Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I’ve been reviewing the Accord as long as I’ve been covering the automotive industry, the first one almost exactly 15 years ago in December of 1999. It was a 2000 model, and after singing its praises I followed that up with yet more positive remarks about a 2002, 2003, 2008 (I was editor for numerous 2004 through 2007 models in between), 2010 (after editing yet more again), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and now this 2016 model, and these are just the four-door Accord sedans, not the many two-door Accord Coupes and Accord Crosstours I’ve covered
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
First off, just look at those headlights. They’re really stunning, my top-line Touring tester boasting the most intricately detailed, incredibly complex full LED headlamps to have ever graced the front of a Honda product. They’re automotive jewelry at a level normally only found on a premium branded car like Acura’s TLX, although these are different than the now trademark lenses offered by Honda’s luxury line. Last year’s Accord Touring LED headlamps were closer to those on the Acura, but these brilliantly dazzling new ones leave the oldies in the past where they
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
It all comes as part of an extensive mid-cycle update for 2016, the Touring model I tested last year attractive but nowhere near as intriguing. All Honda did was rework the front clip, adding styling cues from its new tech-inspired design language awkwardly dubbed "Exciting H Design!!!" (no really, I couldn’t make stuff
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Honda doesn’t hold back with the chrome on the Touring model either, with two narrow pieces visually supporting the grille’s “solid wing”, a thin strip straddling the centre engine vent down below, more adorning the bezels surrounding the fog lamps, yet more wrapping all the way around the greenhouse, plus four chromed door handles, an especially thick piece of brightwork finishing off the trunk lid garnish, an additional long, narrow strand of the shiny stuff across the lower portion of the rear bumper, that final bit resting above an elaborate diffuser-style lower valance incorporating twin rear fogs, a black mesh insert and a body-colour portion in between, not to mention a large chromed exhaust finisher for this four-cylinder
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
It’s all complemented by a very upscale looking interior, which like the exterior design is also more sophisticated than a number of its peers. My tester was finished in a two-tone black and grey look, with a dark graphite dash top and door uppers, the latter diagonally slashed halfway through with grey padded soft-touch leatherette. It’s a great look, combining well with the tasteful use of faux woodgrain. The wood is obviously fake, but they’ve finished it in a glossy grey so that
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
I’m also impressed with the updated Accord’s analog electronics, specifically the primary gauges that are absolutely stunning. The speedometer seems to hover overtop the rest of the dials, in a layered relief look, and when you’re driving efficiently its circumference brightens with an apropos green glow. In Sport mode it glows red, nothing particularly innovative or creative about this, but still pleasing to the eye. Within that speedometer is a large high-resolution colour TFT trip computer filled with loads of useful functions, but it’s nowhere near is complete as the two much larger displays atop dash central and the centre stack.
The
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The seven-inch lower touchscreen is surrounded in beautiful brushed aluminum-look trim and contains the majority of infotainment features such as navigation
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
The impressive part of all this tech is that most of it is standard with the base Accord LX, the upgrades including a better 360-watt
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Additional features that are exclusive to $31,090 Touring trim include those LED headlamps and LED front turn signals mentioned in the beginning, plus auto high beam headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, a HomeLink universal garage door opener, front and rear parking sensors, and amplitude reactive dampers, while the 19-inch alloys, extended rocker garnishes, and rear deck lid spoiler are shared with the Sport model.
Of
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
My Touring tester also included the Honda Sensing package as standard equipment, which adds Lane Departure Warning (LDW) with Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), plus a favourite road trip accessory, adaptive cruise control, upon inclusion gives the Accord an IIHS Top Safety Pick + rating, whereas all Accord Sedans achieve a 5-Star crash test rating from the NHTSA. This impressive load of active safety and convenience features is only available with the optional continuously variable transmission (CVT), however, but this seemingly negative fact might just be unusually good news to those
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Yes, unlike the Touring trimmed variant I tested last year, this one features Honda’s 16-valve, DOHC, direct-injection 2.4-litre four, capable of 185 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque at 3,900 rpm, a peppy powerplant that’s not going to win many stoplight wars but is feisty enough for an enjoyable off-the-line sprint and plenty of high-speed action on the freeway. My tester wasn’t equipped with the six-speed manual, but rather came with the CVT that will no doubt take care of most peoples’ singular shifting duties 99.9 percent of
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
Of course the CVT does more to benefit fuel economy, the latest Accord achieving a five-cycle EnerGuide rating of 8.6 L/100km city, 6.4 highway and 7.6 combined so-equipped with its Eco Assist system engaged (the big green button on the dash), or 10.3 city, 7.2 highway and 8.9 combined with the manual, both very good sets of numbers for the mid-size class.
The four-pot Accord is not only powerful enough for enjoyable highway cruising, but its fully independent MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension setup provided a thoroughly comfortable ride that remained very planted in its lane,
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press |
So like I said at the beginning of this review, do your best to mentally block out the advice of know-it-all blowhards, unless one of those blowhards is an auto journalist, the majority of which agree with my assessment of the Honda Accord. It’s not only a much more compelling car than any previous example from a visual standpoint, coming close to premium-level detailing while surpassing many with lofty brand names, but it’s also one of the most technologically advanced cars currently available, that happens to drive very well. Of course you can upgrade my tester’s four-cylinder with a 278 horsepower 3.5-litre V6 to get yet more performance, but I’ve got a feeling most Accord buyers will be more than happy with the fuel-efficient four. I certainly was, and likewise for the entire car. You can do a lot worse than a Honda Accord, but you can’t get much better.
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)