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July 21, 2005
Used
Vehicle Review:
Acura 1.7EL, 2001 - 2005
By Chris Chase
Click image to enlarge |
As Canadians, we're
unique for a lot of reasons: We eat beaver tails, we put images
of wild animals on our coins and we all live in igloos (well,
according to some Americans, at least). Honda's Acura division
gave us another reason in 1997 - one that actually makes some of
our neighbours south of the border a little jealous.
The Civic-based 1997
Acura 1.6EL (so named for its 1.6 litre engine) was aimed at a
cost-conscious Canadian marketplace that Honda believed was
ready for a classy and compact sedan a little more grown-up than
the Integra. And if it being an exclusively Canadian model made
some Americans jealous, it flat out confused the rest who, if
they saw one, furrowed their brows trying to figure out what
they were looking at.
Fast forward to 2001
when a totally redesigned EL appeared in Canadian Acura
showrooms to coincide with the arrival of the seventh-generation
Civic. Renamed the 1.7EL thanks to a bump in engine
displacement, this little sedan took on an even classier look
and was available with a range of standard features that were
either optional - or not available at all - in a four-door
Civic.
While the
second-generation EL did share the poor ride that afflicted the
new-for-2001 Civic, it also got the Civic's traditionally good
traits: exceptional reliability and great fuel economy.
U.S.-based Consumer Reports doesn't have reliability stats on
the Canada-only EL, but even a quick glance at the magazine's
opinion of the 2001-and-up Civic tells you what you already
knew. This is one of the most trouble-free cars available today,
and its status as one of Consumer Reports' recommended used car
buys puts it at the top-of-the-heap reliability-wise among small
luxury sedans. Volkswagen's Jetta is a solid small car that
coddles, but VWs are renowned for electrical gremlins. The Volvo
S40 is about the right size, but far more expensive. Perhaps the
only car that can compete with the EL is Infiniti's G20, but you
won't find one newer than 2002, that model's last year of
production. They're reliable too, per Consumer Reports, but the
EL has set a benchmark not even the G20 can match. The 1.7 EL
was the subject of three Transport Canada recalls, all for 2001
models.
Click image to enlarge |
The EL excels in the fuel
economy category too. According to Natural Resources Canada's
fuel consumption guide, the small Acura's 127-hp engine sips
regular unleaded at the miserly rate of 7.7 L/100 km in the
city, and 6.2 L/100 km on the highway when hooked up to the
five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed automatic was
optional). A Jetta equipped with VW's turbodiesel TDI powerplant
will get you farther on a tank of fuel, but when overall
reliability and trouble-free operation are priorities, the Acura
remains the better choice.
Just when you thought
you couldn't ask for anything more from a little luxury sedan,
you find out how safe it is. Again, due to its being a
Canada-only model, the 1.7EL wasn't subjected to U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash testing, but its
Civic twin was. The Civic posted excellent results, earning five
stars for both driver and front passenger protection in front
impacts, and four stars each for front and rear seat occupant
protection in side impacts.
Click image to enlarge |
And those crash tests
were conducted on a Civic without side airbags, which were a
standard a feature on all 1.7 ELs, upping the safety ante even
further. Other standard features included air conditioning,
cruise, ABS and an anti-theft system. In 2001 models, a sunroof
was standard only for Premium models, but was made standard
across the line in subsequent years.
Maybe the 1.7EL's only
drawback is that, despite being a good deal brand new, it holds
onto its value very well - another artifact of its Honda roots.
Go back to the 1.7EL's first year of production - 2001 - and
Canadian Red Book value for a loaded Premium model is $13,375,
or 57 per cent of its M.S.R.P. If you're looking to stay under
$20,000, you might get lucky on a 2004 Touring model, which
carries a Red Book value of $19,225. If you drive a really hard
bargain, might be able to get an uplevel Premium from the same
year for under 20 grand, but Red Book value is $20,500.
Small, reliable cars
are easy to find, but the EL combines those attributes with a
dash of luxury that makes it a rarity not in numbers, but in
substance. Being on a budget shouldn't mean you can't drive a
classy car and the EL makes sure you can have your cake and eat
it too.
Pricing
Red Book Pricing (avg.
retail) January 2005:
| Year |
Model |
Price
today |
Price new |
| 2005 |
1.7EL Premium |
$23,075 |
$24,600 |
| 2004 |
1.7EL Premium |
$20,500 |
$24,200 |
| 2003 |
1.7EL Premium |
$18,175 |
$24,000 |
| 2002 |
1.7EL Premium |
$15,425 |
$23,700 |
| 2001 |
1.7EL Premium |
$13,375 |
$23,500 |
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