2000 Honda Accord SE review from UK and Ireland

Steering rack assembly required replacement at 36,000 miles.

The engine 'pinks' intermittently.

Having owned Accords in the past, I was looking forward to a hassle-free driving and ownership experience with this example.

In most respect, the Accord is above average for a mass-market medium family saloon.

The chassis is highly competent, providing a well-damped, comfortable ride and nicely balanced handling. The car is blessed with an excellent high-speed ride and stability on the motorway.

All of the control interfaces feel properly optimised, which means strong brakes, acccurate steering and an excellent gearbox.

As usual for Honda, the engine has particular strengths; smooth, revvy and strong in the upper-rev range. It relishes being worked hard and sounds great.

The big let-down is the lack of flexible performance on offer at low revs; there just isn't enough torque, and with the air-con on below 3000rpm the car feels distinctly sluggish.

Change down, wind the engine up and things improve, but the need to drive the car hard to make even reasonably rapid progress can become tiring, and does little to aid fuel economy.

Servicing costs seem uniformly expensive, at least in the UK, but on the plus side the dealers are generally excellent and work is carried out to a high standard.

Honda UK genuinely seem to care about customer service, and paid for the considerable cost of a replacement steering rack just outside the warranty period.

Lack of excitement and performance aside, it's difficult to criticise a car which has suffered few problems, is so painless to live with and generally pleasant to drive. I'll be looking elsewhere next time, however.