Despite that, mileage has improved nicely to 23.3 miles per gallon. That's even more impressive considering the strength of our Accord's 240 horsepower 3.0-liter V-6. Well matched gearing from a firm shift 5-speed automatic makes for a highly flexible drivetrain. Every time we drive a new Accord, we wonder how it can get better. But thus far, it always has.
Date: 22 August 2003	Miles: 16,000
Our well equipped 2003 Honda Accord EX V-6 has been with us since February, thus getting here just in time for the worst Mid-Atlantic winter in decades. Through all that cold, and now the high heat and humidity of summer, the effective climate control system has easily coped with seasonal extremes. That wasn't always true of Accords. Older models had a hard time keeping up with wide temperature swings. But as their popularity with American families has grown, so has the Accord's abilities to make them comfortable. Reliability was already there long before this 6th generation car arrived last year, and it still is. After 16,000 miles, our car still feels brand new with operation mostly competent and consistent. The one exception is the ABS braking system. Sometimes the brakes tend to grab a bit, making it hard for drivers to stop smoothly. On the other hand, this Accord is getting gentler on our wallets. Mileage is up sharply, now at 26.1 miles per gallon. That's for a gutsy 240-horsepower V-6 with a 5-speed automatic. Pretty impressive, but then so is just about everything else about the Honda Accord.
Date: 3 October 2003	Miles: 17,755
In less than 8 months, the 5 digits on the odometer total 17,755. They've been mostly trouble free miles as well. Our only current ''bothers'' are an in-dash CD-changer that takes forever to eject discs. And most times we find ourselves in third gear rather than drive, due to a weak detent on the automatic shifter. Once you find the right gear, you can make full use of the strong, silky 240-horsepower V-6, 5-speed automatic powertrain, that also delivers 26.2 mile per gallon efficiency. So, even though our V-6 tipped the register at over 25-grand, we know cars costing much more that deliver much less in all respects than the 2003 Honda Accord.
Date: 7 February 2004	Miles: 25,000
We are true car enthusiasts at MotorWeek. We just love cars. And while most of you share our passions, we know some of you just want a good solid car for everyday use. A car like our long term 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 Sedan. Now, I donŐt want to call the Accord an appliance. Yes, it is that reliable. But this car also speaks to those of us that want a lot more from driving than just getting from here to there. The 6th generation Accord can be a lot of fun. The V6 in our EX pumps out 240-horsepower willingly. HondaŐs racing experience has yielded an all-wishbone suspension that handles as well as rides. Aided by 17-inch 50-series tires that stick well in corners, yet are still all-weather capable. Even lesser Accords are not to be ignored as their base 160-horsepower 4-cylinder sets new class standards for power and response. But the Accord certainly is as reliable as an appliance. 11 months and 25,000 miles, and it just keeps clicking along. Recent problems are minor. The windshield washer stopped working. And some of the interior trim looks old before its time. Mileage of 26.1 miles per gallon is also very strong for any V-6 sedan. So, maybe not an appliance, or pure enthusiast car, but more like a trusted friend. ThatŐs the Honda Accord, and the kind of car everyone can live with.
Date: 2 April 2004	Miles: 28,000
When we started our year long test of this 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 sedan, there were things that we expected to find. One, that it's an extremely competent car. But when nearly two dozen drivers put 28,000 miles on any car, something substantial usually goes wrong, but nothing did. We did have some minor maladies. The windshield washer stopped working. There was a sticky power door lock. And some interior fabrics looked old before their time. But that's it. We also expected our Accord sedan to be an efficient handler of a family of 5. That's true, too. In 13 months, through two tough winters, our car still managed 25.8 miles per gallon. In sync with EPA estimates for our car's 240-horsepower V-6. But what we didn't expect was for this Accord to be such a pleasure to drive. Rather than just a smooth appliance, it's quite rewarding to steer into a turn. And the EX's all-disc ABS brakes, which were grabby when new, are terrific stoppers now. The sixth generation Honda Accord is not just the best of its line, it's hard to see how this design could ever be made better. One way might be to make it more luxurious. When you consider the Accord's basic chassis is also the starting point for the 2004 Acura TL, they've already done that. The sharply styled TL is replacing our Accord in our fleet, and over the next year we expect it to add more splendor and spirit to our Honda four-door experiences.