CAR GAZING
Accord no longer mid-size
Honda makes bread-and-butter sedan bigger, more efficient
By Derek Price
When engineers were designing the all-new Honda Accord, they added some impressive technology.
A new V6 engine can run in 6-, 4- and 3-cylinder modes so it doesn't waste gas when it's loafing. Its body structure is designed to provide protection in crashes with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. It offers a navigation system that's linked to satellites, and it has gauges covered in a special filter so they're easier to read when you wear polarized sunglasses.
But no matter how much you compare the engineering differences between the old Accord and the new one, the biggest change boils down to one simple thing: its size.
The Accord, Honda's bread-and-butter family sedan that's been a top seller for 25 years, has grown into a huge car. Even the government says so. While America had classified the Accord as a "mid-size" car for years, it's now considered a "large" car by the Environmental Protection Agency because of how much it's grown.
The result is a car that's roomier and more luxurious than ever before, yet it still keeps its lovable, fun-to-drive personality.
This car has always leaned toward the sporty side with a firm, slightly bumpy suspension compared with the boring but smooth Toyota Camry. Thankfully that's still the case with the new model. It responds well to driver input, though not quite as precisely as the outgoing Accord, and it accelerates like a champ with the V6 engine.
The 3.5-liter V6 makes a meaty 268 horsepower, yet it still gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway thanks to technology that deactivates some of the cylinders when they're not needed.
That concept isn't new. Cadillac long ago touted its V8-6-4 engine that did the same thing, but its subsequent problems gave the technology such a bad reputation that carmakers dropped the idea. Honda thinks the idea won't pose a problem now, though, and expects the latest Accord to continue its rock-solid reputation for reliability and longevity while getting better gas mileage at the same time.
This Accord also addresses a frequent criticism of the old one – its bland, slab-sided styling. The new model is much more bold and expressive, with sweeping lines, sleek curves and an aggressive front end that looks surprisingly BMW-like. Whether the new look will translate into more sales is yet to be seen but, personally, I love it.
Honda has a lot of reasons to be proud of this car, and the pricing shows that. The cheapest Accord – a 4-cylinder LX with a manual transmission – starts over $20,000, and the most expensive tops out at $30,510, plus the cost of any options. That's a lot of money for a family car, especially when the Koreans are building great cars with strong warranties and more features for less money.
But the Accord is among the best there is. When you consider its quality, features, performance, reputation, efficiency and spaciousness, it's hard to find a reason to dislike it.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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