2005 Honda Accord EX-L from North America - Comments

Nothing has gone wrong with the vehicle, and it is in like-new condition.

Everything is solid, no visible signs of wear anywhere on the vehicle.

Note: Vehicle is Taffeta White with Ivory (tan/beige) interior.

I purchased the vehicle off-lease from a neighbor, who pretty much drove the church and the grocery store with it. The Accord is in new condition and the tan leather seats are in fantastic condition. The fundamental design of the seats are good and leather quality is top notch, but even after four years, they're not all that comfortable. They are supportive and have good range of adjustment, but they're too firm. I sat in a 2006 Mercury Milan the other day (with leather as well) and was much more impressed with the seat quality in terms of comfort. The tilt/telescoping steering wheel has good adjustment range. Interior is a little cramped compared with the Milan, but still good for a mid size sedan.

The 160hp 2.4L i-VTEC engine is very smooth, and vibration is only noticeably intrusive at idle when in drive. The engine remains liquid smooth all the way through the rev range, and sounds expensive compared to the Mazda 2.3L I4 engine used the Milan. The engine refinement is one of the best parts of this car. It's crisp off the line and doesn't feel underpowered. However, the Accord feels labored when passing or climbing a steep hill.

The five speed automatic is smooth for the most part. It does seem to give a muted jolt when going from first to second, no matter how quickly or slowly you're accelerating. There can be a kick down delay at times up to two seconds on the highway as well. Other than that, you don't notice it shifting much because it's so smooth.

Road noise is low but it could be a little quieter at highway speeds. In terms of handling, it's not as sharp as I expected, but still very enjoyable. The steering firms up very well through brisk cornering at speed and is lighter around a parking lot. In terms of "feel", it can be a little numb on-center, but is otherwise quite satisfying. There is too much body lean for the ride firmness. The chassis is very solid and the interior makes no undue noises. Going over railroad tracks in the Accord reveals a rock solid chassis that gives a good ride when considering that the suspension is more taut than the wallowy Camry.

The interior design is bland, but the quality of plastics and leather used are class-leading. Nothing in the interior of the Accord feels cheap. Even the way the doors shut feel expensive. Every piece of trim is solid. Even the soft "tick, tock" chime that plays when the headlights are left on is pleasing.

Speaking of headlights, they're fantastic. The Accord has an electroluminescent instrument panel which is nothing short of gorgeous, night or day. The cluster is lite when the car is on, so if you're not paying attention and it's getting dark, you might forget to turn on the headlights. I see so many older people driving vehicles that I know have electroluminescent clusters without their headlights on in the evening. As for the up-level 270 watt audio system, it's very very good. Dual-zone auto climate is very good and quite responsive to changes in temperature.

Heated seats: The Accord EX-L has heated seats for driver and front passenger with high and low settings. They work fine and provide a decent amount of heat. However, no Honda Accords heat the passenger's back. If you own an Accord with seat heaters with this "issue", it's supposed to be like that. This is because in the seat, there is a complex variety of occupant position detection sensor that will disable the side air curtains and torso airbag if the vehicle senses the passenger is not seated properly for side airbags to deploy safely (i.e. if their asleep and leaning on the door). Honda engineers were unable to work around this technology and felt safety was more important than your personnel comfort. Again, this is the passenger side only, the driver side heats both back and bottom.

The trunk is a good size, however the goose-neck hinges intrude on cargo space as opposed to strut hinges used on Accord competitors like the Fusion/Milan and the Sonata.

I love this vehicle and am very impressed with it and the high levels of powertrain and interior refinement. I focused a little more on the minor negative aspects so it may seem like a lackluster car by just reading this, but it's worth every cent you pay for it for the refinement, handling, and powertrain. It's one of the best investments anybody can make -- The Accord will not disappoint. Any additional questions you'd like answered on any vehicles I mentioned? If so, feel free to leave a comment and I'll update this review with answers.

By the way: MPG is 36 hwy, mid 20s city/hwy mix

Consumer Guide lists 0-60 in 8.6 seconds

4 wheel disc brakes are smooth and fairly powerful

"However, no Honda Accords heat the passenger's back."

Thanks for pointing this out - it narrows down my car search. My wife uses the heated seats in her minivan to relieve some back pain from an old sports injury. I was assuming all heated seats would heat the back.