Old Honda Accord Diesel

BlatentCheek

Hi there,

I recently started a new job that involves a lot of motorway driving so I'm considering switching to a diesel for the MPG. My budgets around €5000 to €7000.

Leather seats, decent climate control and good insulation from road noise would be sticking points. I've had great experiences with Hondas before and I thought a Honda Accord 2.2 CTDI Executive from around 04 to 07 would fit the bill. I'm aware that there are some issues to look out for. Any advice would be appreciated. For example would this be a good buy?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/honda/5825179

PS: if anyone has ideas for alternate cars that would fit the requirement equally well, suggest ahead. I can't hack Golfs because I think they're too ubiquitous, nothing personal.

Cheers.

dgt

There's nothing old about those Hondas. I thought this was going to be a thread on some 1980's mutant conversion....

What miles do you do in a week?

Timmaay

BlatentCheek wrote: »

PS: if anyone has ideas for alternate cars that would fit the requirement equally well, suggest ahead. I can't hack Golfs because I think they're too ubiquitous, nothing personal.

Cheers.

Alfa 159

Timmaay

dgt wrote: »

There's nothing old about those Hondas. I thought this was going to be a thread on some 1980's mutant conversion....

An NSX with a 1.9 TDI!

bear1

From what I've read about the those CDTI Accords is that there is no oil warning light.
So you wont know about the oil until the engine goes pop.

BlatentCheek

dgt wrote: »

There's nothing old about those Hondas. I thought this was going to be a thread on some 1980's mutant conversion....

What miles do you do in a week?

Yeah your right. I should have just put "04-07" into the Thread title instead of old.

Mileage was around 450 Km in my first week.

Timmaay wrote: »

Alfa 159

They look lovely. I'd be worried about reliability on Alfas but if the model has a solid rep I'd consider it.

jayok

The 2.2 CTDi in the Accord is fair in terms of the reliability stakes. The petrol Hondas are way more reliable. But from this generation of car, get a facelift one (06-07) if you can as they fixed some of the issues with them. However, there are some common faults:

1. Exhaust Manifold crack (should have been done under warranty)
2. Timing Chain - make sure there's no rattles
3. EGR/EVR values - make sure there's no hesitation when accelerating

Beyond that watch for the typical diesel DMF rattle, etc.

There are also other items that a car this age may suffer, but these are small in comparison to the above.

BlatentCheek

jayok wrote: »

The 2.2 CTDi in the Accord is fair in terms of the reliability stakes. The petrol Hondas are way more reliable. But from this generation of car, get a facelift one (06-07) if you can as they fixed some of the issues with them. However, there are some common faults:

1. Exhaust Manifold crack (should have been done under warranty)
2. Timing Chain - make sure there's no rattles
3. EGR/EVR values - make sure there's no hesitation when accelerating

Beyond that watch for the typical diesel DMF rattle, etc.

There are also other items that a car this age may suffer, but these are small in comparison to the above.

Thanks. Would a decent mechanic spot those things if I brought him along to have a look at a car before buying it?

billbond4

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Thanks. Would a decent mechanic spot those things if I brought him along to have a look at a car before buying it?

Don't forget the vsa fault!

walus

If you look at this from another angle - Honda's diesel engine is probably the best in its class in terms of refinement and reliability. It is a question of how well it was looked after as some of the issues where sorted out by Honda even outside the warranty period (cracked exhaust manifold).
Good luck.

xxyyzz

I have the estate version (2.2 diesel). It's a great car but very hard on back break pads. If you do buy one, make sure you only use Honda branded break pads. OEM versions cause sticking, screeching and overheating. Something to do with most of the break bias being towards the rear and the pads were designed are too small so Honda pads have some different compound to cope with this.

BlatentCheek

Thanks for all the replies people.
How would I tell if an 06 model is pre or post facelift?

bear1

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Yeah your right. I should have just put "04-07" into the Thread title instead of old.

Mileage was around 450 Km in my first week.



They look lovely. I'd be worried about reliability on Alfas but if the model has a solid rep I'd consider it.

The 159 is a better built car than the Alfas of old.
It's engine is very good and the looks are just beautiful
It does suffer the same DPF issues as other diesels and timing belt changes should be carried out by a person who knows them (Ti Autos in Dublin).
Wishbones are also an issue.

Idbatterim

how about a 320 or 520d bmw or an audi / vw? The 2 litres bm's are E700 to tax as opposed to E951 for a 2.2... according to autotrader those cars are 2204cc, so it would be taxed as a 2.3L E994 p.a if im not mistaken They are very nice looking and well specced cars though it has to be said...

jayok

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies people.
How would I tell if an 06 model is pre or post facelift?

An 06 model is facelift. On the diesel the facelift is a 6-speed gearbox on the pre-facelift is a 5 speed box.

jayok

xxyyzz wrote: »

I have the estate version (2.2 diesel). It's a great car but very hard on back break pads. If you do buy one, make sure you only use Honda branded break pads. OEM versions cause sticking, screeching and overheating. Something to do with most of the break bias being towards the rear and the pads were designed are too small so Honda pads have some different compound to cope with this.

Nothing to do with brake bias. The rear of the tourers tend to suffer with seized calipers and the sliding pins will stick as they attract dirt. This seems to be inevitable on the tourer. If the caliper is good, the sliding pins and holders just need a good clean.

Having said that I do recommend OEM brake pads - they just fit perfectly.

xxyyzz

jayok wrote: »

Nothing to do with brake bias. The rear of the tourers tend to suffer with seized calipers and the sliding pins will stick as they attract dirt. This seems to be inevitable on the tourer. If the caliper is good, the sliding pins and holders just need a good clean.

Having said that I do recommend OEM brake pads - they just fit perfectly.

I replaced both calipers and same issue straight away. Switched to Honda pads and problem solved. There was a court case on this in the US. Didn't apply in Europe for some reason

jayok

xxyyzz wrote: »

I replaced both calipers and same issue straight away. Switched to Honda pads and problem solved. There was a court case on this in the US. Didn't apply in Europe for some reason

The never got the Tourer in the US.

Non-OEM brands I've noticed are a little too large for the holders and thus stick. You can file the edges down to prevent them sticking if you wish. Personally, I'd rather leave the brakes alone, hence OEM :pac:

johnjoe1966

have 05 accord 2.2 exec. great car but........

€954 road

manifold crack-was fixed under warranty but honda don't let you know that

vsa light is on for the last year-does not affect driving but costs a lot to fix-I am not going to bother-unless someone know a cheap way to do it???

drive shaft wear may cause lag in acceration-again does not affect driving to a great extent-about a €200 fix.

All in all great car but road tax is a killer-would but a 2008 on one to avoid the high tax

monseiur

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Hi there,

I recently started a new job that involves a lot of motorway driving so I'm considering switching to a diesel for the MPG. My budgets around €5000 to €7000.

Leather seats, decent climate control and good insulation from road noise would be sticking points. I've had great experiences with Hondas before and I thought a Honda Accord 2.2 CTDI Executive from around 04 to 07 would fit the bill. I'm aware that there are some issues to look out for. Any advice would be appreciated. For example would this be a good buy?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/honda/5825179

PS: if anyone has ideas for alternate cars that would fit the requirement equally well, suggest ahead. I can't hack Golfs because I think they're too ubiquitous, nothing personal.

Cheers.

The Audi A4 TDI is the car for you, the 1.9 engine is bullet proof,(considered to be much better than the newer 2.0 one) road tax is €673, average mpg is 50 (motorway driving) For reliability, class and comfort it leaves the Honda in the shade. You may have to hop over the pond to the UK for a decent spec one though. Check Auto Trader UK and a few other sites for prices etc. etc.
M.

Idbatterim

All in all great car but road tax is a killer-would but a 2008 on one to avoid the high tax

yeah, but will get you on depreciation, so if its money saving, unless you intend on keeping both cars for years, wont make much a difference...

ION08

Idbatterim wrote: »

how about a 320 or 520d bmw or an audi / vw? The 2 litres bm's are E700 to tax as opposed to E951 for a 2.2... according to autotrader those cars are 2204cc, so it would be taxed as a 2.3L E994 p.a if im not mistaken They are very nice looking and well specced cars though it has to be said...

Yeah. I wouldn't consider one for that reason alone.

€1,000 to tax and you get a measely 138BHP out of a "2.2"?

Get an 05/06 320D with a more reasonable 163BHP and RWD and cheaper tax.

Much more of a drivers car than the Accord.

If you're going to be paying for a 2.3 Diesel you may aswell look at Lexus IS220d , 177BHP RWD and extremely comfortable

BlatentCheek

Thanks for the replies people.
I thought that the more premium brands like BMW and Audi would come in too pricey but there are some nice ones out there.

The 320 D is definitely a lovely car but I thought there were some issues with that generation of diesel engine.

Would the 1.9 A4 TDI really leave the Honda in the shade for reliability?
I have to say the Audi seems the best value for money. 115 bhp seems a bit low for a car that heavy, whats the performance like?
Anything faults to look out for on them?

Moneymaker

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Thanks for the replies people.
I thought that the more premium brands like BMW and Audi would come in too pricey but there are some nice ones out there.

The 320 D is definitely a lovely car but I thought there were some issues with that generation of diesel engine.

Would the 1.9 A4 TDI really leave the Honda in the shade for reliability?
I have to say the Audi seems the best value for money. 115 bhp seems a bit low for a car that heavy, whats the performance like?
Anything faults to look out for on them?

It's 130bhp.

I had an A3 1.9 TDI and it was a fine car. It was plenty fast on motorways, granted the A4 is a little heavier but I don't see it having any major issues with performance.

It was quite a step back from my dads 3 series though imo. I'd try and find a decent condition 320 over an A4 anyday, the Beamer drives WAY better and is a better place to sit imo.

randy hickey

johnjoe1966 wrote: »

have 05 accord 2.2 exec. great car but........


vsa light is on for the last year-does not affect driving but costs a lot to fix-I am not going to bother-unless someone know a cheap way to do it???

Johnjoe, by far the cheapest way to fix the problem is to take out the VSA unit and send it over to http://www.bba-reman.com/index.aspx or to http://www.ecutesting.com/catalogue/honda_eculist.html?category=4047.

These companies will recondition your unit and send it back to you with a guarantee, and you should have change out of €250 including the postage.

Of course you will have the cost of extracting and then refitting the unit on top of this,but you should still be coming in around €400-€500 in total cost, which is a fraction of the cost of a main dealer slapping a new one in.

It's worth mentioning at this point that anyone experiencing VSA light issues should be checking for duff ABS sensors BEFORE going down the road of shelling out a heap of money for a new/reconditioned module.

Hth.

BlatentCheek

Thanks again for all the replies people.

At the money I'm spending, €5000 to €8000, I can't find any decent spec A4s or 320Ds with less than 100k miles. I'm willing to take the tax hit for the 2 to 4 years I'll own the car as €300 extra tax a year will only come to €1200 total which seems to be at least as much as I'll have to raise my budget to get the A4 or 320D.

so I think it'll be the Accord or the Lexus IS220D.
The Lexus seems to get a terrible rap off people on this site for rubbish mileage, clunky gearbox and head gasket issues, should I steer clear?
Anything to look out for if I do go for it?

How would these compare?

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Lexus/IS220/IS-220D-/201403221077529/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Accord/EXECUTIV/201404221356156/advert?channel=CARS

bear1

First off, that Honda is a rip off.
There are a few 06 Accord diesels on DoneDeal going for around 5k so I'd advise to look more at DD.
Regarding the Lexus, I was in the same boat as yourself (well my father) and what people are saying on here is echoed thoughout the Google pages.
The main worry is something in the engine, I can't remember what it is, but if it fails you are looking at a new engine.
It is such a pity as the spec you can get on the them is second to none.
The gearbox ratios are supposed to be all wrong with the Lexus but some people just say you need to adjust your driving style.
The mpg is supposed to be terrible and that 6th gear is non existent in the car.
Again, I'd say many people will tell you to stay with the Accord.
The one issue with the Accord of course is the exhaust manifold.
I'd steer clear of the 04s and go more towards the 06s as I believe most of the problems had been corrected by this point.

BlatentCheek

bear1 wrote: »

First off, that Honda is a rip off.
There are a few 06 Accord diesels on DoneDeal going for around 5k so I'd advise to look more at DD.
Regarding the Lexus, I was in the same boat as yourself (well my father) and what people are saying on here is echoed thoughout the Google pages.
The main worry is something in the engine, I can't remember what it is, but if it fails you are looking at a new engine.
It is such a pity as the spec you can get on the them is second to none.
The gearbox ratios are supposed to be all wrong with the Lexus but some people just say you need to adjust your driving style.
The mpg is supposed to be terrible and that 6th gear is non existent in the car.
Again, I'd say many people will tell you to stay with the Accord.
The one issue with the Accord of course is the exhaust manifold.
I'd steer clear of the 04s and go more towards the 06s as I believe most of the problems had been corrected by this point.

Much appreciated.

Accord it is then. I was avoiding the newer ones at that price point because they all had mileage above 100k. Is that not such an issue with a diesel?

Old diesel

How would fuel economy on a 2.0 petrol Accord compare to the 2.2 diesel - at 450 kms a week - its not excessive mileage (imo) and depending on fuel economy of the petrol - could there be a case for taking a hit on fuel with the 2.0 petrol - but getting better reliability???.

BlatentCheek

Old diesel wrote: »

How would fuel economy on a 2.0 petrol Accord compare to the 2.2 diesel - at 450 kms a week - its not excessive mileage (imo) and depending on fuel economy of the petrol - could there be a case for taking a hit on fuel with the 2.0 petrol - but getting better reliability???.

In my experience petrol Hondas rev pretty high and you know all about the mileage at motorway speeds. I think it would be quite a hit.

mad m

Just my 2cents. Have an Accord 07 petrol from new. Short runs ain't great but what car isn't. Drove over to Uk one year, mostly motor way. Was over there for around 3/4 days got close to 1000klm on a full tank before re fill. Was getting 6.9 liters per 100klm on read out of car display.

Up n down to Galway would take just over a 1/4 tank. Never had a problem with it, has always started. Sorry tell a lie clutch started to slip after 70k so got it replaced. I blame the wife on her third leg