2004 Honda Accord Review

Specifications

Disappointing Exterior Design Conceals Inner Beauty

The wonderfully popular Honda Accord was completely redesigned in the 2003 model year. For 2004 and 2005 the relatively untouched Accord continues to win the hearts of its owners and the respect of its competitors. Why you ask? Well I doubt its due to cutting-edge style or eye-grabbing good looks, because in my opinion the 4-door Accord exhibits neither. I dont mean to convey that its hideous, far from it actually; I just feel disappointed by its anemic, boxy wedge-shape styling. I should, however, make it clear that my bemoaning doesnt apply to the 2-door Accord coupe, which wears its form-fitting, sleek outer skin very seductively. Its just too bad none of that rakish attitude is stamped into the sheet metal of its 4-door sibling.

With my exterior design complaint laid to rest, its time to focus the microscope on the other aspects of the midsize sedan, which are for the most part extremely well executed. In the genre of medium-size, mid-price 4-doors, the competition is stronger than in any other automotive segment, whether domestically created or from lands far away. The front-drive Honda Accord fits both definitions due to its final assembly in Marysville, Ohio, USA. Since commencing production in November of 1982, more than ten million Accords have passed through the doors of the Marysville plant. That milestone was reached on April 28th this year. Manufacturing such a high volume of vehicles over such a lengthy duration has enabled Honda to perfect the highly revered Accord.

Although the exterior styling disappoints, the assembly of the Accords outer shell is flawless. The “Jenny Craig,” panel-gapping margins are about as slim and accurate as they come; and all four doors open and close with precision, needing only a light tug or push and then sealing tightly with a soft “whump.”

Once inside, the vehicles inner quality becomes apparent. Fit and finish is congruent with some higher priced, European models. Unfortunately though, I still turned up a few low-rent surfaces, putting a fly in the otherwise delectable Accord soup. Although not in-your-face so to speak, inferior hard plastic is used to trim the inner surface of the “A” pillars and the lower portion of the door panels. But as mentioned, I had to go searching to find these examples. What doesnt require searching to appreciate is the optional butter-soft black leather upholstery that came as part of my EX tester, the smell of which is very Jaguarish upon entry.

The black interior of my test unit was highlighted by the liberal use of satin-finished metal trim, which flowed horizontally across the dash and onto the center console. The same finish was also tastefully applied to the door pulls and around two of the four dash level vents. This trim on the otherwise black surface delivered a theme that spoke more of sport than luxury.

Another aspect of the Accords interior thats sporty, but also highly functional, is the four-part gauge cluster residing under a canopy dead ahead of the driver. This luminescent display features a center-mounted speedometer large enough to be read by drivers several cars back. To its left is a medium sized tachometer and on the right is a smaller fuel gauge and engine temperature gauge. Day or night, all four readouts are bright and easy to decipher with only a quick glance away from the road. In addition to a highly effective gauge cluster, Honda has mounted various switches and controls in the Accord that operate impeccably and are well laid-out.

When Honda introduced us to the current generation Accord, they made quite a splash about the ergonomic quality of its front seats, claiming them to be among the most comfortable and highly engineered buckets in the industry. After a week of being hugged, supported and warmed by them, I will accept that claim as true. These are wonderfully comfortable units that cradle their occupants with plenty of side bolstering and lumbar support. Thighs are also given the royal treatment thanks to seat cushions that feel wide and deep. The perches in my EX tester were electrically adjusted with sufficient fore and aft travel to suit legs of all lengths. Even at maximum rearward travel those riding coach-class have little to complain about. When the front seat was placed at its maximum rearward position, my 5-foot, 11-inch frame fit quite comfortably in the rear seat, in fact my knees remained several inches away from the back side of the front bucket.

When the ignition key is given a twist, what Accord accomplishes in the way of passenger comfort is repeated in the way of driving dynamics. In the EX I got to know this week, twisting the big key awakened 240 sleeping horses, all of which galloped through the front wheels. What is particularly impressive about this engine is its smooth, highly refined operation. Within normal driving parameters the sweet, 3.0-liter (183 cu in), SOHC 24-valve V6 is barely perceptible. Only under hard acceleration does it make its presence known with a heavily muted growl and intake rush. Power is delivered in a linear fashion, unlike the V6 powering Nissans Altima which induces unintended head-snapping due to an overly sensitive rate of throttle input. But if head-snapping is a persons measure of performance, with a peak torque output of 212 pounds-feet (at a fairly high revving 5,000 rpm), the V6 Accord will please. Acceleration is brisk off the line, becoming more assertive as the tachometer climbs past the 4,000 marker heading to the Accords 6,800 rpm redline. The extra high-rev boost leading to the V6 Accords tidy 0 to 60 mph time of 7.0 seconds can be largely credited to Hondas variable valve timing (VTEC) technology. If spirited acceleration doesnt top a buyers list of essential criteria, the base 160 horsepower DOHC i-VTEC equipped in-line 4-cylinder with 161 pounds feet of twist moves along at a decent clip while providing better fuel economy.

Both engines deliver their oomph through a 5-speed automatic transmission; however a 5-speed manual is available in conjunction with the four-banger. Apart from not having a manual shift mode, which many of the Accords competitors offer, the Honda autobox is marvelous. It shifts very unobtrusively, exactly when I anticipated it to. Downshifts for immediate passing power are executed without hesitation or gear searching. I did find the shift lever disappointing in its operation though. The shift pattern is straight down the center, which made it easy to inadvertently slap the stick into D3 instead of Drive, and neutral instead of reverse. Perhaps the problem lies more with me than the mechanical operation of the lever, but either way I would find a gated shift plate similar to that in Acuras MDX a welcome addition.

A driveline aspect of the Accord worthy of specific praise, however, is the absence of torque steer. Honda should stand up and take a bow for giving that irritant its walking papers. Too bad Nissan cant do the same with its competing Altima.

Also praiseworthy is the real-world balance Honda has struck between vigorous handling and superior ride comfort. Feeling tauter than Toyotas Camry, but not as rigid as Nissans Altima SE, the Accord is the ideal fence sitter. I found the ride to be suitably compliant but never mushy, so to speak. Yes, its not difficult to find a midsize car that rides smoother, the Kia Amanti for one (although its quite a bit larger than the Accord), but its difficult to find one that matches the Accords smoothness while meeting its competency in the corners. The suspension setup responsible for blending these juxtaposing forces so effectively is independent at all four corners, and incorporating a double wishbone, coil spring assembly at the front and a multi-link arrangement with coils at the rear. Anti-roll bars front and rear add a further degree of control to the suspension assemblies, which all work in concert to produce fairly flat, sure-footed cornering.

Also, the Accord almost steers itself. The car tracks straight and true regardless of ruts or roughness in the road surface. Steering feedback is good, but not of performance car standards. Despite low levels of steering resistance, the Accords steering always centers itself perfectly turn after turn, while making haste through twisty roads. My tester meant that it was shod in 16-inch Michelin rubber, which provided further cornering benefit over the standard 15-inch wheels. Although the Accords steering turn-in is athletic, thanks in part to its speed sensitive rack-and-pinion mechanism, its not sports car fast. But hey, this is a comfortable mid-sizer capable of transporting 5-adults, so lets keep things in perspective.

Rounding out the Accord EXs desirable driving characteristics is a very adept, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brake setup augmented with an electronic brake distribution system. The Accords brake package produced emergency stops that were stable, easily controlled and free of excessive nosedive. The antilock technology on my tester cut-in when expected, ensuring that control was sustained throughout full-force stops. Pedal effort needed to halt the 3,379 pound ride is on the light side, with a progression that is predictable and linear.

Over and above the Accords competent braking is a host of additional occupant safety and protection features, beginning with a gaggle of airbags. These include driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side-airbags with a passengers seat occupant position detection system, and side-curtain airbags for all outboard passengers. Add to that front occupant knee bolstering and front passenger pretensioning seatbelts with shoulder height adjustment and its clear that Honda has gone the extra step in providing noteworthy protection. Also included on my test car was a traction control system to prevent overwhelming the front wheels with the engines substantial horsepower.

Rather than providing prospective purchasers with a shopping list of options to personalize their Accords, Honda builds its bread and butter sedan in three basic trim levels: DX which is equipped only with the I-4 engine, plus LX and EX, both of which entitle the owner to either the I-4 or V6 powerplant. The LX and EX variants are well stocked with comfort and convenience equipment, with the EX spoiling its occupants with the premium luxury trappings. Purchasers wishing to further personalize their cars may do so from a long list of Accord accessories.

But regardless of ones penchant for individualism, the Honda Accord is a tremendously solid, well engineered car that has a knack of distilling the best of many automotive genres into a single vehicle - excluding good looks, but that of course is a personal thing. I view the Accord as a brilliant diamond placed in an unattractive setting. The Accords sheet metal just doesnt do justice to all of the goodness it conceals. Few cars in the mid-price range can measure up to Hondas entry when it comes to build quality, refinement and reliability. With the addition in 2005 of a 255 horsepower hybrid, gas-electric powered V6 Accord, frugality is sure to become another Accord attribute that will be hard to match, never mind beat. Honda predicts the powerful sedan will get 30 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway, giving the diamond even greater cut, clarity and carat. Could a mid-priced sedan sparkle any brighter?