1993 Honda Ascot S review from Australia and New Zealand
"Best in its class, unless you're tall"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
One of the horn buttons broke and fell off. According to a few car wreckers, this is quite common. A new horn button was expensive (NZ$38), but since this has been the only fault with the car, I can't really complain.
General comments?
At eight years old and with 98,000km on the clock, my Honda Ascot has no interior creaks or rattles to speak of. This pretty much sums up the excellent build quality.
The Honda Ascot/Rafaga was a Japanese domestic model produced from 1993-1997. It was designed to compete with the likes of the BMW 3 series and has a definite European look to it (both inside and out).
What's unique about this car is the in-line 5 cylinder engine, which drives the front wheels. Available in capacities of 2.0 and 2.5 litres, mine is a 2 litre, which produces 118kW (158hp) of power @ 6,700rpm and propels the car to a top speed of 210km/h. Acceleration is excellent, but it's a little slow off the mark due to the automatic transmission and lack of low-end torque (0-100km/h in 9.5 seconds). But at passing speeds the transmission drops down to second gear, bringing the engine into its peak power band, and you just fly past other vehicles!
The downside to the high performance is that fuel economy suffers a little. I get an average of 10.2 litres/100km (23mpg) in the city and 7.6 litres/100km (31mpg) on the highway.
The good points about this car are the smooth and powerful engine, excellent build quality, high quality materials, high specification (in the 'S' model), refinement, handling and braking (disc brakes all round).
The bad points about this car are the lack of leg room (due to the engine being mounted longitudinally) and wide turning circle. If you're taller than 6 foot, the lack of leg room may make the driving position a bit uncomfortable. The seats are quite flat and lacking in lateral support, but are comfortable, even on long journeys.
I expect the reliability of this car will be bullet proof. The 5 cylinder engine is the same as that in the Acura Vigor, so just look at all the positive reviews of the Acura Vigor on this site.
I've created a Web site with information and photos of the Honda Ascot at http://5cylinders.cjb.net
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 (5 cylinder) Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 91000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 98000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Corolla |
| Date of Entry | 16th December, 2001 |