1997 Honda Accord EX wagon review from North America

AC ran out of gas this year. Recharge in May seems to be holding, but it labors on hot muggy days.

There's a very slow leak in one of the alloy wheels (5 lbs. over 1 week) that I keep an eye on. It's been like that for a while.

Looks nice, good visibility, the absolute best dashboard layout in the history of autos, drives really well, this model Honda has served me well. ABS brakes have allowed me to steer away from two potential accidents under hard braking.

I owned a 1994 with 175,000 miles on it, and an '86 Accord hatcback with 245,000 miles before that. None of these cars have been a hassle. The seats are pretty good for comfort, but stiff. Full size spare tire is nice.

This is my first Honda with an automatic transmission and it's the weak spot of the car. It hunts for gears on hills, and shifts early when accelerating hard. Mileage is not as good as my manuals, but it has more go left when passing at speed. It handles extremely well at higher speeds, but feels a little numb around town.

I change the oil religiously every 3,000 miles, and keep the other maintainance things up to date at an independent Honda service center and have been a happy driver.

An all around champ economy car cleverly disguised as an economical sports wagon.