1998 Honda Accord LS from UK and Ireland - Comments

Sticking handbrake.

Amazingly reliable car. After 187,000 miles it has never broken down, never failed to start, and still drives like new, apart from a bit of play in the steering. It goes into the dealer for a service, comes out again, and runs happily until the next one.

The mileage is only noticeable in two areas. The engine sounds a bit rattly when cold these days, although is sweet as ever once warmed up. There's also a little bit of play in the steering around the dead ahead position which never used to be there. Apart from that, the car still feels as new.

After a Citroen Xantia which was nice to drive, but broke down every week, the Honda is a revelation. The only downside is that I can't currently justify changing such a faultless car, which means I'll probably keep it until it's done over 200,000 miles! I don't doubt it will still be faultless, but my feet are itching for something more exciting. A Type R maybe.

If you want something more exicting, get a Rover 620ti - the accord and 600 are the same car underneath - but the rover, I think, shows a bit more breeding when it comes to styling.

Compare Honda's reliability record with Rover's, then say that again. In truth british cars have had a lot of criticisms where I live about build quality. Honda on the other hand, has made millions of their V-Tech engines and none have gone wrong. The accord came 18th overall in the Top Gear survey for reliability and quility. (note: do not confuse quality with luxury; luxury means a great ride and comfort, whereas quality means that the materials of the interior are well made and will not fall apart; it's a simple mistake to make).