civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The HFP kit doesnt fix the ugly ass tail lights or grille on the '11 model.

dom

I just don't get the bulges. Does someone at Honda actually think bulges that ruin the flow of the car look good. I just don't get it. Those rear lights on the coupe are terrible.

biker

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=11359002

DETROIT (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Monday it was recalling more than 428,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada because of a defect that could cause the cars to roll away if they are parked incorrectly.

The Honda recall covers Accord, Civic and Element models from the 2003 and 2004 model years in the United States. That recall includes 384,220 vehicles.

A parallel safety recall in Canada covers those models and some Acura 1.7ELs. There are about 44,000 vehicles under recall in Canada, most of them Accords and Civics.

Honda said that in some situations a part known as the ignition interlock lever could fail.

That device is intended to keep drivers from removing their key from the ignition when the vehicle has not been put in park. If the ignition switch fails, that could allow vehicles to roll away when parked incorrectly, causing accidents.

Honda said it would begin notifying consumers of the recall in September.



Since the Accord is most affected I put this in this section - mods feel free to move this to another thread if more appropriate.

Shift_Acura

Lame Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQtzhNOGWLk

phile

those strips on the rear look so last-minute tacked on.

krio

still one of the ugliest sedan on the market

Hapa DC5

I don't think it looks terrible. It could be worse lol.

krio

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The new grille doesnt look bad on the sedan but those strips look horrible. I have no idea who thought the MMC for the coupe actually looks good though.

yohan81718

it's been there.. just not on the USDM. i've seen it in korea from when they launched (dunno exact time, but at least like 2 years ago)

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The strips were on the Inspire. They were ugly 3 years ago and theyre still ugly now.

Type One

+1

Belzebutt

Let me guess, the Koreans get the USDM version as a refresh?

I also think they look tacky, I actually liked the rear of the car without those. Now it sucks.

That commercial is lame by the way. They pitch the car like an appliance.

Moog-Type-S

For those who think a car is an "appliance" that gets them from point A to point B.......the Accord is your car......at least that seems who Honda is marketing the Accord to.

fsttyms1

Come one honda. You can do better.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Thats because the Accord is an appliance.

Over the past 5 years or so Im starting to think they really cant.

Gen7Milan

iTrader: (1)

But it's JDM Yo!

smarty666

No, I'm really starting to think they can not. I think the grill looks a little bit better than the current one but the overall big/bloated look is still a turnoff and I don't know who in hell though those stripes on the trunk would look great. It really makes the rear look ridiculous now. It looks like something you'd see on the back of a construction vehicle or student driver car to warn people CAUTION, I'm driving an Accord, keep back 100 ft or vehicle makes wide right turns

F23A4

Honestly, I don't find the 8G Accord to be any better or worse in appearance than the 7th gen, the latter not exactly the best looking sedan in the segment during its time. (...and I had a loaded 07 AV6 where I definitely did not purchase it for its looks.)

All that said, Honda still needs an overhaul with the staffing of its design team.

MyCarIsntInMyWifesName

I think the problem that many of us have is not even the design, it's that it really hasn't improved much since the old model.

I have had this struggle with the new TL, feeling in too many areas it's not improved much or at all. Other Hondas apply as well.

Shift_Acura

About 3 or 4 years ago Honda and Toyota were head and shoulders above their competition in the family car and the compact car segment. The competition has stepped up their game BIG time in design and technology. (Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia)

Now most of Toyota and Honda products look dull and outdated. Only reason I can see why there still selling more than their competition is because of their Reputation.

Belzebutt

There was a time when an Accord was the sporty family car option... Now it's like they don't want it to be.

F23A4

This!

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Sad but true.

Shift_Acura

Nobody wants to make their family cars sporty anymore. Camry/Accord are not sporty and they are the top sellers. Even Hyundai chose to make the Sonata ride and handle like a Camry.

The Mazda 6 is the only "sporty" family car that I can think of. And look how well it sold

TSX69

Honda's Accord Gets Highest 2011 Safety Rating in Revised US Crash Tests

Honda Motor Co.’s Accord received the best possible safety rating among 2011 model-year passenger cars tested for crashes under new U.S. evaluation standards, edging ahead of Toyota Motor Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. sedans.

The mid-size Accord, Honda’s top-selling U.S. model, got an overall 5-star rating, according to results posted on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.

Of 40 models tested so far, 6 rated 5 stars overall. Accord is the 1st to get 5 stars in each of 3 crash categories tested by NHTSA.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last month that the ratings are aimed at boosting overall safety and ensuring the results more accurately reflect the crashworthiness of new cars and light trucks. Changes include the use of female crash- test dummies for the 1st time, along with male versions, to collect data about injuries to the chest, head, neck and legs.

The 2011 Accord sedan received 5 stars on side and frontal crashes and rollovers, according to NHTSA.

Hyundai’s Sonata, with an overall 5-star rating, scored the top score on side-crashes and rollovers and 4 stars in frontal crashes, NHTSA said last month. Toyota’s Camry, the best-selling U.S. passenger car, rated 3 stars overall, earning 3 stars for side and frontal crashes and 4 stars for rollovers.

The agency continues to test 2011 model-year cars and trucks and is adding the results as they are complete. The results are available at http://www.safercar.gov.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles at aohnsman@bloomberg.net; Angela Greiling Keane in Washington at agreilingkea@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kae Inoue at kinoue@bloomberg.net

dom

Good, because after the MMC you'll have to wreck it to make it look good.

Safety is one area where Honda is exceling these days. Good to see. They should try and push that more in their marketing.

smarty666

I would say the Altima has a nice blend of sportiness and family sedan characteristics and sells pretty well for itself. It is definitely very different then the Accord or Camry in driving and handles a hell of a lot more responsively then both they do. That is something that I have always liked about it, you can get some nice sporty characteristics out of a family sedan without break the bank of going the boring route of an Accord or Camry.

phile

I bet the new commercial will focus on their ergonomically shaped door handles or some crap like that.

TSX69

NHTSA Investigates Honda Accord Hybrid Over Brake Concerns

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it has launched an investigation involving the Honda Accord Hybrid over unintended acceleration claims.

The NHTSA announced on Monday that it has launched a preliminary investigation covering the Honda Accord Hybrid after receiving a complaint linked to a fatal crash. The crash occurred in 2005, but the NHTSA failed to explain the 5 year latency period.

According to the complaint, the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid involved in the accident lost control after hitting rumble strips on the side of a highway. The driver applied the vehicle’s brakes, but the vehicle reportedly accelerated out of control. As a result, the vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic, killing the vehicle’s passenger and seriously injuring the driver and the occupants of the other vehicle.

The driver has since discovered 22 other complaints in the NHTSA database similar to her accident, all involving Honda Accord Hybrids or Honda Civic Hybrids. The 22 other complaints cited poor brake performance on rough surfaces.

Although no formal investigation has been launched, it sounds as if one is forthcoming. Both Toyota and Ford were forced to fix some of their hybrid vehicles after receiving similar complaints about braking over rough surfaces.

If a recall is launched, it would likely cover 16,826 Honda Accord Hybrids and 25,864 Honda Civic Hybrids.

biker

Oh, here we go again.

Moog-Type-S

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...n-problem.html

HondaOnWORKS

Meh, design is all option based. I wouldn't say the new Accord is good looking, but its not that bad either...

The reflectors... don't like em. Everything else? Pretty good.

As you might know, most people that buy Accords probably don't buy it cause it looks good. They buy it cause its a good family car, because well... its a family car. You're probably married with kids, who you trying to impress?

biker

^ but it may turn away some customers if it's too ugly.

dallison

i liked the new style when it came out. It was much nicer than the old one.

phile

the front looks better, but i think the rear looks worse. wasn't a fan of the original taillights, was hoping they'd do more than just add some strips on the trunk lid. like, completely re-do them.

pttl

Nah. People will always buy Accords no matter what they look like. People are buying the 4G TL...can get worse than that?

As long as the Accord name is on it...build it, and they will come.

biker

^ I think the main reason for the drop in sales for the TL is the exterior design. The same could be true for the Accord. At least Honda owned up to its mistake with the '03 FMC when they completely re-did the rear for 06.

TSX69

Honda Accord is Still a Winner
By ANN M. JOB, For The Associated Press Ann M. Job, For The Associated Press – Wed Jan 5, 12:50 pm ET

Even in troubled economic times, the long-running Honda Accord remains the second best-selling car in the United States. And no wonder it stays popular.

The Accord sedan is a recommended buy of Consumer Reports magazine and earned top scores recently in newly revised, tougher crash testing by the federal government. With refreshed styling, the 2011 Accord gets better gasoline mileage than its 2010 predecessor, too.

The new federal government fuel economy estimates of 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 34 mpg on the highway for the 2011 Accord sedan with 4-cylinder engine, for example, are the best of all large, 2011-model sedans except for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata with 4-cylinder engine.

One of Honda's best-known nameplates, the Accord has a higher starting retail price this model year. Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $21,930 for a base, 2011 Accord sedan with 177-horsepower 4 cylinder and manual transmission. The lowest-priced Accord sedan with automatic has a starting MSRP, including destination charge, of $22,730.

Accords also are sold as coupes, with a starting retail price of $23,530 with a 190-horsepower 4 cylinder. The higher-powered, 190-horse 4 cylinder is offered in the sedan, too, and a 271-horsepower V-6 is available in both the Accord sedan and coupe.

Competitors include the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, which has a starting retail price of $19,195 with 198-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission. The starting retail price is $20,915 with automatic transmission.

Another competitor is the 2011 Toyota Camry, which starts at $19,962 for a base model with 169-horsepower 4 cylinder and manual transmission. A base Camry with automatic starts at $20,884. But note the Camry is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a mid-size car, not a large car like the Accord. EPA bases the size on interior volume of the auto.

For decades, the Accord and Camry have been rivals bidding to be America's best-selling cars.

In 2010, the Camry beat out the Accord again to claim the top-selling-car crown, but Camry sales declined last year from their 2009 levels, while Accord car sales increased to 282,530.

An additional, recent model — the Accord Crosstour — is more of a tall, 5-door wagon in the style of today's crossover sport utility vehicles. But it added another 28,000 sales in calendar 2010 on top of the 282,530.

The test Accord, a 2011 SE Special Edition sedan that included luxury appointments like leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, driver's seat two-way power lumbar and leather-wrapped steering wheel, was roomy, comfortable for both front and back seat passengers and nimble in its handling.

It looked pleasant, too, with new grille, front bumper and trunk lid. But it wasn't as jazzy-looking as the 2-door Accord coupe or some newer competing sedans, like the Sonata.

Still, it's difficult not to admire the Accord's base, 2.4-liter, double overhead cam 4 cylinder with Honda's variable valve system mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The powerplant delivered smooth, capable power that was surprising for moving the lengthy sedan along without stress.

The 16.2-foot-long Accord sedan is 3 inches longer than the Sonata and 5 inches longer than the Camry. It's wider than these major competitors, too.

But in a sign of Honda's careful attention to weight, the Accord sedan's weight of 3,279 pounds was just about the same as a comparable Sonata's and a bit less than a comparable Camry's. As a result, the test Accord sedan responded readily when I pressed the accelerator pedal, and I merged into traffic without hesitation.

The Accord's 161 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm isn't exactly sporting, but it comes on steadily and deliberately to power this large sedan nicely on the roads.

I noticed shift points now and then, and I heard the engine under hard acceleration. But the overall power delivery was fine, especially considering that the gasoline gauge didn't move very much. I managed to get more than 23 mpg on the test drive, which involved 70% city driving.

The Accord sedan wound through mountain curves with poise that I didn't expect for such a large car. The double wishbone front suspension and rear multi-link suspension didn't mask road imperfections, however, as passengers readily felt road vibrations, even as tires passed over manhole covers. I didn't notice much wind noise, but I heard some road noise in the test car.

It seemed like every day I tried to elevate the driver's seat beyond its already top-height position. After driving taller vehicles, I felt a bit low to the pavement in the Accord and I fussed over having to endure blocking views of the backs of vans and pickup trucks.

The rear seat is nicely accommodating, even for three adults, if needed. There are 37.2 inches of legroom back there, exceeding the 34.6 inches in the back seat of the Sonata. The Accord's 38.5 inches of rear-seat headroom is more than the Camry's.

The Accord sedan's trunk looks roomy, with 14.7 cubic feet of space. There's more space available when rear seatbacks fold down. But the Sonata has a 16.4-cubic-foot trunk and the base Camry offers 15 cubic feet back there.

The test Accord came with many standard safety features, including electronic stability control, antilock brakes, anti-whiplash front head restraints and curtain air bags.

But beyond the leather-appointed interior, there were few extras.

Even the underside of the trunk was bare metal, with no lining or trunk lid handle that I could find.

Last month, Honda announced some 2011 Accords with V-6 engines are the subject of a safety recall. The company said front suspension bolts may not have been tightened properly, which could result in a loss of steering.

Yumcha

:ibthehatevenomandspew: