As the new Accord has been getting quite a lot of attention on here, I thought I would update on progress with mine at 66k miles and 29 months old.
Some numbers:
Average mpg: 43 recently (34 with 4 bikes on the roof ? ouch!)
Non-scheduled weeks off road in dealer: 8
Calls to AA because I've been left stranded at side of road: 6
Minor faults not remedied by dealers: 4
Calls returned by Honda UK: 0
Fuel lost during unnecessary filter change: 1/4 tank
Number of times the oil has been overfilled by more than a litre by dealers: 3
You might be able to tell that I've been less than thrilled with the overall ownership experience. Every time the car has been off the road for a long time, the fault has eventually turned out to be precisely what the original AA guy thought it was; an over-volting alternator and a faulty EGR valve were both correctly diagnosed within seconds by the AA, both kept the car off the road for a month while Honda faffed and messed me around.
Paint chips on the ungalvanised bonnet remain a problem, the front door trims rattle both with moderate bass on the stereo, but also with rough road surfaces. Sidelights are the devils own job to change and consequently mine?s been out for a month despite me having the spare bulb. The massively useful seat folding mechanism on the drivers (heavier) side needs adjustment. Some of the switch backlighting has started to blow.
Oily bits: third gear occasionally is a bit reluctant on an otherwise still silky box. There has developed noticeable drivechain shunt recently, and there is an element of ?shimmy? through the steering under full throttle if overtaking in 5th on the motorway ? reminiscent of worn driveshafts, only an order of magnitude less severe. Will have to get it checked.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. The mpg is gradually improving, although it still is very low compared to what it should be. The car is very comfy, remains quick, and is a nice place to be, making long journeys effortless. The suspension is compliant, and the car doesn?t tramline since switching to P6000 Powergy tyres. The rear brakes lasted 62k, but the discs needed doing as well when they were changed.
Overall, I?ll be keeping the car after the PCP expires in Dec, but I?ll be getting an aftermarket warranty and switching to an indie for servicing. Fingers crossed eh?
|
Gordon
You seem to have got the duff car.
Look out for the exhaust manifold cracking when the car gets into the 90-100k range.
Wonder who has mine now? - Yes I still regard it as mine (sad)
|
This sounds horrendous for a suposedly premium Japanese manufacturer.
No wonder the jap manufacturers are falling down the various ratings lists. The fuel consumption is very average for the power the Honda lump puts out as well.
What with the dodgy looks this would seriously put me off.
|
Good report and some similiarity to my own experience. Had i-CDTi Tourer for 52,000 miles and 25 months now, and certainly have the vibrations around the door trims, and now some switch back lighting has failed. Otherwise nothing has required replacement and it is always comfortable and a pleasure to drive.
Fuel consumption is almost identical, averaging out at 42.5 MPG, with 47 MPG if driven like a mimser.
The problem will be what to replace it with for a similar outlay in the future, as I need the space of an estate, good (ish) MPG, and comfortable.
Must say that I previously had 2 Seat Alhambra 1.8 20VT's from new, and took both to over 100,000 miles with precisely nothing going wrong, just service items.
|
"The problem will be what to replace it with for a similar outlay in the future"
If you need the length, I think it has to be a Mondeo or Passat, or a new-model Accord Tourer when it arrives: photos suggest it won't be as ugly as the current one (well, that's not difficult!).
For volume the Golf V and Octavia estates run it quite close - or next year there promises to be a Skoda Superb estate which should be vast.
|
"The problem will be what to replace it with for a similar outlay in the future"
2 yr old (or maybe newer) Mercedes C Class C220CDi estate?
If buying on a PCP then maybe even a new one might be feasible once the latest model prices settle down a bit.
I got a 5mth old C270CDi estate 3yrs ago when I opted out of my company car. I had an Accord saloon on test for a few days but thought there were issues which would annoy me. I also really wanted an auto, although the Accord's then 5 spd box was the best of the manuals I drove.
I must admit I've done nothing like the mileage I expected - I work from home and rarely have to visit customers now, so it's only done 40K, and I tend to only use it for long steady motorway runs, using one of our other cars (mainly the Jazz) around town. On a relaxed (and it's easy to drive it that way) 200 mile motorway trip it'll do 50MPG, although slightly firmer driving with knock 3-4MPG off. Figures are off the trip computer (there are 2 :-) ) but brim to brim checks indicate that the trip is accurate. Servicing on mine is variable interval and will run to 18K or so between services (although it's fixed at 15,500/12mths on the new model). My local dealer will do A services for £199 and B services for £299.
|
|
|
