Our Long-Term 1998 Honda Accord Coupe EX Did It All

From the May 1999 issue of Car and Driver.The Honda Accord is one of those rare cars that are favored by mainstream buyers and automobile aficionados alike. This past January, the Accord made our 10Best list for the 13th time, and since its introduction in 1977, it has won countless Car and Driver comparison tests. Meanwhile, it has been one of the three bestselling cars in the U.S. every year since 1989. Last year, Honda sold 401,071 Accords (less than 15 percent of them, or about 60,000 cars, had two doors). That’s second only to the Toyota Camry, at 429,575 vehicles sold. That ’98 Accord represented a major redesign, so we promptly ordered one for our long-term fleet. We chose this version in part because the sixth-generation model is the first two-door Accord that’s visually distinct from the sedan. Over the years, the Accord sedan has become a sedate, dead-pan-serious-looking family car, but the Accord coupe has a more steeply raked windshield and a handsomely tailored rear end, which we like. Our Accord EX arrived in January 1998 with a no-options sticker price of $21,195. Standard items included an in-dash CD player, cruise control, air conditioning, power windows and sunroof, and a rear defroster. View PhotosJeffrey G. Russell and Daniel V. Winter|Car and DriverWe chose Honda’s 150-horsepower, 2.3-liter VTEC four-cylinder engine over the new V-6 because that sweet engine is not available with a five-speed manual transmission. Besides, the four-cylinder engine impresses us for a number of reasons: It meets Low-Emission Vehicle standards, it produces good mileage (we averaged 29 mpg during 40,000 miles of typically zealous driving), it’s so quiet and smooth at idle that it’s sometimes hard to tell if the car is running, and more important, it’s a willing dance partner when you want to drive with fervor. At its initial testing, the car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds and turned the quarter-mile in 16.5 seconds at 85 mph. A V-6–equipped Mercury Cougar is just a hair quicker—8.0 seconds and 16.4 seconds at 86 mph, respectively. Our Accord initially required 191 feet to come to a stop from 70 mph; the Cougar needs seven more feet. View PhotosJeffrey G. Russell and Daniel V. Winter|Car and DriverOur Mr. Bedard took the helm early on and found it necessary to make an unscheduled pit stop at 2846 miles at Marshall Volkswagen-Honda in Panama City, Florida. There were two problems. The dash-mounted power outlet wasn’t working, and the trunk-open button on the remote-locking fob seemed to have gone offline. Repairing a defective ground wire cured the power plug problem, and the service manager explained that the button on the fob simply has to be pressed down longer than on other fobs. The ground-wire fix and the advice were free.
While stopping for gas at 6858 miles, the ever-vigilant Bedard checked the oil and, to his surprise, found that the level was low. He added the only quart our Honda would consume between changes. View PhotosJeffrey G. Russell and Daniel V. Winter|Car and DriverIn April, we pitted for the Accord’s 7500-mile service a bit early, at 7356 miles, because the dashboard’s check-engine light had come on. The culprit was computer engine code P1456, which indicates an evaporation leak from the gas tank. In our case, as in the vast majority of such cases on all newer cars, it was caused by a loose gas cap. Marshall Honda reset the computer for free and admonished us to tighten the gas cap until it clicks three times, as the warranty would not cover the cost of the next stop to reset that code.
The free advice was appreciated, but we were stunned by the $79 price charged for the 7500-mile service. Honda only requires an oil change (no filter) and a tire rotation at these interim stops, but Marshall also adjusted the clutch and parking brake and inspected the brakes. For the official record, we only tallied the cost for those required items, which would have been $28. Not long after this service, Bedard departed with the Accord from his Florida home to his hideaway in the red-rock land of Sedona, Arizona. Along the way, he commented that the “steering is remarkably, wonderfully accurate. Over the past 3000 miles, I’ve spent a lot of time cruising at speeds up to 95 mph, and my confidence in path control is extremely high because of the inherent steering and tracking accuracy.” He also noted, as would several other drivers later on, that the Accord’s Bridgestone Turanza EL41 P195/65R-15 tires transmitted road texture as a loud roar. These tires were perhaps the Accord’s most significant shortcoming. “This car feels so much like a sports coupe,” wrote gruff-but-lovable Fred Gregory. “Grippier tires would make it even more so, though.” More Accord Reviews From the ArchiveIn May, at 15,295 miles, we pitted at Mountain Honda-Isuzu in Flagstaff, Arizona, for the 15,000-mile service. The owner’s manual calls for an oil and filter change, a tire rotation, and various Honda-approved inspections and checks. Once again, we got more than Honda bargained for—the Mountain men stuck us with an “MOA tune kit” for $17.75, which amounts to oil and gas conditioners. We tallied $107 for service sans the marvel mystery oils.
Our trusty friend spent the next 7500 miles visiting 13 states and one Canadian province during its return trip to Michigan and a subsequent pilgrimage to road warrior Mead’s homestead in Southwest Harbor, Maine—all without a hiccup. Our 22,500-mile oil change and tire rotation also came off without a hitch and cost us just $24. View PhotosJeffrey G. Russell and Daniel V. Winter|Car and DriverOur Accord continued to assuage our staff’s wanderlust with trips through the Kentucky coal country; to Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina; to Brewskitown, Wisconsin; and to Columbus, Ohio. Still running like a sewing machine, we pitted again at 30,000 miles at Howard Cooper Import Center in Ann Arbor. This stop called for the regular rigmarole plus inspections of the brakes, suspension, and cooling system, along with a new air-cleaner element, spark plugs, and a cabin air filter. The tab was a reasonable $225, and on the bill was noted the following: “The tires all have at least 4.0 millimeters of tread. These are normally good down to 2.0 millimeters.”
Those tires went on to survive our 40,000-mile test, and they held up well, although a few drivers still wished for something quieter and more aggressive. Our long-term ’98 Volkswagen Passat, a car the Accord sedan competes with head-on, needed a set of $386 replacement tires at 34,000 miles. Our final oil change and tire rotation service at 37,500 cost $33.
Service costs for 40,000 miles came to $417—respectable, but still $128 more than for our long-term ’97 Honda Prelude and $56 less than for our long-term Passat. (And that’s with VW paying for servicing through two years or 24,000 miles.) We incurred no charges for normal wear items like tires and windshield wipers, and we paid for no repairs. Acceleration after 40,000 miles remained virtually the same. The sprint to 60 mph came 0.1 second faster, and the quarter-mile times and speeds were identical. On the skidpad, the Accord’s grip decreased from 0.79 to 0.75 g, and its 70-to-0-mph braking distance increased nine feet to 200 feet. Even so, editor Csere took time to note in the logbook that the appeal of the Accord is “the meticulously engineered, carefully honed feel of every control . . . which produces a level of refinement that satisfies enthusiasts and casual drivers alike.” How true. After 40,000 miles in this Accord—with only one minor unscheduled service stop and a solid, secure, and refined ride every time we got behind the wheel—we see his point.Rants and RavesThe world’s paranoia is starting to piss me off. From my deck, I unlocked the car doors with the remote, then put the remote on the kitchen hook. As I approached the car a few minutes later, I heard the doors lock. —Bedard Dynamically, a charming car. Smooth throttle tip-in, nearly perfect steering linearity and weight. I want one. —Phillips The seats and the driver’s environment have obviously been designed with care and competence. The climate and radio dials and buttons are models for other manufacturers. —Gregory Is it me, or is this shifter not as smooth as the ones in other good Hondas? Twice it hung up and refused to go into reverse. —Markus This car was a disappointment in the snow and slush. Are the tires to blame? —Maki What the Accord lacks in excitement it makes up for with a constant feeling of comfort knowing you are driving a very purposeful car. No frills—just smart transportation. —SharphornSpecificationsSpecifications
1998 Honda Accord Coupe EX
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE

Base/As Tested: $21,195/$21,195
ENGINE
SOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 138 in3, 2254 cm3
Power: 150 hp @ 5700 rpm
Torque: 152 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual
CHASSIS

Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 10.2-in vented disc/10.2-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Turanza
P195/65R-15
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 105.1 in
Length: 186.8 in
Width: 70.3 in
Height: 55.1 in
Passenger Volume: 90.4 ft3
Trunk Volume: 13.6 ft3
Curb Weight: 3027 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW

60 mph: 8.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.5 sec @ 85 mph
100 mph: 24.5 sec
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.0 sec
Top Speed (drag ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 191 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.79 g
C/D TEST RESULTS: 40,000 MILES

60 mph: 8.1 sec
100 mph: 24.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.5 sec @ 85 mph
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top Speed (drag ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 200 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.75 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 29 mpg
Unscheduled Oil Additions: 1 qt
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City/Highway: 25/31 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Source: caranddriver.com