2001 Acura 1.7EL

[seahorse]

Since the 2nd day I purchased the brand new 1.7EL, there has been a nagging rattle seemingly from the right side of the dashboard. The noise only exists in the morning when I first drive the car; the noise mysteriously disappears in the afternoon on my way home from work. Another less audible rattle is also starting from behind the instrument cluster. For such a reputed car, the build quality really leaves much to be desired. This is my first Acura, and it really is disappointing in this area. Other than the build quality, the car looks much better than the Honda Civic; the headlight, grill and hood design are different on the 1.7EL. The alloy wheels are much better than the plastic wheel covers on the Honda Civic. In addition, the wood trim on the dash, along the center console and in the door panels are really a nice touch...something that is unavailable in the Civic. With ABS and 4 wheel disc brakes standard, plus all the nice "look" features, this car is worth the extra bucks above the Civic...if only someone can do something about the nagging rattle!!!!

[noahbuddy]

I own a 1.7 also; I previously owned a 1.6. At low speed vibration (less than 30k)I have annoying rattles. It improved after service but I can still hear it at times. My wife's Corrolla (2001) is much more quieter.

[Deuce]

I drove the Acura EL a while back, and I find this article about this vehicle very in- accurate. The writer who wrote this article should get his facts straight, is not find a better day job. First off, premium fuel is not recommended in the EL, its engine works best with regular gas. The noise/vibration/Harshness compared to its counter part the Civic Si, is from to worlds! The EL has a lot more refined ride than the SI, a lot more safe with the side air bags, and for 127 horse power it gives the same performance as the 160 horse power (ford?mazda 3) Get your facts straight -

[woohoo!]

I just got rid of my 2002 1.7EL. Not that I didn't like it, it's just that I needed more space with the two kids and all their junk onboard.

I also had a squeak in the dashboard. It also appeared in winter, though, but it was a high-pitched squeak that I could hear even though the CD player was cranked up.

[chelios_24]

I had the previous generation of the EL...THe 1.6EL 2000 model.

The reason I bought this car was cause I loved the 1998 CIVIC Si. For me there was no better car for that amount of money but I wanted a FOUR door so I went with the ACURA 1.6EL since they should have the same performance.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, the 1.6EL was more luxurious...but man oh man, I`ve never hated any HONDA or ACURA I`ve had but this car was the exception. It was horrible. Not enough TORQUE for that car. It had absolutely NO POWER...Being stuck on a red light in winter on PIN avenue on Mont RoyalI was scary. I thought the car wouldn`t make it. I was so surprised cause the Civic SI was just so awsome.

I think they put to many luxurious items into the EL that makes it much heavier than a CIVIC SI...I also found the suspension to be a lot softer on the EL...The problem is 107 of TORQUE or for the new generation 115 TORQUE. It seriously isn`t enough for a car of that price.

ACURA better do something about this. I think the EL has always been a scam. Better of with a CIVIC for much lower price. The 1.6 absolutely SUCKED! And I know a few people who have the 1.7EL and they like it but often complain that it has NO POWER!

[The General]

I've heard of many ELs, Civics and even Accords with rattles (dash, door, rear deck...) As far as being under powered, it has been a problem for a while now but I guess Honda prefers fuel economy and reliability. They let the tuning crowd handle the power issue.

The 2004 Civic Si 4 door I tested was alright I guess. But, once I drove the Lancer Ralliart (granted it's about 2000$ more) I was blown away by the power and overall feel of the car. The Lancer will never be a "Civic" but it`s got lots going for it... (this is just an example of a comparative)

[woohoo!]

I've actually owned a 1998 1.6EL and a 2002 1.7EL, and I can attest that even though they both had 127 hp, the 1.7EL pulled stronger because of a little more torque, but mostly at a lower rev range.

Honda likes to sell cars with a good balance of performance/fuel economy. The Civic has one of, if not the lowest, fuel consumption of its category.

If you're an average driver, the performance of the Civic/EL is sufficient, in my opinion... (that's why I got rid of it! heehee)

[johnbarton]

Another less audible rattle is also starting from behind the instrument cluster. For such a reputed car, the build quality really leaves much to be desired. This is my first Acura, and it really is disappointing in this area. Other than the build quality, the car looks much better than the Honda Civic; the headlight, grill and hood design are different on the 1.7EL. The alloy wheels are much better than the plastic wheel covers on the Honda Civic. In addition, the wood trim on the dash, along the center console and in the door panels are really a nice touch...something that is unavailable in the Civic. http://usautolighting.com

[powdavis]

I had the previous generation of the EL...THe 1.6EL 2000 model.

The reason I bought this car was cause I loved the 1998 CIVIC Si. For me there was no better car for that amount of money but I wanted a FOUR door so I went with the ACURA 1.6EL since they should have the same performance.

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, the 1.6EL was more luxurious...but man oh man, I`ve never hated any HONDA or ACURA I`ve had but this car was the exception. It was horrible. Not enough TORQUE for that car. It had absolutely NO POWER...Being stuck on a red light in winter on PIN avenue on Mont RoyalI was scary. I thought the car wouldn`t make it. I was so surprised cause the Civic SI was just so awsome.

I think they put to many luxurious items into the EL that makes it much heavier than a CIVIC SI...I also found the suspension to be a lot softer on the EL...The problem is 107 of TORQUE or for the new generation 115 TORQUE. It seriously isn`t enough for a car of that price.

ACURA better do something about this. I think the EL has always been a scam. Better of with a CIVIC for much lower price. The 1.6 absolutely SUCKED! And I know a few people who have the 1.7EL and they like it but often complain that it has NO POWER!

I think Acura should move on this as well. And for us consumers... pass on the EL and go for the Civic instead. better deal for your money.




______________________________________________
Shut up and Drive (http://shutupanddrive-noelle.blogspot.com/)
Autopartswarehouse.com (http://www.joeant.com/DIR/info/get/15537/80928) and all that jazz.