1998 Acura 1.6 EL Premium review from North America
"Fine practical transportation and worth the extra initial cost"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing serious has gone wrong with this car.
The Michelin front tires were replaced due to vibrations.
Just had new front pads and rotors, a bit early for this I thought.
The hood release latch broke off at -20 degrees C.
Front plastic trim broke too easily when bumped in a parking lot.
General comments?
Very reliable transportation. In the Canadian winter starts every day at 4:45am.
Needs to rev. to 5,000 or 6,000 to really show its potential, this increases fuel consumption. I get around 32 mpg or 8 litres per 100k.
The seat belt anchors between the seats are very difficult to engage.
Good snow tires are essential here, I have Toyos, they're really great.
ABS is noisy, but seldom called into use. For long trips a few hours at 130kph is no problem. It's a great little car.
Recommended reviews
  | 1998 - 1.6 EL 1.6 EL SPORT 1.6 Vtec single cam It's a good economical car with a little luxury |
| 1997 - 1.6 EL Sport 1.6 litre VTEC Dependable, dependable dependable |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.7 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 10000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 72000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Integra |
| Date of Entry | 17th January, 2003 |