Here is my reply to a tread from a GMC forum with regards to the slow sales of 2k3-4 Honda Accord. I've also addressed what I feel is missing in the styling of the 03 & 04 Accord(getting rid of the bobtail look). This was done in Photoshop.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4780&st=15&#entry52873
As an owner of three Hondas (76,94 and 2k4) I agree the 2k4 styling has a LOT to be desired. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the 2k4 on a dealers lot was "where is the rest of the car" (from the trunk back)? It's like the bean counters at Honda had to cut cost so they loped the tail end off. The front end of the Accord has some nice flowing lines but stops abruptly at the trunk.
It was a difficult decision to make in overcoming the styling issue of the 2k4 Accord but my past experience with the reliability ('94 Accord) is what help me make the choice. There were some other incentives to sway me also: repeat sale with the same person that sold me the '94 (he was not working at my local Honda dealer, 3.9% for 60 months from Honda and bottom line price at time of sale. Nissan, Toyota and Infinity could not hold a candle to what I paid for a 2k4 Accord EX V6 leather and Nav system.
When I drive the new Accord I don't want my driving experience to end. :D

i dont get it.
whats wrong with the styling?
i like it the way it is. looks better than just about anything out of Detroit which, IMO, is not very difficult to do.
not to undermine your photoshop skills, but i dont think a longer trunk makes it look any better. the original looks fine to me.

That's the benefit of the spoiler! It makes the rear have a much more refined looked with a sporty nature.....:D

That looks like about 6-8" added on ... Wow It looks even more like a Buick like that...hehe...(at least the rear). That would make it about 6" shorter than a Odyssey... Heck they could extend the roof and add a third row seat....Bruhahaha... The Accord is already longer than the Pilot?
One thing I can say about the 7th Gen is the interior is really well
designed.... I myself have had a hard time getting used to the look of the rear.... The front is nice as you said(S2000 styling)but the rear?? Give them a year and they will change tailights and the look might be better... Can you say Mugen Kit/All Wheel Drive and a 300Hp motor? I could overlook any length issues then....
Like Princess said the spoiler really helps the look!!

My 2cents
I1:)

I got a kick out of those postings on GM Insider... Those old timers don't get it..... Honda Accord sales can drop a 1/2% and it will not have any major effect... They don't realize that when your labor cost is double on domestic cars it's hard to build a QUALITY product... You have to cut cost somewhere????
Like the old saying Beauty is on skin deep!!!!! It's whats on the inside that counts...
I would venture to say that if Honda said ...Hey GM take this Accord design and run with it. The stampede would happen immediately....

I1:)

The Accord is 189.5 inches long & 71.5 inches wide. The Pilot is 188.0 inches long (without the bumper garnish) & 77.3 inches wide. Our Pilot has the garnish, so it's a few inches longer!!:D

Heck they could extend the roof and add a third row seat...

Isn't that what the wagons were???:)

I'm getting used to the choppy back end. I really HATED it when I saw it at first. It's growing on me though. I think spoilers make a big difference....more than most body designs. It was ordered before we left the dealer!

The interior space is great! I've had 2 boosters & a baby seat in the back with room to actually buckle them in. There's actually less butt area in the Pilot (in the middle seat) & the same kid's seats are squishier. It has more space between the seat & the door. I don't like the headliner in the 7th gen. It was better in the 6th. Not a point of rejection, just annoying.

:rolleyes:

Yep a spoiler is right up there on my wish list for my........uhhh excuse me.......my WIFE's Accord. Can't decide which style though. Can anybody convince me either way?

In the defense to the "Bobtail look" of the 7th Gen Accord, Honda was and is on the cutting edge of this one because as I notice the newer vehicles are going this route. Exp Chrysler 300C.

I went with the "wing" because to me it looks sportier. The little wedge has a more functional look. They put that kind on the top of the Pilot.

I'm sure it's partly in what you're wanting to acheive in the look. I wanted a little of everything.....to have it noticed, but not gaudy, to look more finished, to add some spice, to not look like just another Accord on the road, & to help hold the back end down when my little lead foot gets a mind of it's own!:D

I like the spoiler a bit more (spoiler = flush with body, wing = raised...see the difference now?). It adds a bit of character without making it look like a lot of other cars on the road with a wing. Personally I would love a spoiler on my 6th gen, but the ones that are offered look painfully bad.

The look of the 7th gen is growing on me a lot too. Weird to say this but I actually think that the wheels on the LX I4 model are best suited to the styling. Here's my rendition of the 7th gen, although went slightly overboard with the mods haha.

2003 Accord EX V6 Desert Mist Metallic (I think?): lowered, Electron Blue Pearl paint, EX V6 Coupe 6-speed wheels with Red Honda centercaps, Baer brakes, gReddy EVO dual exhaust, side effects on the rear bumper, modified C-pillar/window (subtle), raised trunk, sharpened taillights half smoked.

Original:
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album38/2003Accord.sized.jpg

Modified:
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album38/2003Accordbluehightop.sized.jpg

Also have this one I did a long time ago but of poor quality:
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album38/2003Accordmod.sized.jpg

Nice PS chops Benj......:yes:

I1:)

Originally posted by Inspector1
Nice PS chops Benj......:yes:

I1:)

Thanks...but no mention of what you think of the changes? Hehe oh well

I like the changes...
1st chop lights & deck lid(TL look) cool
2nd chop love those wheels..

I1:)

Well, as a former Detroit-iron owner (well, actually, Brampton Ontario iron) I can tell you that the 2003+ Accord styling is partly what drew me to the car.

Nothing will quite grab my eyes like the 1998+ Dodge Intrepids and 1999+ Chrysler 300M's did (my previous car was a 2000 Intrepid)..... but the Accord grew on me very quickly.

I was looking for a reliable car... one that would be at least as reliable as my Intrepid was (only one non-maintenance trip to the dealer... for a sensor that needed to be replaced).

I also wanted a car that would hold its value (my Intrepid's biggest weakness). The tight build and materials quality (still way beyond anything from "The Big Three") were major factors in my purchase decision too.

Another car that fit those criteria was the Camry. However, after having driven one, I was not impressed. I wanted a car that I wouldn't fall asleep driving.... and the Camry did just that... put me to sleep.

Overall, I'm very happy with my new Accord. The only thing I wish it had is hydraulic lifts for the trunk (I liked them in my Intrepid).

As of this date, I have 2400 miles on my new Accord... and I look forward to many tens of thousands more. :)