If you go auto, go for the 2 litre (Honda Accord 2.0i VTEC SE 4dr)

Member Name: r_welfare

Product:	Honda Accord 2.0i VTEC SE 4dr
Date:	19/01/04 (891 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent power with the auto transmission, Very reliable, Good build quality and safety

Disadvantages: Dull image, Not very economical

If you're confused about the title of this review, elsewhere on this wonderful site you will find another review written by me extolling the virtues of my dad's Accord 1.8 VTEC Sport auto. Well, by a strange quirk of fate (alright, it was a bl**dy cheap deal) I've bought an almost-identical car, but with a 2.0-litre engine.

So if you're looking for an Accord auto and aren't sure of whether a 1.8 or 2.0-litre is better, I can tell you now that the bigger engine is the one to have. It's got a decent turn of speed to it for a start, particularly in kickdown mode, where you need it most (i.e. overtaking something on a single-lane road). The 1.8 isn't particularly slug-like but my dad, after 100yds of driving, noticed the difference. Incidentally, both engines suffer from a lack of low-down torque (I think due to the VTEC design, which provides more shove at the upper rev ranges) which is particularly noticeable when pulling away from rest. Unless you're pulling away on a steep hill, it's a rare event that you'll spin the front wheels. No traction control is fitted on either of these cars, and neither needs it. Might be a different story with a manual transmission, though.

Surprisingly enough, the 2-litre isn't any thirstier than the 1.8 in our experiences - both cars will struggle to get more than 35mpg in daily mixed use, which isn't brilliant. However, even if you accelerate hard, do a lot of town driving or leave the air-con on constantly, it won't dip much below 30mpg.

The automatic 'box is smooth, and pulls right up to the redline (6,250rpm) on hard acceleration, with a quick kickdown response where needed. I have noticed that sometimes the electronics get confused and there is a perceptible "stumble", usually when you open, close, then open the throttle again in a short period (such as a traffic jam). You also have the option of a sequential shift for the four gears, whic
h is a bit gimmicky, but has it's uses (such as holding the car in a low gear on a steep downward hill, to preserve the brakes).

Other comments made before about this generation of Accord apply equally - the car is very well-made, although some of the dashboard plastics (such as the instrument panel surround and the housing panel for the electric windows) are a bit cheap and shiny; the seats are comfortable and it's easy to get a good driving position (left leg footrest is a nice touch); legroom in the back is reasonable, but not up to the standard of the new Mondeo, Passat or Vectra; the boot of both models (saloon or hatchback) is a good size and shape.

Most people will shortlist the Accord due to equipment levels, ease of operation and/or perceived reliability.

Even the basic 1.8S has loads of kit - all cars get electric windows all round, ABS, four airbags, power steering, aircon and cruise control (which is a nice gimmick when there is the space and lack of traffic to use it - I find it particularly useful on 30/40mph roads with an abundance of speed cameras). My 2.0SE adds to that an electric sunroof (not really needed with aircon, but that's the Japanese for you!). Top-line SE Executives have alloys, leather, sat-nav, Bose stereo, you name it. It's also notable that the car has a 4-star EURO NCAP crash test rating.

The car is very easy to drive, with light controls and quite decent handling, although obviously not in the hot hatch class - there isn't much feedback from the power steering. The ride isn't bad, but can be a bit "jiggly". Still, it does show that the car is well screwed-together, as it doesn't show up any rattles.

My dad has put on 20,000 miles in eight months on his, trouble-free - his only complaint is costly main-dealer servicing (the car will go to a specialist once it is out of warranty).

My car, being a Guernsey vehicle, had only done 17,000 miles
in four years when I bought it. It was part of the main dealer's used car sale, so didn't have the usual Approved Honda warranty. I opted for a three-month third party warranty which came in useful as after two months (and just 250 miles) the oxygen sensor broke. Having the warranty saved me approximately £350, and brought home the potential problems of cars that have only covered short journeys. This is not typical of your average UK car though (and one bought from a Honda dealer should have a pretty decent warranty), so you shouldn't have a problem. The Accord always seems to do well in reliability tests, no matter who the source is.

To sum up, then - a decent family car with good reliability, nice styling (particularly the up-spec saloons in dark metallics), lots of toys and it's unlikely to go wrong. You can pick one up for under £4,000 now...what's stopping you?

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