Honda Accord Type R: Catch It While You Can
Any Type R is a great used buy - but one in particular is far more tempting than the rest
Drive is more exciting than it looks. Honest
We'll warrant that of them all, the Accord is the Type R you remember least well. Perhaps thanks to its saloon bodyshell and, beneath the skirts and spoilers, mildly drab styling; perhaps because of the cooking Accord's reputation as the motoring equivalent of a tweed trilby. But the more you remember of the CH1, as it's known to its select group of fans, the more impressive it gets.
Under the bonnet of the Type-R sat a 2.2-litre H22A engine that had already found a home in the Prelude VTI, as well as several US- and JDM-spec Accords and Preludes.
Here, though, power was ramped up to 212hp courtesy of a higher compression ratio, sequential injection, low-friction pistons, a tweaked inlet manifold and a new, less restrictive exhaust - knocking similar Super Touring-inspired saloons like the Ford Mondeo ST200 and Vauxhall Vectra GSi into a cocked hat.
What was more, the Accord was almost unmatched by rivals in benefitting from a limited-slip differential as standard, giving it the tools to make use of that extra power, and making it considerably more hardcore - not to mention more credible - than any of its hotted-up family saloon brethren.
Limited-slip diff should keep the front pinned
Which is partly why it looks like the most tempting buy of any Type R right now. While it isn't as sharp as an Integra, it's probably 90 per cent of the fun - yet, for now at least, it costs significantly less. It's more compelling than an EP3, too, for while the Civic has the mass-appeal and cult status, the Accord has hydraulic - and therefore way more involving - steering, that limited-slip diff and more power. Not to mention the Super Touring cachet, of course.
Not until the later FN2 Civics do you get the diff, but even then you still have to deal with less impressive steering, not to mention a punishing ride - and one of these will set you back way more cash, too. And while the FK2 rather obliterates the Accord with its performance and sense of drama, you'll have to buy one nearly-new and lose a tonne of cash in the process right now.
By contrast, you can get an Accord for peanuts. Matt's already brought this one, for £4,300, to your attention; that's strong money for what you'd hope will be one of the very best ATRs in the country. A tidy example with reasonable miles and a good history can still be had for £2,500, while a leggy one will set you back even less.
And it revs to nearly eight!
In 25 years, Honda's brought a succession of seriously memorable Type R badged metal to this country, to our continuing delight. And while the Accord might the most hazy of them all in the collective memory, there are now some very good reasons to get reacquainted.
I should advise anyone looking for one to go in with their eyes peeled as rust is the main enemy with these, but there is much info online for what to look for. I can see values are rising slowly which these cars deserve to, they are too cheap for now but a great underrated and brillant special drivers car.
I remember it as a real hoot - lively engine ( especially when the VTEC kicked in ) and the whole package just felt a bit special. Q-car looks also helped ( though we had ours stickered up for marketing purposes ).
I do remember that it was very loud - not a comfortable place to spend long hours up and down the motorway in....
Comfy, big, fast if you wanted them to be - but they had a weird problem I think would deter me from owning one.
No idea who chose the gearbox ratios, but they were idiots. It's impossible to keep the car on-the-boil if you're in a hurry - gearchanges almost always drop you outside the powerband so there's hesitation before you get back into 'VTEC YO'
I know some owners fixed this with gearbox and/or tune fixery, but that's a tall order for most folks?
It's not a deal killer - the car is fine and relatively anonymous fast cruiser which can nip down a B Road as well as anything BUT when you want to wring-it's-neck, there are some potholes on that particular road.
I know the engine/some other parts are unique to these cars tho - and that they were a UK only thing which might make some bits harder to find nowadays perhaps?
Comfy, big, fast if you wanted them to be - but they had a weird problem I think would deter me from owning one.
No idea who chose the gearbox ratios, but they were idiots. It's impossible to keep the car on-the-boil if you're in a hurry - gearchanges almost always drop you outside the powerband so there's hesitation before you get back into 'VTEC YO'
I know some owners fixed this with gearbox and/or tune fixery, but that's a tall order for most folks?
It's not a deal killer - the car is fine and relatively anonymous fast cruiser which can nip down a B Road as well as anything BUT when you want to wring-it's-neck, there are some potholes on that particular road.
Plus it had a crazy top speed of 159mph, it just lacked traction in the wet or on ice.
Fond Honda memories
Faultless for the entire duration of ownership and completely standard bar the Hayward and Scott rear pipes. Took it to Le Mans 4-up and fully loaded down with kit and it didn't miss a beat.
Mine was a black example on a 51 plate. A standard one would never touch 159mph, more like 140mph (on a private road).
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