Honda Accord Saloon 2003-2005

The Honda Accord (02-08) is available as a Sports Tourer and Saloon. This car is well manufactured and provides a lot of equipment for its price. It is clear that Honda are trying to take on the Lexus and Audi brands with the vehicle, and to a certain degree, it does quite well. There is a lack of available engines compared to its rival which lets the car down, but the amount of equipment does make up for this.

Pros and Cons:

• Great looking for an estate car, rivals the equivalent Audi models
  Although it's a limited range, the engines are smooth and strong
  Lots of equipment available
  Roomy and well built, feels refined

• The saloon lacks boot space compared to its rivals
  No hatchback version is available
  Servicing is expensive

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Exterior and Interior

Honda has clearly put a lot of effort into the Accord to try and compete with the quality of the German manufacturers. However, the Accord still remains in the family favorite rather than an executive must have. This is due to the fact that the car is still a family favorite and still hasn't taken the step to becoming a fully blown executive saloon. A strange decision from Honda was to stop producing the highly popular hatchback version of the Accord. This was a top seller which attracted a lot of interest. This decision does show how serious Honda is about taking on the saloon and tourer market.

The saloon offers a large cabin with a boot that provides plenty of space. It also offers plenty of equipment and the owners will be pleased with the standard specifications of the vehicle. Every model has a CD player, climate control and alloy wheels. The SE-trim or sports level would be our choice as it helps to enlarge the cabin and add a little more quality to the Accord. The dash looks classy, although it has been loaded with buttons. Some of the materials used feel quite low-quality which just takes the edge away from the Accord and helps the competition to stay ahead.

Honda has worked hard to ensure this competes as an executive car as the engine sounds and road noise is low. Some complaints about the layout of the vehicle include blind spots which can make it hard to maneuver the vehicle.

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Engines

The base model has a 2.0-litre petrol engine that is pretty good. However, the real star is the 2.2-litre diesel version. Its very quick, smooth and a light on fuel. There is also a 2.4-litre version available but only with Executive and Type-S trims. Honda also offer a five-speed automatic gearbox which is very good, smooth and well worth looking for if you are a fan of automatic vehicles.

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Performance and Economy

The performance of the Honda Accord fits in between the executive brands such as Audi and BMW, and at the other end of the spectrum, Ford and Vauxhall. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, although some people might ask why they would go for a car that doesn't deliver on real quality, or lower costs.

The diesel engines offer up to 52mpg, the 2.0-litre petrol version gives 38mpg and the 2.4-litre version gives a maximum of 31mpg. These are good statistics, but they are still not the best in the market. When you then take into consideration the insurance and repair costs, the Accord falls short of its competitors while not delivering anything too different.

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What it's like to Drive

One area that the Honda Accord performs well at is on the open road. It responds well to the driver and gives a high level of grip while still giving enough of a thrill to entertain. The engines are solid and you don't feel worried about really opening up the car, this comes back to the precision engineering that is so often seen with Japanese models. Overall the car is enjoyable to drive and will not disappoint the owner.

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Faults and Repairs

As with most modern engines the Accord will perform well if it is maintained properly. The diesel engines have been known to use burn oil quicker than expected, although this isn't a major problem as long as service intervals are adhered to. There have been a couple of recalls for the Accord which should be checked, one is regarding the rear seat while the other is wiring in the boot area.

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