Car Doctor: Is the Honda Accord hybrid a wise choice?

Aug 22, 2023

A: The Honda Accord Hybrid is a genuinely nice sedan. Most people drive hybrid cars to save on fuel costs. According to published reports, the Accord Hybrid gets about 44 miles per gallon and has a base MSRP of $38,985.

A typical four-cylinder Accord returns about 32 combined city/highway mpg and has a base price of $30,705. This means you would use 113 gallons of gas per year with the hybrid and 156 gallons of gas with the standard Accord. You would save 43 gallons of gas per year, or $150.

If you are buying a hybrid to save fuel and the planet, it makes sense. If you are just trying to save money, it will take decades to offset the extra cost of the hybrid over the standard Accord.

Q: I was given a remote car starter for my birthday. I went to a Toyota dealer to have it installed. They told me that, unless it was a factory unit, installing it will void the warranty. It was a gift from my parents who live in Ohio, and I do not want to send it back or go there to have it installed. What should I do?

A: This is a common misconception about aftermarket accessories. Items such as remote car starters and alarms can be installed without voiding any warranty, providing they are installed correctly. In fact, as a consumer, you are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The act prohibits manufacturers from basing a warranty on using factory equipment/parts. The act goes on to state that, if this is a requirement, that part must be provided at no charge.

At this point, I would take the car and remote starter kit to a qualified repair shop or automotive electronics store and have it installed.

Q: I own a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The rear brakes are drum brakes. I have to periodically have rust blown out of the rear brakes, as they make a distinct noise when I slow down and stop.

Since the brake drums are very rusty, I was wondering if I could replace the rear brake drums without replacing the brake shoes, as the shoes are fairly new.

Also, the headlights on the car are not as bright as I would like. I have replaced the halogen bulbs with original equipment bulbs and cleaned the haze off of the headlight assembly with little improvement. I was wondering if there is an aftermarket bulb that you could recommend that would improve the efficiency of the headlights.

A: I prefer to match new drums with new brake shoes. Using new brake drums and old brake shoes — or old brake drums with new brake shoes — can cause brake squeal. One option is having the current brake drums lightly resurfaced to clean up any accumulating rust.

Regarding headlight bulbs, some people have added LED replacement bulbs as a brighter, whiter alternative. The issue is that these bulbs are not Department of Transportation compliant. You could add a brighter DOT-compliant bulb (Sylvania Silver Star Plus is one).

These brighter bulbs add light but are designed not to offend oncoming drivers. The one downside is a shorter lifespan. While a typical headlight bulb has a life of four to five years, performance bulbs might only last two years. For some drivers, the tradeoff is worth it.

Q: Can E3 brand spark plugs be used with an aftermarket electronic Multiple Spark Discharge (MSD) ignition system? Is power-steering oil cooler beneficial for an older/classic car?

A: Holley (parent company of MSD Ignitions) recommends using regular spark plugs with their MSD ignition rather than specialty hotter plugs. Based on what I have seen, this means stay away from platinum and multi-electrode spark plugs such as E3.

I would use traditional copper plugs and maybe gap them a little fat, and after running them for a while check the plug condition. Some people will run a slightly cooler plug to somewhat offset the hotter spark.

Regarding adding an aftermarket power steering oil cooler, unless you are auto crossing a car and really exercising the power steering system, I do not see the need.

John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email [email protected] and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.