“Once again, other manufacturers will be forced to return to their drawing boards.”
The Honda Accord was all new for 1986, with a brand new body and an upgraded base engine—the standard powertrain was the A20A 98 bhp 2.0 liter/120 ci inline four with a two-barrel carburetor paired to a five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed automatic was optional). Acceleration was acceptable: 0-60 came in a little under 11 seconds in the approximately 2,400-pound car. On the other hand, fuel economy was good: 27 city/33 highway by the standards of the day (about 23 city/30 highway by 2018 standards). With a 15.9-gallon fuel tank, Accord drivers could expect a range of from 380 to 430 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
By modern standards, the 1986 Accord was not a large car: with a 102.4-inch wheelbase and a 178.5-inch length, it was four inches shorter in both wheelbase and length than a 2018 Honda Civic and was classified by the EPA as a subcompact car (the modern Accord is classified as a large car). What’s even more striking is the height or lack thereof: at 53.3 inches, the Accord was only three inches taller than the same year’s Camaro. The 1986 Accord had a six-inch longer wheelbase, three inches more of length, and was almost an inch shorter than the 1985 version.
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the base Accord DX sedan included front wheel drive, double wishbone front and rear suspension, power brakes, variable-assist power steering, pop-up halogen headlights, hidden wipers, and P185/70R13 tires (a size still available) on 13-inch wheels with full wheel covers. Inside reclining front bucket seats, an adjustable steering column, and cruise control were included. The DX went for $9,299—about $21,600 in 2018 dollars.
Moving up to the LX added air conditioning, power door locks, power windows, and an AM/FM stereo with cassette player and power antenna. The top of the line LXi went for $12,675 (about $29,400 in today’s dollars or about what a 2018 Accord EX-L sedan goes for) and added the 110 bhp fuel injected engine, cast aluminum alloy wheels, and a power moonroof.
The 1986 Honda Accord was well received. It was present on Car and Driver‘s 10 Best list and got good reviews. Honda sold 325,000 in the United States, making it the fifth best selling car model that year.
Third-generation Accords were once prevalent on American roads, but have virtually disappeared by now. You do occasionally see these Accords for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors, but there were no sedans out there as I write this in July 2018.
Eighties Cars 
I owned a 1989 Accord DX Coupe, It had the 2.0 litre carb’d 4-banger.
Great engine, but not as efficient as one would think. I drove it to FL in Nov 1990 and averaged about 31 MPG. The biggest problem was a lack of cruise control.
I replaced the car in Jan 1991 with a then new 1991 Accord LX Coupe, with the new 2.3 litre MPFI 4-banger. Power jumped from 98 to 125 and with MPFI, more efficient. When driving to FL in March of 92, The 91 Accord averaged 33 MPG. Impressive.
Thank you for the comment, Andy.