1987 Honda Accord LX review from North America

Blew CV joints out twice in 3 years.

Seams in rear seats started to separate.

Tires wore pretty badly.

Replaced radiator twice.

Developed a substantial oil leak.

Too many groans and rattles to diagnose by the time I finally had to give it up.

The Accord was my first car, and since it had been owned by my grandfather, who also worked at a Honda dealership, it was in showroom condition when I got it in May of '99. I got to enjoy it for about a month until I tried to take a turn too quick on a slick road and sailed it through a ditch. To its credit, it didn't roll, and I wasn't hurt at all. The car however was totaled by the insurance company, but we did as much repair as possible (which was most of it) with the salvage check. Regrettably, the car never ran like it had before it was totaled again.

In spite of the way things got started, that car was the perfect first car for me. I put it through a lot of abuse and it always came back for more. It never left me on the road and started perfectly every time. I drove it through the fields on our farm all the time, the biggest blizzard the Carolinas had seen in years, and anything else I had to go through. It was a pretty decent mudder too. In fact, I do remember one time when I got it through a muddy field that a Chevy Z71 4x4 was stuck in.

My car was a legend. It might have looked like crap, but that was my fault. I was 16 and had no real idea how to take care of a car. While a few components on the suspension couldn't take the heat, the engine and transmission had zero problems. I learned a lot from that car, and my new car has had a much easier, better-maintained life as a result.

As far as the actual car was concerned, I loved it. I'll admit I was pretty put off by it at first. It was a 12-year-old tan 4-banger sedan. It was not cool for a 16-year-old! But after I drove it a couple days, I was very happy with it. It fit me perfectly and it was comfortable. It had a very smooth ride, even though it wasn't particularly peppy. The LX had all the options except the moon roof and fuel injectors, but I didn't really miss either of those. I wish I could have kept that car the way it was before that fateful bend in the road in June '99, but I didn't. That was all my fault.

Anyway, to summarize, the car had that legendary Honda reliability everyone hears about and some people hate on. It was the perfect car until I put it through a ditch. His name was Charlie and I loved him. I still miss him!