hale-pope
Members
I took delivery of my first ever Honda three weeks and 1400 miles ago and I felt a quick review would be helpful as a 'thank you' to the good advice I gained from this website prior to getting it.
I was looking for an estate to replace my 1999 Audi S4 avant with 195k on the clock. Our budget meant that another nice Audi quattro was not on the cards and it seemed that a Citroen C5 would be the worthy successor. However, our budget meant it would be the slower of its diesel engines and also have 80k+ miles on it. The Accord, as well as a Passat, Volvo V70 and Audi A6 were also on the list but they were all 6-8 years old with 80k plus and not many toys. However, along came a repaired Accord Tourer and my motoring fate was sealed. So, what do I think of it?
Well, if i was spending the amount a car like the one we have should have cost, £12k, then it would probably not have been bought as i prefer its competitors, but that ruins the whole thing. So, objectively ..... my 2010 Accord Tourer 2.2 iDtec ex auto.....
1. The looks - rare, so that's a good start. A bit too similar to a Mazda 6 however the dark blue with black out rear windows make up for this big time. It is a bit frumpy, the wheels a little too small, but that means cheaper tyres.
2. The inside - a boot no bigger than my A4, despite it being quite the bigger car, and an overall loadspace probably smaller, but I knew this when buying it. However, there is more space for the occupants so it depends what you are looking for. The overall quality is not as good as the Germans (from leather to plastics) but it is pretty good and certainly a nice place to be. The seats are excellent. Dash centre console is confusing and there are some very annoying things as follows:
a) Great centre cubby hole but it has no light
b) There are no discreet lights for nighttime use so the driver can get blinded if needing the light on for a second
c) The icon that tells you what mode the heating controls are in goes off so you have to move the heating control on a position to see where it was. Also, the separate controls are a bit of a gimmick as you have to have the air coming out of the same place, if admittedly at a different temp. And on the same subject, if you want to close your vents in the dark it is a bit of a struggle as they are not lit up
d) Chunky buttons are good but far too many of them
e) Seat heater switches are Mercedes circa 1986, but not even as good as that. VAG rollers much better
Other minor internal gripes are:
a) Electric seat memory is great .... but why does this not include the mirrors too.
b) Electric boot - LOVE IT.....until i park to close to something and it clonks it
c) Reversing camera - ironic ones hands are kept clean by an electric boot when you still have to manually clean the camera
d) Pleased the dog guard is standard but less pleased it is separate from the luggage roller, which when both are out is a pain to store
e) The scuff plates do not scream 'I cost over £30k new!'
3. The toys - it has everything bar Xenons. And I mean everything. And though i love sunroofs I might have forgone one for Xenons but i was not going to let this be a deal breaker. Lots of little cubby holes are much appreciated.
4. The ride - it is ok. Not bad, not excellent. A good touring car, not one to have much fun in. Road noise is acceptable and no worse than a Mondeo
5. Engine - a good strong engine, great in gear, plenty of urge, if not from a standing start then certainly on the move
6. Gearbox - it is not a sporty car so it is not a sporty gearbox. It is built for the job. Don't ask the car do something it was not really designed to do. Flappy paddles are a welcome addition though, for the odd time they are required.
7. MPG - I knew this would not be good but hey, it is better than the S4 i had, and don't forget, it is an auto. I sometimes only get 34mpg which is pretty shocking in my opinion but on a longish journey I can get 38mpg. This seems pretty in line with what I read and, actually, with 4/5 year old technology in a car like this this is not ridiculous, just disappointing. A friend's Mondeo only does 5mpg more than this (equivalent age and engine) and is a manual. This would be the main reason to have looked elsewhere if spending the full £12k car value. This and boot space.
8. Living with it - easy so far. Some weird things (eg, who needs three fuse boxes....with fuses a pain to change, and who makes bulbs SO difficult to change (ok - many makes do, including my old car on one side) but these things should rarely go wrong
9 Build quality - For the mechanicals hopefully bomb proof as that is one of the things that swayed us. For the tactile stuff, it is above average. There is more solid door clunk on my friend's Quashquai and Juke and my mum's C3 Picasso than there is on this but is more tinny on my mate's Mondeo.
So, am i glad i bought it? Undoubtedly yes. But would i have paid full price? No. But would i recommend it - I wouldn't discount it, put it that way. I actually think it is in a bit of a class of its own. And I like that. Apart from when I was parked next to my friends Mazda 6 .... but my Honda was more handsome!
I was looking for an estate to replace my 1999 Audi S4 avant with 195k on the clock. Our budget meant that another nice Audi quattro was not on the cards and it seemed that a Citroen C5 would be the worthy successor. However, our budget meant it would be the slower of its diesel engines and also have 80k+ miles on it. The Accord, as well as a Passat, Volvo V70 and Audi A6 were also on the list but they were all 6-8 years old with 80k plus and not many toys. However, along came a repaired Accord Tourer and my motoring fate was sealed. So, what do I think of it?
Well, if i was spending the amount a car like the one we have should have cost, £12k, then it would probably not have been bought as i prefer its competitors, but that ruins the whole thing. So, objectively ..... my 2010 Accord Tourer 2.2 iDtec ex auto.....
1. The looks - rare, so that's a good start. A bit too similar to a Mazda 6 however the dark blue with black out rear windows make up for this big time. It is a bit frumpy, the wheels a little too small, but that means cheaper tyres.
2. The inside - a boot no bigger than my A4, despite it being quite the bigger car, and an overall loadspace probably smaller, but I knew this when buying it. However, there is more space for the occupants so it depends what you are looking for. The overall quality is not as good as the Germans (from leather to plastics) but it is pretty good and certainly a nice place to be. The seats are excellent. Dash centre console is confusing and there are some very annoying things as follows:
a) Great centre cubby hole but it has no light
b) There are no discreet lights for nighttime use so the driver can get blinded if needing the light on for a second
c) The icon that tells you what mode the heating controls are in goes off so you have to move the heating control on a position to see where it was. Also, the separate controls are a bit of a gimmick as you have to have the air coming out of the same place, if admittedly at a different temp. And on the same subject, if you want to close your vents in the dark it is a bit of a struggle as they are not lit up
d) Chunky buttons are good but far too many of them
e) Seat heater switches are Mercedes circa 1986, but not even as good as that. VAG rollers much better
Other minor internal gripes are:
a) Electric seat memory is great .... but why does this not include the mirrors too.
b) Electric boot - LOVE IT.....until i park to close to something and it clonks it
c) Reversing camera - ironic ones hands are kept clean by an electric boot when you still have to manually clean the camera
d) Pleased the dog guard is standard but less pleased it is separate from the luggage roller, which when both are out is a pain to store
e) The scuff plates do not scream 'I cost over £30k new!'
3. The toys - it has everything bar Xenons. And I mean everything. And though i love sunroofs I might have forgone one for Xenons but i was not going to let this be a deal breaker. Lots of little cubby holes are much appreciated.
4. The ride - it is ok. Not bad, not excellent. A good touring car, not one to have much fun in. Road noise is acceptable and no worse than a Mondeo
5. Engine - a good strong engine, great in gear, plenty of urge, if not from a standing start then certainly on the move
6. Gearbox - it is not a sporty car so it is not a sporty gearbox. It is built for the job. Don't ask the car do something it was not really designed to do. Flappy paddles are a welcome addition though, for the odd time they are required.
7. MPG - I knew this would not be good but hey, it is better than the S4 i had, and don't forget, it is an auto. I sometimes only get 34mpg which is pretty shocking in my opinion but on a longish journey I can get 38mpg. This seems pretty in line with what I read and, actually, with 4/5 year old technology in a car like this this is not ridiculous, just disappointing. A friend's Mondeo only does 5mpg more than this (equivalent age and engine) and is a manual. This would be the main reason to have looked elsewhere if spending the full £12k car value. This and boot space.
8. Living with it - easy so far. Some weird things (eg, who needs three fuse boxes....with fuses a pain to change, and who makes bulbs SO difficult to change (ok - many makes do, including my old car on one side) but these things should rarely go wrong
9 Build quality - For the mechanicals hopefully bomb proof as that is one of the things that swayed us. For the tactile stuff, it is above average. There is more solid door clunk on my friend's Quashquai and Juke and my mum's C3 Picasso than there is on this but is more tinny on my mate's Mondeo.
So, am i glad i bought it? Undoubtedly yes. But would i have paid full price? No. But would i recommend it - I wouldn't discount it, put it that way. I actually think it is in a bit of a class of its own. And I like that. Apart from when I was parked next to my friends Mazda 6 .... but my Honda was more handsome!
