Faults:

Rear discs and one rear caliper have been replaced.

A section of exhaust has been replaced.

Front brake pads and a few bulbs.

General Comments:

It's a quick car when you get it over 3000 revs.

Looks aren't the best, but who needs looks when you're bathed in leather with A/C and electric everything, which for a now 15 year old has more spec than a lot new cars have now. I like it.

Faults:

Sunroof occasionally didn't shut - just kept retrying till it did.

ABS light constantly on - common fault due to ABS sensor failure.

Drivers electric window gave up the ghost - taped it up and kept going.

Exhaust back box developed a large hole.

Couple of bulbs.

2 tyre's due to punctures.

Windscreen due to fight with stone.

General Comments:

For the age and price, the Concerto is a very well spec'd car. How many other cars of this age and class had toys like electric sunroof, 4 electric windows, electric heated mirrors, ABS, alloy wheels, spoiler etc?

Very comfy car to drive, and I'd know as I've had many Friday night jaunts up the M5 and back down again on a Sunday (spent 6 months working in Cornwall on site).

Reliability wise it never let me down, and it handled well enough. The power was there if needed for overtaking, and it wasn't too slow getting there either.

Faults:

Rotten exhaust system.

Hood of fuse box fell off.

General Comments:

I am positively surprised by this inconspicuous-looking car. I got it when I was looking for an affordable family car, that is a bit on the sporty side and my Concerto fits the bill admirably. It's more roomy than it looks at first sight, having a trunk that will rarely be too small to store your normal luggage.

On the driving side I love its handling. It hugs the road like it runs on rails and you get an excellent feedback. The steering is direct and responsive and lets you have a lot of fun on curvy roads. On the downside however, is the weak engine. I own the 90 hp motor, which should be sufficient to meet my requirements. It's not a Porsche, after all. But when it comes to going uphill, or to drive on the motorway, its performance is downright embarrassing. I guess, there's been some serious misjudgment in the transmission department and I'm sure - given the otherwise high competence of Honda engineers - you won't find this fault in later models.

In terms of looks my car scores much better than other Concertos around. The trapezium-shaped cabin does look dull, but minor modifications like decorative stripes, a small spoiler at the rear or darkened window panes do make a major difference at the Concerto. Also, I absolutely love the paint. Although it's ten years old and I don't have a garage it's still shiny and the colour looks damn good.

A minor weakness is that the windows tend to get foggy as moisture leaks in, but I suppose that has to do with the car's age.

As a summary I can say the Concerto is really a bargain, if you look for a spacious and sporty car - unless you want a serious performer, in that case go rather for a Focus, or a 306 XS.