Car Memories With My Father - Honda Accord CA5

Most if not all of us will have a stand-out memory of a car or a car ride with our Dads that helped shape our perception of cars, our fondness or dislike for them - for me, it was the third generation Honda Accord (CA5). 

My Dad had a habit of changing cars while I was growing up. To the best of my recollection, he owned a Mitsubishi Galant, Proton Saga, Honda Accord, two Proton Wira’s, Proton Waja, to now currently a BMW E39 520i - and all this is before the Alfasud and many others. I suppose it was a sign of the times, my Dad had a decent job at the time as a quantity surveyor and his choice of cars reflected that. 

Third-gen Honda Accord (CA5)

The one ride that sticks out today in my mind is the one he took us on in the Accord. I can’t recall exactly the road or route but it was some winding B-roads, I was strapped in the front (the privilege of being the elder child), my brother in the back, and Mum was at home. I remember my Dad had a cheeky grin on his face as if he knew what was coming. 

As we rounded the bend, he didn’t appear like he was going to slow down, instead, he downshifted. All of my Dad’s cars prior to the Proton Wira were manual transmissions. I remember thinking in my head, we’re going too fast! But my Dad knew exactly what he was doing, he crested the corner, the Accord arrow-like as it took us around the bend, got on the throttle, upshifted and on and on we went for a good 15 minutes through the winding B-roads. At this point in time, I had a big-a**e smile plastered on my face and my Dad knew it! He said, “Kanna, I can only do this because it’s a Honda.”

I have never since seen my Dad so engaged during a drive. He was having fun. Not long after, we sold the Honda because too many electrical gremlins were creeping up and it was becoming too expensive to maintain. If you ask him till today, he’ll swear by the Accord and I’m pretty sure he’ll also swap his E39 for an Accord given the chance. 

My brief affair with the Accord also came to a close with the sale. I’ve not had the same expansive car ownership history as my Dad, my most memorable car to date being a Satria 1.3 GLi. So when the opportunity came up to have a go at the tenth-generation Honda Accord 1.5 TC-P, I took it! 

Tenth-gen Honda Accord 1.5 TC-P

Unfortunately due to work and our busy schedules, I didn’t manage to take my Dad for a ride in the new Accord but I did enjoy a few rides with my son. He’s about 11 years younger than I was when I went with my Dad on that eventful drive but I’m looking forward to building more memories with him around cars as we go along. 

The current-gen Accord is a far cry from its third-generation ancestor but certain aspects of it still shine through, the expansive space you get, the comfortable seats, the reassurance that you will get to your destination safely only but a few of them. 

I found the tenth-gen Accord most engaging in Sports Mode, the throttle response was a lot sharper, steering feel more engaged and overall it made for a more involved drive. In Normal mode, the Accord was a bit too languid for my liking. 

I must add the steering of the Accord was simply delicious with how direct and how much feedback you get as a driver. You hardly ever felt its 4,901 mm length. It’s a car that delivers confidence and is appropriately powered with 201 PS and 260 Nm of torque which incidentally makes the Accord TC-P sold in Malaysia the most powerful in the ASEAN region. 

If looks maketh the car, then the RM 187,390.73 Accord is a winner in that department. The fastback-like profile complemented by its sweeping roofline makes it a very handsome D-segment sedan, enough to rival some of its more expensive German counterparts. 

It could however use an armrest for the driver on those long highway cruises, and because the door handle and controls sit so low on the driver’s door, I could never find a comfortable enough position to rest my elbow on when driving. 

Minor grievance or not, that’s up to you but I personally found it quite annoying. Besides that the eight-inch Advanced Display Audio head unit with 10 speakers, and a subwoofer, together with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay means the interior is a very pleasing place to be in, more so if you’re seated in the rear with all that legroom.  

I would highly recommend the Platinum White Pearl if you’re interested. I’m not in the market for a D-segment sedan at the moment, don’t think I ever will be but it was definitely a welcome experience to take this walk down memory lane - and relive my most memorable car experience with my Dad so thank you Honda for the Accord! 

Do you have a stand-out memory of your Dad involving a car? Share it with us in the comments and here's a Happy Father's Day to all dads out there!