The odometer on today’s Nice Price or No Dice Accord wagon reads 102K. That’s only what’s on the cluster, though, as it was replaced at 157K. Let’s see if the price tag is just as confusing.
Manual transmissions are great until they break. Then they’re just as disappointing as an automatic. The five-speed row-yer-own in the 1998 Jeep Cherokee two-door we looked at yesterday was admitted by the truck’s seller to have issues. According to the ad, the $5,000 asking price was set to account for that major malfunction. The only problem was that with just 2WD and a 2.5 four under the hood, the rest of the truck didn’t offer much incentive for a happy outcome after spending that much and the repair. Most of you concurred, sending the Jeep packing in an 81 percent No Dice loss.
The only apparent issue with today’s 1995 Honda Accord LX wagon isn’t with something that’s broken. It’s with something that has been repaired. We’ll get to that in a second, but first, let’s marvel over this Honda hauler’s overall excellent-seeming condition.
The Accord debuted in 1976 as a three-door hatchback that bore more than a passing resemblance to its smaller sibling, the Civic. The following year saw a four-door saloon added to the lineup, a pairing that Honda would carry through the model’s second generation. Later redesigns added a two-door coupe to the mix, a body style that would remain in the Accord family until the 2016 model year.
Interestingly, only two generations of Accord—the fourth and fifth—offered a station wagon body style. This car represents the later, fifth-gen car, and competed against similar-sized models from Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru, among others.
Honda has always imbued its wares with a bit more sport than those competitors and this Accord’s most notable feature is the five-speed stick bolted to the 2.2-liter F22 inline-four under the hood. That allows the car to make the most of the engine’s 130 horsepower, sending those ponies to the pavement through the front wheels.
The seller notes that this car has enjoyed a recent spate of maintenance work, most notably a new timing belt. Other newbies under the hood include the radiator, alternator, and SGK spark plugs. Those updates and some other work have resulted in a car that the seller claims runs “perfect and smooth,” boasting that it is “flawless at highway speeds.”
It looks pretty nice too. Most of these cars offered for sale generally look rode hard and put away wet. The only noteworthy flaws on this Frost White over mocha wagon are some fading of the black window trim paint around the rear doors and weirdly dark-tinted turn signals next to the updated headlamps. I guess you could also include the Walmart wheel covers as well, but while not the most appealing choice, they are at least clean and un-scuffed.
Where the car really seems to shine is in the cabin. That is clean and shows no signs of wear and tear. A later CD stereo sits in the dash, but otherwise, everything seems to be original. Well, everything except for the instrument cluster, and that’s where things get a tad sketchy on this car.
According to the ad, there are 102,000 miles on the clock. The only problem is that the clock is in a replacement instrument cluster that sported another car’s lower mileage when installed. The car itself had 157,000 miles at the time of the replacement, so it’s a bit of a guess how many miles are on the car now. The seller does note that the mileage discrepancy will be noted on the title upon transfer so maybe we’re mounting a molehill here.
Despite the odious odometer, the car seems free of complications. It’s said to run well, be comfortable with working A/C, and come with a clean title. The asking price is $7,500.
What’s your take on this somewhat rare Honda wagon and that price tag? Does that seem like a deal for a five-speed family hauler? Or, do the discrepancies just not add up?
You decide!
Cincinnati, Ohio, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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