I’m finally back online (blogging is still impractical on a smartphone) after getting moved into our new house and getting our internet set up, and I had a few minutes tonight to sit down and partake in my favorite leisure activity: trawling Craigslist. I want to show you a car that I have always admired – the fourth generation Honda Accord. Welcome to Wagon Wednesday.
I don’t need to tell you that the Honda Accord, in all its many guises, is one of the most popular cars ever built, and is still very well-liked today. There are a number of reasons for this, but reliability is probably on the top of the list. Older Hondas, if well-maintained, will run for decades, and even if they aren’t taken care of, they will still last for hundreds of thousands of miles. These cars really are amazing. Honda and the other JDM’s had the Big Three on their back feet all through the 80’s and 90’s, and the Accord led the way.
When I was a kid, I lived next door to a first-generation Accord, a 3-door hatchback that I thought was the coolest little car. I was the kid who studied cars and could spot all the little differences as the model years changed, and to this day I believe that the 4th-generation is the best Accord that Honda has ever built. To me, it’s everything Americans wanted in a small car – reliable, economical, but roomy, and enough power under the hood to keep from getting run over. They also handled well, with double-wishbone suspension and a relatively low curb weight. It also has great visibility with the low front end and big windows all around, which would never be allowed today.
As for this particular example, it looks like another solid, reliable Accord. With a little bit of work, this car will run another 135,000 miles easily, and in my opinion is worth every bit of $2000, especially for a car that will give you great gas mileage and good cargo room. Those aluminum wheels are some of favorite of all time – simple and effective.
But enough about me: I want to know what you think of this wagon. Is it worth $2000? Is it still a good choice in 2015? Have your say in the comments.
[Source: Springfield Craigslist]
Wagon Wednesday – 1992 Honda Accord
About
-
This generation, coupe and wagon in particular had JDM ads that emphasized their “Americanness,” though we only got one more wagon generation, and the rest stayed home/only went to Europe.
Great cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy4crxYy-eQ -
$2,000 for a major-cancer-free Accord wagon from that era is definitely worth it. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it weren’t so far away.
My dad’s ’92 Accord coupe made it 235K miles before he donated it in 2008. I saw it still puttering around town in 2012, with who knows how many more miles. The peeling clear coat on the C pillars from a botched roof repaint my dad had done in the 90’s made it pretty unmistakeable.
As a side note, the warning beeper from that era of Hondas is burned right into my memory for all eternity thanks to my dad’s car.-
Key in ignition but door open? 4 sharp beeps, repeated. And in my mind, they’re not exactly even, but slightly swung. Might just be a flight of fancy. Starting the engine? 6 long beeps.
I learned to drive on my dad’s ’93 EX wagon, which later briefly became mine.
-
-
Absolutely love that gen Accord wagon. If I could have any two Honda products from that year, I would have of each of these. http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/09/IMG_2452.jpg
-
Hmmmm… Springfield, Missouri – have you relocated, from the Pacific Northwest?
-
Amazingly this, despite being peak Honda, was the exact car that swore my parents off of Honda forever. Problems with balance shaft lubrication killed 2 different engines in 6 months, and they punted this amazing wagon for (get this) a Plymouth Grand Voyager, which was astonishingly reliable.
I don’t know what this proves, other than that personal anecdotes about reliability don’t mean squat. -
Just… don’t neglect the timing belt maintenance. Base it on years, not miles. Replacement F22s are getting harder to come by, and retrofitting other engines can get prohibitively expensive.
Of all the cars I’ve owned, the ’93 EX wagon is the one I miss most.
Leave a Reply