Once you’re strolling the rows of your native automotive graveyard, through which autos are you probably to seek out odometers exhibiting intergalactically excessive closing odometer readings? I’ve bought quite a lot of expertise on the topic, and I can say that the most effective bets are usually diesel-powered Mercedes-Benzes and Honda Accords of the late Nineteen Eighties by way of early Nineties. For right this moment’s Junkyard Gem, we have one other a type of high-mile Accords, now residing in a Denver-area self-service boneyard.
409,780.7 miles over 32 years signifies that this unassuming base-grade Accord coupe averaged simply over 12,805 for yearly of its driving profession.
It additionally signifies that Honda now dominates the Murilee Martin Junkyard Odometer standings, with seven automobiles within the Prime 20 (of which 5 are Accords). Let’s have a look:
1990 Volvo 244: 631,999 miles
1988 Honda Accord: 626,476 miles
1987 Mercedes-Benz W201: 601,173 miles
1996 Toyota Camry wagon: 583,624 miles
1981 Mercedes-Benz W126: 572,139 miles
1985 Mercedes-Benz W126: 525,971 miles
1988 Honda Accord: 513,519 miles
1990 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon: 493,549 miles
1990 Nissan Sentra: 440,299 miles
1991 Honda Accord: 435,471 miles
1996 Honda Civic: 435,028 miles
1982 Mercedes-Benz W123: 417,046 miles
1995 Toyota Previa: 413,530 miles
1998 Toyota Tercel 4WD wagon: 413,344 miles
2002 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor: 412,013 miles
1983 Honda Accord: 411,794 miles
1985 Mercedes-Benz W123: 411,448 miles
1992 Honda Accord: 409,780 miles
2001 Honda CR-V: 403,757 miles
1991 Nissan Stanza: 402,505 miles
Right now’s Accord shoves one other Accord into twenty first place and signifies that a discarded automobile now wants no less than 400,000 miles to achieve Prime 20 standing.
This automotive is a good 18th general, but it surely ought to really feel delight because the fifth-best-traveled junkyard automotive I’ve discovered that was inbuilt the US. It’s surpassed within the Murilee Martin American Pleasure Junkyard Odometer Standings by a 435k-mile Civic, a 435k-mile Accord, a 440k-mile Sentra and a 583k-mile Camry (the highest-mile American-built automobile offered by a producer based mostly in the US that I’ve documented was a 1986 Oldsmobile Calais with 363k miles, adopted by a 355k-mile Jeep Cherokee).
It was born at Honda’s manufacturing facility in Marysville, Ohio, which started motorbike manufacturing in 1979 and Accord manufacturing in 1982.
The DX was the most cost effective Accord trim degree for 1992, and the coupe was the most cost effective Accord physique fashion that yr. This automotive has the two.2-liter F22 SOHC straight-four engine, rated at 125 horsepower and 137 pound-feet.
With the bottom five-speed guide transmission, its MSRP was $13,300 (about $29,571 in 2023 {dollars}).
This automotive has air-con and a driver’s-side airbag, each extra-cost choices within the 1992 Accord, however is a no-frills machine in most different respects.
These automobiles had been extra weak than most to break from the Rust Monster, and this one reveals holes within the common spots.
The flooring and door pockets are stuffed with development {hardware} and the inside is coated with sheetrock mud, so I feel this Accord was used to haul crews to work websites for a decade or two. There is a half-million-mile Civic hatchback of the identical period {that a} Denver portray contractor nonetheless makes use of for that objective; maybe this Accord was owned by the identical outfit.
It served its house owners nicely over the many years, and its steel will dwell on in different purposes quickly sufficient.
Improved airflow, improved cashflow.
The ’90s Accord.