Faults:

Entire exhaust system had to be replaced with exception of the muffler. It was the original from 92!

Driver and passenger side run channel moulding (rubber around the window frames) needed replacing.

Other than that, all normal wear and tire maintenance items (all filters changed, new tires, all fluids changed, brakes will require work before this winter).

General Comments:

It is the rugged Japanese cars such as these from the early to mid 90's (including Toyota Camrys and Mazda 323's and Nissans) that forced American automakers to catch up. Judging from what is coming out of the US these days, they finally have caught up!

The number of Accords from this generation (1990-1993) that are still on the road (albeit looking a little ratty) are a testament to their reliability and longevity.

My pristine rust free 92 Accord sips fuel. I get about 575 kms in mixed city and highway driving on one tank of fuel. Not bad for an 19 year old car!

It is low to the ground and delivers a crisp response. I put on brand new Micheline Pilot Exalto tires (205/6015) to maximize its handling. For an old 4 door sedan, it certainly can handle curves fairly well.

Every option on the car still works well (A/C, electric windows, power door locks etc..)

The only complaint I have is the cabin/wind noise at highway speeds and the somewhat uncomfortable seats for long trips. My previous car was a 95 Lexus LS 400, and it was powerful and dead silent. I miss the serenity of the Lexus, but not the fuel consumption and the occasional extremely expensive maintenance costs.

The transmission is also shifts a little rough, but man does this car like to be driven hard and revved up!

The 92 Accord is still a good looking car, especially with nice wheels/mags and tinted windows.

I have had the car for nearly a year now, and have no regrets. I intend on keeping it until it rusts out, or until it is no longer worthy of repair. Until then, I hope no one steals it!

Faults:

Let me start off by saying I bought this car as is for $1200, and it came with a parts car, so I knew there were going to be issues. It was also lowered, which was a bit of a mistake on my part to not think twice right there, but hey I'm satisfied with it, so here goes.

Problems to be fixed when I bought the car (some of these I discovered after having bought the car, but before I got it on the road) :

- Cracked windshield ($260)

- Defective DRL unit made one of the headlights impossible to turn on (quick fix with a soldering tool)

- Burnt turn signal ($6)

- Leaking oil from head gasket (very very slow leak)

- Leaking coolant from somewhere (very very slow leak as well)

Never needed to be fixed because it's not worth it.

- Rear rotors needed replacing (rusted out) ($120).

- Both sides front ball joints ($130).

- A/C is broken. Considering the age of the car, I was not surprised and did not fix it.

- Because the car is lowered, and it wasn't properly done, the tires wear out fast on some edges... I just bought old used tires and rotate them, because fixing the suspension is too much work.

- Quarter panels have begun rusting, and paint is chipped almost everywhere. This is not surprising; I just paint over it with glossy trem clad and it has slowed the rust, and none of it has formed where the paint was chipped.

- The car has a million rattles and noises, I believe most are caused by the age of the car, combined with the stiff as hell suspension.

- ABS is broken (defective wheel speed sensor), I wouldn't be expensive to fix, but I heard it was something that broke again and again on this year model, so I figured it wasn't worth trying to fix (and yes I did try cleaning it).

Problems since then:

- A headlight burnt out (replaced with a used bulb for free)

- Exhaust pipe developed a hole ($160 to have a new pipe installed)

- My mechanic did not properly bolt-on one of the tires, so it became loose, and before I discovered it, one of the bolts broke off, I have yet to fix this... I probably won't...

- Slow leak in oil pan, it might burn a little oil, but it's so minor that I just top it off every 2500 kms.

General Comments:

This is a GREAT car.

Interior:

The cabin is roomy and comfortable, controls are old school but straight forward and simple.

Interior material has held up very very well. If I took better care of it, it would still look new, however, I haven't been super careful, so it's decent.

Fit and finish leaves a bit to be desired, little things like a cracked door handle, panels that have gaps, the material on the bottom of the passenger side door is falling off.

On the plus side, all power accessories such as locks, mirrors, sunroof and windows are still working great.

The heat is also really strong, I live in Ottawa, so the winters can get cold.

Finally, there's a ton of space, enough that I was able to bring 4 people, all their stuff for two nights, food, water and beer to the cottage for the weekend. Driver visibility is also excellent.

Performance:

This car is peppy enough off the line, but lacks passing power at highway speeds. I believe that with the age and mileage of the engine it may have lost some compression, which accounts for its somewhat low torque on the highway.

Gas mileage does leave to be desired; I use about 11-14L per 100km. Cruise control works well.

It handles very lightly and quite confidently, although the steering begins to feel loose over 110 km per hour.

Reliability:

This car has never left me stranded. Although I would never attempt a trip longer than a few hours, it gets me from point A to B no problem. It always starts and runs OK. Automatic transmission isn't very smooth either, but it gets the job done and has yet to give me trouble.

I love this car! I've spent just over $2000 on buying it and running it, and it has been a perfect first car! These are great little machines, and although there isn't much special about them performance wise, it has yet to let me down on the road.

If I think of anything else, I will add it!