Honda Accord car review
Price: £26,680
Insurance group: 14
Tested: August 2006
Road Tester: Alex Eckford
Auto Trader Ten Point Test Rating: 79%
The Honda Accord has a long history of being a dependable, roomy saloon car, and the current model, launched in 2003, adds a big dose of style to the mix.
But with quality rivals such as the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo still selling well, can the Accord still cut it?
We spent a week with one to find out. Read on for our full review, or click the links below to skip to a section.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling |Performance
Running Costs | Reliability |Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals
1. Looks
The Accord is a great looking car. The V-shaped grille and 17 inch alloys add an air of class, and the overall design a fine balance of not being too showy or understated. The rear especially the light clusters lifts the Accord above the sober styling of its predecessors, and the fancy 17 inch multispoke alloys fitted to our top-of-the-range test car hoist the looks yet higher.
8/10
2. Looks inside
The leather interior on our EX test car suits the Accord particularly well, and the fittings and dash feel solid, although the plastics used look a little shiny and low-rent. There's plenty of storage space, and the dashboard instruments are well presented, although the buttons on the central unit could be a little more intuitive to use. The steering wheel adjusts, meaning finding a good driving position is easy. Out test car features faux-aluminium trimmings, which look far better than the plastically wood trim featured in other models in the range.
7/10
3. Practicality
There's plenty of room for four passengers, but five passengers making a long journey would probably find it an uncomfortable experience. At 459 litres, the Accord's boot is big, but is hampered by a small access area drivers looking to lug large loads would be better served by the 'Tourer' estate models. There are plenty of storage areas around the cabin though.
7/10
4. Ride and Handling
For a big-ish car, the Accord feels lithe on twisty roads, and stable at higher motorway speeds. Body roll is minimal and on our week loan, the Accord proved to be nothing other than very accomplished. Only hard cornering on broken-up roads caused discomfort in the cabin.
9/10
5. Performance
Our test car features a 2.4-litre petrol engine, producing 187bhp. The powerplant has Honda's excellent VTEC system, which changes the engine's characteristics from quiet and docile at low engine speeds, into a snarling monster at the top of the rev range. As such the engine loves to rev, making the Accord a fun car to drive hard. Our Accord despatches the 0-62mph dash in 7.7 seconds and on to a 141mph top speed.
7/10
6. Running Costs
The 2.4-litre engine is the thirstiest in the Accord range, and covers an average of 30mpg in a mixture of traffic and steady motorway cruises. Insurance is about average at group 14, although its likely to cost a fair bit for high-risk drivers. The biggest hit for drivers of this particular model is the tax bill emitting 218g/km of CO2, it falls into the second most expensive tax band, F. The list price, which starts at almost £17,000, rising to £26,500 is a little ambitious, especially when buyers start adding the options.
7/10
7. Reliability
Hondas are about as reliable as you can get. The Accord feels well built, and the chances are, apart from servicing and replacing consumables such as brakes and tyres, you'll never need to see the inside of a garage.
9/10
8. Safety
The tested model came fitted with a very interesting extra - the Honda Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). The system is actually two in one the Land Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Active Cruise Control (ACC). In a nutshell, LKAS uses a camera mounted near the rear-view mirror to monitor road-markings, and adjusts the steering if the car drifts out of line. ACC uses a radar to judge if the car in front is too close for the speed you're travelling at, and applies the brakes accordingly. The user guide clearly states - "The system IS NOT designed to drive the car for you - the driver needs to be in full control of the vehicle at all times." I'm pleased to report both systems work well. The Accord has six airbags and a four star EuroNCAP rating.
9/10
9. Equipment
The sat nav is a £1,400 extra, but performs extremely well, with a European map stored on DVD. The tested model comes with an easy-to use 6 CD changer, and a Bluetooth hands-free mobile integration system, an automatically-dimming rear view mirror, automatic headlights and a pair of sporty-looking exhaust pipes.
8/10
10. X-Factor
The Accord has good looks, both inside and out, and plenty of features but it's the inclusion of extras like ADAS which take this car the extra mile. The only downside is the relatively high price.
8/10
Rivals
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