Honda Accord Saloon road tests and consumer car reviews

Honda Accord Saloon 2.4 EX ADAS 2007

I love Hondas. It has to be said, because it may influence my comments! I have owned a Legend Coupe V6 2.7 Manual and an Accord Coupe V6 3.0 Auto. Going for a smaller engine was in part an attempt at getting better fuel economy, and I get that. Almost 43 mpg on a 1 hour motorway run, while retaining enough power for some enjoyable mountain driving. That’s also because this car, while still powerful (almost as much as the 3.0 V6!), inspires quiet cruising with the Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. Very relaxing, only a hush of wind noise, although road noise as always in the UK is a concern on some sections. Note that my car was purchased at almost 4 years old, from a Honda dealer, but had an unusually low mileage of 15.000 miles. Because of that it does feel a lot like a new car. An Accord with 50,000 miles may feel different, although Hondas age very well in my experience. The equipment level is stunning, the interior very well made in time-honoured Honda fashion. Nowhere near the gorgeousness of the old Legend Coupe, but a well put together car with decent to excellent quality materials. The ambience on-board is airy with enough sunlight, the only thing I regret is not having a bigger boot! It’s ok but nothing special, at 468L I believe. I tried sitting in the rear, it’s fine for two adults but would be cramped for three. I’m a musician and audio engineer, and find the standard audio system sonically amazing. A car is a very poor acoustic environment generally to start with, but the Accord gives a clear and crisp sound, and does not drown everything in an ocean of boomy bass. Can be loud too if you like that. The HPs under the rear shelf are Pioneers and I guess it’s the same all-around and I believe the head unit is made by Alpine. I was pleasantly surprised by that system. Overall, delighted with the car.

Honda Accord Saloon

Very good for kids.

Honda Accord Saloon Honda Accord S Type 2010

I have already owned the 2.4S petrol version and whilst the new diesel lacks the acceleration, the difference is negligible once you are on major roads at cruising speed. Fit out and spec is first class with so many extras coming fitted as standard. My only complaint is around the heating and in particular, the time it takes to de-mist the windscreen in winter. All in all however, a delight and as usual with Hondas, very reliable.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.2 cdti sport 2005

Bought my trusty Accord diesel (under protest) after two BMW 5 series and two 3 series. Spent the first 12 months grumbling that I missed rear wheel drive, BMW image etc, and then I noticed that I could get from A to B at a blistering pace, with excellent fuel economy and NOTHING went wrong. years later I am (for the first time) STILL in the Accord because with 136k on the clock it’s never been in to the dealers bar servicing and is just as fast, economical and comfortable as ever. I am going to be forced to surrender it this year due to company policy but am handing it onto my brother and checking out the type S. The most underrated business car in the UK!!!

Honda Accord Saloon 2.0i V-tec Sport 2003

This is a faultless engine with nothing but wear and tear replacements for over 5 years. It is okay for economy giving about combined avg of 30mpg when using it like labelled (sport)! Not the fastest to justify the ’sport’ tag but I am sure it will please all those coming from the hot hatches. It looks good both external and internal with some nice extras and a good stereo. Handles well on corners and has power only when using second and third gears. Personally, I’d save a little extra and get the BMW or Audi. This is a little cramped as a four door saloon competitor but mechanically superb.

Honda Accord Saloon Accord 2.2 TDCI 2010

This is my 3rd Accord and the new model is a delight in every way, it feels like a large premium car. I am having one persistant niggle, the cabin suffers from wind noise around all the door seals, the garage have assured me this has recently been brought to Honda’s attention and when enough customers complain a recall will be effected. It’s a real nuisance and spoils an otherwise thoroughly great car. The seats are a revelation in comfort.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.4 VTEC Executive Auto 2010

Brilliant car to drive. It sticks to the road and grips very well in twisty corners like the proverbial ’s**t on a shovel’. Amazing fuel economy for a large powerful engine, I’ve seen figures of up to 45 mpg being returned. The auto ’box is superb, it’s extermely smooth and responsive. It works best when it’s being driven hard in the tiptronic mode, that’s where you can really exploit that amazing VTEC engine all the way up to its sky-high rev limit of 7500 rpm. It is extremely quiet when all you want do is cruise on motorways. It is so quiet in fact that you sometimes forget how fast you are actually travelling, I’ve seen the car cruising at 110-120 mph (not intentionally) with very little noise and quite a bit of power in reserve. Sixty miles per hour from a standstill comes up in 7.2 seconds. As far as I’ve read, the car can easily exceed its advertised 140 mph top speed and reach speeds of around the 145-147 mph mark (as some magazines have recorded). All-in-all, the Accord is an amazing car. It is extremely reliable with only one fault, squealing/hesitant brakes. But, this is due to extremely high milage and the car is due to be replaced at anytime. Apart from that, I’d recommend this car to anybody who is looking for a medium-sized alternative to your usual Mercs, Audis and Beemers. With the mentioned Germans, you are only buying the badge and everything that’s standard on the Accord is an extra on the German’s. Therefore, nothing can beat Japanese reliability and value for money.

Honda Accord Saloon 2004

Had my accord now for nearly 5 years, very happy with it, looks great after I added 18" alloys, with Michelin sport low pro tyres. I was disappointed when it went in for a service to be told I needed new rear pads AND discs, after only 20,000 miles. Still, nothing else has gone wrong, I treat my Accord very carefully and drive my wife’s Honda Jazz most of the time in town. I have an in built Honda sat nav and also a sunroof which I enjoy. I feel this car is very reliable at all times. The rear pads and discs has been the the only thing that has needed attention in five years, so I am happy with that.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.2 CTDI Executive 2004

Ran this car for 3 years and found it good value, economical, but a bit lacking in soul! The engine was responsive and quick enough with a nice linear power delivery but still sounded like a diesel despite all the hype. Averaged 42-45 MPG, slightly disappointing but not bad considering my driving style and I found switching off the powerful aircon worth at least 2-3MPG on a long run. Had a problem with smoking on start up that was never fully resolved. If left to stand for more than a day used to emit a large puff of white smoke on start up. Suspect this was down to an oil seal in the engine but Honda never got that far into the investigation before I handed the car back. It used a couple of litres of oil between services which may have pointed to the problem although this was considered acceptable. The other issue I had was with the paint quality that was easily marked and small scratches were noticeable especially as my dark blue colour seemed quite thin which uncovered the undercoat. That said the car was 100% reliable over 70000 miles, had an excellent driving position, comfortable seats, was roomy enough for my family and well equipped with Sat-Nav, Sunroof, Leather Trim and in dash CD Changer. It handled well and was not too bad on tyres 20K for the fronts and 40K for the rears although the fronts did wear prematurely on the inside. The ride was very inconsistent sometimes good but never settled properly on the motorway. I suspect this was due to the 17" alloys fitted that greatly improve the looks but I suspect most of the development by Honda was done on the standard 16" wheels. That said the ride and handling were also noticeably better on the replacement Dunlop tyres compared with the original Bridgestone’s. All in all a stylish and reliable car with some niggly faults.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.4 TYPE S 2006

Absolute brilliant car. The 2.4 Type S is the same engine as the Civic Type R so it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing but with the comfort of an executive car. It’s just coming up to 3 years old now and never had a problem. Looking at upgrading to the new model but only because I want what’s new.

Responses to this review

Same engine?? No it isnt - John from England

Honda Accord Saloon 2.4 Executive 2003

Without doubt the best car we have had, very responsive petrol engine with good fuel economy, fautless reliability and good interior. Although a tiny bit cramped in the back. We will be looking to get another when the time comes.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.2 diesel 2008

This is not the cheapest car of its type but the refinement and meticulous attention to detail make light of the extra cash. Reliability is a byword of Honda’s and the performance is powerful yet quite and almost unnoticeable. Plenty of room inside with a good boot. I particularly like the Lane Keeping assistance that makes motorway driving far more relaxed. If you want performance, reliability, safety and a pleasing driving experience then the Accord offers all this and more.

Honda Accord Saloon ex 2.0ivtec 2007

Had this car for three months now. Good points Ride is excellent Quiet as a mouse with a refined petrol engine Interior is luxurious Good stereo and lots of toys Bad points A little cramped in the back Some interior finishes not up to standard A little road roar on some surfaces Would have like bluetooth as standard (got it as extra) Overall, this is a great car, but is let down by some below par quality finishing in the interior and reduced room in the back.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.0i-VTEC SE 2006

Great car to drive, gutsy power when needed and so smooth and quiet. I really enjoy long distance journeys in this car because it is so comfortable and the handling is very responsive - more like gliding than driving. Not the cheapest car to run but certainly not the worst and Honda are a very trustworthy make. Good size boot but it would be nice to have a touch more space in the back seat although I wouldn’t go so far as to say it feels cramped for adult passengers, maybe just snug.

Honda Accord Saloon 2.2 i CTDi Sport

More expensive than a lot of other mainstream family cars, but an excellent drive with lots of space. Nice car.