Low-profile, fast, comfortable, a lot of car for not a lot of money — these are just some of the things that 1986 Honda Accord buyers are saying 20 years later.
This year ushered in the third generation of the bigger and better Honda Accords that had become extremely popular over the past 10 years.
New in this '86 Accord generation was the wheelbase and overall length, along with the car's weight. A redesign also took place, and made, according to some, a "sleeker" look that carried with it better aerodynamics, which helped make a quieter ride. In addition, the double wishbone suspension was added as well, to offer even more precise handling to accompany the quiet ride.
A much-talked about new feature was the pop-up headlights that many seemed to like.
The engines were made in the "bigger and better" style as well, increasing to 100 horsepower produced by 1.8 to 2.0 liter engines and the car became nicknamed the "poor man's BMW."
It's interesting to note as an aside that the popularity of the Honda Accords and Civics had now created the need for Honda of America Manufacturing to begin production on a second assembly line at its Ohio plant.
The Accord had become known as a dependable and economical car that could fit a family and a family's budget. Most adored it and very few had any complaints at all.
