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2003 Honda Accord Mid-Size Four-Door Sedan and Two-Door Coupe

MSRP Range: $Sedan: $16,000 to $ 28,500, Coupe: $19,500 to $28,500

Invoice Range: $14,000 - $25.500
Price Quote

Versions: Sedan - DX, LX, EX. Coupe - LX, EX

Vehicle Category: Mid-size Coupe and Sedan

Engine Location: Front Engine

Drive Wheels: Front-Wheel Drive

Engine As Tested: 2.4-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, Inline 4-cylinder i-VTEC, 160-horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 161 lb-ft torque at 4,500 rpm. Optional 3.0-liter, Single Overhead Cam, V6 VTEC, 240-horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 212 lb-ft torque at 5,000 rpm

Transmission As Tested: 5-Speed Manual. Optional 5-Speed Automatic or 6-Speed Manual.

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): Sedan: manual with inline 4-cylinder - 26/34, automatic with inline 4-cylinder - 24/33, automatic V6 - 21/30. Coupe: 5-speed manual with inline 4-cylinder - 26/34, automatic with inline 4-cylinder - 24/33 mpg, automatic with V6 - 21/30, 5-speed manual with inline V6 - 20/30.

Standard Safety Features: Driver and Front Passenger, front and side airbags, power front-wheel disc and rear-wheel drum brakes (some with 4-wheel disc brakes,) Anti-Lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Traction Control System.

Competition: Sedan - Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Stratus, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, Pontiac Grand Prix, Saab 93, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, Volvo S40. Coupe - Toyota Camry Solara, Volkswagen Golf GTI

DEARBORN, Mich. -- After five years atop best-seller charts with products based on the sixth generation of designs from 1998, Honda's mid-size Accord series rolls out in completely new format for 2003 models.

Configured as a stylish four-door sedan and slinky two-door coupe, these new Accords reveal sculptured exterior shapes, enriched yet efficient new powertrains and expansive cabin layouts providing more room for riders and more standard equipment.

The new exterior styling, not a cookie-cutter design resembling any other Honda, establishes a rich new image of glamour and strength and speed.

Stylists at American Honda in Ohio conjure up images of non-automotive objects to establish a design theme when creating fresh shapes for new cars.

When pondered the challenge of revising Honda's Ohio-built Accord, one of the most popular cars in America, the designers used images of the African cheetah -- fastest big cat on earth -- to set a theme for the design.

Raw-boned thin and so slinky it seems capable of swift movement even in repose, the cheetah possesses sinewy muscles encasing lean but powerful legs. In motion, the cat hunkers low to the ground and stretches to uncanny length as it races at blinding speed in pursuit of prey.

These images of a cheetah in motion -- slinky and lean, low and long, muscular and powerful -- might naturally be applied to the design of some swift and exotic sports car.

However, such descriptions rarely fit the mold for a mid-size car intended for mainstream consumption, much less one produced by Honda, where car styling has heretofore seemed intentionally sedate and restrained in order to appeal to a broad consensus of consumers.

Now scan the glittery face and edgy lines shaping the remake of Accord and you will see a sophisticated new design that looks dramatic and powerful, even expensive.

The aggressive front of the sedan with a steep rake to hood and windshield adds notched corners and multi-lens headlamp clusters in geometric formats.

Fenders and flanks reveal not only hard and straight lines denoting strength and speed but also complex curves with both convex and concave angles for artistic sculpture.

Accord the coupe shares enough styling cues from the sedan to maintain a family resemblance yet the coupe seems to hunker due to a lower roofline and the high beltline with elongated doors plus sweeping rear fenders that suggest speed and agility.

The impression of strength and speed is supported by a pair of new engines that beat predecessors in terms of power and efficiency as well as fuel economy.

Accord's base four-cylinder engine has been upgraded to a sophisticated new 2.4-liter in-line-four composed of aluminum with twin balance shafts, chain-driven dual-overhead camshafts and Honda's new i-VTEC (variable value timing and lift electronic control) with VTC (variable timing control) valvetrain to precisely manage engine breathing and combustion in order to maximize horsepower and disperse torque across a broad band.

It qualifies for SULEV (super-ultra low emission vehicle) status and earns fuel economy numbers up to 34 mpg with a manual five-speed transaxle or 33 mpg when linked to Honda's optional new electronic automatic five-speed.

The I4 produces 160-hp at 5,500 rpm plus torque of 161 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm, representing a power boost of ten points over the previous 2.3-liter.

Both coupe and sedan versions of Accord carry the base engine. In the sedan, it comes with three trims of DX, LX and EX, while the coupe shows LX and EX issues.

Both also offer a V6 that pumps 20 percent more power.

The aluminum 3.0-liter six, with single overhead cam and VTEC controls, delivers an inspiring 240-hp at 6,250 rpm and 212 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm.

Honda's new five-speed automatic goes to the two V6 trims of LX and EX for sedan and coupe, although the EX coupe also gets a no-load optional six-speed manual stick.

Fuel economy numbers for the V6 reach as high as 30 mpg with either automatic or manual shifter.

On Michigan's Southfield Freeway slicing through the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, we sample all powertrain combinations on the new Accord and discover an exuberant behavior not found in previous editions.

The V6 is the obvious ripper and delivers muscle to spare. We use it to our advantage in a rush to speed when merging into traffic flowing south on the Southfield.

The four-pack is a surprise with lively throttle action and torque skewed toward bottom gears of either shifter. In traffic, it inspires confidence with quick throttle response on demand yet still brings impressive fuel economy numbers.

New Accord expands in package size and feels more substantial in motion.

Wheelbase on the sedan stretches an inch longer and the width of the body increases by 1.2 inches, although the overall length is up by only 0.1 inches.

On the coupe the wheelbase remains the same as the previous design but the new version is an inch wider and 0.8 inches longer.

The unibody structure for Accord, crafted with high-tensile steel, measures 27 percent stiffer in torsional rigidity over the previous design. A new front subframe employs hydroformed steel with floating mounts for engine and front suspension system to temper noise and vibration.

Accord's double wishbone suspension was modified to improve ride and handling by reducing fore-aft body movement when accelerating and braking and checking lateral sway when rounding corners.

Safety systems multiply, with standard anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and a traction control system (TCS).

The fancy five-seat cabin features LED lighting for instruments, separate climate controls for driver and passenger, dual-stage frontal air bags plus side-impact air bags optional for LX trim but standard on EX, along with standard side curtain-style air bags for EX V6.

Despite upgrades in standard equipment and powertrains, price points for the 2003 Accords do not escalate appreciably. Sedans start with a DX and manual transaxle for $15,800 plus a $460 delivery fee and $800 more for the automatic. Accord LX V6 runs to $23,460 and the top EX V6 is $27,800 with leather seats and a DVD-based navigation system. Coupes extend in a range from $19,300 to $27,900.

MORE DATA

Where Built: USA, Japan, Mexico

Seating: 5

Number of Rows: 2

Crash Test Ratings:

  • NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: To Be Determined
  • NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: To Be Determined
  • NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: To Be Determined
  • NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: To Be Determined
  • NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: To Be Determined
  • IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: rated Good

Length in Inches: Sedan - 189.5. Coupe - 187.6

Warranties: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion.

Weight in Pounds: Sedan - 2,989. Coupe - 2,994

Towing Capacity in Pounds: Not Applicable

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 17.1

Destination Charge: $460