Crapwagon Outtake, Viral Sensation Division: 1996 Honda Accord Coupe

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn

It’s a running joke around here, but like the best humor, it comes from a kernel of truth: TTAC should always write about Hondas. Every article — Honda. Readers just can’t seem to get enough of the Big H.

California filmmaker Max Lanman knows what’s up. Either he’s been lurking in TTAC’s Slack, or he’s hacked our Google Analytics — but in the course of a day, nearly half a million people have tuned in to his commercial showcasing an eBay auction for his girlfriend’s well-used 1996 Honda Accord.

As expected, it’s working.

As of this writing — and with six days left on the auction — 87 bids have been registered, sitting (for now) at $20,400.

The power of social media compels you to bid, apparently. Kelley Blue Book gives this magnificent pride of Marysville a somewhat lower value:

One could even drive home a brand-new, Ace of Base-approved Honda Civic LX Coupe for but $540 more:

Overall, this Accord seems to be in reasonable condition for its age. The southern California location has helped, certainly — salt will destroy a 1990s Honda in short order. The leather looks to be well-worn, but serviceable. The bumpers show evidence of parking by Braille, and the Autocheck report provided by eBay shows evidence of two prior accidents. Still, when considering a collector’s item such as this beauty, those are minor data points.

It seems the port-installed front-seat coffee maker is not included in the sale, however.

So, intrepid car buyers of the B&B – at what dollar figure do you think this will top out?

[Images: eBay; Screenshots courtesy YouTube, Kelley Blue Book, Honda]

Chris Tonn
Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

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  • THX1136 THX1136 on Nov 06, 2017

    Well done ad, and expensive if done "at work" - especially the aerials. I was thinking about the cat also, but not where it went after arriving at the destination. More of a "in case of a collision" type of scenario. I would agree with the $2K point - give or take.

  • Ryoku75 Ryoku75 on Nov 06, 2017

    $500? Sure $1200? Maybe $2000? No thanks $26,000? Either trollin' or way too doped up on Honda I haven't heard great things about the EX Accords if this generation. You get nice extra features, but the Vtec goes through oil if you beat on it too much. Btw Is that 26mpg hwy estimate accurate?

  • Arthur Dailey The longest we have ever kept a car was 13 years for a Kia Rondo. Only ever had to perform routine 'wear and tear' maintenance. Brake jobs, tire replacements, fluids replacements (per mfg specs), battery replacement, etc. All in all it was an entirely positive ownership experience. The worst ownership experiences from oldest to newest were Ford, Chrysler and Hyundai.Neutral regarding GM, Honda, Nissan (two good, one not so good) and VW (3 good and 1 terrible). Experiences with other manufacturers were all too short to objectively comment on.
  • MaintenanceCosts Two-speed transfer case and lockable differentials are essential for getting over the curb in Beverly Hills to park on the sidewalk.
  • MaintenanceCosts I don't think any other OEM is dumb enough to market the system as "Full Self-Driving," and if it's presented as a competitor to SuperCruise or the like it's OK.
  • Oberkanone Tesla license their skateboard platforms to other manufacturers. Great. Better yet, Tesla manufacture and sell the platforms and auto manufacturers manufacture the body and interiors. Fantastic.
  • ToolGuy As of right now, Tesla is convinced that their old approach to FSD doesn't work, and that their new approach to FSD will work. I ain't saying I agree or disagree, just telling you where they are.
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