2000 Honda Accord Type R 2.2 VTEC 16v 4 cylinder from UK and Ireland

Summary:

One of the best

Faults:

No faults whatsoever.

General Comments:

This car has got it all. Searing performance, pin sharp handling, five seats, a big boot, utter reliability, great dealers and the best four cylinder engine money can buy.

Even after 26,000 miles in my hands, the noise, and the kick in the pants this handbuilt VTEC engine delivers between 6,000 and 8,500 RPM (yes, really!) make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and make me grin like an idiot. Imagine the noise as a kind of mix between a Suzuki GSX-R1000, and a NASCAR, and you're fairly close. Totally awesome. Driven like this, it passes 60 in less than 7 seconds, and will accelerate like a 747 past 100 mph.

The dash is a bit dull, but the half leather Recaros are faultless, and the standard of build is well up to the likes of anything BMW or Mercedes could offer. Despite being driven hard for virtually every mile I've had it, nothing has broken or fallen off, and it has never missed a beat. All I have to do between services is add about half a litre of oil and top up the screenwash.

Despite its 100 bhp / litre, this is no highly strung prima donna. It's flawlessly reliable, and is equally happy sitting in the car park that is the M25 for hours at a time, as it is screaming to stratospheric revs round a twisty B-road.

The chassis is also very impressive, considering the standard Accord is not exactly razor sharp. Steering is a bit light, but offers reasonable feedback, and the turn-in is as sharp as you could want. Brakes too are among the best of any road car I've driven, wiping off speed no matter how much abuse you give them. Pushed really hard it will understeer, but it's quite gentle, and a touch of left foot braking, or an ease of the throttle sorts it out nicely.

Servicing has been reasonably priced, and the dealers are an object lesson. Work is carried out on time, to a high standard, and a courtesy car is always available. When they've worked on the car, it comes back valeted and looking as new. No wonder Japanese cars walk the JD Power survey every year.

My only slight niggle is that it can drink fuel at an alarming rate, especially if you explore the VTEC zone. My record worst was 16 mpg during a cross country thrash to a mates house, although the average tends to be 25-27 mpg. However, considering the performance on tap, I suppose it's not too bad.

To summarise, this is a car which has more all round ability than almost anything else. It has obviously been designed by people who love driving, and more unusually by those who know what car ownership is like in the real world. Anyone who is cannot understand why the Japanese car industry is the most successful in the world should drive one of these and prepare to be enlightened.

Wonderful.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th December, 2001

7th May 2004, 17:33

I own an accord type R and can guarantee it redlines at 8000rpm, not 8500, the half leather recaro's were fitted to the revised Type R along with electric back windows in the second half of 2000.

18th May 2005, 06:45

I didn't actually mention the redline, which is as you say at 8,000 RPM. Mine does actually rev past this to an indicated 8,500 however, as did the dealer demonstrator I drove. Hence my comment of pull up to 8,500 RPM.

Mine is also the facelift model, and is a late 2000 registered car.

27th Mar 2007, 07:42

I like to b black.

20th Nov 2007, 04:09

I have an Accord Type R on a T plate; it doesn't rev past 8000.

17th Apr 2008, 18:26

Nice review, I also have a 2000 Honda Accord Euro R. Is it the same as a Type R? I'm currently having a miss problem between gears; I've changed the leads & plugs, had the injectors cleaned & just had the fuel filter changed, but the miss is still there, also the pod filter whistles around the same time, but apart from that wow what a wicked car, sure blows away my RS200 Altezza I use to own. If anyone can give me advice on what to check next, that would be very helpful, EMAIL stores@nutro.co.nz, thanks.

2000 Honda Accord LX 2.3 liter 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A nice looking car but very poor quality

Faults:

Rattles coming from everywhere from the 1st day.

Warped front brake rotors after a couple of thousand miles.

General Comments:

This car is a piece of junk. It developed one rattle after another from day one. Unacceptably poor quality. Sounds like it is falling apart sometimes.

Good on gas and nice styling are its only good points. Been to the dealer too often for a new "quality" car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 7th August, 2001

3rd Oct 2001, 14:03

I bought a 2000 Honda Accord and had the same problem too, I thought that the manufacturer would cover this. The paint came off in three different spots. They said that they could only cover the spots that the paint came off. The place that I had a estimate done said that this seems to be a common problem with that year. Honda still won't cover the whole thing. Honda does not stand behind their product.

28th Sep 2004, 12:35

I brought my rattling complaints to the dealership within the first week of owning my Y2K EX coupe. They basically put double-sided tape between contact surfaces in the areas that I complained about. Two years went by before I learned to tolerate it--mainly because I had decided to get another car. It reminds of my past frustration to hear others complain about the same thing.