Japanese Tiger (Honda Accord (1998 on) in general)

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Product:	Honda Accord (1998 on) in general
Date:	04/12/00 (428 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well built, well equipped

Disadvantages: Guzzles fuel up

Worthy but dull is the best way to sum up the Honda Accord, but it’s still worth a look if you’re in the market for a compact executive motor. OK so it’s not quite such a good looker as its near identical cousin, the Rover 600, but if you don’t mind going without a fancy grille, the Honda is cheaper and on top of that it’s got plenty of other stuff going for it too.

First there’s the engines. Whether you opt for the entry level 1.8 litre (113bhp), the mid range 2.0 litre(129bhp) or flagship 2.2 litre VTEC (148bhp), you won’t be disappointed as they all boast smooth power delivery and refinement. If there is a criticism it’s that the high revving VTEC engine doesn’t have enough grunt low down the rev range, forcing you to drop down a gear in places you wouldn’t with some of its competitors. Fortunately the Honda’s gearchange is slick and precise, which means the constant down changes aren’t as irritating as they otherwise might be.

Like its engine line up, the Honda’s chassis is highly competent. The amount of body roll means the Accord’s handling isn’t up there with the class-leading BMW 3-Series, or the Audi A4, but the ride is. The Honda’s softly sprung set-up irons out most of the stuff the average road throws at it, only getting unsettled over bad roads at low speed.

Inside there’s plenty of equipment to keep the young exec happy. Base models boast driver and passenger airbags as standard as well as electric windows, central locking and a sunroof, while the top of the range VTEC adds ABS, air conditioning, alloy wheels and leather seats. Best of all though is the build quality which is easily on a par with its German rivals. Like we said, worthy but dull.

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