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-   -   Accord 2.4 Owners, Need Advice ! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/88110-accord-2-4-owners-need-advice.html)

Hello all,

I've been looking to purchase a used Accord 2.4 AT (maybe even MT) in Mumbai, with a budget of upto 6.50 Lakhs.
My ideal Accord would be an accident- free White colour, completely stock 2.4 AT (2005 - 2006), which I assume will most likely have done around 40,000 kms.
I am absolutely sure this is the car I want, so here is where I need help from current Accord owners and other experts..

1) Which parts are prone to failure? (Ex - Interior electricals. etc)

2) What specific issues should be inspected before purchasing a used example with around 40,000 to 50,000 kms on the clock ? (Brakes, engine belts, etc.)

3) Any particular issues with the AT transmission? Or better avoid and go for MT ?

4) How much would regular service at Honda cost ? (Oil change, Oil filter, air filter, etc)

5) During test drive, anything in particular I should pay attention to ?

6) Accord AT is 4 speed or 5 speed gear box ?

We've owned several cars in the family, but this will be the first car I purchase with my own hard earned money :I Rule:Thats the reason I want to be as aware as possible before I start my hunt for the perfect Accord.
OT : I currently drive a 2001 OHC 1.5, with which I am completely satisfied and has now clocked 99,350 kms clap:

One more thing I would like to ask/add:
What all editions of Accord have been released in India, and when?

Regular service would be only slightly more expensive than your OHC (labor rate is higher for Accord), In my opinion - since the onlly consumable which would be actually more expensive will be the oil filter.

Air filter is replaced very rarely.

@ overboost! - Accord is a good car and a clean 2006 will be in the range of 7 to 7.5 lac.

You might get a higher mileage Accord for the above said budget. I would suggest you to checkout Civic too. Will be easier to maintain and will lighter on pocket too.

I too was hunting for accord, was able to find lots of clean accord but were 7.5 to 8.5 lac. Then tried Civic, liked it, was about buy a 2008 model for 8.5L, i got hold a clean Skoda vRs.

I'd plan to keep this car for atleast 4 to 5 years, keeping that in mind and also a running of barely 300 kms a month (weekend car) what things need to be inspected in a 40,000 odd km run accord ? Dont want major issues after a year or so because I didnt check thoroughly before purchase. So what i'm trying to do is prepare a sort of 'check-list' using advice from Bhpians that will help me in my search.

@ V&V - 7.5 to 8.5 seems high, if thats the case I'll look for a 2005 I guess. Civic is an awesome car, but I'm not comfortable with the driving position, I'm more suited to the Accord seat.

You can get a 3.0 V6 in that price. Why would you take a 2.4 over it? I mean if its manual then fine but a 2.4 auto is a waste if you ask me.

Spend a lac more and get a 2005 V6 if you want. Otherwise the 2.4 manual is the car to go for since its only a weekend car.

Whenever you send your car to the service centre expect a bill of 5k.

akshay do you use synthetic or mineral oil. If synthetic then is it the part of 5K service bill?

I use synthetic but I buy that on my own. The 5k service bill comes from little things that will be sorted out over the first 2-3 services like throttle body and injector cleaning. Basically after all the little niggles you will find with a used car are taken care of im sure the service cost will go down to about 2-3k.

Thanks for the input Akshay, have been following your thread. Your car looks fabulous. Infact my next question was gonna be about going in for a v6 and its associated problems and 'look-out' points. I've already read a lot about the performance figures et all, but I would really appreciate from a ownership & sedate driving point of view. I'm not one to redline at every opportunity, but do it occasionally. What I do appreciate in a car is refinement, smooth idle, etc.

Is it advisable to look for a 2005 V6 as compared to 2.4 AT ? Please advice based on ..

1) Cost of regular services
2) Smoothness of engine at Idle and part throttle
3) V6 torque wears out engine parts much quicker than 2.4 ? True ??
4) Cost difference in spare parts. (some examples would help)
5) Difference in ride quality. Since V6 came with bigger rims i think.

If anything else I have missed out please add anything and everything. Thanks.

Forgot to add a question..

6) 2005 V6 gearbox is 4 speed or 5 speed ?

To answer your questions -

Since you are NOT going to use it too much please spend a little more and go in for a V6. The engine is just so much more powerful and smooth compared to the 2.4.

1) Like i said once you buy it some small parts may need to be changed so it would be around 5k per service. After that expect it to go lower. I think service every 6 months is fine.

2) 2.4 is NOT comparable to the V6 when it comes to refinement. There is a big difference. Get a V6 and put in synthetic, and believe me, it dosent even sound slightly strained at 7000rpm. Even from outside you wont be able to make out the engine is on until the radiator fans come on.

3) Dont think so. All depends on your driving style.

4) Again not sure. But i dont think there would be a substantial difference.

5) The difference in ride quality is negligible and my car even on 17" rims is almost the same as it was on 16". Blame the soft suspension for that.

6) 5 speed i think. But the 07 models had an updated gearbox which gave slightly better FE.

Thanks a lot for your input Akshay, really appreciate it.

Starting to lean towards the V6 now. So can we make a list of things to check before assuming the car is 'clean' ?

If I find a car at a dealer, how do I check its service records at the Service centre ? Is this info given to anyone openly ?
Also, do dealers allow you to get the car checked at Honda service centre ? (cost beared by us)

Find out which dealer it was serviced it. IF you call the dealers and give them the car number they will tell you the service history. Im sure the dealer will let you take it to honda to get it checked.

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I've come across a sub-20k mileage 2006 2.4 a/t, asking price is under 9L. Is there any gremlin lurking in this model?
What iteration of the Accord is this, 2nd gen, 3rd gen, etc?
And what changes have there been thereafter until the current one?

That will be the 7th gen Accord. Around 8.5l will be ok, try and bargain more though. There is no gremlin as such in this model.

In 2007 the Accord got a facelift, it got different tail lights and minor bits here and there. And a new automatic gearbox was added which is more efficient. It was called 7.5 gen.

Oh the 2006 would have been the 2nd gen in India.

Since we shifted to Delhi, the need was felt for a second car in the family. We had our beloved Verna CRDI. But we stay in a newer part of the city where public transport is sparse. My wife is working, and we needed a car for her daily commute (about 7 kms daily) and market runs. It also had to fill in the shoes of the Verna when it was away for service. With that objective in mind we bought a used i10 IRDE Magna barely 6 months ago.

Why a change?

It has been an average ownership experience. First, the car is just too small for my height (6'2") and weight (lets just say I'm overweight, heh heh). As a driver, I need to push back the seat to the end to get legroom, and my knees foul with the centre console. The IRDE engine is underwhelming. Not as refined as its bigger Kappa brother, forget the new Maruti K-Series engines. Recently we drove it to Rajasthan. The engine managed highways upto 120kmph, but strained itself on inclines. The stock tyres are noisy and give up grip at the first sign of trouble. The car itself isn't as solidly built as its bigger brothers. The only thing it does well is wifey's daily commute and fitting into tight parking spots in the market.

So the i10 needs to go. What I'm now looking at is a spacious, fun-to-drive sedan which will do the daily commute and highway drives (if needed) with equal aplomb. It needs to be petrol, as a monthly commute of 500km doesn't mandate the running costs of a diesel.

Why an Accord?

Truth is, the Accord wasn't even on my horizon. With a max budget of 4L, I was considering down-to-earth options like Honda City (these cars hold their resale value well), Cedia (service to milta hai na bhaisaab?:confused:) and SX4.

Then I saw a white 7th gen Accord (2nd gen in India) at a used car-dealership near my office. It was well-maintained and an initial test drive revealed no flaws. The space and quality of interiors was delightful. Just that the price was a lakh above my budget.

Coming back home, I googled some more and was delighted to find some 2.4s within my budget. Mostly pre-facelift cars (no LEDs at the back). I have driven all Honda sedans produced in India, and (except the dolphin) found them entertaining to drive. The engines are typically Honda, silent, smooth and crazy at high-revs. In particular, the styling of the 7th gen Accord has always appealed to me. Clean lines like a Concorde, no fussy styling overdoses.

Why not the V6?

2 reasons. I don't like automatics. And I pay my own fuel bills!

__________________________________________________ _____________

So I'm seriously thinking of trading in the i10 for a 7th Gen Accord. My queries/concerns as follows:

1. What is maintenance cost like in a Honda Accord? Not asking FE, but service parts and accident parts. I plan to keep the car for at least 3 years. Also, I honestly think the projected monthly running will go up compared to the i10 - as I'll be swapping it with the Verna more often on my office runs:D!

2. Any specific wear points that I need to watch out for, when evaluating a car for purchase?

3. What parts are prone to failure?

Any other pointers/suggestions would be helpful.