The best car for the money.

I recently purchased a 2005 Honda Accord EX V6 w/ leather.

And it is overall a nicer car than the more expensive Audi A4 it replaces. (I wrote a review on it also)

The EX V-6 coupe ($26,800) is a performance-oriented model, and comes with either the five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission as a no-cost option; it also has leather seating surfaces.

I got the 5 speed automatic. The standard equipment list is long on the V6 EX, it includes:

Leather
XM Sat. radio
6 disc CD changer
Dual power front seats
Dual heated front seats
Power moonroof
16 inch alloy wheels
illuminated steering wheel controls (new for '05)
remote lock
side and front air bags
traction control (can be switched off also)
electronic anti-lock brakes
automatic dual-zone climate control.

I was debating between an Acura TSX and this Honda. (Another A4 or new BMW 325i were also in the mix but their base cars come stripped for more than a loaded TSX).

The TSX was funnier to drive b/c it handled better than the Accord, but the Accord rode smoother. And the Accord had 240 hp from a V6 while the TSX only had 200 hp w/ an inline 4.

Plus even though the Accord has V6 it still gets over 30 mpg on the highway (31). And it requires regular unleaded. No more high octane gas like in the Audi!!!!

Like I said before the ride is smooth and there is little air or road noise. There's little air noise probably due to the fact this car has a low drag coefficient (.30) so it slices thru the air w/ great ease. It also slices thru the air w/ ease due to the V6 which has plenty of power to pull up the largest of hills. There is a bit of body roll if you really throw it into a sharp curve. Though it's 0-60 time will keep up (and beat) lots of sport sedans this isn't really a sports sedan. The coupe has stiffened springs but the Accord sedan has sacrificed some handling to give it a smooth ride. But the compromise is a good one. Hey, at least it handles better than my Land Rover !!! (which I also review on epinions)

The Ride Cont:
I really shouldn't compare the ride and handling to a sports sedan though. Compared to its rival, the Accord handles better than the Toyota Camry yet it rides well. Its suspension smooths out bumps in the road, but isn't too mushy. When pushed hard, it's balanced and fun to drive, just don't try to beat a Honda S2000 at the track.


QUALITY:
The Accord is better made than cars costing much more. Take the doors for example:
You can clearly hear the quality in the sound when you close them. The easily opened trunk can also be opened by the remote. Plus, the Accord is a carefree car, there's no scheduled maintenance for at least 105,000 miles, except for oil changes.

SAFETY:
All Accord models achieved five-star safety ratings for driver and front-seat passenger in the government's frontal crash test.

American Made:
While some of you may see this as a plus or a minus, my Accord was built in the good ole US of A (Marysville, Ohio).

Accords are built all over though (USA, Japan, even Mexico) so look at the dealer sticker, it should tell.

Interior Features:
I have black leather and it is smooth. It offers great support and had lumbar support. The seats are generously wide and tall, with springs and urethane padding designed to reduce vibration. A tilt-and-telescope steering wheel comes standard.The back bench seat is roomy and comfortable, especially for two people with the center armrest flipped out(which has a cup holder). For comparison, Rear-seat legroom is slightly better than in the Nissan Altima, but the Toyota Camry offers an inch more.

My Accord came w/ Aluminum trim which looks good with the black leather. Wood grain trim is also available.

Trunk space is good at about 14 cubic feet, though less than it's main rival, the Camry (almost 17).

The instrumentation panel is excellent, comprising of large, clear analog faces with LED illumination.
The audio, climate and optional navigation system controls are integrated into a single unit. This frees up space for cabin storage,which includes a good-sized glovebox, a big center console, a bin under the audio system that will hold 12 CDs, and large door pockets.


The stereo is nice too: six-disc in-dash CD changer, a 180-watt amplifier, and four speakers with polypropylene cone woofers and soft dome tweeters.

The engine:

The V6 is light and powerful. This 3.0-liter V6 is rated 240 horsepower and 212 pound-feet of torque. Equipped with Honda's VTEC, its torque range is broad and begins at relatively low rpm (lower than earlier VTECs). But the 240 hp rating is at 6500 rpm. Hey, that's redline! Yet, the V6 gets excellent fuel economy: 21/30 mpg with the automatic transmission.

Overall the Honda Accord keeps just getting better and better and this model is the best.

There's no big changes for the 2006 model and I've heard a totally new model will not come out till 2008.

My only gripe:

A 3 year or 36k mile warranty? Come on, Honda, you have to do better than that. You can buy a longer one, but still, this is the one real weakness at Honda.



30K mile update:

Had to get the brake rotors surfaced (covered under warranty)because the car shook when braking. But this problem was fixed.

Also at low RPMs the car seems to stall a bit like the engine isn't getting enough fuel. This was also 'fixed' at the dealership but I haven't driven it enough to know for sure.

All and all no complaints, and I have yet to spend a penny. (though my free oil changes at the dealership have now expired)

Also, oil changes at 3750 miles? Seems a bit too often.