1997 Acura 1.6 EL Premium review from North America
"Excellent small car, best for city use"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing, really. My sister and brother-in-law were the first owners and had no repair issues. I replaced brake pads and battery in 2006 at 115,000 kms. That's it, after 140,000 kms.
General comments?
Cute little car, fun to drive around town with its five spd stick shift. Dead reliable, though like some other reviewers I notice it takes longer to start when tank is nearly empty.
Two complaints only: 1. The car is noisy at expressway speeds. I replaced the original Yokohama lower profile tires with some Cooper radials and that helped. 2. I drive faster than average and find the 1.6 lacking in oomph. While it cruises easily on the highway, passing moves have to be planned in advance. (Just bought a Caddy CTS-V, should solve that problem.)
I typically use about 7.5-8 litres of gas every 100 kms of mainly highway driving.
Recommended reviews
  | An underpowered city driver |
| Reliable!!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 115000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 140000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Pontiac Bonneville |
| Date of Entry | 9th December, 2007 |