1997 Honda Accord - Happy Honda owner
I like the size of my Honda Accord. It holds four people comfortably, and can handle five in a pinch. There is a firmness to the ride that I like, but the ride is not rough or noisy. Acceleration is excellent -- really better than it needs to be. I especially like the way the car is able to enter the flow of traffic quickly from a standing start. The gas mileage isn't great by current standards, though it was pretty typical for its time (1997). I get about 20 mpg, but my driving consists mostly of short in-town trips that would tend to reduce efficiency. The car has been very reliable, particularly the core components -- engine, transmission, etc. My biggest repairs outside of normal wear and tear have involved items like a power window motor.
I like the size of my Honda Accord. It holds four people comfortably, and can handle five in a pinch. There is a firmness to the ride that I like, but the ride is not rough or noisy. Acceleration is excellent -- really better than it needs to be. I especially like the way the car is able to enter the flow of traffic quickly from a standing start. The gas mileage isn't great by current standards, though it was pretty typical for its time (1997). I get about 20 mpg, but my driving consists mostly of short in-town trips that would tend to reduce efficiency. The car has been very reliable, particularly the core components -- engine, transmission, etc. My biggest repairs outside of normal wear and tear have involved items like a power window motor.
My wife and I were in the car trying to enter a very crowded amusement park parking lot. Traffic was at a standstill. I knew that there was shuttle bus service available from a nearby shopping center, but we were stuck. I'm almost always a by-the-book type of person -- and driver -- so my wife was more than a bit surprised when I turned the wheel and drove across the grassy median to the outbo... (more)
My wife and I were in the car trying to enter a very crowded amusement park parking lot. Traffic was at a standstill. I knew that there was shuttle bus service available from a nearby shopping center, but we were stuck. I'm almost always a by-the-book type of person -- and driver -- so my wife was more than a bit surprised when I turned the wheel and drove across the grassy median to the outbound side of the access road. It's not really such a wild story, but she has been telling it for years.
I bought this car because of the strong reliability record of both the manufacturer and the specific model. I chose the version with a V6 engine because it was the only version available with anti-lock brakes at that time. Those are my favorite features. The extra acceleration from the V6 is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It's nice to have, but I know it's costing me a bit in gasoline consumption.
I bought this car because of the strong reliability record of both the manufacturer and the specific model. I chose the version with a V6 engine because it was the only version available with anti-lock brakes at that time. Those are my favorite features. The extra acceleration from the V6 is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It's nice to have, but I know it's costing me a bit in gasoline consumption.
While I was glad to get a reliable, affordable, comfortable car with ABS -- not an easy combination to get in 1997 -- I was annoyed that I had to pay for the bigger engine in order to get that combination. Tires were initially a big expense, as the bigger engine came with pricey high-speed tires. Eventually I found (or the tire companies started producing -- I'm not sure whether the problem was availability or my own ignorance) less costly tires for this car, so that issue has improved in recent years.
While I was glad to get a reliable, affordable, comfortable car with ABS -- not an easy combination to get in 1997 -- I was annoyed that I had to pay for the bigger engine in order to get that combination. Tires were initially a big expense, as the bigger engine came with pricey high-speed tires. Eventually I found (or the tire companies started producing -- I'm not sure whether the problem was availability or my own ignorance) less costly tires for this car, so that issue has improved in recent years.
1997 Honda Accord - Reliable commuter car.
I really like how smoothly it drives and how great the handling is, but it could use some more help with how hot it gets inside even with the A/C on. Overall, it is a grand car and appeals to the needs I have for it! I use it mostly as just a commuter car to get to and from work among other common things like getting groceries, getting food, etc... I feel like this car can stand the test of time as it has over 200k miles and is still running like a beast! I prefer Asian vehicles over American ones, and this Honda has kept me going for a while. I really like the look and feel of it as well as it reminds me of the cars my family had when I was a kid. I also do not like how high tech some of the vehicles are today. I just have quite a bit of nostalgia attached to this car I guess you coul... (more)
I really like how smoothly it drives and how great the handling is, but it could use some more help with how hot it gets inside even with the A/C on. Overall, it is a grand car and appeals to the needs I have for it! I use it mostly as just a commuter car to get to and from work among other common things like getting groceries, getting food, etc... I feel like this car can stand the test of time as it has over 200k miles and is still running like a beast! I prefer Asian vehicles over American ones, and this Honda has kept me going for a while. I really like the look and feel of it as well as it reminds me of the cars my family had when I was a kid. I also do not like how high tech some of the vehicles are today. I just have quite a bit of nostalgia attached to this car I guess you could say! But yeah, all in all, this is a top quality, simple and reliable car. It is not fancy or anything, but it gets the job done.
I loved cruising down to the beach in this car! It is a fun car to drive all of the twists and turns around the around, especially in Huntington Beach.
I loved cruising down to the beach in this car! It is a fun car to drive all of the twists and turns around the around, especially in Huntington Beach.
As I mentioned previously, I really like the classic low tech feeling of this car. I feel like it is just a car and not a brand or product in a sense. I also find the seats to be really comfortable. I really like the safety rating on this car compared to other cars as it scores an "A - Acceptable" rating which is better than most cars. I really like how little gas I need to put into it in order to get to places. I really liked how cheap this car was to begin with as I got it for only $500 with only a few problems that I fixed up, mostly replacements like tires, oil, etc... I like the handl... (more)
As I mentioned previously, I really like the classic low tech feeling of this car. I feel like it is just a car and not a brand or product in a sense. I also find the seats to be really comfortable. I really like the safety rating on this car compared to other cars as it scores an "A - Acceptable" rating which is better than most cars. I really like how little gas I need to put into it in order to get to places. I really liked how cheap this car was to begin with as I got it for only $500 with only a few problems that I fixed up, mostly replacements like tires, oil, etc... I like the handling of the car a lot and feel like it drives smoothly in most areas. I really like the fact that this car is a manual because it makes it fun to drive in my opinion, and the clutch, again in my specific car, is top notch. This car is also really easy to drive in my opinion compared to some other vehicles I have driven in the past.
One thing that comes into my mind is that this vehicle can seem cramped at times. Sometimes after long rides, my legs will get a little uncomfortable, but all in all, it is not a big deal. One of the biggest problems I have is that the A/C sometimes stops working, and the car can get really hot pretty fast! I do feel like this is improved in newer Honda models, but for the price, this car was worth having a few flaws. I think the radio has some reception problems, and there is no CD player, but that is just nitpicking at this point! I also think that the doors open up in a clunky manner so... (more)
One thing that comes into my mind is that this vehicle can seem cramped at times. Sometimes after long rides, my legs will get a little uncomfortable, but all in all, it is not a big deal. One of the biggest problems I have is that the A/C sometimes stops working, and the car can get really hot pretty fast! I do feel like this is improved in newer Honda models, but for the price, this car was worth having a few flaws. I think the radio has some reception problems, and there is no CD player, but that is just nitpicking at this point! I also think that the doors open up in a clunky manner some of the times, yet again, not a super big deal just a slight annoyance. I think the brights are too dim at times and make it harder to see at night than in some of the other cars I have driven. I feel like the side mirrors are harder to adjust, but I feel that way in most older cars I have driven in.
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