As soon as I got my driving license last year, I thundered down the used car market, finally with the permission and intention to buy one; I am quite experienced in this field because I have been thundering down there for 6 years in a row now. Normally on a car-hunt, sane people weigh their options on a complex graph with all the scales of mileage, efficiency, practicality, comfort and last but not least, affordability tossed into it. Now these are terms I highly regard, however, my priorities were different from the beginning. To me cars are all about the thrill and enjoyment of driving, the engine’s soundtrack and a decent dose of delirium during the action. This meant that a huge lump of trouble was imminent.
I looked up for some driver's cars that I would have liked to have, some of which my classmates already drove, but I realized they were much out of my reach. My starter dream pack wasn’t going to cost any less than $20k but my wallet couldn’t afford any more than $5k. By this point in life I had become more of a driver's car bloke rather than a muscle car guy. I used to think they were cool as ice but most affordable used muscle cars that survive today are practically useless. Yes, they combust that gas into true rock n roll and make you feel like Nicolas Cage, but when you’re in college you generally can’t afford to be Nicolas Cage. They break down so often that you could be broke sooner than you had imagined. Since my first car was going to be my only car, I needed it to be practical and since I didn't have much money, I needed it to be reliable. Thrill was a luxury that I knew I might have to sacrifice.
THEY MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE NICOLAS CAGE. BUT WHEN YOU’RE IN COLLEGE YOU GENERALLY CAN’T AFFORD TO BE NICOLAS CAGE.
From where I was standing, two roads diverged into the woods - I could either get a low budget rock band member with an unpredictable mood, or be wise and ensure that I reach all my classes and exams on time. I weighed my heart down with a stone, closed all the cool car tabs and without any enthusiasm opened the door to the Japanese used territory for a cheap, reliable, economical mid-size sedan with AUX input and a sunroof; that's all I could hope for at that point.
I searched far and wide. My browsing tabs were now full of well-maintained Civics, Corollas, Camry’s and Accords from around 2003-2006 with sub 100k miles. In the end I was about to go for a 4 cylinder stick-shift 2006 Camry that was a couple hundred bucks over my budget and I was actually looking forward to test drive it, when a new result came up on Craigslist that day. It was a Gray 4-cylinder 2008 Honda Accord. For almost a grand less than that Camry. This is where the story takes a turn.
When the 2008 Honda Accord came out it was one of the best looking sedans in the market. It resonated on the side profile of the E60 M5, which was one of my favorites, and the taillight looked about 70% similar from that angle. Every time I saw one on the road, I would admire it. These days they usually sell for about 7-10 grand and yet there was one here, somehow well within my reach.
I went to check it out that very day and I confess it was far from a perfect find. The Camry I was considering was better in every condition and looked brand spanking new. This though was a mess. It had a dashboard scratched by many dogs, and leather seats that looked like they had been torn for access to the hidden cocaine vault. And it had 174k miles on the odometer. On the upside, it was a decently specced Accord with large alloy rims, AUX input and a sunroof.
IT HAD A DASHBOARD SCRATCHED BY MANY DOGS, AND LEATHER SEATS THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD BEEN TORN FOR ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN COCAINE VAULT.
I got the key and took it for a test drive and well... it took me less than 10 minutes to be absolutely sure that it was the car I was waiting for.
When I turned on the ignition, the car didn’t feel any more exciting than I expected it to. The engine was creamy and silent. At around 20 MPH on bumpy gravel back-alley it drove steadily but dropped hints of being an athlete. The suspension was supple enough to absorb bumps but stiff enough to let the driver know exactly where the wheels were going. The ride was firm yet comfortable without isolating the car from the road surface.
The steering was delightful. It turned smoothly but had the kind of feedback that made me feel connected to the surface of the road. I could feel the gravel through the fine vibrations, and that is mostly found found in performance cars. Once we got on a smooth road the car glided like butter. The ride was so refined that it was hard to believe that all this was selling for under $ 5k. My mind was almost made up… there was just one more thing to explore.
We were going at 35 mph with revs under 2,000 RPM which was fairly quiet and civilized. It sounded a bit like a CPU fan hushing air through the car and the car through the wind. Then I changed into an empty lane and pressed the accelerator down by 2 cm, expecting some high-pitched whine from the engine like you get in most saloons but the rev needle rose up to 2,100 RPM and a bass-heavy grunt surfaced as the engine came back to life. Suddenly the calmness vanished and instead a raging determination awakened in the car. As the revs went from 2,200 RPM to 4,000 RPM, the grunt intensified into the roar of a beast and I got the sense that the car knew my intentions, and it responded with bravado. The accelerator hit the floor, the revs shot above 4,000 RPM and that beast gradually found it’s baritone bellow. It roared and screamed all the way up to 7,000 RPM at which point I forgot that it was a sensible sedan. Once the needle hit the redline, there was an Aventador-like but subtle jolt as transmission shifted up a gear. This car is solidly put together. I was smiling with teeth wide open the entire time. What a machine, what a car this was. I had no clue it could have such a side to it's character because it doesn't look crazy, and that just added to the charm.
THAT BEAST GRADUALLY FOUND IT’S BARITONE BELLOW AND ROARED AND SCREAMED ALL THE WAY UP TO 7,000 RPM AT WHICH POINT I FORGOT THAT IT IS A SENSIBLE SEDAN
I have driven and been driven around in more cars than I can list here including BMW M cars and Porsches and even Lambos. I have driven almost every car that rivals the Accord and yet the features of this Accord felt distinctive in a way that it didn’t in most of the others. I liked it from the moment I approached it. I loved how sporty, muscular and elegant it looks, all at the same time and you can’t help but notice how elongated it seems for a mid-size sedan; it’s not a huge car yet it feels fairly spacious .It’s the same with the interior as well. The dashboard is designed in such a way that the cabin feel as vast as a living room. You could set up a TV. Or a coffee machine and even a cozy twin bed (which I actually did when I was homeless for a week). Everything about it has a bold approach. From the door’s high-end heaviness, to the instrument cluster, to the seats, to the steering wheel. Every component of this car has a presence of its own that is hard to miss. You get the sense that it wasn’t just made to sell in huge numbers, rather it was crafted with passion.
There is a ‘driver’s car’ vibe to it.
The steering is one of the best I have ever seen and held. I feel confident gripping it. Then your eyes sweep over to the rev counter and speedometer. Two full-size machined metal rings with the studded illuminated crystal markers, the white numbering and two proper red needles whose glow reflects on the metal dials! I love how it is three dimensional too. It’s almost as sculpted as Aston Martin's clusters. Then there’s the fact that it redlines at 7,000 rpm. Most normal cars these days only go up to 5-6.5k due to turbocharging; even the Lamborghini Urus (don’t like the name) goes only up till 6,800.
The engine in this car is phenomenal. It isn’t quick, but it sounds damn spirited and you can drive it fast if you really want to. It picks up speeds very slowly up to 45 MPH but after that it’s a polished climb up to 110 and things only get shaky at around 120 MPH. At that speed the vibrations come in and you realize it wasn’t really made for this but it’s determined to go as far as it’s driver would push it. And if you stay at it for a minute then you can reach 125 MPH which I believe is the top speed. For an i4 that’s quite an achievement.
There are flaws too. It's not RWD, doesn't have stick shift, the suspension sometimes feels as though it's made more out of plastic than metal, and speaking of plastic, the interior makes a lot of plasticky trim noises when the car is moving. The AC is slow to cool down or warm up and recently my trunk decided to get jammed without any reason. Then there is that tear in the leather which I can’t unsee. Worst of all, it only does 16-19 mpg with regular use and I have to change oil almost every 2-3 months. I even had to dish out $1,000 on replacing it’s battery and alternator but you know what, once it starts going none of that really crosses my mind.
And that is the most interesting bit… I searched for Japanese sedans mainly for their renowned efficiency and reliability. Instead I ended up getting one for a reason that couldn’t be more the opposite of that. The 2008 4-cylinder Accord is unique in it’s territory and I’m surprised how underrated it is. It’s a really good package even for a petrolhead. It has the ability to cruise majestically and stealthily without throwing it's weight around. You can cross your path unseen, unsuspected, but once you poke it all hell breaks loose and it turns into a ferocious, even sensational machine, lunging forward without any sign of restraint.
It's been one year since ownership but even now, every time I get out of it I can't help but glance back at it, admiring the bodywork and taking pictures. It fits my mates in the cabin along with their backpacks in a trunk that doesn’t currently open. Finally and most importantly, it is probably the only car in it’s segment that has some soul to it and is spirited in the way it moves and handles. In retrospect, I can't think of any car that I would rather have as my first.
