The Honda Accord is one of the best-selling sedans globally, known for its reliability, efficiency, and practicality. However, the factory-standard Accord can look bland and boring compared to flashier vehicles on the road. Thankfully, with some creative modifications, you can make your Honda Accord stand out from the crowd without breaking the bank.
In this guide, we’ll suggest easy DIY tweaks like vinyl wraps, new wheels, lowering springs, and more to give your ride a unique style. We’ll also cover performance upgrades like air intakes, exhausts, and ECU tuning for added power. Read on to learn How Can I Make My Honda Accord Look Better on any budget.
Exterior Upgrades
The exterior or outer appearance of your car is the first thing people notice. A few visual upgrades can transform the look of your Accord for under $500 in most cases. Here are some simple ways to make the outside of your Honda Accord pop.
Vinyl Wrap
One of the easiest ways to change the look of your Accord is by wrapping it. High-quality vinyl wraps can give your car a whole new paint job in nearly any color or finish for a fraction of the cost of repainting. Matte wraps are trendy now, taking away the shine for a flat, muted effect. Chrome or color shift wraps also attract attention. Installation takes just a few days and preserves the original paint when removed.
New Wheels
Installing new aftermarket wheels is a quick way to freshen up the style of any car. For the Accord, consider lightweight aluminum alloy rims in sizes 18 to 20 inches. Choose a design with some flair, whether multi-spoke, mesh, staggered, or even 3-piece forged wheels for a premium upgrade. Lower profile, high-performance tires paired with new rims fill out the fenders better for a meaner stance.
Lowering Springs
One of the easiest ways to enhance the look of your Honda Accord is by lowering it closer to the ground. Lowering or drop springs quickly lower the ride height 1 to 3 inches for a more planted, athletic appearance. Lowered Accords handle better too. Make sure to get quality springs designed specifically for your Accord’s suspension. Lowering too much can impact ride comfort and functionality.
Blackout Trim
For a subtle exterior change, consider blacking out any chrome trim pieces on your Accord. This includes the grill, badges, mirror caps, trunk accents, and any other shiny parts. Plastid Dip, vinyl wraps, and adhesive films easily darken chrome while allowing you to reverse the changes later on. The murdered-out look gives your car a stealthier, sportier vibe.
Interior Upgrades
Improving the interior ambiance helps make driving your Accord more exciting. These simple interior mods allow you to customize the look and feel of the cabin.
Color Accents
Add visual interest inside your cabin with colorful accents and LED lighting. Use colored seat covers, floor mats, pedal covers, and steering wheel wraps to match your style. LED strips and interior lights in custom colors completely change the mood of your interior once the sun goes down.
Sound System
Upgrade your weak factory stereo to a bumping sound system. Start with new speakers and a subwoofer for louder, clearer sound. Add amps and a new head unit for high-power audio that really enhances your driving experience. Even just a basic speaker upgrade makes a big difference.
Sport Seats
Replace the standard seats with a set of sport bucket seats up front. Aftermarket racing seats come in eye-catching designs and provide more lateral support while cornering. For even more flair, install 4-point harnesses, though these replace the factory seat belts.
Custom Gauge Cluster
Swap out the factory instrument cluster for an aftermarket gauge pod with mechanical dials and digital displays. These let you monitor engine performance – like boost pressure, exhaust gas temperature, oil pressure, etc. Gauge pods mount right onto the dash or pillar for easy installation.
Performance Upgrades
If you want to extract more power and speed from your How Can I Make My Honda Accord Look Better, consider these common bolt-on mods and tunes.
Air Intake
A drop-in air filter alone provides better airflow and throttle response. For more power gains, install a cold air intake system replacing the factory airbox with an open element filter. This force-feeds cooler, denser air into the engine for extra horsepower.
Cat-Back Exhaust
Replacing the factory exhaust system with a cat-back or axle-back setup reduces backpressure. This allows the engine to breathe better and boosts power across the rev range. The improved exhaust flow also gives your Accord a much deeper, aggressive growl.
ECU Tune
To maximize the added airflow from intake and exhaust mods, get an ECU tune. Custom tunes optimize the engine computer’s maps for the new mods. A proper tune combines the full effects of all bolt-ons for solid peak power gains.
Lowering Springs
As mentioned above, lowering springs quickly improve handling by reducing body roll and squat under hard acceleration. Lower center of gravity provides sharper turn-in and cornering. Make sure to adjust alignment after installing springs.
Final Touches
Finish off your custom Accord build with these last touches:
- Window tint – for privacy & hot climate comfort
- LED lighting – brighter, whiter, longer-lasting
- Short antenna – removes old school extendable antenna
- Rain guards – allow windows down during rain
- Quick release steering wheel – makes access in/out easier
With simple bolt-ons, visual tweaks, and equipment additions, you can customize your Honda Accord to match your style. Start with easy DIY mods first. Keep upgrading as time and budget allow to create your ideal Honda. Driving a modified Accord you personalized yourself makes commuting infinitely more exciting.
Conclusion
Making aesthetic and performance improvements to your stock Honda Accord is easier than you think. With basic tools and a few upgrades, you can quickly tailor your Accord to match your tastes and needs. Start with simple tweaks like tint, lighting, wraps, wheels, or lowering springs to transform the exterior style. Upgrade the interior ambiance with colored accents, new seats, and an improved sound system. To extract more power, bolt on intakes, exhausts, tunes, and springs.
Also Read: Top 10 Honda Accord Mods