IT’S been a fairly quiet time for the Accord over the past month as various short term test cars have been given priority, but even though most of its miles have been confined to gentle trips from office to home and back, it’s developed a rather annoying rattle.

It seems to be coming from the instrument panel somewhere in front of the steering wheel, and it’s started to get on my nerves as it is loud enough that music can’t drown it out.

I think that part of the reason that it irritates so much is that you don’t expect that sort of thing with a Honda, so when it happens, its impact is exaggerated. I’ll get the dealer to look at it when the car goes in for a service in 500-1,000 miles’ time, as I will with the sticky fuel cap.

I’ve learnt that if you pump the fuel cap lever a dozen or so times quickly, eventually the flap pops open, so I’m managing until the service, which if I drive carefully is probably only one more fill-up anyway.

Other than these little niggles, the Accord is running well, and still achieving very high fuel economy. I’m constantly amazed how refined the engine is, especially once it has warmed up.

The Accord still feels a class above many of the other models in the upper-medium sector – and it would appear that the residual value forecasters at CAP agree. Residual values are on the march upwards by a point or two, a rare trend nowadays in that sector.

Fact File
Model: Honda Accord 2.2 i-CDTi Sport
Price (OTR): £19,500
Mileage: 11,988
CO2 emissions (g/km): 143
Company car tax bill (2004/5) 22% tax-payer: £53 per month
Insurance group: 12
Combined mpg: 52.3
Test mpg: 48.1
CAP Monitor residual value: £7,025/36%
HSBC contract hire rate: £390 per month
Expenditure to date: Nil

Figures based on three years/60,000 miles