Honda Accord 1998 - 2002 review

Introduction

	Stylish look, roomy, well-designed interior, high-tech engines, excellent quality, and high resale value made the Honda Accord one of the top choices in the mid-size sedan segment. It's very reliable and dependable and easy to maintain. Available as a four-door sedan and two-door coupe Honda Accord offers three engine models: The 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine with 135 horsepower, another four-cylinder, VTEC 2.3-liter engine with 150 horsepower and the 3.0-liter, VTEC V6 engine with 200 horsepower. Inside the Honda Accord has plenty of room. Fit and finish is very good. Great visibility. The instrument panel is easy to read, user-friendly controls located exactly where you want them to be. Driver's seat is firm and supportive, the rear seat folds down for extra cargo room. Honda Accord offers good stable ride and excellent handling. The 4-cylinder engine is a bit noisy at acceleration.
Honda Accord 2000
Honda Accord 2000

The engine

The 1998-2002 Honda Accord offers three engine models: the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder 16-valves SOHC (Single OverHead Cam) engine with 135 hp, which might feel slightly underpowered but is very reliable. Best option, in my opinion, is another 4-cylinder engine - the 2.3-liter 16-valves SOHC VTEC engine with 150 hp and 152 lb.-ft. of torque. It's also very reliable and besides reasonable power also offers very good fuel economy: 23/30 MPG or 10.2/7.8 liters per 100 km. The third engine is the 3.0-liter 24-valve V-6 VTEC with 200 hp and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. It offers impressive performance and smoother ride since it's heavier. All three engines have a timing belt that must be changed regularly. Honda Accord engines are very reliable if properly maintained.

Strengths

- High reliability
- Good fuel economy for mid-size sedan (4-cylinder models)
- High crash test ratings
- High resale value
- Interior quality and comfort
- Good handling
- Excellent brakes

Weaknesses

- Price
- Road and engine (4-cylinder models) noise
- Might be costly to insure. Check the insurance quote first.
Problems are rare and mostly minor. Some of the possible problems are automatic transmission problems on V6 models, the check engine light with EGR related codes on V6 models.

Overall

Honda Accord is certainly one of the best choices if you are looking for a used mid-size family sedan. I particularly recommend the models with 2.3-liter VTEC engine.

What to look for buying a used Accord

First, check the used car history records. Even though it will not give you a 100% guarantee that the car is perfect, it's well worth the money spent. It may turn out that the car is not even worth a look. A history report may help you to uncover problems the car might have in the past such as accidents, flood damage, rolled back odometer, etc.
Follow this link: How to check used car history
Make sure to test an automatic transmission carefully, especially on V6 models.
If you feel strong clunk when shifting into the Reverse or while driving, the transmission may have a problem.
Learn more about how to check an automatic transmission
Listen for humming noises from the wheel bearings.
Check if the timing belt has been replaced. If not, you will need to do that.
Look for the trailer hitch - if the car was used for towing, transmission might be excessively worn.
If the "check engine" light is on, make sure to check it with a Honda dealer first.
Learn more what to look for when buying a used car
Prior purchase have the car inspected by a mechanic of your choice on a lift - many components (e.g ball joints, exhaust) can not be properly inspected by simple visual inspection.
After you buy a car, visit your local Honda dealer to check if all necessary recalls have been performed.
Shop wisely, check few cars to compare; it's worth to pay a little extra for a good condition well-maintained vehicle. Learn more what to look for when buying a used car

Few maintenance tips

- Wash your car regularly, wax it once in a while to keep the car body shiny and protected from harsh environment.
- Frequent oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Change transmission fluid in a recommended interval.
- Take care of minor problems as soon as you can, so they won't cause serious problems and an expensive repair later.
- Always check your parking space for leaks, and if you find one, get it fixed as soon as you can.
- Try to avoid overheating the engine - it may cause serious problems.
- It make sense to replace the water pump when you change the timing belt.
- Have your car inspected, at least once a year, in the garage on the lift (e.g. when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Many components (e.g. brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at one of those fast lube places; the vehicle must be on the lift.
- No matter where you service your Honda, try to stick with original Honda parts.
Check more Car maintenance tips from Samarins.com.
If you want to know more about your Honda, have some question or need owner's manual, visit Honda’s Ownerlink website (see links section below).

Honda Accord short specs. (2001 model)

Links

If you are looking for more detailed technical information

If you want to find technical information about you car such as repair manual, check engine codes description, wiring diagrams, diagnostic procedures, fluid type, maintenance schedule, component location, technical service bulletins, recalls, etc. follow this link:

by Vlad Samarin