Honda Accord 2.2 Type-R Review

Overall Rating

Performance, Grip, Rarity???, Build, Nice Seats.

Poor electric's
Fuel Consumption
Dodgy GearBox
Rubbish Stereo!!!

I've now had my Honda Accord 2.2 Type-R Sports Car since the end of Sept 04, living in Swindon the European home of Honda you would of thought that there would have been a couple of examples to choose from on the second hand market !!?? WRONG!!! in the end I had to travel to Kent to have a look at the only one in my price range that had the spec and mileage I was looking for...having parted with my £8,500 for my W Reg with 43K on the clock and a FHSH, new brakes and new'ish tyres!! I trundelled back down the M25 to the home of Honda drifting in and out of the magical 5500RPM+ racing my mate home who was driving my knackered chipped VW Passat 1.8T (Who I later sold it to HA HA HA) along the way I noticed even more so than during the test drive that the engine was a bit on the noisey side when not accelerating...is this usual anyone?? and also that 3rd gear wasn't the easiest to find to say the least. A few weeks past and my love for this half brit half Jap nutter mobile increased on a daily basis, until one cold November night whilst trying to engage reverse to tidy up some rubbish parking on my drive I found the little scamp was having none of it!!!
Next day I managed to drag it to Honda to be told that my gearbox needed 3 new synchros, a new clutch plate and other assorted goodies coming to a total of £1,050!!! They had the thing for over "2" weeks waiting for parts!??!
You would of thought that as they kind of assembled the things just 3 miles down the road not that long ago, that they would have had a few bits and bobs knocking around the place!!! Sorry... this is supposed to be a review isn't it, well apart from having to shell out over a grand on a re-built gearbox it's been great, pulling off slip roads on to dual carriage ways and motorways has never been more fun, other than when my parents let me have their old 911 SC for a month a couple of years back....I mean it hasnt got the pulling power of a porsche or some other sports cars I've had the pleasure to drive over the years, but for less than 10k and only 4 years old I cant think of anything else that even comes close to it...if you're thinking of buying somthing a little different with 4 doors thats not to old then this is the car for you...

Members' Comments onJimmy Footski's Review

• richard1white on 10th Jul 2005

  Hello, I bought my accord type R bout 3 months ago, and i can honestly say its the best car ive ever had, and that includes a gt4, and an fto! The power of this machine is unbeleivable ecspecially when you hit the v-tech zone at 5800 rpm then it takes off like a rocket but fortunatley it handles amazingly as well with its excellent 4wd, the looks are stunning and the price was great too a 51 reg for £9500 with only 25k on clock! So far my only concerns are when you hit the v-tech zone it's so easy to red line and pop it out of gear ecspecially when in first gear because of its power and it will pin you back and nearly rip the steering wheel out of your hands!

• Jimmy Footski on 7th Sep 2005

  Hello Richard,
  
  good to see there are others out there with taste in automobiles !!!
  I'm a bit confussed though that you stated within your comments that yours has 4WD??? I have heard that these things exist but were'nt on sale in the UK...is yours an import ???