Review: 2004 Accord EX V6 6-speed (LONG)
01-05-2004, 06:09 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chicago Heights, IL
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Review: 2004 Accord EX V6 6-speed (LONG)
OKay, folks, I've had my car for over 2 weeks now, and have had a chance to drive it in a variety of weather conditions, so I thought its about time I posted a review of the car as a whole. I know theres not many of you guys on here that have had a chance to drive a 7th Gen, especially the 6-speed EX model, so here goes.
Lemme preface this by saying, these are all my personal opinions, so some of you may or may not agree.
External Appearance
I wanted a FWD V6 powered car in a coupe that was sporty, yet didnt look gaudy, but also had clean lines, yet not boring. I think Honda's approach to all their models is a good one. They sell you a basic car with some standard features, and leave all the customization between you and the dealer.
My car didn't come with any ground effects, or chin spoilers, or any tacked on plastic. I typically do not like wing spoilers, so I was glad to see that Honda offers a small, yet tasteful lip spoiler to accent the rear deck lid, which is a bit slopey.
The Accord EX Coupe is a couple inches shorter than its 4-door sibling, and it has a completely different rear end. The talights are in a large triangle shape that reminds me sort of a cross between the tailights on the 99-02 Mercury Cougar, and the Mercedes CLK320. They are very tasteful and have amber turn signals behind a pinkish/red lens.
The twin tailpipes are a nice aluminum look that are made of a thicker metal, rathern than simple thin pipes. I don't really know how to describe it, but I've never seen another car with tailpipes like these, and in my opinion, they look excellent.
The 6-speed Coupe also has the distinguishment of being the only Accord available with 17" rims. They are of a dual 5-spoke design and are a painted silver color (not polished or chrome). Once again, sporty, yet tasteful.
Many aspects of this car evoke a "luxurious" feel to it, which sorta make me scratch my head when you notice there is no HID option for this car. In this price range, many other cars have an option for HIDs, yet the only lights available are standard halogen bulbs. This would be my first nitpick of the car. I have since upgraded my lights with Sylvania Silverstars...although theyre not HIDs, they are a nice upgrade from the stock yellow lighting.
There are no factory standard foglights. They are a dealer installed option.
The rest of the car has swoopy curves, while maintaining a luxurious, clean style that make people do a double take when they see it, because they don't expect an Accord to look like this.
Internal Appearance/Ergonomics
I come from owning many GM cars in the past, and am used to the cheap Tupperware interiors with poor fit and finish on the insides. The interior of this car is top notch. I feel as though I am in a car from a much higher price bracket.
The sporty, perforated leather seats are very comfortable, the dashboard is a harder than rubber, but softer than plastic mateiral that feels well made to the touch. The Accord 6-speed models come with a special perforated seat which supposedly is softer than the non 6-speed models.
The drivers seat is a full 8 way power seat, whereas the passenger seat is a manual seat with a walkin option for rear seat passengers. The drivers seat has a manual lumbar adjustment on the side. This is not available on the passenger side.
The steering wheel is the perfect diameter and thickness that when I wrap my hands around the wheel, it seems as though it was built specifically for my hand size. It is also wrapped in a nice, soft leather, of similar qualily as the seats. The steering wheel also contains buttons to control the sound system on the left, and the cruise control on the right.
The manual transmission shift knob is made of brushed aluminum with a leather ring around it. The shift pattern is laid into the top of the knob, and fits my hand perfectly. Its not as big as some other stock and aftermarket shift knobs, but doesn't need to be, because the crisp, yet easy to use shift motions do not require a heavy, oversized shift knob.
The headliner is made of some type of knit fabric, which looks, and feels like a much higher quality fabric than what I am used to in GM automobiles.
The electroluminescent gauges are downright cool. They are very easy to read in both day and night conditions. A knob in the gauge cluster allows you to adjust their brightness and to turn off the autodimming feature that they have when the headlamps are turned on. As a nice subtle touch, any changes to the gauge lights, whether theyre being turned on or off, result in a fade in or out, rather than an abrupt on or off illumination.
The car also has a couple other neat features which I didn't expect such as the Homelink system, which allows you to program up to 3 remotes into the car to activate/deactivate garage door openers, electic gates, or home security systems. The car also has a speed sensitive intermittent wiper setting, which increases or decreases the speed of the wipers based on the speed of the vehicle. Another nice feature is the headlights have an auto-off function which will turn off all exterior lighting 15 seconds after powering off the car. The 15 second delay is not adjustable, but works well in case you forget to turn your lights off.
As a whole, the ergonomics of the car are excellent. Never before have I found a car that fits my perfect driving position so well. I am 5'10" 215 lbs, and I found that in other manual transmission cars, to get a good feel for the clutch pedal, I would have to move my seat uncomfortably close to the steering wheel and windshield. This car has a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, which means that not only does it go up and down like most cars, but it can be moved closer or farther away from the driver, which adds to the customization of the layout.
The center console armrest is the right height for my arm to rest on, and also has a sliding feature which means you can move the rest of the center console closer to the shifter if you like. Moving the armrest all the way forward puts your hand in perfect position to have most of your arm resting on the armrest while still being able to shift thorugh all 6 gears of the transmission. The same thing goes for the armrest on the drivers side door. It is in a perfect position that you can rest your left arm on the door rest while still holding on the side of the steering wheel.
The Moonroof and traction control buttons are on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. I feel as though these are ideal locations since these aren't things you'll be fuddling with on a constant basis, yet they're still in an easy to reach location. The Moonroof can be tilted upwards, or slid back to completely open. When opened, the Moonroof goes into the roof, rather than above it, as in other cars.
Trunk space is excellent, and it contains 8 points at which you can secure a cargo net or rope to secure items in the trunk. It also contains release latches so you can fold the rear seats down from inside the trunk, without having to get back in the car.
The glove box is very large, and also has a light in it, which is a nice feature that not all cars have. There are two cup holders in the center console. If I had my way, the cup holders would have a lid over them, but they don't get in the way, and they hold everything from a pop can to a 32 oz glass with no problems.
The center console has an upper and lower tray. The lower tray has an accessory plug for your cell phone, which can be stored in either the upper or lower tray. There is also a change holder in the upper tray of the center console.
There are also map pockets in both doors, and carrying pouches in the back of each seat, for rear passengers.
This brings my first and second nitpicks of the car. For as good as the ergonomics of this car are, I have a complaint with the button for adjusting the gauge cluster. There is a knob/button that you use to cycle between two differnet trip odometers, your main mileage odometer, and an outside temperature gauge (nice feature), however, I feel as though reaching around the steering wheel to get to the button on the gauges itself is poor thinking on Hondas part. In my opinion, this button should be with the rest of the vehicle controls where it can be more easily reached.
My second complaint is minor, but involves the audio controls on the wheel. It is nice to be able to change the volume or skip between CD tracks from the wheel, but what about a Mute or Pause button. There isn't a Mute or Pause button anywhere on the vehicle. If you were in an emergency and quickly needed to quiet the car down, you'd need to either turn the volume all the way down, or hit the power button on the stereo.
As a whole, every other control on the car is very well designed, and easy to reach.
Sound System/Climate Control
It's no secret nowadays that even vehicles equpped with "Premium Audio Systems" are still lackluster to even the most basic of aftermarket setups, however, I'll have to say that the Accord EX Coupe 6-speed's 180 watt 6 speaker system is THE best stock audio system I've ever heard. My Monsoon system in my Trans Am was very loud, and had very good bass, but was very muddy, and lacked in treble. I also test drive two Mazda6's with the premium Bose system, and those too had a very muddy sound.
The Accord's system has very good bass considering there is no subwoofer, and the component tweeters in the dashboard are very clear without sounding harsh or bright. I have listened to a variety of musical styles in the car, including classical, rock, metal, and techno, and all sound very good in the car.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't to say this is an audiophile quality setup, cause its not, but as far as stock stereos go, I am very impressed.
I am not sure if this is specific to 2004 only models, or if the 2003 cars had it too, but only the 6-speed Coupes come with the 180 watt system. All other Accords come with a lesser wattage sound system. I do not know what effect this will have on the performance of the system.
The 6-dish in dash CD system is very well designed and easy to use. It also includes XM radio support which works seamlessly into the car. You can select XM stations from either the head unit itself, or the Mode button on the steering wheel. There are 6 preset buttons on the head unit which you can use to store favorite AM/FM/XM stations. They also function as disc selection buttons when listening to CDs.
The CD changer works well, and isnt overly loud like others I've heard. Also, when switching between discs, access time is respectable.
Radio reception is excellent. I was able to pull in weak FM signals in my area, and noticed no signal dropouts in highly wooded areas or driving near large buildings. The AM/FM antenna is built ito the rear window, so there are no external antennas to take away from the clean lines of the car. The XM antenna is a small square raised section of the roof that protrudes about an inch and a half above the roofline of the car.
The Climate Control on this car is a Dual Zone Automatic system, whcih means you can set different temps for both the driver and passenger sides of the car, and the car will bring those sides of the car up to those points and keep them there.
If you have the car in Automatic mode, it will keep your front and side windows from frosting up, and will prevent your car from getting too hot or cold depending on the setting. If you wish to manually control everything, you can go into manual mode, where you have total control over which vents you want to use, and fan speed. Overall, this is a simple to use, yet effective system that actually does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't get in the way of the driving experience.
There is also a manual button to turn on the rear window defroster. This is not integrated into the automatic climate control.
For those hot summer days, you have the option on the remote the lower the windows with the keyfob to help vent hot air from the car. You can also raise the windows from outside the car, but you must do it from the outside lock with the actual key, it cannot be done with the remote...I wonder why?
The remote entry buttons are actually in the key itself, so you dont have an extra plastic thingy in your pocket. The lock, unlock, trunk, and panic buttons are all integrated into the key itself.
Honda includes two keys like this, and a third valet key when you buy the car new, which cannot open the trunk, glove box, or release the rear seats.
The fuel door and trunk releases are both on the side of the driver's seat and have a lock which prevents unauthorized access to the gastank or trunk when handing your car over to a valet.
Safety
The Accord EX models come with driver and passenger airbags that detect whether the seatbelt is fastened and the speed of the vehicle when determining explosion force. The car also has a weight sensor in the passenger seat which will disable the passenger side airbag if the passenger weighs 65 lbs or less. This allows for safer transportation of small children, or babies in a baby seat. There is an OFF light in the center of the dashboard which indicates if the airbag is off.
The car has side curtain airbags. They are on both the driver and passenger sides of the car, and will open dependent on which side of the car is involved in a collisiion. There is a sensor in the passenger seat that detects if an object is in the explosion path of the side curtain airbag, and if so, it will disable it.
In all, there are 8 air bags in this car.
The car also comes standard with Anti-Lock Brakes, Traction Control, and Electronic Brake Distribution, which monitors brake force at all 4 corners of the car to make the most effective stopping power of the car.
I had the chance to drive the car in the snow a couple times and on ice the car behaves very well. As with any car, you should drive very carefully on snow or ice, but the all season Michelin tires combined with the ABS and TCS provide a seamless integration to help you get where your going and stop where you need to. If you wish, there is a button to manually turn off the Traction Control.
Performance/Driving Impressions
Aaah, the section you're all waiting for. This car is an absolute dream to drive. The 240 HP 3.0L VTEC engine provides exceptionally smooth acceleration. It has a very flat torque curve from about 1800 RPM all the way to redline. It is VERY easy to get way past the speed limit in this car because of how quickly and effortlessly it accelerates.
The number one comment I have heard from passengers in my car is how quiet and smooth the engine is. With the radio even at a moderate volume, you do not begin to hear the engine til about 3500 RPM.
Acceleration on dry pavement is excellent, and only exhibits a slight amount of torque steer. It is nowhere near as distracting as in the 3.5L Nissan Altima.
The stiffened suspension of the 6-speed Coupe is is firm, but not jarring. The car handles bumps and railroad tracks with a solid thump, whcih minimally transmit into the cabin of the car. The 6-speed Coupe is also the only Accord to get a standard Strut Tower Brace in the engine bay. This also adds to the stiffened suspension and handling. Cornering around expressway offramps is very solid and flat. The car has only a small amount of body roll. I'll go as far as to say, the suspension setup is good enough for anyone who might drive the car except for AutoCrossers.
The 6-speed manual transmission is very crisp, and easy to shift. Even slight mistakes in shift timing are easily covered up by the low end torque of the engine. You can cruise along in 6th gear on the highway doing 60-70 mph and if you need to pass someone, the engine has enough torque that you dont even need to downshift out of 6th. Likewise at a complete stop, the car has no problem accelerating from a dead stop in 2nd gear, without straining the engine at all. Its almost a wonder why this car has 6 speeds. During normal driving tasks, its not a problem to start in 2, go straight to 4, and straight to 6.
The transmission has a relatively short throw that is firm and not rubbery. It might not be as short as some aftermarket shifters, but its definitely shorter than that in my 95 Civic EX. Although I'm sure some people will want to upgrade this, its very good for stock, and I have no complaints about it.
Many people see the Accord as an upscale family sedan, but in 6-speed Coupe form, the handling is near sports car-like.
The smooth acceleration of the gratuitously powerful VTEC engine and the firm suspension, coupled with the 6-speed manual transmission make this car an extreme joy to drive.
Conclusion
I love my car, and never have I found a car that I have so little to complain about. What few nitpicks I was able to come up with are very minor and do not detract from the ownership value of this car.
I applaud Honda for FINALLY offering a manual transmission in their V6 models... The 7th generation Accords offer a 40 HP increase over 6th Gen models, and although I've never driven an older Accord, I can't imagine people though there was much room to improve, but somehow, Honda did it!
GREAT JOB!!!
Lemme preface this by saying, these are all my personal opinions, so some of you may or may not agree.
External Appearance
I wanted a FWD V6 powered car in a coupe that was sporty, yet didnt look gaudy, but also had clean lines, yet not boring. I think Honda's approach to all their models is a good one. They sell you a basic car with some standard features, and leave all the customization between you and the dealer.
My car didn't come with any ground effects, or chin spoilers, or any tacked on plastic. I typically do not like wing spoilers, so I was glad to see that Honda offers a small, yet tasteful lip spoiler to accent the rear deck lid, which is a bit slopey.
The Accord EX Coupe is a couple inches shorter than its 4-door sibling, and it has a completely different rear end. The talights are in a large triangle shape that reminds me sort of a cross between the tailights on the 99-02 Mercury Cougar, and the Mercedes CLK320. They are very tasteful and have amber turn signals behind a pinkish/red lens.
The twin tailpipes are a nice aluminum look that are made of a thicker metal, rathern than simple thin pipes. I don't really know how to describe it, but I've never seen another car with tailpipes like these, and in my opinion, they look excellent.
The 6-speed Coupe also has the distinguishment of being the only Accord available with 17" rims. They are of a dual 5-spoke design and are a painted silver color (not polished or chrome). Once again, sporty, yet tasteful.
Many aspects of this car evoke a "luxurious" feel to it, which sorta make me scratch my head when you notice there is no HID option for this car. In this price range, many other cars have an option for HIDs, yet the only lights available are standard halogen bulbs. This would be my first nitpick of the car. I have since upgraded my lights with Sylvania Silverstars...although theyre not HIDs, they are a nice upgrade from the stock yellow lighting.
There are no factory standard foglights. They are a dealer installed option.
The rest of the car has swoopy curves, while maintaining a luxurious, clean style that make people do a double take when they see it, because they don't expect an Accord to look like this.
Internal Appearance/Ergonomics
I come from owning many GM cars in the past, and am used to the cheap Tupperware interiors with poor fit and finish on the insides. The interior of this car is top notch. I feel as though I am in a car from a much higher price bracket.
The sporty, perforated leather seats are very comfortable, the dashboard is a harder than rubber, but softer than plastic mateiral that feels well made to the touch. The Accord 6-speed models come with a special perforated seat which supposedly is softer than the non 6-speed models.
The drivers seat is a full 8 way power seat, whereas the passenger seat is a manual seat with a walkin option for rear seat passengers. The drivers seat has a manual lumbar adjustment on the side. This is not available on the passenger side.
The steering wheel is the perfect diameter and thickness that when I wrap my hands around the wheel, it seems as though it was built specifically for my hand size. It is also wrapped in a nice, soft leather, of similar qualily as the seats. The steering wheel also contains buttons to control the sound system on the left, and the cruise control on the right.
The manual transmission shift knob is made of brushed aluminum with a leather ring around it. The shift pattern is laid into the top of the knob, and fits my hand perfectly. Its not as big as some other stock and aftermarket shift knobs, but doesn't need to be, because the crisp, yet easy to use shift motions do not require a heavy, oversized shift knob.
The headliner is made of some type of knit fabric, which looks, and feels like a much higher quality fabric than what I am used to in GM automobiles.
The electroluminescent gauges are downright cool. They are very easy to read in both day and night conditions. A knob in the gauge cluster allows you to adjust their brightness and to turn off the autodimming feature that they have when the headlamps are turned on. As a nice subtle touch, any changes to the gauge lights, whether theyre being turned on or off, result in a fade in or out, rather than an abrupt on or off illumination.
The car also has a couple other neat features which I didn't expect such as the Homelink system, which allows you to program up to 3 remotes into the car to activate/deactivate garage door openers, electic gates, or home security systems. The car also has a speed sensitive intermittent wiper setting, which increases or decreases the speed of the wipers based on the speed of the vehicle. Another nice feature is the headlights have an auto-off function which will turn off all exterior lighting 15 seconds after powering off the car. The 15 second delay is not adjustable, but works well in case you forget to turn your lights off.
As a whole, the ergonomics of the car are excellent. Never before have I found a car that fits my perfect driving position so well. I am 5'10" 215 lbs, and I found that in other manual transmission cars, to get a good feel for the clutch pedal, I would have to move my seat uncomfortably close to the steering wheel and windshield. This car has a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, which means that not only does it go up and down like most cars, but it can be moved closer or farther away from the driver, which adds to the customization of the layout.
The center console armrest is the right height for my arm to rest on, and also has a sliding feature which means you can move the rest of the center console closer to the shifter if you like. Moving the armrest all the way forward puts your hand in perfect position to have most of your arm resting on the armrest while still being able to shift thorugh all 6 gears of the transmission. The same thing goes for the armrest on the drivers side door. It is in a perfect position that you can rest your left arm on the door rest while still holding on the side of the steering wheel.
The Moonroof and traction control buttons are on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. I feel as though these are ideal locations since these aren't things you'll be fuddling with on a constant basis, yet they're still in an easy to reach location. The Moonroof can be tilted upwards, or slid back to completely open. When opened, the Moonroof goes into the roof, rather than above it, as in other cars.
Trunk space is excellent, and it contains 8 points at which you can secure a cargo net or rope to secure items in the trunk. It also contains release latches so you can fold the rear seats down from inside the trunk, without having to get back in the car.
The glove box is very large, and also has a light in it, which is a nice feature that not all cars have. There are two cup holders in the center console. If I had my way, the cup holders would have a lid over them, but they don't get in the way, and they hold everything from a pop can to a 32 oz glass with no problems.
The center console has an upper and lower tray. The lower tray has an accessory plug for your cell phone, which can be stored in either the upper or lower tray. There is also a change holder in the upper tray of the center console.
There are also map pockets in both doors, and carrying pouches in the back of each seat, for rear passengers.
This brings my first and second nitpicks of the car. For as good as the ergonomics of this car are, I have a complaint with the button for adjusting the gauge cluster. There is a knob/button that you use to cycle between two differnet trip odometers, your main mileage odometer, and an outside temperature gauge (nice feature), however, I feel as though reaching around the steering wheel to get to the button on the gauges itself is poor thinking on Hondas part. In my opinion, this button should be with the rest of the vehicle controls where it can be more easily reached.
My second complaint is minor, but involves the audio controls on the wheel. It is nice to be able to change the volume or skip between CD tracks from the wheel, but what about a Mute or Pause button. There isn't a Mute or Pause button anywhere on the vehicle. If you were in an emergency and quickly needed to quiet the car down, you'd need to either turn the volume all the way down, or hit the power button on the stereo.
As a whole, every other control on the car is very well designed, and easy to reach.
Sound System/Climate Control
It's no secret nowadays that even vehicles equpped with "Premium Audio Systems" are still lackluster to even the most basic of aftermarket setups, however, I'll have to say that the Accord EX Coupe 6-speed's 180 watt 6 speaker system is THE best stock audio system I've ever heard. My Monsoon system in my Trans Am was very loud, and had very good bass, but was very muddy, and lacked in treble. I also test drive two Mazda6's with the premium Bose system, and those too had a very muddy sound.
The Accord's system has very good bass considering there is no subwoofer, and the component tweeters in the dashboard are very clear without sounding harsh or bright. I have listened to a variety of musical styles in the car, including classical, rock, metal, and techno, and all sound very good in the car.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't to say this is an audiophile quality setup, cause its not, but as far as stock stereos go, I am very impressed.
I am not sure if this is specific to 2004 only models, or if the 2003 cars had it too, but only the 6-speed Coupes come with the 180 watt system. All other Accords come with a lesser wattage sound system. I do not know what effect this will have on the performance of the system.
The 6-dish in dash CD system is very well designed and easy to use. It also includes XM radio support which works seamlessly into the car. You can select XM stations from either the head unit itself, or the Mode button on the steering wheel. There are 6 preset buttons on the head unit which you can use to store favorite AM/FM/XM stations. They also function as disc selection buttons when listening to CDs.
The CD changer works well, and isnt overly loud like others I've heard. Also, when switching between discs, access time is respectable.
Radio reception is excellent. I was able to pull in weak FM signals in my area, and noticed no signal dropouts in highly wooded areas or driving near large buildings. The AM/FM antenna is built ito the rear window, so there are no external antennas to take away from the clean lines of the car. The XM antenna is a small square raised section of the roof that protrudes about an inch and a half above the roofline of the car.
The Climate Control on this car is a Dual Zone Automatic system, whcih means you can set different temps for both the driver and passenger sides of the car, and the car will bring those sides of the car up to those points and keep them there.
If you have the car in Automatic mode, it will keep your front and side windows from frosting up, and will prevent your car from getting too hot or cold depending on the setting. If you wish to manually control everything, you can go into manual mode, where you have total control over which vents you want to use, and fan speed. Overall, this is a simple to use, yet effective system that actually does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't get in the way of the driving experience.
There is also a manual button to turn on the rear window defroster. This is not integrated into the automatic climate control.
For those hot summer days, you have the option on the remote the lower the windows with the keyfob to help vent hot air from the car. You can also raise the windows from outside the car, but you must do it from the outside lock with the actual key, it cannot be done with the remote...I wonder why?
The remote entry buttons are actually in the key itself, so you dont have an extra plastic thingy in your pocket. The lock, unlock, trunk, and panic buttons are all integrated into the key itself.
Honda includes two keys like this, and a third valet key when you buy the car new, which cannot open the trunk, glove box, or release the rear seats.
The fuel door and trunk releases are both on the side of the driver's seat and have a lock which prevents unauthorized access to the gastank or trunk when handing your car over to a valet.
Safety
The Accord EX models come with driver and passenger airbags that detect whether the seatbelt is fastened and the speed of the vehicle when determining explosion force. The car also has a weight sensor in the passenger seat which will disable the passenger side airbag if the passenger weighs 65 lbs or less. This allows for safer transportation of small children, or babies in a baby seat. There is an OFF light in the center of the dashboard which indicates if the airbag is off.
The car has side curtain airbags. They are on both the driver and passenger sides of the car, and will open dependent on which side of the car is involved in a collisiion. There is a sensor in the passenger seat that detects if an object is in the explosion path of the side curtain airbag, and if so, it will disable it.
In all, there are 8 air bags in this car.
The car also comes standard with Anti-Lock Brakes, Traction Control, and Electronic Brake Distribution, which monitors brake force at all 4 corners of the car to make the most effective stopping power of the car.
I had the chance to drive the car in the snow a couple times and on ice the car behaves very well. As with any car, you should drive very carefully on snow or ice, but the all season Michelin tires combined with the ABS and TCS provide a seamless integration to help you get where your going and stop where you need to. If you wish, there is a button to manually turn off the Traction Control.
Performance/Driving Impressions
Aaah, the section you're all waiting for. This car is an absolute dream to drive. The 240 HP 3.0L VTEC engine provides exceptionally smooth acceleration. It has a very flat torque curve from about 1800 RPM all the way to redline. It is VERY easy to get way past the speed limit in this car because of how quickly and effortlessly it accelerates.
The number one comment I have heard from passengers in my car is how quiet and smooth the engine is. With the radio even at a moderate volume, you do not begin to hear the engine til about 3500 RPM.
Acceleration on dry pavement is excellent, and only exhibits a slight amount of torque steer. It is nowhere near as distracting as in the 3.5L Nissan Altima.
The stiffened suspension of the 6-speed Coupe is is firm, but not jarring. The car handles bumps and railroad tracks with a solid thump, whcih minimally transmit into the cabin of the car. The 6-speed Coupe is also the only Accord to get a standard Strut Tower Brace in the engine bay. This also adds to the stiffened suspension and handling. Cornering around expressway offramps is very solid and flat. The car has only a small amount of body roll. I'll go as far as to say, the suspension setup is good enough for anyone who might drive the car except for AutoCrossers.
The 6-speed manual transmission is very crisp, and easy to shift. Even slight mistakes in shift timing are easily covered up by the low end torque of the engine. You can cruise along in 6th gear on the highway doing 60-70 mph and if you need to pass someone, the engine has enough torque that you dont even need to downshift out of 6th. Likewise at a complete stop, the car has no problem accelerating from a dead stop in 2nd gear, without straining the engine at all. Its almost a wonder why this car has 6 speeds. During normal driving tasks, its not a problem to start in 2, go straight to 4, and straight to 6.
The transmission has a relatively short throw that is firm and not rubbery. It might not be as short as some aftermarket shifters, but its definitely shorter than that in my 95 Civic EX. Although I'm sure some people will want to upgrade this, its very good for stock, and I have no complaints about it.
Many people see the Accord as an upscale family sedan, but in 6-speed Coupe form, the handling is near sports car-like.
The smooth acceleration of the gratuitously powerful VTEC engine and the firm suspension, coupled with the 6-speed manual transmission make this car an extreme joy to drive.
Conclusion
I love my car, and never have I found a car that I have so little to complain about. What few nitpicks I was able to come up with are very minor and do not detract from the ownership value of this car.
I applaud Honda for FINALLY offering a manual transmission in their V6 models... The 7th generation Accords offer a 40 HP increase over 6th Gen models, and although I've never driven an older Accord, I can't imagine people though there was much room to improve, but somehow, Honda did it!
GREAT JOB!!!
01-06-2004, 08:16 AM
#5
Performance isn't $$$
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Then I would have to kill you!
Posts: 1,260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just reading your review makes me want to go test drive one on my lunch break. I haven't had the chance yet to test drive one but some day I will. Excellent write up!! You should work for Car & Driver!
01-06-2004, 08:38 AM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes indeed the V6 6sp accord coupe is one of hondas best cars they have ever made. I think it's even better then the s2k for one big reason: people over 6' may have trouble fitting into a s2k. The accord v6 6sp coupe has AWSOME leg room. and me being 6'4" I don't even need to put the seat all the way back (I can't do that in many cars).
Honda has indeed done a wonderful job with the accord sports coupe. And for that matter all the new accords are made very well and have simply awsome fit and finish.
One thing I've also noticed about all the newer hondas is a great safety feature. If you forget to buckle up a buzzer will beep intermittenly. I think it beeps ~five timesevery minute or two.
Honda has indeed done a wonderful job with the accord sports coupe. And for that matter all the new accords are made very well and have simply awsome fit and finish.
One thing I've also noticed about all the newer hondas is a great safety feature. If you forget to buckle up a buzzer will beep intermittenly. I think it beeps ~five timesevery minute or two.
01-06-2004, 01:08 PM
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chicago Heights, IL
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It took me a while to think of everything I wanted to write about, but it was a pleasure to spread the word about the car cause its such a fine piece of machinery, and it just boggles my mind that I was able to score this car for $24,200.
Yeah it does do that. It beeps 6 times every minute, and it doesnt ever stop. So for people who dont like buckling their seat belt, they would find this pretty annoying.
Originally posted by pwrusr
One thing I've also noticed about all the newer hondas is a great safety feature. If you forget to buckle up a buzzer will beep intermittenly. I think it beeps ~five timesevery minute or two.
One thing I've also noticed about all the newer hondas is a great safety feature. If you forget to buckle up a buzzer will beep intermittenly. I think it beeps ~five timesevery minute or two.
