Great family sedan, incredible value

I bought my 2003 Accord EX V6 in December of 2002. I am still very pleased with my choice. The car is roomy, refined, reliable, handles well, and accelerates very quickly. Look below for more details.

Handling: Firm ride but not harsh. Compliant. Very little body lean, doesn't nose dive when breaking. It is slightly less agile than the 1994 Accord I used to own, but in general, handles well.

Interior room: Largest Accord to date. In line with most small families needs. 3 adults can fit in the back, but it will be snug. 3 children fit easily, though not 3 car seats. Decent size trunk as well.

Acceleration: I bought the V6 to spoil myself and it doesn't disappoint. 0-60 in 7 seconds. I never have problems accelerating to pass or getting onto highways from the acceleration ramp.

Reliability: My AM radio didn't function properly when I received the vehicle. But other than that I have had no problems.

Interior: Very nicely laid out. All controls are where you would expect them to be and intuitive to use. Look and feel of high quality materials.

Driving position: the steering wheel tilts and telescopes and the drivers seat adjusts in every direction. Both myself and my wife are acommodated well (she is 5 feet 4, I am 6 feet).

Fun factor: The car handles well and accelerates quickly. That can make for some fun driving. But don't expect BMW like performance.

Safety: I believe the Accord did very well in crash tests. It comes standard with airbags, ABS breaks, etc.

Gas mileage: I've never owned a V6 so I didn't know what to expect. But I only get about 19 mpg in all city driving. Note: I have never gotten the gas mileage listed on the sticker for any vehicle I have owned. This may have something to do with my driving style.

Options: The EX comes loaded with just about everything. Power windows and locks, anti lock breaks, cruise control, 6 CD changer, climate control, moonroof, alloy wheels, etc. Pretty much anything you could want comes standard on the EX. The only option was a navigation system.

Maintenance: The only maintenance I do myself is changing the oil/oil filter and the air filter. Both are easily accessible.

Areas of disappointment?

1. Styling: I love the styling from the front and side, but rear styling leaves something to be desired.

2. Little things: Only the driver side window has one touch up and down. Why not all 4 windows? No selections for interior color. I wanted a charcoal gray car, but that only came with dark leather.