Excellent engineering
No major repairs, just the usual maintenance from bad Michigan roads and snow. Tie rod end, brakes, struts, ball joint.
For an 18 year old car, I have to say I am impressed by the performance and reliability. I trust that car every morning, snow or freezing rain, it performs as usual; one turn start and go.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th May, 2013
Will mourn it when it dies
Regular maintenance things through 190k (timing belt, oil changes, tires, etc).
Distributor was changed at 191k; thermostat replaced at 205k; AC failed at 211k (windows thankfully still work!).
Wonderfully reliable and driven cross country three times.
Gets 30+ mpg on highway - and it's 16 years old.
10 years with no car payment and good gas mileage = my best relationship so far :)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th August, 2011
Not bad, but doesn't live up to Honda's stellar reputation
Front ball joints needed to be replaced.
AC system was leaking (originally diagnosed as needing a new compressor - much cheaper to fix leaks, thanks to a second opinion from my great independent mechanic).
Oil leak onto spark plugs fouled plugs and left me stranded. Another oil leak in crankshaft case, which requires removing timing belt. I'm waiting on that repair until it's closer mileage-wise to replacing the timing belt (again - it's already been replaced once at 100K).
Rear defroster does not work.
Dash light warning something about my taillights is on for no reason.
I loved the idea of a small wagon. I've driven lots of vans and trucks in the past, so I was attracted to having something with some hauling capabilities that was more fuel-efficient. And in that department, this car has been great. With the back seat folded down, I've comfortably slept in this car and hauled large items. It's great on gas.
As far as interior design goes, I think it leaves something to be desired. It infuriates me that there are NO CUP HOLDERS. The seats are comfy in the short-term, but over long trips my back hurts from lack of lower back support.
The transmission shifts roughly. I'm hesitant to blame the car too much, because I'm not sure if it's been maintained properly by previous owners, but it definitely bucks a little bit and I'm not sure how long it's going to last. It gets stuck in park sometimes, but I can usually get it out by jiggling the shift lock release.
I'm good with keeping up on routine maintenance, I have a great mechanic, and I think I'm realistic about what I expect from my vehicles. I've had other cars stand up better to similar mileage and abuse. This car is not on my list of favorites that I've had. Which is a bummer, because I had high hopes for it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 14th November, 2010
My neighbor has this car, and it sucks!
Most Hondas of this era are pretty good, but his is on the 2nd engine and 3rd transmission, and it only has 200k.
I think this car costs him about $500-$1000 a month on repair costs, and is far from reliable. Always electrical problems, fuel injection problems, suspension and steering problems.
I have been telling him to dump this car for months now, but he likes the fuel economy and is a die hard Honda fan...
To each his own I guess...
23rd Jan 2012, 23:49
Update:
Now at 165,000 miles, it's on its third timing belt.
Check engine light comes and goes (diagnosis: EGR valve or sensor).
Driver's side window motor struggles.
Both keyless entry remotes have failed (which is only annoying because of a feature that doesn't allow the interior power lock to lock the driver's side door, so you need to use the key to lock it).
Speakers are all blown, since road noise is loud inside, and you sort of have to crank the volume to hear anything on the highway.
I have decided the seats are terrible after 2 hours.
But the trans is still chugging along like a champ, and the engine is still running solid.
Regardless, this car has grown on me. Despite all of the little things that have gone wrong, it seems if I take care of it, and just fix things as they come up, it'll continue to serve me well.
If I get some new speakers and some memory foam seat covers, I might just think it's worth a new transmission when the time comes.