I test drove a Honda Accord EX with the I4 this past weekend and I loved it.
Although it doesn't have the refinement of the Acura TSX, (which I am also
interested in) the features are all there and the price is far lower. After
my test drive, I had really been won over, and I left the dealership having
about 95% decided on getting an '04 Accord.

Then I started reading online consumer reviews, and my mind started to change.
There are *so many* negative reviews of that car. It seems that people have
been having lots of mechanical and quality problems with their 2003 Accords.
On the other hand, the negative reviews of the TSX just complain about
performance and styling, not quality. But even the positive reviews of
the Accord mention rattles and engine trouble.

Now, I know that people who are upset about their car are more likely to
post a review than people who are happy with it. People who have lemons need
to blow off steam. But compared to other models of car on the road, the
2003 Accord had *way* more negative reviews, and a much higher percentage of
the reviews were negative. (This, by the way, was true on every consumer
review site that I checked.)

So, I read the Edmunds.com three-month road test. They loved the car. But in
those three months, they had to take the car back to the dealer twice.
The first time was the gas-cap/engine-light issue, which I know has been
visited time and again on Usenet. But the second was a loose clamp on a hose
that caused the engine light to come on. I know that this is minor, and
free to repair, but it is still a warning sign. As far as I'm concerned,
if a car has to go to the dealer even once in the first three months, that's
too many times. The fact that even in a glowingly positive review, there
was a mechanical problem with the engine, worries me.

So my question is this: Has Honda lost its way? Are they resting on their
laurels? Is the quality still there? Also, all of the reviews I read were
of the '03 model. Were the quality issues with the '03 addressed in the '04
update?

I know that Honda can make quality cars. The TSX seems to be really well built.
But that thing is made in Japan, and the Accord is made in the USA. Is that
what the problem is?

Thank you for your opinions.

-Joshua
--
-Joshua Belsky
jjbelsky@yahoo.com
http://belsky.net