honda accord review - Team-BHP

lamborghini · 15th November 2004, 19:44

Honda accord 2.3 vti m/t 2001 review.

If I had to summarize this car in 7 words then I would say “ its simply the best car in India “
The car , bought as a replacement of our audi100

Exteriors

This was one of the first batches of the then new gen accords to be imported into India…
Ours is a silver one.
Even though I wanted black, it was only launched later in the vti-l guise …
The car seemed Spartan or its price but at that time we really had no choice.
It was either this or the sonata, which didn’t meet my requirements a bit

When we bought this car we were on the lookout of something big, comfortable, powerful, easy to drive. Looks didn’t matter to me much but it still looked better than the sonata as I don’t like my luxury cars to look flashy.

In pictures the car doesn’t look interesting, in fact it is said that it looks like an overgrown city.
Its only when u walk up to the car do u realize how sleek and beautiful it looks.

The rear in comparison is a bit boring with the wraparound taillights being the only redeeming feature (in the new version, this mars the appeal of the car)

The car however looks best when viewed sideways.
All one can think of when viewing it sideways is – wow that is big …

To summarize the exteriors all I can say is that Honda has played safe by launching this sober version of the car.
The car, though understated and boring will age well unlike the ‘ futuristic’ designs of the other cars, which have already dated e.g. – w210 e class. The w – 124 looks way better in comparison, the sonata, the accent – looks a bit boring nowadays. Cant turn heads the way it used too …

But I guarantee, if u ever see the car, its kept in better than showroom condition barring the bumpers.
It was rear ended once and the bumpers sort off got dented. The dents gone but the lines still remain.
The front got scratched while taking a turn though L
The wheel caps are a let down on such an expensive car though
Anyway I give it a ranking of * 7 / 10
Interiors

Anyway, moving to the interiors.
On entering the car, u are greeted with a nice, good quality dashboard which, once u get comfortable in the 8 way adjustable American sized (xxl) sized seats, u notice provide a good view ahead .

There are signs of cost cutting though such as the lack of leather seats, flimsy stalks and door pads etc .

The music system provided is good for daily use but a music enthusiast is advised to change the speakers, which tend to crack when played loudly.

However , on the upside , the car is big inside, even bigger than the merc e class
The design, just as the exterior is a bit dull and unexciting and due to flimsy bits doesn’t get more than 6/10

Ride and Handling

When the car had done approx. 27 k km, I changed the standard turanzas to Goodyear eagle f1s which has improved the handling and stance by quite a margin, however, there has not been much of a difference in ride though .

The ride and the space are just excellent, even better than the new e270 as we found out on the way to Pune.
BTW – merc lovers, apart from these two problems, the e class is way better in all other respects
The car handles relatively well and is quite easy to drive in the ity but as I haven’t tested it to the limit I cant really comment on it
This section gets an easy 9/10 in my books

Engine, Gearbox and Performance

The 2.3 lit VTEC engine is quite refined and free revving.

Its performance is just outstanding but a notchy gearbox let it down
The pickup in any gear is just awesome and is a way better drivers car thn the city VTEC if kept on the boil.
This is a topic I cannot comment on much as I haven’t driven it a lot but from what I have experienced it gets a 8/10, only letdown with a un-Honda like gearbox

Brief Summary
This car keeps on surprising me,
After all how many cars can combine ride and comfort and driver appeal in such an uncompromising way
The quality issues which were present in this car, seemed to have been completely wiped off with the new gen accord which is why it a best seller in its segment.
The reliability ( only 27 pp100 vehicles, least in its class by a big margin )and sense of safety ( palio build quality better though ) which one associates with this car and also its good prices – for used cars make it a convincing buy as after all u can get a low used accord for 7.75 – 9 in the used car scene nowadays
This is one of the best buys in the used car market especially if u change the tires and put on a good alloy set, the car will keep you happy for the next couple of years at least.
Oh yeah and put in some leather seats for added luxury

Likes – performance, space, comfort, reliability, handling (on Goodyear eagle F1s at least) … (I can go on and on so just read the dislikes …. It’ll be simpler)

Dislikes – gearbox, FE (5.5 – 6.15 in city), understated looks , cost cutting – door pads, no alloys , flimsy stalks

Costs – apart from service just 17500 for tyres..

Sorry for the long review though.
Is not easy fitting my love for this car in a paragraph or two
Will post more pics later
Cheers
lambo

lamborghini · 15th November 2004, 19:56

sorry for the big pics
will post diff smaller ones later though..
cheers
lambo

Jaggu · 15th November 2004, 19:58

hey lambo neat review.

shravan316 · 15th November 2004, 19:58

hey, nice review lambo!

drifter · 15th November 2004, 20:35

dude nice review,

someone plz do something abt the size of the pics...and some of them are not opening on my pc.

Neways, I've never had any problems with the looks of the old accord...
it looks understated like you said...i dont like too much flash either. All in all good write up.

Drifter

lamborghini · 15th November 2004, 20:52

thanx guys
noticed the pics too
i think i put up the rear pics wice so just checkin that
more pics to come soon..
depending on when i get to see the car as its in dads mills compoundf and is only used when needed

Sahil · 16th November 2004, 07:20

Aah... I see my baby's brother being reviewed here

I have this generation accord too in black but mine is the Vti-L version automatic.... However i have the exact same one as lambo VTi version the base one which i got before the black on ... both of them r automatic thats the difference btwn lambos car and mine. Nice review man... u complained abt the transmission... i guess thats coz u have the manual coz the automatic is beautiful.Havent really had any problems with mine, but its a good thing that u changed the tyres... i did that on my Black Vti-L version as thats the one for me i use that the most so i put 205 michellins and my silver one has the stock tyres....and boy there is a world of a difference in the handling... everytime i drive the silver one i dont feel that safe under hard braking...not that the handling of the stock accord tyres r bad but i guess i just got used to the extra grip. FE on ur car is pretty low for it being a manual... as mine is automatic and it gives 5.5-6.About it being a better drivers car then the city vtec... i will support that all the way .... its the citys big daddy after all

... i have had a few fooling around races with frnds of mine who have city vtec's and i must admit that car does catch up till a certain extent but in no time the accord leaps forward ...and plus the light body of the city screws it all up for me. In short i Looovee my car...in certain aspects even more than the new accord ... i find this one much more comfortable.

Dippy · 16th November 2004, 15:34

Please refrain from posting extremely large size pictures as they take time to load and can be inconvenient for those members with slow connections. 640x480 and 800 x 600 are advised. Thank you for your co-operation.

Moderator

lamborghini · 8th June 2005, 15:18

The car has finally done 45Kkm.
5K km more for a 50K review.
I forgot to mention that the seats have gotten stuck twice.
Also recently near the 40K mark, the a.c. vent broke and it cost us 16K to replace the whole thing.
Also the paint has gotten a few scratches and chips too along with another bumper scratch in the same area.
The CD player has conked off also and now when it is sent for service we have to replace the Brake discs and some suspension stuff.
Is flushing required at this stage?
Will post pics of all the scratches and all later.

lamborghini · 7th January 2006, 12:40

Honda Accord 50,000 KM Report

Hey guys,
Our car has finally crossed the 50kkm mark. It has just come back from service with a new clutch plate and we got the bumpers coloured again. In the last 15kkm the car has traveled to a lot of tight places resulting in a few dents and scratches from cycles and scooters thought luckily there are none in the body. We plan to get the interiors and body teflon coated in March once we shift to our new house where we will have proper parking. Anyways, in the last few months, I have noticed and learn quite a few things about the car. The air con apparently cools better then the Toyota’s though both are digital type and the temeperature setting is the same in both the cars. Also, the car is very jerky and unless you are smooth with the accelerator, the passengers can feel the jerks which is not a good thing and also absent in the corolla.
Also the paint has gotten chipped a bit on the hood which is not a good thing and doesn’t speak well about the paint quality. Anyways, on the brighter side, I am really impressed with the Bass of the speakers. I finally figured out how to adjust the settings from the HU and when I turned the *** upto full, you could actually feel it if you were sitting in the front with even the rear view mirror vibrating. It was awesome.
The engine however feels a bit lazy and even though, according to reviews in car magazines, it is meant to be faster then the mondeo, it actually feels like a rock in comparision and its not only me saying it, even Mondeo drivers feel the same.
Do you guys think a flushing job would help? The average however has remained at a steady 6 – 6.5 kmpl.
Also the CD isn’t working yet and as my mother doesn’t listen to music, we haven’t bothered repairing it.
Ride and handling are also the same i.e. AWESOME. The brakes however are squealing like nuts. I mean you can hear them till the 8th floor and that is no good thing. What do you guys suggest I do? Because everytime we get them repaired the come back and haunt us after a month.
Anyways, that’s it from me I guess. See you here at 60Kkm then?
Cheers.

Here Are some recent pictures.

This is of a the few dents on the car.

This is of the chip in the paint on the hood.

I like this pic for reasons i don't know.

More pics coming soon.

Sahil · 3rd February 2006, 00:52

Ok first things...CHANGE YOUR BRAKE PAD. I made the mistake of delaying it until the same sqeeking sound got loud and it was the biggest blunder coz i had to get the disc skimmed which is "not a good thing"

My brake pads were totally worn out and began to eat into my front discs. Also since your car has done 50K Km its high time u change the pads... and make sure u do it from the honda showroom...they will charge u a bomb but its worth it coz brakes r the most imp things.
You right abt the jerks... the reason is that the engine has alot of torque..."which is a good thing"

provided you know how to handle it.
How much did they charge you to paint the bumpers? Doesnt the difference show since the bumper has new paint and body is older?Minor shade/shine diff?

typeOnegative · 3rd February 2006, 14:43

Nice detailed review Lambo. But is the fuel consumption really that?

Sahil · 4th February 2006, 03:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by typeOnegative

Nice detailed review Lambo. But is the fuel consumption really that?

I was a bit concerned abt that too... 6-6.5 is pretty low for the manual. My car is the same but automatic and i get that much so you should be getting more. Infact, my avg has shot up in the past few months...after the 25k Km service i have been getting near 7kmpl when i drive hard and when my driver or dad uses it then its around nearing 7.5kmpl which I think is excellent for an engine of that size and auto trans with ac in the city.

lamborghini · 16th February 2006, 22:50

Sahil - Got bumpers painted when it went for service.
Not sure of cost but difference doesn't show
Just sent the car 2 days ago for suspension work and brakes. Exaughst was leaking so we got that rectified also.
I am worried about the average too but my driver insists its proper. Anyway i can get it improved along with performance?

Sahil · 17th February 2006, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Exaughst was leaking so we got that rectified also.

There you go...your problem should get solved now...a leaking exhaust will lead to lower FE and a lil drop in performance too.

15th November 2004, 19:44	#1 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	Honda accord 2.3 vti m/t 2001 review. If I had to summarize this car in 7 words then I would say “ its simply the best car in India “ The car , bought as a replacement of our audi100 Exteriors This was one of the first batches of the then new gen accords to be imported into India… Ours is a silver one. Even though I wanted black, it was only launched later in the vti-l guise … The car seemed Spartan or its price but at that time we really had no choice. It was either this or the sonata, which didn’t meet my requirements a bit When we bought this car we were on the lookout of something big, comfortable, powerful, easy to drive. Looks didn’t matter to me much but it still looked better than the sonata as I don’t like my luxury cars to look flashy. In pictures the car doesn’t look interesting, in fact it is said that it looks like an overgrown city. Its only when u walk up to the car do u realize how sleek and beautiful it looks. The rear in comparison is a bit boring with the wraparound taillights being the only redeeming feature (in the new version, this mars the appeal of the car) The car however looks best when viewed sideways. All one can think of when viewing it sideways is – wow that is big … To summarize the exteriors all I can say is that Honda has played safe by launching this sober version of the car. The car, though understated and boring will age well unlike the ‘ futuristic’ designs of the other cars, which have already dated e.g. – w210 e class. The w – 124 looks way better in comparison, the sonata, the accent – looks a bit boring nowadays. Cant turn heads the way it used too … But I guarantee, if u ever see the car, its kept in better than showroom condition barring the bumpers. It was rear ended once and the bumpers sort off got dented. The dents gone but the lines still remain. The front got scratched while taking a turn though L The wheel caps are a let down on such an expensive car though Anyway I give it a ranking of * 7 / 10 Interiors Anyway, moving to the interiors. On entering the car, u are greeted with a nice, good quality dashboard which, once u get comfortable in the 8 way adjustable American sized (xxl) sized seats, u notice provide a good view ahead . There are signs of cost cutting though such as the lack of leather seats, flimsy stalks and door pads etc . The music system provided is good for daily use but a music enthusiast is advised to change the speakers, which tend to crack when played loudly. However , on the upside , the car is big inside, even bigger than the merc e class The design, just as the exterior is a bit dull and unexciting and due to flimsy bits doesn’t get more than 6/10 Ride and Handling When the car had done approx. 27 k km, I changed the standard turanzas to Goodyear eagle f1s which has improved the handling and stance by quite a margin, however, there has not been much of a difference in ride though . The ride and the space are just excellent, even better than the new e270 as we found out on the way to Pune. BTW – merc lovers, apart from these two problems, the e class is way better in all other respects The car handles relatively well and is quite easy to drive in the ity but as I haven’t tested it to the limit I cant really comment on it This section gets an easy 9/10 in my books Engine, Gearbox and Performance The 2.3 lit VTEC engine is quite refined and free revving. Its performance is just outstanding but a notchy gearbox let it down The pickup in any gear is just awesome and is a way better drivers car thn the city VTEC if kept on the boil. This is a topic I cannot comment on much as I haven’t driven it a lot but from what I have experienced it gets a 8/10, only letdown with a un-Honda like gearbox Brief Summary This car keeps on surprising me, After all how many cars can combine ride and comfort and driver appeal in such an uncompromising way The quality issues which were present in this car, seemed to have been completely wiped off with the new gen accord which is why it a best seller in its segment. The reliability ( only 27 pp100 vehicles, least in its class by a big margin )and sense of safety ( palio build quality better though ) which one associates with this car and also its good prices – for used cars make it a convincing buy as after all u can get a low used accord for 7.75 – 9 in the used car scene nowadays This is one of the best buys in the used car market especially if u change the tires and put on a good alloy set, the car will keep you happy for the next couple of years at least. Oh yeah and put in some leather seats for added luxury Likes – performance, space, comfort, reliability, handling (on Goodyear eagle F1s at least) … (I can go on and on so just read the dislikes …. It’ll be simpler) Dislikes – gearbox, FE (5.5 – 6.15 in city), understated looks , cost cutting – door pads, no alloys , flimsy stalks Costs – apart from service just 17500 for tyres.. Sorry for the long review though. Is not easy fitting my love for this car in a paragraph or two Will post more pics later Cheers lambo __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com

15th November 2004, 19:56	#2 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	sorry for the big pics will post diff smaller ones later though.. cheers lambo __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com

15th November 2004, 19:58	#3 (permalink)
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,923	hey lambo neat review. __________________ The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference. -Calvin

15th November 2004, 19:58	#4 (permalink)
shravan316 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 996	hey, nice review lambo! __________________ "You can have it in any colour as long as its black..."-Henry Ford

15th November 2004, 20:35	#5 (permalink)
drifter Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,303 View My Garage	dude nice review, someone plz do something abt the size of the pics...and some of them are not opening on my pc. Neways, I've never had any problems with the looks of the old accord... it looks understated like you said...i dont like too much flash either. All in all good write up. Drifter __________________ Slow Everything Down And Feel Like God - Tata Safari

15th November 2004, 20:52	#6 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	thanx guys noticed the pics too i think i put up the rear pics wice so just checkin that more pics to come soon.. depending on when i get to see the car as its in dads mills compoundf and is only used when needed __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com

16th November 2004, 07:20	#7 (permalink)
Sahil Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 2,064	Aah... I see my baby's brother being reviewed here I have this generation accord too in black but mine is the Vti-L version automatic.... However i have the exact same one as lambo VTi version the base one which i got before the black on ... both of them r automatic thats the difference btwn lambos car and mine. Nice review man... u complained abt the transmission... i guess thats coz u have the manual coz the automatic is beautiful.Havent really had any problems with mine, but its a good thing that u changed the tyres... i did that on my Black Vti-L version as thats the one for me i use that the most so i put 205 michellins and my silver one has the stock tyres....and boy there is a world of a difference in the handling... everytime i drive the silver one i dont feel that safe under hard braking...not that the handling of the stock accord tyres r bad but i guess i just got used to the extra grip. FE on ur car is pretty low for it being a manual... as mine is automatic and it gives 5.5-6.About it being a better drivers car then the city vtec... i will support that all the way .... its the citys big daddy after all ... i have had a few fooling around races with frnds of mine who have city vtec's and i must admit that car does catch up till a certain extent but in no time the accord leaps forward ...and plus the light body of the city screws it all up for me. In short i Looovee my car...in certain aspects even more than the new accord ... i find this one much more comfortable. __________________ ______________ __________ ______ __

16th November 2004, 15:34	#8 (permalink)
Dippy Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 4,584 View My Garage	Please refrain from posting extremely large size pictures as they take time to load and can be inconvenient for those members with slow connections. 640x480 and 800 x 600 are advised. Thank you for your co-operation. Moderator __________________ My name is Adrian Sutil. You can call me ADDY - Force India dippy@team-bhp.com

8th June 2005, 15:18	#9 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	The car has finally done 45Kkm. 5K km more for a 50K review. I forgot to mention that the seats have gotten stuck twice. Also recently near the 40K mark, the a.c. vent broke and it cost us 16K to replace the whole thing. Also the paint has gotten a few scratches and chips too along with another bumper scratch in the same area. The CD player has conked off also and now when it is sent for service we have to replace the Brake discs and some suspension stuff. Is flushing required at this stage? Will post pics of all the scratches and all later. __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com

7th January 2006, 12:40	#10 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	Honda Accord 50,000 KM Report Hey guys, Our car has finally crossed the 50kkm mark. It has just come back from service with a new clutch plate and we got the bumpers coloured again. In the last 15kkm the car has traveled to a lot of tight places resulting in a few dents and scratches from cycles and scooters thought luckily there are none in the body. We plan to get the interiors and body teflon coated in March once we shift to our new house where we will have proper parking. Anyways, in the last few months, I have noticed and learn quite a few things about the car. The air con apparently cools better then the Toyota’s though both are digital type and the temeperature setting is the same in both the cars. Also, the car is very jerky and unless you are smooth with the accelerator, the passengers can feel the jerks which is not a good thing and also absent in the corolla. Also the paint has gotten chipped a bit on the hood which is not a good thing and doesn’t speak well about the paint quality. Anyways, on the brighter side, I am really impressed with the Bass of the speakers. I finally figured out how to adjust the settings from the HU and when I turned the *** upto full, you could actually feel it if you were sitting in the front with even the rear view mirror vibrating. It was awesome. The engine however feels a bit lazy and even though, according to reviews in car magazines, it is meant to be faster then the mondeo, it actually feels like a rock in comparision and its not only me saying it, even Mondeo drivers feel the same. Do you guys think a flushing job would help? The average however has remained at a steady 6 – 6.5 kmpl. Also the CD isn’t working yet and as my mother doesn’t listen to music, we haven’t bothered repairing it. Ride and handling are also the same i.e. AWESOME. The brakes however are squealing like nuts. I mean you can hear them till the 8th floor and that is no good thing. What do you guys suggest I do? Because everytime we get them repaired the come back and haunt us after a month. Anyways, that’s it from me I guess. See you here at 60Kkm then? Cheers. Here Are some recent pictures. This is of a the few dents on the car. This is of the chip in the paint on the hood. I like this pic for reasons i don't know. More pics coming soon. __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com Last edited by lamborghini : 7th January 2006 at 12:43.

3rd February 2006, 00:52	#11 (permalink)
Sahil Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 2,064	Ok first things...CHANGE YOUR BRAKE PAD. I made the mistake of delaying it until the same sqeeking sound got loud and it was the biggest blunder coz i had to get the disc skimmed which is "not a good thing" My brake pads were totally worn out and began to eat into my front discs. Also since your car has done 50K Km its high time u change the pads... and make sure u do it from the honda showroom...they will charge u a bomb but its worth it coz brakes r the most imp things. You right abt the jerks... the reason is that the engine has alot of torque..."which is a good thing" provided you know how to handle it. How much did they charge you to paint the bumpers? Doesnt the difference show since the bumper has new paint and body is older?Minor shade/shine diff? __________________ ______________ __________ ______ __ Last edited by Sahil : 3rd February 2006 at 00:53.

3rd February 2006, 14:43	#12 (permalink)
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,337	Nice detailed review Lambo. But is the fuel consumption really that?

16th February 2006, 22:50	#14 (permalink)
lamborghini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Mumbai/Smithfield, RI, USA Posts: 2,664 View My Garage	Sahil - Got bumpers painted when it went for service. Not sure of cost but difference doesn't show Just sent the car 2 days ago for suspension work and brakes. Exaughst was leaking so we got that rectified also. I am worried about the average too but my driver insists its proper. Anyway i can get it improved along with performance? __________________ ¢нєєяѕ ℓαмвσ lamborghinirules@gmail.com