1989 Honda Accord LX-i review from North America

The tie-rod ends and ball joints needed repair.

Power steering system.

A/C system (compressor and hoses)

2 sets of spark plug wires (it seems to eat through them)

Several radiator hoses have leaked and required

replacement.

Difficult car to keep well aligned.

Alternator died out.

2 door handles have broke (with regular use)

Exhaust has slowly been replaced all the way back to a new muffler.

Currently burning oil once in a while.

The 1989 Honda Accord Lx-i is essentially a good commuter car. The mileage I report back is about 29 mpg, with probably 60% highway driving and no air on (it doesn't work). I'd say this car gets about 25 mpg in city driving or so if driven conservatively; when I drove it mostly in the city I got 24-26 mpg out of it.

Mechanically, the engine has been sound. Remarkably, despite running the engine overheated 3x, the engine is still fairly quick and doesn't have trouble starting up. The efficiency hasn't decreased either in the time I've had it. The car has, however, had some mechanical problems. The body has held up so-so considering Michigan winters; as it turns 20, there is mostly just rust over the wheel wells. However, the door handles mysteriously just come apart and break. Both my driver and passenger door handles have broke off.

The car also burns oil once in a while. I was using 5W-30, as the manual instructs, and it was burning the oil up, so I added 10W-30 and that seems to have stopped it. The exhaust is ridden with holes. The steering components are poor and susceptible to breaking (I had a tie-rod end snap while I drove it). I've replaced the plug wires twice. The power steering system failed and had to be replaced (I hear this is common on Hondas).

The cabin and the ride are not at all that comfortable, though being the Lx-i and supposedly the most comfortable model, I feel bad for DX drivers. The interior is well designed from a technical standpoint. The switches are easy to access and have clear designs. The center console is well laid out and the wheel has a tilt setting. The power windows, locks, moon-roof, and cruise control all still work. Cruise control is shaky and fairly annoying, and the windows take a long time to roll up or down. The seats will give you a back-ache on longer drives, and the interior is not comfortable at all--it's mostly hard plastics and vinyl. The windshield offers a good view of the road. The flip-up lights are prone to failures but mine have worked pretty well. The brake pedal isn't linear at all but you get used to it.

As for performance, acceleration is alright, but the shifts are clunky and awkward. The manual transmission would be a better choice. The automatic is somewhat schizophrenic, picking randomly as to whether it wants to shift late for more power, or early for better economy. Shifting into neutral then back into drive-4 will often send the automatic into a frenzied, rough downshift as it searches for gears. The car handles very well. It is quick and responsive to wheel movements. The wheel base is amazingly tiny and perfect for fitting into parking spots and on-the-dime turns.

Overall, this isn't a car that will reward you with much pleasure to drive. It offers you a decent choice for commuting, but it can be a money pit at times. The car is made for smooth highway commutes as it is, as you won't be very comfortable in it otherwise and accelerating and stopping constantly in the city is a headache in the somewhat underpowered Accord.