1990 Honda Accord Retro Review Gives Props to a Legend
Back in the day, MotorWeek dubbed the 4th gen Accord the ‘quiet persuader,’ but it was so much more than that!
Arguably, Honda’s 4th generation of the Accord was one of Honda’s finer moments. It had a hint of sportiness, it was comfortably sized, and had typical Honda reliability, as seen in this retro review from MotorWeek‘s TV archives.
There’s a good reason we still see 4th generation Accords on the road when most Nineties family cars have long gone to the great scrap heap in the sky. Granted, when we see them they’re not being used as a family car. Generally, they are lowered and usually covered in aftermarket-parts stickers. Losing the 1990s-level of body roll does wonders for both grip and handling, and now it can be done without losing much ride quality.
During the review, Motorweek comments that they would rather have an airbag than the motorized seat belts. They got their wish during the 1992 model-year update, where a driver’s airbag was added as standard and the seat belts returned to the conventional type we still use today. They also noted, “The Accords brakes have been upgraded too, with larger components. Unfortunately, anti-lock capability is not yet available.” Anti-lock brakes did become available later, along with disc brakes all-round, as standard on all EX model Accords.
Refinement was an important feature for the 4th generation accord, and Motorweek points out things like the supple suspension, low road noise, and new dashboard design that, “Aside from looking like it came out of a BMW, it’s molded from one piece and should minimize rattles throughout the life of the vehicle.” They even go as far as saying, “The Accord goes down like blended whiskey or gourmet ice cream, and that’s the thing that will keep buyers coming back.”
When it comes to the engine, Motorweek bemoans the lack of a V6 option, which is something the 4th generation didn’t get during its production run. Despite small issues like that and the lack of a sporty suspension option, Honda’s Accord was still head and shoulders over the other cars Motorweek mentions as competing in the same space at the time. However, most people can’t remember what the Chevy Corsica even looked like, and it’s still hard to get excited about any generation of Toyota Camry. We do get a little misty-eyed for the 4th generation Accord though.
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