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Midsize car; Built in USA, Japan
  • 2-door coupe
  • 4-door sedan
  • 4-door wagon
  • transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $1,500 – $3,000*


1996 Honda Accord EX 4-door sedan


1995 Honda Accord LX 4-door sedan


1995 Honda Accord EX interior


1994 Honda Accord EX 4-door wagon interior


1996 Honda Accord EX 2-door coupe

Pros:
  • Acceleration (V6)
  • Passenger and cargo room
  • Ride
  • Steering/handling
Cons:
  • Acceleration (4-cylinder)
  • Antilock brakes (limited availability)
  • Road noise

Overall, the Accord continues to be a fine, solid-feeling family car with a refined, sporty manner. In fact, this was the best Accord to date. The new V6 was most welcome, but long overdue. There was much stronger competition among midsize family sedans today than ever before, with Honda’s rivals making noticeable strides in the areas of styling, powertrain sophistication, chassis dynamics, ergonomics, and creature comforts. Yet, Accord came through in fine fashion.

Overview

A bigger interior, dual airbags, and more power were added in 1994. Sedan, coupe, and wagon models returned, riding about the same wheelbase as before. Overall length was down 1.2 inches, while width grew by a full three inches.Coupes and sedans were once again available in DX, LX, and EX trim, while the 4-door wagon only came equipped as either an LX or EX. Antilock brakes were optional on DX and LX, standard on EX. Two 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engines were available. Both DX and LX models featured a 130-horsepower unit, while EX buyers enjoyed a 145-horsepower engine.

Yearly Updates

1995 Accord
Honda’s breadwinner, the front-drive Accord, finally pulls abreast of its midsize competitors by adding its first V6 engine. The 24-valve, 2.7-liter unit is an updated version of the engine originally used in the Acura Legend. Accords equipped with the bulkier V6 feature a longer nose and different grille.
1996 Accord
Several appearance and equipment changes are added for 1996. Among the styling changes are larger front and rear bumpers, new parking lamps, new chrome grilles for 4-cylinder models, and new taillights. Also, the trunk opening has been enlarged on the coupe and sedan and a rear-seat pass-through feature was added.
1997 Accord
Anticipating an all-new Accord for ’98, the popular midsize Honda was unchanged for ’97.

Engines

transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive

The new generation of 4-cylinder Accord engine, both the 130- and 145-horsepower units, feel smooth and refined. But naturally, their sporty manners are only fully realized when mated to the 5-speed manual. The automatic tends to feel lethargic when a burst of acceleration is needed. It tends to pause longer than necessary before downshifting and occasionally changes gears with a shudder. But the most important powertrain change in Accord history occurred in 1995 with the addition of a 24-valve, 2.7-liter V6 engine. Although there is not a huge difference in acceleration between the 4-cylinder and V6 models, the V6 is noticeably quieter smoother. Consumer Guide editors clocked the V6 Accord at 8.9 seconds to 60 mph, compared to 9.6 seconds for an EX equipped with the 145–horsepower 4 cylinder equipped with an automatic. There is ample passing power with the V6.

ohc I4
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 2.2/132
Engine HP 130
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 139
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
5-speed manual
4-speed automatic 		25/32
23/31
ohc I4
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 2.2/132
Engine HP 145
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 147
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
5-speed manual
4-speed automatic 		25/31
23/29 		23.3
ohc V6
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 2.7/163
Engine HP 170
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 165
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
4-speed automatic

 19/25

 21.0

Road Test

The 1994 to ’96 models feel much more substantial than their predecessor. Four-cylinder performance is adequate for most driving needs, but the V6’s added punch comes in quite handy in passing situations. The automatic transmission still lags behind the competition in shift quality, but it’s now at least acceptable. Steering is firm and the car tracks effortlessly. There’s also less wind noise than before, though tires whine at expressway speeds.

The body, now three inches wider than before, significantly increases the interior’s feeling of spaciousness. Leg room is good both front and rear, but head room is only average at best. The driver’s seat provides a commanding view of the road, thanks to thin pillars and a low cowl. A wider trunk opening is also greatly appreciated. And while the rear seatback drops forward to allow the transport of large and bulky objects, it does not fold fully flat.

Ratings

Model Tested: 1996 Honda Accord EX 2.7-liter

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - 5
50%
Fuel Economy - 5
50%
Ride Quality - 6
60%
Steering/Handling - 5
50%
Quietness - 5
50%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - 5
50%
Room/Comfort Front - 6
60%
Room/Comfort Rear - 4
40%
Cargo Room - 4
40%

Other

Value - 8
80%

Total: 53

Specifications

2-door coupe
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
106.9 185.6 70.1 54.7
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
13.0 17.0 5
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.4 36.4 42.9 31.3
4-door sedan
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
106.9 185.6 70.1 55.1
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
13.0 17.0 5
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.4 37.6 42.7 34.3
4-door wagon
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
106.9 188.4 70.1 55.9
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
25.7 17.0 5
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.8 39.0 42.7 34.1
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: 1997 Accord 2-door coupe

NHTSA

(5 is the highest rating)

Front Impact Test

Driver Injury - 4
80%
Front Passenger Injury - 4
80%

Side Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Rear Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

HLDI

(A score of 100 is average. Lower is better)

Collision 109
Injury 103
Theft 227

Trouble Spots

Automatic transmission
Description: Cars with high mileage may begin to shift more harshly, which may be corrected by adding a bottle of Lubeguard conditioner to the automatic transmission fluid. (1994-96)
Blower motor
Description: Blower motor overheats, blows the fuse and may melt the fan because motor cooling hose becomes clogged. (1990-04)
Brakes
Description: The parking brake may not fully release because a rivet on the brake rod is too tight. (1994)
Dashboard lights
Description: The heater control panel lights do not glow when the switch is pressed because of breaks in the circuit board solder joints. (1994-95)
Engine noise
Description: The gasket for the mid-exhaust pipe sticks, causing a buzzing noise. (1994-95)
Fuel gauge
Description: The fuel gauge may not read full even though the tank is filled due to excessive resistance in the sending unit in the tank. (1994-95)
Manual transmission
Description: If the transmission grinds when shifting into fifth gear, the fork, sleeve set, and mainshaft gear must be replaced. (1994-95)
Oil leak
Description: Sudden oil loss and resultant severe engine damage could be the result of front balance shaft oil plug popping out. (1994-96)
Audio system
Description: If the CD changer in the trunk will not eject, the company will exchange the CD magazines with a redesigned one. (All)
Vehicle noise
Description: A noise coming from the passenger footwell is most likely due to the air conditioning high pressure line vibrating against the power steering fluid line. (1995)
Vehicle noise
Description: Air conditioning hose hitting the power steering line likely causes knocking noise from the passenger floor during light acceleration. (1995)

Recall History

1994
Description: Some tire valve stems were damaged during assembly, resulting in sudden loss of air pressure and/or loss of control.
1995
Description: Some supplemental restraint system electronic control units can cause unexpected airbag deployment.
1995-97 except DC and V6 models
Description: Improperly routed wire harness for factory-installed air conditioner can allow wires to rub against each other, which can eventually cause short circuit that may lead to overheating, smoke, and possible fire.
1997
Description: Certain ball joints can wear out prematurely and, in worst case, would separate, causing front suspension to collapse.

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

More about Tom Appel
Written by: Tom Appel on July 15, 2014.
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