For many years, since 1977, the Honda Accord sedan has been sort of an 'upscale' Honda Civic. The Accord offered comfort, great gas mileage, reliability, and was very affordable. With that said, the Honda Accord attracted a huge fan base, so large that by 1996 it was the 2nd best selling car in America, being topped in sales only by the Toyota Camry.

Before I start my rants and raves, I want to say that it was harder for me to get to test drive the 2002 Honda Accord than it was for me to test drive a new Cadillac STS. The dealer treated this 2002 Honda Accord 4-cylinder sedan LX as if it was an exclusive Aston Martin.

The 2002 Accord 4-cylinder sedan comes in 5 models, the DX, VP, The SE, LX, and EX. The EX being the top of the line was unavailable, so I test drove the LX matched with a 4-speed fully automatic transmission (5-speed comes standard).


Driving Impressions:



Under the hood lay Honda's famous 2.3 liter, SOHC, V-TEC engine. This engine matched with an automatic has an EPA of only 28 MPG (around the same as a 3.8 liter Chevy Impala). When you first start this engine you notice that it is very quiet. A 4-cylinder coupled with an automatic, I was expecting it to be a little rough at idle, but it was as smooth as butter.
Driving out of the dealership with the sales person in the passenger seat was a little nerve racking, considering he was so obsessed with this 'exotic' Honda Accord.

Acceleration was near or below adequate, I was very disappointed. The 150 horses is not reached tell 5,700 RPM, so you really have to put the pedal to the metal to get this car to move when equipped with the auto tranny. The 152 lb-ft of torque is reached at a high RPM as well.
The 2002 Accord 4-cylinder weighs over 3,000lbs, so 150 horsepower at 5,700 RPM just doesn't cut it for smooth cruising. The engine may be super quiet at idle and during a 65 mph cruise, but while accelerating at full or partial throttle this engine screams in popular 4-cylinder fashion. Hill climbing is almost as bad. In top gear, and at 65 MPH this car has almost no access to its 150 horses or peak torque, so of course automatic down-shifting with the automatic transmission is necessary. While climbing hills the engine begs for mercy, but it does do a good job climbing once the transmission has down-shifted and once the revs get above 4,000 RPM.

Handling is excellent, little sway/lean, and grippy tires add some sport to this very sedate sedan. Handling is definitely this car's strong point in the performance category. ABS did not come on my test car, so brakes were power disc and drums in the rear. Despite this dinosaur set-up, braking was good. ABS is an option however, and is standard on the EX.

Note: A ULEV (ultra low emission vehicle) engine is also available at an extra charge. Comes with 148 horsepower.

Note #2: The Accord also comes with a standard 135 HP SOHC engine in its base models. A 200 horsepower V6 is optional on the EX model. There is a 2 door coupe available that offers the same 2.3 liter in my test LX sedan, and the 200 horsepower 3.0 V6 that is available in the EX Sedan.

The 2002 Honda Accord rides on a 106.9" wheelbase, and has an overall length of 189.4". Suspension includes stabilizer bars in front and rear. 15", 5 spoke alloy rims were fitted with all season radial tires. These again are just options. Standard, the LX comes with 14" steel wheels with aluminum wheel covers.

Interior accommodation:

The 2002 Honda Accord LX's interior is surprisingly stylish! Ergonomics are all logically placed and very user friendly! There were plenty of standard amenities in my test Accord. Some standard amenities included, cruise control, A thick leather wrapped steering wheel, AC with micro filtration, power everything; including antenna and mirrors, a very clear sounding; 6 speaker stereo system with CD (was optional). The Accord looks a bit small, but it's very roomy inside, especially after 1998 when the interior was made wider. There is plenty of room for 5 adults. The seats are very supportive, very comfortable, and come standard with manual height adjustments. Passenger and driver airbags are standard. Some other safety features include daytime running lamps, and 5 MPH bumpers.

Exterior Innovation:

The exterior, unlike cars like the Nissan Maxima/Altima is very plain. Like the 2001 Toyota Camry, the 2002 Accord looks like every other car on the road. The 2002 Accord does have a little more chiseled styling over its predecessor, but in the style department the 2002 Accord is lacking big time.

Note: Honda has fixed this 'plain' styling for the 2003 model year with a more exciting look.

The price for my LX Sedan was close to $20,000. Yikes! For a family car with a 4-cylinder engine, only fair gas mileage, and bland looks?? No thanks! I don't care how well done the interior is, If I'm going to buy a car for my family that costs 20 grand it better have enough power to move all of them without fuss, and enough style for me not to lose my car in the grocery store's parking lot. The coupe version however boasts plenty of style, and when ordered with the 3.0 V6, you get the best of both worlds; performance and style.

I don't own one of these, and probably never will, so I can not comment on reliability. This is a 'Honda' and they do have one of the best reputations for reliability on this planet, so I'm willing to bet my left knee that the 2002 Honda Accord LX 4-cylinder will offer years of reliable transportation, www.ConsumerResports.Org has more info.

Looking for a slightly more refined family car? Check out my review on the new Mazda Mazda6i

-Happy Car Shopping



Amount Paid (US$): Test drive02
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: LX, 4 speed automatic.