USED Honda Accord Hatchback (98 - 03)

My car

We bought this car in 2001 at six months old and we love it. It is a 1.8 VTEC SE, but this was not available as a model on the drop down list.

It is solidly built, totally reliable, has a huge boot, and is very comfortable. It has an electric sunroof (difficult to find on new cars now, and if available this is usually at around £450 - £500); air con, electric front and rear windows, cruise control and a fantastic sound system (six CD autochanger, four speakers).

It is great on long journeys, surprisingly nippy for its age and has a much smaller turning circle than you would expect.

We test drove a Citroen C4 and were really disappointed with this brand new car in comparison to our seven-year-old Honda. So much so that we have shelved the whole idea of upgrading to a new car as we can't find anything that comes close to what we have already.

Unfortunately the new model Accord is only available as a saloon (why?) so this rules it out as a versatile family car.

So we'll be sticking with the most reliable car in its class (by a long way - see JD Power reliability index) for a while longer yet.

My car

The 2.0-litre is not that quick, to be honest.

The petrol consumption is poor, I think - a full tank (which costs around £45-£50) gets you around 350 miles.

It has a good stereo, climate control, cruise control, lumbar support and electric sunroof. It is very comfortable and feels as though it's good quality. The switches feel good.

I really like this car - it's a bit dull but so reliable. It never failed me once in three years. I replaced two tyres and that's it - it is serviced at a local garage as it's out of waranty and it was not that expensive either.

My car

I have owned this car for a little over 2 years and have put a further 50k miles on the clock from when I bought it. Apart from tyres and the usual servicing costs I have spent nothing on it and it has been stood for 2-3 months on my drive without me touching it over the winter, I turned the ignition and it fired up immediately, a real joy to know that whatever happens your car will start every time. I opted for the 2 litre model and although the performance is good the fuel costs are only average, giving me aprox 30mpg. I would recommend this car to a friend and would not hesitate at purchasing another Honda in the near future. Overall a very good car. Pity about the poor image this car has, but I like it, looks good and the quality is spot on.

My car

My Dad owns this car but I do drive it sometimes. We have the 2002 model 2.0 VTEC SE.

The VTEC engine is a delight, gives a good grunt and shifts this car with relative ease, giving power when called upon.

It isn't exciting to look at, but it is a handsome car and serves the large family hatch car type very well.

The cruise control is very welcome and it has a refined ride and excellent handling.

However, the indicator stalks look dated - they're functional, but don't suit the car. Maintenance costs are high, too - the Lamba sensor failed last year which was an expensive replacement. Worse are the headlights (on the nearside, you need small hands to access the bulbs).

Running costs are OK - it averages over 33mpg, even with climate control always on. It has been giving starter problems (probably due to a crack in the distributor cap letting it get damp).

Overall in our three years of ownership, it hasn't really impressed us enough to warrant a better rating. It's a good car, but bad design holds it back. If you have the money to stop it fussing constantly then go for it. Otherwise, it's just hard to recommend.