Buying advice on Accord Type R

I'm looking at replacing my poor old Civic at last (13 years old now, Jap
import ... much better than the UK spec ones, but getting a little too long
in the tooth despite its excellent condition)!

Certain financial pressures (wife is expecting in June!) have forced me to
lower my original budget to about £5000 now. Looking through Parker's
guide, I see an S reg (1998) Accord Type R 2.2 is about that price for
private sale. As I want a four door saloon with a bit of umph that is also
safe and reliable, this seems a good option.

Anything to look out for on the Accord Type R's around that age? Has there
been a body shape change since then? How much does mileage affect them? Do
they like being driven aggressively (I come close enough to red-lining my
Civic every day ... more because it needs it to shift quickly ... and it's
had virtually no problems in 7 years of owning it)?





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