New Honda Accord AT With Elegance Kit

tazmaan · 1st November 2010, 13:55

Finally after lot of thinking and comparisons between Skoda Superb TSI and Honda Accord 2.4 AT I bought the later.

Why a Luxary Car:

In my Garage we have a Qualis 2001, Innova 2007, Swift VDI 2009 and a humble Merc W123 300D 1982.

We definitely needed a luxury Sedan with a priority for automatic, space and reliability.

Which Car:

The options were Camry,Passat, Superb and Accord.

The camry is a good car but its expensive compared to Accord.
Passat didn't have Auto option.
Skodas horror stories kept me away from Superb.
Accord fit the bill with no nonsence car which is reliable, spacious and has Automatic transmission.

Cons:

Poor list of equipment lots of cars in the hatchback segment have more features than Accord
Parking Sensors are of hardly any help
No MID with Distance to Empty, fuel Consumption, Average Speed etc. Even City has it come on Honda how much would that cost.
Steering Mounted controls are sorely missed but the controls on the rear armrest are useful.
Steering wheel feels very small for the size of the car.
Had a very bad experience during delivery, had to come twice to collect the car since it was not washed and elegance kit was only half complete.

Pros:

The 2.4 Vtec with the 5 speed auto feels just awesome. The Honda engine and reliability is the only reason for opting Accord.
The interior color scheme looks perfect with the combination of beige, black and Wood trim.
The looks (Subjective)

So far I have driven 350 kms and after being used to diesels the car definitely feels very silent the auto is a boon in the city.

Pics at the time of Delivery taken from a mobile cam.

zoom_vroom · 1st November 2010, 14:05

Congrats man on this fantastic machine.I am sure you are gonna love the smoothness of the Honda engine and its trouble free service.
Yeah i agree that Honda cars are under equipped for the price but they more than make it for the peace of mind they provide all through their ownership.
Wish you a million miles of happiness on your new Accord !

valhallen.282 · 1st November 2010, 14:10

Congrats on the purchase. She truly graces your garage and will surely age well. I thought the passat was being sold with the dsg tranny. That's what I remember from the last time I visited VW. Anyway you've bought and are through that! Hope you get to see many miles and much better service in the years to come!

sidindica · 1st November 2010, 14:13

Congrats on the car! Did you get the bluetooth kit installed? The accord comes with a full pre wiring for mobile phone with bluetooth interface.

tazmaan · 1st November 2010, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by valhallen.282

I thought the passat was being sold with the dsg tranny.

You are right Passat used to come with a DSG but VW has/had discontinued the auto DSG box

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidindica

Congrats on the car! Did you get the bluetooth kit installed? The accord comes with a full pre wiring for mobile phone with bluetooth interface.

No I have not opted for the bluetooth interface didn't find the need for it. Phones are best kept away while driving I feel.

I have heard Accord comes pre-wired for steering mounted controls and can be installed after market. Is that true?

veedub89 · 1st November 2010, 14:50

congratulations tazmaan!

the accord looks really mean in the third pic. I am really surprised that the a car like this from a brand such as Honda has given the steering mounted controls and the MID a skip. nonetheless I am sure that the beauty of this car lies in the driving experience.

drive safe.

M00M · 2nd November 2010, 16:39

congratulations on the brand new accord, i think you are one of the first to write about the current accord at, i wish you a happy experience.

tazmaan · 3rd November 2010, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by M00M

congratulations on the brand new accord, i think you are one of the first to write about the current accord at, i wish you a happy experience.

I guess so but I am sure there are members out there who own them

Thank you for your wishes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by veedub89

congratulations tazmaan!

the accord looks really mean in the third pic. I am really surprised that the a car like this from a brand such as Honda has given the steering mounted controls and the MID a skip. nonetheless I am sure that the beauty of this car lies in the driving experience.

drive safe.

Thank you!! Yes the car is brilliant to drive and the engine just loves to be revved.

The car has now done 250 Kms and the fuel indicator is just above the half mark. With a tank of 70 liters the mileage seems to be hovering around the 6 mark. However a full tank method will give me the exact figure.

I am very happy with the OEM headlight, its not that they are powerful, its just that the light seems to cover the road better. I was going to install HID's but have now decided to put them on hold.

The tires were inflated upto 39 psi against the rated 30 psi as per the manual. Got that corrected and the ride became even better.

I am very happy with the music system, with 6 mp3 cds loaded and an 8 GB USB mounted I have enough music for the entire year. The sound quality is decent.

I will update with more pictures of interiors, elegance kit, boot space, engine pics and more.

M00M · 13th November 2010, 15:15

thank you in advance for regularly updating this thread, i was doing research on the accord but have put off buying decision till the new updated version is launched, i hope they offer more kit at a reasonable price to compete with the skoda and vw. im sure others own but none have posted reviews so rare to find information.

tazmaan · 2nd February 2011, 10:51

First of all my apologies on delayed update.

Taking from where I had left before.

The first service was done around 20th of Dec 2010 with solitaire honda andheri. It was done at 900 odd kms since I was to get married (my absence for some time) next week and the car was due for a drive to Mahabaleshwar and Goa.

The 1st service experience was horrible. The sales man was forcing me to get AC disinfecting done else my AC warranty would be void. He did'nt know I am a member of Team-Bhp and thought I would buy it. I complained to Honda and I got an apology call from the dealer. I had created a thread on this which explains how things were handled by Honda. Got the oil changed on 1st service as advised by Honda.

So far car has done several long drives:

Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar - Goa - Mumbai
Mumbai - Bhavnagar (Gujarat) - Mumbai
Mumbai - Surat - Mumbai
And several Mumbai - Vapi Mumbai and Mumbai - Pune - Mumbai

The Current odo read 53xx kms and the 2nd service was finished yesterday.

I had a few issues with the car.
1. Heavy, loud and irritating rattle from the rear tray which holds the speakers
2. AC stinks when heater is turned on (May be this has to do something with me complaining to Honda on 1st service regarding the disinfectant issue)
3. The brake paddle oscillation at speeds beyond 120 along with steering vibration

It took Honda 3 days to sort these issues out and they seem to be rectified as of now. The 2nd service experience was amazing and I am pleasantly surprised. The staff for a change was courteous and a mechanic was assigned to me so that I can directly explain him my issues. There was no need for oil change and the car was serviced with a bill of INR 0.00 !

To Honda my "2nd service experience is what I expect from you every time I walk in the dealership".

Important observation.

1. Awesome music system with very crisp sound.
2. The car drives like a dream and the power delivery is just awesome.
3. All uneven roads are dispatched without a fuss.
4. Speed breakers seem like Accord killers on the road
5. The car feels planted at all speeds, have done speeds upto 190* (only once not to be repeated by any one)
6. I had a bird hit on my way to Bhavnager (no damage)
7. Had a close shave at 120 kmph with a diversion not noticed in time and the ABS and EBD did its job in guiding the car to safety.
8. The mileage is steady at 6.5 in city and 8.5 on highway
9. The rear seat is just awesome
10. There a mild blue colored ambient lighting for both passenger and driver foot well.

Got my 1st scratch and don't know how but the car was parked that time.

Akshay1234 · 2nd February 2011, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by tazmaan

I had a few issues with the car.
1. Heavy, loud and irritating rattle from the rear tray which holds the speakers

3. The brake paddle oscillation at speeds beyond 120 along with steering vibration

These seem to be problems with most Accords, even previous gen. What did they do to sort these issues? Especially the 2nd. On my car the discs had to be skimmed, I doubt a new car like yours would need that?

DMehta · 2nd February 2011, 12:06

@tazmaan - great report and a nice car you have got there. Dont worry about the scratch. In a city like mumbai these things are prone to happen.
Happy and Safe motoring!

aviorp · 2nd February 2011, 13:00

Congratulations tazmaan. Looks like the guys from A*S*S are made to sell a lot of stuff, when a car goes for a service. I have had this experience from both Hyundai and now M&M. Good to know that the issue has been resolved though it took so long. Btw, that is some garage. Do post a pic of it

tazmaan · 2nd February 2011, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by aviorp

Congratulations tazmaan. Looks like the guys from A*S*S are made to sell a lot of stuff, when a car goes for a service. I have had this experience from both Hyundai and now M&M. Good to know that the issue has been resolved though it took so long. Btw, that is some garage. Do post a pic of it

Yes I am sure the salaries would be dependent on sales they make but who takes care of the customer?
The garage is the open compund of the building with a roof its not fully enclosed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMehta

@tazmaan - great report and a nice car you have got there. Dont worry about the scratch. In a city like mumbai these things are prone to happen.
Happy and Safe motoring!

I am not worried about the scratch I know in a city like mumbai it happens. I will get the bumbers touched up annualy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234

These seem to be problems with most Accords, even previous gen. What did they do to sort these issues? Especially the 2nd. On my car the discs had to be skimmed, I doubt a new car like yours would need that?

The mechanic had suggested a possiblity of skimming and replacement of brake pads. Brake pads are not covered under warranty and is charhgable. But a mere rubbing and setting has done the trick this time.

supercars · 30th June 2011, 09:49

I would like to put my review of the Honda Accord here if you would not mind.

I drove a Manual Transmission Accord.

The car is very noisy and it accelerates quiet slowly. The acceleration is better once you have garnered some speed though. I think the in-cabin Noise is just too high. I did not expect this from Accord.

btw what do you mean by Brake Pedal & Steering Shaking at 130 and and above ?

The Rest of the Review in the next post.

1st November 2010, 13:55	#1
tazmaan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 926 Thanked: 3,235 Times View My Garage	New Honda Accord AT With Elegance Kit Finally after lot of thinking and comparisons between Skoda Superb TSI and Honda Accord 2.4 AT I bought the later. Why a Luxary Car: In my Garage we have a Qualis 2001, Innova 2007, Swift VDI 2009 and a humble Merc W123 300D 1982. We definitely needed a luxury Sedan with a priority for automatic, space and reliability. Which Car: The options were Camry,Passat, Superb and Accord. The camry is a good car but its expensive compared to Accord. Passat didn't have Auto option. Skodas horror stories kept me away from Superb. Accord fit the bill with no nonsence car which is reliable, spacious and has Automatic transmission. Cons: Poor list of equipment lots of cars in the hatchback segment have more features than Accord Parking Sensors are of hardly any help No MID with Distance to Empty, fuel Consumption, Average Speed etc. Even City has it come on Honda how much would that cost. Steering Mounted controls are sorely missed but the controls on the rear armrest are useful. Steering wheel feels very small for the size of the car. Had a very bad experience during delivery, had to come twice to collect the car since it was not washed and elegance kit was only half complete. Pros: The 2.4 Vtec with the 5 speed auto feels just awesome. The Honda engine and reliability is the only reason for opting Accord. The interior color scheme looks perfect with the combination of beige, black and Wood trim. The looks (Subjective) So far I have driven 350 kms and after being used to diesels the car definitely feels very silent the auto is a boon in the city. Pics at the time of Delivery taken from a mobile cam. Attached Thumbnails
	(2) Thanks

1st November 2010, 14:05	#2
zoom_vroom BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Faridabad Posts: 262 Thanked: 52 Times	Congrats man on this fantastic machine.I am sure you are gonna love the smoothness of the Honda engine and its trouble free service. Yeah i agree that Honda cars are under equipped for the price but they more than make it for the peace of mind they provide all through their ownership. Wish you a million miles of happiness on your new Accord !
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 14:10	#3
valhallen.282 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 331 Thanked: 196 Times	Congrats on the purchase. She truly graces your garage and will surely age well. I thought the passat was being sold with the dsg tranny. That's what I remember from the last time I visited VW. Anyway you've bought and are through that! Hope you get to see many miles and much better service in the years to come!
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 14:13	#4
sidindica Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 4,892 Thanked: 8,121 Times	Congrats on the car! Did you get the bluetooth kit installed? The accord comes with a full pre wiring for mobile phone with bluetooth interface. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 14:50	#6
veedub89 BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 519 Thanked: 1,080 Times	congratulations tazmaan! the accord looks really mean in the third pic. I am really surprised that the a car like this from a brand such as Honda has given the steering mounted controls and the MID a skip. nonetheless I am sure that the beauty of this car lies in the driving experience. drive safe.
	() Thanks

2nd November 2010, 16:39	#7
M00M BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 845 Thanked: 1,275 Times	congratulations on the brand new accord, i think you are one of the first to write about the current accord at, i wish you a happy experience.
	() Thanks

13th November 2010, 15:15	#9
M00M BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 845 Thanked: 1,275 Times	thank you in advance for regularly updating this thread, i was doing research on the accord but have put off buying decision till the new updated version is launched, i hope they offer more kit at a reasonable price to compete with the skoda and vw. im sure others own but none have posted reviews so rare to find information.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2011, 10:51	#10
tazmaan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 926 Thanked: 3,235 Times View My Garage	Update 2nd Service done First of all my apologies on delayed update. Taking from where I had left before. The first service was done around 20th of Dec 2010 with solitaire honda andheri. It was done at 900 odd kms since I was to get married (my absence for some time) next week and the car was due for a drive to Mahabaleshwar and Goa. The 1st service experience was horrible. The sales man was forcing me to get AC disinfecting done else my AC warranty would be void. He did'nt know I am a member of Team-Bhp and thought I would buy it. I complained to Honda and I got an apology call from the dealer. I had created a thread on this which explains how things were handled by Honda. Got the oil changed on 1st service as advised by Honda. So far car has done several long drives: Mumbai - Mahabaleshwar - Goa - Mumbai Mumbai - Bhavnagar (Gujarat) - Mumbai Mumbai - Surat - Mumbai And several Mumbai - Vapi Mumbai and Mumbai - Pune - Mumbai The Current odo read 53xx kms and the 2nd service was finished yesterday. I had a few issues with the car. 1. Heavy, loud and irritating rattle from the rear tray which holds the speakers 2. AC stinks when heater is turned on (May be this has to do something with me complaining to Honda on 1st service regarding the disinfectant issue) 3. The brake paddle oscillation at speeds beyond 120 along with steering vibration It took Honda 3 days to sort these issues out and they seem to be rectified as of now. The 2nd service experience was amazing and I am pleasantly surprised. The staff for a change was courteous and a mechanic was assigned to me so that I can directly explain him my issues. There was no need for oil change and the car was serviced with a bill of INR 0.00 ! To Honda my "2nd service experience is what I expect from you every time I walk in the dealership". Important observation. 1. Awesome music system with very crisp sound. 2. The car drives like a dream and the power delivery is just awesome. 3. All uneven roads are dispatched without a fuss. 4. Speed breakers seem like Accord killers on the road 5. The car feels planted at all speeds, have done speeds upto 190* (only once not to be repeated by any one) 6. I had a bird hit on my way to Bhavnager (no damage) 7. Had a close shave at 120 kmph with a diversion not noticed in time and the ABS and EBD did its job in guiding the car to safety. 8. The mileage is steady at 6.5 in city and 8.5 on highway 9. The rear seat is just awesome 10. There a mild blue colored ambient lighting for both passenger and driver foot well. Got my 1st scratch and don't know how but the car was parked that time. Attached Thumbnails
	(1) Thanks

2nd February 2011, 12:06	#12
DMehta BANNED Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 232 Thanked: 4 Times	Re: New Honda Accord AT With Elegance Kit @tazmaan - great report and a nice car you have got there. Dont worry about the scratch. In a city like mumbai these things are prone to happen. Happy and Safe motoring!
	() Thanks

2nd February 2011, 13:00	#13
aviorp BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 441 Thanked: 865 Times View My Garage	Re: New Honda Accord AT With Elegance Kit Congratulations tazmaan. Looks like the guys from ASS are made to sell a lot of stuff, when a car goes for a service. I have had this experience from both Hyundai and now M&M. Good to know that the issue has been resolved though it took so long. Btw, that is some garage. Do post a pic of it
	() Thanks

30th June 2011, 09:49	#15
supercars BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 484 Thanked: 27 Times	Re: New Honda Accord AT With Elegance Kit I would like to put my review of the Honda Accord here if you would not mind. I drove a Manual Transmission Accord. The car is very noisy and it accelerates quiet slowly. The acceleration is better once you have garnered some speed though. I think the in-cabin Noise is just too high. I did not expect this from Accord. btw what do you mean by Brake Pedal & Steering Shaking at 130 and and above ? The Rest of the Review in the next post.
	() Thanks