03CoupeV6

Not sure if this is the right place to post this? If not let me know and I'll repost in Car Talk.


I see a lot of threads and general discussion about the new Accord V6 "versus" the 2nd Gen TL. There's a lot of misinformation and generalizations made that aren't correct, and a whole lot of assuming. So I thought I'd write about my experiences, since I have both an 05 Accord V6 coupe 5AT and a 02 TL-P.

Background:

In April of 2003 we bought our first Accord V6, a SSM EX-V6 coupe - we traded an 01 NBP Accord EX coupe for it. At the time, the other two vehicles we had were both Nissans. A Nissan pick-up for dirtywork that we didn't want the cars doing, and a first gen Altima SE as a second car. Well, after the Altima was totalled later that year we replaced it with a 99 Accord EX-L four-cylinder sedan. As gas prices increased, so did the mileage on the four-cylinder. In a year, it had went from 67k miles when we bought it used to over 90k. Our 03 AV6 didn't have many miles, though.. about 27k. But it was riddled with problems... rattles, light failures in the console, bad catalytic converter, etc. We wrote it off as first-year, early production (9XXX) bugs and decided to trade up for a new one, so in January we got the SMR AV6 coupe that I have now. In March, we replaced the second car (the 99 Accord, with the Anthracite TL-P)..

Confused? Haha understandably. Anyway, the point isn't to give you a life story, but to compare the two vehicles objectively from a perspective of an owner of both.

EXTERIOR:

This is entirely subjective, of course, but while the Accord's style has grown on me some, I still don't hesitate to say that I find the TL to be the more attractive one. The Accord's bubbly shape lends to an almost dumpy, droopy appearance. From the front, the TL looks aggressive, whereas the Accord looks like Honda's down-syndrome offspring. Lovable and inherently good, it's just not as classy looking as the TL.. In my opinion, anyway. San Marino Red is an awesome color, though - and the Accord is not an ugly car like some people on the boards say. It's attractive inside and out, just lesser on the outside than within.

INTERIOR:

This is where the Accord shines brighter than the TL. The Accord's interior feels higher quality than the TL's and looks more modern, as well. The LED gauges are top-notch and the leather feels richer. The TL is an older design, so this all makes sense. Despite not having quite the same rich, new feel - the TL's interior is still classy and is aging well.

POWER:

The Accord's J30A4 V6 is refined and powerful, and the car is undoubtedly quicker than the TL-P over a lengthy distance. But our testing seems to indicate that off-the-line, the TL will pull on the AV6 up until about 25mph. It's a much closer run than some of you might think, and I wouldn't say either car has an obvious advantage. I do prefer the sounds of the J32, though. It is quieter at WOT, yet the noise it does make is a deeper growl than the snarl from the J30.

HANDLING:

Obviously, this is not the strong point of either of my stock vehicles. I don't do mods, so everything I'm saying is based on a stock-for-stock comparison. Perhaps the worst characteristic of the Accord is its handling ability. The tires do everything but grip and immediately go belly-up at the first hint of aggressive driving. The TL is no sports car, but it feels more confident, despite being heavier. Although the expensive Goodyear tires on the TL versus the stock Turanzas on the AV6 may have something to do with this.

FEATURES:

The Accord and TL have similar features, but there are a few key differences. For example: The Accord has side curtain airbags and dual-zone climate control, both of which the TL lacks. On the other hand, the TL has Xenons, dual power seats, driver position memory, and an auto-dimming mirror. The TL definitely has the Accord beat in terms of luxury, but the Accord is very, very well equipped for the $25.5k +TTL price we paid. I'd like to add, though, that the Accords seats are not nearly as comfortable to my body as the TLs, and the Accords stock Pioneer sound system is inferior to the stock Bose in the TL. I've listened to them both back to back and there is a dramatic difference in clarity and general sound quality in the Accord. However, unless your second car is Bose-equipped, that's a non-issue for Accord owners.

CONCLUSION:

These are very different cars, and I enjoy them both. They both have a feel that is all Honda, and you guys all know what I'm talking about. With just over 3,000 miles on the new Accord V6, it hasn't had any issues. With 39,300 on the TL, it's had a few issues, but they have been resolved or are in the process of being resolved under warranty. As a loyal Honda owner, you become accustomed to near-perfection and you notice little issues owners of domestics wouldn't notice at all. But take it from me, anyone on this board who has been complaining about a rattle here or there - go take a ride in a new Impala, Taurus, Five-Hundred, Monte Carlo, G6, or anything of the like and then get in your TL or your Accord, new or used, and you'll see just how good we Honda/Acura owners have it.

SatinSilverTypS

iTrader: (1)

a well done comparison if i may say so. i agree that after having been in avalons, accords, civics, eclipses, tl's and the like, we have it pretty good. i may be discouraged with the tranny issue but overall i feel that the TL can't be beat for the price considering what you get in return.

SSTS

Vicman17

Although the powerplant may seem identical in some sense, the 05 Accord is a different car than the 2nd Gen TL. I think it would be a more obvious comparison is you looked at the 04/ 05 TL.

IMO it was obvious to the educated buyer that the TL (2nd Gen) was a stretched and upgraded Accord (98-02). The interior alone took parts from same Honda parts bin. Knobs, switches and interior trim can be related to each other, despite the "A" and the "H" logos on some.

The 3rd Gen TL seemed like a much more different car than the Accord. Different body lines and obviously upscaled trim. Some items used like carbon-fiber and brushed aluminum trim, LED brake lights and projector HID lamps sets it farther apart from the Accord, eventhough it shared much of the frame.

As for first year early production models, I too have bad experiences about bugs that required dealer rectification and repairs that it seemed the first model of the generation year is used by Honda (or any other brand) as a test bed for bugs but at the buyer's expense. I had to take my 2001 1.7 EL back several times for recalls and adjustments that were not present on subsequent models.

I am just sincerely hoping that Honda maintain it's practice of having a much improved end of the production model year and stack it with tons of upgrades (let alone good clearance finance rates) that may have me keeping an eye on the 07 TL in a 6M with Navi.

03CoupeV6

I think you missed the point of my post. I know that the cars are different, and certainly not competitors. I only compared them because I have both of them, and because I've seen some threads recently about the new Accords. This thread is here not because I'm trying to decide which one to buy - it's here because I bought both, and I wanted to compare them.