"Joshua J. Belsky" <belsky@brionne.cyberverse.com> wrote in message
news:vv3jn8jv5d3i93@corp.supernews.com...
> 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?
>
As a long time Honda owner, I must admit judging from the negatives the
quality and reliablity may not be what it once was. I can tell you, though,
that I drive an 01 Prelude with 36k troublefree miles. I run it hard --
and it just keeps on going flawlessly. Preludes were built in Saitama, JA.

> 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
>