Honda Motors is known in the auto industry and by consumers as a company that makes quality vehicles that provide high mileage integrity, and sells them at a fair price.
The Honda Accord is comparable to the Toyota Camry in price, styling, and fuel economy. Yet, I feel the Accord is superior in several ways. Although the Accord appeared to be less roomy, in power, acceleration, and general feistiness, the Accord was superior. Even when I used a cheaper, lower octane fuel, the Accord's engine remained robust. The Accord was perky and fast, with excellent response from the accelerator, while handling superbly in heavy freeway traffic.
The Accord's console menu is labeled with large lettering making it easy for an old guy like me to identify and read. I liked that I could view the clock without squinting at the numbers. The knobs on the radio, air conditioner, and other instruments were boldly legible.
This car easily accommodated my driving skills because the vehicle does not require a high degree of sophistication or driving experience.
The Accord Special Edition is a 2.4 L I-VTEC 4-cyclinder that puts out 166 hp. The 4-speed automatic transmission offers pep without any loss in precision. Accord gives you up to 6.92 liters/100 km on the road and 9.8 in the city.
The sticker price of $27,700 provided a 6-disc-in-dash CD changer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, 4-wheel disc brakes, and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard features.
When I called a local Honda dealer I read all the features from the sticker and mentioned the suggested price. After indicating that I would be more interested if the price was lower, the salesperson paused briefly then said he could go under $25,500.
The Accord resale value is near the top in the industry. The Auto Blue Book is a good reference for establishing the true resale value of a vehicle.
Honda also has been making a Hybrid Accord, but will it off the market after the 2007 model year. Japan's number 2 automaker sold just 6,100 last year and last month's sales in the United States was fewer than 500 units. Toyota Motor Corp's Prius hybrid is the market leader with 729,800 units sold since December 1997. Toyota sold over 24,000 Prius models in April.
The engine, body style, mileage and other features in the Accord are excellent. However, the door handles on the model I drove were small, and made from a silvery metal alloy. The metallic luster helped to capture reflective light in the dark, but the handles themselves were rather small. Even a person with medium-sized hand would find it difficult to open the door and if you were wearing gloves it would be nearly impossible, even if just the finger tips were used.
My youngest child graduated from high school in the spring of 2000, and we bought him a Honda Accord for graduation. This year and 200,000 miles later, he still has his Accord. There has been little trouble mechanically. In 2005, he replaced the radiator and did a wheel alignment a year later.
After celebrating at a party for my 60th birthday last Sunday, I walked my son out to the road and thanked him for coming. As we hugged, I looked at the Accord and suggested that maybe we should think about getting him a new car. He released me from the embrace and a look of pain appeared on his face.
"Why would I want to get a new car? The Accord runs just fine." He got in the car and slammed the door. I said "Goodbye" as he pulled away from the curb. I waved, he didn't. Perhaps I am just getting old and don't know any better, I told myself.
Durhl Caussey is an award-winning syndicated columnist based in Dallas, Texas, and a member of the Texas Automobile Writers Association. Please address any questions to dcaussey@sbcglobal.net
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