Its exterior appearance transcended beyond its subtle restyling to a larger alloy wheel and tire package. Under the skin an upgraded suspension included a wider diameter front stabilizer bar and improved shocks to enhance its driving dynamics. In an unusual move Acura didn't upgrade the rear brakes from their rather pedestrian drums - not good enough for this class of car or the Acura image.
Model year 1998 saw minor improvements including redesigned floor mats and a low windshield washer warning light in the base model. A leather-wrapped steering wheel was added to the Sport package while the Premium got heated front seats. For 1999 the grille received chrome highlights across the line, plus a leather shift knob was added inside. The base car was designated an SE, slightly more dignified. Finally, in 2000 the base SE got a leather-wrapped steering wheel to further separate its driving experience from its humble roots.
Like its minimal changes, the usual sign of well executed initial design, the 1.6 EL was amazingly reliable. Just the same it received two recalls, the last of which affected its final three years of tenure. The initial 1997 recall was a major one concerning an incorrectly assembled front passenger airbag that might not deploy properly in an accident, increasing the likelihood of injury. In 1998 through 2000 models the EL was recalled to replace the electrical contacts in the ignition switch. The easily worn contacts caused the engine to stall without warning, another potentially dangerous situation.
That said the Acura 1.6 EL is still a good buy if you're more interested in excellent fuel economy and generally good reliability than in luxury features and limousine-like seating and storage capacity. Its high resale value, common among Honda Civics as well, will make the price of entry harder to reach than some of its competitors. Still this should pay off if and when you plan to sell.