# 2013 Honda Accord



## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

Ok guys, who has been looking at the new 2013 Accord. Nice to see it's getting smaller and lighter. Tired of these cars always being bigger and heavier than than predessor. I'm waiting for the Honda Fit to weigh more than a F150 in a few years. Anyway... From what I've seen and read looks like it's finally, overdue, Honda has a decent Accord again. I traded my 2007 Accord EX-L 4cyl 5spd manual in on my 6spd manual E90 335i back in 2011? Loved the car but had some real issues that drove me nuts; 1- road noise 2-brakes were weak 3- engine was very under powered. But I miss that Honda steering and crispness sometimes.  Not to mention the cheapness of owning one. I remember when I got my 335i I thought it was junk. Noise on shutdown, heavy this, heavy pedals lol... uh I love german cars now but have some nights that I am kept up with the laundry list of maintenance and "fixes" and the cost that comes with two german girls (E90 for weekend E39 DD). And I remember when I only owned my Accord I had time and money to burn like I thought I was rich. I had a life, went the gym, bought apple products etc LOL. But the only mainstream car that ever gets my attention is the Accord. Not sure why... I hate to even look at my neighbors camry or my moms alitma. Compact cars like the civic and Corolla give me a headache and make my old E39 look like a dream even with maintenace. :tsk: Love my 335i love my daily driver 530i. But this new Accord has me smittin for a daily driver. Especially the sport 6spd manual 4cyl sedan. :bigpimp: 


Let's see what you guys think. Anyone test drive these new 13's yet? 


Edit: Mods, please move to General Auto section. Sorry.... I missed it.


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

Nope, haven't looked at the new generation yet. But the 2003 5MT 4 banger of mine that I gave to my daughter is still running well at 160K miles. It is, indeed, a good appliance of a car, and drives better than the competition.

But it is a class removed from a BMW.


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ Agreed. But my 530i is my daily driver. 335i for weekend use; see signature it's quite fun. I love my 530i but damn it's a lot of up keep and burns expensive fuel! Another good DD option for me... Acura TSX. Would yield more free time = more time for the 335i  Scratch the Acuras. Yes they make more power than Hondas but they burn premium. I'm either going to swap out to a Accord of some sort or finish fixing up my 530i and stick through it. And yes, enjoy my 530i while i'm with it. to be honest it's one of my favorite cars I've ever owened. I love the size, low belt line, comfort/sport mixture.... I swear it's the German Accord. I like my old E39 more than my wife's like new 36k mile C300! Just wish we didn't have a lundry list of "issues"... Wander/float, cooling systems, oil leaks, seat twist, headlight adjusters, Oh where do I stop LOL. No way would I put up with so much BS if the E39 wasn't as rewarding of a driving machine as it is. Back on track... 2013 Accord! Anyone test drive or know something cool about them?


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

I'm a huge Honda hater because they clearly have no idea what they're doing and Acura is a complete mess right now, but one car they have gotten right is the new Accord.

It looks fantastic in sports trim and you can't argue with Honda's value. Reliability, quality, resale. All top notch. Plus if you get a loaded Touring model, you get LED headlights, where are damn cool. If this was 6 months ago, I would have been all over the Kia Optima or Passat TDI, but now? Honda Accord all the way.

I've driven it and it deserves every once of praise it has gotten. That being said, this whole "normal" mid-size segment doesn't have ONE bad car. They are all top notch. Altima, Optima, Camry, Legacy, Accord.

Let's not forget the new Ford Fusion (which looks fantastic) or the upcoming Mazda6 (which will be sold in diesel form next year!). All awesome


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ so it drives good. nice to know. Yes the "family" car segment is cut throat. Back in the 90's this stuff we're talking about today was not even a dream. This segment has made huge gains vs the overall market.


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

FLE39 said:


> ^ so it drives good. nice to know. Yes the "family" car segment is cut throat. Back in the 90's this stuff we're talking about today was not even a dream. This segment has made huge gains vs the overall market.


Yes it does drive really well. I've driven all of them, except the new 2014 Mazda6. They're on lots, but people can't touch them until 1/3/13.


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## Llarry (May 17, 2002)

Somehow Honda has managed to fit both a coolant temp guage and a compact spare tire!

:thumbup:

Dunno about the oil level dipstick...


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

Honda should make a RWD V6 "sport edition" Accord in Stick or Auto. You want to see popular... ^ That's funny. my E90 has no dip stick. Drives me NUTS.


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

FLE39 said:


> ... ^ That's funny. my E90 has no dip stick. Drives me NUTS.


No dude!! There IS a DIPSTICK in you E90...

He is the one who's driving the car...


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ Well that's a different dip stick. It's missing a oil dip stick.


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## Griffoun (Jan 19, 2006)

I told myself not to get another Honda after having a 92 Honda Civic as my first car, bought it used in 1998.

Don't get me wrong, it never ran into any problem, in fact it stood well after direct impact with a deer while I was travelling 60mph on interstate! Thank goodness I'm still alive and the deer just "flew" to the side after the impact instead of heading towards the windshield! I managed to drive another 60 miles and arrived home safely that night and the car didn't leak any fluid.

What I don't like about Honda is that cabin isn't quite insulated from the engine noise... whether it's Civic, Accord, and even the Pilot.

But then I'm driving a 09 Honda Fit today... which has very pronounced road and engine noise... but that car is so low maintenance and so much fun to drive despite the little engine.


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## eazy (Aug 20, 2002)

I drove both accord cvt and the v6 auto. I hated the cvt but the v6 is nice. One big thing I like about the 2013 is that they clean up the interior with less buttons than the last generation


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

Seems like a lot of people do NOT like the CVT. I've never driven a CVT car before. My mom has a '10 4cyl Auto CVT Altima. I've only backed it out of the driveway. I need to drive that car.


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## Griffoun (Jan 19, 2006)

FLE39 said:


> Seems like a lot of people do NOT like the CVT. I've never driven a CVT car before. My mom has a '10 4cyl Auto CVT Altima. I've only backed it out of the driveway. I need to drive that car.


I've been driving the 04 Nissan Murano which has CVT. It's fine to be in vehicles that have attributes like "fuel economy" and "comfort", but car enthusiasts would rather have 20 gears (alright, that's exaggeration) in their M3s than a CVT.


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

I would think a CVT would be better for performance. No shift points, can variably tune the RPM vs Load.... I guess maybe they have not come up with a "performance CVT Tune".


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## mr_clueless (Nov 13, 2009)

If they go back to the size of the 93-97 model years I might be tempted. After that they got too big.

I don't like the interior of the current car. Steering wheel is ugly and the center dash is too busy.


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## Saintor (Dec 14, 2002)

Honda will never have the premium brand appeal, and Accords are in my book cars that you respect more than you love. Nonetheless, it seems to be a real achiever.

What impresses me are the current lease rates at Honda Canada. For the 2013 EX-L automatic, they are within a few bucks the same I had signed for my last one... in November 1998, a 1999 EX-L auto! MSRP increased very little over 14 years (from 27500$ to 29090$) and lower interest rates take care of the rest. They still have that great residual of 52% after 60000 miles / 48 months - I would be surprised if any other competitor matches this.


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

^ exactly. I just read something this week about Honda being the #1 residual value brand of all cars makers in America. 52%. Average for all makes was 46%. We just picked up a 2013 CRV EX-L today. Traded in the misses '08 C300. Have to admit, Honda did a heck of a job on this redesign. Steering is actualy better than on the C300 IMO. YMMV. Trans shifting is good. Not like some econo cars where it's always bogging down and you have to floor it to kick it down a gear just to keep up. Seats are nice. Road noise is I'd say equal to the C300. Interior room is HUGE, guessing that's b/c we just came from a C300. Folding seats with one lever is a plus. If I was on the design team my improving points would be 1- Add a 6th gear like the Acura RDX now has. and 2- Let's do Direct Injection for more power and economy. that's basically it. CRV fits the bill nicely as is though or I would not have bought one. Love the leather seats


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

FLE39 said:


> ^ exactly. I just read something this week about Honda being the #1 residual value brand of all cars makers in America. 52%.


It's not just Honda. Toyota has arguably better quality than Honda and they are doing just as well when it comes to residuals.


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## Saintor (Dec 14, 2002)

Not here. Toyota offers 44% on a Camry XLE after 96000km / 48 months vs 52% for the Accord.


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## AutoUnion (Apr 11, 2005)

FLE39 said:


> ^ I can agree with you on that. But on the HPFP the dealer told me flat out, to my face if this happens after 3yrs/36k it will not be covered. I even raised hell and had some territory manager call me and explain to me why the HPFP was only warrantied for 3y/36k miles. And while our jetta was in for repair... it was not alone. There was 3 including ours that week for the same issue. SA even was bashing how often they get towed in for this. I don't buy the poor diesel. We never had a oops moment either with gas. I owned a 6.0 F250 for a few years with no issues or mishaps. VW can shove that TDI pump where the sun doesn't shine. And the delayed gas pedal with it. While I was waiting for our car, some old guy was in there for a oil change or something on his VW and was telling another SA about how he hates the delayed gas pedal and almost got hit b/c of it... I found it funny. if VW just listened and didn't do stupid crap like that, they would get better.


what delayed gas pedal?

We aren't talking about the ZF 8SPD throttle lag that most new BMWs are experiencing


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## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

I've been looking at the EX-L Navi V6 Accord coupe. I really like the look inside and out!

The only shortcoming I find is the lack of HID/Active headlights.Interesting the the priority was placed on LED DRL's - not real headlights. 

dont get me started on VAG products....


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## mr29 (Sep 2, 2012)

great discussion here my winter car will be a honda or a camry. built to last

Sent from my XT557 using Bimmer App


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## Kamdog (Apr 15, 2007)

My wife has a 2003 CRV with 120K miles, and absolutely no problems. I want her to get a new one, but she says the only car she would replace it with is another CRV, and she sees no point in spending 25-30K for a new car that is just like this only a bit newer, when her car runs fine.

What can ya do? :dunno:


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## Saintor (Dec 14, 2002)

I am very annoyed with the Accord 2013 dash. What's the point of having its central part oriented toward the _passenger_?. It just doesn't feel right. The Mazda6 2014 felt much better overall. Too bad that Mazda abandoned the V6.


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## FLE39 (Sep 16, 2012)

I swear our '08 C300 center stack was slightly facing the passenger. I noticed it and irked me. Mazda makes some pretty cool stuff, i'm just not sure why they don't sell more of them. ??? Goofy front bumpers maybe.


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## buzzdsm (Apr 10, 2013)

I really don't know why I ever consider buying anything but Honda. The wife currently has a 2013 Acura RDX. Really couldn't be happier with it. Nice size, great power, nice interior gets about 25mpg which is the same as the 160hp Nissan Rogue she had before this one.

I've had an 04 Accord that was bulletproof and is still in the family. I've always wanted an S2000 but it's just too tight of fit. Had a 2000 Civic Si that I bought new and sold it two years later for a $500 loss. 8? Accord Se-i coupe that was bulletproof.

Ok I guess I had one bad Honda. I had a 97 CRV that was very underpowered and had some issue on the highway where it would constantly shift down a gear. 

So 5 Honda's and not one has had any reliability issues. With that said, their current lineup is pretty boring and Acura cars are even more boring for the price. I wouldn't mind a Honda Fit for a winter car.


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## mr_clueless (Nov 13, 2009)

buzzdsm said:


> I really don't know why I ever consider buying anything but Honda. The wife currently has a 2013 Acura RDX. Really couldn't be happier with it. Nice size, great power, nice interior gets about 25mpg which is the same as the 160hp Nissan Rogue she had before this one.
> 
> I've had an 04 Accord that was bulletproof and is still in the family. I've always wanted an S2000 but it's just too tight of fit. Had a 2000 Civic Si that I bought new and sold it two years later for a $500 loss. 8? Accord Se-i coupe that was bulletproof.
> 
> ...


Hondas (and Acuras) are great in terms of reliability and they offer excellent manual transmissions, but there's something missing in the excitement department. From the Japanese brands, my favorite would be Nissan.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

We were all set on a CRV as our family car a year and a half ago, went to test drive it, and it was so loud on the highway that we bought a Subaru Outback instead. 

The Outback has a better stereo and nice seats & leather, better mpg, and the trunk is deeper (but shorter). Otherwise the CRV was more fun to drive and better looking, but the highway noise was a show stopper. 

The CRV has since been replaced by a really ugly new model. 

We also liked the Odyssey, drove nice, but it's just too big, we're hoping to get by with the Outback and two kids.


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## K-A (Nov 12, 2010)

I think it's nice for a moderate Midsize Economy Sedan, but don't appreciate how little vision has gone into the design. Honda has no design language or distinction anymore. The car looks like it's trying to be a Genesis (rear & general character), BMW (still knocking off their Hofmeister Kink.... on a FWD), and Mercedes (cheepishly AMG-ish angled front bumper).


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## 01Byte (Jun 22, 2003)

Went and test drove a 2013 Accord Sport (6mt). My thoughts.

Car drove nice, interior was spacious and comfy. Without the nav, the large display area is useless. Suspension was adequate and the car was certainly tossable. The engine power was a little weird. The car starts to scream around 3k rmp, but the red line is above 6k. I took it once to 4k and didn't want to take it further as it sounded like an F1 race car (in an unpleasant way).

There were two things that I really didn't like.
1. The dash was made of a weird plastic (hard).
2. you cannot get sat radio on the sport.

The sat radio issue I really found surprising. Spoke with the dealer and he confirmed that it can't be order or installed as a dealer option. The only choice would be to install a separate XM receiver. On a $25k car not having this option is absurd (and would prevent me from buying one).

Overall I had mixed feelings about the car. I'm looking for a new DD and I don't think the new Accord is staying on the short list.


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