10th Feb 2015, 17:55
I wrote the review that shows up directly beneath yours (on this page). I gotta say, your review is leaps and bounds better! Great job. I just replaced the carburetor and am thrilled with the results! I am replacing vacuum lines two or three at a time when I can. Suggestion: Buy a bulk of the silicone vacuum line (3.5 mm and 4.5 mm) from the Honda dealer. You won't be sorry. It is great stuff. About 50 bucks for a long roll, but well worth it!
9th Mar 2016, 21:03
I currently own an automatic 1989 Accord LX carburated. I love this vehicle. She is very clean with only 83,598k. It's all I want to drive. She is a gem.
I also own a manual 2002 Protege 5, made by Mazda. She has 93000k. Another very reliable car.
6th Aug 2020, 20:49
The '89 Accord SEI remains relevant today as new cars can still learn from it. The lower slung body panels make for amazing visibility. Leg room is better than new cars. Why is the floor console so wide in new cars, rubbing up against one's leg like a pesky beagle?
Durability of the 3rd generation Accord is remarkable. Collectors in my view overlook durability? Yes, the Accord in '89 was a little under powered, but that's why 300,000 miles without tear down was possible. The more horsepower, the more wear inside the engine. Power goes up, containment wear goes up. We won't see the Acura Type R with 300,000 miles on it... Just saying, long running should be a collectible factor for sure.
The '89 Accord SEI had cup holders, leather, stronger firmer automatic trans, more travel in suspension, Bose sound, custom wheels, leather, etc. The double wishbone suspension made for smooth ride and cornering.
The 3rd generation Accord, especially LXI and top of the line SEI were likely the best cars made for the money? Blog it as one guru team in the day said the Accord was better than the Mercedes and BMW.
I have an 86 LXI with 176,000 miles, still rattle free and relevant among new cars. The new cars think a rough ride is sporty? Try the great sport feeling and smooth ride of 3rd generation Accord. Now we are talking.
I have an '89 Accord 2-door SEI with 40,000 miles. Of course it is amazing in all areas. Again, like the '86 Accord LXI, the '89 is a little underpowered, but the true collectability is both cars will be running far into the future, which to me is the definition of collectible. Both my Accords have no rattles even over the train tracks.
I am very surprised the 3rd generation Accords are not seen as collectibles yet? Not one person who ever owned a 3rd generation Accord (LXI or the SEI) with programed fuel injection ever disliked their Accord. Most get smiles, and all miss them. There is a reason folks... many very good reasons!
7th Aug 2020, 18:56
The Honda cars from 1988-1991 were the best cars Honda ever made. Of course, it was not modern technology, but Honda had the best engineering and design team back then. True for their Civic, CRX, Acuras and first gen Odyssey. The cars were also very well designed, with surprising interior room, excellent ergonomic seats - the best Honda put in their cars ever since, and those cars were just well screwed together overall and by far the more long lasting Honda cars ever made. This is not to say those were maintenance free: oh no, in fact after 80k miles or so you had to start replacing a long list of wear items, exhaust, ball joints, all rubber boots on CV joints and tie rods, bushings on the front suspension, and in northern states the body was rust prone, the fuel lines would rust and leak, even the fuel tank would rust from inside and start leaking. There were also some electrical issues with the cabin heating resistor, distributor cap, sticking throttle cable. The steering wheel was also too large, but easily replaceable with a sport one which was a big improvement in handling. Already by the next generation in 1992 you could see cost cutting everywhere.
4th Jan 2015, 04:17
Good point about Honda quality - in 1989. Fast forward 10 years, and the picture can change. I have a 1999 Accord V-6 that has kept various repair bays busy. On the other hand, my wife's 2007 CR-V has been stellar. Product quality is somewhat inconsistent, depending on the year and the model. Your mileage may vary.
Enjoy your '89 :)