Faults:

Only thing wrong is, I had to get the rear brake discs machined. But I tow a heavy trailer, so that could have something to do with it.

Nothing else, perfect.

General Comments:

I drive a lot and this car has not missed a beat. It is a comfortable car with a luxurious type feeling interior.

The performance is good, the car flies up any hills on the freeway or around town. Acceleration is also good and even though it is a smaller engine than a Falcon, it is probably quicker, although does require higher revs towards the 3000rpm mark, as opposed to a barely over 2000rpm for a Falcon.

The gearbox is fine; it switches very smoothly and is always in the right gear. There is no Tiptronic like on the Accord Euro. However the good thing is it uses unleaded fuel instead of premium unleaded like the Euro does.

However, this is not a sports car and is not an enthusiast's car.

Fuel consumption: 12L/100km in the city and 10L/100km on the freeway.

If quality, comfort and good resale value are what you're after, then this is the car for you.

Faults:

Battery had to be replaced.

Two tires replaced.

Front and rear bumper covers replaced.

General Comments:

Handles better than you would expect. While not a sports car, it's predictable and taut.

The 4 cylinder engine is very smooth and power is adequate. Manual gearbox and clutch are the best I have ever used. For a car sold in the US, it's very fuel efficient. Regular servicing has been inexpensive.

Comfortable ride and seats with a decent amount of interior space. Not easy to clean with the cloth version.

Great initial quality, but I have doubts about it's ultimate durability. Sheet metal is thin and susceptible to hail damage and buckling. Bumpers are just plastic covers and are seemingly designed to crack and split. Lots of weak plastic bits on the exterior. Front valance, mudguards and oil pan vulnerable to damage.

It's a reliable friend but I don't see it lasting for 200k.

Faults:

There have been a few niggling rattles.

The driver's control for the front passenger's power window works intermittently at best.

General Comments:

The seats are the most comfortable I've ever sat in in a car.

The leather seems to be of a higher quality than that in other cars in its price range.

Ergonomics are brilliant and controls and tactile responses are generally superb.

The car feels so much more expensive from behind the wheel that it actually is.

Faults:

Brake shudder during prolonged light application of brakes descending long declines. The shudder becomes progressively worse the longer the brakes are applied - difficult to solve while trying to stick to the speed limit. Obviously the heat build up (due perhaps to insufficient sized rotors) is a factor.

General Comments:

Overall the car has met expectations, albeit the inability of the manufacturer to rectify the brake shudder problem belies Honda's image as a "quality" manufacturer committed to the highest standards.

The fact that replacement rotors & pads have not rectified the problem indicates an engineering fault - Honda have refused to acknowledge this.

Otherwise value for money is good.

The difficulty now is to find a replacement that still offers the same level of luxury, but with better fuel economy (note that this is more to do with the current price of fuel than the V6 being overly thirsty)

Any suggestions?