Quick question. My friend is looking to buy an 94-97 Accord, 4 Cylinder , 5 Speed (because of the body style)...He was wondering if there is anything he should specifically look for when buying it used. We checked out consumerguide.com and they state all the defects and recalls, and all of them are from 94-96. My question is this, is a 97 the best year to buy (in older body style) also is there anything specifically he should look/listen for when looking at the used car/test drving it? Anyone had any major problems ?? Anything and evertything helps,Thanks alot guys!!

 

the 5th gen accord (94-97) is in my opinion the most attractive looking. the 94-97 can be split up into the 94-95 and the 96-97......the most disquinshible difference is the front grille.....the 5 speed is a good choice.....dun go auto....and make sure to get the EX trim. the EX came with the VTEC version of the F22b.....and gives it a bit more top end HP......the EX also has 4 wheel disk brakes, and alloy wheels....i love my car, and ur friend is making a good choice...as far as major problems....ABS seems to give ppl trouble....and depending on the miles and the loc, ive known the drive axels to rust off (as mine did)...but other than that, nothing major that i can think of

i see that ur in canada.....look for either the EX-r of the SiR...not sure which one was available over there, but its even a bit more sporty

 

Before you read this...I just wrote this little guide for anyone buying a used car, not just an accord. So this applies to anything else as well

My suggestions:

1) BEFORE you do anything, run a carfax VIN report on the car, and make sure no problems are found, such as the car having been in an accident in the past.

2) Check for rust, dents, or any other body damage...definitely.

3) If the interior of the car smells like something died in it, or like sour milk, or any other bad smell you can think of, it most likely has a leak somewhere that is letting water inside the car. Besides...no one wants a car that smells like ****.

4) Pop the hood and look for any oil leaks, or any other fluid leaks, for that matter.

5) Get on your hands and knees and look under the car at the CV joints (the black boots on each axle) and make sure it isn't cracked or starting to crack. This is fairly important, be sure to do this...

6) Also, take the car for a test drive. If the owner is in the car with you, ask them if it's alright to run the car at high-ish RPMs for a few seconds. If they agree, go ahead and do so, and see how the car runs in high RPMs. Listen for any shaking noises and such. If the owner isn't in the car...I think you know what to do
Then, take it out on a highway or other high speed road, and take it up to about 60-70, and listen for any strange noises. Also, see if the gears shift smoothly. Then, I would take it to a parking lot or something and go over speed bumps a few times; as you go over, listen for any creaking or other noises that would suggest suspension problems.

7) Take the car back...and don't let the owner know whether or not you like it, as used car salesmen are tricksters, whether private or licensed dealers. Instead, say that you have another car to check out at another place(note: This car can even be fictitious), and you'll get back to them tomorrow. These guys want to make sales, so when you come back the next day, take the car out for another test drive, but make it pretty short.

**----KICK-***-TIP!----**
Tell the dealer the other car you checked out seemed like a better deal for the money. This usually triggers something in them that will cause them to lower the price of their car. If they don't happen to say anything about a lower price, tell them that if they lowered the price to $XXXX amount, you would take it. Be sure to be reasonable in the price drop, as too much of one will make them refuse your offer, of course.
**----KICK-***-TIP!----**

8) Now, hold on...still one more thing to do. Do NOT buy the car yet. First, ask the seller it would be alright to take the car to a professional mechanic to have him look at it before you buy it, and make sure nothing is wrong with it. If they say it's alright, take the car to your favorite mechanic, pay him 50 bucks to inspect all of the essentials of the car, and if says it is in good condition, you're all set, so buy the car. Taking used cars to mechanic has saved my *** from making some horrible used-car purchases, so do yourself a favor and DO NOT skip this step. It is totally worth the money.

Hope that little guide of mine helped

 

Thanks guys, very good stuff in there!!! My buddy really appreciates your help!! anyone else got anything they wanna throw in?

 

Well the EX has the F22B1 with the single cam VTEC but it does weight more than the LX or DX.

The differences form the 94-95 and the 96-97 is:

94-95= one set tail lights with different quarter panels, traunk lid, lip kit, grille(has H emblem on hood), has the center console shorter, has OBDI motor and ECU, and mostly came with the EX models.

96-97= Dual set tail lghts, different fenders to accomodate the newer dual set taillights, different lip kit, longer center console, H emblem in in front grille, mostly LX models, has OBII ECU.

The EX weighs more because it has leather seats, rear sway bar, moon roof, and ABS(not too sure)

Soo its all up to you.

 

I know this is going to sound like blastphemy but he is also considering a 97 Camry V6, its got about 60 horses on the 4 clyinder accord and 30 on the 6 cylinder accord. I don't know how you guys are going to react to this, but any reason why the honda is better?? other than the fact its a "honda"??

 

Cheaper to fix and more likely the knowledge for it is more easily accessable. Toyotas are too expensive to fix for me but they do hold up.

Im not impressed with Toyota because my Dads 2001 Sequioa SUV has a warped header and a clogged cat already, wtf is that all about. Toyota wont even fix the damn thing even though its warrenteed. Mechanic told me its a common problem with the Sequoia but the company hasnt had enough complaints yet to have a recall. Id take the recalls on Accords for distributors over warped cast manifolds.

 

camry's are dogs though.... with a good bit weight themselves.

I personally dont like them... so those are the most positive things I can think of.

 

The camry is cheaper to buy for the same year and with a v6 than it is to get the 4 cylinder accord which is the reason he is deciding to go towards the camry. Yeh the sequoia jus could be a lemon all brands make those, i know for the most part the camry is almost as reliable if not as as the accord. any more input guys?? thanks alot!!!

 

you can buy my car, its 94 accord ex
i just bought 2001 accord vb so am selling this

 

the mid-late 90's camry's have suspected engine oil sludging problems. A fairly decent percentage of them (2-3% ?) of a couple hundred thousand have had engine failures b/k of oil starvation. There was a whole write-up on this toyota engine issue in the LA Times not too long ago....i think it included RAV-4's and some other toyota vehicle too. The consensus was that it was going to turn into a class-action kind of thing.

also too, camry's have so-so suspension setups compared to the accord. With the accords, you basically have unlimited lowering capabilities with the double wishbone setup. With the camry...well...its a camry.

And beyond that...the 97's just look so, what's the word,......SUCKY!

From my JDM-yo! Japanese friends from Japan:

Honda is an engine company that happens to make cars.
Toyota is a car company that happens to make engines.

Thus, you see the underlying design themes.

 

Hey, thanks again guys, i hear the suspention isn't quite as nice in the camrys but the ride is alot smooother and the car is alot quiterer at highway speeds. I guess this is where the test drive comes into play, i'll tell my buddy do do some more research about the engine starvation thing cause it didn't say anything about that on consumerguide.com. You guys rock!! thanks!!

 

Camrys suck major *****.. <-- thats my intelligent statement

 

Both the Accord and Camry are equally excellent cars. There is a reason both cars have been consistently the best cars in their class for so many years.

 

Just thought i would let you guys know, My buddy decided to go with the Honda...because of what he read on here as well as the fact that i drive a honda and i was like man...your always gonna say, I shoulda got a honda...hahah thanks for you help guys.. He went with a 97 Accord EXR ( 4 cylinder , 5 speed) i don't know what model that is in the US but yeh, nice car hes stoked! thanks again guys!!

 

the ex-rs are basically exs in the US. although canadian accords have better bumper ratings than the US ones.

 

If it aint honda f*** it

 

i have 2 accords, and i even have a toyota camry and a toyota supra...

to compare, the camry will go longer without needing any major repair, unless of course your friend drives the car like its an NSX, then he is doomed to a lifetime of repairs or death, take your pick, uhm, the camry obviously has a smoother ride, lowering springs dont sit well on this car some odd reason, they dont make a whole library of parts for it either, the bushings tend to wear prematurely, and the brakes, if not ABS, wear at the rate of new pads every year, the stock exhaust system easily goes 100k before any maintenance, and so do most of the other parts, but i have heard they do have problems with their Internal Air Compressors...look it up...

the accord...? well, its a great car to own out the door because of the immense amounts of parts you can buy, an H22 swap has become like a weekend job for most competent home mechanics, the car is sportier looking and riding, the suspension allows for a lower stance, your friend can drive this car a little more recklessly than the camry although death and bills are inevitable, depending on where the camry was made (US or Japan) the insurance can be cheaper than the accord, 94 onwards accords were made here...armrests on doors wear out where the elbow rests, i hate that!

Overall, if he is looking to haul more than himself and his ho then get a camry, if not, get a coupe accord, he'd like it a lot better...! oh, P.S. no JDM camry parts really!