Replacing my 2000 Accord 1.8 SE Executive?

Raiser

I've a 2000 1.8 Accord SE Executive at around 130K Miles and have recently moved House to a relatively remote location - giving me about a 40 Mile round trip to work + lots of trips in and out to Town and so on.

Previous to this I had already found the Accord to be overly heavy on Petrol. I get at best ~300 miles to a 55 litre tank - But with this move I'm now spending a fortune on Petrol.

I am seriously considering getting a car loan and buying the 2.2 Diesel Accord from somewhere like Car Giant in the UK?

What do ye think? I've read a few of the related threads on here and there seems to be some debate on large servicing cost potentially wiping out savings made at the Pumps and so on......

- In fact there has been so much balanced and informed debate that I'm even more unsure now then when I started reading up!

Am also unsure about the emissions v. tax scenario re. these engines?

There seems to be a pile of figures floating around between ~860 and ~150 etc.?

Finally, I would of course really appreciate any other suggestions apart from the Diesel Accord - That's just as far as I've gotten so far!

Tea 1000

Tax on the Accord diesel pre-2008 is based on the cc, that's €850 per year approx. Post 2008 it's €302.
What's your budget? You could consider the new shape Civic Saloon, 1.8 petrol. THat's an excellent engine, and will easily get mid-40 mpg. You'd pick one up for not much more than 10 grand, usually with low mileage. I know a man who went from what you have to one of those, and he was initially worried about getting a smaller car, but was delighted with it in the end. It's more powerful, almost as big and much more economical.

Pre 2008 diesel Accords are taxed on the cc so it's €860 ish.

bazz26

All pre 2008 registered cars are using the old engine capacity based motor tax system so pre 2008 2.2 litre diesel Accord costs €890 to tax per year whereas a 2008 onwards Accord diesel only costs €302.

As regards higher servicing costs on a diesel, well I am driving diesels for almost 4 years now and have found that routeen servicing is only marginally more expensive than when I drove a petrol car. Of course modern diesels have their down sides too, parts like injectors, dual mass flywheels (DMF) and diesel particulate filters (DPF) are prone to failing from around 80k miles or more and are expensive to replace. So do the maths before buying.

What kind of budget do you have OP?

Raiser

Thanks for the replies so far Folks

- Regarding the maths question and what I'd budget for...... Could I answer by saying that I'd probably aim for the sweet spot on making a choice around something registered post January 2008 for the reduced Motor Tax and having an Engine that returns decent MPG day on day !?!?

I'd imagine its going to be ~12k+ (But I have no clue really TBH!)

Green Hornet

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Tax on the Accord diesel pre-2008 is based on the cc, that's €850 per year approx. Post 2008 it's €302.
What's your budget? You could consider the new shape Civic Saloon, 1.8 petrol. THat's an excellent engine, and will easily get mid-40 mpg. You'd pick one up for not much more than 10 grand, usually with low mileage. I know a man who went from what you have to one of those, and he was initially worried about getting a smaller car, but was delighted with it in the end. It's more powerful, almost as big and much more economical.

To be honest, I did that myself and regretted making that particular move. I had a 2002 Accord and changed for the Civic 1.8L saloon in 2007. So much so that I've recently changed to a diesel Accord from the same year as the Civic (2006). You are correct in that the Civic is a nice enough car and does give 40+ mpg. However, it is nowhere near as solid and well built as the Accord. Also, the Civic saloon on the road is less powerful than the diesel Accord. The Accord is also far more refined. That's just my experience anyway.

Tea 1000

Green Hornet wrote: »

To be honest, I did that myself and regretted making that particular move. I had a 2002 Accord and changed for the Civic 1.8L saloon in 2007. So much so that I've recently changed to a diesel Accord from the same year as the Civic (2006). You are correct in that the Civic is a nice enough car and does give 40+ mpg. However, it is nowhere near as solid and well built as the Accord. Also, the Civic saloon on the road is less powerful than the diesel Accord. The Accord is also far more refined. That's just my experience anyway.

The build quality on the Accord might be ahead alright, but it's every bit as solid. There's really no major flaws with the Civic saloon apart from maybe a slightly stiff ride over a very bumpy surface. The engine is 140bhp, and just needs to be driven differently to the diesel.
My main reason however for suggesting it is that it's possible to get a 2008 1.8 Civic saloon with €302 road tax for probably 12k at a push, cash price. You'd pay double that for an Accord diesel. You won't get a good Accord diesel for less than 20k in 2008, so while the Accord is certainly a better car, in the OP's situation I think he should definitely investigate the Civic route.


For example, this is a nice clean looking one with quite low mileage, cash price you could throw in an offer €1500 lower than asking and leave it with them, chances are they'll ring you back. Irish buyers are petrified of 1.8 saloons!!
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Civic/SES-4Dr-/201027198732262/advert?channel=CARS

langdang

Tea 1000 wrote: »

The build quality on the Accord might be ahead alright, but it's every bit as solid. There's really no major flaws with the Civic saloon apart from maybe a slightly stiff ride over a very bumpy surface. ... Irish buyers are petrified of 1.8 saloons!!

it is a "FAIRS BIG ENGINE" tho
sorry about the slight hijack - what about the hatches for build/reliability?
Are they built somewhere else, did I hear there were issues or did I dream it?

Tea 1000

langdang wrote: »

it is a "FAIRS BIG ENGINE" tho
sorry about the slight hijack - what about the hatches for build/reliability?
Are they built somewhere else, did I hear there were issues or did I dream it?

There are various reports of some issues alright with the hatches, they're built in swindon, but there are many Civics out there, so there's bound to be reports of problems! I know a few people with them, and zero complaints from any of them, so I wouldn't worry. Plus if you buy a 2008 one it's still in manufacturers warranty isn't it?

Vikings

You wouldn't regret moving up to a newer diesel accord! Coincidentally I just happen to have one for sale at a very reasonable price

Without trying to sell you my car - the 04-08 diesel accord is a great car, will get you 45-50 MPG without fail no matter how you drive it, even more if you are on a go slow.

I upgraded from a 2.0l petrol, the increase in tax was roughly €250 and after putting up 22k miles in a year I saved at least 3/4 times that again on fuel costs. Nothing has gone wrong with mine and knowing a few people with the same car they can say the same too.

Anyway if theres anything you want to know about the car feel free to ask, I had thought about going for the newer model for lower tax but when I bought last year, if I had kept it for 5 years and sold it on, the depreciation alone would have reduced the tax savings so I went with the older model.

langdang

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Plus if you buy a 2008 one it's still in manufacturers warranty isn't it?

buying cars still within manufacturers warranty is for bankers and public sector workers...;)

Green Hornet

langdang wrote: »

it is a "FAIRS BIG ENGINE" tho
sorry about the slight hijack - what about the hatches for build/reliability?
Are they built somewhere else, did I hear there were issues or did I dream it?

Some of the earlier hatches had some minor issues like the fuel filler cap, rattles in the hatch etc but nothing major or engine wise. Those issues were all sorted early on in production. They are a really nice car and handle well if a bit stiff.