Honda Accord Euro 2005 Review

The Accord Euro is available only with a four-cylinder engine. The rounded Accord is available with either a V6 engine or a four-cylinder.

The prices of all three Accords dropped early this year as Honda passed on tariff savings. That meant the Accord Euro dropped to $33,500 and the Accord V6 to $36,990.

The cheapest model is the VTi, which costs a reasonable $29,990. The four-cylinder Accord Euro has 140kW. The 2.4-litre VTi has 118kW and 218Nm. It uses a five-speed automatic transmission.

The mid-sized VTi is actually larger than the Accord Euro, with a sizeable boot and cabin space.

For a car that comes in at just under $30,000, it comes with a fair amount of standard equipment and safety gear. Driver and passenger front and side airbags are standard, as are anti-skid brakes.

The VTi also has dual-zone climate control, cruise control, electric windows, six-CD sound and alloy wheels, including a full-size spare.

The Accord VTi looks more expensive than it is. It has plenty of what car companies call jewellery: chrome lining around the windows, bumper strips, a strip across the boot.

It doesn't sound like much, but these small touches give the Accord a more elegant appearance.

The VTi looks less sporty than the Accord Euro, with rounded edges, large headlights and a bloated boot.

Just as you would expect from Honda, the interior is a highlight. Controls are logical and well laid out, and the sound system booms with plenty of bass.

The VTi's four-cylinder engine is adequate but nothing special. More encouraging is the figure for fuel economy, a promised average about 9.3 litres per 100km/h.

The engine works well enough with the automatic gearbox, though it sometimes hunts for the correct gear. The test car suffered an unpleasant vibration at idle — hopefully it was just a one-off.

The Accord VTi is impressive in many aspects and represents good value, but the engine and ride characteristics are disappointing.