The trunk was open when one friend walked past and the hood was popped open when two other friends meandered by my 2004 Honda Accord. “If I took off my front wheel, OK maybe both wheels, I could my bike in the trunk, no problem,” one friend said. “That’s a spacious trunk for a mid-sized car.” My two other friends were more impressed with the powerful and efficiently designed engine.
“Look where everything is; It’s good access, for sure,” he said. “Even if you know nothing about cars, you can find everything. It would be hard to put the oil where the transmission fluid goes. And it’s like what we used to call a ‘Muscle Car’ engine when we were growing up.”
And so it goes with the 2004 Honda Accord, particularly the 240 horsepower V6 sedan EX model test driven for this review.
Key Takeaways
- Test car: the V6 EX sedan with 240 horsepower, in Redondo Red Pearl over a gray interior.
- $15,900 to $28,400 base price range for the 2004 Accord.
- 21 mpg city and 30 highway on the original EPA label for the V6 automatic; 18 and 27 under the EPA’s revised ratings.
- Equipment: individually heated front seats, steering wheel audio controls, an eight-way power driver’s seat, cruise control, a power moonroof with slide shade and leather-trimmed seats.
- Audio: an AM/FM stereo with six speakers, a six-CD changer and XM satellite radio.
- Rear seat: The rear seats aren’t quite as roomy and the total rear area is better suited for two adults than three.
Test Drive Impressions
From small, yet important, features like trunk space and engine dynamics, to passenger comfort, instrumental controls functionality and interior and exterior styling, there’s not much not to like on the 2004 Accord.
In short, in its ongoing competition with the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat, the tested Accord is a high-performance vehicle thinly disguised a mid-sized sedan.
Two test drives during my week with the vehicle were extended journeys, including a 200-mile round-trip day’s trek of primarily freeway miles.
With its 240 HP engine, freeway on-ramps, lane changes and accelerating when necessary in heavy traffic is surprisingly quick. According to Consumer Guide, the Accord V6 two-door coupe with automatic transmission was tested at 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds. The four-door sedan, in this instance appointed with a Redondo Red Pearl exterior and gray interior, seemingly was in the same speedy category.
Comfort and Equipment
The vehicle’s comfort and its standard equipment are equally impressive. One example, the XM satellite radio system, hadn’t been discovered on my 200-mile journey or a subject round-trip trek into the Sierra Nevada foothills. That was unfortunate.
Even in its preview mode, the satellite feature is a complement to the also standard AM/FM stereo (six speakers) and six-CD changer. Channel offerings in the satellite preview selection included a movie soundtrack station, an option not found via usual audio choices.
In recent years, Honda has meticulously honed its models’ interior and exterior design and features. Individually heated front seats, steering wheel audio controls, a driver’s side eight-way power seat with adjustable lumbar control with easily accessible power levers, cruise control, a power moonroof with slide shade and leather-trimmed seats are all included.
Efficiently designed and well-placed radio, interior and exterior light and windshield wiper controls are another plus as is the front-seat leg room and spaciousness. The rear seats aren’t quite as roomy and the total rear area is better suited for two adults than three.
2004 Honda Accord Verdict
A wonderfully designed engine, plenty of cargo area, a quiet ride, ease of use and versatility as a cargo carrier with a sports car‘s performance. What can be more appealing?
In short, the 2004 Honda Accord is a superior family car with plenty of wondrous accouterments to use just in case a sports car opportunity arises.
Facts & Figures: 2004 Honda Accord
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Base Price Range | $15,900 to $28,400 |
| Trim | EX V6 sedan |
| Engine | 3.0-liter V-6 |
| Horsepower | 240 hp |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel drive |
| Fuel Economy (original EPA label) | 21 city / 30 highway mpg |
| Fuel Economy (EPA, revised) | 18 city / 27 highway / 22 combined mpg |
| Fuel Type | Regular |
| Standard Safety | Driver and front passenger front and side airbags, side curtain airbags, three-point front and rear seat belts |
| Warranty | Bumper to bumper 3 yr/36,000 mi; corrosion 5 yr/unlimited miles; no scheduled tune-ups for 105,000 miles |
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.