1986 Honda Accord LXi Sedan | Retro Review 

Want to help keep our weekly Retro Reviews alive? DONATE NOW: mptevents.regfox.com/motorweek

Who here cares more about the retro reviews than the new cars review?

Pop up headlights Legendary reliability What more could you ask for?!

Classic John harping on oil pressure and voltage gauges.

It is really unbelievable that Honda does not make a better looking car today. This car looked incredible in 1986 and managed to age far better than anything which came after

Such an innocent-looking dagger to the heart of General Motors.

I remember when my parents first got this car it sounded like an electronic motor when accelerating and that distinctive Honda start up sound.. Ahh the good old days

As an eight year old boy, I'll never forget the day my dad bought two of these, a 5-spd manual for him and an automatic for my mom. With the pop-up headlights the Accords were on the same level of the Ferraris of the period for me. The 5-spd ending up in my 16-yr old brothers possession and the first technical modifications he did were burn out the clutch and flat-spot all 4 tires. I used to think I had the coolest brother on earth as I rode with him one day, 90mph in a 35mph zone. The stupid things we did as kids are too hard to process nowadays....

You’d almost have to be old enough to remember when these Accords were still on the road to understand just how wide the gap was between the imports and domestics at this time. The Taurus of course was an exception, but ultimately even the Taurus couldn’t hold a candle to the longevity of the Toyotas and Hondas of this era, and this Accord was no exception. Very well-built cars. Made in Ohio, too.

2:00 Wait for it! Wait for it! Here it comes! John's comment about the missing oil pressure and voltage gauges! 😂🤣😂

It was this model Accord that really made Honda a huge player in the midsize car market. I remember when this came out and people I knew that had only ever bought American cars started switching over to imports. It was miles above any other car in its market.

This was my very 1st car purchase. I got it back in 1997 at a used car lot in my hometown. Mine was an LXi, with the exact same exterior & interior colors as this one, but mine was a 5spd. It sparked my love of the Honda/Acura brand.

Oh man I love that 80s/90s Honda classic startup 🥰. Such legendary cars.

That engine sound 😍 even across a parking lot/garage, you can tell it is a Honda.

These were the cars I grew up seeing all over the roads. It's weird to see one without rust though

This was basically peak Honda! I miss the Honda of the late 80s early 90s.

I'm actually curious at which point in MW's history did John finally resign himself to the fact that nobody puts Oil Pressure and Voltage gauges in cars anymore. lol

My dad gave me one of these in high school. It was an LX with a 5 speed with 40,000 miles on it. There wasn’t a day in that cars life that it did not see 6000 rpms. I drove it to 200,000 miles and wasn’t a thing wrong with it, then traded it in on 1992 Camaro RS in 1995. I still have the Camaro to this day and there isn’t anything wrong with it either. It’s got close to 200,000 miles on it also.

I had an 87 LXi 5 speed in high school. I loved it

I still see these on the road which is amazing because I'm in Canada and we salt our roads.

I own a mint 89 with a 5-speed, wouldn't trade her for the world.

4:43 Such a beautifully cohesive design. Everything "works" and flows perfectly and the angles are correctly balanced by other angles. Nothing overdone. And those pop-up headlamps which give a sporty allusion to the Prelude. For some reason, Honda kept that full-folding rear seat for decades!

This car is a timeless classic, I see a few of these on the road today in good condition. But most of them are for sale that I be seeing, there coupes and sedans with 5 speed manuals in a DX and LX mid-level, and they want at least $2,500 or more for a 1987- 1989. The 3-door hatchback are pretty hard to find now, but Honda are known for their reliability.

I had the exact same Accord (color and all) with a 5-speed. Nice to drive, and handled very well, not to mention utterly reliable.

I loved the steering in that car. Super light when going slow. Then tight and spot on when going down the interstate.

I remember my folks were going to trade in their '84 Prelude for the '86 Accord in this same color. I was so excited! Shockingly, they came home with this new car brand I never even heard of... an '86 Acura Legend LS. 😁

Got my first Honda as a 17 year old senior in high school. Bought a 5 year old 1980 Honda Prelude. Have owned nothing but Hondas and Acuras ever since. My current car is my 19th in my lifetime and it's a '20 Honda Accord Touring 2.0T, which I absolutely love! I've owned Preludes, Integras, Accords, TLs, TLXs, and a TSX. Have enjoyed them all.

OMG this may be one of my favourite cars and the best Accord of all time. My dad purchased an 87 LX sedan and it was a pure joy to drive - and this was the carbureted 2.0 version! The 12-valve A-series engine had quite the growl and plenty of grunt. What a classic, beautiful design.

$13,700 in 1986, the MSRP for this loaded LX-i, is $32,535 in 2020. The $18,000 with dealer markup is about $42,750 today. I can't imagine paying a $10,000 premium for an Accord, even a really nice one!

0-60 9.7sec is good for 1986 and that's a automatic, I still remember my uncle got a brand new 87 accord just like this one in a baby blue color he traded in his 84 accord I remember it was brown in color and tan interior, this bring back memories.

I daily a 1988 Honda Accord Hatchback LX-i 5 speed. Super fun to drive and it still runs great.

Honestly, I think the Japanese perfected automobiles, in terms of design and reliability in the 90's. These cars were damn near bullet proof. Lexus LS400, Accord, Camry. If you drove these next to the American counterparts, you would see in an instant.

This is when the Japanese brands started to eat the USA brands.

My family owned this car once back in 2002. I used to get dropped off or picked from school with it. Bring back memories.

I drove one of these once back then when a co-worker loaned me hers.. I was very impressed!! It was everything I felt a car of this size should be.. I have owned 3 Hondas since.. I was buying German cars for a while but got tired of robbing banks to maintain them!! So, now I'm back home to Honda.. an Accord.

Grew up with a 1989 DX. Loved that car. My dad drove that thing 200,000 miles and it literally never broke. Most reliable car we ever had to this day. And now I have a 2018 Sport 2.0T with a manual!

I miss the 80s and 90s Honda’s I haven’t seen this generation In some years on the road still great reliability

Thank you for this. My first car was an 87 LX-i in this same color that my mom passed down to me with 225K miles on the odo. I drove it until 327K miles on the original motor when the automatic transmission finally gave out. I sold it to a friend who put a new transmission in it and drove it to almost 500K miles (still on the original motor). That is, until he wrapped it around a tree.

0-60 around 9 seconds. Keep in mind that affordable sports cars of this era were in the 7 second range for top spec versions. And many other vehicles were in the 10 to 12 second times.

I always liked the pop up headlight design on that car. I remember back then, my stepmother had a 1988 Acura Legend coupe fully loaded with everything. I have a 2020 Accord EX today, love it.

My first vehicle was a 1987 Honda Accord LXi sedan gray on gray, manual transmission. I absolutely LOVED that car and miss it today. What I wouldn’t give to find one in mint condition. So reliable, decent power, pop up headlights, and highways were a joy to travel interstate at night in the 80’s. The startup sound, the reverse gear sounds…iconic!

This is my favorite Honda Accord. Had one in the late 80's. Very comfortable and reliable.

I love to wake up in the morning and then see a new retro motorweek!

My father wouldn't deal with the local Honda dealership for 20 years because of how high they marked this car up back in the day. We wound up with a Celebrity.....joy.......

I remember one of my family members used to have a 1987 Accord LX-i 4door like the one in the video as her daily driver. It had a power steel sunroof and reddish brown interior with moquette velour upholstery.

One of the best cars! I still see some on the roads.

I wish Honda would go back to this clean, simple styling

I had 1988 3rd generation Accord LX I purchased new when I was stationed in West Germany. My wife and I travel all over Germany on weekends in that car. Shipped it back to U.S. and drove it from Georgia to Ft Hood, Tx. Kept it until 1993 when I traded it in for a 1993 Mazda 929.

One of these was my first manual transmission car. Never gave me any problems. Sold it with 280,000 miles on the clock. Really solid car.

My mom bought a used lxi in 1993, we had always had chevy sedans. I did not like it at first…but that car made me Honda brand loyal. I’ve only purchased Honda’s since and currently am driving a 2016 civic LX 6 speed. They just don’t quit and even the base models are surprisingly fun.

My family had one of these. Shaped my opinion of Honda at a young age. Very reliable powertrains, but sub-par quality. My 2001 MDX and 2008 Accord gave me the same experience.

In the early 90s I had a 85 accord as my dd as my other car was an IROCZ. I quickly fell in love with that car. I only had it 3 months before I slid on ice and totaled it, but it forever changed my perception of Japanese cars. Not long after, sold the Camaro, bought an Integra and have had at least 1 Honda product since then.

One of my favorite cars. I was a Honda tech when these were still pretty new so I worked on plenty. I have been looking for a nice 1989 LXi for several years now. There's a special edition that came with leather and a unique color that would be the ideal find.

My Dad bought a new 1986 LX. That car is why I'm a car guy today, and still collect and restore older Hondas. So well-made!

The last Accord to have a carburetor on its standard engine (DX & LX), & the first regular-production Accord to have fuel-injection on its optional engine (this LXi).

I had 88 model one of the most beautiful design from Honda

I still see these cars along with Toyota and Nissan They just don't die

This third gen Accord was the car I grew up with. My grandfather bought an 87 Accord new and sold it to my dad in/around 1990. This ended up as my mom's car while my dad kept his 1987 Honda Civic Wagon. In Canada we had slightly different trim offerings, much like on the 4th gen Accord. I'd love to find one of these today, the top end trim would be incredible if the car was in perfect shape.

1:59 John: (THE GAUGES) They're clear enough but lacking in both oil pressure and voltage! LOL

These 3rd (and 4th gen) Accords are my favorite ones.

The crazy thing I see these on the road still

Id take this over a new one any day. This is real deal Honda 😉

I love how they thought it was "pricey"... if they only knew... My dad had an 87' civic that he drove from 1987- 2003. The body was a little rough in the end. But the car still drove well and started EVERY time.

The car I learned stick on! My dad's 88 LX sedan.

This car was way ahead of its time back then.

2:41 that iconic Honda/Acura start up, even remains today !

I remember the first time looking out the front windshield and being gobsmacked be the vast view and not a bit of front hood in sight. It looked like it came from another planet! My only frame of reference was ford country squire station wagons. 🙂

I think this is my favorite accord body...especially in the two door.

it is absolutley baffling to see how clean aand shiny that thing is. i've never ever seen one that clean, and i was born in 1983

This is one of my favorite generations of the Honda Accord just because of the cool pop up headlights, aaahh just some childhood nostalgia that’s all too. But who can forget the double wishbone suspension? An industry leader!

Growing up, a family down the street had one of these that outlasted countless other higher end cars in the neighborhood. They had it well into the 2000's when I left for college.

Had one of these in the LX configuration as my first car. Carburetors! HAH! Drove it until she fell apart. 89 horsepowers never felt so good.

Bullet proof..Just make sure you change the Timming belts every 100,000 miles..I drove 1989 honda civic dx with over 400,000 miles.

Probably the best generation of Accord ever built. Got to love those pop up headlights and simple design; but I prefer to have the carburetor model for even simpler design.

I remember my neighbors, who was a doctor, his wife always had a new Honda every few years. I remember seeing the pop up headlights and thought they were the coolest thing.

In 86, I was an 18 yr old with a fresh driver's license, and I love this car! The little details of this car were legendary. The thin A-pillars, the large greenhouse, the legible gauges, the seat design, etc. One of my favorites ever!

My parents bought a 1988 Accord LX and I was so excited. I thought we were living in luxury . It was quite an upgrade from our 1980 Plymouth Volare.

Love seeing classic videos ! Still see healthy examples of this car in 2020 on the road.

I had this exact car. It had been in a minor fender bender when I got it and had 298kmi. I tossed a fender and headlight cover on it and drove trouble free until 330kmi when sadly rust got to the structural part of the door frame. Such a great car and great memories, this car sparked my love for Hondas. Well older Hondas at least...sadly I wouldn't touch one today. Also 30+ mpg and we can't get anywhere near that today without going hybrid?!?

i had one of these gems years ago in highschool; white with the 5 spd. god i miss selling that car everyday...

Great cars. Loved the Honda smell. Make sure you change that timing belt or....else Owned a 88 hatchback, awesome little car

Oh the sound of that starter. Takes me right back to 1990.

Been watching this MW retro cars, and got me an old civic (1990), and I am enjoying it. Now, I am planning to buy a much older one, toyota starlet 1978. It is like a time machine, letting me experience how people during those years driving these retro cars. ☺️

It’s amazing how every Honda Accords design looks better as they age!

I have an 86 Accord Lx-i hatchback that I am slowly fixing up to form. Cant wait to drive it :)

Would you believe this has always been my dream car? How crazy right? Even as a teen in 1986 when this car came out and my parents had a sporty, 1980 Camaro V-8, I would rather have had this car! Now to this day I have always been on the lookout for a low mileage pristine example of this style, the 1986-1989 Honda Accord! I was THRILLED to see this review added! Just last night believe it or now, I had a dream about my uncle's 1985 Accord he had, the previous body style and how I said to him I wanted his Accord if he sold it as he bought a new style like this 1986..How odd to have that dream last night then to look on YOuTube at 7:45pm and see this review added a few days ago!!???

We had a 1986 LXI, blue on blue and a stick. Over 20 years and new 300k miles, the check 3ngine light came on once...at the interval programmed by Honda to go back in for your first valve adjustment. Never came on again. All the original switch gear worked and the only issue was an occasionally leaking sunroof due to debris in the drains. The fuel pump died and instead of swapping it out we sold it and upgraded. Loved that car enough I have also had an 88 4 door LX and an 89 2 door LXI. Quiet, comfy, sporty in corners and 30mpg at 75+ even with over 200k on the odometer.

I remember getting an '87 model in the early 2000s. I sold it super quick! I was still getting calls about the car, even after a month it was advertised in the newspaper.

My first car was a 88 Accord LX. Gold just like this. I miss my gold baby all the time. Super fun to drive and just a beautiful car.

time flies and days go by

i use to own one of these, loved it so much wish i still had her

A friends parents had one of these and I loved the velour like seats or whatever they were. Also loved the bluish green glow of the instrument panel.

I got a ‘88 LXi (5spd manual) for my HS graduation in ‘94. I had that car for 8 years before I sold it, I regret selling it and still dream of that car.

This is possibly the highest water mark for affordable, well-built, decently enjoyable cars. I had an '88 EX-i. Best car ever.

I had an '86 DX hatchback with the 5-speed. Great car! So much fun to drive and it handled really well to be honest. I've owned 20 cars over the years and the majority have been Honda, including my current '18 Clarity. Overall, you really cannot beat them.

Had an 86 LX-I 5 speed hatch in this color. Awesome car that just ran and ran. Was always fond of the dark teal or bronze SE-i coupes that came in ‘89. Such handsome cars...

I have a 87 accord as my first car with a 5 speed and I love it although its clapped out at 357k with a good bit of rust it still gets me where I need to go and it's pretty fun with the 5 speed.

I love these videos so much. Please more retro Honda and Toyota

My dream car when I was 18

This was my first car right out of hs (2005). She drove like a dream and was clean ( one previous owner who rarely drove her) knowing what I know now I would have maintained and held onto to her. She’s a classic!!