2003 Honda Accord EX-L 5 Speed 2.4L from North America

Summary:

Rock Solid

Faults:

Air intake breather pipe recall and the power drivers seat rocking in its track.

Otherwise, no problems.

General Comments:

This new Accord is terrific. It is comfortable, quiet, and tracks down the road with precision. The interior materials are high quality.

The 4 cylinder/manual trans. combo is quick, smooth and gets 34 mpg as a bonus.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th February, 2004

1st Apr 2004, 07:16

Just wondering if the power driver's seat rocking in its track is a typical problem with these cars? I have an '03 EX-L 5-speed automatic, and I haven't noticed a rocking, but surely the seat is not in its place as firmly as it could be. Should I take it to the dealer and have it looked at? Please contact at ursino2@aol.com.

2003 Honda Accord 2.0 i VTEC Comfort 2.0 iVTEC from Spain

Summary:

Lively engine, great handling

Faults:

Nothing at all, so far.

General Comments:

I like it very much, it's fast, handles well and looks good.

It's a bit narrow in the back, so it's difficult to get two children's seats in and an adult in the middle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th January, 2004

2003 Honda Accord V6 240 hsp. from North America

Summary:

A well designed, high performance bargain

Faults:

I've had two relatively minor problems.

The floor carpeting did not fully extend to the passenger side edge of the floor (about 1/4 " short). Honda replaced the entire carpet quickly, free.

Driver's side visor rattled. Honda replaced visor at no charge.

General Comments:

My best Honda yet!

Smooth, very powerful ride. You can really feel the 240 horsepower engine.

Responsive steering and great overall handling. Best of all, the traction control on my V6LX really makes a difference on snow covered roads. This Accord handled significantly better in snow and on the open road than my previous Accords.

.Very good sound system which masks road noise effectively.

The inside cabin has a fair amount of road noise.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th December, 2003

2003 Honda Accord LX-V6 3.0 from North America

Summary:

There are much fewer cons in this car than pros

Faults:

So far, this car has a small grinding sound in the engine, this had become obvious within two weeks of use. Other than the noise, the driver side adjustable seat belt has stopped working.

General Comments:

If you don't mind the small noise, the 6 cylinder, 240 horsepower engine runs incredibly smooth. It heats up really fast, which is good for Canadian winters. It is a very fast, smooth, and comfortable car. The graphite pearl is a very nice and fancy color.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th December, 2003

23rd Jan 2004, 09:53

The grinding noise is a self check on the ABS system I had that problem and was going nuts over it, but that's what I was told it was.

2003 Honda Accord Euro Luxury 2.4 i-VTEC from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Refined performance and luxury in a stunning-looking package

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

The Accord Euro is indeed very European in the way it drives.

The suspension is firm, but never uncomfortable and endows the car with excellent handling. The steering is sharp and direct without being too light or over-assisted.

Honda's VTEC engines are always fast off the mark, but usually don't have the best in-gear acceleration. The Accord Euro is certinaly very different in this regard - the engine pulls strongly in virtually any gear, and can accellerate from 0 to 100 Km/H in less than 8 seconds, so the car is very quick all around.

Inside is very well equipped with dual climate control, powered and headed leather seats, 6 airbags and an electric glass sunroof and 6-disk in-dash CD changer which sounds great through the car's 6 speakers. The only thing really missing is a memory function for the drivers seat, but then again, most cars in this price range don't even have leather, let alone heated seats or most of the other features the Accord has.

There is also Honda's vehicle stability assist system which, along with the traction control, works effectively without being overly-intrusive and spoiling the fun.

On the road the Euro is very, very quiet and the engine can only really be heard when accelerating hard. The 6-speed manual is also a pleasure to use, with very short shift throws.

The Euro looks fantastic as well with an aggressive front, sleek lines and a dual exhaust (one left, one right) which makes the car look real mean from behind, and actually matches the performance.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd December, 2003

22nd Jun 2004, 07:11

Fully Agreed with the comments. I would say that to be really EURO a more sophisticated trip computer showing km/l, remaining km to go in a fuel tank would be really nice. The Radio has an excellent sound and Honda has used high quality (or above average) speakers on the Euro. It is selling almost 8 to 1 against the V6 (Made in Thailand) and there is a queue of up to 3 months depending on the mode you want. Add the trip computer, 17"wheel/tires and adjust the fog lights and you do have a 5 start vehicle here!

12th Nov 2004, 21:07

After driving the mazda 6,i talked myself into liking it, but when I drove the accord euro it was love at first drive, the power, the luxury, the refinement added up to a very complete and user friendly car. Yeah it cost a bit more, but who cares when you got to keep it for 3-4 years. The review was spot on, I didn't realise such a car existed for $34,000 drive away.

28th Jan 2013, 15:37

I don't know why everyone implies that the Euro is powerful! It's a gutless 4 banger compared to the 240hp V6, and hardly looks euro at all; it looks very much the Japanese car that it is, with subtle Alfa Romeo-esque hints. FWD and 4 cylinder is the definition of underpowered, and 8 seconds or just under is not a fast time.

In reply to 28th Jan 2013, 15:37

12th Feb 2015, 11:16

It was simply called the Euro to differentiate it from the US model, both of which were sold in Australia. I believe the Euro was the only Accord to be sold in Europe, hence probably why the name as well.

The V6 is heavier and changes the balance of the car, plus it's not an "eager" engine. The 4 is in the tradition of Honda free revving engines, however the V6 is probably better for lower down performance.

In reply to 28th Jan 2013, 15:37

15th Feb 2015, 18:43

Well, it is powerful - at 170 BHP roughly - it wasn't that long ago when you needed a very large 6 or an 8-cylinder car to get that horsepower. But it's the torque that matters - this engine doesn't have the torque to match the power. It's more like a 2-litre car.