Capsule Review: 1990-1993 Honda Accord | The Truth About Cars

[true-bluecb7]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/capsule-r...3-honda-accord/

 

I feel this is sticky material.

[Xeryon]

Fun article. I also fondly remember the wifes 6th gen for similar reasons. Nearly indestructible blob of an uninteresting car which cost virtually nothing to own and operate. IIRC over 150k put on in 6 years with under 1k in maintenance/repairs performed (did my own work)

[James Matteu]

Capsule Review: 1990-1993 Honda Accord

By Steven Lang on December 15, 2009

 

 

 

Old Volvo's don't die. They just get increasingly decrepit. But they're far from alone in my neck of the woods. Cars in North Georgia enjoy a low salt, smooth road diet that can keep even the worst vehicles roadworthy. Hyundai Excel? A dozen here and there. Old AMC Pacer? The weirdo down the the road has one. The paint may be toast, but the body's intact. An early 1990's Honda Accord? Well now we're talking about what I lovingly call 'a beater leader'. Like Waffle House, Baptist Churches and Kudzu, they're everywhere.

 

In 1990 Honda decided to get into the refrigerator market. Seriously. Most of these cars have as much personality as the late Roger Smith. Three box design. Lines that only give out the softest of curves at certain angles. The Honda Accord was/is/will always be a toaster on wheels in much the same way as a Volvo 240. Except this generation marked their first battle in the Taurus dominated midsized world. Soichiro equipped the Japanese virgin in plain-Jane garb… but with some surprisingly well kept secrets underneath.

 

The first was a 2.2L four banger that made it virtually indestructible. Rev it like a bastard. It won't care. This engine came from the same company that dominated everything from scooters to sports cycles by this point. Even in a midsized market dominated by V6's, the Honda four made enough power to make the Accord above average. Acceleration is there when you need it… and most still people didn't care.

 

The interior was nice as well. Everything was easily found and extremely simple to operate. With that said though, the Taurus was better by the time it got reskinned in 1991. The Accord's ride was a bit more involving than the floaty Taurus. But Honda competed in the 'appliance' market. The taut ride wasn't worthy of best in class either.

 

There were three things that made this vehicle remarkable. The first is that Honda simplified everything. From the design, to the assembly, to the upkeep. Honda offered one model. One engine. Two transmissions (manual or automatic), and surprisingly few assembly parts.

 

The focus on 'simplicity' made the Accord a quality leader. While the Americans were still struggling to offer quality products, Honda had an assembly line in Marysville, OH that simply wouldn't quit (and never needed to). GM would struggle to sell a few dozen Cavaliers in Japan while Honda would export thousands of Accords to the land of the rising sun. By the time Chrysler was on the brink (again), and Ford was busy ignoring rampant tranny issues with their Taurus, Honda was rapidly becoming a best seller without the help of the domestics all too vital rental car business to inflate annual numbers.

 

The second landmark achievement for Honda was their five-speed manual. It was simply the best in class. Forget about Luminas and Camrys, not even a Corvette or Camaro handshaker of the day could match it. Shifts are as pure as silk with only the slightest bit of notchiness after many years of use.

 

Speaking of which, Honda was still blessed with a sporty soul at this point. You can get any body style you wanted with the handshaker. Coupe, sedan, wagon. They all offered that option along with each trim line. Loaded EX's (cherry vanilla), mid-level LX's (plain vanilla), and stripper DX's (cheap ass vanilla) would inevitably offer thousands of teenagers and budget minded folks an escape from the numbness of most family haulers.

 

Honda's culture of sport at that time would eventually make many of their cars the equivalent a poor man's BMW. But not really. The Prelude at the time was an equal to the 318i. The Integra was well on it's way to becoming a legend in it's own right. The Accord Coupe? Well, it was better than both on the highway. By offering the handshaker in coupes, sedans and wagons, Honda would offer a welcome escape from a midsized market riddled with slushboxes and V6's bent on pushrods. On the used car market these cars are still worthy of their premium.

 

Finally, and it pains to me to even mention this. The 1990-1993 Honda Accord is a far more reliable AND durable vehicle than the Volvo 240 can ever hope to be. It's lights and switches don't futz out. The blower motor doesn't require a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering to remove. And the powertrain offers a comparable level of longevity with about 20% to 30% better fuel economy. The result?

 

These cars are more common than any other beater on the road. Period. At one major intersection, I saw no fewer than five of them. Drive five miles in any direction, you're guaranteed to see at least one. Of course, many have paint that's starting to discombobulate and others have road scars that indicate their eventual expendability with their younger drivers. But they work.

 

Parents don't have to worry about their kids being stranded somewhere between civilization and Deliverance. Budget minded folks don't have to worry about getting constant repair bills that require selling or junking. These cars last. Ten years from now I'm willing to bet that folks still look at this Accord in the same way we now look at a 1980's Mercedes. Just another car on the road.

 

 

 

I just wanted to be sure the link doesn't go dead, definately sticky worthy.

[Joe W]

Yes! That's an awesome article.