Overview:
Well, ok I must admit I haven’t driven a Honda in years. This Accord 4-door sedan with a respectable V6 is nothing like the “Honda-Car” image of the early days when they came on the scene and beat the crap out of the competition. In those days, however, you could put them (Civic) in the trunk of your big tank-like American car. Kinda like a spare can of gas with wheels. Come to think of it, they are still competing strongly in the market.
They’ve come a long way babe and I rather liked the latest version of the Honda-Car. Its rather “Plain Jane”, but at the same time they have a lot of creature comforts. The fit and finish is very good, so typical of Japanese made cars. The wood grain trim is simulated, but not bad quality. Today, however, the huge array of competitive cars are also very good in these areas. I’ve driven all either on and/or off the track. Beating out the competition isn’t an easy task in today’s world where there is more to choose from than any consumer really needs. Ever get the idea that there must be a ton of money to be made in the auto industry? Why else would there be so many car makers? They are so prolific and pop new models out like Hershey’s Kisses and with the same generic design.
How sweet it is some may say, but what ever happened to the good old days with great creative styling where cars really differed. You could tell one car from the other with ease. Now they all look the same, right! Remember the Hudson Hornet, the Studebaker, the Edsel? Ok, none of these are still around so I guess generic is better. But I think people still want difference or there wouldn’t be so much interest in the reborn VW Beatle and the new Audi TT.
I remember when grandma took the Santa Fe train from Massachusetts to Pasadena. She wouldn’t get on an airplane. At the turn of the century she’d come to Massachusetts on a boat via Ellis Island like so many new Americans. But California? That was a foreign land to her. Most of my family was still in New England and we were the rebels who left the clan to go to the wild west. Naturally she had to tell us how terrible California was and that not only did they have sin city Hollywood here, you couldn’t tell whether the cars were coming or going. She was referring to the newer Studebaker on the roads back in the early 1950’s. Obviously she hadn’t seen one before and attributed them to the California lifestyle. Well, granny, I’ll give you that one, the Studebaker did appear to have two front ends, but Hollywood wasn’t any more a sin city than Las Vegas was. Ok, Granny you got me on both counts. She never came back.
I rather liked everything about the 2000 Accord EX and since it’s winter the heated seats were nice. The stereo put out great sound and it even had a CD player. The rear seat was roomy for a small compact/ mid-size car and in addition to a good size trunk you could put the rear seat back down for added trunk pass through capability. Like most Japanese cars the ride is quite, smooth and comfortable, has a solid feel and handles well. Power is more than adequate and I had fun driving it. It’s no wonder this has been such a popular car for so many years.
Recommendation:
Since individual appeal is so important you’ll have to test drive a lot of cars. There are so many to choose from in this market segment, and they are all quite good. I can honestly say I can’t even give a biased recommendation. To me they’re like women, I love ‘em all.
The competition:
Acura CL $23,100-26,150, Chevrolet Impala $18,705-22,365, Dodge Intrepid $20,390-24,435, Ford Taurus $17,695-20,895, Mazda 626 $18,245-22,445, Mitsubishi Galant $17,357-23,757, Nissan Altima $15,140-20,390, Nissan Maxima $21,049-26,249, Oldsmobile Intrigue $22,090-25,720, Pontiac Grand Prix $19,815-24,310, Subaru Legacy $19,195-24,295, Toyota Camry $17,418-26,098, Volkswagen Passat $21,200-27,655.
Good News:
Good fit and finish, smooth ride, nice handling, plenty of power, fun to drive, top selling car for 30 years.
Bad News:
Plain Jane styling, V6 puts it high in the competitive price range.
Standard Equipment:
3.0L 200-hp V6 engine, 4-Speed Automatic, anti lock braking system, child proof rear doors, theft deterrent system, security system with keyless entry and remote trunk, leather seating, simulated wood trim, stereo with 6 speakers, auto air conditioning, cruise control, power doors, windows and door mirrors, 8-way power driver seat with lumbar support, fold down rear seat with trunk pass through, alloy wheels, power moonroof with tilt.
Gas Stats:
20 City and 28 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP Retail Price Range $15,350 – $24,550
Your comments are welcomed. My e-mail is movello@earthlink.net .
