At $4,999, Is This 1992 Honda Accord LX An Earnestly Good Deal?

While the SUV and crossover craze has made sedans of all ilk relatively irrelevant in the market, today's Nice Price or No Dice Accord comes from an era when cars like it and Toyota's Camry ruled the roost. Let's see if this laudably clean car is priced to turn back the clock.

While admittedly confusion-causing and chaos-reining, words having opposing meanings can also be a fun and unique aspect of the English language. A prime example of this is the word "prowler." It can mean both a person seeking to break into a home or place of business and the police cruiser sent to locate them, thus putting the kibosh on their criminal exploits. Here, I'll show you: "The policewoman shone her prowler's spotlight on the prowler behind the bush, ordering them to freeze." See? It's fun.

Prowler is also the name given to Plymouth and then Chrysler's funky retro hotrod fun car from the late '90s and early Aughts. We looked at a 2002 Chrysler Prowler yesterday, the last of the line model year. An excellent presentation and low miles couldn't overcome the car's egregious lack of a V8, and that didn't do its $23,950 price tag any favors. When all was said and done, the Prowler fell in a surprising 68% 'No Dice' loss.

Okay, so yesterday's Prowler failed because the consensus gathered was that its engine couldn't cash the checks its body was writing. That's fair. Nobody likes a poseur. And that's why today we're looking at a car that is about as honest, earnest, and straightforward in both its promise and the bullseye it hit in fulfilling that promise. 

Honda's Accord has been a staple of the Japanese brand here in America for half a century. The mere fact that the company still offers the sedan alongside its lineup of four—count 'em, four—crossovers is a testament to the model's spot-on design, packaging, and respect it has garnered over the last five decades. No one is going to look at you getting out of an Accord and question, "Whoa, what have you done?"

This 1992 Honda Accord LX represents the model's fifth generation, and the one where it really grew up. This edition was substantially larger than its predecessor, offering both more interior and trunk space, and a bigger motor. It's also arguably one of the classiest of Accord designs, with a bodystyle that wouldn't look out of place amongst similar-sized offerings from Mercedes and BMW. That all being said, there's nothing spectacular about the car. Aside from its reputation for stoic reliability and jewel-like build quality, that is.

Being an LX model puts this Accord squarely in the middle of the batting lineup, between the less well-equipped DX and the all-in EX. Standard equipment here includes A/C (which is remarkably still in the game), power windows and locks, and cruise control. There are also power steering and brakes, which one might expect.

According to the ad, that equipment has all dutifully served this Accord for fully 213,624 miles. Yes, that's a lot, but it's a testament to the car's comfort and performance that it's been in service for this long, racking up that much pavement.

Powering the car is a 2.2-liter 16-valve four, designated F22 by Honda engineers. In this model year and LX designation, that engine offered 125 horsepower and 137 pound-feet of torque. Here, that's backed (sided?) by a four-speed automatic pushing the front wheels for fuss-free driving. There's no mention of the car's service history in the ad; however, the paint pen markings on the battery in the under-hood shot indicate it was replaced in January of this year. The car is said to run and drive "nice," and to have no mechanical issues whatsoever.

It also looks amazing for its age and those miles. The Champaign metallic paint still shines and seems to have its clear coat intact, a notable failure point on many cars of this age. Aside from one noticeable dent on the right-side passenger door, the metal beneath is solid and unmarred. So too are the handsome factory wheel covers.

Where this car really begins to shine, though, is in the interior. Just look at that color-matched burgundy dash and upholstery. Doesn't that make you pine for the opportunity to curl up and have a nap on those wonderful mouse fur seats? Everything in here is stock, right down to the Honda-branded factory AM/FM/Cassette stereo. 

Craigslist

This being a 1992 model car also means it benefits from a driver's-side airbag, losing the mechanical mouse belts that plagued the two previous model-year cars. The hits keep coming in the boot space, which has a full carpet and is clean as a whistle. A clean title completes the picture on this Accord.

Okay, so we've established that this is a solid, if simple and practical car that appears to be in great condition. In the negative column, it has an odometer begging for a rest from spinning its barrels, and there's no maintenance record, so we can't tell what's been done or what's overdue. It's also an older car, so there's both less to go wrong and quite a few fewer bells and whistles than might be demanded by today's commuters.

With all that in mind, let's now discuss this Accord's $4,999 asking price. That seems to be around the baseline in these crazy times for any decent, clean car that isn't actively on fire or actually three raccoons in a trench coat.

What do you think? Is this Accord worth the $4,999 price as presented in the ad? Or does that price tag mean you would not reach an accord with this Honda's seller?

You decide!

San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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