doopstr

almost +10k extra over base I4 to get a V6 model?
That's pretty dumb to pay a premium over sticker on a car that will be going for invoice or less in 6 months.
Nice looking upgrade over the last model. Not sure what I think about having two LCD screens on the dash.
I don't like the knob that is used to navigate the gui. I'm glad Camry skipped that.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

It would be nice for people if Honda offers EX V6 rather than going all the way to EX-L V6 just to get the V6 model.

Edward'TLS

Not this initial model year, but in later model years, it is likely that Honda may add some "Special Edition" (SE) trims that include the cloth-interior/V6 choice.

pimpin-tl

Or TL.

pimpin-tl

Nice. Using VW ideas now. My 2011 GTI had this.

F23A4

I think this is the first AV6 generation without a "base" V6 model. I'm guessing that -- and I'm going based on observation over the years -- most AV6s sold are EX-L level. Dating back to the 98 Accord, I've come across very few LX/SE V6s in my travels. Again, I'm just basing this on observation. But, if that's in fact true then, there's probably little reason for Honda to create a base V6.

Edward'TLS

But then being the Accord's major competitors, both the Camry and the Altima are available with the cloth+V6 trims.

The 2012 Camry has one such cloth+V6 trim - the SE, whereas the 2013 Altima has two - the 3.5S and the 3.5SV.

Just hope that Honda is not missing out in this particular configuration segment.

F23A4

When I was shopping for my 12 Accord I came extremely close to picking up a base EX V6 (8G successor to prior gen LX/SE V6s) opting instead for the 4 cylinder only to offset my MDX's low mpg. With our 12 MDX being the flagship of my garage a cloth AV6 would be totally suitable for me as a daily driver.

Ken1997TL

You're correct. My father bought an LX V6 Accord, I think it was a '99 model. It was basically a special order and took months for the build.

F23A4

fairly uncommon sight....and the only visual cues separating the LX and EX are wheels and sunroof (and exhaust tips in later 6G models).

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

saw a new Accord in town today. it was white with the sport package. looked great

F23A4

...saw my first on the road sighting as well today in Woodbridge NJ. I'm not sure of the trim but it was a V6. .....these things are going to be all over the roads before long.

Edward'TLS

Back in 2005, two of my family members bought the 2006 MMC Accord SE sedans. One of them was the cloth+V6 Accord SE V6.

Even if the demand is low, Honda shouldn't abandon this configuration altogether. Simply build them in batches, just like the low-demand 4G TL 6MT sedans.

In today's fierce race to beat the Camry to the "best selling mid-size family sedan in North America" crown, even a few thousand of sales count.

doopstr

I guess Honda has done their research and found their customer demographic wants more MPG rather than power. I guess they are willing to give up the few that want power in that price range to Toyota and Hyundai.

The modern four banger is really quite good. Now that the 4 banger in my 12 Camry SE has broken in I'm very impressed with it. It's more than adequate for my needs. The 0-60 won't win any races but the 6 speed tranny allows it to not feel under powered in most driving situations. I assume the CVT will do similar for Accord.

F23A4

I wish I could say the same for my Accord. @ 14k, it's surprisingly sluggish....to the point where I'm likely to take it in to the dealer for a diagnostic.

dom

Just came back from the dealer. It was closed so I didn't get to test drive or even sit in one but I was very impressed. Styling is great, interior looks fantastic IMO, even the materials looked top notch.

May consider one in May. I wish the sport was available with push button start. Looks like it will either be a Touring I4 or a EX-L V6 as they're only separated by 1k. I think I'd rather have the V6 over Navi, LED headlights and the 18's. I'm kind of hoping the I4 with CVT will be enough.

Edward'TLS

Unless the new CVT works wonder, otherwise, in terms of instant throttle response and the amount of low-end torque, an I4 is no match over a V6, especially on a big family sedan with auto tranny.

TSX69

2012-2013 MidSize Sedan Comparison:
Battle of the Best-Sellers

Ferrari may get all the fan mail and sell countless bedroom wall posters, but in the 66 years since its founding, the Italian automaker has sold just 130,000 cars. Total. Worldwide. Ever. Toyota, in comparison, sells roughly that many Camrys in the U.S. every 5 months. Honda's Accord and Nissan's Altima are close behind. Make no mistake: The humble sedans you see here may have to endure morning gridlock, Labrador fur, and the occasional wayward French fry, but they're the power players of America's auto landscape. Indeed, data sifter Experian Automotive says this mid-range class accounted for a whopping 27.4 percent of the U.S. auto market in the first half of 2012. (Crossovers were a distant second, at just over 19 percent.) While the spotlight-hungry 458 Italia is out there screaming and preening and generally looking as restless as Honey Boo Boo in a library, these 4-doors are stoically squaring away the driving chores and eking maximum miles from every precious gallon of gas. Average Joes? Nah. They're heroes. 2012 2013 Midsize Sedan Rear End But which of these best-sellers is numero uno? The latest editions of the Toyota Camry and the Volkswagen Passat -- our 2012 Car of the Year winner -- should look familiar, as they've been on sale about a year now. The remaining members of our sedan 6-pack, though, are transformed for 2013. They include the new, smaller Chevy Malibu; the dramatically restyled Ford Fusion; the bold Nissan Altima; and the all-new and bigger Honda Accord. To sample life at the class' entry level, we ordered base powerplants in each of our testers: 4 2.5-liter engines, 1 2.4, and a 1.6-liter turbo. Plus 3 6-speed automatics, 1 6-speed manual, and 2 CVTs. Hardly the stuff of performance dreams, true, but as enthusiasts we unabashedly favor the car -- even an economy model -- that delivers the most gifts to the driver's seat. With that in mind, here's how they finished.

6TH PLACE: Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
Tight with room -- not with fuel

Talk about a comedown. What had previously been a sedan we'd regularly praised -- and GM's best-selling car -- finished dead last. How could the likable Malibu have fallen so far? Mostly this: a retrograde interior, a nearly useless rear seat, and the thirstiest powertrain in our group.

"The back seat is too small for passengers with legs," logs associate online editor Christian Seabaugh. Says associate online editor Nate Martinez, "At 5 foot 9, I had about an inch of clearance for my knees if I sat up like a crash dummy." Such is the penalty served by Chevy slicing 4.5 inches out of the new Malibu's wheelbase. (The roomy sedan in the lineup will be the 2014 Impala.) Also drawing jabs was the general look of the interior, a curious, quasi-steampunk mix of football pigskin leather, cheesy faux wood, and glitzy chrome accents. "Getting into the driver's seat felt like stepping into a 19th century study," notes associate online editor Benson Kong. Associate editor Mike Febbo adds, "Already looks dated -- and this is a brand-new car." The LTZ's standard leather seats also took a beating for being "rock hard" and "flat"--with "no support at all." Most of our team praised the MyLink touch screen, however, noting its ease of use and general cool factor.

Gone is the previous 6-cylinder option -- the Malibu is now a 4-cylinder only. The Ecotec 2.5-liter delivers a healthy 197 hp and mates only with a 6-speed automatic. It's not a stellar mill. "Good power, but gets thrashy at high rpm" (associate editor Scott Evans); "Sounds like a box of bees" (Seabaugh). The transmission tends to shift up at the earliest opportunity (i.e., 5th gear at 30 mph) to maximize economy, but in the real world such behavior actually works against maximum mpg. Notes Seabaugh, "You have to be heavy on the throttle to get anywhere." Indeed, given the Malibu's lazy-horse character, all of us found ourselves constantly spurring the right pedal. The result: Though the Malibu boasts respectable EPA numbers of 22/34 city/highway mpg, during our back-to-back comparo driving we averaged just 21.3 mpg -- worst of the group by far. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ Side

The chassis rides well, but after that the praise ends. Steering feel is simply lousy -- 0 feedback, and you'll find yourself working the wheel even on arrow-straight highways. The soft suspension, writes Evans, means "seesaw action over bumps." Febbo is less charitable: "No confidence in the chassis." The new Malibu offers nothing to the enthusiastic driver.

It's a shame, because this remains a clean-looking, competitively priced machine (base price for the well-outfitted LTZ is $28,590). But its limited room and poor real-world efficiency doom it in this capable field. Seabaugh sums it up bluntly: "Unusable at its most basic function -- family sedan."

5TH PLACE: Toyota Camry XLE
Best-seller, but far from the best

Will Toyota care that its latest Camry finished 5th? Not likely. Over 3 decades Toyota's midsize sedan has won a huge, faithful, and mostly well-deserved following. The Camry has become the easy, go-to choice for buyers in search of a roomy, efficient, comfortable, reliable 4-door that does it all. It's not surprising that the latest, 9th-generation U.S. version is, as we go to press, America's best-selling automobile.

The competition has crept up, though. And the Camry itself is -- dare we say it? -- showing signs of weakness. True, the basics are still there: a genuinely huge and inviting rear seat, impressive real-world fuel efficiency (we observed 26.1 mpg), a full complement of conveniences, and aggressive pricing ($25,570 base for the topline XLE). So why aren't we in love?

Ask Febbo: "This car is just so cynical. Horribly executed, and not a drop of passion anywhere. Interior looks like it was designed by the accounting department. Monochrome display for the HVAC system could have been developed in the '70s. The knobs are cheap, the buttons are cheap, everything is built to the lowest price."

Febbo isn't alone. Writes Seabaugh: "Did Toyota even try? Seems like they just phoned it in. Cabin has way too many hard plastics, a shoddy infotainment system, a dash so shiny it reflects into the windshield in direct sunlight. This is the McDonald's of cars: billions and billions served. But that doesn't mean it's good." The Camry rides softly but not particularly well. "Every single bump in the road sends vibrations through the whole car," writes Evans. "There's no payoff in handling, either. Body rolls all over; steering is slow and lifeless." The Camry also emitted a strange -- but very distinct -- structural thud over seemingly minor road imperfections, a very un-Toyota-like behavior.

The 2.5-liter 4 and 6-speed automatic deliver generally smooth power, though everyone noted the engine's propensity to whine. And the shifter is merely adequate. "You can tell lessening shift shock was a priority for the transmission," writes Kong. "It's quite deliberate in action" (i.e., it's slow).

Back to that underwhelming interior. Yes, the abundant room is there, but so are squeaks, rattles, and noises we've never before heard in Camrys. Our test car's dome light was falling out. And what's with the humongous circular toggles on either side of the giant steering wheel? "I feel like I should be firing missiles," writes Evans. Febbo was clearly the most irked by the Camry, so let's give him the final say: "I'm confident this is the worst car I've driven in months. The Malibu might come up shorter in some respects, but at least Chevy put forth an effort. The Camry is offensive partly because it's so far under Toyota's potential."

4TH PLACE: Nissan Altima 2.5 SV
Short on room, not on character

The jump from 5th to 4th is huge. Now we're talking about sedans with way more plusses than minuses -- each of our top 4 finishers is a worthy entry. There's still a pecking order, though, and the new Altima lies 4th in the top 4.

The good stuff first: There's genuine driving entertainment to be had here. The Altima has a capable, confidence-inspiring suspension, sweetly balanced steering, and good power (it tied with the Accord for best acceleration) from its 2.5-liter 4.t "I'm immediately struck by how buttoned-down the Alima is," writes Martinez. "Solid, great ride, smooth." Agrees Kong: "Nissan clearly did a lot of work on the driving dynamics: new electrically controlled hydraulic steering, ZF Sachs shocks, passive rear steer, Active Understeer Control." After the Camry, jumping into the Altima is downright shocking -- like meeting George Clooney after Bobcat Goldthwait.

The Nissan boasts a sublime instrument panel, with clear, smartly placed controls and gauges and a readily accessible, easy-to-read touch screen. This is the group's best combination of user friendliness and gadget delight. Too bad the seats in our tester were trimmed in a horrifying vanilla velour seemingly plucked straight from a 1970s Blaxploitation flick. "There's a reason velour died out," writes Seabaugh. "Why oh why, Nissan, did you bring it back?"

A tick in the virtues column: Despite its relative quickness, the Altima returned the best observed fuel efficiency in our test, 26.3 mpg. It also boasts the group's best EPA stats, 27/38 city/highway mpg. Credit, in part, goes to the Altima's standard continuously variable transmission.

That same CVT, though, also helped ensure the Nissan's 4th-place finish. "A deal-breaker," writes Evans. "The essence of rubber-band response: Apply throttle, wait for engine to spin up, surge forward. Drive an Accord to see how it's done properly." Kong concurs: "Excellent in theory, but makes accelerator pedal application a bit of a guessing game. And the CVT's whine is inexcusable. Lots of grinding and gnashing noises coming from the front tunnel area."

Sealing the Altima's finish was a lack of interior space. Though rear-seat legroom is up from the old model, it's noticeably tighter than in our top finishers. And rear headroom is marginal at best (the Altima is the only car here whose roof grazes a 6-footer's head). Unlike the Malibu, the Altima will accommodate actual adults in back, but it won't treat them as well as our top 3.

In all, the Altima is a likable ride. Yes, the CVT is noisy; yes, the rear seat is tight; yes, the upholstery would look more at home inside an orange-leather trench coat, but this Nissan also offers character: a frisky personality, a beautiful dash, rewarding driving dynamics, and top dog status at the pumps. The effort that went into this 1 shows.

3RD PLACE: Ford Fusion SE
The Aston of family sedans

If looks alone determined the finishing order, we'd probably have our winner right here. Admittedly, the new Fusion isn't as sleek in the metal as some of its photos might suggest, but this is still a great-looking sedan, an Aston Martin amid a sea of cereal boxes.

Happy to say, the Fusion is not just another pretty fascia. It's a genuinely spirited car, with real flavor and competence in its moves. "You can tell right away it was engineered by a German team," says Evans. "Reminds me of the Passat, but even more German. The ride is firm; you feel all the bumps; but it pays back in handling. This thing is built like a tank and feels it in turns, but the body is very well controlled." Febbo agrees. "Suspension tuning is really good." In fact, post-driving, all of us agreed the Fusion's steering is the best of the 6--better even than our winner's. "Sportiest car in the group," summed-up Martinez.

Under the hood lies the group's only blown engine, a 1.6-liter turbo making 178 hp and paired with the group's only manual, a 6-speed. Febbo dubbed the combo "really good. Doesn't have tons of low end, but even at low rpm there isn't much turbo lag. Feels like a cammy 2.0-liter; really satisfying to zing around with the manual." Indeed, the Fusion's turbo 4 seemed (and sounded) happiest at high rpm. At low revs it tends to sound a bit gristly.

The interior is a mixed bag. The seats, for instance, are fabulous: aggressively bolstered and covered with a cool, neoprene-like fabric that grips like a wetsuit. So too are the steering wheel, the shift knob, and the center armrest -- all covered in high-quality, soft-touch materials. The center stack, though, is a disaster: a mess of tiny, faintly labeled buttons seemingly executed as an afterthought ("What about the models that don't have the MyFord Touch screen, boss?" "Uh, I dunno, Harris. Just throw a bunch of soft-touch tabs together and paint 'em Indistinguishable Ninja Black. The kids will love it.") Well, the kids don't.

The Fusion is a mixed bag in other areas, too. It's probably the quietest car in the group, with minimal wind and road noise intruding on the cabin. But its rear seat is only fair, with that rakish roofline eating into rear-seat headroom. A spirited performer, true, but also delivering only decent observed fuel economy (24.9 mpg).

You can't help thinking what the Fusion would be like with 1 of its more potent engine options and bigger wheels and tires. But even as is, the Fusion produced plenty of grins among us. For family-sedan buyers in search of some driving spice, the Fusion warrants a serious look.

2ND PLACE: Honda Accord
The ultimate pure family sedan

If you're searching purely for family-sedan virtues -- room, comfort, efficiency -- stop reading right now. The new Honda Accord is your car. So why only a 2nd-place finish? You'll understand once you read our winner's review. For now, let's turn to what makes the Accord so special.

For 1 thing, this is a conspicuously spacious sedan, with a truly palatial back seat and unparalleled airiness all around. "Very roomy," writes Martinez. "Most of the materials have an Acura-quality feel; well above the cheap plastics in the Chevy and the Ford." The seats are splendid, with a richness and plushness rare for this class. Climb aboard, and right away you know you're riding in something special.

The powertrain continues that sensation. The 2.4-liter 4 and CVT deliver tied-for-best acceleration, fine observed fuel efficiency (we recorded 25.8 mpg), and smooth, refined manners. "Nice linear powerband without any dead spots," writes Febbo. "Best CVT on the market," adds Evans. "You can only tell it's a CVT when it hangs at an rpm for a few seconds. Feels like a regular automatic and makes the Accord feel quick."

Ride quality is top-notch, though communication with the road is minimal. Still, such a relaxed demeanor is probably what many buyers want. Though not the quietest car in our test, this is easily the quietest Accord ever -- a huge step forward for Honda.

The new dual touch screen's center stack borders on overly complex ("Just give me my buttons back," writes Evans). And some of the pieces look chintzy. Febbo: "The smaller touch screen and shifter have a rainbow-glitter black that looks like it was stolen from a bass boat." Those few bits look out of place in an otherwise premium cabin.

The Accord also offers an optional right-side blind-spot detection system that, when you click the right-turn signal, beams a blind-spot view from a right-mirror camera to the center display. It drew mixed reviews. Evans: "I don't like losing my nav screen when it comes on at a stop sign and I don't need it." Seabaugh: "I found the monitor distracting at 1st, but I grew to love it. The view is crisp and clear, a welcome feature."

Overall, everything most family-sedan shoppers will want is right here: a beautiful and cavernous cabin, a generous trunk, excellent fuel efficiency, an abundance of creature comforts, a quiet and plush ride, and a superb, highly refined powertrain. "So why would you rank this masterpiece 2nd?" you ask. Febbo sums up the Accord's 1 shortcoming well: "You will never have any fun in it." As we noted in our introduction, to us the driving experience matters. And that's just what our number-1 best-seller delivers.


1ST PLACE: Volkswagen Passat SE
All the essentials, and much more
More than 12 months after being chosen as our 2012 Car of the Year, the Passat continues to impress. No whiz-bang here. This a classically styled, sagely engineered 4-door that focuses on bona-fide family sedan requirements while delivering a notably superior driving experience.

You want room? The VeeDub delivers, with a leviathan back seat, a massive trunk, and plenty of breadth for shoulders. "4 dudes on a road trip?" Martinez asks. "No problem. The Passat can handle them and all their stuff." Writes Febbo: "Very few cars of any size have this much space. Really does feel like an affordable Phaeton."

The interior design is clean and purposeful, almost to the point of being austere. "Functional to a fault," according to Evans. The rest of us disagree. Febbo again: "Textbook German functionality. You wouldn't call this cutting-edge, but the interior decor will still look good in 10 years, while several of these other cars will look dated." We love the fat 3-spoke steering wheel. The big gauges. The super-intuitive central display screen. The outstanding seats. The hard stuff this VW gets so right.

The powertrain -- a 2.5-liter inline 5 mated to a 6-speed auto -- delivers the group's slowest acceleration and good but not outstanding observed fuel economy (25.5 mpg). But, as usual, the numbers simply don't tell the whole story. Seabaugh: "Engine revs smoothly and the transmission is geared well." Martinez: "Throw the transmission into Sport and you're plenty pleased with the quicker shifts and touchier throttle." The Passat may not be fast, but it feels happy doing its work, and that's a much more important ingredient in the driving experience.

Handling is actually rewarding -- far better than what you might expect from a car in this class. Martinez: "Steering feel is heavier than the rest, but that's to be appreciated. As is the slightly stiffer ride. Both add to the 'tossability' and athleticism of this sedan. Doesn't feel as big as it is -- that always amazes me. An enthusiast with a family will love this car." Adds Kong: "A joy to drive in the city, on the highway, on winding roads. Damping is ideal for just about any situation."

The Passat also exudes refinement. "Still can't believe how quiet it is compared with other cars," says Febbo. "VW has come a long way on NVH." As testament to the Passat's build quality, Volkswagen supplied us with an example showing 14,000 miles on its odo -- in test-car years, that's more like triple that many miles. Yet the Passat was solid and tight. Base sticker for the nicely trimmed Passat SE model is just $24,495. For that you get gobs of family-sedan goodness, tangible driving pleasure, and a number-1best-seller.

PHP Code:

      2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ     2013 Ford Fusion SE     2013 Honda Accord (EX-L)
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT     Front-engine, FWD     Front-engine, FWD     Front-engine, FWD
ENGINE TYPE     I-4, alum block/head     Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head     I-4, alum block/head
VALVETRAIN     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT     152.5 cu in/2499 cc     97.4 cu in/1596 cc     143.8 cu in/2356 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO     11.3:1     10.1:1     11.1:1
POWER (SAE NET)     197 hp @ 6300 rpm*     178 hp @ 5700 rpm**     185 hp @ 6400 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET)     191 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm*     184 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm     181 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm
REDLINE     7000 rpm     6300 rpm     6800 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER     18.0 lb/hp     18.5 lb/hp     18.2 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION     6-speed automatic     6-speed manual     Cont. variable auto
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO     2.64:1/1.98:1     4.07:1/2.81:1     3.24:1/2.04:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO     15.2:1     14.8:1     13.2:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK     2.7     2.7     2.5
BRAKES, F;R     11.7-in vented disc; 11.5-in disc, ABS     11.8-in vented disc; 11.9-in disc, ABS     11.5-in vented disc; 11.1-in disc, ABS
WHEELS     8.0 x 18-in, cast aluminum     8.0 x 18-in, cast aluminum     7.5 x 17-in, cast aluminum
TIRES     235/50R18 97H M+S Goodyear Eagle LS2     235/45R18 94V M+S Goodyear Eagle LS2     215/55R17 94V M+S Goodyear Assurance
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE     107.8 in     112.2 in     109.3 in
TRACK, F/R     62.2/62.0 in     62.7/62.4 in     62.4/62.3 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT     191.5 x 73.0 x 57.6 in     191.7 x 72.9 x 58.1 in     191.4 x 72.8 x 57.7 in
TURNING CIRCLE     37.4 ft     37.5 ft     38.1 ft
CURB WEIGHT     3549 lb     3312 lb     3358 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R     58/42%     58/42%     61/39%
SEATING CAPACITY     5     5     5
HEADROOM, F/R     39.0/37.5 in     39.2/37.8 in     37.6/37.0 in
LEGROOM, F/R     42.1/36.8 in     44.3/38.3 in     42.5/38.5 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R     57.5/57.1 in     57.8/56.9 in     58.6/56.5 in
CARGO VOLUME     16.3 cu ft     16.0 cu ft     15.5 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30     2.9 sec     2.7 sec     3.1 sec
0-40     4.4     4.4     4.4
0-50     6.3     6     5.9
0-60     8.4     8     7.7
0-70     11.3     10.5     9.9
0-80     14.6     13.2     12.5
0-90     18.5     17     15.7
0-100     23.9     21.3     19.6
PASSING, 45-65 MPH     4.4     4.1     3.6
QUARTER MILE     16.5 sec @ 85.3 mph     16.1 sec @ 88.1 mph     16.0 sec @ 90.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH     115 ft     120 ft     128 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION     0.83 g (avg)     0.85 g (avg)     0.77 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT     27.8 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)     27.4 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)     28.4 sec @ 0.54 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH     1700 rpm     2200 rpm     1700 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE     $28,590     $25,290     $22,470
PRICE AS TESTED     $32,360     $26,040     $30,785
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL     Yes/yes     Yes/yes     Yes/yes
AIRBAGS     Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee     Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee     Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY     3 yrs/36,000 mi     3 yrs/36,000 mi     3 yrs/36,000 mi
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY     5 yrs/100,000 mi     5 yrs/60,000 mi     5 yrs/60,000 mi
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE     5 yrs/100,000 mi     5 yrs/60,000 mi     —
FUEL CAPACITY     18.5 gal     16.5 gal     17.2 gal
EPA CITY/HWY ECON     22/34 mpg     25/37 mpg     27/36 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY     153/99 kW-hrs/100 mi     135/91 kW-hrs/100 mi     125/94 kW-hrs/100 mi
CO2 EMISSIONS     0.74 lb/mi     0.66 lb/mi     0.64 lb/mi
MT FUEL ECONOMY     21.3 mpg     24.9 mpg     25.8 mpg
RECOMMENDED FUEL     Unleaded regular     Unleaded premium     Unleaded regular
*SAE Certified; **173 hp on unleaded regular

      2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV     2012 Toyota Camry XLE     2012 Volkswagen Passat SE
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT     Front-engine, FWD     Front-engine, FWD     Front-engine, FWD
ENGINE TYPE     I-4, alum block/head     I-4, alum block/head     I-5, iron block/alum head
VALVETRAIN     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl     DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT     151.8 cu in/2488 cc     152.2 cu in/2494 cc     151.3 cu in/2480 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO     9.6:1     10.4:1     9.5:1
POWER (SAE NET)     182 hp @ 6000 rpm     178 hp @ 6000 rpm     170 hp @ 5700 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET)     180 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm     170 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm     177 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm
REDLINE     6200 rpm     6200 rpm     6000 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER     17.3 lb/hp     18.0 lb/hp     19.0 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION     Cont. variable auto     6-speed automatic     6-speed automatic
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO     4.83:1/TK     3.63:1/2.21:1     3.87:1/2.59:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar     Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO     16.4:1     14.8:1     16.4:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK     2.8     2.9     3
BRAKES, F;R     11.7-in vented disc; 11.5-in disc, ABS     11.7-in vented disc;11.1-in disc, ABS     12.3-in vented disc; 10.7-in disc, ABS
WHEELS     7.5 x 17-in, cast aluminum     7.0 x 17-in, cast aluminum     7.0 x 17-in, cast aluminum
TIRES     215/55R17 93V M+S Continental ContiProContact     P215/55R17 93V M+S Bridgestone Turanza EL400     215/55R17 94H M+S Continental ContiProContact
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE     109.3 in     109.3 in     110.4 in
TRACK, F/R     62.4/62.4 in     62.0/61.6 in     62.1/61.0 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT     191.5 x 72.0 x 57.9 in     189.2 x 71.7 x 57.9 in     191.6 x 72.2 x 58.5 in
TURNING CIRCLE     37.4 ft     36.7 ft     36.4 ft
CURB WEIGHT     3153 lb     3207 lb     3233 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R     60/40%     61/39%     60/40%
SEATING CAPACITY     5     5     5
HEADROOM, F/R     39.1/37.1 in     37.9/38.0 in     38.3/37.8 in
LEGROOM, F/R     45.0/36.1 in     41.6/38.9 in     42.4/39.1 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R     56.4/56.4 in     58.0/56.6 in     56.9/57.0 in
CARGO VOLUME     15.4 cu ft     15.4 cu ft     15.9 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30     2.9 sec     2.9 sec     2.9 sec
0-40     4.2     4.2     4.5
0-50     5.8     6.1     6.4
0-60     7.7     8.1     8.8
0-70     10.0     10.4     11.5
0-80     12.8     13.3     14.6
0-90     16.2     16.8     18.8
0-100     20.2     22.0     23.7
PASSING, 45-65 MPH     3.8     4.0     4.7
QUARTER MILE     15.9 sec @ 89.3 mph     16.1 sec @ 88.4 mph     16.6 sec @ 85.1 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH     127 ft     127 ft     124 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION     0.80 g (avg)     0.78 g (avg)     0.81 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT     28.0 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)     28.6 sec @ 0.54 g (avg)     28.1 sec @ 0.56 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH     1550 rpm     1900 rpm     1800 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE     $24,880     $25,570     $24,495
PRICE AS TESTED     $27,005     $29,690     $25,720
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL     Yes/yes     Yes/yes     Yes/yes
AIRBAGS     Dual front, front side, f/r curtain     Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee     Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY     3 yrs/36,000 mi     3 yrs/36,000 mi     3 yrs/36,000 mi
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY     5 yrs/60,000 mi     5 yrs/60,000 mi     5 yrs/60,000 mi
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE     3 yrs/36,000 mi     2 yrs/25,000 mi     3 yrs/36,000 mi
FUEL CAPACITY     18.0 gal     17.0 gal     18.5 gal
EPA CITY/HWY ECON     27/38 mpg     25/35 mpg     22/31 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY     125/89 kW-hrs/100 mi     135/96 kW-hrs/100 mi     153/109 kW-hrs/100 mi
CO2 EMISSIONS     0.62 lb/mi     0.68 lb/mi     0.77 lb/mi
MT FUEL ECONOMY     26.3 mpg     26.1 mpg     25.5 mpg
RECOMMENDED FUEL     Unleaded regular     Unleaded regular     Unleaded regular 


iforyou

iTrader: (1)

hmmm...IMO for $2.5k more than the EX-L V6, you get the following in the V6 Touring:

LED headlights
18" rims with wider tires
Rear heated seats
Navi

dom

Rear heated seats are standard on EXL and above IIRC.

Touring V6 is more than I can justify. And other than the 18's, I just don't see the value in those added options. While Navi would be nice, this really won't be a road trip vehicle, have the Ody for that so my phone Navi or TomTom is sufficient.

Would have loved a Sport V6 with. I understand why there's limited trims but they missed the mark with these offerings IMO.

neuronbob

Posted earlier in Car Talk....

Yesterday, I test-drove a 2013 Accord Sport. Why not an EX or EX-L? Were I to buy one, it'd almost certainly be a Sport or EX to keep costs down. Besides, the CVT is the same for all models other than the V6 EX-L and Touring, which come with conventional trannies. Anyhoo....

Exterior
As I was walking to the car, the first thing I noticed was the dual exhaust. and I like symmetry. The 18 inch wheels on the Sport are also good. Were I to buy an EX, that would be mod #1.

The car doesn't look shorter than the outgoing model at first glance, but it is three inches shorter. Great move on Honda's part as frankly the 8G Accord was just too damn big IMHO. The looks of this new 9G Accord are basically a sharpened version of the 8G Accord. I like it at first glance, even with the overused Hoffmeister Kink.

The grille on the Sport is a little different from the other Accords. I like.

Interior:
The first thing I noticed inside the car was NO XM. WTF? You don't get XM until you get to the EX-L. That means I'd have to stream XM though my iPhone and use the Bluetooth capability....which BTW is pretty easy to set up.

The dash setup is Honda-logical. I like having the average fuel economy in the MID. I couldn't find the TPMS location in my brief time in the car.

Radio/climate controls are pretty easy to use. There is a knob in the center of the control console that is similar to, though not as large as, the one I remember from my 2G RL.

Rear seat space is excellent. I am 5'10" and have very long legs. With the seat pushed back to accommodate my height, I was able to sit in the back seat VERY comfortably. The rear seat space in my CTS-V is tiny in comparison. I'd be able to cart my mother-in-law with her arthritic knees very easily as rear seat ingress and egress are pretty easy.

Front seats (cloth) in the Sport are supportive. The seat cushion is fairly long, which for a long-legged guy like me is helpful. Very comfortable, and I was easily able to find a good driving position. That took me months in my CTS-V.

Hand brake is on the correct side, next to me. That's a good thing. However, I've gotten used to e-parking brakes in the CTS-V, and also the Kia SX-L (which I test-drove a couple of months ago) has that. That would be a nice space-saver.

Mirrors are easily adjustable to allow clear views of the next lane on either side. I personally don't need the lane change cameras offered on the EX and up because I adjust my mirrors properly, but they are cool to see in reality.

There is a spare tire. Repeat, there is a spare tire. Thank you, Honda!

Driving experience:
I drove a CVT model to see if I could tolerate it. The answer: YES. Honda has hit it out of the park with this transmission and engine combo. Even though I drive a V8 daily, the CVT, especially in Sport mode, can keep you in the power band. The low end torque is actually OK! When it's time to change ratios, you can hear the change and it is comforting that it sounds almost like a traditional transmission.

Whether or not you are in Econ mode, there is a half-circlular LED on either side of the speedo. If you are driving to obtain better fuel efficiency, they are green. They are not lit if you are driving like a bat out of hell. With Econ mode on, the shifts and acceleration are much more sluggish, almost as if it's trying to force you not to use the accelerator as much. Out of Econ mode, it feels....well, normal. Freeway acceleration is very brisk in both D and S mode and at no point did I feel the car was lacking in power. If I needed a burst to avoid an oncoming semi, I am confident that the car would do fine. However, I do not recommend a freeway launch with Econ mode on, though. It is a soul-sucking, slow, painful, dreadful experience.

I did try the paddle shifters. Meh. Very slow reacting and frankly not very fun. Were I to daily drive this car, I would be in D mode 95% of the time as it works just fine.

Suspension is pretty good. There is body roll in the turns but it is controlled nicely. It is an Accord, after all.

Mileage
I did several miles of freeway in D mode without much of a launch. In this short few miles (average mileage reset), I was easily in the mid-30s. On the return down the same freeway in Sport mode, with a launch, 30 mpg. On city streets, average 35 mph, in regular D mode, without the Econ button on, I was consistently at 30 mpg, without even trying.

That is pretty impressive to me, and I am not easy to impress. Either that, or I drive more like a pussy than I thought I did.

My impression on bang for the buck in the Accord
I think the Sport and EX will be the sweet spot for this car financially. The LX has too few features and the EX-L, while it has many features found only in luxury cars a few years ago, puts you in Acura territory. The EX-L and Touring will compete with the TSX and come close to stepping on the FWD TL. I think this is an indicator that the TSX is done and the TL will be moved way upmarket, shortly.

So bottom line? I like the new Accord better than the old one. Has good bang for the buck for the most part and moves the entire mid-size family cruiser segment ahead. I'd buy this over a Kia Optima SX (I test-drove a SX-L three months ago). I'll post some separate thoughts and a comparo in another thread when I get some time. Were I in the market, it would be between a TSX wagon, Accord Sport/EX, Passat (that car has serious bang for buck), or a Kia Optima SX.

The options are a little puzzling. No XM in the LX or Sport? Wha?
No navi in the Sport? Not that it needs one, but wha?

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the correction. Looks like EX-L V6 is what you will be getting!

It seems like many people here and TOV want to have the sport trim for every trim (i.e. LX Sport, EX-L Sport, EX-L V6 sport, etc). I wonder if it's a good idea to simply launch a sports package that includes the 18" rims, wider tires, lip spoiler, dual exhaust, sports grille, etc for around $1500. In addition, it would be nice if they can offer a summer performance tire choice for $200 just like what they have been doing with the Civic Si.

F23A4

The XM being n/a on lesser trims is a terrible decision. Before its demise, my daughter's 12 Hyundai Accent GL came with XM while my 12 Accord EX does not. I would have hoped that Honda got with the program on the 13....but I guess not.

SSFTSX

If TSX is done so what will happen to ILX?. it is pricey if there is tech package. No 18 inch and dual exhaust option. not power enough to be sporty.
practically no chance of global success as there is no diesel ILX.

TSX69

2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid

After 30 years, Honda is trying to teach the old Accord new tricks, and they're of the plug-in variety.

We've been teased by various prototypes at auto shows and in spy shots, but Honda will finally start selling the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid in January 2013. Part of the overhauled ninth-generation Accord lineup, which will also include 4-cylinder and V6 models and a non-plug-in hybrid (completely different than the 1st-gen Accord Hybrid that was sold from MY 2005-2007) later in 2013, this PHEV is a slightly confounding creature. Everything works well, the car behaves exactly how you'd expect an Accord plug-in to work and the included LaneWatch display is incredibly well done, but there is more going on under the hood than will make sense to the average driver. It took a small cluster of green car journalists 15 minutes of back and forth with Yasuyuki Sando, the Accord PHEV's chief engineer, to finally figure out what the different drive options are for this car. But more about that in a bit.

The last few years have not given Americans a lot of confidence that Honda still knows how to make an engaging gas-electric vehicle. The CR-Z and Insight struggle for proficiency and don't inspire. Now, with the 2013 Accord, the challenge is clear: increase the efficiency level of Honda's incredibly popular mass-market sedan to meet today's regulatory and consumer demand, and don't make it boring. Based on an afternoon cruising the hills and highways of Southern California, it's clear Honda has met this challenge with a lot of newfangled technology hidden away in a largely normal-looking vehicle.

The design of the plug-in Accord takes the look of the popular sedan (11 million customers over the car's 30-year lifespan can't be wrong, can they?) and updates it suitably for 2013. Whatever you think of the look of the new Accord, the new shape is good for a seven-percent improvement in coefficient of drag, which boosts fuel economy.

To differentiate the exterior of the plug-in model, the Accord PHEV gets a unique front end with blue accents in the headlights, a model-specific grille and lower fascia. The back end has a different rear bumper cap for improved aero. Special badges and shuriken shapes in the exclusive wheels are also part of the program. This all comes across somewhat poorly in photos, though. We dug the design in person, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. The PHEV also gets LED headlights that are only otherwise available on the V6 and Touring trims in the gas-only version. There is only one trim line for the PHEV and it comes in 3 colors: White Orchid Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl or Burnished Silver Metallic.

The interior is well thought out and functional for the most part. It's mostly the same inside as the sedan, but with an exclusive hybrid cluster and grey biofabric. Looking at the dash information area, the battery's state of charge is on the upper right, above the fuel tank gauge. On the left, the expected energy meter displays if you're draining electrons from the pack or putting them back in. Every Accord PHEV has adaptive cruise control but, as we said, the new star of the show here is LaneWatch.

The cabin's thin pillars provide excellent visibility, but Honda is going one better. In every Accord PHEV – and on some of the higher-level trims levels of the standard car – Honda is including its new LaneWatch system. This is a small camera built into the passenger side mirror that shows you the scene in the driver's blind spot on the upper central info screen. The driver can select whether this view is constant (annoying), off (then what's the point?) or only turns on when you signal you're going to turn right (the way we used it). Even though the side view will displace navigation information, it's still an incredibly effective safety device and we suspect it won't take long for side view features like this to become as common as backup cameras are today. It's intuitive and you can see both the video screen and the actual mirror with one glance. We've got a video of the system in action in our 1st Drive of the 2013 Accord Sport.

So LaneWatch makes seeing what used to be unseen an easy task, and Honda is going further by trying to make the entire Accord PHEV driving experience as easy as possible. While the actual motions you make behind the wheel are easy enough, we couldn't help but notice that there's a whole slew of confusing terminology, modes and powertrain, um, things going on. To wit, the HV and HV Charge modes and the EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive "modes." We asked Honda what all of these different categories are about. The key point, we were told, is that there are modes and then there are Drives, and you shouldn't confuse 1 for the other.

1st, let's discuss the different drives (not Modes, remember, even though it's oh-so-easy to call them that). 1st, know that the Accord is the 1st to use Honda's Earth Dreams 2-motor hybrid system that employs a 2.0-liter iVTEC Atkinson cycle engine electrically coupled to a Continuously Variable Transmission. The engine does 10% better on fuel economy than Honda's last 2.0-liter and provides an overall power output of 196 horsepower and 226 lb-ft of torque.

EV Drive: Here, the only energy moving the car comes mostly from the battery. When starting with a full battery pack, the engine will not kick in under normal city driving until the pack is depleted, which should take 10-15 miles. When the driver requests "higher speeds or under high demand for acceleration," the gasoline engine will turn on "to provide additional power." This drive operation automatically comes on during deceleration. The official top speed in EV Drive is around 80 miles per hour and an electric A/C compressor and water heater allow the car to stay in EV mode longer.
Hybrid Drive: This is where the Accord PHEV does its best Chevrolet Volt impression. The battery is still used, when there's juice, but mostly, Hybrid Drive only gets the engine running in order to send electricity straight to the 124-kW electric traction motor. The engine does not turn the wheels directly.
Engine Drive: Now we're in standard internal combustion territory, because this is when the gasoline engine provides direct drive of the wheels. Battery? What battery?

The powertrain cycles through these 3 drive settings automatically, again emphasizing that this plug-in powertrain is easy to use. The battery is a 6.7-kWh air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack with active cooling and comes from Blue Energy, a Honda and GSYuasa joint venture, The small pack size means a full recharge takes less than an hour when using a Level 2 charger (or just 3 hours from a standard 120-volt outlet). Honda also gives an Elon Musk-approved 30-minute charge estimate: 8 miles of range in 30 minutes over Level 2. Not quite Model S territory, but what is? In any case, if there's juice in the pack, the car will use it. Well, most of the time.

This is where we get into HV and HV Charge modes. These have to do with the battery's state of charge (not which part of the drivetrain is sending power to where) and, again like the Volt and its Mountain Mode, allow you to choose when to deploy your electrons for forward momentum. When you engage HV mode, the car knows that you want to keep the battery's State Of Charge (SOC) at whatever level it's currently at. In fact, if you regain battery SOC (through a long regen, for example), the system will use up that "extra" SOC to increase efficiency while making sure the pack never drops below the level it was at when HV mode was turned on. Or, if you want to reset the battery SOC level at a higher level (after the regen event), just re-engage HV mode with a long push of the HV button.

Most interesting, though, is HV Charge mode, which will actually use gasoline to charge the battery. As far was we know, the Accord is the only plug-in vehicle that will use gasoline to recharge the pack. Normal hybrids, of course, all do this, but they're not designed to ever get any electricity from an external power grid. Other plug-ins don't allow the generator to increase the battery's SOC, because they just use electrons that the car gets from the wall. As we said, it's all kind of confusing, but also very cool to have this level of control over what your plug-in hybrid is doing. And while these different drive modes/settings/whatever can drastically change how the car operates, the EPA has decided that the Accord PHEV qualifies as an enhanced AT-PZEV, which means HOV lane access in California if you get a Green Clean Air Vehicle Sticker.

The average driver won't care much about this level of detail, of course, and the Accord is an average driver's car. The plug-in hybrid version is predictably the heaviest of all Accords, but it still performs admirably in city and highway driving. Journeying for a few hours through the hills outside of Santa Barbara, the PHEV had enough pep to entertain us powering out of the curves, even as we kept a curious eye on the battery SOC, just because that's what interests us. The electric motor provides reliable punch, especially in passing situations, and the electronic power steering feels slightly disconnected, but buyers won't mind much since it helps with fuel economy. It's the little things like this that will push the Accord PHEV to an expected 100 MPGe or more. We'll probably find out the exact number at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. All we can go on right now are the provisional MPGe charts that Honda showed, which have the Accord beating the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius Plug-in in the MPGe category while the gas-only MPG was shown to be somewhere between the Volt (at 37 combined) and the Plug-in Prius (at 50).

How much running HV Charge mode affects fuel use isn't yet finalized (the vehicle we drove is a prototype, after all) but Sando-san said he is asking his engineering team to only make the HV Charge mode decrease MPG by 3%. Their response was to laugh at that, he said, so it'll likely be higher.

Sando-san called the Accord "Honda's most important product," and it sure feels like the company is playing it safe by masking a complicated plug-in powertrain with user-friendly controls and automated efficiency boosts. Even the way the hybrids are being rolled out – plug-in 1st and standard hybrid later, which is different than how most other automakers do it – is a way to be careful. If the PHEV powertrain fits into the Accord body, then the standard hybrid powertrain will, too.

In the end, the Accord PHEV is kind of like Honda's project car. It's not the "daily driver" for the masses that the normal Accord, with expected annual sales of around 350,000, will be. Think of this car more like something that Honda is interested in and will get out of the garage/research lab now that the frustrated spouse (here, the EPA or CARB, take your pick) says Honda has to. This shadetree project wasn't a waste of time at all, since the PHEV is the 1st use of a new and complicated powertrain – 1 that works surprisingly well – that will someday play a much bigger role in the company's lineup.

The Accord Plug-In Hybrid takes some cues from the Fit EV (Honda is using the same home-charging partner, Leviton, for example, and the 6.6-kWh charger is the same in both vehicles), but we hope the Accord's sales figures will not be just as miniscule. The answer to that question will be based, in part, on the Accord PHEV's price (again, stay tuned for LA) and how it compares to other plug-in hybrids, like the Volt, Prius Plug-In and Ford C-Max Energi. Whoever wants a normal-looking alternative to those alternatives will do well to take a look at what Honda's done here. After all, you don't have to understand it to drive it.

charliemike

Remember when Honda had their own styling department?

That Accord hybrid looks like eight different cars

knavinusa

Honda, you always pick such ugly rims for photos...

TSX69

2013 Honda Accord Re-Engineered into a Well-Rounded Sedan

Honda's nerds have done it. They've cracked the code, solved the riddle, unscrambled the jumble that, until now, has perpetually confounded a large swath of the automotive engineering teams around the globe.

What'd they figure out? A worthwhile transmission. A part of the car that's traditionally as sexy as a pair of adult diapers. Yet it's a part that contributes mightily to the overall excellence of the 2013 Honda Accord.

Honda's venerable mid-size sedan has gone through a clean-sheet redesign that overhauled the car's engines, transmissions, styling and size. The result is a well-rounded vehicle that starts at $22,470 and is sure to give a pile of headaches to competitors including the Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, Chevy Malibu, Hyundai Sonata and even the excellent (and also recently redesigned) Nissan Altima.

Thank those lab-coated boffins.

The transmission in question is called a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Unlike a conventional automatic, it has no fixed gear ratios. Instead, you have basically one gear ratio that keeps the engine running at its optimum revolutions per minute relative to the speed of the vehicle. The payoff is better fuel economy, and thus automakers are adopting them in droves.

Ah, but then there are the side effects. At cruising speeds, most CVTs keep the engine revving high, which means loud, which means annoying. Plus, when you mash the throttle to pass someone or merge onto the freeway, the transmission can't downshift through the gears to give you more power. Thus, acceleration in a car with a CVT can feel leaden.

Yet for a mere $800 on Honda's Accord LX and EX models, you can get a CVT that has all the fuel-friendly habits of its peers, with none of the vexing side effects. The smarts at Honda paired some hyper-capable software with a torque converter to create a gearbox that most drivers will never know is different from an automatic.

This matters because it contributes mightily to the quiet motoring of the 2013 Accord, which is closer to that of a luxury car than anything else in this segment. Not only does this new transmission keep the engine hushed at freeway speeds, but it conjures up the appropriate power when you need it, even from a dead stop. Only when you really put your foot down hard and keep it there does the engine get noisy.

The Accord's upscale feel is aided by how solidly it feels put together. Over rough, clattering roads, this Honda barely bats an eyelash. The suspension is well balanced between being firm enough for confident road feel, and soft enough to keep your fillings in place when the potholes strike. There is some body roll through turns, but it's well managed. The driver's car in this segment remains the sporty Nissan Altima, but the mainstream bent of the Accord's handling makes it a standout with broad appeal.

The Accord's relative indulgence is further conveyed by its interior and exterior design.

The outside bears little resemblance to the previous Accord, as it does away with that model's bulbous features and ill-chosen lines. This model is also 3.5 inches shorter despite interior dimensions staying nearly the same. The new look is cleaner and has a handsome, if somewhat generic, confidence to it. Chrome trim on the grille, door handles, exhaust tip and trunk deck lid lend an upscale air to the car.

The Accord's cabin furthers the near-luxury inclinations. Road and wind noise is held at bay by active sound canceling via the stereo and thick, heavy doors that swing open wide in an earnest welcome. The seats are nicely bolstered, though covered in a patterned fabric that will be outdated by the time you finish this sentence. Other surfaces such as the dashboard and door panels are soft to the touch, and nothing feels cheap or compromised. Space in the cabin and trunk is average for this class.

The button-heavy approach to the Accord's dashboard remains, but the controls for the climate control and stereo are now arranged in a more logical format. Above this is an 8-inch color screen standard on all Accords. It displays a backup camera (also gratis), stereo functions, trip information and, if equipped, the navigation system.

This screen also displays a nifty new safety feature Honda calls LaneWatch. It uses a small camera on the passenger's side-view mirror to display 2 lanes of traffic to your right. The system activates automatically whenever the driver uses the right turn signal (which means it will never get used in Los Angeles), and it proved to be an eminently useful tool. Don't be surprised if other automakers adopt similar systems.

Finally, to the left of the steering wheel sits a round, welcoming green button marked 'ECON.' Push it, and this Honda adjusts the throttle response and the air conditioning for an extra boost in fuel economy without neutering the Accord's performance.

Even without the aid of our ever-mindful friend, this is an efficient car. Fuel economy is rated at 27 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway; not the leader of the class, but certainly respectable. In my 200 miles of testing in mixed driving, I averaged 26 mpg.

Helping the Accord stay efficient is an all-new inline 4-cylinder engine. It now features direct-injection and through 2.4 liters of displacement makes 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Its smooth power moves the Accord capably, and the car will do 0 to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, according to Motor Trend.

If you're looking for an Accord that thinks outside of the 4-cylinder-sedan box, consider the V-6 model with 278 horsepower for an additional $2,075 or the Accord Coupe that's due soon. On the green front, a plug-in hybrid and regular hybrid will bow in 2013.

My 4-cylinder test car was the mid-level EX model, and for $26,195 you get a moonroof, fog lights, power driver's seat, the LaneWatch system, backup camera, dual-zone climate control, Pandora Internet radio, Bluetooth, keyless entry and alloy wheels. Safety on all Accords comes in the form of 6 air bags, stability control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and a tire pressure monitoring system. This content and price matches the Accord squarely with its competitors.

Thus, not only do Honda's pocket-protected poindexters get credit for cracking the CVT code, but the company's designers, product planners and the good folks assembling the Accord in the company's Marysville, Ohio, plant also deserve a nod for compiling the segment's most well-rounded entrant. And they all did it without a single wedgie.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I hated the styling of the plug-in accord hybrid when the first photos came out. I gotta say it looks much better in white and the rims don't bother me as much any more. It's good to see Honda makes noticeable visual changes to their hybrids now.

SSFTSX

It seems the V6 has more luxurious feel.

AccordFlex

iTrader: (1)

I work for Honda in sales, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to PM me including what price you should be paying for this vehicle. I can even email you pricing to take to your local dealer if you like.

To clear a few things up... There is no Touring model of the I4, only the V6. The only differences between the V6 EXL and Touring are the LED headlights, and adaptive cruise control... that is it. With the navigation models you gain Nav unit, 15gb HDD, high definition screen and live traffic updates.

After driving all of them, I can honestly say this is a simply badass car. Im in love with the Sport model and I agree, there should be a sport appearance package that would be installed by the dealer, but that would make too much sense for Honda.

Acceleration is very nice on both the I4 and especially the V6, it hauls ass.

Keyless entry w/push button start is very nice for EX and up models and I agree this should have just been a standard feature for Sport model and up. One of the biggest complaints is that the sport doesnt have this or the Moon roof. Like stated before an Sport appearance package would be nice for all models

The sport model has been our most popular simply because it looks awesome and drives very nice compared to last years model.

Any other questions please just ask here and I can help out.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

I saw a white EX V6 sedan today with the trunk lip spoiler. Loved it.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I'm hoping that with the high demand of the sport trim, Honda will launch some sort of sport package next year or during MMC.

biker

Honda should have seen this coming (the popularity of the sport model) - the SE trim did the same thing for the Camry.

Ken1997TL

speedemon90

still have yet to see one on the road, although i'm not really driving during the weekdays haha

03tLsNBP

iTrader: (9)

same here, I've seen a bunch at dealerships but none on the road

Ken1997TL

I've seen several on the road.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I think they saw it coming...otherwise...they wouldn't have made the sport trim at all. But as we all know, Honda is very conservative and stubborn, so even when they have all the data telling them that a sport package (or something similar) is needed for every trim, they still chose to have one sport trim for now....

Moog-Type-S

It's quite odd that in SoCal I have not seen any on the road yet either.