benw123
Members
This week I reached 124k in my Accord diesel, which although just 20 months of ownership does represent 30k of motoring in it. Thought I'd post up some comments as I know I was looking for similar content when ready to buy the car.
It's been a great experience to date. I have an 82-mile daily round-trip for my commute, which takes me from Herts to Bucks round the M25, M40 and A404. Rolling in a dense pack of traffic really helps with fuel economy, which on the computer is around 62-65mpg (or measured as 58-60mpg when calculated at filling-up). Pretty good for such a big car, although I am very gentle with the controls, rarely use AC, keep the windows closed and tyre pressures are set at 35psi all round.
Sad as it sounds, I am quite smitten with the thing. My wife has a 2004 A3 Sportback SE that we've owned since new, and the Honda rides miles better, has lighter controls and a smoother power delivery. The Accord handles tidily too, although it's more fluid than sure-footed I think; you really notice the weight up front when pressing on but the steering I find very good.
Performance is decent too. I recall Honda saying they wanted to develop a diesel engine with petrol-like qualities, and unlike most *** products, which come in with a rush at around 2000rpm - my old VW Bora was like this - it delivers most of its power higher up the rev range which may suit keen drivers. Last summer, I drove home from a mate's karting event in Norfolk, and between Beccles and Bury St. Edmunds on the A143 it was fantastic at dispatching two or three cars in one go. An epic drive.
It's a nice place to sit too, given that in an ordinary week I'll spend more than 10 hours at the helm. My EX model has lots of buttons and they work faultlessly. Adding the XCarlink device made a nice addition too - worth the money. I haven't made any other changes.
Downsides? Well, try not to read the Diesel Faults section of this forum too often! I've taken on the servicing myself with oil at every 10k, with only the fuel filter handled by a Honda dealer. Other expenses have included a pair of tyres, and rear discs and pads plus a new OSR ABS sensor fitted by a dealer. My timing chain is a bit noisier than I'd like but a dealer did check it, and say it wasn't serious. Ho hum.
The only other faults have been minor, limited to a couple of bulbs, including both headlights within a few weeks of each other, an odd beep from the hands-free a few seconds after start-up and the sat nav losing the TMC icons (see other thread).
Overall, there's little to dislike about the car. As we're planning to sell our home in the New Year, I plan to run it to around 160k if I can and then it will be time for a change I think. Any comments or thoughts welcome!
It's been a great experience to date. I have an 82-mile daily round-trip for my commute, which takes me from Herts to Bucks round the M25, M40 and A404. Rolling in a dense pack of traffic really helps with fuel economy, which on the computer is around 62-65mpg (or measured as 58-60mpg when calculated at filling-up). Pretty good for such a big car, although I am very gentle with the controls, rarely use AC, keep the windows closed and tyre pressures are set at 35psi all round.
Sad as it sounds, I am quite smitten with the thing. My wife has a 2004 A3 Sportback SE that we've owned since new, and the Honda rides miles better, has lighter controls and a smoother power delivery. The Accord handles tidily too, although it's more fluid than sure-footed I think; you really notice the weight up front when pressing on but the steering I find very good.
Performance is decent too. I recall Honda saying they wanted to develop a diesel engine with petrol-like qualities, and unlike most *** products, which come in with a rush at around 2000rpm - my old VW Bora was like this - it delivers most of its power higher up the rev range which may suit keen drivers. Last summer, I drove home from a mate's karting event in Norfolk, and between Beccles and Bury St. Edmunds on the A143 it was fantastic at dispatching two or three cars in one go. An epic drive.
It's a nice place to sit too, given that in an ordinary week I'll spend more than 10 hours at the helm. My EX model has lots of buttons and they work faultlessly. Adding the XCarlink device made a nice addition too - worth the money. I haven't made any other changes.
Downsides? Well, try not to read the Diesel Faults section of this forum too often! I've taken on the servicing myself with oil at every 10k, with only the fuel filter handled by a Honda dealer. Other expenses have included a pair of tyres, and rear discs and pads plus a new OSR ABS sensor fitted by a dealer. My timing chain is a bit noisier than I'd like but a dealer did check it, and say it wasn't serious. Ho hum.
The only other faults have been minor, limited to a couple of bulbs, including both headlights within a few weeks of each other, an odd beep from the hands-free a few seconds after start-up and the sat nav losing the TMC icons (see other thread).
Overall, there's little to dislike about the car. As we're planning to sell our home in the New Year, I plan to run it to around 160k if I can and then it will be time for a change I think. Any comments or thoughts welcome!
