New Accord has German accent; Honda turns to VW Passat for emotional inspiration

[NFS4]

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=02582822

LOL, Accord...emotional?? HEHEHE. Hell, even a Passat is emotionless to me. Porsche 911, Ferrari 360 Modena...now THAT is emotion

Anyway, I went back to the Honda dealership AGAIN today to take another hard, long look at the new Accord. I saw a silver Accord EX with the 160HP inline-4. Looked pretty loaded, and had a 6-disc in-dash changer along with the 16" alloys. Sticker price was $23,080. After walking around the car in person, the rear end doesn't look so bad (pictures don't do it justice). I like style overall better than the Camry or Passat.

Not bad at all

 

[Howard]

But no matter what they do, the NSX will remain underpowered.

 

[N8Magic]

Honda has a LOT to learn if they ever want to compete with VAG interiors.

The two companies shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence. :|

 

[Viper GTS]

I like the new Accord, in spite of what popular opinion seems to be.

I would like a V-6 coupe with a 6-speed please.



Viper GTS

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: N8Magic
Honda has a LOT to learn if they ever want to compete with VAG interiors.

The two companies shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence. :|

Considering that Honda consistently smacks VW in vehicle satisfaction/quality/problems, I'd say it's appropriate

The Accord interior wasn't VW level, but it was DAMN nice. Better than the Camry for sure.

 

[RossMAN]

Has anyone test driven the new 2003 Honda Accord yet?

I'm tempted to but I'm afraid that I'm walk out of the dealership with a new car, not a good idea.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Has anyone test driven the new 2003 Honda Accord yet?

I'm tempted to but I'm afraid that I'm walk out of the dealership with a new car, not a good idea.

I may test drive one tomorrow...but I am NOT in the mood to put up with bullsh!t salesman this week. I ain't in the mood

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Considering that Honda consistently smacks VW in vehicle satisfaction/quality/problems, I'd say it's appropriate

The Accord interior wasn't VW level, but it was DAMN nice. Better than the Camry for sure.

Please don't bring out any statistics. I wasn't talking about quality/problems, I was talking about interior design.

Oh, and BTW i've had 0 (that's right, ZERO) problems with my new Golf, and that's what i'm concerned with.

And I agree, the new Accords interior is nicer than that of the new Camry.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Has anyone test driven the new 2003 Honda Accord yet?

I'm tempted to but I'm afraid that I'm walk out of the dealership with a new car, not a good idea.

I may test drive one tomorrow...but I am NOT in the mood to put up with bullsh!t salesman this week. I ain't in the mood

Awesome! If you do test drive it please give us a full report, thanks!

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: N8Magic

Originally posted by: NFS4
Considering that Honda consistently smacks VW in vehicle satisfaction/quality/problems, I'd say it's appropriate

The Accord interior wasn't VW level, but it was DAMN nice. Better than the Camry for sure.

Please don't bring out any statistics. I wasn't talking about quality/problems, I was talking about interior design.

Oh, and BTW i've had 0 (that's right, ZERO) problems with my new Golf, and that's what i'm concerned with.

And I agree, the new Accords interior is nicer than that of the new Camry.

Well, the interior is one thing, but the exterior of the current Passat looks like sh!t to me. I liked the pre 2001.5 design MUCH better. The current designs reminds me too much of Buick.

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Well, the interior is one thing, but the exterior of the current Passat looks like sh!t to me. I liked the pre 2001.5 design MUCH better. The current designs reminds me too much of Buick.

I'd have to agree on some points, the chrome around the windows was a little overkill. It looks good with certain colours, but with others it looks like hell.

I do like the redesigned headlights and taillights though.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: N8Magic

Originally posted by: NFS4

Well, the interior is one thing, but the exterior of the current Passat looks like sh!t to me. I liked the pre 2001.5 design MUCH better. The current designs reminds me too much of Buick.

I'd have to agree on some points, the chrome around the windows was a little overkill. It looks good with certain colours, but with others it looks like hell.

I do like the redesigned headlights and taillights though.

The chrome and the headlamps/tailamps are what kill it for me.

With the Accord however, the rear end looked rather crappy to me in pictures. But after actually walking around the car and looking at the details up close, it was quite a looker Especially the front end. And the headlamps have like some kind of a weird hump in the middle of the clear plastic covering. Don't know what the heck it's for, but it looked kinda weird.

 

[RU482]

gee, I thought the civic looked more like a Passat knockoff than the new accord

or wait, the civic looks like 3 series knockoff

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: N8Magic

Originally posted by: NFS4

Well, the interior is one thing, but the exterior of the current Passat looks like sh!t to me. I liked the pre 2001.5 design MUCH better. The current designs reminds me too much of Buick.

I'd have to agree on some points, the chrome around the windows was a little overkill. It looks good with certain colours, but with others it looks like hell.

I do like the redesigned headlights and taillights though.

The chrome and the headlamps/tailamps are what kill it for me.

With the Accord however, the rear end looked rather crappy to me in pictures. But after actually walking around the car and looking at the details up close, it was quite a looker Especially the front end. And the headlamps have like some kind of a weird hump in the middle of the clear plastic covering. Don't know what the heck it's for, but it looked kinda weird.

when I saw the pictures I was disgusted but when I saw one on the road I was completely blown away the pictures do not do it any justice

I saw a V6 Sedan when I was walking back from class one day and it looks great

 

[trikster2]

Videos pictures 3D views are all up at www.honda.com

Is it me or does the new accord look more influenced by Saturn than it does by VW?

I don't know why something about the head-on and rear that make me think Saturn/gm for some reason.

Did not like the 2002 Accord and went with the 2002 passat instead. If I was shopping today I would definitely give the new accord a test drive.

Hey! An overpriced MP3 player is an option. Cool a "stock" mp3 player.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: Howard
But no matter what they do, the NSX will remain underpowered.

lol, they can't help it! So isn't every other (stock) sports car running around Japan (with their stupid 276HP limit, bah I say, BAH!!)


BTW: I saw a new Accord Sedan the other day, looked damn sleek

 

[ohtwell]

Sounds like a nice car!!

Are there any pics?


: ) Amanda

 

[adlep]

Hmm,
This is my dream car!
I have one more year of school left, and I will try very hard to be able to get it for my college graduation gift... He he
Most likely I will get an EX, with a manual transmission but without lether (I hate lether).
Right now I have the tiny 96 Civic hatchback, with 145000 miles on it and no problems. I can do about 43 miles per gallon, on a higway when using cruise controll (to maintain a constant speed)...It is still ok, but I feel that I need a bigger car than Civic.
Also, Accords have a big advantage over may other car types: Very high resale value!

 

[Vortex22]

I really really want a V-6 coupe 6-speed... And it must come with the voice system where you can tell it to do pretty much anythying without taking your hands off the wheel. That is just so cool.

Sounds like a nice car!!

Are there any pics?

Pics

 

[ohtwell]

Originally posted by: Vortex22
I really really want a V-6 coupe 6-speed... And it must come with the voice system where you can tell it to do pretty much anythying without taking your hands off the wheel. That is just so cool.

Sounds like a nice car!!

Are there any pics?

Pics

Thank you!!

Nice!


: ) Amanda

 

[SuperTool]

The Accord's rear end was altered to reflect European sedan influences, points out Dan Bonawitz, American Honda's vice president for corporate planning and logistics. The bumper was lowered and the exhaust pipes and suspension components tucked out of sight, Bonawitz said.
Its front-quarter panels curve both inwardly and outwardly "for a more muscular European feel," he added.

Am I the only one missing the European sedan influences in the Honda rear end? The only passat rear end that Accord resembles is the 92.
2003 Accord
1992 Passat
Maybe they mean that Honda's front end resembles Passat's rear end
At least when toyota blatantly copies German sedans, they only copy Mercedes and only last generation models. Honda copies VW and goes 3 generations back

 

[geno]

the rear reminds me of a Saab, not so much in the shape, but in the way the lines continue across the trunk/tail lamps

95
93

altho I'm sure there's many other cars with that design que, Saab popped into my mind

 

[aphex]

I like style overall better than the Camry or Passat.

I dont.

Neither did anyone at the Paris Auto Show.

 

[trikster2]

Passed an Infiniti G35 or something this morning and thought about this thread.

Talk about being inspired by european designed. It was even the same color as my 2002 passat.

But it is a good copy. The Inifiniti looked like something I definitely would not mind owning.....

 

[ElFenix]

the new accord is fugly, no if, ands, or buts about it.

it is slightly less fugly than a camry or es300 though. i wonder what the new tl will look like?

you do know that the previous accord had chrome trim around the windows, right?

maybe its because i only see silver passats in the parking lot at work but i'd never really noticed the chrome

and VW leather beats the snot out of honda leather.